"When I was a child, my brother would tell me a bedtime story about the man who murdered our father." Daenerys began from her seat at the head table. "Who stabbed him in the back and cut his throat. Who sat down on the Iron Throne and watched as his blood poured onto the floor."
All of the main players were present in The Great Hall. Daenerys sat in between Sansa and Jon, and also gathered were Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, and Jorah Mormont all sitting at a table on the left, and Davos, Lyanna, Lord Royce, Alys Karstark, Brienne, Bronn, and Olenna on the right, all watching the interogation of Jaime being led by Daenerys.
Visenya had found herself standing off to the side, in between Bran and Rickon, watching the entire scene go down with a held breath. She had given Helaena to Mira in case something were to go wrong, and Aegon vowed to protect them in case something were to happen to either.
Visenya had been praying to every single God there was with the hope that Helaena would be alright. She watched as Jaime's eyes lowered to the ground with a sigh as Daenerys continued the interrogation.
"He told me other stories as well. About all the things we would do to that man once we took back the Seven Kingdoms and had him in our grasp." Daenerys continued with a taunt. "Your sister pledged to send her army North."
Jaime nodded. "She did."
Daenerys looked around the room, looking for the army in question.
"I don't see an army. I see one man, with one hand. It appears your sister lied to me." Daenerys said with some anger as she glanced to Tyrion, who in response looked to Jaime.
"She lied to me as well." Jaime sighed, humoring Daenerys. "She never had any intention of sending her army North. Your sister made that very clear to me shortly after we met."
"My sister?" Daenerys asked with anger, before turning to look at Visenya with a glare. "Or your wife?"
Visenya didn't break eye contact with Daenerys as she walked to the center of the room, before standing next to Jaime.
"I should have you branded as a traitor." Daenerys began gesturing to her sister. "Considering you dishonored your own house by not only marrying the man who murdered our father, but also having a child with him."
"Do not bring her into this." Jaime began. "Cersei has Euron Greyjoy's fleet and 20,000 fresh troops. The Golden Company from Essos, bought and paid for. Even if we defeat the dead, she'll have more than enough to destroy the survivors."
"We?" Daenerys asked with confusion.
"They day I married your sister, was the day I pledged myself to the North." He said with a nod. "I promised to fight for the living. I intend to keep that promise."
Tyrion, tired of the politics got up from his seat and walked into the center of the room.
"Your Grace, I know my brother-" He began.
"Like you knew your sister?" Daenerys cut him off.
"Knowing full well how he'd be received, he still married your sister, and still pledges to fight for the living." Tyrion began. "If he wanted to harm Visenya or you, he wouldn't have married Visenya or procreated with her."
Daenerys smirked in amusement. "Perhaps he trusts his little brother to defend him, right up to the moment he slits my throat."
"He wouldn't dare slit your throat." Visenya began. "He wouldn't dare harm anyone in my family...or me."
"But yet he still murdered our father." Daenerys countered.
"Do you want me to apologize?" Jaime questioned. "I won't. We were at war. Everything I have done, I did for my house and my family. I'd do it all again."
"The things we do for love." Bran piped up making all heads turn towards him in confusion and annoyance.
Daenerys then turned back to Jaime. "So why have you abandoned your house and family now?"
"Your sister and our daughter together is my family. I love her. I love the both of them." He immediately responded. "And I abandoned my house because this goes beyond loyalty. This is about survival."
Brienne then stood up from her seat. "You don't know me well, Your Grace. But I know Ser Jaime. He is a man of honor. I along with your sister were his captors once. But when we were both taken prisoner and the men holding us forced themselves on your sister, Ser Jaime defended her. And lost his hand because of it."
Brienne then turned to Sansa. "Without him, Lady Sansa, would not be alive. He armed me, armored me, and sent me to find her and bring her home because he'd sworn an oath to their mother, Lady Catelyn Stark. The night of Robb Stark's death he practically dragged me to The Twins to save Queen Visenya from the Freys."
"You vouch for him?" Daenerys asked raising an eyebrow.
"I do." Brienne nodded.
"You would fight beside him?" She asked again.
"I have, and I would do it again." Brienne immediately replied.
"He married my sister, and is the father of my niece." Sansa began. "I've come to know the man rather well in the last few years...Lady Brienne speaks the truth. He can stay."
Daenerys turned her gaze to Jon. "What does the Warden of the North say about it?"
"We need every man we can get." Jon sighed, looking to Visenya, who was glaring daggers at him.
Everyone held their breaths as Daenerys thought to herself.
"Very well." She nodded, making Tyrion exhale a breath of relief.
Grey Worm who was guarding the door, then picked up Jaime's sword, walked over to him, and aggressively handed it over to him.
"Thank you." Jaime nodded to Daenerys, but all that comment did was anger her, as he did not acknowledge her as Queen.
After the meeting dispersed, Visenya felt herself venturing to her study, where she knew Mira and Helaena would be. No sooner she entered her study, she saw Mira, Maegor, and Helaena all sitting down waiting for Visenya to arrive. No sooner Visenya arrived, Visenya asked Mira for her to check on Myrcella and Aegon, to ensure that no one had come to bother them.
No sooner Mira had left, Visenya took Helaena in her arms, before she sat down. She had the slightest bit of a smile on her face as she looked over her daughter. She was the perfect combination of her and Jaime. She had his emerald eyes and her silver-blonde hair. If something were to happen to Helaena, Visenya would burn the world in anger...not caring who perished in the process. From the day she was born, Visenya vowed to be a better mother than Rhaella, and be similar to Catelyn Stark. It was in times like these, where Visenya wondered what Catelyn and Ned would think of Helaena. They probably would be enamored with her, and treat her as a grandchild of their own.
It was also in times like these where she missed them dearly and longed for their guidence.
She snapped out of her thoughts when a knock occurred at her door.
"Enter." She gently called, as she placed Helaena down in her cradle.
"Jon said you would most likely be in here." Daenerys explained as she entered her study.
No sooner she entered, Maegor began to growl, taking Daenerys back.
"Ilagon, Maegor (Down, Maegor." Visenya commanded, and the direwolf immediately laid down next to Visenya.
"He understands Valyrian?" Daenerys asked in disbelief.
Visenya nodded. "Yes, apologies for him acting this way. He's not the best around new people."
"I understand." Daenerys asked before noticing the same cradle. She carefully walked over to it, and a small smile appeared on her face. "Is this your daughter?"
Visenya stood up from her seat and walked over. "Yes."
"She's beautiful." Daenerys said quietly. "What is her name?"
"Helaena." Visenya sighed with a smile, as Helaena grabbed onto a couple of her fingers with her small hands.
"A wonderful name." Daenerys nodded.
"Please, sit." Visenya gestured as she walked back to her seat behind the desk, as Daenerys took her seat across from her.
The two of them were quiet for a few moments before Daenerys spoke up.
"Why him?" She asked calmly, looking her elder sister in the eyes. "Why did you marry that man? He broke his oath and murdered our father."
Visenya sighed as she began to pick at her fingers. "In all honesty, I wish he had broken his oath sooner."
Daenerys frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I wish he had broken it the day our father murdered Brandon and Rickard Stark." She began. "If he had broken it that day, it would it have prevented Robert's Rebellion from succeeding as he would've lost the North and the Vale...and he needed both of those to win. Without either, Robert Baratheon would've been captured and defeated by Rhaegar."
"At the Trident?" Daenerys questioned.
"Probably during The Battle of The Bells." Visenya frowned in thought. "If that would've happened, Rhaegar would've been King, and you and Viserys wouldn't have ended up on the run in Essos, though Jaime still would've been called The Kingslayer."
Visenya glanced at Helaena, who was looking up to her with her big emerald eyes, before looking back to Daenerys.
"But because he kept his oath, for as long as possible, with many calling him a coward, our father continued to murder and torture the innocent including Brandon and Rickard Stark, whom he burned alive with Wildfyre. One died from being burned alive, and the other died from strangulation, trying to break free to save his father...all while our father gained pleasure from it...before he raped our mother." She continued, watching Daenerys's expression change. "That one cataclysmic event cause the North and The Vale to side with Robert Baratheon, allowing for him to seize the throne. All he did was follow blind loyalty...I have come to learn that sometimes depending on the side, there may be no right choices. There can be the bad choice, or the worst choice."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"His decision that day, the day the Stark's perished and to stay loyal to our father, was the worst decision. But the decision he made during the Sacking of King's Landing was not...it's better to be a Kingslayer than be a coward or a fool and watched innocent people die." She continued before leaning forward slightly. "If you disagree with me, and rather have him stay loyal to the end of our father's reign allowing for the innocents to die, then I was wrong about you...you do not have a soul."
Daenerys fell silent as she watched her elder sister's facial expression change from calm and mild to slightly angry in a matter of moments.
"As for why I married him...I felt the same way you did, at one point in time. I was betrothed to him years ago, right before Ned Stark became Hand of the King. I hated him with a burning passion...constantly plotting ways I could get out of it or how I could murder him in his sleep." She said with a small smile as she leaned back in her chair.
Daenerys frowned. "What changed?"
Visenya sighed. "We found an understanding for each other. As Brienne said, we were his captors, and we spent an awful lot of time together. He told me the real reason why he killed our father, and I didn't blame him for it...in the long run he did the right thing. Our father was a cruel man. But he saved me quite a few times, and I saved him quite a few times. Just before we fled to Dragonstone we made a deal...that if any children we would have would end up having Valyrian given names, to honor my culture."
She then looked to Helaena and smiled. "I guess it's true what they say. A Lannister always pays his debts."
Daenerys glanced to her sister, then to her niece, then back to her sister, finally realizing why her sister married him. Not only did they love each other...deeply at that...but they understood each other, and while it would take a great deal of time for Daenerys to fully understand her sister's decisions, she would teach herself to deal with the matter at hand. A few moments later, Daenerys left her study leaving Visenya alone and in her thoughts once again.
A couple hours later Aegon, barged into her study unannounced.
"Yes?" Visenya asked looking up from her books.
"A couple things." He began. "I told Jon who I was."
Visenya's eyes widened. "And?"
"He wasn't angry or mad...but he didn't know what to think." He explained. "Also, he hasn't told Daenerys who we are yet."
"Of course he hasn't." Visenya groaned with an eye roll. "What else?"
"Someone has arrived." Aegon began before Jaime barged into her study unannounced.
"Is everyone not announcing themselves today?" Visenya murmured.
"I'm sorry to bother you." He began before nodding to Aegon. "Hello Aegon."
"Uncle Jaime." The boy smiled.
"What do you both want?" She asked in confusion.
"Theon Greyjoy is downstairs." Jaime explained making Visenya's eyes widened.
"You knew who he was?" Aegon asked. "I was going to say he was some beggar, based upon how he looks."
A/N:
Shoutout to Ian09121995 for your help.
As always let me know if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or concerns.