The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

A Son For A Son

138 - Riverrun

"We are to take Harrenhal; we are aloud to kill anyone who tries to stop, but if they do bend the knee, then spare them," Visenya tells the lords around the table, Rob is at her side, and all the lords hang onto her words about that they are going to do.

Visenya doesn't want to think about what has happened to her baby brother. She doesn't want to think about why the war has started. She doesn't want to believe that Aemond would murder her brother and gain the title of Kinslayer.

"And the dead?" Ben asks, knowing that he should keep Visenya's mind busy rather than have her think about her brother.

Ben didn't know the young prince very well, only having a few indications with the prince, but he knows that Visenya loved her brother even if Luke held ill feelings towards her for feeling. Ben also knows that in the last few months, the brother and sister had gotten to work on their relationship, and no doubt Visenya was hurting. Ben wouldn't know what to feel if his brother or sister were murdered, much less by someone he loves.

"Heads on spikes?" Visenya says, unsure, she knows that the soldiers would want to do more than just that, but she is having a hard time stomaching the thought at the moment.

Visenya is tired. Physically and mentally. She had thought that when war had been declared, she would be more excited, but now she feels like a part of her is gone forever, and her feeling towards Aemond is consuming her. She should be mad at him, livid at him, for what he has done, but Visenya can't even start to process that Aemond would do such a thing. She knows him and knows no matter how angry he is at Luke. He wouldn't kill him.

"A bit dull. I can ask the Ironborn men if they have any ideas," Ben answers; he will gladly take this off of Visenya's plate. He had wanted to get some rest when he found out from Rob about what had happened, but Visenya being her stubborn self, wouldn't go to bed and insisted that they start their plan of taking Harrenhal.

"Fine with me," Visenya tells him with a nod, finally taking a seat.

"Me as well," Rob agrees, more than happy to hand off the torture methods to Ben and give the knight the responsibility.

Unlike Visenya and Ben, Rob had never had the strongest stomach. He can handle killing people, but inflicting pain on someone just for fun baffles him, and he would rather give the traditors a quick and painless death rather than a prolonged and painful one; he would want to be treated like he treats people.

"Then we will storm the castle; Larys Strong doesn't have enough men to probably defend and keep it, so it should be easy. If that fails, then I'm sure Morghon will be more than happy to scare them into handing it over. How long until-"

"Princess!" A man wearing his sigil cuts her off as he barrels through the doors.

"What-" Visenya starts to ask but stops once she sees the blood on the man's hand. She knows him. He is one of the men assigned to watch over her children. "Why are you bleeding?"

"Two men had made their way into the castle-"

Visenya doesn't let the man finish his sentence, bolting up from her chair and making her way out of the room. The lords all stand still for a second before it clicks in their heads what is happening. Ben and Rob are the first to move, running after Visenya. Rob to ensure that Visenya doesn't kill the two men so they may question who has sent them. Ben is filled with worry and fury. He loves the children like they were his own, and gods be damned, if he would anyone hurt them, he would rip the men limb from limb.

Visenya feels like she can't breathe; how could she be so stupid about leaving them alone? How could she be so stupid not to put more men at their door to make sure they were safe? They are supposed to be safe with her, safe here. Riverrun is filled with men that are loyal to her, so she thought that they would be safe, yet as she turns the corner and sees blood on the ground, she feels her stomach drop.