FIRE AND BLOOD [Aemond Targaryen]

2: A sister's favour

Visenya wasn't wrong.

Aemond went searching for a dragon, putting his life in danger. Again.

The princess could tell but just looking at him that he was angry. They say you can tell how dangerous a person is by the way they hold their anger inside themselves quietly. And Aemond Targaryen was a master in that.

He frowned as he threw his sword towards the hay figure they used for training, receiving orders from Ser Criston. He hit it with anger, but never too much. He would rather bite his tongue to bleeding that showing his brother and nephews that them laughing at them had affected him.

"Lord Strong. Father." Visenya joined the men with a polite smile.

"Daughter." Viserys smiled as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Shouldn't you be with your sister Helaena and the Septa?"

"I should, father, but it's boring to go over the whole Targaryen family tree. And exhausting." She replied making the both older men to laugh at her frankness.

"Well, that is true. You'd rather be down there with the boys?" The King gave his daughter a look, knowing far too well that she'd rather be anywhere else than with her Septa.

"I'd rather be with Rhaelor, but I reckon that kicking my brothers' asses might make my day." The girl watched as Ser Criston fought with Aemond and Aegon, ignoring both of her sister's sons. "That Ser Crispin is really a pain in the..."

"Visenya" Viserys gave her a warning but yet amused look.

"Sorry, father." The princess replied with an innocent face.

She didn't know when it happened, but one second Aegon and Jace were fighting and the other one it was Ser Criston and Ser Harwin.

"I did not see that coming, but I'm sure he deserved it" Visenya smiled a little as she saw Cole spitting blood.

...

Visenya joined her brothers as they both walked through the halls.

"Brothers." She greeted them as she tangled her arms with her brothers'.

"Did you watched what happened?" Aegon asked her with a thrilling smile as if he was amused with everything that was going on. "They say Ser Strong is going to leave the City Watch."

"Well, that wouldn't be fair. Cole provoked him implying things that were not true."

"Not true?" Aegon stopped his pace and faced her. "Sister, are you blind? Those kids are..."

"They are the sons of the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Aegon. Jacaerys will be King one day. So I insist you use your words property because what you are about to say is treason. And you could be hang by that."

"Why would you care about them?" Aemond frowned feeling a little too hurt that she was defending the boys who picked on him.

"They are our family."

"They laugh at me." He replied back.

"So does Aegon." She raised an eyebrow and Aegon clicked his tongue feeling awkward. "But he's family too. Besides, I'm saying this for the sake of the both of you. One thing is to think it and another is to go preaching it, okay?"

"I hate it when you are right." Aegon moaned in complain.

"I'm always right." She mocked and chuckled, tangling her arms again with her brothers'.

Visenya didn't notice the look Aemond gave her. A look that said that for her, he would keep his thoughts to himself and more if that meant she would be happy.

But Aegon did.

...

"Sister, did you wish to talk to me?" Visenya said entering Rhaenyra's chambers.

"Yes, I did. Come on, sit down. There's something I'd like to tell you." The older smiled a little nervous.

"I'm not sure of how it works, but please do not tell me you are with child again, Nyra. I can hear Joffrey's cries from my chambers."

"No, that's not it." The Princess of Dragonstone chuckled. "It is a proposal. I would like to know what you think."

"Is Ser Harwin already gone?" She asked frowning.

"Yes." Visenya noticed the glimpse of sadness in her sister's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I really liked him."

"I did, too." Rhaenyra agreed and got lost in her thoughts for a minute. "Anyways, I have proposed to the King and Queen that Jace and Helaena wed each other to join forces."

"That is a very generous proposal" the girl nodded. "But there is no way in the seven hells that Alicent will allow it."

"I know." The oldest sighed preparing herself for her next words. "That is why I thought of you to wed my son."

"But I'm 15 and he's like 8." Visenya frowned with disgust. "Besides, I'm not sure if he's..."

"I know he's not the boy you'd like to be with, Vis." Rhaenyra interrupter her with her eyes covered in understanding. "But he is to be king after me. That would make you a queen, sister."

"I don't think I want to be Queen, Nyra. I think I'd rather stay as I am. Calm."

"Listen to me, Visenya. From the moment you came into this world I knew you'd be meant to do great things. I knew your name would go down in history. That's why I chose that name for you. It demands people to tell you the truth. To kneel before you. It is powerful and it demands respect and so do you. You weren't born to be soft and quiet. You were born to make the world shake at your fingertips. And the perfect way to do it is to become Jace's Queen."

"You make it sound like a dream." The girl gave her a weak smile. "But I don't love Jace. Not like that."

"Who do you love, then?" Rhaenyra raised her eyebrows, but she already knew the answer. Even if Visenya herself didn't.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure of what love is." The princess confessed.

"You are young, sister. Love is relative. With time, if you accept the proposal you will figure things out."

"You really sound needy, Rhaenyra." Visenya declared taking the older aback. "But I do understand."

"You do?" Rhaenyra frowned confused.

"I know the things people are saying about your sons. It's okay. I couldn't care less about it. They're Targaryen and that's all that matters to me. But the smallfolk and most of the Council appreciates me. If I married Jace it would calm things a little."

"Visenya, that is true but what I said..." Rhaenyra tried to explain, surprised of how clever the little girl was.

"It's okay, you don't need to explain. I guess the Iron Throne is not a bad reward after all. Besides, you are my sister and you need me. And I'd have to marry anyways. Jace is not a bad option."

Still, as her sister's arms embraced her with happiness, she couldn't help but to feel some void on herself. It was a paradox.

She was making the decision freely by herself, but it felt like a part of her freedom was being taken away from her.

And then she found herself thinking of an unexpected person.

She thought about Aemond.

And something inside herself hurt a little more.