The Dragon's Daughter (Aemond Targaryen)

Back to King's Landing

*Vyserra POV*

Vyserra breathed in the air of Dragonstone. She hadn't been back for long enough, and already she was being shooed to King's Landing, to live the life she guessed she was meant to.

The war was over and the rebellion of House Arryn and House Tully had been put down. Her immediate family with their numerous dragons had laid siege to House Tully. Namely, her mother and father (Daemon and Rhaenyra) alongside her and her brothers Jace and Luke. Vyserra rode Silverwing, a dragon who previous hadn't been tamed since Queen Alysanne. Her and her family, alongside many of the army sent from her grandfather, King Viserys, had laid siege to House Tully with their dragons, burning important locations as they went. In the end, the force lead by Prince Aemond, Vyserra's uncle, who was laying siege to House Arryn decided to attack and won a great battle, House Tully then forfeited, the older gentleman burned, and the young grandson was left as heir to House Tully.

As well as laying siege to castles, Vyserra was wed to Robar Baratheon, heir to Storm's End when she was just 16. She knew this was her duty as strong bonds had to be formed in war. She didn't know her late husband well, as they spent little time together during their short 4 months of marriage. She thought him handsome and kind, but never knew enough to fall in love with him. After 4 months, Robar was killed in one of the skirmishes during the war, and Vyserra was left 3 months pregnant. She delivered a healthy boy who was now almost 4 years old. She cried when her husband died, but less for the loss of a husband and more for the loss of her sons father. She named him Robar and he would go to King's Landing with her, to be trained as a squire when he was older. Vyserra would admit she wasn't exactly a hands-on mother, she liked taking Robar to see his tiny little dragon and play with him, but as soon as he started moaning she was off like a shot. High-born women didn't have to deal with the qualms of children.

This was 9 years of war and Vyserra hardly remembered how to live as a Targaryen Princess. The few weeks she had been back to Dragonstone saw Vyserra being fitted for numerous dresses and gowns for her return. She didn't want to admit it to her brothers, but she was excited to go back to the life she cherished when she was younger, but those memories didn't seem real.

Vyserra lived at King's Landing until she was almost 11 years old, the days were spent riding dragons and playing with her cousins. She hadn't seen her Grandmother and Grandfather for 9 years, as well as her other family that lived in King's Landing. 

Vyserra swooshed down on Silverwing to the entrance of the main castle. She loved Dragonstone in a strange way, it didn't bring her joy but it brought her peace and she would miss it until she returned. She dismounted from Silverwing who took off back to her lair, waiting patiently to be resummoned. Vyserra had a close bond with Silverwing. Her mother and father would often scold her and remind her that Dragon's weren't pets, when she got caught cuddling her dragon like someone might a favourite horse. This happened less now as Vyserra was 20 years old and a widow. She was allowed certain freedoms a women who hadn't been married would never have. She was aware that if she was to wed again it would be a man of her choosing. She did her duty in war, and her mother recognised that she deserved the happiness she had with her father.

Vyserra was trying to avoid the subject of marriage in her own head. She knew she wanted to wed again and wanted to be the lady of a great house. Over the years many men tried to impress Vyserra, anyone would want to be connected to the granddaughter of the king, especially one with the typical Targaryen beauty, and she was even a rare find within the Targaryen's. She had the lilac eyes, but brighter than has ever been seen. Her hair was darker than her mother and fathers to make a dirty blonde rarely seen in the family but there was no doubt of her parentage, as she was perfect amounts of Daemon and Rhaenyra. 

Vyserra couldn't accept the men from the great houses now she had her own choice. All through her life, the great men were dragon riders. There was something about men who did not ride a dragon that she thought oddly weak, she knew it was not their fault but Vyserra wanted to feel feminine, something she doubted could ever happen without a dragon rider, when she knew she could overpower almost every man in the world with her dragon, it just didn't sit right with her.

With this came the thought she was avoiding, which was the silly thought of her uncle Aemond in her head. She thought herself so stupid, as she hadn't seen him in almost a decade when she was a young girl but she always had some kind of feelings for him. She had treasured memories with Aemond.

Vyserra's dragon egg in her cradle did not hatch. It wasn't until she was ten that she managed to become the rider of Silverwing. Her brothers had teased her and she always felt thoroughly left out as a child, although her mother and father taught her how to ride on their dragons. Aemond had quickly shut up the other Targaryen children by allowing Vyserra to ride Vhagar with him. He had been extremely kind to Vyserra where he clearly didn't like being around the other children, and could be easily annoyed by them. Often when the other children would ride their dragons Aemond would take Vyserra out, towering over the other dragons on the magnificent Vhagar. On reflection Vyserra realised he had empathised with her and the same had likely happened to him, as he didn't have a dragon until he was older too.

When Vyserra was ten years old she had her first dragon dream. It was hard to decipher for her especially at such a young age, and she had only seen Silverwing once from a far, but she was sure that was the dragon in her dream. 

She had confided in her Uncle Aemond about her dream and he took her straight to the dragon pit. He instructed and guided her through the taming of Silverwing who came straight to Vyserra, and let her mount within only a few minutes. Aemond then quickly mount Vhagar, and the four of them took to the skies, Vyserra sobbing happy tears as she finally had her hearts desire, her own dragon. 

It was only days after this that Aemond was called to war, and this was Vyserra's last memory of him, which she cherished. 

Vyserra entered Dragonstone and was helped to bathe by her handmaidens, her thoughts were on the flight to Kingslanding in two days time. Her attempts to avoid Aemond in her thoughts continued to fail, if she kept thinking about it and imagining scenarios, she dread to think how shy she would be on seeing him again and that must not happen. Vyserra was always very confident with men and this wouldn't fail her now. Since her short-term husband died, she had had a few flings with some of the Knights on the guard. She didn't care and neither did anyone else, Targaryen women always seemed to get away with more than the usual women, and they were known for being lusty.

Vyserra then tried on her dresses for court and looked at herself. She looked like a queen, she was very like her mother but all feminine, where her mother could look terrifying, Vyserra never could. Her mind wandered again... Would she like to be queen one day? If that meant marrying Aemond... she cleared her mind again.

Three dress later her mind was back to her uncle, she wondered what he looked like now, she had heard he lost an eye in one of the many battles in the war. She wondered how he'd look with one eye but this did not put her off, if anything she knew he'd look more menacing, with is something that drew her to him... she cleared her mind. 

Just at the moment someone knocked on the door, her handmaiden popped her head out of the door and opened it, 'Your mother my lady'.

Rhaenyra sighed at the sight of her daughter in a beautiful lilac dress. She came over and put her arms on her shoulders. 'You were made for fine silks my daughter, it is a shame you have hardly been able to wear them until now. Alas, it has all changed for the better, and you will be putting the armor away in favour of pretty dresses now'.

Vyserra smiled, 'my riding leathers won't be going anywhere mother, as I expect yours won't be'.

'Of course not, and I don't doubt we will not struggle to find you a suitable husband, even if you stink of dragon shit', Rhaenyra laughed.

Rhaenyra and Vyserra continued to try on dresses and prepare for leaving for Kings Landing over the next days, Vyserra's mind still on her uncle Aemond.