Love and Duty (T. Lannister)

Chapter Eight

Godric waits until the morning to approach Vaella about what he and Eddard had talked about. He wasn't going to ruin her evening. He is going to bring it up over breakfast with her. He joins her where she is feeding her animals in the same room that Arya had found her in yesterday. It has been given to the family to use whilst they are here and Vaella is making the most of it. She has tidied up a bit, and packed away some of their things because she knows that they are meant to be going home any day now and she honestly can't wait to leave. Whilst it has been interesting to be here, she misses her home and she misses Calamtar. Godric's quill scratches at the parchment on the table.

"We will be staying here in Winterfell for a while longer" He voices, trying to sound casual. If he is calm about this, then she will likely behave and accept it. He's hopeful anyway.

"How long?" She asks.

"Two months" He answers. Vaella blinks as she processes that before she looks across at her father.

"But..." She starts and frowns, shaking her head. "You know how he gets" She reminds him.

"You are forgetting that Calamtar spent more than 100 years alone" He points out. "He can manage a few months without you tending to him" She lets out an annoyed breath. "You have Skriax" He continues as he writes out the note to Salazar. "You can ride to the Hollow and be back before the King arrives in Winterfell" She grumbles under her breath.

"I could ride home and not come back at all" She mumbles to herself but Godric hears her. He turns and gives her a look. She smirks and looks down at the niffler in her lap.

"We play our roles" He warns her. "And we keep our heads"

"Is that why you bowed to him after he slaughtered our family?" She snaps at him. He sighs and sets down his quill. "Even Rhaenys and Aegon as they slept in their beds" He closes his eyes. "Our family was ruined because..."

"Because your uncle kidnapped that Stark girl" Godric stops her. She scoffs and shakes her head.

"You don't believe that" She counters. "I don't believe that......Rhaegar wasn't like that. Robert lead a rebellion because he couldn't fuck the girl he wanted to fuck. He started a war for his cock" Godric sends her a look. "And our family paid the price....the Targaryen dynasty destroyed for a Stark cunt. For a Baratheon cock" She knocks over her chair and scoffs, holding the niffler in her arms. "And a Lannister traitor..."

"Aerys wasn't blameless" He reminds her.

"You can't tell me that having Tywin Lannister as his hand didn't lead him to become who he became" She whispers. "That man whispered in his ear and pushed him into madness...." Godric watches her sadly. She heard stories from her mother of a father who was kind, gentle and loving, but that was not who Aerys was in the end. But Naerys protected Vaella from that version of her grandfather. She heard the best, and only the worst after the fact. War stories told by the victors to justify their war they started. "My mother is dead because of them" She adds, her voice breaking. She knows exactly what happened to her mother and what led to her death. The death of her mother came from the death of her family. It broke her. And she never recovered. They took her mother from her and now Godric wants her to play nice with them. The Starks she can be civil with, they are now family thanks to Lyarra. "And you want me to curtsy and smile and be nice to the man that started it all" He stands from his seat and moves to his daughter.

"If it keeps you alive" He takes her face in his hands and gives her a look. "I will not lose you too...so you will do this...and you will do it without complaint" She pulls a face and goes to pull her head from his hand, he keeps hold of her. "Vaella" He warns. "Everything I did, was to protect you....I bent the knee to that man, to keep you alive....to give you a comfortable and safe life" She lets out a breath and nods a little. "You don't have to be his best friend, just be civil and quiet" He presses his thumb over her lips. "Once he goes back to King's Landing, we will return to the Hollow and you won't have to deal with him...."

"Until I take over the Hollow" She counters, he snorts and shrugs.

"If he lives that long" He adds and lets out a breath returning to the table and his letters. "You can fly home in the meantime....see to Calamtar...and then return" He tells her firmly, leaving no room for argument this time. Vaella clenches her jaw and lets out a harsh breath through her nose as she fights her desire to snap at him about this. Instead, she huffs and storms out of the room. Godric closes his eyes and sighs as the door slams shut behind her.

...

A/N- Would you guys like a spin-off for House of the Dragon with this story? With a female Gryffindor ancestor of Godric? Paired with a Targaryen (I have to admit that I do have a soft spot for Aemond, though Daemon would be interesting for a witch)? Given the nature of the relationships and the connection between Targaryens and the Gryffindors, this spin-off will likely only be posted on AO3 due to Wattpads content guidelines and such. Like with the idea for my Alayne Stone idea, this could start with the mother and then finish with the daughter. I do have an idea, if that is something you guys want.

She would be the daughter of Viserys Targayren and Saehra Gryffindor (the daughter of Saerenya Gryffindor and Gideon Gryffindor (sister-brother))

- Saehra is the second Wife of Viserys. Aemma dies not long after Rhaenyra's birth (or with Rhaenyra's birth). Saehra is the love of Viserys' life. The wife he chose after Aemma.

- She therefore takes the place of Aemma in the first episode.

- Gives birth to a girl who will then become Saerya 'Feather' Targaryen. Nicknamed later for her light feet and quiet nature.

- Both mother and daughter are riders of the dragon (Qeka) that will lay the egg that will later become Calamtar.

- Saehra's death will depend on Saerya's love interest. If Aemond, then she dies giving birth to Saerya. If Daemon, then she dies giving birth to Baelon.

.....