The Sapphire Prince | Aemond Targaryen |

1.

They say Targaryen's are closer to Gods than men. Gifted with the extraordinary power of a sacred bond between man and beast gives the Targaryens more power than any other king or lord.

Princess Verena Targaryen the sole child of Baeylon Targaryen the 2nd and Daena Velaryon. In the weeks following her violent birth, her mother passed away from blood loss just hours after giving birth, and her father, brother to King Viserys and Prince Daemon, died just weeks later.

No one spoke of the late prince's suspicious death. Some say he had killed himself the dreary day he rode out with his grand dragon, Viselar due to the heartbreak of losing his beloved wife. When he had returned without his master the King sent his riders out to scour the entire kingdom in frantic search of his brother.

Verena merely a few weeks old was left an orphan and left under the care of her uncle Daemon. The late Prince Baeylon, hours before his disappearance made his brother solemnly swear to always watch over his little girl. That he sufficiently trains her to be the most distinguished warrior in all the seven kingdoms. To dearly love and protect as his own child. Daemon at the time didn't grasp what his brother conveyed but kept the sacred promise he made.

He took the little girl in and raised her as a daughter and when she was only a few years old he married Laena Valeryon who raised the child as her own. Daemon would remain the fierce hand, encouraging her training and studies in Valerian. Laena was the gentle one, who comforted Verena when she weeped and would grasp her when she would finish training in agonizing pain. Laena was her mother.

Verena was not particularly close to her 'sisters' Rhaena and Baela. Mostly because their personal duties were never the same. Verena trained and fought viciously. Rhaena and Baela would practice their duties as women. A sensitive part of Verena bitterly resented her sisters because she never saw the same tender care their father displayed with them.

She consistently fought to make Daemon proud, taking down the fiercest of men, and being able to strike down traitors with ease. Even when Verena claimed not one but three dragons, her own as well as her birth mother and father's , Daemon remained unimpressed.

Things grew worse between the two when Daemon married Rhaenyra very swiftly after her Laena's death. Verena had managed to lose not one but two mothers in her miserable life and seeing how Daemon remarried with no hesitation angered Verena even more.

At the youthful age of fifteen, Verena had snuck off Dragonstone with nothing more than a sword and her fierce dragons Verenex, Visalaer and Saphira.

It would be three years until she came face to face with her family once again.

All of them.

News had reached Verena that Corlys Velaryon, a cousin from her birth mother's side, was to die soon due to a grave injury and that discussions of legitimacy were called into question of her stepbrother, Lucerys.

Apart of Verena desperately wanted to turn back and go home, maintain the distance she had from her family for three years. But another part of her felt she would be a miserable coward if she were to do so. She stood at the end of the hall, a slight distance from the grand doors to the throne room. From a distance, political voices were overheard, each becoming clearer with every step taken.

It was too late now. Verena stood directly in front of the opening and conducted her way down the steps, her head low with the flowing cloak adequately covering her. It felt as if she was intentionally hiding. From Daemon, her stepmother, and her siblings. From everyone.

But Verena carefully undid her cloak and pulled back her hood, allowing the woollen fabric to fall to her feet she instantly heard the chain of gasps and cautious whispers surrounding her. Her eyes remained glued to the King with every step she shifted, her eyes softened upon his condition. The last time she had seen him was when she had voluntarily left dragon stone. Secretly she spent a memorable night in the castle with her uncle. Both sat by the fire as he recounted her stories about the types of devilish acts he committed along with his brothers.