1 Month Later
In the month that passed from when she had the long-awaited, and bitter reunion between her and her sister, Visenya and Jon both came to agreement that he and Davos would go to try and talk some sense into Daenerys...though Visenya had a feeling that Daenerys wouldn't budge with her position.
With Jon's absence from Winterfell, he elected Sansa and Rickon in charge of Winterfell until he got back, but Visenya would still oversee everything as well, being the final say in any decisions. In case Jon's meeting with Daenerys went like hers, she decided to search the various texts within the libraries to try and find any other potential locations of Dragonglass, leading her to spend most of her days in her study, searching for information.
Once in a while, however, Visenya would venture out of her study to pray in the small Sept that Catelyn once used, go on a walk, or if Maester Wolkan requested her presence to ensure that her pregnancy was going along smoothly, since her mother had various complications. While it was still early, and many of those around her could not tell she was pregnant, she was somewhat happy that it was not visible yet, even though she and Mira could tell that there was the slightest bit of a bulge.
Without announcing herself, Sansa barged into Visenya's study, as pale as a ghost. Visenya, completely unfazed by Sansa's entrance, didn't even look up from the papers she was reading.
"Yes?" Visenya asked expectantly, lifting her head up to meet Sansa's scared gaze.
"Bran's returned." Sansa immediately replied, with slight fear in her voice. "He's in the Godswood...he's changed."
"Changed how?" Visenya asked standing from her seat.
"You'll see." Sansa sighed, before she led her adoptive sister out of her study and into the Godswood, where she found Bran, with his back facing her.
Tears began to flood Visenya's eyes. The last time she saw him was when she accompanied Ned to King's Landing all those years ago...now he has returned. Initially, she couldn't understand why Sansa said he changed, but no sooner Visenya took a step forward into the Godswood, she noticed it.
"Hello Visenya." The boy began, making Visenya take a step back in shock, not understanding how the boy knew it was her.
With the most caution she had in a long time, Visenya walked over to the boy and stood in front of him. He had gotten older, and while Visenya couldn't put her finger on it, she could see that the boy had changed. A tear fell down Visenya's right cheek, before she engulfed the wheel-chair-bound boy into a hug, clutching onto him tightly, never wanting to let him go.
"You inherited Dark Sister." The boy blurted into the hug.
Visenya frowned in confusion as she pulled away to look the boy over.
"Did Sansa tell you?" She asked, wondering if Sansa had explained what had occurred to them all within the last few months.
"The Three-Eyed-Raven showed me." Bran replied.
"Who?"
"The Three-Eyed Raven." Bran sighed. "I am him, and he is me. I see everything, I've seen everything, I know everything. It is pieces and fragments in my mind...the entire history of Westeros and beyond. I will be prepared for the Long Night...the Night King is coming for me."
Sansa was right, the boy changed.
And it wasn't minor, it was rather frightening.
2 Months Later
It had been two months since Bran returned to Winterfell, and things were still not as they seem. Jon and Davos still had not returned from their trip to speak with Daenerys, worrying Visenya and Sansa, but according to Bran, whom they found out had visions, said they both were alive and well.
The only thing that was on Visenya's mind were two things.
Being concerned for her loved ones, and wondering if her child would inherit the Targaryen Madness.
She prayed to every single God in the world, Old, New, Valyrian, Water...that her child would not become mad like her father was.
"It is on days like these, when I wish to be in Highgarden." Mira commented as she and Visenya walked through the Courtyard, as they did almost every day, with Maegor following them.
A smile came on Visenya's face. "You miss the South that much? Surely after growing up in the North, you would have come accustomed to it."
Mira shrugged. "I have...but Highgarden was spectacular. I loved my time there so much."
"I'm sure you did." Visenya sighed placing her right hand on her slightly larger stomach. "During my time in the South, I did enjoy it...but after spending most of my life in Winterfell...I think I like it here more."
"That is understandable. You lived almost your entire life within the castle walls...surely your preferences changed." Mira nodded in agreement.
"Your Grace!" A voice called.
Visenya and Mira turned around to see a guard walking toward them. As soon as he stood in front of Visenya, he bowed.
"Your Grace, my appologies to interupt you and Lady Forrester, but Lady Sansa wishes to speak with you in the crypts." The guard explained.
"The crypts?" She questioned with a frown. "What in the world for?"
"She didn't specify, Your Grace." The guard sighed.
Visenya let out a sigh of frustration, before heading to the crypts by herself. It had been years since she had been down there. She remembered Ned took her down there when she first came to Winterfell, but other than that, she hadn't been down there too much. As she continued to walk through them, she heard Sansa's voice...and a familiar one. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she realized who's voice is was.
Arya.
"That doesn't look like him." She heard Arya say as she rounded the corner to find both girls looking at Ned's grace. "It should have been carved by someone who knew his face."
Sansa sighed. "Everyone who knew his face is dead."
"We're not." Visenya sighed making Arya snap her head towards her.
"Senya!" Arya practically shouted before rushing toward her, engulfing her into a tight hug, which Visenya accepted...cautiously.
"Arya, please be careful." Sansa warned.
Arya snapped her head around to see her sister. "Why? Senya's tough enough, to handle a hug."
"I am, but that was before I was with child." Visenya calmly explained, making Arya snap her head back toward her. Carefully this time, Arya pulled Visenya into another hug.
"I missed you." Arya murmured into Visenya's shoulder.
"I missed you as well." Visenya replied as she pulled away placing her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "You grew taller."
"You're hair is different." Arya commented before all three of them let out a laugh.
Arya turned back to Sansa and let out a sigh. "They say you killed Joffrey. Did you?"
"I wish I had." Sansa remarked.
"Don't we all." Visenya sighed.
"Me too." Arya explained. "I was angry when I heard someone else had done it. However long my list got he was always first."
"Your list?" Sansa questioned.
"Of people I'm going to kill." Arya nonchalantly replied making all three of them let out laughs again.
"How did you get back to Winterfell?" Sansa asked in curiosity.
"It's a long story. I imagine yours is too." Arya remarked.
"Yes. It's not a very pleasant one." Sansa sighed, making Visenya look at her in concern.
"Mine neither."
"But both of your stories are not over yet." Visenya remarked with pride.
"No, they're not." Sansa nodded in agreement before pulling Arya into another hug.
Once they pulled away from each other, Visenya looked to Sansa expectantly, knowing that Arya was in for a shock once she was to see Bran. Rickon would probably exhibit a normal reaction from her, but Bran's changed personality could make a sane person go mental.
"Arya, Bran's home too." Sansa explained with caution, immediately getting a smile from the younger girl.
However, upon seeing Sansa and Visenya's somber faces, Arya's smile immediately faded. As they ventured to the Godswood, Visenya knew in the back of her mind that this reunion could go either really well, or really bad within a matter of moments. She began to think the reason why reunions go poorly are because hers with Daenerys went horribly wrong, but she could be wrong. Unlike her and Daenerys, the Stark children all loved each other deeply.
Something that Visenya wish she was able to have with all of her family members.
No sooner they entered the Godswood, Bran turned his head around in his wheelchair.
"You came home." Bran said in his monotoned voice.
Arya said nothing in response, but immediately threw her arms around Bran, making a small smile come on Visenya's face. She was happy the two were reunited. Once Arya pulled away, Bran looked her up and down.
"I saw you at the crossroads." Bran explained.
Arya frowned. "You saw me?"
Bran nodded. "I see quite a lot now."
"Bran has visions." Visenya explained and Sansa nodded in agreement.
"I thought you might go to King's Landing." Bran began.
"So did I." Arya nodded.
Sansa frowned. "Why would you go back there?"
"Cersei is on her list of names." Bran sighed.
Visenya smirked. "That's another thing we have in common else is on your list?"
"Most of them are dead already." Arya admitted, making Visenya smiled with pride.
She couldn't believe that Arya had essentially become an assassin. Just as Visenya was about to reply, Bran pulled a dagger out of his coat and unsheathed it. From where she was standing, Visenya could see that the dagger was Valyrian steel...but it looked familiar.
Very familiar.
"Where did you get this?" Arya asked.
"Littlefinger gave it to me." Bran explained.
"Littlefinger, he's here?" Arya asked before turning to Sansa and Visenya in shock.
"He's declared for House Stark." Sansa explained.
"Not that we would want him to." Visenya remarked.
"Why would he give you a dagger?" Sansa frowned in confusion.
"He thought I'd want it."
"Why?"
"Because it was meant to kill me."
"The cutthroat after your fall?" Visenya questioned in disbelief. "Why would a cutthroat have a Valyrian steel dagger?"
Bran shrugged. "Someone very wealthy wanted me dead."
"He's not a generous man." Visenya commented. "He wouldn't give you anything unless he thought he was getting something back."
"It doesn't matter." Bran remarked.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Sansa asked with a head tilt to the side.
Bran held the dagger to Arya. "I don't want it."
"Are you sure? It's Valyrian steel." Arya asked.
That's when it hit Visenya...she recognized that dagger...from one of her texts she had read many years ago.
About Aegon the Conqueror.
The dagger that Bran had, was the dagger of Aegon the Conqueror.
"It's not just Valyrian steel, it once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror." Visenya sighed. "I recognize it from a text I read many years ago."
"It's wasted on a cripple." Bran remarked with a sigh.
Arya looked down at the dagger before taking a step forward, and taking it from the boy's hands. Visenya let out a small sigh watching the exchange, wondering how and why Littlefinger of all people had a Valyrian steel dagger that once belonged to her ancestor. From the time she returned to Winterfell, she had little to no trust for Littlefinger. Even before that she didn't trust the man, and even while the two rarely crossed paths, she purposely avoided him like the plague...not wanting him to feed off her abilities or weaknesses. She felt Sansa was being manipulated by the man, as she felt like she had been since she was a child...but she'd never admit that.
After all, she had bigger issues to worry about.
A/N:
Let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, and or ideas.