THE DRAGON'S DANCE.

chapter one, children of old valryia.
[ season one, episode six ]

WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH TO THE TWINS, PRINCESS RHAENRYA LABORED FOR AN ENTIRE DAY. Visenya came first. Jacaerys the next. As soon as her first born was pushed from her womb, Rhaenrya decided that she would be lied to. Jacaerys would be heir, not her daughter. She did not want her daughter to face the same hatred she had. Jacaerys was named Rhaenrya's first born heir the very same day as their birth.

So, Princess Visenya was named heir to Dragonstone. She would sit upon the seat of her families heritage.

Their father, Laenor had been waiting outside in the hall with the King. Viserys had been terrified when he heard his daughter was laboring. He feared she might end up like her mother, the Lady Aemma Arryn, who died in the bed chambers while giving birth to her one and only son, Baelon. The babe didn't live a day longer than his late mother.

His daughter's scream remind Viserys of the way his wife pleaded with him to not slice into her, giving her life for the boy's.

But after hours passed, a midwife joined them. She informed them that both the babes and Rhaenrya were in good health. Everyone was alive and okay. The first born was a boy. The second, a girl.

Viserys beamed. Laenor sagged with relief. And Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra's Kingsgaurd and Lord Commander of the City Watch, kept a stony face. He could not let the world know that the children were not those of Laenor Valeryon, but children of the Strong house.

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At ten years of age, Visenya is the only one of Rhaenrya's children to have the white hair of Old Valryia. Her own twin brother has hair the color of mud, the same with her younger brother, Lucerys. Visenya wonders if the new babe will be born with brown hair or white hair.

She hopes it's a girl.

Visenya stands in the room with her mother and her midwives. She brings her hand to her mouth, her teeth biting down on her fingernail.

Sweat covers the face of Princess Rhaenrya, her white night gown is plastered to her body. Visenya can't help but look at the blood that comes from her mother. It terrifies her.

The thought that she, too, will be in her mother's place one day is something she does not want. She does not want to bare children, especially if they are the children of her Uncle Aemond. Oh, yes, she has heard the whispers of plans to marry them together. She will not.

And when the babe slides from her mother with a squelch, Visenya shudders. A midwife hastily grabs the babe, she cleans them off.

"A boy, Princess." One of the midwives say.

Visenya hides her disappointment. All she had wanted was a baby sister.

"Praise Mother!" Another midwife exclaims.

The midwife wraps her newest baby brother in a cloth, handing him to his mother. Rhanerya smiles widely. "Healthy?"

"Kicking like a goat, Princess."

"Visenya," her mother calls out. Visenya looks to her. "Come. Meet your brother."

Visenya reluctantly walks forward. Her blue eyes scan the face of her brother. He has a delicate nose, his little face is precious. She can see brown hair peeking out from under the bloody cloth.

"He is beautiful, Mother." Visenya says. "Perfect."

"Yes, my Sweet Girl." Rhaenrya's eyes turn to her only girl. She reaches up, brushing a piece of her white hair back. "Just like you and your other brothers. My children."

Visenya smiles.

The door to the chambers opens. Visenya looks up, eyes watching Elinda, her mother's most loyal and trusted handmaiden. "Princess."

Rhaenrya looks up at her.

"The Queen has requested that the child be brought to her. . . immediately." Elinda says.

"Why?" Visenya asks, her back straightening. "Can she not come to us?"

"She is the Queen." Elinda looks down at her feet. "It's an order."

Visenya does not say what she truly wants to. It would be treason. Her anger is strong as Rhaenrya is helped to stand.

"I will take him myself," Rhaenrya says.

"May I be excused, Mother?" Visenya asks. Rhaenrya nods.

Visenya brushes past the handmaiden's. When she opens the door, it slams shurt behind her. She turns, she slams into someone.

A hand stabilizes. She looks up, "Father."

Laenor looks down at his daughter. "Visenya. Is she well?"

"She is. It's a boy. He is healthy." She motions for her father to lean down. He does. "The Bitch Queen has asked to see the boy."

She pulls back. Laenor stares down at her, not caring of her treasonous tongue. The language of his daughter does not surprise him, nor does the name she used for Alicent. He becomes angry at the audacity of the woman.

He sighs. "Very well. Run off, my Girl."

She does as told.

She does not run off where her father expects her to. She runs through the halls, up the stairs. Those standing in the halls stare at the Princess as her feet carry her towards the chambers of Queen Alicent.

When she reaches the door, Ser Criston Cole stares at her. "Princess," he greets.

"Ser." She replies. Her voice is curt.

The guards by the door open it for her. Visenya struts in. Her blue eyes are glaring at the Queen. Alicent stands at the window, looking out at King's Landing beneath them.

She turns. "Princess Visenya. What are you doing here?"

Visenya does not bow or curtsy.

"Waiting on my mother." She tells the Queen.

Alicent's eyes wide. "She should be resting after her labors."

"Yes, she should." Visenya tells her. "Was it not you who asked to see the babe?"

Alicent raises an eyebrow. "I had not expected Rhaenrya to bring them herself."

"Princess Rhaenrya." Visenya snaps. Talya, Alicent's handmaiden smirks to herself. "She is the Princess and you shall address her as such, Your Grace."

She turns. She does not leave room for argument or for a lecture. She passes her mother and father and brother. Rhaenyra and Laenor both look back at their daughter as she walks through the hallways of the palace.

She walks into the chambers of her brother, Lucerys. She opens the door. Ser Harwin turns, his eyes catching on her.

"Sister!" Luke calls out.

He and Jacearys both spring up, rushing over to her. "How is she? The baby?"

"Both are well." She smiles. "It's a boy."

Luke and Jace both cheer amongst themselves. Visenya approaches Harwin. He kneels in front of her. They face each other.

Visenya knows who he is. Her true father. They have the same colored eyes, though her eyes could be mistaken as her mother's.

She does not say what she truly wants to. She does not greet him with the word "father" as she wants. "Ser Harwin." She whispers.

"Princess," he whispers back. "Did she do well?"

"She was incredible." Visenya tells him. "I could never do such a thing. Birth— it's a terrifying thing to witness, Ser. I would rather not bare children one day. I want to fight. Like you."

Hariwn's eyes scan her. The words break his heart because he knows it will never happen. Visenya is a girl, not a boy. And as a girl, especially a Targaryen, it is her job to bare children. Her womb is royal. It's her duty to carry on the Targaryen legacy purely.

The door opens.

Rhaenyra and Laenor stroll into the chamber. Laenor carries the boy.

"Mother!" Jace calls out, "look."

Harwin stands to his full height, offering an arm to Rhaenrya. The princess looks at her son's as Jace pulls the top off of the pot. There, lays a dragon egg. "We chose an egg for the baby."

"That looks like the perfect one," she says as Harwin helps her sit.

Visenya approaches the egg. Lucerys reaches down to touch the egg. Quickly, his older siblings snatch his wrist. He brings his finger to his mouth, sucking the tip of his fingers.

She casts a glance back at the adults and baby. She knows that they wish for a moment alone. "Come, brothers. We must return to the Dragonpit."

Laenor casts her a thankful glance. She smiles. She and her brother's leave Lucerys' chambers.

The trio of siblings walk the castle walls, Lucerys in between his older siblings. Everyone they walk past bows their heads to the princes and princess. They all nod their heads in ackwnoledgment.

"Vi," Luke starts, calling his sister by her nickname. She looks down at her brother. "When will my dragon be big like yours?"

Visenya laughs lightly at the innocent question. "Well, brother, Arrax is still just a baby. He is only five. My dragon is hundreds of years old."

"She survived the Doom." Jacaerys says for his twin. "They say that she found homage on Dragonstone even before our kin arrived."

"Yes," Visenya says. "My beautiful girl."

"She is quite frightening." Jace says.

"Well, she should be!" Visenya's voice rises in pitch. "She is one of the eldest dragon, even older than Vhagar and Vermithor! She has seen every Targaryen war that has been fought."

"And what of the Cannibal?" Luke asks. "I've heard stories that he and Kaydness are mates, that all of the dragons come from them."

"I do not know if the stories are true, Brother, but if they are, that explains what she flies to Dragonmont every fortnight."

"But doesn't the Cannibal— eat other dragons?" Jacaerys asks.

"That would be where his name comes from, yes." Visenya responds. "But I do not believe he would eat his own mate."

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When the children arrive at the Dragonpit, Visenya is escorted by her guards to the other side of the island where her dragon resides.

Kaydness is much too large for the Dragonpit. She is too antsy for such cramped spaces with other dragons. She prefers to be outside, in the wind.

Visenya's guards stay back. The young girl gathers her skirts in her hands as her legs carry her up a small hill. When she crests over it, her blue eyes snag on the dragon that lays among the greenery. The grass brushes against her scales.

"Mandia!" She calls to her dragon. Sister.

Visenya, the youngest dragon rider in the history of the Targaryen dynasty, calls her dragon her sister. Because she is, truly. Kaydness and Visenya have been interlocked since Visenya's birth, since before that even. There are stories that Daenys Targaryen whispered stories of a future princess who held a bond so close with her dragon that they could feel even other's pains and emotions, that they viewed each other as kin.

Kaydness raises her head.

A wide smile spreads over Visenya's face. She trudges forward, the grass sweeps against the skin of her calves and her blue skirts.

When she reaches the dragon, she raises her hand. Kaydness leans against it. Visenya laughs. She presses her forehead against the dragon's cold scales. "Syz morrow, Uēpa Riña." Good morrow, Old Girl.

Kaydness lets out a puff of air through her nostrils. This causes Visenya to laugh once again. "Ivestragī' īlva jikagon syt nykeā kipagon." Let us go for a ride.

Kaydness allows the small child to use her wing as a way to get on her back and onto her saddle. Visenya hooks the metal clip of the harness to the saddle, holding her in place.

Visenya orders her dragon to fly.

She does.

Kaydness stands. She takes two large steps, the weight of her body thumping against the ground. And with the flap of her wings, they rise.

Within seconds, Kaydness and Visenya are in the air. Visenya smiles widely as the wind sweeps her hair off of her shoulders. Kaydness lets out a grumble that comes from her chest. Visenya knows what it means, what she wants to do.

"Dracarys!" Dragon fire!

Visenya feels the way Kaydness' body grows more tense as she readies to breath dragon fire. And when she opens her mouth, the stream of orange fire follows suit.

Kaydness flies straight through the flames. Visenya blocks her face with her arm. When the two emerge from the flames, Visenya is fast to call out, "Ilagon, Kaydness!" Down, Kaydness!

Kaydness turns, she takes a nose dive straight to the water. Then, she turns. Kaydness' feet brush the top of the sea. The salt water sprays against Visenya's face. She laughs wildly.

The two soar through the sky until it's near nightfall. It's their favorite thing to do; fly until the sun is falling below the horizon.

In Kaydness's ancient age, the dragon has grown to love the way the setting sun makes the sea water look like the fire she breathes.

And Visenya— Visenya just adores the time spent with her dragon. She knows that Kaydness is the eldest of the dragons that resides at that have been claimed by the blood of Old Valryia.

When the dragon tires, she lands.

Visenya slides off the dragon with easy, landing on her feet in the grass. She plants a kiss on Kaydness' snout before she leaves her.

Her guards escort her back into the Red Keep where she goes to find her best friend and aunt, Helaena Targaryen.

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word count: 2,218

the first chapter!!!! and oh my gosh, i love it so much. i'm so freaking excited to start this story. i hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as i did writing it.

the high valryion probably is not 100% accurate as i use two different translators on google. but i actually do speak a little high valryion (thank you duolingo). it's only the basic terms and words right now but it'll get better. if you know the correct wording and phrasing of high valryian to english and vice versa, please comment the correct translation and i will change it!!

yes, a dragon oc. kaydness is a large dragon, smaller than vhagar but still huge. she is the eldest dragon of them all, having survived the doom and is the dragon sister to balerion. and yes, she is the mate of the cannibal and meleys is the daughter of the two of them.

kaydness is black with a few scales that shimmer a blue hue, her eyes are red, and she has horns. there are a few ai generated photos in the graphic gallery of her, if you wish to look.

her previous riders consist of only two, daenys the dreamer and and aemma arryn. though, kaydness and visenya are soulmates, daenys literally dreamt it.

the relationships that visenya has with everyone. i cannot deal. she loves her family so much (save for a few). she is not going to do well after what happens to them (especially her brothers, mother, and harwin).