Dreams, Dragons, and Deceit || Aemond & Aegon Targaryen

Turn of the Tide

For the next week, Visaera avoided Aegon as one avoids a spreading disease. Unfortunately, avoiding him also meant she found herself thinking about him, if only for the fear of crossing his path unexpectedly.

Upon her request, Ser Jaunton and Alarya had assisted her in covering the passageway with a large shelf, blocking any access Aegon could have had. The heartbreak had not been kind to her, she was struggling to do simple things like sleep and eat.

The few times that she did dine in the hall with The Greens, she felt his eyes on her, burning into her skin and begging for her to look at him. She refused, unwilling to let him talk his way out of betraying her yet again. And she knew, if she gave him the chance, he would talk his way out of it. Her resolve would crumble and he would murmur sweet things in her ear until she forgave him once again.

They were all sitting at breakfast, including Otto, when Maester Orwyle hurried in and passed a small scroll to the Hand of the King. Continuing to eat as though she was unaffected by the sudden interruption, Visaera watched Otto from the corner of her eye. He read the scroll once, then again, and then leaned over and whispered in Alicent's ear. For a brief moment, the Queen's eyes sparkled with delight. And then they flicked over to Visaera.

Unable to avoid whatever was happening, now that the Queen had noticed she was watching, Visaera set down her fork. "What is it?" she finally asked.

"It seems Lord Corlys had been injured in the Stepstones..." Alicent offered casually, as though she were testing the princess with the news. Her words knocked the air from her lungs.

"Grandfather?" she asked nervously, noting how the Queen was waiting for her reaction. Regardless of who had truly sired her, she had seen Corlys as her grandfather for her entire life. "Is he alright?"

"He lives, for now. The fever may take him yet..." Visaera nodded, but the Queen appeared to have not finished the thought.

"There's more?"

"Vaemond Velaryon has called for a petition... Pertaining to who will inherit Driftmark..." As she jumped from the table in dismay, Visaera's chair fell over with a loud thud.

"You cannot be fucking serious!"

"You will watch your mouth, princess, you are speaking to your Queen." Otto reprimanded. The words went unnoticed as she scoffed and hurried from the room. If Vaemond was contesting Jace's claim to Driftmark, it would mean he was going to call her brother's legitimacy into question. By doing so, it would call all of Rhaenyra's children into question.

Visaera nearly doubled over as the look in Alicent's eye suddenly made sense, like pieces of a puzzle being pushed together and clicking into place. As of yet, the Queen had not pushed the issue of Visaera's betrothal; this was why. She had been waiting for something to happen, some opportune moment for her to put an end to either offer, aside from her disdain for the princess.

If Visaera's legitimacy was called into question, any offer of a betrothal would be immediately rescinded. Fuck...

She had been blind, ignorant, childish, debating over whether she wanted Aegon or Aemond. Limbs shaking and chest heaving, she marched up the stairs, intending to rouse her grandfather.

"Visaera," she kept walking, forcing herself not to cringe at the hurt in his voice.

"I don't have the time or patience for you right now!" she snapped at Aegon.

"Vis, wait!" The sound of his hurried footsteps followed her until she finally spun about.

"Leave me alone, Aegon!" she hissed, her lip curling back into a sneer.

"Vis, look, I'm sorry about what I said in the gardens, I—"

"The gardens?" she breathed in disbelief, "You think I'm angry because you yelled at me in the gardens?" Closing the distance between them, seething. "I went to your rooms, Aegon, to apologize... You weren't alone..." His eyes widened in realization and he reached for her arm.

"Vis, it's not—" she struck at him, knocking his arm away and silencing his justification.

"Fuck you, Aegon! I'm done with your excuses! In fact, I don't want to hear your voice ever again!" On the verge of tears, she turned away from him. "I did what you asked; I gave you a chance to make up for your mistakes and you fucking betrayed me, again! I'm done with you!"

"But Visaera—" With her skirts bunched up in her fists, she hurried up the stairs, unwilling to listen any longer. "Vis, wait!" Tearing around the corner, she broke into a sprint, only slowing when she finally reached the King's chambers.

Her chest was heaving panicked breaths as she opened the door and hurried inside, wrinkling her nose at the smell. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark.

"Grandfather?" The king stirred and then groaned. "It's me, Visaera." Another low, pained groan. Careful to avoid any action that would bring him pain, she merely leaned against the very edge of the bed.

"Rhaenyra," he panted softly, straining to sit up.

"No, my king. It's Visaera," she corrected softly, swallowing as she gently pushed him back against the pillows. Even in the last few weeks, his health had rapidly declined.

"Visaera," he breathed her name as though he didn't quite believe she was real. "My sweet, little doe... You've grown up..." Tears pricked her eyes as she realized he seemed to have forgotten about the near dozen interactions they had shared since her return. Any notion that he would come to Jace's rescue during the petition was lost, he barely recognized her face. Perhaps if he didn't drink so much milk of the poppy...

She left the King's rooms feeling like she had been struck in the chest. Gulping in deep breaths didn't seem to help and she finally hurried outside, desperate for fresh air. At the foot of the Weirwood tree, she threw herself on the ground, glaring up at the sky. When the sun pealed through the leaves and began to blind her, she rolled over and buried her face in her arms.

Resentment coiled up in her chest like a snake, spreading venom through her and poisoning her thoughts toward everyone in her life. Her mother, for choosing to sire children outside of her marriage. Alicent and Otto, for their ceaseless hate and ambition. Vaemond, for choosing himself over his family. Bastards or not, Corlys and Laenor had accepted the children as Velaryons, so why couldn't he?

"Visaera," She tensed at the sound of the Queen's voice; still, she sat up and turned to face her.

"I'm sorry for my language, your grace," she offered, "It was quite the shock for me." Alicent nodded, taking a seat next to her on the ground; the action catching Visaera by surprise.

"I understand how you must be feeling,"

"No, you don't," she replied softly. Alicent said nothing and Visaera couldn't help but wonder what she was doing, whether she had intended to get some sort of information from her.

"Have you thought about—"

"Yes, I have, I would like to get through the next few days, and have a chance to speak to my mother, before announcing my decision."

"Yes, that may be for the best." Alicent agreed. Depending on the results of the petition, Visaera wasn't even sure a betrothal would be offered by the end of the week. Perhaps she would return to Dragonstone with her family and the whole thing would be put to bed. The only thing she knew for certain was that her family arriving in the capital would be a much-needed reprieve from being alone with The Greens.