The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

Bond By Blood

134 AC - Raventree Hall (Two Months Later)

Visenya runs behind the tree, trying to keep her breaths silent. Visenya holds the shield she has up to protect her face; the man she is running from is skilled with a bow. One of the best archers she has ever gone against, her sword and dagger are long gone, and she is left completely defenceless.

Visenya slowly creeps out from the colossal tree, looking left to right for the person she is hiding from. She is quick on her feet, but as she steps down on a twig, it alerts her location, and she is swiftly tackled to the ground.

Visenya allows the little boy to take her down to the ground, being dramatic and letting out a yell. Visenya holds back her laughter as she lies on the ground, but the little boy can't stop his laughter. In one movement, the boy is of her, and Visenya looks up to see Ben setting down his nephew.

"It is not polite to tackle a Princess, Smár Einn," Ben tells his nephew, offering a hand to help Visenya. Visenya smiles at the child and shakes her head. "Your father is looking for you. Go,"

The boy smiles at Visenya before running out of the godswood, trailing his long bow behind him. Neither Visenya nor Ben had changed much in the two months they had been at Raventree hall, the first month, Visenya had been closed off, but she had slowly gotten better. Ben pulls Visenya into his side as they walk towards the dead weirwood tree.

"So I am assuming that you are having a good time," Ben says as he looks up to the sky. It is nearing dusk, and the ravens have begun to circle the sky, ready to land on the dead weirwood.

"It is beautiful here. Unlike anything I have ever seen," Visenya tells him. The beauty of Raventree Hall is stunning in a different way than Dragonstone or King's Landing. The godswood was where Visenya had been spending most of her time.

"And do I have to worry about my nephew stealing you away," Ben teases her. His nephew, named after him, and Visenya had been spending lots of time together, and Visenya had even offered to take the boy on a dragon ride with her but was shut down by his mother.

"Most defiantly. I enjoy his company much more," Visenya teases back.

"Keep joking, and I will let the raven peck out your eyes," Ben tells her, and she laughs.

Life could be simple if they stayed here. Not having to worry about the court's whispers or watching each other back on the battlefield. Ben is happy that he is spending time with his brother and nephew and that within the walls of Raventree Hall, Visenya would be safe. Visenya is glad that Ben can have a relationship with his family while she can spend time with him. Teaching the young Blackwood boy how to hold a sword and even teaching him some simple Valyrian terms. A small part of her yarns has that with her blood.

– –

134 AC - Riverrun

Visenya and Ben's peaceful time at Raventree hall is introduced when they get a letter from Riverrun. Lord Tully had died, and Robert was made Lord of Riverrun. Both had agreed that they must go to Riverrun as fast as they could, wanting to be there for their friend in his grief and celebrate his new title.

Lord Tully's funeral had gone quickly, and Ben had proposed the idea of taking Robbert out to drink away his grief. Visenya had thought Robert should be with his family right now, but Robert had agreed to go out to one of the taverns in the town. Visenya and Ben had lost one of their parents, and Ben thought Robbert might be the same way he was.

Visenya sits across from Robert as they watch Ben try and seduce one of the wenches. Out of all of them, Ben had drunk the most. Visenya looks at Robert, who is staring down into his cup. Visenya bumps his leg with her foot, smiling at him when he looks up.

"Is this the best way for me to cope with everything?" Robert asks and Visenya sighs.

"Well, I coped by being sad for a couple of years and then cut my family off. Thinking that the best way to drive was to do it alone, my brothers acknowledged Daemon as our new father and I thought I was alone. Then I left for war." Visenya tells him, offering him more mead. Robert nods, and Visenya pours him another glass before continuing. "The best way is to talk and remember that you are not alone. You got a lot of people to care about you, and if you don't like my ways, you can always follow Ben's way of grieving,"

"And what's that?" Robert asks.

"Ben would tell you the best way to deal with it is to fuck, drink, and eat," Visenya answers him.

"And do they help?"

"Drinking does," Visenya tells him as she takes a sip of mead. "But as the new Lord of Riverrun, I'm sure you do not want to be seen fucking your way through the Riverlands.

"It is my duty to marry now, and I should be faithful to my future wife. I have already spent enough time whoring around," Robert mumbles, and Visenya laughs at him.

"Well, if you haven't found a wife in a couple of years, I will take the horrid duty of being your lady wife," Visenya offers him. It would not be so bad to marry Robert, they are friends, and she knows that he would be a good husband to any woman. "We have made an oath to look out for one another,"

"I would rather jump off Flint Cliff," Robert jokes.

"I will give you a ride up," Visenya responds as they clink their glasses together.

– –

Visenya pokes her head into Ben's room, relieved to see only the man inside the room. She creeps into his room and closes the door behind her. Visenya is dressed in her nigh down, with her white hair falling down her shoulder in curls, and Ben is only dressed in pants. The man raises his head from the pillow, smiling at Visenya as she walks towards the bed.

"I could not find sleep," Visenya tells him as she lays herself down beside him. Ben pulls Visenya closer to him and lets her rest her head on his naked chest.

Visenya has not been able to sleep in the last few months. Often sneaking to Ben's room to seek comfort from him and listening to his heart to lull her to sleep. Ben does not mind it, finding it friendly that Visenya can find peace in his presence. When his sister was still young, she would do the same thing during thunderstorms. She would always be worried about how the ravens were during the storms. Ben rubs his hand up and down Visenya's bare arm.

"I thought you were still buried in the woman's tits," Visenya tells Ben, and he laughs. It seems out of the trio that Ben had only been the one up for some fun early that night.

"I needed a break," Ben tells her. He and Visenya haven't talked much about the events in King's Landing, so Ben thinks it is the perfect time to ask now that she is relaxed and has had enough mead to give her a nice buzz. "Do you regret your choice to leave?"

Visenya lets the question hang in the air before answering. She has thought a lot about that night. What if she had done things differently, or maybe she should have listened more to Aemond side of the story? But as it was happening, all she could feel was hurt and betrayal. If Aemond and Alys had a relationship in the past, then it shouldn't have mattered to Visenya, he wasn't hers back then, but she loved him during that time.

"In some ways. I love Aemond, and I do not think that will change soon. I also regret hurting Alys, she wasn't taught the meaning behind the bones, and I shouldn't have taken my anger out on her," Visenya tells him, opening herself to Ben. "But I think leaving was the best choice,"

"Are you alright?" Ben asks her, knowing that Visenya will open up so much.

"Yep. Just wondering what we are going to do next. Where are we going to go," Visenya wonders. Both of them do not want to leave one another yet and still want to be there for each other.

"Winterfell?" Ben asks.

"We could do that. You can see your sister and I can see if I am a better swordsman than Cregan," Visenya jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"I am gonna tell you right now that you are not," Ben laughs.

The two friends spend the rest of the night discussing what they will do once in the north. How they can fly Morghon along the length of The Wall. Ben tells Visenya about how much she will get along with his sister.

Both are happy with the choice of leaving King's Landing.