For days, all Visaera saw were the walls of that room, and they began to close in around her, suffocating her. When she felt well enough, she forced herself up out of the bed and stood at the window, the pleasant weather mocking her with cloudless skies and birdsong.
The princess wasn't sure if Aemond had spoken to his brother about her plan; if he had, he never told her. Helaena visited her twice, but a distance had grown between them since Daeron's death, as well. Her aunt had been rambling on about her mother and news of Rhaenyra and the thought that Daemon might attack. Visaera hoped it wouldn't come to that, but her father was ruthless when he wanted to be. She wasn't sure she could trust either of her parents to honor a truce with the greens. She wasn't sure she could trust anyone anymore...
Visaera wasn't sure if it had been days or weeks since her request was made to Aemond, but she lay tossing and turning beneath the sheets, struggling to relax. A stream of doubt and horrid thoughts flowed through her mind and she found herself slowly pacing in the dark; gnawing at her cuticles.
They're going to kill me. That's why Aegon and Aemond won't visit me... Mother is going to attack King's Landing and they're going to kill me. Aegon is the King... He had the corridors cleared of Kingsguard. He wants me dead... Aemond will never stand up for me, not against his family...
On and on, the horrid thoughts flowed as she chewed her fingers bloody, trying to find a solution that the Greens might agree to let her take to her mother. When she ran out of skin around her nails, she began to pick and the ends of her hair, muttering to herself. Alicent's cries from the previous afternoon echoed in her mind and she glanced at the door, terrified that the Dowager Queen would storm in at any given moment, knife in hand. She remembered how easily Alicent had wielded the king's blade on Driftmark.
Terror coursed through her when the door finally did open and she scrambled back across the room.
"You're awake..." Aegon sounded shocked to find her standing in the middle of the chambers during the hour of the wolf.
"Yes," she breathed, staring at him wide-eyed, wondering what in the seven hells he was doing there. Was he planning to end her life while she was asleep? The thought horrified her and she began to tremble, backing away until she hit the stone wall behind her. Aegon merely stared at her in silence, an odd look on his face.
When he stepped toward her and she let out a strangled sob, pressing herself to the wall, and squeezing her eyes shut. Her uncle paused, a look of resignation written in his expression. Without another word, he shook his head and backed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
With her arms wrapped around her chest, Visaera sank to the ground, a whimper of relief falling from her lips. The sudden appearance of Aegon reminded her that no matter how many times Aemond assured her he could protect her, she would never be safe... She was huddled on the floor, rocking herself back and forth when the door opened a second time.
"Vis?" The sounds of Aemond's voice should have given her comfort, but she realized she couldn't trust him either. She couldn't trust anybody; not even herself. "Visaera?" Aemond spotted her on the floor and hurried toward her and she panicked and scrambled into the corner, trying to get away from him. Feeling like a caged animal, her eyes darted around the room, settling on the open door behind him. Freedom...
"Visaera, calm down, darling..." he murmured, taking another step toward her. Suddenly, his calm demeanor reminded her of his little brother. With a terrified shriek, she darted across the room for the door, Aemond breathing out a soft "Fuck," behind her.
The prince caught her around the waist, just outside the door and Visaera let out a scream as she battled against him.
"Visaera, stop it! It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you!" Tears were streaming down her face and her lungs were closing as she fought to get away from him, knowing he could kill her at any given moment. "Visaera, please stop!" he pleaded exasperatedly. Her eyes caught sight of a flash of silver and she focused on it, her sight settling on Aegon at the end of the corridor, watching the altercation with wide eyes.
"No! No! No!" she screamed, clawing at Aemond's arms until he finally released her. Then she was tearing down the corridor, her bare feet slapping against the cool stone.
"Visaera!" the prince shouted.
"Where are you going, princess?" Criston Cole asked, catching her around the shoulders and knocking the air from her chest just before she reached the bottom of the great staircase. Screaming, Visaera scratched at him, hitting only armor as he held her firmly in place.
"I will take her, Ser Criston," Aemond breathed out, scooping her out of the knight's arms. "Send for the maester." He commanded, carrying her back up the stairs as if she were little more than a straw doll. "Stop it!" he hissed, gripping her when she fought against him. "I can't keep fucking doing this, Visaera." Aemond sighed as he carried her back into the room. Her throat had gone sore from screaming and she finally sagged in his arms.
"So, kill me then, be done with it," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "Just don't let it hurt, I'm begging you, Aemond, please..."
Aemond looked at her like she had gone mad and let out a desperate sigh.
"Sometimes, I think it would be easier that way, princess..." he muttered, planting her on the bed. Anticipating the possibility of her running again, Aemond gripped the shoulder of her dress and held her still until the maester arrived, carrying a glass vial in his hand. He handed it to the prince and then left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Drink, Visaera," he ordered, holding the vial out to her. With shaking fingers, she plucked the vial from his hand and stared at it.
"It's not going to hurt—" Aemond snorted derisively.
"It's a fucking sleeping draught, Vis. Just drink it." Visaera realized she didn't have a choice in the matter and raised the vial to her lips, accepting the fact that she might be taking her last breath. "You're going to be the fucking death of me, Vis..." he muttered, sitting on the end of the bed.
Visaera waited for the pain, for something to happen. When nothing did, she sat back against the pillows wondering just how long poisons take to work. Her eyelids grew heavy and her breathing steadied out, and Aemond tore the covers from beneath her and pulled them up over her. "You're fucking mad, Vis," he muttered, kissing her damp forehead just before she drifted off to sleep.
Ears straining, Visaera shot up in the bed, swearing that she had heard the ringing of steel in the distance. The light that was peaking through the curtains told her it was just after dawn and most of the castle would still be asleep. Her head was swimming from the drink Aemond had given her and she had to remind herself she must have been dreaming. Then the door flew open and Aemond closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
"Visaera, sweetheart, I need you to come with me, right now, alright?" The familiar feeling of terror coursed through her and then Aemond lifted her chin and looked her in the eye. "I promise I will keep you safe, darling, but you need to come with me now. Can you walk?" She nodded and rose from the bed, but the moment she stood, the room spun. "Fuck... The tonic I gave you. Alright, come on..."
Aemond scooped her up behind her knees and beneath her arms, carrying her from the room. Again, the distant sound of sword-fight met her ears as she pressed her face against Aemond's chest as panic rose in her own.
"What is happening?" she whispered, terrified to think of what she would find if she observed her surroundings. Then a great roar sounded through the keep and Visaera's heart dropped into her stomach.
"Your mother is here," Aemond answered softly. It wasn't his answer that surprised her, it was the fact that her uncle seemed completely undisturbed by what was happening.
"I don't understand..." Visaera replied, completely bewildered.
"I told you I would keep you safe; that's what I'm doing," he answered, taking the stairs two at a time and carrying her into the throne room. In front of the Iron Throne, he set her on the steps and knelt down in front of her. "I need to get my brother and sister. Please stay here..." She had never heard his voice so soft before as he pleaded and she nodded. As he shut the doors, Visaera heard the outer bar drop and she prayed she wasn't being involved in some kind of trick.
Kicking her feet and anxiously chewing on her nails, Visaera listened to the sound of fighting and screams growing louder, beginning to echo through the corridors, clearing the sleep-induced fog from her mind. A relieved sigh fell from her lips when Aemond pushed the doors open, Helaena at his side; Aegon trailing closely behind them. The foursome sat on the stairs in silence as fighting continued and screaming could be heard through the keep.
"In here, your grace," Ser Criston offered, leading Alicent and Otto into the throne room with Ser Arryk and a few other guard members only a few paces behind them. "Your children are here." Alicent's eyes narrowed and her lip curls back. One of the knights stopped to cut down a man, leaving a trail of blood outside the doors.
"I don't want her here!" the Dowager Queen screeched.
"I do," Aemond insisted, stepping in front of her.
"Leave her be, Alicent." Otto interjected, "We may need her if we are to make it out of this with our lives." Ser Arryk and two other guards backed into the throne room and closed the doors, dropping the bar into place. Aemond's hand reached for Visaera's squeezing it reassuringly, but his eye remained trained on the door.
The Dowager Queen clung to her daughter, running her hands over Helaena's silver hair and frantically whispering assurances. Even with the prince's hand on hers, Visaera was trembling, excited at the prospect of seeing her family but terrified that they might see her as one of the Greens and even more terrified at the thought that her mother might kill all of them, regardless.
Slowly, Visaera rose from the steps, dropping Aemond's hand and stepping toward the wide-double doors.
"Visaera, don't," Otto ordered. For the first time in her entire life, she noticed that he looked afraid.
"You think that wooden bar is going to stop them?" she asked softly, glancing at the doors. "You chose your side, Otto, that day on Dragonstone, do you remember?" She took another step toward the door but Ser Criston blocked her path, his hand on the pommel of his sword. Aemond was at her side immediately, glaring at Ser Criston threateningly. The prince took hold of her arm and gently pulled her back toward the stairs.
"Just let this play out, my sweet," he whispered in her ear. The throne room was silent as the sound of fighting continued on for nearly an hour while Visaera worried her skin raw.
"With me!" The sound of Daemon's voice had her on her feet and Aemond had to wrap his arms around her to keep her still. When the banging began against the doors, Alicent began to cry, the reality of her predicament beginning to sink in.
The sound echoed loudly off the walls and Otto reached for his daughter and granddaughter while Aegon sat in silent resignation. Once the doors burst open, Aemond released her and she flew across the room, landing in Daemon's blood-soaked arms.
"I'm here," he breathed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I'm here, my love." At the sound of his words, Visaera broke, crumpling to pieces in his arms and sobbing. "It's going to be alright," he assured her. The Rogue Prince kissed her on the forehead as he stepped further into the throne room and then, to her surprise and confusion, pushed her back into Aemond's arms.
"Aemond!" Alicent gasped, her hands flying up over her mouth. At the Dowager Queen's reaction, the pieces suddenly came together in Visaera's brain and she looked up at her uncle in shock. The sound of steel reverberating through the room pulled her attention and she found Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk already mid-contest.
Visaera's hands flew up to cover a sob as Arryk shoved his sword into his brother's neck, just as Erryk pierced his twin just beneath his armor, his sword entering Arryk's gut. The memory of how easily the dagger had slid into Daeron's skin resurfaced and Visaera nearly fainted at the sight.
Daemon merely watched the scene unfold as if he was observing a minstrel show, arms folded over his chest in amusement. Criston Cole already had his sword drawn and stood protectively in front of Alicent and her father. When he shifted toward the Rogue Prince, a feral grin stretched across Daemon's face and he unsheathed Dark Sister with eagerness.
It happened in a matter of seconds, but to Visaera, those seconds stretched on for an eternity. Just as Ser Criston took position, Aemond released her waist, pulled the dagger from his side, and plunged it into the unprotected area beneath the armpit of Cole's armor.
"I swore that I would be the one to end you the moment you struck my betrothed." Aemond whispered in Cole's ear, recalling Visaera's split lip the morning before the coronation.
Anyone who hadn't been paying attention would have been confused. As he let out a single groan, the knight fell to his knees, his lung filled with blood, and coughed. Visaera watched the blood spray from his mouth, the same way her uncle's had, and took a step back. In the next second, Daemon reached for Otto Hightower.
None of that mattered as Visaera's eyes met hazel ones, only a few feet away, that were burning with hatred. Alicent lunged at her with a scream and all hell broke loose around them as the pair fell to the floor.
"You killed my son, you fucking whore!" she snarled, wrapping her hands around Visaera's throat. The princess battled against her, but Alicent had the advantage, gripping her head and slamming it back into the stone floor. Visaera's vision swam as her head exploded with pain, but she continued to fight as Aemond gripped his mother by the throat and wrenched her backward.
"Alicent..." The last thing Visaera saw as her vision began to fade was her mother shoving a blade through Alicent Hightower's chest...