“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
— Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad (via quotespile)
I feel like Vis in the threads and verse where he doesn’t die would be much like Thor’s arc in the Thor movies..arrogant heir and king who ends up changing and being worthy of the tittle of king and is less cocky and arrogant in his actions and words.
Or he’d snap and become like his father and become Mad King like….
“Myrcella might be better company.” It was a quick jab, one he soon added on to with “But, I prefer yours if only I feel more comfortable talking to someone closer to my own age” He was stunned by her next question and gave it some thought. What did he like? “I enjoy…” By the Seven, what did he enjoy doing? “Not a whole lot of things, apparently” He answered, still trying to think of things. “I enjoy riding Rhaellion.” Once he got over his fear of heights that was.
He found himself laughing at her offended tone. “Well, then, I can see that. You’ve done a fine job ruling your country. Who needs a king?” He felt himself getting relaxed around her and he reminded himself she was a Queen that sat on what should have been his. That she was the daughter of the murderous rebel who killed his family. But he couldn’t put her father’s crime on her. It wasn’t fair. Just how he hated the comparison between his own father and himself.
“Right.” Relena was correct, the Red Keep and it’s people would not be a good choice as of right now and suddenly an idea came to him, almost sounding to excited at the idea. “Would you like to meet Rhaellion? If you want you could ride him with me. See Westeros from a new perspective!” his words almost ran into one another and he gave an embarrassed grin, a flush on his cheeks, wondering where the sudden excitement had come from.
Viserys looked around, figuring that this was a horrible way to go about courting. The gardens weren’t a fond place for her, the keep was off limits as was the sept….where could they go? “We could take a page from
‘Rhoynarian Nights’ and go explore the city?” He suggested. “If anyone were to harm you, they’d have to hurt me instead, you get out safe and don’t have to deal with me anymore. Win-win” It was a bad joke, but a joke nonetheless, and the idea came to him all too quickly. “Or maybe not…that sounds like a bad idea and I’d like to live”
“Well, if it is only about the age, I also have a lovely brother who is just a year younger than me, and he is very talented in acting like a little brat, I will have him called for you right away.”, Relena offered, her hand waving towards the keep, where she assumed her brother could be found. “Hmm.”, was all the sound the young queen made, upon hearing what he enjoyed. She had just learned how to ride a horse when she took the throne, and even then she had only learned it because Lord Stark kept insisting, until then Relena had always been advised that it was too dangerous and would only make her poor health even worse, therefore the idea of riding a giant, fire breathing, flying lizard sounded more like a nightmare than an amusement to her.
“If you knew…”, she mumbled, talking more to herself than him, when Viserys said ‘who needs a king’. From the moment Lord Stark had read her father’s will out loud people have been pressuring her to marry, or rather to find a man to play the game for her, so she could give up ruling for breeding heirs instead. One of the reasons she had not considered any husbands yet and if Joffrey hadn’t been the next in line, she would have most likely decided against marrying and having children a long time ago. It wasn’t that she was not fond of the idea of having children, in fact before she became queen Relena had been looking forward to marrying, but now it seemed to her as if marriage and being the regent were two things that couldn’t co exist easily, for to be a queen she had to rule, but be a wife, it seemed, she would have to submit.
When he talked about her meeting his dragon, Relena looked at the Targaryen with a tilted head and a slightly opened mouth, almost as if she was looking at a mad man. “We have yet to meet without you telling me that you want my throne and you think inviting me to meet your fire breathing pet will make me trust you?”, she questioned, hardly able to believe that she actually had to say this thought out loud. “Furthermore I don’t like the idea of a dragon being close to the main land, the might be smart but not smart enough to know the difference between people and food.”
The emerald eyes of the Baratheon widened when she heard his next suggestion. It truly seemed like they were trapped in the gardens, for going into the city could lead to a turmoil and going into the castle could end up being equally unpleasant. For a moment Relena’s gaze lingered upon the Red Keep. “I bet he is watching us.”, she then said after a moment. “Lord Stark, I am sure he thinks this is easy, after all he never had to court his wife…”, the girl mumbled under her breath.
He made a hmph sound as she talked about his dragon. “Okay. Fair point. But they’ve gotten better about random killings…He’s older now and listens far better then he did when he was a hatching.” Viserys defended his dragon. Feeling like a parent who was offended by a stranger insulting them. His eyes followed hers and he quirked an eyebrow. “The God- oh, Lord Stark.” He soon realized as she continued speaking. “If he’s watching, should we give him a good show?” He asked “If he thinks it’s going well, he may take his eyes off.” He suggested walking closer to her. He wasn’t sure if she would go with the idea that was forming in his head and he himself couldn’t believe he was thinking this but…
“It would be a way to get us away from the garden at least.” Viserys explained as he gently reached for her hand, kissed it and then brought her arm into his and began walking forwards. “We go into the maze, cut out from a secret exit and find somewhere better then a garden and more pleasant then the Red Keep.” He paused, his brain still thinking of ideas. “Or…I dunno…we could just sit down and talk.” He wished he had asked for more tips about how to court. He was at such a loss and he gathered she was too. “I am the worst person to court someone. Not only am I an enemy but unexperienced at courting.” He said it more to himself but still to Relena.
“I was supposed to have an arranged marriage. To Dorne’s princess. But she was killed along with her brother and I didn’t find out until her death by a Ser Selmy who knew of the pact.” He told her, glancing at her as they walked.
“And now here I am. Trying to and failing at courting the Queen of Westeros. Maybe we could marry Dany to Joffrey. I know I married her to Khal Drogo, a savage by Westeros standards but from what i’ve seen and heard of Joffrey…..Drogo was a prince of fairytales to her. I wouldn’t wish that on her.” He imagined those two getting married and all he could see was Dany taking control and putting the young child in his place.
“Daenerys left her people in Meereen as well. Yell at her as well.” He said grumpily. almost under his breath. “The masters ships and leaders were burned. We took what remained of their fleet and left them in power no longer.” Viserys explained.
He was taken a back by her words and he resisted the urge to fight back, clearly biting his tongue. King consort? He’d take the place a woman would if there was a king?! He knew he had to keep his cool. He would be seen as a child again and not what he should be. A king. He decided to not say anything on that matter and just nodded.
“Yes….” He drug out the words, now unsure of what he said had been the wrong thing to say. He looked down at the ground and then back at Relena as she questioned. “No.” He told her simply. “I’ve never had the opportunity to do so.” Viserys made a face as he spoke, realizing how he was going about this was all wrong. “What do you like?” He asked, his head tilting a bit as he studied her. Obviously it wasn’t him that much was clear. “I assume you wouldn’t like flowers. they’re only beautiful if they are growing, not dead and cut.” He shrugged as he pondered what she could like.
“You could show me your favorite books? Maybe we could read one together” He recalled how excited she had started to sound at the mention of reading and then he shook his head after he spoke, putting a hand in his face, running it through his hair, visibly frustrated. “War is easier then courting…” He found himself chuckling, nervously now, his eyebrows raised. “From what i’ve gathered you’ve never courted either…Or am I wrong?” He asked, gesturing his head towards the Keep. “We could head in, away from the sun and fauna.” He tried to stay away from ordering her, he knew from her earlier words that it was going to be best not to act like he was used to acting. He had to be on his best behavior.
“I do have a little sister, perhaps courting her would be more successful, but then again I doubt that even Myrcella is still that childish.”, Relena said, contemptuously looking down on him. “If your sister were to tie a stone around her ankles and jump into the Narrow Sea would do that too?”
If she was honest, Relena was shocked that no anger tantrum followed when she told Viserys that he would be a king consort at best. She had expected him to scream and shout and to declare that such a title was beneath him, but nothing, therefore she was quite clearly surprised by his calmness and just stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head ever so slightly, to get her thoughts straight again.
“Oh yes, the gesture of giving each other dead flowers.”, the queen mumbled under her breath, before letting out a scoff. For a long she had wondered what fool had come up with this idea and what lass was stupid enough to fall for it. There was no effort in plucking a few flowers and handing them to another person, at least in poets, no matter how badly written they were, at least some effort was put into them, even if it was only the task for writing them down. Relena opened her mother for a brief moment, just close it again, when she heard is question. What did she like? She had always enjoyed reading, she had done it for most of her life, but it wasn’t really something you could do together, for she hated it when someone talked to her while she was trying to focus on a book. “Well…”, she said after a long moment. “What do you enjoy?”, the raven haired girl said, not even acknowledging that she had not yet answered his question.
“Of course I have never courted!”, Relena replied, almost offended by him pointing out the obvious, just like she had done it a moment ago. “I am a woman, we are the ones that get courted… and I am a queen… I… had more important things to do.”, she tried to defend herself, but she couldn’t even convince herself, for she had long noticed that she was rather late on the whole courting thing, other women her age were about to have their first child, and she had never even been alone in a room with a man that wasn’t her Hand or a relative.
“I don’t think going into the keep would be the best of ideas.”, the girl said, her head turning towards the Red Keep. She had already seen that he was unable to ignore the mockery of the guards and if they were to cross her mother’s path she was sure it would not end well, especially since she couldn’t just threaten Cersei with sending her to the wall.
“Myrcella might be better company.” It was a quick jab, one he soon added on to with “But, I prefer yours if only I feel more comfortable talking to someone closer to my own age” He was stunned by her next question and gave it some thought. What did he like? “I enjoy…” By the Seven, what did he enjoy doing? “Not a whole lot of things, apparently” He answered, still trying to think of things. “I enjoy riding Rhaellion.” Once he got over his fear of heights that was.
He found himself laughing at her offended tone. “Well, then, I can see that. You’ve done a fine job ruling your country. Who needs a king?” He felt himself getting relaxed around her and he reminded himself she was a Queen that sat on what should have been his. That she was the daughter of the murderous rebel who killed his family. But he couldn’t put her father’s crime on her. It wasn’t fair. Just how he hated the comparison between his own father and himself.
“Right.” Relena was correct, the Red Keep and it’s people would not be a good choice as of right now and suddenly an idea came to him, almost sounding to excited at the idea. “Would you like to meet Rhaellion? If you want you could ride him with me. See Westeros from a new perspective!” his words almost ran into one another and he gave an embarrassed grin, a flush on his cheeks, wondering where the sudden excitement had come from.
Viserys looked around, figuring that this was a horrible way to go about courting. The gardens weren’t a fond place for her, the keep was off limits as was the sept….where could they go? “We could take a page from
‘Rhoynarian Nights’ and go explore the city?” He suggested. “If anyone were to harm you, they’d have to hurt me instead, you get out safe and don’t have to deal with me anymore. Win-win” It was a bad joke, but a joke nonetheless, and the idea came to him all too quickly. “Or maybe not…that sounds like a bad idea and I’d like to live”
I really really really hate that I have to be one of those people making one of those posts. but honestly.. I’m running out of options. to make a very long story short, my dad is dying. he got admitted to the hospital about a month ago before his initial double hip replacement only to find out that he is in total kidney failure. and to top it all off, he got laid off because he can’t work because he can barely even walk. and he doesn’t quality for unemployment because he has been an independent contractor for too long. we have no income coming in. I have a full time job, but it doesn’t pay that much. I’ve had to shoulder the responsibilities of running the house, paying the bills, everything, with my minimum wage job…. I don’t know what to do. I know none of this is any of your guys problem, but this is my last resort, so I figured it couldn’t hurt. I’ve even considered going on one of those sugar baby websites to get some extra money for us lmao. honestly.. anything will help at this point. and I am more than happy to provide proof. even if it’s just $5. hell, even if it’s just $1 or some kind words in my inbox. but just in case, my paypal is nproudltd@yahoo.com and my venmo is nproud. please, even if you can’t donate, reblog this to get it out. I really appreciate every single one of you that took the time to just read this. thank you. ♡
Viserys growled at the mention of his father. “I know what he did, Relena. You need not go into more of what he did. I know he killed people with no justice given. They may be. Maegor the Cruel ruled and then Jaehareys I ruled. Called
Conciliator, the Wise one, the longest ruling monarchs on the throne.” His voice started out angered and frustrated but calmed towards the end. “I would not be my father. There are lessons to be learned in a monarchs rule. You’ve learned from your own father’s mistakes have you not? I’ve learned from mine.”
“I will not lie to you. I am here to reclaim my throne. What I was promised since birth and named as it’s king during the rebellion. I wouldn’t know what to do with the gold as i’ve spent long enough without even a lesser houses gold. The glory…perhaps. The castle was my home, should have been Daenerys’s as well.”
Viserys paused listing to her speak once more about earning her trust and about his sister. It was true, they had proved such. But he felt he had proved himself just as much when he ruled Yunkai. He’d gotten rid of the slavery and for a short time brought peace to the people, attempting to reform the city to be better than the slave masters before they left for Westeros, leaving his trusted advisors in charge. “I ruled Yunkai. I was King there and the people were happy with my rule. The slavers gone and the slaves freed. I made way for stability and reformation to start over. Build a better world then the one our parent’s and grandparents left it. That’s what I want.”
He stated giving his own words of his time across the sea. Hearing her speak about not having a place she loved in the keep made him frown. “I see.” He thought of what they could do and he wondered if he could recall any of his favorite places in the keep, finding he couldn’t think of any. “We could go to-” He almost suggested the Godswood but remembered she didn’t want to be in the gardens. “We could just go inside? No particular place, perhaps just wonder around? Maybe visit the Sept?” He suggested.
“And then you just left them behind!”, Relena declared reproachful. “You gave the people Yunkai a taste of a better world and then you left them, because you wanted something better for yourself! Do you not think that a good king, a king that wants what is best for his people, would have remained there and kept ruling to make sure that his people remain free?”, the Baratheon queen questioned, her eyebrows narrowed as she stared at the man.
“Well.”, she said, after calming down a bit. “You have been honest with me, now allow me the same courtesy. Do not, for a single moment believe that you will ever rule the Seven Kingdoms.”, she said, slow and clearly. “Even if this…”, Relena said, waving around in the space between the two of them. “… somehow works out, against all odds, you would be king in name only, a king consort not more, for Westeros has one true ruler that sits the iron throne and that is me.” Not for a moment did Relena’s eyes leave Visery’s when she spoke. Her family had suffered and fought, people had died to remove the Targaryens from the throne and a union with one would more than just displease her people, but if she were to give the crown to one of them they would have a rebellion within days. Furthermore, her pride forbid her from giving up her position. The raven haired girl had never craved the throne, but now that it was hers she had grown into her duty and the crown was hers to bear.
“Visit the Sept?”, the young stag asked sceptical. She had spent many years reading the Seven Pointed Star, for it was the only book her Septa approved of and Relena was almost certain that she knew it better than the High Septon himself and while it was her duty as a queen and a believer to visit the Septa for prayers, she certainly did not visit it for a pleasant time. “Have you ever courted a lady before?”, the girl suddenly asked, looking at him with a tilted head and eyebrows that were pinched together. She was certainly no expert in matters of the heart, but even she was aware that the Sept was probably not the best place to court someone, surrounded by ancient graves and apparently right in the sight of the gods.
“Daenerys left her people in Meereen as well. Yell at her as well.” He said grumpily. almost under his breath. “The masters ships and leaders were burned. We took what remained of their fleet and left them in power no longer.” Viserys explained.
He was taken a back by her words and he resisted the urge to fight back, clearly biting his tongue. King consort? He’d take the place a woman would if there was a king?! He knew he had to keep his cool. He would be seen as a child again and not what he should be. A king. He decided to not say anything on that matter and just nodded.
“Yes….” He drug out the words, now unsure of what he said had been the wrong thing to say. He looked down at the ground and then back at Relena as she questioned. “No.” He told her simply. “I’ve never had the opportunity to do so.” Viserys made a face as he spoke, realizing how he was going about this was all wrong. “What do you like?” He asked, his head tilting a bit as he studied her. Obviously it wasn’t him that much was clear. “I assume you wouldn’t like flowers. they’re only beautiful if they are growing, not dead and cut.” He shrugged as he pondered what she could like.
“You could show me your favorite books? Maybe we could read one together” He recalled how excited she had started to sound at the mention of reading and then he shook his head after he spoke, putting a hand in his face, running it through his hair, visibly frustrated. “War is easier then courting…” He found himself chuckling, nervously now, his eyebrows raised. “From what i’ve gathered you’ve never courted either…Or am I wrong?” He asked, gesturing his head towards the Keep. “We could head in, away from the sun and fauna.” He tried to stay away from ordering her, he knew from her earlier words that it was going to be best not to act like he was used to acting. He had to be on his best behavior.
Goldnwulf 