chapter zero
❪ blades and blood ❫

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Driftmark
— 120 AC

Vaenera Targaryen felt numb, it all felt like a sick jest. One minute her and her little brother were on cloud nine as he had finally claimed a dragon and they were able to fly through the skies side by side. Then as they returned to the castle he was being ganged up on by their cousins and nephews for stealing Vhagar.

Aemond had said some cruel things, many unnecessary insults that Vaenera truly didn't agree with but that did not mean she thought he deserved to have his eye maimed.

Vaenera understood where Luke was coming from. He was protecting his brother, so was she. That had been the only reason she was involved in the fight — even if Aemond handled it all in the worst way possible, Vaenera was not going to stand aside waiting for the worst while her little brother had three other kids on top of him.

She tried to get them all to stop, yet none of them would listen to reason, they were filled with too much anger - blinded by the fiery fury. She had been shoved into the rock wall by Jace as he tried his hardest to get to Aemond. This caused her to hit her head brutally and as she touched the back of it, weaving her fingers through her hair, only to hiss when she felt pain throughout her mind. She pulled her hands back in front of her eyesight and found blood coating her fingers.

She stood back ignoring the soreness coursing through her head as she shouted for Aemond to back off when he stood above Jace with a rock in hand about to do an immoral thing. Then she was crying in horror when she saw Luke running at Aemond with a blade held high in his tiny hand.

Vaenera suddenly forgot all about her own wound as she ran over to them, pushing Luke away harsher than the little boy could handle. She crouched down to her little brother who was screaming in agony and fear whilst holding his hand over his left eye, blood falling down his face like a tap dripping water, splashing all over both their clothes similar to how the rain would pour on a stormy day.

He begged Vaenera to help him, hoping that his big sister - who always stood up and protected him no matter what - would wake him from what he hoped was a nightmare and his face would not be trickling with blood. But it wasn't a nightmare, the horror was all real life in that moment and not evening Vaenera could fix it.

All she could do was hold him and whisper reassuring words as the guards rushed to take control of the situation. But nothing she did could take Aemond's pain and that broke Vaenera's heart.

Her siblings were very dear to her. While she did mostly avoid Aegon at all costs because the boy pissed her off more than anything he was still her big brother who she was yet to completely give up on. And Helaena was her twin who she would do absolutely anything for, Vaenera was very protective of her. She also loved Daeron, her baby brother, very much but she never really saw the boy as he resided in Oldtown as a cupbearer with her mothers side of the family.

Then there was Aemond and even if she were closest to Helaena for obvious reasons, she and her little brother shared a bond that no one else in their twisted family had the pleasure of understanding. They bonded over the fact that they went years without dragons whilst their siblings each had their own. Aemond saw his sister as a warrior, one that he looked up to and she was the only one to treat him kindly, to listen to him when he needed to rant and someone who encouraged him to grow as a person and stand up for himself. No one knew Aemond Targaryen quite like the way Vaenera did.

So to see him so badly hurt and not being able to do anything - the fact that she didn't prevent this caused guilt to form in her heart and mind.

Now she sat beside the injured boy who had a tight grip on her hand as a maester stitched up his wound. Alicent stood close by watching with tears falling at the sight of her son's precious face. Helaena stood on the other side of Vaenera, holding her twins other hand as she observed anxiously. Aegon too stared at his siblings in slight concern despite the disgust he felt in his stomach at the sight of Aemond's wound and the blood covering his sister's own face and clothing.

Vaenera had a nasty gash upon the back of her head, her white Targaryen hair was tinted crimson from the blood that had gushed out. It wasn't too deep and didn't require stitches so the maesters only had to clean the wound and bandage it up.

"How could you allow such a thing to happen?" The King questioned his kingsguard, "I will have answers."

"The princes and princess were supposed to be abed, my king," Harrold, Lord commander of the kingsguard, replied.

Vaenera ignored the conversation between her father and his kingsguards. She stared at the floor blankly, all she wanted was to run out, jump on her dragon and fly away from it all.

"It will heal, will it not, maester?" Alicent's fearful question snapped her youngest daughter back to reality.

Maester Kelvyn continued to stitch the wound as Aemond winced and squirmed in his seat at the pain, squeezing Vaenera's hand so tight that both their knuckles began to turn as white at their hair.

"The flesh will heal. But the eye is lost, Your Grace," the Maester answered.

Alicent let out a shaky breath as she tried to keep her tears at bay. She marched over to her eldest son and angrily asked, "Where were you?"

"Me?" He flinched and whimpered as she slapped him across the face, "Ow! What was that for?"

Vaenera flinched too, her and Aegon receiving such treatment far more often than their siblings.

"That was nothing compared to the abuse your brother and sister suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool," Alicent scowled at him in anger, disappointment and disgust.

Vaenera looked down. Yes, she believed Aegon a fool, but that did not mean he deserved to be held accountable for something that had nothing to do with him and was very much not his fault.

"What is the meaning of this?" Corlys voice bounced through the room as he and his wife rushed in.

"Baela, Rhaena!" Rhaenys gasped at the sight of her granddaughters, "What happened? What happened?"

Hardly a minute later another door opened and Vaenera watched her half sister, Rhaenyra, look around the crowd for her children, "Jace? Luke! Show me. Show me." She examined her son before demanding, "Who did this?"

"They attacked me and my sister!" Aemond exclaimed.

Rhaenyra frowned slightly as she finally set her sights on Vaenera. The young girl was the only one to have a sort of relationship with the future Queen out of her and her siblings. Vaenera, against her mothers wishes, had tended to try with her half sister and begun having conversations with her regularly. At first Rhaenyra was uncomfortable with the girl not understanding her persistence to form a bond but soon came to enjoy her presence.

"He attacked Baela!" All the children that were involved in the pathetic brawl began shouting over one another. Each of them throwing the blame around and trying to defend themselves. All besides a certain princess.

Vaenera just stared ahead of her not partaking in the idiotic argument. Not believing anyone was truly innocent in the situation. Each of them had done something they shouldn't have.

The girl had noticed her uncle Daemon leaning on a wall away from everyone with an amused look on his face at the drama that he for once was not involved in. Even though his daughters were involved, yet he didn't seem to be worried about that at the moment.

She couldn't help but chuckle silently when he met her eyes and raised a brow with a smirk dancing on his lips. She shook her head at him and looked away, turning back to the mayhem.

"It should be my children telling the tale!" Alicent decided to take part in the childishness.

"Silence!" The King bellowed causing the room to fall silent. No one dare said a word to anger him further. "Aemond, Vaenera," he slowly walked over to the two. His breath was falling short as he was growing weaker each day, "I will have the truth of what happened. Now."

"What else is there to hear? Your son and daughter have been maimed. Her sons are responsible," Alicent spoke.

"It was a regrettable accident," Rhaenyra claimed.

"Accident?" The Queen scoffed, "The Prince Lucerys brought a blade to the ambush. He meant to kill my son."

"The entire situation was foolish," Vaenera spoke, causing all eyes to fall on her, "father," she looked him in the eye, "Baela, Rhaena, Luke and Jace cornered me and Aemond when we returned from flying. Aemond had just claimed Vhagar. Baela and Rhaena weren't happy with that. Rhaena came at Aemond first and everything escalated from there. Punches were thrown, insults were spat but nonetheless everyone involved played a part and did or said something they shouldn't have."

All the people in the room stared at the girl with different expressions after her explanation. She just stared at her father emotionlessly.

"Thank you, dear girl," Viserys spoke, sincerely, "thank you for being honest and explaining."

"It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves," Rhaenyra declared, giving Vaenera an apologetic look. "Vile insults were levied against them."

"What insults?"

Aemond and Vaenera shared a glance, the latter shaking her head and looking away knowing this was just going to escalate the whole thing once again.

The silence was deafening as everyone awaited Rhaenyra's reply.

"The legitimacy of my sons' birth was put loudly to question," she explained after a moment.

"What?"

"He called us bastards," Jace's quiet voice was heard, yet it was so silent in the room his words came out as clear as day.

Vaenera squeezed her eyes shut as she damned the gods for not letting her pass out when she hit her head. It would have been much better than this disaster.

She scoffed quietly when Aemond hid his face in her shoulder only to hide his malicious smile.

Rhaenyra stepped forward, keeping her sons behind her, shielded from everyone's sights. "My sons are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, Your Grace. This is the highest of treasons. Prince Aemond must be sharply questioned so we might learn where he heard such slanders."

"Over an insult?" Alicent queried, incredulously. "My son has lost an eye."

For once Vaenera understood where her mother was coming from. She did believe what Aemond said was wrong and stupid of him but he had lost an eye, that seemed like punishment enough.

"My daughter has a gash upon the back of her head caused by Prince Jacaerys shoving her into a wall," Alicent added, taking Vaenera by surprise.

She didn't expect her mother to worry much about her. Her injury was nothing compared to Aemond's. At least that was what she was telling herself. Besides Alicent never hid that Aemond was her favourite and even if he weren't Vaenera would still be quite low on the list.

"You tell me, boy," Viserys turned back to his son, glowering down at him, "Where did you hear this lie?"

Aemond remained silent, only squeezing his older sister for comfort under their fathers heated gaze.

"The insult was training yard bluster," Alicent cut in trying to take the attention from her son, "The lot of boys. It was nothing."

Viserys ignored his wife, keeping his eyes trained on the prince, "Aemond...I asked you a question."

"Where is Ser Laenor, I wonder?" Alicent did her best to change the subject once again, "The boys' father? Perhaps he might have something to say in the matter."

Vaenera knew why she was doing this. Because she had been the one to feed the insults of the Velaryon boy's parentage into her sons head.

"Yes. Where is Ser Laenor?" Viserys wondered.

"I do not know, Your Grace," Rhaenyra spoke, "I...could not find sleep. I had gone out to walk."

Vaenera made eye contact with Daemon again, raising a knowing brow at him that caused him to chuckle quietly.

"Entertaining his young squires, I would venture," Alicent mused dryly.

"Aemond," Viserys brought the attention back to the boy, "look at me. Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?"

Everyone waited in anticipation for the answer and Aemond weighed his options. He shared a look with Vaenera which caught Viserys' attention and he watched them both look towards their mother.

Alicent only caught her daughter's eyes and her stomach lurched. Her and Vaenera always had a complicated relationship. She was constantly infuriated with how difficult the girl was. And it was already a struggle enough that she never really knew how to do the whole mother thing especially with having her children so young.

Many things had been said between the two that Alicent regretted. She knew one of the reasons Vaenera acted out was for attention. Viserys never paid any mind to his children with Alicent unless they had done something wrong and herself suffered with how to handle certain situations as a mother. Her own died when she was young and her father wasn't that much of a parent.

Vaenera wanted love and Alicent was never sure how to give it to her. The only time they talked was when they argued after the princess had been up to mischief again. But deep down Alicent did love her so much she just went the wrong way about it all. She followed her father's footpath in using the girl for power just as he once did her.

And instead of mending the broken relationship, she was shipping her daughter North for who knows how long. This caused bitterness and ugly hatred to form within Vaenera, something that would only worsen over the years.

Although the naivety was still there, especially in that moment. The young girl who longed for the love and comfort of her mother. So she kept her mouth shut, deciding not to speak the truth.

Neither was Aemond, but he was more than prepared to lie, "It was Aegon."

"Me?" Aegon stared at his brother dumbfounded.

"Him?" Vaenera also questioned in disbelief.

Viserys ignored his youngest daughter and hobbled over to his eldest son, "And you, boy? Where did you hear such calumnies?" Aegon kept his mouth shut, fearful of the outcome he would receive if he dared to speak. "Aegon! Tell me the truth of it!"

"We know, Father," the boy admitted quietly, a deep frown on his face, "Everyone knows. Just look at them."

Viserys was rendered speechless. Everyone yet again enduring the agonising silence.

"This interminable infighting must cease!" The King finally snapped, "All of you! We are family! Now make your apologies and show good will to one another. Your father, your grandsire, your king demands it!"

Vaenera honestly found her father pathetic at times like this. His obliviousness was truly astonishing, his ignorance was vexatious and his decisions were pointless.

"That is insufficient," Alicent said, tears still built up in her eyes, "Aemond has been damaged, permanently, my king. 'Good will' cannot make him whole."

"I know, Alicent," Viserys sighed as he faced the Queen once more, "but I cannot restore his eye."

"No, because it's been taken," Alicent replied pointedly.

"What would you have me do?"

"There is a debt to be paid," Alicent announced, her children had been injured and justice needed to be served. "I shall have one of her son's eyes in return."

Murmurs rang out through the mass of people, gasps of shock at the queen's words. Vaenera couldn't comprehend that her mother was taking it this far. She squeezed her eyes shut once again as her throbbing head was only getting worse the longer she was in the area, surrounded by multiple people.

"My dear wife—"

Alicent cut him off, "He is your son, Viserys," her voice almost breaking, "Your blood."

"Do not...allow your temper to guide your judgment," Viserys stepped closer to her, his cane tapping against the stone floors as he did so.

"If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will. Ser Criston," Alicent's gaze went from her sworn protector to Rhaenyra, "bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon."

The boy himself cried to his mother fearfully while the woman kept herself in front of her child. Vaenera let go of her sibling's hands as she leisurely stood from her seat. Helaena kept a hand on her twin's arm as she swayed a little.

"Alicent—"

"He can choose which eye to keep, a privilege he did not grant my son," she continued, ignoring everyone's words.

"You will do no such thing," Rhaenyra spoke calmly but a hint of fear could be detected.

"Stay your hand," Viserys ordered.

"No, you are sworn to me!" Alicent shouted.

"As your protector, my queen," Criston spoke as he shifted, feeling awkward with the attention now on him.

"Alicent, this matter...is finished," Viserys told her firmly, "Do you understand?" She didn't reply yet he continued, "And let it be known, anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra's sons should have it removed."

"Thank you, Father," Rhaenyra nodded, gratefully.

All hell then broke loose as Alicent marched towards her husband and snatched his dagger. She turned and faced Rhaenyra and her sons, striding towards them with the blade held high.

Everyone broke out into chaos as they began shouting. Rhaenyra spun around at the last minute and grabbed Alicent's arm trying hard to keep her back from her children and the blade away from slicing her own face.

"You've gone too far," Rhaenyra said.

Vaenera sighed deeply as she fell back into her chair, "gods give me strength," she pleaded exhaustedly. She was over everything and everyone at that moment. Going to Winterfell was looking to be the best option at this point.

"I?" Alicent breathed out, "What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law. While you flout it all to do as you please."

"Alicent! Let her go!" Viserys demanded.

"Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It's trampled under your pretty foot again."

"Release the blade, Alicent," Otto Hightower commanded his daughter, calmly.

"And now you take my son's eye, and to even that, you feel entitled," Alicent continued disregarding everyone's words as she cried.

"Exhausting, wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness," Rhaenyra spat back,

Alicent's hand trembled as she stared into her once best friend's eyes.

"But now they see you as you are. Even your own daughter has begun to turn on you," Rhaenyra whispered heartlessly.

That pushed the Queen over the edge. She let out a scream as she shoved Rhaenyra back into Corlys, slicing her arm with the dagger as she did so.

No one muttered a word as they watched blood slowly dripped down the princesses arm. Alicent herself stared at it in terror, as if the sight of the crimson liquid had set in what she had done, the dagger fell from her hand, clattering to the ground.

Aemond pushed past a few people to reach his mother, "Do not mourn me, Mother," he said, "It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon."

Vaenera scoffed from her seat, "yeah, a wonderfully fair exchange." She shook her head in disbelief, disregarding the looks she received.

"This proceeding is at an end," Viserys stern voice announced before he turned and left the chaos.

Vaenera stood once more watching as Daemon moved towards Rhaenyra taking a look at her injury, Criston standing behind Alicent, picking up the dagger and Aemond wrapping his arms around their mother leaning into her for comfort.

Everyone was taking sides. The greens on Vanera's left and the blacks on her right. Both factions glaring at each other. The girl glanced between her divided family before making eye contact with her mother and then Rhaenyra. It was as if they were wondering where she stood in that moment only for her to shake her head and walk out.

Vaenera hadn't chosen a side. Which meant she was fending for herself. It didn't matter all that much though, because unbeknownst to her this incident would be the last time she would encounter with her family for years.

Come the morrow Vaenera would leave on her own, to a place unfamiliar to her, filled with strangers.

A place that would become her home filled with people she would come to call her family.