The Unburnt

Chapter 4 - Valyrian Helmet

Visenya Targaryen

This evening, after finishing studying with my older sister Rhaenyra and our Septa, I returned to my chambers. They were spacious enough, the walls seemingly glooming over me and stretching to infinity, as soft white and red furs adorned my mattress, my walls accompanied with small trinkets fitted for a girl my age, little decorations made of steel and wood, depicting flowers, dragons and what not. I gathered my dolls, meticulously checking their clothing and gowns that myself have sewn along with one of my maids, Holgate, who was sweet enough to spend her time doing so.

As the younger sister, I had the privilege of being unseen, all the attention falling upon the eldest Rhaenyra, who had to attend many dinners, gatherings, and events to present herself as the future Queen, our father King Viserys ensuring she would be prepared to face what may come forth, albeit the title for who shall be heir is still debatable from the tales described by my older sibling, as my uncle Daemon would be the rightful heir.

A soft knock at my door startles me but before I can react and ask who is it, my uncle's form invades my space. Anytime I would spend in his presence, I felt like my own self was important in this world, around him I wasn't the second daughter who should've been a son, I was just Visenya. Giggles erupted once realization dawned upon me on why he promptly visited:

''Again I have yet to see you at the dinner table in the Great Hall niece, care to enlighten your uncle of why you always seem to eat before we all gather for dinner?'' The timber of his voice almost seems to rattle the ground, consequently, this action makes me bite my lower lip.

''Because I choose to eat before uncle, my tummy is smaller and my maids have told me I ought to eat earlier, not so late in the evening as the rest of my family.''

''My little flower, it's fitting for a young Princess like you to attend dinner with your family, even if it bores you to the core --he sighs-- I for one also am not fond of such trivial, customary events, but we must play our parts.'' If anyone paid attention you could almost hear how his words held little conviction, although his face showed no true emotions in regard to the topic of our conversation.

''But they always take me afterward to play with the other children uncle,'' I say as if the action itself was a form of torture. It was true, my self hated the idea of being surrounded by lords, ladies, or any form of humans, although such emotion never arose in the presence of my uncle.

''Niece, you must try to break this habit of yours, always hiding away, must I inform you that you won't be able to do so for the rest of your life,'' he says almost thoughtfully as if he wished to protect me from my own future, form the things and events that might pain me or make me uncomfortable. Now he showed a slinger of emotion but it was gone as fast as it came. I nod quietly and decide to change the subject, as my tendency to shy away from people became the topic of most of my discussions with my uncle or anyone from my family.

"Kepus --uncle-- when I will grow old enough to marry, I wish to marry you," my sweet voice indicates such a conviction that my childish mind made, an effort to validate my future. Uncle Daemon looks down as I sew a new dress for my doll, a sleeve that got ripped in what was a previous attempt of mine to make my doll dragonride across my chambers, the needle working efficiently with the help of my small slender fingers. He snickers amused at my confession, a thought built upon a child's view of the world, a world that for the time being seemed so simple: grow up, marry, sire children, and live happily ever after.

"Ñuha riñītsos --my little girl-- such thoughts shouldn't occupy your mind, marriage is an affair far far away...although our family has truly seen more aggravating matches considering our old Valyrian traditions," he speaks quietly while the meaning of his words can't quite make me understand the implications of my own.