CURSED, rhaegar targaryen

CHAPTER TWO

267 AC
Whiteshear

The birth of the first female Driscoll in centuries began a new era in Whiteshear, and they named her Verena. Although Verena's family believed her to be a blessing, many of the common folk were weary. The second that she took her first breath in the world the ice storm reeking havoc ceased to exist, and from that moment the superstitions began.

However, the one thing that both the Driscoll's and the common people could agree upon was that Verena was meant for a greater purpose. Her birth was too unusual, too special, to be meant for nothing.

The first time that Verena's parents got an inkling of how special she truly was, was shortly after Verena's fifth name day. The morning had began with nothing out of the ordinary. Lord Devron had decided to surprise his family and take them on an outing to spend the day together.

While Alira and Devron sat together on a blanket that protected them from the frost covered ground, the children had spent the entire morning playing games, and sparing near the frozen bank of a small pond. Since Maxir was ten and five and and Connin ten and two, they had been granted read swords to practice with while Reuben and Everean had been limited to blunt swords. Little Verena had even found her own entertainment having found what she deemed the perfect stick, and spent her time using it to poke at her brothers while they sparred with each other.

After awhile, Verena grew tired of terrorizing her older brothers and tossed her stick in the water. As the stick splashed into the water, Verena giggled at the noise it made and the pretty ripples it left behind.  Bundled up tightly with nothing visible other than her round face, Verena decided to investigate. She now turned her attention toward the sparkling ice that covered the surface of the pond and started toward it. Stepping carefully onto the ice, Verena made her way over toward the edge of the frozen sheets and peered into the water where her stick and sunk below the surface only moments before.

While lost in their own worlds, neither Verena's parents or brothers had noticed that she had already taken many steps onto the thinly sheeted ice until they heard the first crack. Pulling away from their own conversations each of Verena's family members whipped their heads toward the loud noise and gaped in horror as they noticed it's source.

"Ren, sweetheart" Devron called out to his young daughter as he carefully came toward the frozen waters edge. "I need you to listen very carefully, can you please do that for me?"

Turning her attention away from where her stick floated in the water, Verena now gave all of her attention to her father and nodded her head. "I need you to stay very still, I'm coming to get you."

Devron was no more than ten feet out on the ice when he heard the faint sound of cracking beneath him, and knew that there was no way that he could make his way out to Verena without sending both of them crashing into the freezing water below. "Okay Ren, we have a change in plan. I need you to come to me now, very slowly, and very carefully." Devron said looking up from the cracking ice and toward his daughter who was still twenty feet further from where he stood.

Verena slowly rose up onto her knees and then onto one foot at a time until she was fully standing. Looking back to where her father stood, with her mother and brothers behind him, Verena noticed for the first time the worrying looks on everyone's faces.

As Verena went to take her first steps toward the shore line, her mother called out to her, "careful Verena, one step at a time." Verena cocked her head in confusion, not understanding the severity of the situation. "Okay Mommy, I'll be careful, I promise."

As Verena's family watched her from the shoreline, not a single sound could be heard. Not even their breathing. At that moment, the entire world seemed to come to a complete stand till. And then everything kicked into overdrive as Verena's foot broke through the ice, and she disappeared underneath the water.