VISERRA TARGARYEN

However, boredom during those days consumed his mind when the twilight appeared. Who would it annoy? Who would she upset? The options were disappearing as her boredom grew, in a matter of being so upset to say when is this man going to arrive? The man in question was Garrick Cargyll, whom unfortunately - for him - Viserra had a lot of, um, affection for. Pissing him off was fun, provoking him even more so, a favourite pastime for the Targaryen "Not as fast as I'd like" She replied, squeezing her eyes shut after scanning the man, he was handsome, a sight the princess loved "Did you miss me?" She tilted her head, with a kind of smile on her lips, asking permission to enter the room "Did you know that it's been a terrible bore without you here?" She puts his hands to his chest, theatrically "The poor soldiers couldn't stand my demands any longer, poor things"

“I had no idea my absence was so profoundly felt,” he stated back calmly, determined to keep his steely composure. “I do pity those you've chosen to torment, princess. They're willing to risk it all for your brother and you, and you treat them like playthings? It's a shame,” he added, his tone lighter than what his words suggested. He would not reprimand the princess as if she was a child, after all.

The Cargyll lord did not step back as she closed the distance, blue eyes flickering to the hand she placed against his chest. She wished to walk in but he would not have the Targaryen princess inside his chambers, alone. “I must report back to your brother soon,” he said, only taking her hands to slowly get them off his chest. Garrick's hand went to the doorknob then, stepping forth to close it. Another polite deflection. And so the two stood outside his chambers. “I wouldn't dare keep the king waiting,” the knight added. And that was the crux of it. For duty and honor, for the immense love and respect Garrick had for Jae, Viserra could continue to play her game with him and the Cargyll lord would not bend.

“Of course it was,” he replies simply, casting an oblique glance at me “You're the most fun to torment, Garrick. Who but you, my brother's best friend and sworn sword, would be so defiantly tempting to tease?” She was direct, after all, it was crystal clear that the man in front of her knew her motives, her futile and frivolous motives; Viserra saw no reason to hide it, every glance she made made her intentions clear “I wouldn't be the first princess to play with soldiers, in fact, nor the first noblewoman” She batted her eyelashes innocently “You know” She sighs, clucking her tongue; the princess definitely wouldn't be the last.

A grimace sketched across his face as Garrick took his hands off his chest, rolling his eyes and holding back the urge to smile; teasing was fun, having your teasing refused was, in other situations, annoying, but in this one it was different. Challenging. 

“Who would keep my brother waiting, right?” She repeated, in a low tone. All about honor and duty, it was the essential fact, the balance between the things she liked to provoke “If my company isn't boring, knight” She smiled, setting off to walk beside him.

"What could I say to annoy him? I just want to know who I need to trust, Jaehaerys… I can consider them all my enemies, if that's easier’ Her brother was angry, very stressed, she could tell, anything he said that could be the slightest bit misunderstood, she knew that the King could snap right in front of her. Viserra didn't want that. "You can't carry all this weight on your own, brother, I can help you, we're the head of a single dragon, you know" She said as he watched his gaze fall on Alicent and his eyes grew heavy, his condition was worse than he had imagined. "I talked to Lord Peake, trying to get things out of my system" She whispers at the end, biting his lip.

The flicker of fury in his eyes grew stronger as he waited for her response. The thought of Viserra confiding in Lord Peake gnawed at him, stirring a deep-seated fear of betrayal. Their grandmother's plight, the looming threats from every direction, and now this—uncertainty crept into his heart, but he could not afford to show it.

"I will not tolerate secrets, Viserra. Not now, not when we are surrounded by enemies on all sides." His voice shook with barely contained rage. "You think I carry this weight alone? We are Targaryens. We stand together, or we fall. So, if there is something you have hidden from me, now is the time to speak."

“Lord Peake came to me to find out about my condition after the incident with our grandmother” She began, moistening his throat and softening the expression on his face, flashing his eyes like a vulnerable sheep, a victim “I assured him that I was fine, showed him that it wasn't an arrow that would scare me after everything I'd been through and took the opportunity to ask my own questions, brother”

The princess was being cautious, step by step she would reveal the subject of the conversation, slowly to soften the likely reprimand she would receive. Although, of course, she knew that, from the furious look on her brother's face, slowness would not please him. 

“What kind of secrets would I have against you, brother? Do you think I plan to steal your crown? I have no support for that” The silver-haired woman knew that wasn't what he was talking about, but a light-hearted part of her couldn't resist playing along a little; it was her escape from the screaming anxiety, along with the biting of the corners of her nails, already lacerated “She should die, it would be one less problem to deal with” She confesses, hinting at his grandmother's condition “That's the secret on my mind, brother, I think our grandmother should die. That's how we Targaryens will be together.” The pronunciation of his blood carried weight in Viserra's voice, for implicit reasons from the past.

"And grown up, he's practically two inches taller than me" She says, trying to make herself relax "I used to be the taller of the two of us" She watches him approach her with a sideways smile, Viserra was almost willing to start flirting there for fun "I don't think so" She accepts his outstretched "As children we'll disappear from watchful eyes, privacy is something I like and I think we both need it" She accepts Rhaegar's suggestion.

A lopsided grin built on his lips. Viserra had been taller, a couple years older and as much of a mischievous thing as he had been. Together, they had as much havoc as children their ages had been able to. Times had changed, but it seemed their spirits still lingered within their interactions. Flashes of the past blending seamlessly into the present. "Taller, more cunning," he muttered, his fingers wrapping around hers as she took his hand. "I could go on, but I will spare you the tales of the past."

It did not take them long to reach the maze and trace familiar steps to the very center. Rhaegar thought he heard giggling somewhere, children enjoying the shade the large hedges. "They took me to Braavos," he began, without preamble. "Where did they take you?"

"I didn't deny that he was one. You realize that, don't you?" She fixed his posture, raising his height a little more, trying to put himself on the Lord's level, eye to eye, without having to raise his chin "A decision that talks about our two kingdoms, don't you worry about what might happen? I'm just a princess worried about my subjects, I can't let another war hit society" Her tone is cynical, a mixture of truth and irony.

"We burned because absolute power was in our hands, who else could decide the fate of seven great regions but a Targaryen? But I have to add that this demonstration of power was kind of silly, it cost something and you don't even have to be smart to notice that. But the point is, nothing would be as it is now if it weren't for us, it has its value in history" She defends his family's point, adding his sincere thought. She might have been being silly, but it was a real point, all the kings who exist now need to be grateful to the stupidity of her father, her grandmother and Rhaenyra herself, they would be nothing, they wouldn't exist "You're good, you know that? So tough, anyone else would have burst in front of me by now" She runs away from the question, throwing the crazy targaryen look.

"no, princess. it does not bother me." he answer was laced with restraint, his voice low and steady. "the decisions you speak of are the king's to make alone. i serve a different role, and i am quite comfortable where i am." he had seen the cost of unbridled, untempered ambition, in gold, when he looked at his ledgers, and in other aspects of life, when he looked at the faces of those effected the last time the targaryens brought war to the realm.

she shifted closer, lifting her head to stare him down, but tion did not yield. she was a confident thing, throwing her power and position around without little thought. she would need to be careful with that. there were far less patient men than tion, who would respond with far less courtesy. her pride, her belief in targaryen supremacy, as though she and hers were owed something by history, respect and power from those who had freed their lands from their yoke, was painted on her expression.

"even if history did owe your family its gratitude," his voice was a measured calm, even if he fundamentally disagreed with the sentiment. she might call her ancestors conquerors, but they were, in truth, invaders. "you have made it clear that you expect far more than thanks. power is an addiction, your grace. it crushes the shoulders of those who seek more of it than they are strong enough to carry under its weight."

he took a deliberate step back, drawing a line between them. "you may come to understand that strength lies not in fire and fury, but patience and duty. but i am not the man to change your mind." he bowed then, ever mindful of his manners. "if that is all, your grace, may i take my leave?"

the princess had not been what she expected so far. she was used to valyrian women looking down upon her, seeing only her stormlander heritage and not the shared blood of the freehold. and yet, minthara was still suspicious of her. this was the sister of a man who was paying his debt to the westerlands with stormlander coin and fighting his battles with the dornish with stormlander blood. that, she could not forget, and though her guard was lowering, she would not tear it down completely. she would not become viserra targaryen's little pet, her stormlander jester, a target of mockery without even knowing it.

“I’m sure any of them would be thrilled to catch your eye,” she replied. and the guards might, but jaehaerys targaryen would likely be less than thrilled. but then, perhaps the rules were different when your brother wore a crown upon his brow. it wouldn't surprise her. she was used to the rules changing depending on who they were being applied to. or perhaps viserra simply did not care for propriety. it was not as though minthara herself had not thrown morals out of the window to indulge in a spot of flirtation herself. "i haven't. why on earth would i want to?" even she had her limits. "a tavern is one thing, i ain't gonna waste what's left of my reputation strolling into a brothel. that's the kind of scandal people will never forget."

she shook her head, a crease appearing between her eyebrows. "no. no, my mother isn't like that. for the most part she lets me be me. greenstone's just too close to dorne." close enough that the knot of worry in her stomach was constant. "you sound like you wanted me to jump. remind me not to go with you to blackwater bay, you might push me in," she countered, finally managing a small smile, before it was wiped from her face by the latter question. "well," she began, slowly. "we are far from home whilst our brothers are called to war. it's a lot when you are fifteen." it was a lot for minthara at twenty-six, but it wasn't until then that she realised salaenna must be in a worse state, and minty had done little to support her through it. "plus, she has to deal with me, and i have not been the best sister."

Viserra's tone was light, as relaxed as her steps through the garden corridors. She felt she didn't need to be tense, with a defiant posture the whole time she was around Minthara; so comfortable that she was suggesting random, frivolous things, the princess knew it wouldn't be so easy to disguise herself, her face was well-known, popular with her subjects and, frankly, she wouldn't put herself at such risk. She knew very well that the Targaryen line needed her, in part, to survive. However, he still wanted to have fun with Eastermont, if she was willing. 

“It wouldn't be that much fun for me, I like challenges or things that stimulate me, a soldier would result in nothing, it's not worth it” In all honesty, Viserra loved to provoke people; to put them off their guard and play with their minds “However, I wasn't born a man to do whatever I want, of course, I don't want you to think I have too much freedom” And if she did, she wouldn't make it clear to Minthara, not yet “I just like annoying the people around me”

The princess tilts her head, noticing the bit of panic in the Lady of Greenstone; unexpected. Had Minthara really thought she would push her into one of these things? I mean, it would be fun to watch the depravity of this place, even perhaps to see a lady lose her reputation there; but, you see, Viserra didn't hate anyone this much. Least of all a young woman who had been forced to be his lady-in-waiting “Or they'll forget, a war is about to break out” She never stopped joking  “Relax, we're not going anywhere like that” She reassures her. 

“I didn't want you to jump, but, well, maybe you weren't happy to know you'd have a lady-in-waiting either” She squinted his eyes for a moment, showing that the situation had also been chaotic for him, and then converted his posture. Every time Minthara spoke of home, she was reminded of the situation that she was doing her best to forget; Viserra preferred to pretend that she didn't know about the situation that was taking place outside the realm of her eyes; a great stupidity, perhaps. But look, she wasn't oblivious, she just pretended very well that something wasn't happening “If it's any comfort, I'm a terrible sister many times.”

"For now?" She whispered his words, turning her eyes to Maximus' face. Viserra knew that of all the people there, the man wasn't the most recommended person for a friendly hug, but of all the options around her - most were like her, lost - he would have to do "Could you accompany me to my tent?" Her voice is still distressed and anxious, not as confident and wild as usual "I'm not going to fool around, I'm afraid to go alone" She confesses in a string "I don't even know if I can get there on my own"

and so this was what the other coin of targaryen fragility was: not a majestic destiny for greatness, but a sense of weakness in the mind that appeared to make one even with royal blood appear pathetic and small. "you seem delirious." his words sounded blunt in the moment as her hand moved over her mouth, and he ignored the slight tremble of her hands or the way in which her eyes seemed to glisten.

he prayed she would not start dramatically bawling on him, for he knew he would need to react - considering he sought to take the position of hand of the king, any good word was a good word.

he would feign pity and reassurance, if it meant the king's sister thought him reliable. even if he wished to simply leave her to her devices, to stagger away and end up out of a window for all he cared. "as can only be expected, of course. this must be harrowing for you, your highness." when is any day not harrowing for her? why did it seem as though this woman found existing tiresome and draining?

when she asked him to accompany her to her apartments, his reptilian gaze momentarily froze; for his worst instincts came over him. it would not be hard to get an attention seeking fragile princess in his bed. he would marry her, and end up entangling his house with the family tree of the targaryens. but that would be it. he would have no power, no influence. he needed to work smarter than that.

“What level of danger are we in?” She asks, turning her gaze to him “Is Cedric Tyrell our enemy or our friend?” He asks another question, without caring about titles or eloquence; that was his brother “Where would I travel? My place is by your side, there's nowhere else I'd like to be” She arched her eyebrow as she listened to his request. A part of the princess was nervous about the direction this conversation might take. 

“Thank you” She thanked him for his gesture, her eyes squinting “What's tormenting you, brother?”

"He is not our friend. I have not yet decided if he is an enemy." Jaehaerys stepped toward her, pausing. "Though, my mind can change should you be on the brink of telling me something that will anger me." He didn't need to hear something unseemly from his sister with the state he was in. The king of dragons would find himself in chains should rage take him over.

"What could I say to annoy him? I just want to know who I need to trust, Jaehaerys… I can consider them all my enemies, if that's easier’ Her brother was angry, very stressed, she could tell, anything he said that could be the slightest bit misunderstood, she knew that the King could snap right in front of her. Viserra didn't want that. "You can't carry all this weight on your own, brother, I can help you, we're the head of a single dragon, you know" She said as he watched his gaze fall on Alicent and his eyes grew heavy, his condition was worse than he had imagined. "I talked to Lord Peake, trying to get things out of my system" She whispers at the end, biting his lip.

The Litha festival had been an enjoyable affair. It was not his first year attending, for Lord Ronan and Lady Brianna had made him a guest of their house during the time of the festival in previous years. He appreciated the time to run into Bri, chat and dance, laugh and argue. it was their way, to sway between teasing and quarreling. The knight had seen the Mallister lady as well, and for the good of all they had not found themselves in the middle of another dispute. He did make a point to meet her eyes every now and then during the event, perhaps to provoke her, perhaps to see if he could get her to blush some.

The sworn sword of Jaehaerys was still unpacking, beginning to settle back in his chambers within the keep after the trip. He haphazardly folded some shirts, set them aside, and it was then that he heard a knock on the door. Sword at his hip, his hand resting on the hilt, he went over to see who it was. “News travel fast,” was the first thing he said when he saw her. So quickly had the servants around the castle let Viserra know the Cargyll lord was back. Garrick bowed his head in respect then, and simply said “Princess”.

However, boredom during those days consumed his mind when the twilight appeared. Who would it annoy? Who would she upset? The options were disappearing as her boredom grew, in a matter of being so upset to say when is this man going to arrive? The man in question was Garrick Cargyll, whom unfortunately - for him - Viserra had a lot of, um, affection for. Pissing him off was fun, provoking him even more so, a favourite pastime for the Targaryen "Not as fast as I'd like" She replied, squeezing her eyes shut after scanning the man, he was handsome, a sight the princess loved "Did you miss me?" She tilted her head, with a kind of smile on her lips, asking permission to enter the room "Did you know that it's been a terrible bore without you here?" She puts his hands to his chest, theatrically "The poor soldiers couldn't stand my demands any longer, poor things"

‘You may not decide the fate, but you still sit at the big table with everyone’ She rebuts quickly and somewhat haughtily, now, despite her concern about where her dear grandmother would settle, she was curious to find out how neutral Tion Peake would manage to be “Don't get me wrong, but the Gods choose someone's future during war, when they're fighting, or when they're sick and even when a woman is giving birth to their child... but in this situation, it's the men. The kings, the lords, the knights.” She clucked her tongue, being honest, the silver princess wasn't as religious as everyone thought; even with Alicent's upbringing, Viserra was frighteningly profane, or maybe she was just crazy like some Targaryens.

‘I know my title, it usually makes a lot of people bow down to me’ She's obvious, somewhat irritated by his words “Unfortunately being a Valerian, young or not, is in my blood. My ancestors rode dragons, they built Westeros as it is today” she emphasizes, despite knowing that it would be considered an act of extreme arrogance “But we're talking about a woman who serves my brother's lands, his blood, I don't think it would be right to anger the dragon king, would it?”

"those men include your brother," he pointed out, though her words had his mind whirling. if she was asking this questions of him, a master of coin from another realm, whom she did not know, it said a lot about the relationship between those who resided in the red keep. it wasn't exactly information he could use. tion was no spy, but it was something he found interesting nonetheless. "this is a matter for the kings to decide between them, with whoever they choose to take advice from. my expertise does not make me a likely candidate for that."

it was very rare that tion reached his limit, but he saw her attempt to wield her power over him for what it was - a threat. his calm demeanour was a virtue, something he prided himself on, but now, for the first time in a long time, he did not attempt to placate her, to diffuse the situation with neutral words. instead, he spread his arms, and gave an exaggerated bow. "yes, they did. after they burned it to the ground." he pointed out. the realms had stood for thousands of years before the targaryens, and shattered again after scarcely a century. in the pages of history, they would be a footnote. "tell me, your grace. if it would anger king jaehaerys so to keep you in the dark, why has he not enlightened you himself?"

"I didn't deny that he was one. You realize that, don't you?" She fixed his posture, raising his height a little more, trying to put himself on the Lord's level, eye to eye, without having to raise his chin "A decision that talks about our two kingdoms, don't you worry about what might happen? I'm just a princess worried about my subjects, I can't let another war hit society" Her tone is cynical, a mixture of truth and irony.

"We burned because absolute power was in our hands, who else could decide the fate of seven great regions but a Targaryen? But I have to add that this demonstration of power was kind of silly, it cost something and you don't even have to be smart to notice that. But the point is, nothing would be as it is now if it weren't for us, it has its value in history" She defends his family's point, adding his sincere thought. She might have been being silly, but it was a real point, all the kings who exist now need to be grateful to the stupidity of her father, her grandmother and Rhaenyra herself, they would be nothing, they wouldn't exist "You're good, you know that? So tough, anyone else would have burst in front of me by now" She runs away from the question, throwing the crazy targaryen look.

The silver princess snuggled tighter into her sister's embrace, giving herself both mentally and physically to the moment. All she needed was comfort, affection, and Laena was the only person who could do that. A little sad, from a certain perspective "She's supposed to be dead, isn't she?" Viserra's choked voice fills the room as she nervously squeezes her sister's body "How could she have come back? Where have you been?" They are the first questions that manage to escape from the tangle of his mind "No..., I don't know how she is, I haven't had the courage to face everyone yet, the stares..." She closes her eyes, letting a handful of tears fall "I can't stand them, not yet."

In an act of courage, she let go of her sister and walked towards the bed, throwing her body completely onto it and remaining silent for a few minutes. Listening only to Laena's breathing as she tried to organize her whole body "Do you think he'll want to take you to Kingsland? Be honest, he always talks more to you than to me." She asked with genuine doubt. “I can't keep her in the same place, she might try to control me again... Jaehaerys must have already decided about this, tell me.” She begged as she pressed her fingers into the fabric of the bedspread.

laena gave viserra a reassuring squeeze back, and sighed. she could feel her own emotions bubbling to the surface, but made attempts to manage them. she knew she needed to be a source of strength right now, to help calm the other enough where she could face what was to come again. she loved jaehaerys, but she did not think he would have the patience to manage this, not now. and with that thought, laena swallowed. “you need not face anyone yet, sister, you can stay here as long as you need. they can all wait. most will understand.” and while most would sympathize, some would cheer and pray to the seven that alicent hightower would die.

Feeling her sister's grip next to her was comforting, an almost calm in the kind of storm that was brewing. She felt like she could cry for hours next to her, she didn't need to be a dragon next to Laena, she didn't need to be anything; just Viserra, even though, at times, she didn't even want to be herself "I don't think they'd understand, and if I disappeared, they might suspect me of being involved with her, or something worse" She fired, her neurons racing. The princess knew how fast languages could be, they could invent, create and omit. She didn't want to be a victim of this "Any rumour that spreads too quickly is impossible to contain, evil has to be nipped in the bud" Her voice came out nauseated, a mixture of nervousness and melancholy.

"You know I'll find out when everyone else does too. Yes, I'm Princess Viserra, the green one, Jaehaerys' twin sister" He pauses in his train of thought, trying to order his own thoughts "But that doesn't mean I'm privy to the kingdom's affairs, you know, even though I know he loves me, I'm his sister and there are things I… can't fully know" It was true, an almost absolute truth, the silver princess knew her place, just as she knew her importance to her twin, and although she always tested boundaries, there were some that not even her maddest version would dare to cross "I'd prefer her dead, she already was, in fact, her return will only cause more problems… even if she survives or not"

Unfortunately, the Targaryen couldn't keep up with the speed of thought of the people around her, ending up crushed between the movement and stepping on the wrong foot, without realizing that she hadn't continued down the step. Pain shot through her ankle, bringing an ugly grimace to her face, but at that moment it didn't matter how badly she might have been hurt, but at least, in all the confusion, she had been supported before she hit the ground completely.

In any case, his eyes couldn't tear themselves away from his grandmother at Jaehaerys' feet. Was she dead? Has she finally died? Had he been alive all this time? Too many unanswered questions. "Is she alive?" His voice was loud, he didn't care if anyone heard, too caught up in what his mind couldn't process "Are you seeing what I'm seeing... is she here?" She repeated with a faltering and somewhat embarrassed voice to Maximus Celtigar in front of her, the man who had saved her from a possible fall, she didn't know whether to trust him or not, whether it was a flawed and dangerous act, Viserra didn't care, she just needed confirmation of what her eyes were seeing.

It could be a dream, or rather a nightmare that I would soon wake up from. It had to be.

The arrogance of the ruling lord of the entirety of the Crackclaw Point peninsula seemed the most apparent in the way his reptile-like amethyst orbs fixated upon those around him, his expression one of utter disdain and judgement for the courtiers who appeared naturally distressed and afraid by such a thing happening. Only because, within these crowds, he looked upon those who seemed to hold a tight love for the lady of Oldtown more than loyalty to oaths, or their current liege majesty.

"Is she alive you say, Princess?" Maximus asked, his voice lowering as he smoothly transitioned over to speaking High Valyrian with the Princess - truthfully, he hoped she was not. A part of him already fantasied about taking a pillow and smothering what remained left of her, of holding her down as her instinct was to kick and flail beneath his grip. He would think of his uncle as he done so, but then he was broke out of his thoughts as he looked upon the people.

They cried silently and held their hands over their mouths, as though she had been their salvation; the maiden herself, returning back to this mortal realm to guide her flock. Alicent Hightower had been nothing more than a common whore, and the whispers of herself and the Kingmaker were rumours Maximus would gamble much being true.

Alas, there was no real way of knowing; unless Jaehaerys Targaryen looked in horror in the direction of his grandmother, and wherever the Sword of the Morning who appeared uncannily alike to the Cole lord. That was enough of an indication; hysteria and madness seemed to run throughout the veins of this side of the Targaryen family tree. A madness he admittedly did not see in Baelon, and yet, madness was able to be shaped. Whispers could be of use.

"We don't know. Probably." There was a coldness in his voice, akin to the feeling of one feeling snake skin beneath their hand. Discomfort. "For now."

The very same thought flickered to his mind at the sight of the Princess with tears running down her stained cheeks, a voice that was faltering as she fixed an uneasy look toward the Master of Coin. Many would continue to deem him a traitor, a turn cloak; not forgetting the way in which he had done much to try and delay the arrival of Jaehaerys, or do something. When people were doing nothing. "You are not hallucinating, Your Highness. That is her."

"For now?" She whispered his words, turning her eyes to Maximus' face. Viserra knew that of all the people there, the man wasn't the most recommended person for a friendly hug, but of all the options around her - most were like her, lost - he would have to do "Could you accompany me to my tent?" Her voice is still distressed and anxious, not as confident and wild as usual "I'm not going to fool around, I'm afraid to go alone" She confesses in a string "I don't even know if I can get there on my own"

“Really?” The surprise on her face at Minty's answer shows, the Targaryen princess was expecting a no from Estermont “I mean, good, I'm very happy about that” A small smile appears on his face “You're not as difficult to deal with as everyone says, Lady Estermont” Viserra decides to confess to the lady, she had heard many things about her personality, which had made her somewhat... anxious about her presence “But I can try to find a guard who won't open his mouth, anything, I don't know... to give you more security if you think it's necessary” She took a deep breath and pressed her eyes together, this was not the time to look stupid.

“How much did you shout?” She asks, curious as to what his reaction might have been when he found out he'd come to Kingsland “Did you try to kill yourself? Kill me? Who gave you the most hell?” Play the options based on what she herself would do to get rid of such a responsibility “‘Sorry... I thought you were talking about me” she lowers her head, a little embarrassed. Which was strange, Viserra was never embarrassed “Did your sister give you a lot of trouble? Younger siblings are usually annoying” Question “I know that because I'm the youngest sister and I know how annoying it is.” She jokes.

minthara laughed then, lifting her hand and flicking it in a dismissive gesture. "yeah, well, everyone is an idiot." she could be difficult, when she felt cornered or dismissed, patronised or judged, but viserra had done none of that. she had expected to feel on the back foot with the princess, scrutinised for being too much of one thing and not enough of another. viserra hadn't done that, and it was enough to have minthara relax a little in her presence. "bring who you want, doesn't matter to me. a guard or two wouldn't be a bad idea, though." if only to cover their backs if something went wrong. "i mean, it'll be fine. it's not like we'll be visiting the brothels of flea bottom or whatever. just in case."

as displeased as she'd been at the prospect of leaving greenstone, her meltdown had not been as dramatic as it could have been. minty doubted it even ranked in her top ten. "not as much as i wanted to," she admitted. "my mother made me feel bad about it. said she just wanted me to be safe." she did not mention the reason for her mother's concerns, the fact minthara's father and eldest brother had perished in the stepstones not yet a year ago. that was something she discussed with nobody. "think i might have threatened to jump overboard a few times on the way, but nobody takes me seriously anyway." she shook her head in response to the questions about her sister. "no, no, salaenna is fine. well, better than me, anyway. i give her more trouble than she gives me."

Viserra Targaryen, underneath an ultra-extravagant and truly arrogant veneer, hid a fragile and restless persona. Things weren't easy for the silver princess during the war, so many losses, so many sacrifices and so much pain. The princess, at the beginning of it all, was just a child, young, with no real understanding of what was happening within the castle walls and, by the end of the war, she had become a survivor, a prisoner. And things could have been easier from then on, a quiet life after the damage, rebuilding everything. But perhaps the 7 simply didn't want it that way, once again Viserra had been thrown into a wheel in which she had no control, once again a puppet, a piece, perhaps being imprisoned was her penance in the world. 

But one thing that comforted her was that someone in all this understood her, or came close to understanding what she had been through; allowing her the feeling of a certain confidence to talk about what she had been through. It wasn't her brother, Jaehaerys, unfortunately, even though the King was one of the most understanding and open to all her ways, desires and wishes; there were certain things that Viserra chose to keep secret from him, just as she knew her twin did the same. A twin connection that screamed privacy. Or at least that's what she thought.

But with Rhaegar she felt comfortable simply talking about what it was like to be locked away for so long, watching time pass slowly while her body lost all will to exist; as if her muscles gave up before her mind. Viserra still couldn't understand how his cousin was alive, and had many questions about it, such as why, where and why he had come back after so long. He could be free of the whole situation that Targaryen blood had created, but once a Targaryen, always a Targaryen. 

"How are you?" is the first thing the platinum princess says as she enters one of the Red Keep's ante rooms, knowing full well that her cousin will be there; the adorable little boy she loves to irritate and put out of her mind "We haven't managed to catch up on the important conversations yet, cousin" She moves closer to him, straightening her posture and keeping her arms behind her back, linking her hands to disguise her slight anxiety "I'm going to start thinking you're running away from me" She jokes, giving Rhaegar a small smile. The green princess hoped he was still the same, or at least his relationship with her.

He knew about some of the things that had happened to Viserra Targaryen. Rhaegar had his ways of finding things out. And yet he found it difficult to reconcile this version of his cousin to the one he had known in his childhood. The one who had joked with him, who he had breezed through the maze in the castle gardens alongside whenever he had visited the Red Keep with his father.

Rhaear was not avoiding her exactly; but he had been putting that particular conversation off.

"And grown up, he's practically two inches taller than me" She says, trying to make herself relax "I used to be the taller of the two of us" She watches him approach her with a sideways smile, Viserra was almost willing to start flirting there for fun "I don't think so" She accepts his outstretched "As children we'll disappear from watchful eyes, privacy is something I like and I think we both need it" She accepts Rhaegar's suggestion.

"She hasn't woken."

Jaehaerys spoke with his sister plainly, he didn't look at her, rarely did he see a need to break his gaze for he found himself growing more distrustful of those around them. Perhaps Lord Celtigar spoke the truth of the West. Well, of course he did. Jaehaerys knew there was a price with the West and the clearer the price became, the more he began to wonder about it all. If they were still seven, would he be King or puppet? And as he stared as the frail woman before him, the woman who ensure he would become a King only to fail be made a prisoner of her own family. He hoped their deaths were painful.

"You will see an increased guard presence. You will not travel without a member of the Kingsguard as your sworn sword." And he would even allow her to choose one of those guards for her own, not his guard.There mother suffered great pains from the murder of their brother. He shook his head. to nothing and spared her a small glance and then pulled a chair around.

“What level of danger are we in?” She asks, turning her gaze to him “Is Cedric Tyrell our enemy or our friend?” He asks another question, without caring about titles or eloquence; that was his brother “Where would I travel? My place is by your side, there's nowhere else I'd like to be” She arched her eyebrow as she listened to his request. A part of the princess was nervous about the direction this conversation might take. 

“Thank you” She thanked him for his gesture, her eyes squinting “What's tormenting you, brother?”

"But at the same time, death is the path of life, there's nowhere to run" She completed her reasoning, it being one of the things that comforted her in life, everyone was going to die one day, and she hoped that her dear grandmother would soon make that passage "Yes, if they see fit... but what does your kingdom see fit for her? Because even though she's my grandmother, I know the things she's done" She arched an eyebrow, directly asking questions that took her peace away, even if she knew that Tion Peake wouldn't answer with the exact words she wanted, if she was going to answer at all "Don't think of me as a princess who's finding out things to tell the King, think of me as a granddaughter? Worried about your grandmother's future" She shifts her weight to the other leg and sighs, trying to act like a granddaughter worried about her grandmother's condition and keep her grief as far away from her face as possible. The ethereal face with the kind of comical half-smile on her lips was her favorite mask. Viserra would rather be considered insensitive than fragile.

"There's no problem, I'm not the Queen, just a mere princess who ends up being the last to know about things. I always wonder what this title is for, if I can't even find out about political issues between kingdoms" She says “But these are men's things, and some women's, of course” adds, remembering the queens of the Vale and the Riverlands.

she spoke again, revealing perhaps more than she intended to, and tion's eyes narrowed, a mere fraction of a fraction of an inch, not because he bore her malice, or because her words had offended him, but because her words had him in thought. mad, he had dismissed her, but it was becoming abruptly clear that this princess was sharper than he had given her credit for. i know the things she's done. so did tion - in fact, he had done quite well capitalising on what she had done.

"i cannot say. i am master of coin, not negotiating the fate of..." a killer? it was too loaded a word. political hostage? that could be used against him later. "the fate of your grandmother," he finished, neutrally. such was work for the hand, or the king himself. would gael hightower involve himself? the lady lucrezia florent? would they seek justice for their kin? "if the gods see fit to spare her, it is not for me to pass judgement." his position was too new to overreach now, if he had such notion in the first place. tion did not.

"with all due respect," usually, when such words were spoken, it was disrespect that followed, but that was not the case. his voice kept the same even, gentle cadence, deep and calm and warm as the mander in summer. "no matter how you wish me to think of you. you are a princess, your grace." and by virtue of that, tion could shed no light on the situation, even if he had insight to add.

if she was last to know things, it was because her brother saw fit to keep it from her. that was interesting, something tion tucked away in the corner of his mind to examine at a later date, but he kept his patience still, his reserves of it seemingly endless. "it does not matter that you are a princess," he assured her. "princess or lady, man or woman, i still would not discuss politics with you as long as you call yourself new valyrian." he wondered if she was aware of what she was asking of him, or if she simply did not care. "your brother is a king, but i am a man of the reach. it is not him i serve."

‘You may not decide the fate, but you still sit at the big table with everyone’ She rebuts quickly and somewhat haughtily, now, despite her concern about where her dear grandmother would settle, she was curious to find out how neutral Tion Peake would manage to be “Don't get me wrong, but the Gods choose someone's future during war, when they're fighting, or when they're sick and even when a woman is giving birth to their child... but in this situation, it's the men. The kings, the lords, the knights.” She clucked her tongue, being honest, the silver princess wasn't as religious as everyone thought; even with Alicent's upbringing, Viserra was frighteningly profane, or maybe she was just crazy like some Targaryens.

‘I know my title, it usually makes a lot of people bow down to me’ She's obvious, somewhat irritated by his words “Unfortunately being a Valerian, young or not, is in my blood. My ancestors rode dragons, they built Westeros as it is today” she emphasizes, despite knowing that it would be considered an act of extreme arrogance “But we're talking about a woman who serves my brother's lands, his blood, I don't think it would be right to anger the dragon king, would it?”

The truth was that Viserra also got bored in the castle sometimes, living the same routine, seeing the same people. She was a princess, she could do almost anything she wanted, she teased men, she drove the seamstresses to exhaustion and, when she really couldn't bear to do the last two, she decided to annoy her sweet sister-in-law - not enough to be banned from seeing her beloved nephews. But despite all this, there weren't many things that two ladies could do without considering it improper.

"No" the princess replied simply and directly, "I wouldn't like it at all, and I would torment my brother until he changed his mind. Literally hell." It was true, Viserra Targaryen would make her brother's life hell, she would never accept being sent away in the eye of the storm while everyone she cares about stays in one place. "Things in Dorne will soon be settled and your life will return to normal, unless of course you end up marrying someone here. of course, you end up marrying someone here" She sighs, words she didn't know to be true “And don't call me nanny, I sound like a child, not a 29-year-old” She frowns, if there was one thing the princess hated, it was being considered a child by everyone.

"you don't know the city?" it was more curiosity that spurned the question than anything else. she had not been here long, but she had already made a habit of walking the streets when she could slip away. she kept to the more affluent sides of the city, the manses and harbours, the markets and shops, not quite brave enough to plunge herself into the heart of flea bottom yet, but she could not imagine being born here, and never having left your keep by yourself.

"i can go with you," she offered. she had enough practise dodging brothers and her mother, a few guardsmen shouldn't be too difficult. and yet, it would be on minty's head if anything befell viserra, but without risk, could there truly be a reward?

minthara nodded, glad that at least somebody was looking at things from her perspective. "then you understand me." it was all that she needed to say. she had thrown her tantrums, but her pleas to remain had fallen on deaf ears. on this matter, the elder estermonts would not be moved, and so there had been nothing for it but to acquiesce, a scowl on her lips and bitter tears of rage on her cheeks. "i wasn't talking about you," she added, hurriedly. "i was talking about salaenna. my little sister. she's fifteen."

“Really?” The surprise on her face at Minty's answer shows, the Targaryen princess was expecting a no from Estermont “I mean, good, I'm very happy about that” A small smile appears on his face “You're not as difficult to deal with as everyone says, Lady Estermont” Viserra decides to confess to the lady, she had heard many things about her personality, which had made her somewhat... anxious about her presence “But I can try to find a guard who won't open his mouth, anything, I don't know... to give you more security if you think it's necessary” She took a deep breath and pressed her eyes together, this was not the time to look stupid.

“How much did you shout?” She asks, curious as to what his reaction might have been when he found out he'd come to Kingsland “Did you try to kill yourself? Kill me? Who gave you the most hell?” Play the options based on what she herself would do to get rid of such a responsibility “‘Sorry... I thought you were talking about me” she lowers her head, a little embarrassed. Which was strange, Viserra was never embarrassed “Did your sister give you a lot of trouble? Younger siblings are usually annoying” Question “I know that because I'm the youngest sister and I know how annoying it is.” She jokes.