She was currently outside the castle, getting some fresh air or rather calming her racing thoughts. She was standing against a stone railing, almost at the top of the stairs leading to the keep. In one hand she held Euron's short reply to her letter, and in the other she the silver clasp, but her thoughts were now moving in a different direction. Not even to the morning conversation with Tyrion about dragonglass, but for something else.
She thought about the dream she had that night. It wasn't one of those about the future, certainly not. After all, when she dreamed, she didn't understand the meaning of the things that were happening before her eyes.
She was about four years old at that point. She stood on the balcony in the Red Keep's throne room, trying hard to look over the stone railing, but she could barely reach it with her arms, after all, she was only three feet tall. So it was hard for her to see anything that was happening at the Iron Throne. Not that she understood much of what was happening, but she had recognized her father's silhouette earlier and wanted to see what was happening.
"Are you enjoying the view, princess?" she looked at the knight with her purple eyes, whom she always saw near her father, and now he was watching over her so that she wouldn't accidentally hurt herself. She reached no further than Ser Arthur's hip, and she obviously didn't like it. He could see everything very clearly, while she couldn't even see beyond the barrier.
"No." she replied in one word, returning to her attempts to pull herself up onto the railing. Failed attempts.
"Maybe I could help? Of course if you let me, princess." she looked at him again, but only when he knelt down on one knee next to her, lowering himself to her height. He was the only knight who acted like this around her. Others seemed to don't be good with children, or did not want to kneel in their royal guard costume. And her little childlike heart was always touched by the way someone would crouch or kneel to talk to her or take her in their arms. It reminded her of her dad, who always held her in his arms when they talked. Or her mother, who told her every time she hugged her how much she loved her youngest child.
"You can..." she murmured, reaching out for him to pick her up. Ser Arthur grabbed her gently under the arms and lifted her up, setting her on the thick stone railing. Now she had a perfect view of everything that was happening in the throne room, especially of her father, who - as she looked at him now - had a crown on his head. "Dad is a princess too?" she asked, causing a short laugh from her companion. She asked this question because for now she associated wearing a crown only with the way her parents and maids played with her while she was wearing her toy crown.
"Your dad became the King of the Seven Kingdoms today." he explained to her, leaning in a little next to her. He was still holding her by the arms so that she wouldn't accidentally fall off the balcony.
"And that's why there are so many people here?" she asked another question. For someone like her and so young, such titles made no impression and didn't seem to bother her. For her, the only difference was that before people called her father: 'prince', and recently they started calling him: 'Your Grace'.
"All the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms have gathered here to pledge their allegiance to him. Just as they had sworn to his father, and to his father, and over and over again."
"It's boring." she stated, earning another short laugh from the knight.
"Maybe. But also important."
"Will they ever swear like that to me too? I don't want to sit and be bored."
"When they swear to your father, they also swear to you. And to your mother and siblings."
"But how, they're saying it to him, not to all of us." she didn't understand it. No one has ever explained such things to such a young child. Besides, she didn't understand all this swearing of allegiance and so on, for her they were empty words for now. "At least no one swore to me."
"I can swear to you." then she turned her head sideways, at him. He had a slight smile on his face, like he always did when he talked to her or even watched over her. She was such a playful child that it was hard not to smile just by looking at her. He pulled her off the railing to stand in front of him and knelt on his knee again. "Princess Visenya Targaryen, I pledge my loyalty to you and that I will protect you from any danger, even at the cost of my own life."
"But I don't want you to die, I will protect you, I swear." she replied, a shy smile appearing on her face.
"I don't doubt it, princess."
It wasn't a long moment, but she remembered it well. As if... What would have happened if it weren't for this war? Or if her father had survived? But then she wouldn't have been four years old at the coronation...
Or maybe it's just some deep dream of hers that will never come true. A dream of home, peace and happy childhood. The dream of having no worries. She lost herself in this dream, not even paying attention to what was happening around her. Naturally, she didn't notice Robb standing not so far behind her.
He wondered whether to approach her and start a conversation. She looked pensive as she looked ahead into the distance, out to the sea, or at the two dragons that looked like they were playing with each other high in the sky.
Her silver hair was styled differently today, the braids did not form a bun, but flowed down her head and gathered the remaining strands into a loose ponytail that fell to her waist.
He'd be lying if he said she wasn't pretty. Everyone who had eyes and saw her at least once probably thought the same. There was something about her beauty that was unique. After all, you don't meet people with silver hair and eyes purple like amethysts on a daily basis. People have always been drawn to unique things, and this has always been the case with this family.
'Just one look at those beautiful, long, silver locks... It's not every day a man gets to ride a dragon.'
He didn't know how much time he spent staring at her. At the same time, it reminded him of his lost love, but also had something calming about it. Maybe it was just that her kindness - which he hadn't expected - had such an effect on him precisely because it was so unexpected. He felt that he might be able to negotiate with her to keep the North independent from the Iron Throne if he got to know her well enough and knew how to approach the matter properly.
After some time, he finally started approaching her, but quite quietly, he didn't want her to realize how long he stood there looking at her before he decided to approach her.
Only when he leaned against the railing next to her did she notice him and hurriedly folded the letter, hiding the clasp under it - although not quickly enough, because its silver gleamed in the sun.
"I didn't mean to scare you." he started, seeing her sudden reaction. He didn't even try to read the letter, he didn't intend to interfere, maybe it was some private correspondence?
"You didn't." she assured, although it was a lie.
How long was he here? He saw her getting lost in her own thoughts, or maybe he thought she was admiring the view? She quickly stuffed a letter into her pocket somewhere, it said that Euron would release the prisoners, but only after Vis met him. Or rather, they can discuss what she should give him in return to let them go. She didn't want to give up so easily, but it was looking more and more like she would have to...
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" she turned her attention to the dragons still flying in the distance. They were Viserion and Rhaegal. She needed to direct the conversation to something other than her surprise, and that was the first thing that came to mind - although people usually didn't share her opinion about flying fire-breathing beasts.
"It's not the first word that comes to mind when they fly over your head, but..." he paused for a moment, watching her reaction to his words. "But yes, they are beautiful."
"You don't have to be afraid, we're not enemies yet." she tried to keep some distance between them, hence the 'yet.' Although she couldn't help but glance at him from time to time. Especially since now she had a very good opportunity to assess up close whether he was really the same person she dreamed about.
Okay, the beard is cut a little shorter.
"I don't want to be your enemy."
"Who would want to?" she replied quickly, turning around and leaning her back against the railing. "You talked to Tyrion, didn't you?"
That morning, her Hand asked her to speak privately, it turned out to be about the deposits of dragonglass somewhere beneath the castle. He was right, she has no use for it anyway, she might as well give it away. She didn't even have to ask to figure out that Tyrion got the idea from a conversation with Robb, where else? Possibly there was also Ser Davos, but she didn't suspect it.
"You can say it directly: What is your answer?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. He secretly hoped for at least that much from her if he failed to convince her to fight together.
"I let you mine dragonglass as much as you want. I'll give you the people and equipment you need for this. But that doesn't make us friends." she crossed her arms, she wanted to emphasize her last sentence, but she looked more like a child who pretends to be offended at its parent and agrees to a hug - but of course, it pretends until the very end.
For a moment, the only sound was the gusts of wind and the squawking of dragons in the distance. She glanced over her shoulder at them, just like Robb, and then she looked at him. She would like to talk about the dream she shared with him. If she - probably - had his clasp, then he probably had her necklace, but she felt stupid even thinking about it. They barely knew each other, and it was one thing for her to talk about her dreams to Missandei or Arthur, and another thing to tell a stranger about it.
He would probably think she's crazy, after all, there is no certainty that he remembers this dream, that he had it at all, and that her necklace came to him.
She didn't want to stand in silence, but she also couldn't start such a stupid topic. And she didn't know enough about him to know what to talk about.
I'll have to ask Varys about him later.
"Even if I believed you, I couldn't abandon the war in the South and rush into another one" she added, looking away at the castle. Every time she looked at it, she felt proud of who she was, what her family's history was. Of course apart from bad events.
"Then end it." he said it so lightly, as if it was enough to snap a finger and the war would be over. Visenya even looked at him like that, as if he was completely unserious. "You have an army, a fleet, dragons... What more do you need?"
That's what Yara told her, to just attack the city with everything they had and it would fall the same day.
But that's not quite what he had in mind.
If he had had the opportunities she has when he was in the war, things would have been different. He tried to understand her fears, what she was afraid of, but she did not want to reveal it in any way. Apparently she thought she couldn't show even the slightest weakness, but is it really better to think that you know everything and are certain than to admit to your fears?
Maybe not necessarily in front of him, after all, they were strangers, they weren't even on the same side of the barricade.
If they ever found themselves on either side of it, at least he knows she doesn't want to mindlessly kill everyone who stands in her way.
She wanted to say something. To say that she does not intend to sacrifice more lives than necessary, that she will not throw all her strength at the city, that she will not allow the citizens to perish. Searching for the right words, she turned her gaze back to the keep and saw someone waiting for her higher on the stairs.
Oh yes, she completely forgot that she wanted to talk to ser Arthur...
"I hope you're enjoying the island, because it looks like we'll be spending a lot of time here." she muttered in response and bounced off the railing.
She didn't look back anymore, so didn't see him glance after her for a moment as she climbed the stairs.
"You wanted to see me, my Queen?" Arthur began as they walked hand in hand up the stairs back to the keep.
"Don't you remember that you can call me by my name when we're alone?" she replied with a smile. She had admonished him for this many times, and once even joked that he it so old that he quickly forgets everything. "Reply from Euron came." she added before he could answer her. "He proposes a meeting to discuss what I should give him in return to releasing prisoners. If I don't answer, he'll be in King's Landing tomorrow and... They surely won't make it out alive."
"You want to save them, don't you?"
She nodded. It was easy to guess what she wanted to do and she was desperately looking for some brilliant idea. She should let go. Her mind said that she should leave them, show that she doesn't care, that she is only looking at her goal. That's what Cersei would do, she doesn't care about the lives of the people under her.
Visenya's heart is different. She will take every chance to save the life of someone for whom she feels responsible. She cannot say to himself: 'let it go' or: 'it's not worth it'. And even less could she be as heartless as Cersei.
"What kind of Queen am I if I'm not willing to risk for my people the same way they are willing to risk for me?" she asked, spreading her arms. A moment later, as they were walking down the castle corridor, she took a few steps ahead of him and pushed the wooden door open, pushing it wide open. She turned around as she entered the room and spread her arms to the sides. "What does any of this matter if I don't deserve it? If I give up after the first difficulty?" she raised her hand slightly in front of her so that he wouldn't say anything. She knew what he would say: 'You never give up'. "But if I meet with Euron..."
"He can't be stupid enough to think that he will designate a meeting place and you will come alone." she sat down on the windowsill and wrapped her arms loosely around her, so that they rested on her thighs. Arthur sat down next to her. He wanted to comfort her somehow, maybe hug her, but he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate - even though she herself had initiated such contact between them several times.
"He knows I care about people, so that's what he'll do. And then he will be able to choose which Queen he wants to have a live with." she sighed heavily, shaking her head.
"He doesn't decide here, you set the conditions." she felt him lightly take her hand. "It's not always possible to save everyone, it's hard to accept it, but it's the way of world. Everyone knew what they were signing up for, and Dorne will stand behind you regardless, with or without Ellaria Sand and her daughters."
"Do you advise me to resign?" she looked at him. "What about Yara and Theon?"
"I'm not telling you to give up, but to think about it some more."
She sighed again. She knew she had to make this decision, even if she wanted someone to take the burden off her shoulders. Unfortunately, she has decided to follow this rocky path and must stick to it. Sometimes you have to sacrifice something for the greater good...
"I've thought about it enough." she replied, returning squeeze of the hand. "Please tell Varys to write a reply. Tell him to write that he will release prisoners and then receive the Queen's invitation, otherwise I will return his soul to hell."
Later that evening, she sat in the room with the map with Tyrion, Varys, Arthur, and Grey Worm. They discussed their next move. She was sitting at the table, her ponytail slung over her shoulder and she was playing with one of her locks. She thought about her short conversation with Robb today.
'Then finish it. You have an army, a fleet, dragons... What more do you need?'
"Get out. Leave me alone." she said suddenly, interrupting the discussion. She let go of her hair, flipping it back, and then clasped her hands together, resting them on the table. She saw that she surprised them a bit with this sudden request, but they probably thought that it was too late for her to talk about this matter and she wanted to rest. "Maghagon naejot nyke Dārys hen Jelmor." she turned to Grey Worm and smiled slightly, adding one more sentence: "Sepār ȳdra daor sȳngagon zirȳla."
*"Bring the King in the North to me. Just don't scare him."*
Grey Worm nodded and left the chamber like the others. For several minutes she was alone with her thoughts.
Completely ignoring the political side of the situation, she admitted to herself that part of her just wanted to spend more time with this boy. She liked him - visually, that's all she could say for now. In the morning and throughout the day she tried to deny it or not think about, but she gave in, just like with Daario.
Of course, she wouldn't want him to realize that she liked him, so he won't try to use it to his advantage, but she won't avoid looking at him if it gave her pleasure.
But now she wants to hear more from him about her 'just' ending the war.
She managed to ask Varys about this boy and found out about his past, learned more about the war he was waging with the Lannisters, about how he was betrayed by the Freys and the Boltons.
Previously, she only knew about the war itself as much as was said in King's Landing, soonly good things for the Lannisters, Stannis was more feared then - until his unsuccessful attack on the city.
However, when it comes to the Red Wedding, she was no longer in Westeros, she only heard a few things when she returned and was getting ready for the first meeting with him. She only knew roughly what happened, she didn't want to go into details because they were extremely unpleasant. But she finally did it.
Now she understands even better that fear of accepting her hospitality on Dragonstone.
"You wanted to see me, Your Grace?" she quickly looked at him when she heard him enter.
"I hope I didn't wake you up." it was already getting quite late, she goes to bed late, but her companions usually go to sleep a little earlier, and for a moment she wondered if he was also getting ready for bed.
"I don't need much sleep." you don't need or can't sleep? - came to mind immediately, but she didn't ask. She didn't want to spoil the mood to both of them. But she was going to let him know her better, she would try not to avoid answering questions if any came up. After all, she still hoped to rule all of the Seven Kingdoms. "Aren't you afraid of being alone with me, without a guard?"
She shrugged and got up from her seat. At the edge of the map stood a jug of wine that Tyrion had brought here earlier. Well, now it will come in handy. She poured some into both goblets, around half of them.
"You don't have any weapon." she said, taking both cups in her hands. She really wasn't afraid for her safety at all, it didn't even cross her mind that something could happen to her here. That's why she was a bit surprised by this question, but from the shy smile that appeared on his face from time to time, she concluded that the question was intended to tease her.
"You think I can't kill anyone without a weapon?" in fact, he wanted to tease her because he, too, wanted them to get to know each other better.
However, with him the reason was a bit different, because while Visenya was thinking about two things: ruling and her interest in him, Robb was interested in convincing her to fight the Army of Undead - and something he didn't want to admit even to himself with in memory of Talisa...
The point was that with Vis he was able to forget about her. He was able to distance himself from all the terrible things that had haunted him since that damned Red Wedding. A bit like after that dream, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he kept thinking about it, and now, when they finally see each other in real life...
He can't explain what attracts him to her, the desire to soothe his aching heart? The thought that her goodness would be able to heal it?
"Should I be scared?" a smile appeared on her face as she handed him one of the goblets.
A brief contact of fingers, nothing more than a fleeting touch, as he took cup from her.
"We're not enemies yet." he used her words from earlier, smiling as much as she did.
"What a good memory." she tilted her head for a moment before turning around and walking a few steps away, drinking some wine. The click of her heels echoed throughout the room as she slowly took one step at a time, looking at the map. "Do you also remember how you told me to just end the war? What did you mean?"
"Exactly what I said?"
"How could I... Just end it?" she clarified. He wasn't her ally, but wasn't an enemy either. If she admits to him that she doesn't know how to conduct a war or plan a strategy, will she gain his trust or just the opposite? "I'm asking for advice." as she said this, she really wanted to look away, upset that she didn't know how to solve her problem, but she restrained herself. She needs to stop being ashamed to ask when she doesn't know something... after all, that's how we learn.
And that was how Robb saw it. Of course, at first he was surprised that she was asking for advice from him, but he quickly realized that it must have taken courage on her part. Asking for advice from someone you hardly know, trusting that he will advise you something to your benefit, not his own.
"I meant..." he paused, still surprised by the request. "I didn't mean for you to attack the city with all your forces. People despise Cersei Lannister, they don't want her on the throne. I was thinking that there must be some secret passages in the Red Keep that you could use and just get rid of Cersei. The entire fight would not have gone beyond the castle walls, if any had broken out at all." he also decided to trust her, to tell her exactly what he was thinking when they talked earlier.
She didn't think about it. None of her companions had come up with such a solution, and it seemed the simplest of all, you just had to make sure that the people entrusted with this task were not detected on the way.
He sighed softly to himself and drank some of the wine before setting the glass down on the table and walking past her, stopping about a step away. She kept following him with her eyes, but at the same time focused on what he was saying.
"The longer you wait, the worse it gets."
"Cersei doesn't dare attack first."
"She doesn't want you near the capital, and you don't want the death of innocents, so knowing her, she will start destroying cities and murdering people somewhere in the west, so that you go there, because that's exactly what you will do." she wanted to deny it, but her voice got stuck in her throat. He was right, she would do that... She could be dragged to any part of the country like that... "Leave the Iron Fleet, as long as it's not stationed in Blackwater Bay, you don't have to worry about it to take over the city." he knocked over the ship figures representing the Iron Fleet.
It was obvious that he felt like a fish in the water on this topic, and it got off her chest that he didn't laugh at her for wanting to rule and not knowing how to conduct wars.
She silently walked to the other side of the table only to knock over the dragon figurine on Casterly Rock with one slow movement of her hand - the city that had been so hotly discussed in this room not long ago. Then she looked up at Robb, who smiled at her gently, as if approving that she understood what he meant: she has quite a lot of strength, she doesn't have to worry about gathering strength, slowly marching towards the goal or surrounding the enemy.
"I think I know what you're going to say..." she started, taking the figurine that she had just knocked over and slowly walking back to her previous place. "...leave Dragonstone?"
"I know this is your home-"
"This is not my home." she interrupted him.
For a moment he wanted to ask where her home was then, but he decided against it, remembering everything he knew about her childhood. Maybe she doesn't have a home...? That's... Sad.
"It's a good place only for ships." when she stood next to him, he stretched out his hand to take the figurine from her, which she kept moving between her fingers. Again the brush of skin against skin, gentle warmth. "Harrenhal will be much better for the army. Large enough to accommodate all your forces, you cut off the west and King's Landing is left to itself."
There was silence for a moment, mainly because it suddenly thundered. A storm had been gathering all afternoon, and it finally started, now, like some sign from fate.
"We are planning together, does that mean we are already allies?"
"Are you asking me to fall on my knees and swear allegiance?" they turned their eyes to each other at almost the same moment. She bought herself a moment by taking a sip of wine that was still in her goblet.
"I'll give it a thought." she said it completely honestly, not to play to her advantage.
"So I guess you can call me your ally, at least for a while."