The day had started off cloudy, grey skies throughout Kings Landing. The day prior, an incident in the training yard between Ser Criston and Ser Harwin had led to the dismissal of Ser Harwin and his father, Hand of The King, Lyonel Strong. The sky cleared up more into mid-morning, but the day would soon be grey again.

I was to marry Aemond today in a small ceremony with only family and a Septon present within the Dragonpit. The servant girls helped me ready for the ceremony, braiding my hair high atop my head just as my mother had done for her wedding to my father.

The dress I wore was simple, one of blue and white colours and the necklace Aemond had given me the day before sat comfortably around my neck.

"Princess," a Kingsguard spoke at the door, "they are ready for you."

The walk to the Dragonpit was silent. My brothers escorted me, but their minds were with Ser Harwin. They were already missing their father a great deal. My father waited for me outside the doors to the pit. He took my arm and walked me down to meet the rest of my family and my soon-to-be husband, Aemond Targaryen.

As I am passed away to stand by Aemonds' side, I look to my mother for reassurance. She smiles at me, giving me the courage I need. Aemond removes his cloak and places it over my shoulders, giving me a boyish smile as he does so.

We both look at the Septon, taking each other's hands. I feel Aemond's hands shake as a ribbon binds them together, and the Septon speaks the words. I squeeze his hand, trying to calm him.

We then turn back to each other, the ceremony almost at an end. I can see Aemond's hesitance as he looks at me. It must be written all over my face as well.

"I am hers and she is mine. From this day until the end of my days."

"I am his and he is mine. From this day until the end of my days."

We say our vows in unison, afraid of what comes next. I see the Queen Alicent smile for the first time in years as she holds the King's arm tightly, my grand-sire was also beaming at our union.

The formality over, both families make their way back to the Red Keep, ready for the feast that is about to take place. I look to Aemond, who is still tightly gripping my hand, and he looks at me.

"Are you okay, husband?" I joke with him, making him smile.

"Just fine, wife," he jokes back, lighting the mood.

That would be the last time the mood would be joyful for a long time to come. None of us knew it then, but as a new day came, the news of Ser Harwin and his father's passing would soon plant the seeds of hate within us children.

–––––

The journey to Driftmark was an easy one. Many dragons gathered upon the island for the funeral of Laena Velaryon, and three families joined together to mourn the death of the Princess. I stood next to my brother Jacerys, trying to offer some comfort with the passing of his father, next to me was Aemond, my new husband.

I saw my great-uncle Daemon across from me, staring at my mother. This was the first time I'd seen him in years since his self-imposed exile, and I wish it were under better circumstances than the passing of his wife.

The sea blows at my face and the crowd is silent as Vaemond Velaryon speaks to his niece's passing. I looked at the children she had left behind, Baela and Rhaena, they were holding onto their grandmother tightly.

I then glance at my father, who is holding back tears for his sister's passing. I did not know my aunt Laena well but being surrounded by the people who cared for her, it almost moved me to tears.

Vaemond's speech is cut off by Daemon's laugh. Everyone looks at the Rouge prince, appalled at his behaviour. The funeral proceeds despite Daemon's rude actions and soon the coffin of Laena Velaryon is given to the sea.

–––––

Dragons fly overhead, free of the Dragonpit, as everyone gathers for the after proceedings of the funeral. I stand away from the crowd, observing everyone around me. I see my mother enter, and her eyes cast to Daemon. The Queen looks at my mother in disgust. I watch my mother talk to my younger brother Jace, forcing him to go comfort his cousins.

Aegon and Aemond share a few words before Aegon chases after the servant girl with the wine platter. Pitiful, the man is a drunk and a whore, poor Helaena.

My family is an interesting one, to say the least. A silent feud between the Queen and the Princess, the common folk are now saying it's the Blacks vs the Greens. Although my marriage to Aemond was meant to repair some of the damage done, it only seems to have fueled the hatred between the two sides.

"Princess." I turn to look at the voice beside me. The white hair and green shawl billow in the sea winds as the sun begins to set on this sorrowful day.

"My prince," I bow, smiling at my new husband as I do so. "A good crowd we have here."

He chuckles at my joke, a silly way of trying to lighten the mood of an otherwise tragic day. "I suppose so, and how do you feel about this all?"

I shrug, watching as my mother follows Daemon away from the gathering of people. "It's sad, true, but also, I did not know the princess. It seems as if my grief has no place here," I said, looking down at Aemond, who was staring at me.

"I am truly sorry for your loss Visenya," he whispers, eyes sad.

I look away from him, out to the sea, "do not concern yourself with my losses yet Prince Aemond, our marriage to one another is only a political one." I turn back to him, "maybe in years to come we can grow to love each other, before this marriage is consummated."

A silly grin broke out on his face, and I laughed, "perhaps we may."

The light mood suddenly grew tense between Aemond and I at my brothers' approach. "Mother has sent us to bed," Jacerys says while Lucerys glares at Aemond.

I'm confused; the sun has only just dipped behind the horizon. "I suppose the hour is getting late," I muse, "come, I will see you both to bed."

I take both my brothers' hands and bow to Aemond before escorting my brothers to their shared chamber within the halls of Driftmark. Only now had I noticed the growing tension within the air as the sun had set and the dark night revealed ones true nature.

–––––

Once my brothers are tucked into bed, I kiss them both on the forehead and bid them a good rest. The journey home will be a long one.

As I make my way to my own chambers to prepare for my own sleep, I stumble across Aegon, leaning against a wall and throwing up into a plant. "Prince Aegon, are you alright? Would you like me to fetch a maester?" I ask, placing a hand on his back.

He pushes my hand away, groaning as he does so, "fuck off Visenya, go bother my brother with your kindness."

I stare down at him, my blood beginning to boil. Cunt. I make my way past him, heading straight for my chambers and ignoring the drunken idiot in the hallway, but I stop when he yells my name.

I turn to look at Aegon, who stumbles over to me, wiping the contents of his stomach from his face. "What is it Aegon?" I ask, holding my head high.

He says nothing and instead cups my face within his hands, eyes glazed over. "I am sorry princess, I did not mean to strike you."

Huh, this embarrassment for a prince is actually apologising. "It's been so long since I had someone show me an ounce of guinea kindness like you have," he continues, looking like he's about to cry.

"It is okay Aegon," I reply in a hushed tone, "but next time accept the kind gesture and do not dismiss it."

I smile at him. Maybe there is something left of a soul within Aegon.

"You know," he smiles, "I am more of a man grown than my brother, and you have just bled Visenya." His grip on my face tightens. Panic now takes ahold of my body.

"You may have married my idiot brother, but who's to say you have to wait four years before you experience the pleasure from a real man." One of his hands makes its way around to the back of my head and the other grips the side of my waist tightly now.

I am frozen, panic and fear icing over my veins. Aegon's eyes begin to close, his face leaning closer to mine. No. I cannot let Aegon steal my virtue from me. What would the Queen think of me? My mother think of me? Aemond?

A cry of pain echos the halls of Driftmark, which catches Aegon off guard and loosens his grip on me. I shove him backwards with all my strength; he goes flying back and I bolt toward where the scream came from.

It was a child's scream. One of my brothers or Laena's girls are in trouble. I quickly pull the dagger from under my dress. My mother had always told me to be armed just in case. I run into one of the entrances just in time to see Aemond raise a rock above Jacery's head, ready to strike.

I see red. I am not one to react to my anger or ever show it, but at that moment, I do. My family is my life, my brothers are my kin and boys I will protect until the end of my days. I would stop at nothing to keep them from harm's way.

And within a matter of seconds, the confrontation is over. Aemond is screaming on the ground, holding his face that pools with a deep red blood. The guards come running and call for the maester.

I stumble back, dropping my blood-soaked dagger to the ground. I bump into my brothers, who look up at me with horror and admiration. Without even blinking, I had just taken out my new husband's eye. The young boy screams in pain as both my brothers and the girls cling to my arms.

The repercussions of the incident would be dire. My actions, my impulsive actions, have just deepened the hatred between the Blacks and the Greens. Whether I knew it or not, this moment would go down in history.

My mother told me she was proud of me for protecting my brothers. The Queen had hated me for defiling her son and demanded my eye as payment.

The night came and went, and I had not slept a wink, thinking over the atrocity I had caused last night. And once the morning came, my mother had made the decision to move us to Dragonstone.

I watched from my window as three dragons flew away from Driftmark, one of them carrying Aemond, who I would not see until his sixteenth name day. However, the horrors upon Driftmark were far from over.

As a new day came, I soon learned that my father, Ser Laenor Velaryon, was murdered in front of the Driftwood throne. By that evening, atop the cliffs of Dragonstone, I watched as my mother and Daemon wed each other in the tradition of Old Valyria. Within a week, I had lost both of my surrogate fathers, had wed Aemond Targaryen and by the next, lost him with bloodshed.

My return to King's Landing in four years was not going to be a joyous one.  

–––––

Oops....anyway four year time jump next chapter