"Do not worry my girl," my mother says, holding my face between her hands as my body soaks in a bath, "you are now a woman grown."

As soon as I realised I had begun to bleed, I ran straight to my mother's chambers. She and Ser Harwin had congratulated me before the servants ran me a warm bath to wash off. My mother helped me wash and held my hand to prevent me from shaking.

"What does this mean for me now?" I ask her, gripping the edge of the tub.

She smiles softly at me, running a hand through my damp hair, "it means many things, but for now, let's get you dry and in some clean undergarments."

She leaves the drying towel in the bathing chamber, closing the door behind her. I remove myself from the water, grab the towel, and look at myself in the mirror. A woman grown. I am now free to wed a lord of a high house and give him many heirs. I now have to protect my virtue like it was my own life. I now have to keep track of my bleeding every month in order not to ruin more dresses.

A knock echoes through the bathing chamber. "Princess," a servant girl's voice comes from the other side, "I have left your new dress on your bed, the Princess Rhaenyra had a small council meeting to attend."

"Thank you," I tell her, waiting to hear the doors closing before exiting the bath chamber.

I quickly dress and leave my mother's chambers, heading towards the training yard where I know both of my brothers will be. My brothers are only young, not even close to manhood yet, but Ser Harwin and my mother insist on training them in the art of the sword and dragons as must as possible.

I stand at the entranceway, watching as Ser Criston Cole and my uncle, Aegon, are locked in an intense duel. Both my brothers stand to the side, watching like they always do.

Ser Criston Cole is a cunt.

He always leaves my brothers out best he can without drawing the attention of my grandsire, but Ser Harwin always notices, and so do I.

Aemond stands across from my brothers, avoiding them entirely. His eyes find mine from across the yard and he gives a small smile. I bow my head in acknowledgement, keeping the formalities after earliers incident.

"Princess," I turn around and see one of the Kingsguard standing there, "the Princess Rhaenyra and the Queen Alicent have requested your presences in the small council chamber."

I bow my head at the knight, thanking him, before making my way to the small council chamber. I know where the room is within the Red Keep, but I've never been allowed inside. This must be important.

A guard opens the door for me, and I step inside before it closes with a thud. Before me stands my mother, the Queen, the Hand and the King.

"Am I in trouble?" Is the first thing I ask, gaining a chuckle from my grand-sire.

My mother walks over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and guiding me to the table to stand beside her. The Queen gives me a dirty look, as she does with the rest of my family, but she also looks sad.

"Visenya," my grand-sire speaks, and I look to him, "you have just bleed, correct?"

I nod, "yes, Your Grace."

"And you know what is now expected of you?" The Queen asks, and I cast my gaze on her.

I nod again. Marriage, children, all the things I've been trained to look forward to.

"My dear child," my mother takes my face in her hands, smiling sadly at me, "we have come to an agreement on who your husband is to be."

Husband. Fuck. That quickly? I had only bled less than a few hours ago, and they had all already picked me out a stupid high lord to marry.

"And who is my bethroed?" I ask, voice quivering at the thought of my wedding night.

My mother looks at the Queen, who looks at me and signs. "It is my to be my son-" fuck, please not Aegon, please don't be Aegon, "-Aemond."

I feel relief wash over me, but it's filled with anxiety soon after. Has he agreed to this? He is younger than me too, not to be a man grown for another six years. When will we be wed? Will we have to consummate our marriage on the night or wait?

My thoughts are racing, the blood in my veins pounding, and my mouth goes dry. "Excuse me," I excuse myself, bowing as I do, and hurry out of the room.

Tears are building in my eyes. Anger is beating down the door of my mind. I am only just a woman grown and my mother has already sold me off to the Greens. If it's for my family's protection, why must it be me? Is it because I'm the heir or the only girl of three boys?

I walk down the dark cavern of the Dragonpit, looking for Silverwing. I need to leave, have the sea air on my face, and breathe fresh air again.

–––––

I returned from Dragonstone a week later. The first person to greet me is my brothers; they almost cry when they embrace me. Standing in the doorway above the courtyard is my mother, who doesn't look happy.

I'm in deep trouble.

"Mother," I bow as I stand before her.

I look up at her, meeting her angry eyes. We stand there for what feels like the turn of twelve moons, however, without a moment to react, she pulls me into a tight hug. "Never do that again, Visenya."

I am shocked at her reaction, but slowly I embrace my own mother. I missed her touch and hugs.

We walk inside together, and she fills me in on what I missed, which wasn't a lot. She informs me of Aemond's reaction to the betrothal. Apparently, he ran away from his mother as well, but didn't get very far before Ser Criston caught him.

"Visenya," we stop walking, just at the door of my chambers, "you and Aemond are to be wed tomorrow, in a private ceremony in the Dragonpit."

I blink rapidly. Tomorrow. "Do not worry yourself with the wedding night my child," she reassures me, "you both do not have to consummate the marriage until Aemond reaches manhood."

I sigh in relief, I can keep my virtue for a couple more years now. I am dismissed to my chambers, which have been almost untouched since my departure, apart from the stack of books on my table.

I take one of the books in my hands, 'The Duty of a Wife,' the title reads. I sit at the foot of my bed and turn to a random chapter, beginning my studies.

Just as the sun sets behind the ocean, a knock echos my room and pulls me from the page I am reading.

"Enter."

The door opens to reveal the young boy, Aemond, in my doorway. I close the book and look at him curiously, waiting for him to speak.

The door closes and he stands there awkwardly, playing with a button on his vest.

"Yes my prince?" I ask, standing.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a necklace, the light catches the blue rock attached to it. He walks over to me, holding the chain outwards, his eyes glued to the floor.

"I have brought you a wedding gift," he speaks, finally looking up at me.

I study the necklace, looking at the sapphire the chain holds tightly within it. It's beautiful and expensive.

"I thought you were opposed to this union?" I ask, a smile on my face. I'm toying with him.

He pulls the necklace away, and his jaw clenches. "I am," he said, "but it is best we keep good faith between each other mother says."

"Hmm," I hum, "and am I to put my own gift on myself or will my soon to be husband help me?"

Aemonds' eyes widen at my bold moves. The boy is still young and naive, not knowing I am simply jesting. He walks behind me and I brush my hair to one side, I am still taller than he is and he struggles to wrap the necklace around my neck.

He clasps it and I drop my hair, turning to face him. I give him a small smile, and he returns it with reluctance. He has been taught and conditioned to hate my family and myself, but perhaps our marriage does not have to be one of hate.

–––––

Princess Rhaenyra paces the throne room, holding the note that a raven had just delivered in her hand. She had been so stressed lately. Her daughter went missing, the Greens were cornering her, and now she is preparing a wedding between her firstborn to one of them. Rhaenyra barely had time to think of her good friend Laena.

She knew Laena had gone into her labours mere hours ago, and now she held the note pronouncing her dead in her hands. Her allies were thinning, and she had no idea what to do anymore. Soon her daughter was to be wed, and she would lose someone who understood her well.

After Visenya's wedding, the royal family would depart from King's Landing and arrive on Driftmark for Princess Laena's funeral, meaning the man she hadn't seen in ten years would be there.

The Rouge Prince, brother of the king, and her uncle. Prince Daemon Targaryen.