DAEMON WATCHED as Visenya was taken away by her dragon, his eyes did not move until their silhouettes disappeared among the thick clouds. He felt a bit disoriented, but he couldn't tell if it was the fight or Visenya— although he had a hunch he would find out soon.
Sighing, Daemon tightly clutched onto the book Visenya had given him and waited for Caraxes to get him out of there, and avoid the wildfire.
"Let's go, Caraxes..." Daemon gave the dragon a gentle pat on the side before flying to camp, where he could already hear people celebrate.
Corlys and Laenor waited until they landed to approach Daemon. The father-son duo expected him to have the same high spirits as them, but the Rogue Prince had a somber look on his face.
"What is it, Daemon? We've finally defeated the Triarchy," Corlys spoke, smiling.
"With my cousin's help, let's not forget that she was a big part of this," Laenor butted in. His father agreed, he wasn't blind to the big war asset Visenya Targaryen was.
Daemon didn't pay them any attention as he went to his tent, Corlys and Laenor became confused.
"This is weird."
"It truly is, Son."
Once inside, Daemon closed the entrance to have some privacy and opened Visenya's book.
I wish I could've started writing this under better circumstances but I won't. I have given birth to twins, Aemond and Alyssa.
Daemon blinked repeatedly, surprised. "She became a mother to twins..." He murmured and kept reading but eventually read the truth.
They are Daemon's children...
...Aemond was killed and I couldn't save him.
I have to protect Alyssa...
...sent Daemon letters...
He doesn't care about us...
I've given up on telling Daemon.
"NO!" Daemon threw the diary and began to trash the tent around, unaware of the Velaryon duo at the entrance.
"Should we ask...?" Laenor turned to his father.
"I'm not sure," Corlys examined Daemon from afar. "Stand back, Laenor. I'll do it."
Daemon searched around, throwing and breaking objects everywhere. It couldn't be true, it just...
"...can't be. It can't be. It can't be!"
"What can't be, Daemon?" Corlys treaded carefully.
Finally, realizing that he was not the only one in the room, Daemon turned abruptly and bellowed at them.
"I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND A SON I NEVER KNEW ABOUT!" The other two gasped quite loudly at the news.
A son and a daughter, twins. Twins he never knew he would get to, and ever have. This brought him back to the day when Visenya and Rhaenyra went to Dragonstone to retrieve their brother's egg from him, when Mysaria revealed she saw Visenya in the Street of Silk the night the twins were conceived.
Corlys stayed far away from Daemon but closer than Laenor, it was clear as day how upset Daemon was, his quickened breathing and reddened face were signs of that.
"What are you looking for? We could help you," Laenor offered and shrugged at his father.
"Letters. In theory, Visenya sent me around fifteen letters telling me the same thing in each of them," Daemon spoke while searching.
"Wait! Princess Visenya? Viserys' firstborn?"
Daemon slowly turned around with a murderous look on his face. The fact was beside the point, no matter how shocking it was.
"Not the point, Father," Laenor added, hoping to avoid his father ending up like Ser Addam. Which seemed to get him off Daemon's back, it's better to have him as an ally than an enemy.
"This information stays in here. Not a word to anyone, Rhaenys and Laena included. I catch that you've said anything to them and I won't give a fuck that you're family. Understood?" Daemon warned, making himself more intimidating.
"We both do. Right, Father?" Corlys nodded. "Now, I have a plan we can try out."
It was simple but a plan still. Laenor told his father to put his leadership position to use and call for his troops to literally empty their pockets and show their belongings, because 'someone' had told him that some soldiers had taken things from the battlefield, and how it could be a greyscale carrier.
As expected, there were groans and complaints because now everyone wanted to party, but the current matter was way more important than that.
"What do you think you are doing, Brother?"
"Not now, Vaemond," Corlys nudged him with his shoulder.
Eventually, Laenor found an unopened letter and handed it to Daemon so he could confirm —finding the culprit— and as expected, Daemon beat him to the point where the man would now fight a new battle himself.
Daemon grabbed the letter to the point where he wrinkled the paper because of how strong he was gripping it. "First and only warning, if you take something that is addressed to me... You'll end up worse than him," he pointed to the bloodied man, taking in the fear in everyone's faces.
Someone among the group of men smirked and secured one of the letters inside his pocket, since he had disposed of the others, this bit of information could become very useful one day.
"Now you may continue with the party," Daemon added deadpanned but with humor. He retired to his chambers to read the original letter, lamenting his mistakes.
If he hadn't been so reckless then maybe Daemon could have noticed that Visenya was with child, but what is done is done.
But Daemon could never forget this. "A son... Aemond..." He whispered with a wavering voice.
He had a male heir and it was taken away from him too soon. He read in the diary that Visenya had tortured and killed the main suspects, as they weren't useful.
Even though Daemon felt an intense anger his sadness overpowered it. For the rest of the day, Daemon let himself grieve the loss of his son, someone he didn't know but realized he wanted in his life.
After the fight in the Stepstones, Visenya and Shrykos made a stop for the she-dragon to hunt some sheep, because no way in hell Shrykos would be satiated with Visenya's treats. Not at all. If Visenya learned something even if a dragon is bound to you, they're still wild creatures, and therefore, they need to hunt themselves.
When Shrykos came back from hunting she brought a sheep and torched it for Visenya to eat once the fire cooled down, everything on her own, which surprised her rider dearly.
Visenya ate some of the burnt meat and having replenished her energy, she healed herself, all while Shrykos rested against her and gave the dragon what she didn't eat, then flew for three days without a stop until Shrykos dropped off Visenya on her balcony and left.
"Oh sweet comfortable bed. Huuhhh," an exhausted Visenya threw herself onto the bed.
She had managed to slip her coat off but gave up when it came to getting the rest off. Visenya dozed off once she comfortably adjusted her head on the pillow.
I'm in a carriage? Visenya's bed rocked back and forth. It was impossible, she was lying down. She opened an eye but instantly regretted it when the sun blinded her.
"You're back! You're back!"
Visenya groaned with a smile on her face, she moved to lie backward when the rocking stopped and she felt the bed dip beside her. The person threw their arms around Visenya and she reciprocated the gesture, giggling.
"Good morrow to you as well, Rhaenyra."
Rhaenyra tightened her hold and let out a relieved sigh. "I was so worried when Father told me you actually left to fight."
"Hey, I never turn down a fight," Visenya stroked Rhaenyra's back and kept doing it when the younger twin broke the hug and sat down. "Besides, the men were taking too damn long," she rolled her eyes playfully, making Rhaenyra laugh.
"For what is worth, I'm glad you're back safe," Rhaenyra smiled lovingly.
"Thank you, Sister. It means a lot."
The platinum-blonde nodded with a wide smile and got off the bed. "I'll let you get dressed and leave to tell Father," she walked over to the door and put half of her body behind as she looked at Visenya before leaving.
"Welcome back, Visenya."
Visenya smiled back and started to get dressed once Rhaenyra closed the door. She chose to wear black pants with knee-high boots, a deep red shirt, and a black coat with a silver chain around her chest— and a pair of gloves, just in case.
Right when she finished getting dressed, Visenya went to find her father, who received her the happiest she's ever seen him. Viserys bombarded her with the same questions every single time: 'Are you alright? You're not harmed, are you?' And Visenya appreciated his concern, but it was a bit overwhelming, and she was able to leave when Viserys made her promise she was actually fine.
Visenya heard a loud scream behind her as she was walking, which scared her at first but she relaxed when she recognized the voice.
"Harwin–" She stopped when the knight's hands moved up to her face, she laughed for a moment. "What are you d–?"
"Are you hurt? " He checked her face for scratches, bumps, anything that could give him a reason to beat up whoever hurt her.
"Harwin, I'm fine," Visenya laughed as she unconsciously grabbed his hands and squeezed them, forcing him to focus. "See? Not a scratch on me."
Harwin examined her with a frown and let out a grunt that in all honesty, made Visenya feel weak in the knees. "Ok... I trust your word," Visenya smiled at him.
"Come on," Visenya nudged her head forward for Harwin to follow her.
"Where are we going?" He asked, following her.
"To the gardens. You want to hear about what I did during the war, don't you?" Harwin gave her a nod, asking himself how she knew he was asking himself just that.
Visenya and Harwin walked to the gardens where they first had a deep conversation back when Strong barely started his knightship to the Princess. They sat down in the grass, not without Harwin taking his cap off for Visenya to sit on it, although Visenya didn't mind about getting dirt here and there, she still appreciated the gesture.
She explained everything and sugarcoated a few details because she could see Harwin about to burst because he wasn't there to help her, but after a while, Visenya managed to successfully calm him down. Then, Visenya went on to compliment her dragon and talk about how amazing it was to fly on her for the first time, how it felt right after many years of being a Targaryen without a dragon— compared to her sister and her golden dragon.
Visenya smiled, looking into the distance. "She just knew what to do and looked after me the whole time she fought. It probably is because she's the dragon I was given when I was born, but I don't care. Shrykos is plain up amazing."
And even though Visenya loves Grey Ghost the same, Shrykos is basically her first child.
Harwin listened intently, happy she felt better. He couldn't help but feel the warmth in his chest every time Visenya talked like that, having forgotten she put her life on the line.
Then Visenya went on to explain the Daemon situation and Cregan's letter, she preferred to go ahead and tell him instead of waiting for Harwin to ask her. Harwin nodded, proving he was in fact listening (not that Visenya expected the opposite from him), and offered his support as she cried for Alyssa.
"It was reckless to agree to go just after reading it, but I just knew I had to go," she shrugged her shoulders. "I want Alyssa to have the chance to meet him, only if she wants to."
"I understand, Visenya. You don't have to explain yourself to me, don't feel obliged to do so, but I will listen if you want me to."
There it was again, that beautiful yet unique feeling Visenya gets with Harwin Strong.
"You're wonderful. You know that, right?" Visenya smiled with her face.
"I'm far from that," he brushed her off.
"Then I'll make sure to remind you of that, Harwin Strong."
He shook his head with a smirk, looking forward, but he could barely hold himself together so he started laughing. Visenya gazed at him, surprised but smiling before she started to laugh too.
They laughed until their stomachs started to hurt, Visenya could swear she saw Harwin laugh to the point where he let out a few tears caused by the intensity of their actions.
"Ahhh... I haven't laughed like that in a long time," Harwin confessed, feeling emotionally lighter.
Visenya stood up and bowed. "Then I'm at your service, Mr. Strong."
"Stop, Visenya!" Harwin chuckled again.
"No, but honestly, I'm delighted to have made you laugh. You're always there for me, so..."
"Visenya..."
"I know. I know. 'You don't have to explain yourself to me, but I will listen if you want me to'," Visenya quoted him again before she began to ramble as she walked from one side to the other. "I just... appreciate you. Enough to ask you if you would like to come with me to see Alyssa? I'll be leaving in two days, so I can rest a bit before going on a long trip again. But if you are occupied or don't want to come it's fine, I'll understand–"
"I'd love to," he answered and Visenya snapped her head to him. "If you want me there then I'll be there."
There was a small pause as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Thank you. Thank you," Visenya looked down with a slight smile before she looked up to see the sky turning orange.
"Gods... We've been here all day," she chuckled to herself just as Harwin strapped his cloak around himself again.
"My apologies, Visenya. I've kept you to myself all day."
Visenya raised a brow at him. "Nonsense. I've enjoyed myself, but you have to promise me something, Harwin."
"And that is?" He looked at her amusedly and Visenya faced him with a determined face.
"We won't apologize for things we can't control. If we feel what we are doing is right, we will stand by our actions," Visenya extended her hand out to him. Harwin ungloved his hand, smirking, and grabbed her hand.
"Deal."
Right after making that promise, Harwin accompanied Visenya to get something to eat, and as expected, Visenya pointed out (demanded) that he had to eat as well. He was about to protest but his stomach betrayed him, making Visenya laugh for whatever time today.
When they finished eating Harwin and Visenya got to talking again, she asked more about him and learned about his brothers, Hender and Larys, and his half half sisters, Joanna and Lyra. He also commented how he's closer to Hender, how likes to bet on drinking games too much, and sometimes Harwin has to drag him home.
"Can I go with you today? I can assure you I won't cause much trouble."
As much as Harwin wanted to believe that he was made sure of one thing the first day he met Visenya, and that is that once you know her the girl is pure mischief, and depending on your relationship with her you will get the good or the bad kind, but never both.
But thing Harwin wasn't able to do lately was to deny Visenya of something no matter how much his mind assessed the possible dangers she could face outside the Red Keep, yet Harwin would never leave her side.
Before they could head out to meet Harwin's brother, Visenya needed to grab her black cloak from her bedchambers so she could get out of the Red Keep without answering to none, and on the way there, an impatient Rhaenyra was waiting for her sister.
The younger twin had been looking for her to bid her farewell as their father had arranged a tour for her to find a husband, Visenya wanted to think it was a joke, but when she realized it wasn't, she told Rhaenyra the exact words:
"Give them hell."
Simple words, but just what Rhaenyra wanted to hear. She would keep it in mind for the upcoming moons she would be away far from home, and after countless hugs, Rhaenyra turned around.
It would be hard to be away from Visenya, but Rhaenyra knew she couldn't ask her to come with her. What would her sister do? Sit around peeling oranges? Absolutely not.
"Gods... She's grown up so much," Visenya watched her sister's figure disappear in the distance. As a thought passed her mind, Visenya scrunched up her nose, "I hope she doesn't settle for... well anyone."
Harwin let out a boisterous laugh, making Visenya slap his arm with a wide smile. "Harwin, I'm serious! She deserves more than just a political match, someone she actually likes and likes her back."
"I know. I know. It's just that you remind me of myself with my sisters, I scared their husbands so much to make sure they loved them for the right reasons and not for... well you know... men things," Harwin scratched his beard nervously.
"Then I guess we have a lot in common," Visenya smiled at him, putting on the hood. "I'll meet you outside, Strong."
𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞:
I'm starting to do playlists for my ocs, so far I've got Visenya and two of her children but the last two will remain private once I figure out if I'm going to keep Emilia Clarke as adult Alyssa and find a name for the other daughter.
You can find it on my Spotify profile (same name as here, KaterinaNemeth) and it's called, "You're Visenya Targaryen."
Have a nice day!