Viserra walked down the steps with a sense of grace, having reached the age of six-and-ten, to welcome the guests that had arrived for the hearing. Ser Rickard followed closely behind her, watching her closely for any sign of the princess feeling faint. It was more common as the days passed, especially in the recent months.

It was down the hall that she spotted Rhaena and Baela, both now older and had grown into their beauty. Baela seemed taller, her hair was left loose in these beautiful curls that trailed over her shoulders, lips growing fuller and eyelashes longer. And her twin sister, Rhaena, seemed to follow close behind though her hair was styled in long dreads tied up in a simple bun, similar to their grandmother. The two were great beauties, there was no denying the fact.

They stopped in front of one another, a smile graced Viserra's tired face, "Rhaena..Baela..it's been too long since I've seen you, you've grown quite well.." her voice was soft and strained, violet eyes surrounded by eyebags.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Princess Viserra" The two gave a small curtsy before Baela continued, "We haven't seen one another in years, we were sorry to have missed your wedding." before raising their heads. Viserra gave a sigh, "We missed you there, it was quite..eventful.." her voice trailing off, the sisters sharing a glance in front of her. Viserra could no longer think of her wedding without thinking of that dreaded bedding ceremony, she could not fathom how so many got through it with no issue.

She shook her head, "Sorry...I haven't been feeling so great lately.." her hand raising to cradle her forehead. Ser Rickard leaned forward, "Must we retire to your room, Princess..?" to which she waved him off, blinking rapidly, before tuning back in. The two girls in front of her seemed worried, only Rhaena speaking up, "Princess Viserra...if you need to rest, we will not hold you up.."

Viserra shook her head, "No..I wanted to greet everyone..I shall do so..do you happen to know where Jacaerys or Lucerys is?" causing the two sisters to share another glance before looking at her, both their eyes growing soft, Baela speaking, "I believe they mentioned wanting to see the training grounds.."

She nodded, her heart sinking as she remembered who else would be there as he always was at this time of the day. She began her walk, "I'll see you later then.." to which the girls returned, whispering to one another when they believed her to be out of earshot. A common thing among the noble ladies, it seemed, they always whispered when they believed her unable to hear.

The two made their way to the training ground, Ser Rickard letting her hold his arm when she needed a pause. They exited the building, hearing the clanging of swords ringing through the air. She could already see the movement of Aemond's hair from in the crowd surrounding his practice.

Scanning the grounds, she spotted Jacaerys and Lucerys by the left out weapons, quickening her pace over to them while lifting her skirt to avoid the mud. She stood behind them, "Hello, nephews..Welcome back to King's Landing." making the two boys turn to look up at her.

Jacaerys had grown into a handsome man, his dark brown hair laid flat around his face and his shoulders more set with the confidence of youth still holding him in its grasp. Viserra felt her face grow slightly warm, she hadn't expected him to grow so perfectly into his features. He was always plain in the features as a child, her mother said it was due to him being a bastard, but his face had matured in a striking manner.

Lucerys still looked young, no surprise there, and carried an essence of anxious innocence. The boy's eyes had remained rounded and brown, and his hair had grown to have a messy charm to it. His face was round, baby fat still sticking to his cheeks in an adorable manner. While Viserra had always hesitated with his brother, due to her mother's words, she could never see Lucerys the same. He was a sweet boy, and she hoped that he would keep this in his maturity.

She glanced at Lucerys, his round brown eyes staring up at her from under his dark brown hair. A smile crossed her face, "It's a pleasure to see you both..it's been..a long time.." her eyes looked down at the shorter boys. Jacaerys' height seemed to stop at her eye line, and she could tell it slightly bothered him by the look of frustration on his face.

A small smile crossed Lucerys' face, "It's a pleasure to see you too Viserra, I've missed you.." and if that didn't twinge her heart with guilt. Years ago, she had begged her mother to allow her to send letters to her nephews only to be denied. Her mother didn't have to speak it but she knew the reason, she did not want her daughter speaking to the lowly bastards her elder sister had birthed.

"You have grown quite tall in the years we..have been a part, especially you, Jacaerys.." she teased, laughing slightly. Jacaerys smirked, "Not taller than you, you could rival Daemon with that height..and please, call me Jace."

And there it was, the familiar banter of their now long gone youth appearing again, much to her joy. Viserra covered her mouth as she giggled, a soft sound, before a loud cheering was heard behind them. The three turned to see the crowd watching Aemond's training with close attention, the two boys walking over in excitement.

Viserra walked behind them at a slower pace, watching Ser Criston and Aemond duel, his shield breaking from the impact of Ser Criston's morning star. Aemond rose slowly, dodging the swings before rushing in, easily catching Ser Criston by surprise, and bringing his sword to his neck.

His eye turned to the three of them, wide and piercing, making her shiver, turning her eyes away from him, "Nephews...Have you come to train..?" causing the two boys to take a small glance at one another.

The tense atmosphere between the two was interrupted by shouts to open the gate, everyone turning to see who had arrived. It was Vaemond Velaryon, surrounded by guards, as he stared Luke down with disgust in his eye.

Viserra backed away looking for Ser Rickard only to have her arm grabbed tightly, turning her to face Aemond, making her wince. She looked up at him, though the height difference was not much, "Aemond..?"

He glanced at the two boys whose gaze had turned back to them, Jace staring at the hand on her arm with something close to anger, "It seems you didn't answer my question, nephews, shall we train?" a grin grew on his face. Jace titled his head back, "Not today, unfortunately, we only came to see what has changed in the years.."

Aemond chuckled, "Much changes have happened, isn't that right..Viserra?" squeezing her arm tighter causing her to nod in agreement. It was always better to agree. She gulped, "I should get going.." only then did he release his grip on her, allowing her to bow before turning to leave with haste.

Walking quickly, Viserra left the training grounds, the sound of metal running towards her signaled Ser Rickard's return. Her breath was short, tears springing to her eyes, "Ser Rickard..the maesters..we must get there earlier than planned" feeling him come and grasp her around the shoulders. Greeting her sister Rhaenyra and uncle Daemon would come at another time.

"Yes Princess" before beginning to take her to the maester's chambers, only the stairs giving challenge to the walk. It all felt like a blur to Viserra, who could barely focus. He opened the door before her, "Maester..the princess requires your service.." making the man turn.

Grand Maester Orwyle walked over, the old man grasping her hand and leading her to rest on the table he kept at the center of his chambers. She groaned as she moved to sit on it, her headache growing worse by the minute, "Maester...I haven't been feeling well lately.."

"I know, Princess.." he comforted, beginning to inspect her, "Tell me what ails you..is it the usual signs of your..sickness.."

Licking her lips, Viserra closed her eyes, "I have been getting quite dizzy, more so than usual, and I.." her voice trailed off, glancing at Ser Rickard. Maester Orywle stopped, looking up at her, "You...?" also trailing off, a questioning tone.

She leaned over, "I..haven't bled..in quite some time.." making both men in the room stop breathing, watching her intensely. The older man raised an eyebrow, inspecting her even closer for any sign of her sickness being the cause. But she knew it wasn't.

"Well..there is no sign that your sickness has caused this, Princess, so my closest guess is that..you're with child" and there it was, her heart rate seemed to pick up at the news. A part of her felt such bright joy, to have finally had a child as her own. The other half however remembered who the father was, she knew Aemond would be happy in his way but the slight fear still struck her.

The Maester backed away, bowing, "I shall go inform Her Majesty, The Queen, she'll be happy to hear" and before she could stop him, he was gone. The old man was quite fast for someone his age, although it could be that he knew she would stop him.

Ser Rickard stepped forward, offering his arm, "Congratulations Princess.." and that was the final straw, tears flowing down her face. Viserra felt so conflicted, she wanted this child so badly and yet she feared how Aemond would treat the little thing. Her hand covered her mouth, holding in her sobs as she felt Ser Rickard bring her into a soft hug.

She had known this man for almost her whole life, he was the closest thing to a father that she read in her histories, always watching out for her. Ser Rickard began to lead her out of the room, with the sun's disappearing light painting the tower gold. They climbed the stairs together, crossing the halls to eventually make it to her chambers.

Viserra spotted Ser Criston waiting outside her chambers, signaling her mother was inside waiting for her. She smiled at Ser Rickard before walking into the room, her mother turning to look at her. A smile graced Alicent's tired face, bringing her daughter into a tight hug, "Oh..my sweet girl..you've done it..The Mother has blessed you.."

She backed away, cradling Viserra's face, spotting the swollen eyes, "You've done your job, sweet girl, and I've even told your father..he plans to have it announced in the morning.." her eyes went wide feeling Viserra cling to her harder. She petted her silver hair, humming softly, feeling the young girl softly cry, curling into her mother as much as she could with their height different.

In fear or joy, Alicent could not tell.

She backed away, looking up at her daughter's young face, tears covering her cheeks before the door behind them opened, revealing Aemond. Alicent backed away, "I'll leave you two, remember we all must attend court tomorrow." before leaving the room.

Viserra stared at the ground as Aemond walked up to her, "Is it true?" he whispered, voice faint. Nodding, she felt him grab her hand, leading her to the chair sitting in front of her fireplace, letting her slowly sit. This shocked her if she was honest, Aemond hadn't been this soft with her in years, she had missed the feeling.

Aemond sat across from her, staring into the fire, silence stretching between the two, no words needed to be said. Nostalgia filled her, had he finally come back to her, that sweet boy who would tease her over the bugs he would find?

A soft smile crossed her face, maybe this pregnancy would finally bring him home rather than what she feared. His eye turned to her, glancing at her stomach, before back to her eyes, just as violet as his, "You've finally done your duty, I congratulate you, sister"

Viserra nodded, "..are you happy?" getting a smirk from the man, who rolled his eye in an exasperated manner. He took a breath, "Of course, we can finally begin to continue our line..a boy would be preferred, of course.." he seemed lost in thought, like he was forgetting that he was speaking to her or even that she was in the room.

Gulping, she batted her eyes, "And..if we have a daughter..?" watching many expressions cross on his face. Confusion, Anger, Acceptance. It was so clear to her where his thoughts were. A daughter is good for alliances, to keep the family strong..but a son..a son could be his successor in all things he would surely be granted. He was owed a son.

Turning her eyes down, she messed with her nails, a nervous tick she had developed in recent months. He stood, beginning to make his way out of the room, his long silver hair swaying with each step, "Then we shall have another." and left her chambers.

She turned to the balcony while rubbing her stomach lightly, she was only six-and-ten, and yet she felt like a little girl trapped in a woman's body. There was no chance of escape.
___

They all stood in court the next morning, with Alicent and her children all at the foot of the throne that Otto Hightower, the Hand, walked to sit in. The news had spread of Princess Viserra's condition, the bells had rung in celebration for the future of House Targaryen, and the glances toward the young girl grew more obvious. The rumors would soon leave and that comforted Viserra.

Aemond had begun to treat her more gently, his hand around her wrist with his spine straight, facing the crowd with more elegance than their older siblings. The normally cruel way of keeping her in her place was now to keep her grounded, the hope she had felt the day before was still present in her heart. And his actions only seemed to secure it.

Aegon, now nine-and-ten, was rocking in place as he yawned slightly, eyes drooping in boredom. His dark tunic suited him with green accents, to reflect their mother, running over it, he looked the part more than he acted.

Helaena stood in front of her, hair braided to perfection, eyes wide and round, a beauty that could not be denied. Her dress fell over her easily, with a soft face, hair silky, all the traits that made a Lady but even more so for a Princess.

Viserra frowned, looking down at herself, her hair didn't shine as bright, her face more angular then soft, her eyes weren't perfectly purple, she didn't look anything like her prettier sister, no matter what she wished.

"Though it is the great hope of this court that Lord Corlys Velaryon survives his wounds, we gather here with the grim task of dealing with the succession of Driftmark. As Hand, I speak with the King's voice on this and all other matters." Otto finally sat, looking down at those in front of him, appearing similar to a king, "The crown will now hear the petitions. Ser Vaemond of House Velaryon."

Vaemond scarcely changed in the years she had last seen him, hair styled the same in similar clothing, "My Queen. My Lord Hand. The history of our noble houses extends beyond the Seven Kingdoms to the days of Old Valyria. For as long as House Targaryen has ruled the skies, House Velaryon has ruled the seas."

Viserra glanced around the room, spotting Jace and Luke, whom she shot a comforting smile at, wishing to ease their worries. A tight squeeze surrounded her wrist reminded her of Aemond's presence and she forced her head back forward to ease the restricting pressure. This was the touch she remembered.

Vaemond continued, "When the Doom fell on Valyria, our houses became the last of their kind. Our forebearers came to this new land, knowing that were they to fail, it would mean the end to their bloodlines and their name." he took a small step, his words carrying through the throne room. He glanced over at Luke, "I have spent my entire life on Driftmark defending my brother's seat. I am Lord Corlys' closest kin, his own blood. The true, unimpeachable blood of House Velaryon runs through my veins."

Rhaenyra, in her stunning black and red dress, clearly took offense to his words, "As it does in my sons, the offspring of Laenor Velaryon. If you cared so much about your house's blood, Ser Vaemond, you would not be so bold as to supplant its rightful heir. No, you only speak for yourself and for your own ambition."

Alicent turned to look at her, "You will have a chance to make your own petition, Princess Rhaenyra. Do Ser Vaemond the courtesy of allowing his to be heard." leading to the man in reference to turn to Rhaenyra, a clearly smug look on his face.

"What do you know of Velaryon blood, Princess? I could cut my veins and show it to you and you still wouldn't recognize it. This is about the future and survival of my house, not yours." he turned back to face the front, his eyebrows furrowed, "My Queen, my Lord Hand. This is a matter of blood, not ambition."

Viserra looked up at Aemond, wincing at his even tighter grip, to see him staring at someone. She glanced over to where he was looking, spotting both Jace and Luke staring back, though their expressions were different. Jace seemed agitated, a challenge in his eyes, as Luke seemed scared, breathing picking up.

"I place the continuation of the survival of my house and my line above all. I humbly put myself before you as my brother's successor..the Lord of Driftmark and Lord of the Tides." to which Otto nodded at Vaemond's words, "Thank you, Ser Vaemond." leading the man to taking a step back.

They all looked to Rhaenyra now, "Princess Rhaenyra, you may now speak for your son, Lucerys Velaryon." to which she stepped forward, hand letting go of Luke's. She took a breath, "If I am to grace this farce with some answer, I will start by reminded the court that nearly 20 years ago, in this very-"

The doors opened, loudly, as an announcement rang through the hall, "King Viserys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, and the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm." and there he was, her father.

Viserra hadn't seen her father in quite some time, their mother always told them he wasn't feeling well, not knowing how it sparked fear in her heart. She had been sickly almost her entire life, would she eventually look as her father did?

Half of his face was covered by that golden mask and he hobbled forward on his cane, wheezes escaping his body. She was already incredibly insecure about how she appeared and if one day she appeared as her father, she didn't know what she would do. It would surely inspire the rumors to haunt her even more than they did now.

Otto stood, "Your Grace." before sharing a glance with Alicent, both sharing a look of confusion at the sight of Viserys. The King stumbled causing his guard to reach out to help though he was quickly waved away, the crown falling from his head. He eventually made the climb, sitting on his throne with a loud groan, although no one looked at him. They all stared at Daemon, who had grabbed his brother's crown.

Climbing the steps to the throne, he fiddled with the crown before gently setting it upon Viserys' head. The two brothers stared at one another before Daemon returned to Rhaenyra's side, the court was hushed, you could hear a rat squeak.

"I must..admit..my confusion. I do not understand why petitions are being heard over a settled succession. The only one present..who might offer keener insight into Lord Corlys's wishes is the Princess Rhaenys." Viserys said, slouching heavily into his chair.

Princess Rhaenys stepped forward, a beacon of authority, with one glance you would know her to be powerful, "Indeed, Your Grace..It was ever my husband's will that Driftmark pass through Ser Laenor to his trueborn son..Lucerys Velaryon. His mind never changed. Nor did my support of him. As a matter of face, the Princess Rhaenyra has just informed me of her desire to marry her sons Jace and Luke to Lord Corlys's granddaughters, Baela and Rhaena. A proposal to which I heartily agree."

How lucky they were, Luke and Jace would make perfect husbands to them, they were caring and sweet. Her mother had been less than successful with her own sons if she was being honest. The two girls would likely never know loneliness with those two boys at their sides.

"Well...the matter is settled" Viserys declared, Aegon's small chuckle being noticeable in the silence to follow, "Again. I hereby reaffirm Prince Lucerys of House Velaryon as heir to Driftmark, the Driftwood Throne, and the next Lord of the Tides."

Rhaenys turns with an elegance only she could hold with ease to stand back in her spot, only for Vaemond to frown, "You break law..and centuries of tradition to install your daughter as heir. Yet you dare tell me..who deserves to inherit the name Velaryon. No. I will not allow it.". Viserys frowned, staring down at him, "Allow it"? Do not forget yourself, Vaemond." his tone was tight, testing the man.

Vaemond shakes in anger, turning dramatically, pointing at a shocked Luke, and begins to yell, "That is no true Velaryon, and certainly no nephew of mine." and it was only then that it seemed to be understood what point he was making. The parentage of Luke and Jace finally being put to question.

"Go to your chambers. You have said enough." Rhaenyra demanded, staring Vaemond down, daring him to continue his train of thought. Viserys clutched the Iron Throne, "Lucerys is my true-born grandson. And you..are no more than the second son of Driftmark." the grip of her wrist tightened once more. And she knew the reason, a little too well.

Vaemond began to get louder, "You..may run your house as you see fit..but you will not decide the future of mine! My house survived the Doom and a thousand tribulations besides!", He turns to look at Luke, "And gods be damned..I will not see it ended on the account of this-" before stopping, seemingly weighing his options. Daemon seemed to stare him down, whispering to him to dare.

The man stood straight, "Her children..are bastards!!" setting the court alive, people turning to whisper to one another at the accusation. He turned to look at Viserys, "And she..is..a whore.." a cruel smile crossed his face.

Viserys slowly stood, unsheathing his knife, "I..will have your tongue for that" only for Vaemond's head to be cut in half, screams beginning to echo. Viserra felt sick, knees shaking, she clung to Aemond in horror as he stared in fascination of the man responsible, hand already on his sword. Though she noticed his other hand had wrapped around her waist, almost as if to keep her from falling.

Daemon looked down at the body, "He can keep his tongue." the guards began to shout, to which Daemon rolled his eyes, "No need." sheathing his sword. Viserys started groaning, eyes turning to him as Alicent ran up the step, "Call the maesters!"

The Kingsguard began to lead Viserra and her siblings out, only she turned to look at her sickened father, feeling a sense of sympathy.