So I killed. So I maimed. So I destoryed one innocent life after another. Aren’t I a human being? Don’t I yearn and ache and shop? Don’t I deserve love…and jewelry?
“Well, if that happens you could always do what you great-uncle, when he spurned my great-great-aunt in order to marry some peasant, give up your titles and become a common man, free to marry whom ever you chose.”, Relena pointed out with a rather smug glance at the prince. “After all, what is a keep and land and a title compared to the woman one loves.”, she added, a little smirk upon her lips, as her eyes rolled back slightly.
“I hope you do not mind me asking, but what has made you interested in inquiring in the first place? After all, the fancies of ladies, usually just interest to other ladies that who whisper and gossip.”, the raven haired girl pointed out, her eyes glancing around, looking at the few groups of women that were standing in some corners whispering into each other’s ears.
“Yes, they are promised to each other, my father was quite delighted to finally be able to join our houses…”, the lady mumbled, her voice growing more and more quiet as she realized that the topic of House Stark and House Baratheon join at last wasn’t something that should be discussed with a Targaryen. “I am certain your sister will be quite the lucky woman if Lord Tyrell agrees to the match, so far I have never heard anyone speak a single bad word about his eldest son, he is ought to be quite charming and intelligent.” A match Relena herself wouldn’t have said ‘no’ to. Highgarden was supposedly beautiful, truly the golden rose of the region and the Reach was the most fertile land in the Seven Kingdoms, making any house that had its seat there quite rich, especially the Tyrells. “Prince Trystane?Isn’t he a bit young? Wouldn’t Prince Quentyn be a better match?”, she wondered out loud, the hint of a frown on her forehead as her head tilted slightly. If she recalled correctly, Trystane was closer in age to Myrcella than Daenerys.
“Kin of mine belongs to House Frey.”, the young doe informed him, one of her eyebrows rising slightly while a disapproving gaze lingered upon the silver haired man.
“Oh then we should.”, the Lady Baratheon agreed, a pale hand reaching for the fabric of her skirt. “I have promised Harrold Hardyng a dance and I wouldn’t want him to believe that I am not a woman of my word.”, Relena explained, as she turned around in order to return to the party. “And we know there is at least one lady who wishes to dance with you.”
“I could do that” He mused lightly, not putting real thought into the idea as it wasn’t something he was looking into doing. “A woman is more wealth than a lan-wait, actually…having land means crops and crops means money so…” He shrugged “I get what you mean though. What made me inquire? Interest. I’m intrigued by Ladies and their ways, they’re an enigma to me.” Viserys replied, he’d often been curious at how the other sex thought and felt about things, and his brother mused it was due to how they didn’t have as long experience with their mother as he had and was lacking in a real insight to female rulers in general. So Rhaegar had made sure Viserys attended every event he could so he could become more acquainted to the fairer sex.
“I’m sure he was, as Lord Stark would be, no doubt it will be a good match.” A laugh emmintated from the Targaryen as she spoke of Loras. “Well, I’ve heard rumors about the Knight of Flowers…He may wed a wife, but-” He leaned in closer to whisper so it wouldn’t be overheard. “He may not love a wife as she should deserve, his attention will be elsewhere…” Viserys informed the Lady, hoping she would catch his meaning before a flush rose to his cheeks as he realized he had mistakenly said the wrong name and heavy sighed. “Yes, of course. Right. Quentyn is whom I meant to say…With so many Lords and Ladies here and trying to keep everyone straight with who they are where from…”
“Is your Aunt happy? Truly happy? From what i’ve heard it’s she who does most of the lordship of their marriage and her husband rolls over.” He asked, catching her look, not really feeling bad for his words. He didn’t know many that liked House Frey to begin with, though they might like their Frey relatives, he couldn’t think of one, even a Frey who liked their Lord of the house, Walder. “My apolgies if I offended you, Lady Relena.” His Violet eyes watched as she began to move back to the main room and walked with her there, his head tilted to one side as she spoke.
“Of course and Harrold is a fine man from a good House. Prehaps you’ll be courted by him.” At the words of ladies and himself, Viserys found himself staring at Relena with a quizzical look on his face. “I’m sure you are quite right, but whom do you think would want to?” He asked, glancing back at the main room trying to figure out who she had in mind. “Do you mean those who truly want to enjoy my company or those that are being forced to by their fathers?”
“True.”, Relena agreed, her head nodding slightly. “But one might also argue that, especially in times of peace, members of the royal family have more of a choice than anyone else, at least the male members, for what lord would refuse his daughter’s hand if the king asks for a match?”, the young doe pointed out, her head tilting slightly as she looked at Viserys.
The dark haired woman just shrugged, upon hearing the man’s first question, but when the second one reached her ears, there was a little smirk upon her pink lips while one of her eyebrows rose. Slightly the young woman leaned forward, almost as if she was about to tell him a secret, before saying. “Isn’t that the kind of topic females usually only discuss with other females?”, with a lowered voice, before straightening up again. “But if it truly interests you that much, no, there is no one who has caught my fancy.”
“Only a fool would refuse…But say I found myself in love with a commoner, the King could tell me no. A king has more power than a Prince.” He countered before he watched Relena lean in as well and he waited with anticipation for her reply and his facial features dropped when she spoke and he frowned. “I mean…Oh, well than” He spoke as she added that no one had caught her attention and his mouth moved more to one side as his brow furrowed. No one? Surely there must have been one or even two that had to be attractive to her.
Viserys too straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest and gave a small nod as a lady and a knight had rushed by trying to find a quiet place to be alone and he shook his head at the two people. Least they were having fun for the night. The Prince was enjoying his time with the Lady Baratheon and glad she had seemed to be more inclined to spending more time around him rather than the first time they’d met at the tourney.
“I heard your brother is to marry Lady Sansa. It should be a good match. I’m sure it’ll be only time before you and your other siblings are offered matches. I know Rhaegar’s spoken about offering Lord Tyrell a match between Willas Tyrell and my sister Daenerys or Prince Trystane of Dorne. Course Waldar Frey keeps trying to push any of his children to marry myself or Dany, but Rhaegar won’t have it and frankly neither would we.” He mentioned off hand before his eyes caught the Princess of Dorne, Allyria catch his before she flirted with two Lords, not a care in the world. “Shall we go back to the party? They’re going to be dancing soon.”
For a moment Relena’s eyebrows pulled upwards as she gazed to the side. Even if a courtship when badly, it often didn’t mean much, at least not for a woman, if she was told by her father that she was ought to marry someone, even if that someone had proven to be a fool, what was she ought to do?
“To some…”, the dark haired woman mumbled, her gaze roaming through the room, when Viserys talked about hard work being involved in a courtship.. “And some enjoy it.”, she added after a brief moment. After all there had to be at least a few men who enjoyed writing letters and poems, otherwise why would there be so many? Also, it was one of the few appropriate ways for a lord and a lady to spend time together. “I don’t think so. Courtship had tradition and charm, flirting on the other hand… I simply believe that there had to be a reason why a proper courtship is the preferred conduct between men and women in our circles.”
“You forget that as royalty we often don’t get much choice in who we marry. It’s already arranged. Father would have wanted myself and Daenerys to marry but my brother….I should be married by now and yet I haven’t heard a word of anything. Perhaps I should try courtship. Seek it out myself.” Viserys voiced his thoughts, now truly thinking on the idea of courting and doing so seriously instead of flirting when it seemed to lead to nothing.
“What is with you and being right all the time?” He asked, chuckling softly as he shook his head, his silver curls following the movement. “You’ve been here a while, is there anyone you’d consider courting? Surely there must be a Lord or knight that’s caught your fancy” He asked as he pushed his back away from the column to near her as if she was going to tell him a deep dark secret.
“Then how have you thought about courtship so far?”, Relena questioned, emerald eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the silver haired man, wondering what had been going on in his head so far when someone mentioned the act of courtship. “I am certain there are.” After all courtship was one of the few joys women had in this world and sadly what came after was rarely as pleasant, perhaps that was one of the reason why most women insisted upon being swept of their feet, even if they themselves had no say in who would get their hand in the end.
“Ah, well…” Viserys started, gathering his thoughts together under the scrutinizing eye of the dark haired Baratheon. “From everything I’ve known it’s just you talk, write a letter and hope everything goes well. You hope that it’ll be a good match and it’s more unnerving than being arranged to marry someone. You don’t want to ruin the courtship, not if she’d be a good match.”
Viserys struggled to find the right words at first, taking pauses to find them before he started to find himself agreeing with Relena’s previous words. “Courtship is quite a lot of hardwork…but I guess in the end, that means that the marriage will be better.” He shrugged before he looked back at where they had come from “With flirting you get a clearer glimpse of a person and what their intentions are. Surely flirting and courtship could go hand in hand.” Viserys suggested, leaning up against one of the hallways columns.
“That is how courtship is ought to happen, is it not?”, Relena replied, black eyebrows rising slightly as she replied to Viserys. “And the amount of effort one puts into the courtship allows you to know how much they actually care, which in my opinion is far better than a few blunt words.”
His face changed from one of questioning and slight judgement to one that was blank and he stared at her dumbfounded. “I never thought about it that way before.” He’d never found a problem with flirting and thought little of courtship. “Thank you, you’ve given me a new perspective. Maybe I’ll give courtship a try sometime, I can only assume there are many other ladies who share your sentiment”
“I suppose” Viserys offered as he glanced up at the ceiling for a moment to think on her words before returning his gaze to the woman before him. “It may be a tad too forward but I’d rather not be kept in the dark about affections. Wouldn’t you? Or would you prefer more tact and a letter sent to you in flowerly words?”
“What?” He snapped at Daenerys reached where he and Viserion his rage still not satisfied though his legs moved him closer to her and he wrapped his arms around her, possessively as he moved her away from the view of her advisors so her back was against Viserion’s body. An he kissed her, all his rage and fear packed into it his nails dug into her as he tried to pull her closer to him before he let go of her to move past her, wiping the blood from his face with his bloodied hand only smearing more blood around.
“The traders ship came from Pentos. Tyrion, Asha I want you to investigate, use your resources and find out what you can. They may send more informants and traders under guise.” The two looked between them and gave a wary nod before being dismissed. Viserys turned to Grey Worm “Any and all visitors we receive, no matter who they are are to be brought to me. Handcuffed and weaponless.I don’t care if it’s Jon Snow himself.” Grey Worm didn’t seem ready to do as Viserys asked and a few of the Dothraki and Unsullied gave him an unsure look.
“Do you understand? We cannot allow another attack upon us. Not with our forces spread as they are, no matter how close we are to winning back the throne. Daenerys will not be under threat again. Is. That. Clear?” He asked stepping closer as a younger Dothraki muttered a yes and scampered off, the others just nodded and Grey Worm looked from Viserys to Dany before nodding and being on his way and he turned back to Dany. “Go see the maester. Any undo stress and movements could have harmed the child and in turn, you. Go.” Viserys did not want to take any chances with Daenerys and her pregnancy, not after their mothers death not after she had already lost one child. He couldn’t lose her or their child.
The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.
They were going to marry. Viserys was going to be husband and father. Something he never thought he would achieve in his life, just like coming home to Westeros. But what he couldn’t imagine was traders coming into Dragonstone and assassins and other hired thugs being among their number.
He was glad that Daenerys had had him train with Grey Worm and he worked with Unsullied and Dothraki to defend Dragonstone, those that were still at Dragonstone and not away at holds and other places. He was doing well until he noticed the larger number of assassins were heading to where Daenerys was, talking no doubt with her favored female advisor and friend about the discussed wedding plans and Viserys charged forward, feeling his blood boiling as he plunged his sword into one of their backs and the closer they got to her the more Viserys’s anger grew.
There wasn’t a moment where his eyes weren’t clouded by bloodlust as he fought hearing the Dothraki behind him rage on through the battle. As one assassin had opened the door to Daenerys, Viserys tackled the man, his sword being flung aside, tumbling and struggling with the man as Viserys managed to straddle him and his fists hit the man, smashing his face in with his hands, the Dothraki who had finished off the rest of the man looked on,
Jhogo
being among them, placing a hand to stop the others as Viserys kept beating the man to a blood pulp, the face of the man had been beaten in so far that it hardly could tell who it had been.
He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and Viserys leaned back, fists bloodied from not only his blood but his victims, blood everywhere on his person and Jhogo went to Viserys before the Targaryen fell to one side, the adrenaline having left his body now that the threat had been dealt with. “Daenerys. Dany. Are you okay?” He asked as he pushed himself back to his full height, staggering a bit as he put his hand briefly on Jhogo’s arm to let him know that he would be fine. “Anah
davrae. Jhogo.” Viserys spoke his best Dothraki as he stumbled towards the woman. “No one hurt either of you?”
Before either of them could reply Viserys dashed out of the room, his blood still calling for more blood to be spilt as he went outside the gates he caught Viserion in the distance and he called out the dragon who in turn swooped down to meet Viserys, wondering what Viserys wanted until he smelt the blood and Viserys climbed on his back, the ‘traders’ ships were trying to leave but Viserys would not let them and he commanded Viserion “Dracarys” and suddenly the ship was on fire and the screams carried in the air. Viserys returned to Dragons tone and only got down from Viserion when Daenerys came outside.
Goldnwulf 