There was a loud bang as if someone had slammed an object onto a table. The noise was alarming enough to stop Viserra in the doorway and make her take a good look around at everything around.
She counted seven heads off silver in that room, amongst several others who did not share the same Valyrian features. A man standing at the far end of the table looked no older than she was and he seemed to hold everyone's attention. He held a cup in his hand as if to raise a toast and the tension in the air was quite palpable. And the only one who seemed to notice that they had entered the room was him.
"Final tribute. To the health of my nephews, Jace...Luke...and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise..." He darted his piercing eye towards her at the door, holding it there for a second before bringing it back to the others, "Strong."
The eyepatch gave away his identity. Viserra knew of only one Targaryen who had lost an eye many years ago, and the odds were slim that he was anyone other than the King's second born son. But instead of ruminating on her thoughts, she continued to watch the events unfold in front of them.
"Come! Let us drain our cups to these three strong boys."
Another standing lad puffed out his chest, obviously offended by the comment. "I dare you to say that again."
"Why?" The one eyed prince scoffed, turning towards him. His face fell back into the same cold expression he wore only moments before. "It was only a compliment. Do you not think yourself strong?" Both men stepped towards one another and suddenly the one with the darker hair swung at his offender.
Commotion erupted as soon as the first strike had landed, the others now getting up from the table. Some were adding to the chaos but most of them tried to deescalate it. Viserra kept her eye on the prince. To her surprise, he was so unbothered by the punch that he hadn't even spilt his wine. She recognized a familiar fire in his eye as he then pushed the brunette to the floor. Oddly enough, he seemed the only one amused by the events transpiring here, a wicked smile plastered on his face.
There is no doubting it now, she thought, it is indeed Aemond One Eye.
A plain woman cornered Aemond to scold him for his behavior but Viserra's attention turned to her right as the two other lads were attempting to get to him. Her eyebrows raised as she watched the guards diligently holding them back, their anger was seething and it was obvious that such seemingly innocent words held significant disrespect.
"I was merely expressing how proud I am of my family, Mother. Though it seems my nephews aren't quite as proud as theirs." Aemond roughly ripped his arm away from his mother and turned back towards the two held by the guards.
An older silver haired man who had been quiet until now, suddenly stepped between the feuding pair. With only his finger raised carrying an intimidating energy, he called off the lad behind him. Another Targaryen woman stood next to him nervously but sternly commanded the group to head to their chambers. With scowls on their faces, each of the younger ones listend without further argument.
Viserra could feel their questioning eyes on her as they walked past her in the doorway, but right now she didn't pay them any attention. She was too caught up in the interactions between everyone else in the rest of the room.
The energy that radiated from this older silver haired man was intoxicating. It was the type of power that people only dreamed of having when they walked into a room. He had turned towards Aemond wearing an expression that seemed to dare him to try to make another move like he just had.
Billowing like a plume of smoke, the tension between the two continued to grow for another few seconds. Neither of them had their hands on their weapons, but the threat of violence that loomed in the air felt like it would snap at any second. The man she suspected to be Aemond finally broke the gaze and stalked out of the room, coming only inches from brushing against her but not acknowledging her presence this time.
Turning on his heels to follow, the older Targaryen man seemed to notice Viserra for the first time. She locked eyes with him as he walked by, pausing momentarily before her before leaving down the hallway. There was a hint of curiosity and suspicion in his eyes as he noticed the silver braid sticking out of the hood.
It was Otto's whispered voice who broke her concentration, his arm lightly touching hers as he spoke. "I am sorry for that, Lady Viserra, this family is constantly in a state of battling egos."
She didn't look towards him, instead focusing on two of the women quietly holding arms and conversing in front of her. There had been talk of the Targaryen household being quietly divided and this display of tension seemed to reinforce those whispers.
The red haired woman broke apart from the other, who hung her head and exited the room quickly and with purpose. Her wide eyes were nervous and she looked around for a moment before finding Otto's gaze, suddenly focusing on Viserra. The look of concern spread over her face as if to wonder how much Viserra had seen.
"Gods be good, the timing of this could not have been any worse," she lamented, approaching them both, "Lady Viserra, it is good to have you here. I am sorry you had to witness that. I am Queen Alicent, wife to your father's cousin, King Viserys."
It had not occurred to her that this nervous woman would be the Queen, but upon hearing the words Viserra uncovered her head, bowed, and addressed her with her proper title, "Your Grace, no apologies are needed, all families have feuds and some happen at more inconvenient times than others. I understand."
The Queen let out a small sigh, "It seems as though supper has been disrupted, but I would like to sit with you and get to know you a little bit better. I am sure there are many questions that you have as well." She motioned to one of the chairs and ushered her in that direction.
Before Viserra could reach the table, two of the other Targaryens walked towards her, both curious and wanting to know who their new guest was. The one girl looked about her age, but instead of straight hair like Viserra had, her beautiful hair was thick and in waves down her back. The young man also had scraggly waves, but his cut had been much shorter, stopping right at his chin.
"Viserra!" The girl exclaimed, lightly pushing past her mother and taking Viserra's hands into her own. "I am Helaena."
The friendliness was not something she had expected or really even cared for, but this girl radiated nothing but honest and honorable kindness, to pull away from her would be disrespectful and rude. She was able to give her a smile and a nod back, returning the gesture in her own way.
" Princess Helaena." Otto corrected, interrupting their greeting.
"Simply Helaena will do, Viserra and I will be getting to know each other very well in the next few weeks." Her smile was innocent and seemingly full of good intention.
Viserra couldn't help but wonder how much this girl knew about her. Helaena's friendliness made her feel like they had already known each other from somewhere before.
It was the other Targaryen's turn to come join the conversation, he swayed over with a crooked smile on his face. The man was clearly deep in his cups, but she wasn't to blame him after watching his family almost tear each other apart. Even without the process of elimination, it was obvious that this one must have been Aegon.
He cleared his throat and leaned on the chair that she was about to sit on. "Gods, when I heard we were going to have a pit fighter come stay with us for a while, I thought she'd be some broad shouldered, bull of a woman," he laughed at his own words and looked her up and down, pausing only to study the way of her curves. "I am Aegon, pleased to meet such a delightful surprise as an addition to our keep."
She kept her cool despite his disrespectful gaze, pursing her lips and nodding to him as well. She studied his face and sternly looked into his eyes, trying to relay that she was not the one to be jesting with. It took a few moments, but he seemed to understand and his smile slowly left his face. Though he still had enough drunken confidence to continue to stare right back at her.
"She actually reminds me of Aemond, don't you think? Can't take a jest, tense, gaunt at the waist." Aegon did not hesitate to see how far he could push her, though she wasn't sure if it was intentional or just his nature. The image of the other chaotic brother flooded her mind, she wouldn't disagree that they might have similar dispositions.
It was the Queen who interfered this time, "That is enough Aegon. She is our guest and we will be treating her as such." She turned to Viserra and motioned to the chair again, this time sitting down next to it and awaiting her to follow. Next to her, Helaena brushed Aegon aside and sat down with a curious energy.
"I hear you have a dragon like us! I would love to take them to the sky together sometime, my brothers seldom ride with me anymore. You could tell me all about the Free Cities and what it's like to live so close to where our ancestors came from." Helaena's enthusiasm to spend time with her was confusing as she had not really had any friends growing up that weren't training with the sword or heavy in their studies.
This girl seemed like such a free spirit and she honestly wasn't quite sure what to make of it. What had she seen in her? A stranger from across the Narrow Sea dressed in leathers and stinking of dragon. She didn't seem like the type that a castle raised princess would associate herself with. But maybe this was how those with the blood of the dragon sought each other out. Maybe simply her blood would bring them a bond that Viserra had imagined was possible only between dragons.
"My dear Helaena, Viserra will have plenty of time to talk with you on the morrow. She looks hungry and tired this evening, maybe it is best we save all of the conversations for later and focus on letting her rest from her travels." The Queen seemed to have kind and maternal characteristics, something she was not really familiar with yet did not feel opposed to. Helaena nodded and got back up from the table, taking Aegon by the arm and walking him out the dining hall as well.
"Indeed. I could use a meal and cup of wine before settling in for the night. Tomorrow I shall be better company and we can speak of the logistics of my stay here with you. I would enjoy speaking with the King as well." Viserra spoke with confidence and authority. Part of her was curious as to why the King had not been at the dinner, might he also had been lost in his cups just as his eldest child was?
Otto raised his eyebrows at this comment and nodded to her, "Yes, we will be happy to answer any questions you have for us. As for your accommodations, I hope they will be of your liking. We will have a chambermaid assigned to you and seeing as you packed lightly, the Queen will send her seamstress to get your measurements tomorrow afternoon if you are needing more dresses."
There it was, the cloying man hinting that she should be wearing dresses here in the Keep and not a pair of tunic and pants. Viserra had nothing against dresses, in fact she liked to be donned in the most beautiful gowns when it suited her needs. However, if she were to be utilized here for her skill and dragon, dresses were not really going to cut it when fighting or riding.
Out of respect she smiled at him and uttered a quiet thank you, focusing her attention on the dinner table. There was plenty of leftover food in front of her, clearly dinner had not been even halfway through when the familial contention took place. She took her time eating in silence and managed to drink a full glass of wine by the end of her meal. The Queen and the Hand conversed softly amongst themselves while waiting for her to finish. She poured another cup while getting up and the duo followed her in standing.
"My dear, I would love to show you to the guest chambers. I will have the chambermaid draw you a bath and the wardrobe there has several dresses if you need any, hopefully I have sized you up appropriately." The Queen motioned for her to follow and Viserra grabbed the cup of wine before catching up to her steps. "Please let me know if anything is amiss or if there is anything I can do to make you feel more at home."
There was a certain level of hospitality that would be expected of a host, but it had started to feel as if it was overcompensation for something else. The words of her father rang in her head, telling her not to trust anyone. The Queen seemed nice enough, but Viserra knew that she did not know her well enough to make that call. Not to mention the dislike she had for the Hand already, he made her skin crawl with his constant observing and sly smile always pasted on his face.
The walk to the guest chambers was not a long one, there were a few longer hallways and one set of stairs. The Queen had stopped to show her a large room full of books, just a short distance away from where she would be staying.
"I do not know if you enjoy reading in your free time, but we have quite the collection of books here in our library. There is information on almost any subject you can think of. You are welcome to it all... especially if you are seeking out the recent histories of our family." The Queen did not take her inside the library, but continued on to the chambers. "You will have a guard outside your room at all hours, so please know that you may sleep easy," she informed her, gesturing to the guard standing motionless outside the chamber doors. He instinctively swung the doors open to welcome them inside.
The guest chambers were nicer than she expected after seeing some of the other parts of the Keep. There stood a wooden canopy bed, dark fabrics hanging with the purpose of keeping its occupant shielded from the morning's light. She then noticed a beautiful set of furs that lay in front of a large, crackling fireplace, a long upholstered couch and matching armchair sitting angled towards the fire. There also stood a finely chiseled table in between the two furniture pieces.
Viserra took in the beautiful room, the decorations were nothing like she was used to at home, but the deep and dark coloring of the room was absolutely to her liking. Heading back in further, there were doors leading to a balcony and to the side, another small room. A small copper tub sat in the smaller area, along with a sitting chair and a few other items.
"Thank you, Your Grace. This is more than sufficient for me. I appreciate your hospitality," she bowed towards the Queen and gave her a smile, hoping she would accept it as a farewell for the night.
"If you should need anything, send your chambermaid out with your request," she smiled at her and walked back out of the room.
It was only a moment until the chambermaid entered the room with a large bucket of steaming water. She paused to give her a curtsy then brushed right past her. Viserra meandered over to the wardrobe where she saw her packs had been delivered. The scenario seemed familiar. Last night as she was waiting for her bath to be filled, she was packing to leave, but tonight she would be taking out her belongings and placing them where she saw fit. The wood of the wardrobe also was decorated with beautiful carvings all along its edges. The room itself had many fine details in its items, many including inscriptions of dragons.
"Lady Viserra?" The timid chambermaid asked, approaching her while she was deep in thought and memorizing her surroundings, "Your bath is ready."
Answering with a smile, Viserra turned towards the girl and spoke to her, "What is your name?"
"Elia, M'lady," she squeaked, seeming wary of making eye contact.
Viserra smiled at the response, trying to catch her eye with a kind voice, "What a beautiful name, I do appreciate you drawing my bath. Afterwards, I would like to walk around the Keep a bit and wouldn't mind another cup of wine. If you would bring me some more."
The girl quickly nodded and left to fetch another decanter of wine.
The sword on Viserra's hip and the dagger on her thigh were the first items she took off of her body, setting them near the tub. She then slowly disrobed her boots and riding leathers, peeling the fabric off of her skin and seeing she was a lot dirtier than she had previously realized. The bath seemed to have a faint floral scent, but she brought in her own small vial of oils to pour into the hot water. It would be nice to soak in water that smelled of the familiarity of home. Slowly stepping into the water and lowering herself up to her chin, she felt the heat slow her heart rate and breathing simultaneously.
Sometimes she liked to imagine the scalding water as if she were sitting in embers, the same way dragons eggs were kept while awaiting hatching. Her chambers were eerily quiet, but the silence only contributed to the calm that she felt immersed in the bath. Slowly she scrubbed at her body, removing the sweat, dirt, and smell of dragon from her skin. Soaking then massaging the sweat out of her hair was the last thing to do before she would get out. While deeply relaxed, Viserra kept her senses alert, so when she felt the presence of the chambermaid behind her, she knew it was time to get out.
"Do you have a cloth to dry off with?" Viserra said without looking behind her and the girl scrambled to her side holding a large blanket. The uneasiness of her behavior was irritating to some extent. "You do not have to worry about me mistreating you, if that is something that troubles you." She looked into Elia's big brown eyes that stared back with obvious apprehension, "I promise."
Viserra then stood out of the water and reached for the blanket. Elia's gaze went down to the massive scar on her stomach and her eyes grew even wider. Her body frightened even the chambermaid who worked in a castle filled with the chaos she had witnessed at dinner. Pursing her lips, she snatched it out of her hands and wrapped it around her body.
"I left a gray dress on the bed, would you please fetch it for me?" She asked.
Moving quickly this time she toweled herself off and waited for Elia to bring the clothing. Grabbing the dress and sliding it over her head, she turned so the girl could help with the laces. The silk fabric of the dress slipping over her head felt cool and sent chills over Viserra's warm body. She was already missing the heat of the bath.
Reaching just for the dagger, she tied it to her thigh and decided that she would leave the sword there in the room. The burning stare of the young chambermaid was noted in Viserra's peripheral vision, "Would you not rather serve someone capable of defending you in a castle like? Not as a usual damsel who would cower from danger if it made its way into this chamber?" There wasn't threatening intent behind her words, but Elia's nervous nod left Viserra thinking that someone had traumatized this poor girl before.
The decanter of wine sat on the small table in between the sofa and armchair. She poured herself another cup and walked to the chamber doors. The guard that had been promised to stand outside was indeed still there. Once she had stepped outside, she took a look around noting the details of her current location. Usually good with direction and details she wasn't too worried about losing her way. There were many similarly looking hallways and areas of the Keep but the corridors seemed pretty straight forward.
To the library, she thought to herself walking slowly down the hall, listening to the echoes that her own shoes made on the cold stone floor.
Around the corner and down the next hallway the large doors that lead to the Keep's library remained shut. There stood no guards outside the entrance so she opened the doors and let her eyes adjust to the slightly darker room. Straight back to the wall were a few sets of large shutters that had closed out any moonlight that might have illuminated the area. She walked to them and started opening them one by one, pleased with the amount of light that had been let in. The library was larger from the inside than it originally appeared. There were many free standing shelves lined with books and the walls also held built in areas of storage.
Breathing deeply to smell the leather binds of the books and their papers, she was suddenly aware of another presence near her. The energy did not seem welcoming and Viserra's hand instinctively came to rest above the dagger that lay hidden under her skirts. She looked around and took a few steps towards the left of the room, noticing an array of arm chairs placed along the wall.
Her eyes suddenly met the intense gaze of the one eyed prince from dinner. He was facing her, leaning back with one leg crossed and a closed book resting on his lap. At that moment, she realized this interaction might not be as friendly as the others earlier on. Holding her own unwavering and unamused expression, Viserra decided she would not willingly back down from his attempt to intimidate her. After all, she too was cut from the same Valyrian cloth.