Fatebringer | Viserys Targaryen

Chapter 2

The waiting game was boring.

Ysira could not claim to be the most patient person, though she was certainly better at it than Viserys. In the days it took for the dragon eggs to make their way to them, she struggled to get through the readings she assigned herself— a self-inflicted bit of scholarliness that could not settle with the excitement of new possibilities.

Daenerys was happy to be assigned the role of receiver, the one who'd be given the eggs immediately upon their arrival to Norvos. It was better that the one dreaming of dragons handle them the entire time. Ysira didn't think her hands to have a very warm touch (plants did not sprout if she planted them, much less breathed over the seeds) and refused to taint the dragon eggs with whatever negativity still rubbed off on her from her parents.

It gave her more time to focus on her spear, having neglected it a tad in the weeks researching for Viserys. He didn't supervise her the way he once did, always one to pry since they were children. When they'd first arrived in Norvos, he used to sit and watch her after his sword sessions, never interested enough in learning to use a spear but apparently curious to the point where he'd tolerate watching her do it.

Her earliest memory was of the day she was taken from her mother and planted on the ship that carried her toward her new playmates. She didn't remember her brother Quentyn at all, but she recalled seven-year-old Arianne standing with their parents and cousins Nymeria and Tyene as the rowboat left the dock. Those sad faces looking at her, all these girls she'd barely ever gotten to play with.

She remembered being frustrated even when her task was presented to her— nothing could fill a void she barely recalled having. It was there, simply, and she hated it. Rhaenys had been just a babe, leaving nothing of interest there. Viserys had been her only company and it wasn't enough.

Most days, once Elia had given up her attempts in making Ysira feel like she wasn't so far from home, she followed Viserys around like a puppy. Bored and sullen but figuring it was better to accompany him than stay by herself. King Aerys hadn't minded holding both their little hands and testing them on the names of all the Valyrian dragons, their skulls lining the throne room.

Her favorite game to play had been hide-and-seek. Viserys always underestimated her, figuring she'd be easy to find. His assumption didn't change no matter how well she hid each time. Once, she'd fallen asleep inside Balerion's skull because he never thought to look for her in a place like that. He thought he was the only brave one.

She never understood Viserys when she was a child— even now she struggled to imagine what went on in his head. He didn't believe girls could enjoy the same fun as boys. Even when they'd been on Dragonstone, chasing each other through the halls, he always had to remind her that she would never be as fast as him. That never mattered to her— she liked to explore the castle at top speed, believing herself to be soaring through the halls like a dragon.

Time and time again, he thought he was better. Whether they were on the streets or in Norvos, Viserys believed he was the strongest among them. Most days she wondered if he trusted her at all. But if not, why would he let her remain known as his Hand? She settled on the belief that she was familiar, she was safety. Not because she was clever but because his earliest memories involved her, too.

She was glad for him to be gone this time, letting her focus entirely on the guards who tested her strength instead of anticipating a backhanded remark. It made her happy, to better herself. It made her happy to exercise her body the way she constantly did her mind. Contrary to what Viserys seemed to believe, she did it for herself. Not to impress anyone.

"Syz, darilaros," said Byan, observing from the shade. The guard knocked down by her spear stood back up, rubbing his behind. "Aderi, kosta ipak prover ove vestne isse prakti vilibazma." (T: Good, Princess. Soon, you may yet test these skills in battle.)