The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

The Queens Of Red And Black

 138 - Dragonstone

Rhaenyra doesn't know what she was expecting when she decided to enter Visenya's room, but the current state of Visenya wasn't. The room smells of copper and sweat, reminding Rhaenyra of when she was with Visenya during the birth of the twins.

"Mother," Visenya greets as Rhaenyra looks around the room.

Daemon had come to visit her not too long ago, changing her bandages around her stomach and giving her food and water. Visenya hadn't talked to the prince regent the whole time he had been in the room, but she had been thankful that he had dismissed the guards watching her while she cleaned her.

Visenya had been repeating the four preys repeatedly to pass the time. Sometimes if the milk of the poppy hit her harder than normal, she would speak them in Valyrian rather than in her head. When Daemon had been in the room, she had let the prey slip out of her mouth. Daemon would have been worried, but he knows that faith was always important for Visenya. He had even told himself that he would try and convince Rhaenyra to give Visenya a beaded string to help her recite the prey like when she was younger.

"You should address me by my proper title Visenya," Rhaenyra tells Visenya as she takes in the room, especially the bed. The blankets look like they haven't been changed since Visernya arrived and are soaked with blood and sweat. The sheets and bandages are in the same condition. Rhaenyra couldn't tell that the bandage had only been changed that morning.

"Neither you nor Aegon are officially ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, so neither of you has a proper-"

"Visenya!" Rhaenyra shouts, cutting Visenya off. Rhaenyra takes a moment to calm herself before sitting on the bed. "I'm assuming that you have heard about the stripping of your titles,"

"I have more important things to do than await every letter you send me, and unlike you, I have more than just my birth titles," Visenya answers Rhaenyra, keeping her eyes closed in exhaustion. "Sorry, you have The Realm's Delight and now Maegor with teats,"

Rhaenyra allows Visenya to take the jab at her, knowing that she is in pain and that the milk of the poppy never agrees with her. The maester had informed both her and Daemon of Visenya's condition, wanting to know if the Queen wanted to give his highest and best treatment or just barely keep the enemy alive. Rhaenyra had settled on having Visenya's wounds treated but not to the point where she would be at full strength. With the addition of the Valyrian Steel cuffs, Visenya had been kept in a state where she could not fight against anyone.

"You should've brought more than just your dragon with you for protection," Rhaenyra tells Visenya as she fiddles with the rings on her fingers. Visenya can't help but roll her eyes at the statement. Did Rhaenyra think that Visenya would leave her children alone and unprotected again?

"I wanted to make sure my children were safe," Visenya spits at Rhaenyra; she still has difficulty understanding how her mother could do such a thing to her.

"Visenya is a fair payment Visenya. Aemond killed my son, so it is only fair I have one of his in return. You should be grateful that I went for the babe; you haven't known him long," Rhaenyra tells Visenya.

It is a fair payment in Rhaenyra's head, and while Daemon might not have understood his promise to Rhaenyra, she did. She wants one of Visenya and Aemond's sons as payment for Luke; it would have been the only fair payment for her. Even with Jaehaerys death, it was still not enough.

"Do you hear yourself? Hear how fucking mad you are?" Visenya asks; she knows that when the gods flipped Rhaenyra's coin, it landed on madness rather than greatness.

"I am owed-"

"You are fucking crazy, and I hope you understand that the Lord will never respect you. Not because you're a woman but because you're mad," Visenya cuts Rhaenyra off, rattling the chains and ignoring the pain from the simple action. "Look at me. Your only daughter fucking chained to a bed, being held ransom,"