THE DRAGON'S DANCE.

chapter two, eldest son against eldest daughter.
[ season one, episode six ]

HELENA'S HANDS ARE GENTLE, MUCH LIKE THE DELICATE TOUCH OF ONE'S OWN MOTHER. The niece and aunt sit together under the weirwood tree in the Godswood. Helaena sits, leaning against the wood. Visenya lays on her side on the grass, her head resting in her aunt's lap.

Helaena's nibble fingers run through Visenya's white hair. Visenya allows her eyes to shut. She can feel Helaena's finger nails scratching against her scalp.

"My father has proclaimed that I shall marry Aegon." Helaena informs her. Visenaya's eyes snap open. She shoots up.

"What?" Visenya's eyes are wide. "You cannot. He is too cruel."

Helaena shakes her head, her white hair falling in her face. She reaches up, tucking it behind her ear.

"I would wed you." Visenya mutters.

"And I you." Helaena mumbles back. "Though, it is not proper for girls to marry."

"It should not matter." Visenya tells her.

"We are of Valryian blood, Visenya. We must marry our kin to keep our bloodline pure. Aegon will be a suitable match for I." Helaena states. Her eyes then meet Visenya's. "Though, if it were different, I would take you as my wife."

Visenya smiles weakly. She repeats Helaena's words, "and I you."

─────────

There is one thing Visenya cannot deny. And that is she cannot stand her uncle. Aegon Targaryen is a vile creature. He is the eldest of them all. He is ten and gour. He is not only the eldest but the meanest.

Visenya has watched for years as he's tormented Aemond and belittled Helaena. She has endured the disgusting remarks he has made to her in the corridors as they passed each other.

Even now in the training yard, he keeps looking over his shoulder at his young niece. She notices the second time he does so. With each glance, she grows more and more uncomfortable.

She wants to replace the wooden sword she wields with a true steel one and take his head.

Visenya is young but she knows that girls don't fight. She should be with Helaena with the Septa but after begging Laenor and Rhaenrya until she was sure their ears would bleed, they agreed for her to train with her brothers and uncles.

Ser Hawrin brought them to the training yard.

Visenya holds the wooden training sword to the beta of her ability. Jace comes to stand beside her. "Did you hear what we gave Aemond?"

She glances over at her twin. "No."

"We have him a pig with wings. The Pink Dread." Jace grins, a laugh bubbling in his throat.

Visenya nudges him. "That's cruel, Jace."

He shrugs. "He has yet to claim dragon."

"It will happen in due time. You know, Aunt Laena was fifteen when she claimed Vhagar, and our cousin, Rhaena, has not claimed one either. Our Grandsire and King no longer rides a dragon after Balerion's death. Would you present them with a pig?" Visenya raises an eyebrow.

"No!" Jace draws back.

"Exactly." Visenya says.

"Aegon!" The voice of Ser Cristin draws the twins from their conversation. They look over at them.

"I've won my first bout, Ser Criston. My opponent sues for mercy." Aegon grins.

"You'll have a new opponent then, My Lord of the Straw. Let's see if you can touch me. You and your brother." Criston says.

Lucerys comes to stand beside his brother and sister. The three watch in silence as Aegon and Aemond try to put Ser Criston on his back. They seem to be failing.

Visenya looks over her shoulder at Harwin. He catches her eyes. He nods back to the training that ensues in front of them. She turns back.

"You'll have to try harder than that." Criston says.

Again, the two silver haired boys fail in vain to win against the knight.

"Ah." Harwin mumbles. The three turn to look at him. "Weapons up, children. Give your enemy no quarter."

The three raise their weapons as they return to the straw and sack targets. Visenya glances at Harwin again as he starts, "it seems the younger ones could do with a bit of your attention, Ser Criston."

"You question my method of instruction, Ser?" Criston asks without so much as glancing at him.

Visenya's back straightens as the tension rises in the training yard. Jacaerys seems to notice as well. His brown eyes dart between Harwin and Criston.

"I merely suggest that method be applied to all your pupils." Harwin suggests.

"Very well." Criston says. "Visenya, come forward."

Criston walks up to the princess, grabbing hold of Visenya's breastplate. She lets out a small yelp as he yanks her forward. "You spar with Aegon. Eldest son against eldest daughter."

"That's hardly a fair match." Harwin says, his shoulders tensing beneath his armor. He silently damns the man to the hells below for daring to put hands on the princess.

"She wants to train with the boys. Let her spar with one." Criston says. "A fair match isn't something anyone should expect."

"Blades up." Criston instructs.

Aegon raises his wooden blade while Visenya raises her own. She is small compared to her uncle. He has at least a foot of height against her. She hates the way he grins at her.

She will make him bleed.

He lunges first.

Visenya raises her blade, blocking his strikes. He reaches forward, his hand meeting her armor. He shoves her to the ground.

Visenya lands on her side with a grunt. Aegon turns away, turning his back on the girl.

The next second, Jace is there. He plants his hands on his twin's arm and pulls her to her feet. She could hear the vibrations of her brother's voice bouncing in her skull, but in truth, the words never make it to her ears.

Her eyes stay locked on Aegon, her blue eyes narrowed into angered slits. He laughs as he claps hands with Ser Criston, who grins proudly.

His ego is far too loud. Too obnoxious. Visensya realizes that someone needs to silence him and tame the pride he has before it is too late and his head implodes from the sheer pressure of his pride.

"Aegon!"

He whirls around.

Visenya's wooden sword strikes him right in the face. Hard. He does not yelp or cry out. He takes the hit, hiding the pain well. Visenya hopes it will bruise, marking his already ugly face.

And before either of them can think, and before anyone in the training yard blinks to miss it. Aegon's raises his hand to the princess. His fist strikes her hard, his skin of his knuckles meeting the skin of her lips and the bones of her teeth.

All falls silent as she hits the ground.

She gasps. Jacaerys and Lucerys gasp.

Harwin points at Aegon angrily. "Foul play!"

"I'll deal with him," Criston steps up.

Harwin rushes to the girl. He crouches beside her. She doesn't look at him. She stares at the ground, refusing to show him the tears in her eyes. He grabs her chin gently, tilting her face up to look at him. He notices the tears first. Then the blood that trickles from her lip. A frown etches onto his features.

"He scares me," Visenya whispers. Her lips wobble as she looks into the eyes of the man. A single tear slips from her eye.

Harwin's eyes harden.

Harwin helps the girl to her feet. "Go for the groin." He says into her ear.

She nods.

Aegon turns to her with angry eyes. "You!" He shouts. He attacks.

Visenya raises her sword to blood his attack. She can faintly hear Criston's instruction to Aegon as he backs her closer and closer to the wall.

With an angered shout, Aegon lifts his foot. He kicks Visenya to the ground against. She grunts as her sword clatters to the ground.

Aegon crouches beside his neice. He holds the tip of his sword to her throat. His eyes are manic. He grins at her, but to her it looks more like a dragon baring its teeth at its pray.

And for a moment, all she wants is Kaydness to come to her rescue.

Aegon whispers to her, "maybe I shall get my mother and father to wed me to you, Princess. You are much more fun that my idiot sister. If you're this fierce out here, I can only imagine what you'll be like in my chamber."

A gasp falls from her lips at his horrid and vile words. He grin spreads wider when he sees the fear in her eyes. But it falls as a hand grabs the back of his breastplate.

"That's enough!" Harwin shoves Aegon away.

Aegon stands in a hurry. "You dare put hands on me!"

"Aegon!" Visenya hears her Grandsire call from above. She doesn't look at him.

She is paralyzed in fear. The words that fell from his lips echo in her mind. I can only imagine what you'll be like in my chamber.

Jacaerys and Lucerys rush to her. They grab her hands and pull her to her feet. Jace looks at his sister. "What did he say to you?"

She shakes her head.

"You forget yourself, Strong. That is the prince." Criston says to the other knight.

"This is what you teach, Cole?" Harwin asks as he kneels down to pick up the wooden swords. "Cruelty. . . to the weaker opponent? For the man to hit the girl and make her bleed?"

"Your interest in the princess and princeling's training is quite unusual, Commander." Criston starts. Visenya immediately knows where he is going. "Most men would only have that kind of devotion toward a cousin. . . or a sibling. . . or a son and daughter."

Harwin says nothing as he whirls around. His fist connects with Criston's jaw in the same way Aegon's did to Visenya's mouth.

The three Velayron siblings gasp. Instinctively, they all reach for each other. They watch with wide eyes as Criston falls onto his back. Harwin lunges forward, punching him continuously.

Several white cloaks rush forward, grabbing hold of the man to hold him back. Two, three, four.

"Say it again!" Harwin roars. "Say it again!"

─────────

Visenya sits in the longue chair on the balcony of her chambers. A history book rests on the table beside her. She pays it no mind. She looks out in front of her, eyes in the sky.

Kaydness flies above King's Landing. Her screech fills the sky. She seems angry. Visenya understands. She is angry as well, scared and sad. Threatened by her own uncle.

Kaydness must have sensed the princess's unease and anger, unable to rest so she took the sky.

The sound of her door opening causes her to snap her attention away from her dragon. Her mother enters her room.

"Mother," Visenya greets.

Rhaenrys strides over. She takes a seat beside her daughter. The two of them sit in silence as they watch Kaydness soar over King's Landing.

Visenya glances at her mother from the corner of her eyes. She wonders that if she is thinking of her own mother, Aemma Arryn. Visenya's grandmother died giving birth to her Uncle Baelon who died the next day. Aemma rode Kaydness for twenty years of her life, longer than Daenys the Dreamer had.

"Visenya," Rhaenrya starts.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Ser Hawrin tells me that Ser Criston made you fight against Aegon in the training yard today." She says to her only daughter. "He also mentioned that the prince struck you with his fist when he needn't."

Visenya shrugs. "It's just training."

"And your brother's have told me that Aegon said something vile to you while you were down, that you haven't even told Jace what he said." Rhaenrya says. "Will you tell me?"

Visenya is silent. For years, she has listened to Aegon's foul comments. She has seen the way the maids in the Red Keep rush past him and the way he is so cruel to Helaena and Aemond. Aegon has never touched her in a way, but the words he says and the look in his eyes tells her that he will if he truly wants to. He has four year of age on her, along with a foot of height, and more strength.

She brings her hand to her mouth, her teeth sinking into the skin around her finger nails. Rhaenrya raises her hand, gently grabbing her daughter's wrist to bring it away from her teeth.

"He said he might get Grandsire and Alicent to wed me to him instead of Helaena. That if I was that fierce while training, he wondered what I would be like within his bed." Visenya admits.

She hears the way her mother sucks in a breath. Rhaenyra's eyes turn angry. She is angry with her brother for daring to say such a thing to her daughter. She is angry with Criston Cole for allowing him to strike her down and make her bleed, knowing that if Visenya had done the same to Aegon, there would be harsher punishments. And she is angry with herself, for allowing her only daughter go fight with the boys.

"Mother." Visenya continues. "Do you wish that I was born differently? That I was born with the desire to wed Aemond and bare his children? Because I do not wish for such. I cannot marry him, or Aegon. I cannot."

Rhaenrya's reaches up, brushing a piece of her daughter's hair from her face. "No, My Love. I would never wish for you to have been born differently. You are my only daughter. You are a piece of my that your brother's are not."

─────────

After the incident in the training yard, Harwin is being sent back to Harrenhall in attempt to subdue the whispers among the whispers people of the Red Keep and King's Landing that Rhaenyra's four children are those of Harwin Strong and not Laenor Velaryon.

Visenya and her brothers are dressed in their night attire. They are all gathered in Lucerys' chambers once again. The sister sits on the couch. Her teeth sink into the skin around her fingernails, pulling at the hangnails.

She watches with her tear filled eyes as blood blossoms at the surface of her skin. She does not make a move to wipe away the blood nor he tears. She allows a dribble of blood to drip onto the floor beneath her.

"Be good to your mother, children. And lads, make sure that cu— that Prince Aegon does not bother your sister anymore." Harwin says to the children. "I'll visit when I can. But that may be some time."

Jacaerys looks at Harwin. He moves to stand beside their mother. Rhaenyra uses one hand to run through his hair. "Jace."

Visenya glances up at them as Harwin approaches Jace, Rhaenrya, and the babe in her arms. "I will return." He says. He places his fingers on the bottom of Jace's chin, lifting his head to look at him. "I promise."

His eyes then en nice to the girl sitting on the sofa. He moves. Visenya does not meet his eyes as he kneels in front of her.

He reaches up, grabbing her hands gently in his own leather clade hands. She still does not meet his eyes. She watches as he wipes the blood away.

Her stomach twists in a way, knowing that he will not longer be there to protect her from Aegon's torment and nasty words. Will it be Aegon that draws her blood next?

"Visenya," his voice meets her eyes.

Only then does she look up. She can tell that Harwin's own eyes are glassy, though he hides it better than she. She blinks, allowing a tear to slip down her cheek.

Harwin reaches up, brushing the tear away.

His next words are whispered, meant for her ears only. "You will always be my daughter."

She cannot help the small cry that falls from her lips. From where she stands, Rhaenrya watches as Visenya stands, wrapping her arms around Harwin's neck. Due to his kneeling height, the knight wraps his arms around her middle. He holds her just as tight, if not tighter than Visenya holds him.

Visenya breaks the hug.

When Harwin moves away from his one and only daughter, she stands. She rushes to the balcony. She looks out at King's Landing. She can not bare to watch as her true father walks through the doors, knowing it will be years before they reunite again.

They did not have enough time together.

______________________________

word count: 2,757

TEARS.

i actually cannot function after writing this chapter. the relationship with visenya and harwin is so precious. and the fact that he knows she knows, and then says THAT to her at the end of this chapter?? throwing up everywhere rn.

and the way he defended her in the training yard and told her to go for the groin?? king activity fr.

and jace 🥲. he is my precious child. the way he protects his twin sister as best he can. no one gets them like i do.

and when rhaenrya comes in to comfort her only daughter. i cannot. to the people that say rhae is a bad mom, YOU ARE CRAZY. rhaenrya is a great mom who lost her son, then proceeds to lose two more, and a daughter as well.

but aegon. UGH. i hate his guts. like i actually cannot stand aegon targaryen. the only good thing about him is his actor. we love tom glynn-carney on this account, and we also separate the character from the actor so don't even try to hate on tom glynn-carney for the character he plays.

new chapter is super sad and super intense and i hope you guys are excited for when i publish it because i just keep adding more and more stuff to it every time i proof read it!