The Red Keep was bustling in its early hours of the day. Princess Rhaenyra had begun her labors for her fourth child in the early hours of the night, and Visenya had barely been able to sleep a wink since. 

Even from her chambers, she could hear her mother - her shouts and curses, all tearing their way from her throat and echoing through the desolate halls - Visenya could hear it all. She was not a stranger to childbirth - her mother had already given her two brothers, she knew the process of bringing forth a child into the world - it still did not satiate her fears and worries for her mother.

So Visenya did not sleep that night, watching as the sun rose over the hills - bearing its relentless shine through her window - and she picked herself out of her bed, set about waking Jace and Luke up and getting them ready for their lessons in the Dragon pit. Her mother could worry about bringing her new sibling into the world - Visenya would take care of the rest. 

"Can we pick an egg for the baby?" Luke asked, glancing up to his sister as they walked side by side down to the Dragon pit.

"Of course, Little Lord." Visenya smiled, ruffling his curls. 

"I hope you weren't looking to go without an escort, Young Princess."

The deep rumble of Ser Harwin's voice was able to break smiles onto all the children's faces. Visenya and the boys turned to see the lumbering man, gentle smile pulling at his cheeks and dark, soft eyes staring down at them.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ser." Visenya smirked, coy and full of mischief.

Harwin chuckled from deep in his chest, knowing eyes looking into Visenya's that told her of the knights amusement. The Princess set her hands on her brothers shoulders, continuing to lead them to their destination, now with the added company of Ser Harwin. 

Visenya let Luke hang off her arm - the boy clinging to his elder sister as they walked the dark halls the lingered with the stench of smoke and ash - whilst Jace seemed to gravitate to Ser Harwin, hand twitching as if to reach out and clench around the larger man's.

They could never, of course. The whispers and stares that followed the trio in their every step still seemed to haunt them - even after years - and the action of clinging to a man who was not their father would only garner more unneeded attention. 

Visenya shook the thought from her head, holding Luke closer to her. It was instinct at this point - to keep her brothers close to her when they were in public - they were stronger together, and Visenya would loath herself if there was ever an incident, like the one a few years ago, and she wasn't there to defend them. 

"Kesīr, dārilaros. Mirre se arlie clutches maghatan ondoso syrax." The Dragon keeper waved his hand towards the new clutches of eggs. (Here, Princess. All the new clutches brought by Syrax.)

"Kirimvose." Visenya nodded in thanks. (Thank you.)

The dragon keeper - an old and wrinkled man, always seeming to be covered in soot and ash - stepped back with a nod, leaving the royals to their decisions, prepared to take the chosen egg for departure when ready. 

Visenya looked over the eggs - varying in colours and patterns - the air reeked of soot and ash, burning at the back of her throat. Visenya swallowed thickly against it - not willing to show how affected she was by the thick air. 

"Woah." Luke breathed in wonder, staring wide eyed at the various eggs laid out in front of them. 

Visenya smiled, looking down at Luke - his hand still clutched on her own. "See one you like?"

Luke's wide eyed stare - brimming with excitement, wonder, happiness and a childlike innocence Visenya wishes she still held. "I can pick?"

Visenya nodded. "I got to pick Jace's." She glances over at the boy who had come to join them - standing side by side with his elder sister. "Jace got to pick yours. Now you get to pick the next one, for our newest brother or sister."

Luke smiled - beamed bright and full - and Visenya couldn't help the tugging of her own lips - that stretched tight against her cheeks with the wideness of it. She let go of Luke's hand, nodding for him to make his choice. 

The boy broke away from his siblings, shuffling to the assortment of eggs. His focused gaze rakes over each one - assessing them each in their own - Visenya and Jace smiled, soft and gentle, as they watched the youngest of them - for the time - make what the young boy thought was the most important decision of his life. 

Luke walked up and down the aisle, taking the time to look at each egg. Finally, his eyes lit up upon one egg - turning in a flash to his siblings with a bright smile.

"This one!"

Visenya breathed a light laugh - she could feel the way Jace's shoulder shook with giggles, and heard the low rumble of the laugh Ser Harwin tried to smother - turning to the old dragon keeper.

"Se dārilaros ēza iderēptan." The valyrian slipped from her tongue like water, a language she knew better than herself. (The Prince has chosen.)

The dragon keeper bowed, turning to Luke with kind eyes. "Iā sȳz iderennon, ñuha dārilaros." And he set to work in transferring the egg to a warming chamber, thick scaled gloves covering his palms. (A good choice, my prince.)

Visenya saw Luke's eyes - lit with confusion for the words he did not yet understand - and she chuckled, pulling the boy back into her side once again. "He said you picked a good one." 

Luke's grin returned tenfold, swiveling his head to look as his chose of egg was put into a warming chamber, and prepared to be transported back to the keep.

Visenya almost jumped at the feel of a heavy hand on her shoulder, head spinning to stare up at Ser Harwin's kind eyes. 

"Come." His voice gruffed. "Let's take the egg back to your mother's room. She will want to see you all."

Visenya nodded, hands already on her brothers shoulders and herding them out of the dragon pit. She ruffled Jace's hair, laughing as he scowled at her - swatting her hand away and lightly shoving her. Luke was back to clinging to her hand, tugging at her arm as he swung around them, a bright smile and excited rambles tumbling from his lips. 

Walking through the halls, Visenya didn't miss the servants with buckets of water and rags - on their knees and scrubbing harshly at the floor that was a distinct red colour - a trail of spilled blood worming its way through the halls.

Her jaw clenched painfully, teeth grinding - she knew what had occurred, same as it had before. It was ridiculous - the way the shame filled her that she was not there with her mother, walking side by side with her to confront the Green Queen. What could she, a girl barely grown, do against the woman who flaunted her station whenever convenient - if only to humiliate and cause her mother more pain. 

Harwin stared sadly at the trail of blood, same realisation on his face as that of Visenya's. He watched the muscle twitch in Visenya's jaw - saw the way her eyes blazed with a fury that begged to be released. 

The knight gently nudged the Princess - all too aware of the eyes that lurked and followed them - Visenya's eyes snapping to him, the burning inferno within them so hot, he could feel the heat settle beneath his skin. 

"Come, Young Princess." He nodded his head to the door to her mother's room. "Your mother will be back soon."

Visenya stared for a moment, gaze flickering back to the trail of blood. The heat that had settled in her chest, raging and violent, with nowhere to go - no one nearby to direct it to, other than one woman who believed she held more power of the realm than the King. 

Visenya allowed her feet to finally move, gliding into her mother's rooms. She painted a smile on her face - smothering down her fury so that the raging inferno rested in her stomach, burning hot - barely giving any hint of any worry to her brothers as they set about in a game of play until their mother returned.

Still, Visenya's fury lingered.

And it raged. 

Authors Note.

First chapter of episode 6, hope you enjoyed.

I'm not sure about the ages, but Visenya would be near, or in, her young adolescent years. So, she's around 11-12.

Next chapter, there will be more interaction between Visenya and her brother's.

That's it for now.

Later's Alligators.