Viserra wasn't sure where her dragon had been nesting, even though she could feel him nearby. After changing her clothes and receiving the small pack of food, she ventured past the yard and out of the keep. The guards who opened the gate this morning were the same ones that had been there the other day. This time though, they did not give her a second glance, at least not one that she noticed.
She looked over the skies for Rhyn and did not have to wait long, her dragon knew that she was searching for him. The unmistakable deep growl and flapping of wings soon announced that he was there as he landed next to her.
"Emagon ao issare jurnegēre rȳ se tegor kesīr? Daor quba syt lī qilōni glaesagon kesīr?" Have you been exploring the lands here? Hopefully not causing too much trouble for farmers and terrorizing their animals. She leaned into his snout and rubbed the spot in between his eyes, "Ivestragī īlva jikagon hen se ūndegon hēnkirī. Urnēptre nyke skoros ao ūndegīon." Let us go out and explore together. Show me what you've found.
After climbing up onto her dragon's saddle, she strapped herself in and they took to the skies. They were soon flying outside of the walls of King's Landing and further into the lands, soaring over the small villages that lay outside of the main city.
They flew for more than an hour, only stopping when Viserra's stomach started to growl. The break in their exploration was welcomed by both, finding a grassy hillside to land and lay on for a while before taking her mount into the skies again.
Viserra felt at peace in the sky with her dragon, finally some time spent without tension or watchful eyes. They flew up past the clouds where there was only peace and quiet, a place that only dragonriders knew.
As they soared through the calm air, Viserra thought she would continue her ride standing atop Rhyn's back. This was something she did often when flying alone and in good weather. Without another thought, she tied the reins to the horn of her saddle and started unbuckling her legs.
"Gīda, Rhyn." Steady, Rhyn. She encouraged, waiting for confirmation that her dragon was listening and they were in tune with each other. He spread his wings wide and held steady in the air while she moved to crouch on her seat.
Slowly, she raised herself to standing, holding her arms out to her sides and taking in a deep breath. Laughing as the feeling of adrenaline started to pump through her veins, she found the exhilaration almost took her breath away. The stunt came in handy when she felt the need to escape from life down on the land.
There was nothing to match the feeling of the bond between dragon and rider, especially when they were both in sync with each other. It didn't matter where she was, who she had been with, only that she was soaring in the skies at the mercy of her dragon's respect to keep her safe in the air.
Completely focused on Rhyn's steady gliding and balancing against the wind, she didn't notice a huge dark shadow coming through the break of the clouds hundreds of yards behind her. It was the sudden tensing of the dragon beneath her feet that cued her in that something as amiss.
Crouching down again, she finally noticed the intrusion. It was a huge beast of greenish bronze. Despite its size, it didn't have any trouble gliding smoothly through the air like they did.
"Lykirī." Be calm. She encouraged him, sensing his growing uneasiness with the presence of another dragon. Quickly she sat back in her saddle and strapped herself in, unsure of how Rhyn would react and also worried about the other dragonrider's intentions. "Ilagon." Dive. She commanded, lowering herself to be flush with him as he pulled his wings inward and took a sharp descent through the clouds.
As soon as her dragon broke through the sky, he let out a screech and suddenly jerked them to the right as if avoiding something. It took Viserra a moment to get her bearings and realize that there had been another dragon beneath the clouds that they had almost ran into.
This dragon was a magnificent blue and white, having many spikes along its back and tail. She recognized the rider immediately, it was Helaena, who herself did not look surprised in the least to see her there. A small wave of guilt washed over Viserra as she laid eyes on the woman before her, thinking back to her choice of activities that morning.
"Lykirī, kessi daor ōdrikagon īlva." Be calm, Rhyn. They will not harm us. She comforted him and gave him a few taps to his side. The nervous dragon needed the extra reassurance having never been confronted by anything or anyone else while flying.
Helaena reached her arm out to her with a smile, as if reassuring her that their interaction was indeed friendly. Viserra smiled back, still holding tight to her nervous dragon's reigns.
The large dragon that had met her above the clouds earlier, descended down to their right. Now that they were side by side, she realized it was at least double the size of Rhyn. It had to be Vhagar. The rider she recognized right away as well.
Rhyn snorted and took it upon himself to dive further down and away from the large dragon, coming up on Dreamfyre's left.
"Hey!" Viserra irritatedly called to her dragon, watching as Dreamfyre synced her flight up with theirs.
She looked over at Aemond, his expression unreadable, almost irritated, but watching her nonetheless. They were the ones who intruded her flight, she thought, there was no reason for him to be annoyed.
Shaking off her own irritability from both her dragon that was calling his own shots and the man across the way that somehow got under her skin, she looked towards Helaena and decided she would enjoy this moment in the sky.
"I have never flown with someone!" Viserra shouted, hoping that Helaena would be able to hear her.
Helaena beckoned her with her hand, "Follow us!" She shouted back.
Dreamfyre suddenly flew ahead of them and Viserra urged Rhyn to follow.
Feeling his rider's confidence and sensing no harm from the other dragon, Rhyn followed, both of them picking up speed and circling around each other as they flew. She looked back to see that Vhagar and her rider continued their steady flight behind them as well.
Viserra felt like this was where she belonged, here in the sky with other dragons and their riders. Again, the fire raging in her chest felt like it was trying to reach out to Helaena. In that moment she truly began to believe that it had something to do with their Valyrian blood.
They flew for a while longer, weaving their dragons around each other and taking themselves above the clouds several times. The sun was starting to descend along the horizon and Viserra followed Helaena's lead back down into the city.
She would dismount with them but would not house her dragon in the pit as they did. Her dragon had never been chained down nor had he ever been contained. The arena they flew all three dragons down into was a massive structure atop a hill. It was built like a giant colosseum, a sight to behold in itself.
Several men wielding wooden staphs surrounded the dragons and Viserra felt Rhyn's uneasiness and agitation suddenly return.
"Gaomagon daor zūgagon, kesā sōvegon qrīdrughagon hen kesīr hae aderī hae nyke jiōragon hen." Do not worry, you will fly away from here as soon as I dismount. She spoke to her dragon, reassuring him that she would not be turning him over to these strangers. After patting his neck, she untied herself from the saddle and climbed down his back.
But before she could dismiss him herself, Rhyn took to the skies immediately, almost knocking her over with the sudden gust from his wings. She watched him fly from there, brows furrowed and slightly irritated at almost being knocked to the ground. The men around the pit area seemed to control the other two dragons with their Valyrian words and a degree of caution.
Helaena walked up to her after dismounting as well. "You do not want him to stay here with Dreamfyre and Vhagar? He would be well fed and taken care of. There are many caves beneath the floor here where he could rest until you ride next."
Viserra shook her head, "He has never been housed in anything but the caves he has chosen himself. But thank you for the generous offer." She looked to Aemond's dragon, feeling sad for the large creature that would be stuck underground in a space much too small for such a great beast.
As if he knew she was judging him for his decision to bring his dragon here, Aemond walked up to the girls, watching intently as Viserra stared at Vhagar.
"She does not mind. She is old and sleeps most of the time when she is not being ridden," he spoke.
Viserra turned her attention from his dragon to him, "I see," she replied, still not convinced that Vhagar would be happier there than in the hills on her own.
The three walked out of the Dragonpit towards a wheelhouse that had most likely been waiting for Aemond and Helaena's return.
"It should be time for supper when we return to the Keep." Helaena informed them. Viserra began to wonder how much of their days focused on mealtimes.
They sat quietly for a few moments once the wheelhouse started its way back to the castle. It was Helaena who spoke and broke the silence once again, "I do not get to ride Dreamfyre as much as I wished. Since the children were born, I spend so much of my time with them. It was really lovely to fly out there with you today, Viserra." She smiled warmly at her, the guilt started to come back up into Viserra's stomach.
"I enjoyed it as well. I have never flown with another and it was certainly something I had ever experienced before. Flying for me is usually something I do to get away from everyone else...but today it felt as if I belonged up there in the skies with you." Viserra thought maybe it was the guilt that made her tell Helaena how she had honestly felt up there with her in the skies.
She looked at Aemond, who watched them both in silence. His posture stiff and his unreadable expression still ever present.
"Will you be joining us for supper tonight?" Helaena turned to Aemond who quickly looked between both of the girls.
It took him a few seconds to formulate his reply, "If you would like me to join you, dear sister. I can manage it."
Viserra furrowed her brows at him, trying to decipher his strange behavior. Something within her wanted to figure him out, see what he was hiding beneath that cold expression and exterior. She had seen a glimpse of it when they had sparred in the training yard but now she wanted to discover it all again.
The rest of the ride was quiet except for the noises of the wheelhouse rolling along the stone roads. Helaena had rested her head back and closed her eyes, Aemond took to staring out the window, and Viserra looked over his shoulder trying to catch glimpses of the scenery they were passing.
Once the wheelhouse pulled up to the keep, Aemond was the first to exit. Helaena followed, offering her hand to Viserra and the girls went to the door.
To Viserra's surprise, Aemond had offered his own hand to both Helaena and herself as they climbed down the steps to the ground. She took it with caution, feeling as if the motion was forced. He did not meet her eyes when she studied him, he simply stared in the direction they were to be heading.
To only further her confusion, after she had descended the steps, he held his arm out as if to offer it for her as an escort.
Viserra stopped in her tracks and looked up at Aemond without taking his arm, she waited for him to look at her and he eventually did so begrudgingly.
Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he spoke, "The proper thing to do if a man offers his arm, is to take it."
Blinking at him, she almost snorted in response. She was not an imbecile, she knew what the proper thing to do would be. Taking in her own deep breath, she threaded her hand through the crook of his arm and let him begin to lead them into the keep. Helaena walked next to her, smiling as she saw the interaction between the two.
"I am not a savage, I was raised as a high born woman as well as with the sword. Maybe I did not want an escort," she whispered to him as they walked.
Aemond didn't respond to her, only continuing their walk to the dining hall. Again, the journey to their next destination was silent with only the sounds of their feet on the cobblestone.
Once they rounded the corner to the dining hall, the guards opened the doors for them to enter. The Queen, Hand, and Aegon were sitting at the table and the food had already been placed before them.
"Ah, we did not know if you three would be joining us for supper tonight." Otto smiled, looking at Aemond who was now leading Viserra to her seat next to his brother. Helaena took her place to Aegon's left and reached for the cup of wine that had been poured as she sat down.
Viserra watched the Hand make eye contact with Aemond and nod. Suddenly it occurred to her that bettering his manners and behavior must have been what he and his grandsire had discussed earlier that morning. It would make sense that Otto had seen their previous interaction as detrimental to her support for his other grandson's claim to the throne once the time came.
Yet again, this man's conniving demeanor irritated her to no end.
As Aemond pulled the chair out for her to sit, Viserra noticed that Aegon was observing their interaction with a radiating intensity. He watched closely as his brother then took the seat to her right, which was not his usual place at the table.
Viserra's eyes met Aegon's after his attention was pulled away from his brother's actions and he stared at her with the same intensity. She sighed and rolled her eyes before grabbing her empty wine cup, holding it up to be filled next.
The Queen broke the tension that had been building between the two brothers, "I can smell the dragon on the lot of you," she said while taking a sip out of her cup, "The unmistakable scent is very pungent when multiplied by three dragonriders at once."
Viserra took a long swig of the freshly poured wine. She would need at least two cups to deal with the dramatics that came with the family interactions at this dining table.
"Yes, I can only imagine when you don't ride them regularly how the smell could be. My apologies for bringing it to dinner." She tried to relay her false sympathy with the woman who clearly didn't understand the bond between dragon and rider. Viserra did not think dragons stank as bad as she heard people complain, but then again she was biased for being bound with one.
To her surprise there had not been much talking during their meal. Aegon had occasionally stolen glances at both Viserra and Aemond, watching to see if there were any other interactions between the two. The whole meal was uncomfortable, but she wouldn't let it appear to be so. Working on the cups of wine before her, she only picked at her food until deciding she would excuse herself from the table.
She might have stunk of dragon but decided against changing her clothes before wandering about the keep. There was the usual hustle of servants scurrying about the hallways, but overall it was rather quiet. Debating between a few options, she decided it would be smart to continue familiarizing herself with her surroundings, and she'd keep sipping on the cup of wine poured at supper too.
The walk would help her mind clear as the wine had made it hazy. Her thoughts wandered to her realization that she had still not yet seen the King. His health must have seriously deteriorated to not show his face at all over the last two days.
Viserra traced the stone walls as she walked through them, finding a small balcony that overlooked the Godswood. Leaning over the railing, she gazed out over the sanctuary and took in the beauty of the weirwood tree. Darkness had almost taken over the skies but the beauty of the tree still was easy to see.
Footsteps in the distance seemed to be headed in her direction, but she paid no attention to whoever was approaching. They stopped just a few feet behind her and she waited for the visitor to make themself known.
After a few moments of silence, Viserra took her elbows off of the railing and turned around.
"What in seven hells was that back there?" Aegon's voice and face showed an array of displeased emotions. He was standing with his fists clenched and looked as if his frustrations had been held in until that moment.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, having the slightest suspicion it had to do with his brother.
Aegon took two steps closer and looked down at her, his face still twisted in a sort of frustration, "I am no fool. I saw you walk in with my brother, hand in arm, letting him seat you and then taking his place next to you."
She rolled her eyes before addressing his baseless accusation, "The actions were meaningless," she spoke. This really had been the truth.
She thought how Aemond did not even want to act in such a manner when she confronted him next to the wheelhouse. It was all a show for their grandsire, but apparently the show was not one Aegon was enjoying.
"I have seen the way he looks at you," he whispered.
Viserra narrowed her eyes, they had shared one moment together and he now portrayed the amount of jealousy that one would have of a seasoned lover. "I do not think it is any of your concern how anyone looks at me, or how anyone's behavior is towards me."
As soon as the words left her mouth, his hand reached up to grab her by the face. If she hadn't been a few cups deep at that moment, she probably would have anticipated his move and dodged it. Instead she felt his hand grip on to her cheeks and she knew her next move would be just as impulsive as his.
Aegon brought her face just inches from his own, but before he could formulate his next words or choose his next move, he felt cold metal at the side of his neck.
No one moved for the next moment, both speaking louder with their actions than with their words. Aegon started to drop his hand from Viserra's face but she did not lower her dagger. His expression softened just slightly, looking more hurt than angry this time.
"The next time you put your hands on me in such a manner, I will cut them off," she spat, feeling her own anger rise in her chest.
The same hand suddenly reached around to the back of her neck and he closed the gap between their faces, crashing his lips down to hers, moving to hold her head in place.
The anger in her chest fumbled and all of a sudden she wasn't sure what she was feeling. Whatever it was, it was hot, intense, and almost unbearable. She wasn't sure if she wanted to run from it or directly into it. At first she let herself sink in to the kiss, but the heat on her cheeks where he had just grabbed her fired up her previous anger.
Viserra chose to push herself away and the next thing she knew she had brought the back of her hand across the side of his face. The force of the slap had knocked him back slightly into the hall and he brought his hand up to his own cheek, looking at her with a mix of desire, hurt, and anger all in one.
The silence was heavy as they both tried to comprehend the events that had just transpired. She could still feel the lingering sensation on her face where he had grabbed her and she could only hope the sting of the slap would somehow send a message better than holding him at knifepoint.
"What is going on here?" The voice demanded from behind as Aemond stepped in her view. He was suddenly standing next to Aegon and observing the angry red mark on his face.
Both Aegon and Viserra looked at Aemond wide eyed but didn't say a word and again they all held a moment of silence. Aegon then seemed to gather himself. He brushed down his shirt and stared daggers into Viserra's eyes for a few more seconds before taking off back down the hallway.
"You can put that away." Aemond looked at Viserra, eyebrows slightly furrowed but his face overall held little emotion. She was still holding the dagger in her right hand and when she noticed this, she sheathed it back on her hip. "My grandsire sent me to find you when Aegon took off a few moments after you left. Initially, I thought him mad to think Aegon was going after you, but from the looks of it he was right in his assumption."
Looking at him with the same intensity that he was looking at her, she did not reply.
"I am to escort you back to your chambers before you find yourself in any more trouble," he stated simply.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "I do not need an escort anywhere."
The corners of his mouth turned up just slightly, "I did not say you needed one. I am simply following orders."
"I am not quite ready to head in for the night," she replied to him, trying to deter herself from his company.
He looked at her, unsatisfied with her answer yet still holding her eyes with his. Somehow his silence always prompted her to find something to say.
"I was thinking of heading to the library to look through the collections you have here. The last time I was there, I didn't get a chance to look at any of the books," she hinted, suggesting that he had been the one to interrupt her visit there last time.
Aemond took a step towards her and offered up his arm. Again, she was hesitant to take it, but this time it seemed less forced than when they had left the wheelhouse.
"What are you hoping to find in our library?" He asked as she let her hand slip under his arm and onto his inner elbow.
They started down the hall towards the library but she did not answer his question. Instead, she let him lead the way while getting lost in her thoughts. Each unpredictable interaction she had with these two brothers drove her curiosity wild.
Everything that had happened within the last two days was playing over and over in her head. She wasn't sure where she stood with everyone, and her mind kept flashing back to the conversation she had with Rhaenyra during the morning hours.
Time was of the essence, but it was unclear how much time she actually had.
They had made it to the library and Aemond opened the door in front of her. Walking inside, he motioned for her to enter and Viserra quickly roamed to the back of the room.
Over the next couple of hours, both Aemond and Viserra dove into their books. She cozied up on the window sill and read an old text about dragons and he sat quietly in one of the chairs reading something of his own interest.
Her eyes began to get tired and she decided it would be wise to get back to her chambers to. Closing her book, she looked up to see Aemond watching her with sharp eyes.
"Do you have any recommendations that I might take back to my rooms with me?" She asked, pulling herself down from the window.
Aemond didn't respond but she swore he might have given her the slightest of nods. Walking around back behind a row of shelves, he eventually brought her two large texts.
"I had heard you were curious about our family's history here. These are some of the texts that outline the last few generations of Targaryens that lived here in the castle." He handed the books over to her, watching her eyes fill with excitement.
"Thank you," she mumbled, looking at the book covers and feeling antsy to finally begin to dive into the most recent Targaryen history.
"Hm." He did not answer in words, but started to walk towards the doors that led out of the library.
Following him out, she took a few steps ahead of him. "I do not need an escort back to my chambers, they are just around the corner."
He nodded but continued, "My destination is that way as well. I would also like to be able to confirm to my grandsire that I did indeed see you enter your chambers this evening."
Great. She thought to herself, she was being supervised, not just escorted.
She did not let him offer his arm this time, keeping the lead all of the way until they reached the double doors of her chamber. The guard outside predictably opened them once she appeared and she turned to sarcastically dismiss her supervisor from his duties.
"I think I can take it from here," she said, shaking her head at him and watching as he cocked his own just slightly. He then nodded and motioned to her to enter the room.
Holding his eye with her own gaze for a moment, she tried to read his expression. A familiar and pleasant burn started up in her chest as they continued their eye contact. Just as when he had her pinned down in the training yard, she was able to observe his handsome and sharp features.
Again, she thought about how different Aemond was from his brother. The only similarities that they held were the silver hair and violet eyes, but their features, personality, and way they held themselves were not the same. There was even a difference in when they let the fire within themselves rage out for others to see. Aemond didn't seem so easily triggered, like he always had a tight hold on his reins.
She noted another similarity they shared was the ability to bring out her own fire. Just being in their presence seemed to pull something from deep within her and make it want to connect with their own inner dragons.
"Viserra," he said sharply, bringing her out of her thoughts. He stood straight, hands held behind his back, giving her that serious stare.
She did not respond and turned on her heels to enter her chamber without a farewell. Requesting Elia to draw her a hot bath for the night.
This time when she walked into her rooms, she felt the heat of the fireplace that had been lit sometime this evening. She sat the books Aemond had given to her on the table next to the armchair and basked in the fire. The heat was familiar and comforting, something that she was drawn to and in response she sat next to the flames while watching a few chambermaids fill the tub with steaming water. Ever since she was a small child, she found that the heat seemed to lull her to sleep.
With her head on her knees, she almost had let her eyes shut and let sleep take over there. Elia gently repeated her name until she lifted her head in response.
"The bath is ready and it is very hot tonight, just as you have requested." She waited for Viserra to get up from the floor and followed her to the bathroom. She stripped herself of her riding clothes and noted it felt like peeling another layer of skin from her body.
The bath was indeed hot, the steam rising quickly. Letting the water envelope her body, she let herself heat to an almost unnatural temperature.
Viserra made no effort to wash her body and hair until Elia came to the side of the tub. "The water will soon start to grow cold, would you like help with washing?"
She looked upon her faithful chambermaid and smiled, "That would be lovely, Elia. Thank you."
The remainder of her bath was dedicated to scrubbing the dragon smell and sweat out of her hair and off her body. Once she rose from the tub, Elia quickly helped her into a large towel to dry off.
Viserra walked back over to the fire to soak in the heat for a few more minutes before sleeping. Once satisfied that she had heated herself enough to sleep comfortably, she walked to the bed, dropping the towel and climbing inside the mound of blankets and furs.
If tomorrow's weather was as clear and as nice as today, she would take her books to the Godswood after breaking her morning fast. It seemed like the only place besides the library that she would find the calm and quiet environment to dive into a book.
Sleep found Viserra easy that night, mostly from the amount of wine she had consumed at dinner. There were no nightmares that found her or dreams that seemed to have a hidden meaning.
Her sleep had been so peaceful, she was surprised that when she woke the sun was already bright within her room. What time was it? Had she slept in? It was rather unusual for her to sleep in till the sun was already bright in the sky.
She sat on the side of her bed, looking around the room and realized it was eerily quiet for this time of day. Elia was not in the room like she had been the morning before.
"Elia?" She called out, slowly getting herself out of bed, wrapping a large fur around her body.
There was no response.
Viserra walked to her wardrobe and grabbed a set of small clothes. She picked the first dress that she saw, not paying attention to the colors or details. Throwing it over her head, she buttoned up the front buttons and tried to slip on her shoes at the same time. Something seemed amiss but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Not even bothering to braid her hair, she tied her weapons to herself and made her way to the doors. Viserra turned the handle and pulled, but the door did not budge. She stopped for a moment and thought maybe the door was stuck. Trying again, she pulled harder, then pushed.
The door had to have been locked from the outside.
What is the meaning of this? She thought to herself. Racking her brain for a reason that her chambermaid would have been taken from her rooms and she would have been locked inside. There was no way what had happened between her and Aegon had been found out by someone. He had been angry, but she did not think him that stupid.
If this was the treatment she would get without being told the reasoning, she might as well start planning her flight to Dragonstone.
Viserra slumped against the door and let out a frustrated sigh. Feeling vulnerable that she was at the mercy of those in this castle who were now holding her hostage.
Author's Note: Thank you all who are following this story! I am having a good time writing it and creating Viserra's character.
Also, in the books the Dragonpit was large enough to house Balerion at his largest. So technically, Granny Vhagar also would fit. Book Dragonpit was bigger and better than show Dragonpit. Because bigger is usually better with these things, let's assume it's book canon.