It would only be a few months after that event where Viserra would find herself sitting next to her pretty elder sister, Helaena, in their mother's chambers. She could admit that she was jealous of her sister to herself, the court gossip fueling the fire that burned inside of her. Viserra was no longer a beauty, nothing like the Princess Viserra before her, the sickness that plagued her ensured that.

It didn't help that her sister was observing bugs in her hands, letting them crawl all over her, only serving to make Viserra's stomach roll in disgust. The sight of those legs on Helaena's fingers was disgusting, she could not fathom why her sister loved it so.

"This one has sixty rings..and two pairs of legs on each..That's two hundred forty." Helaena spoke softly, her voice was beautiful, hands turning with the insect. Alicent nodded, "Yes, it is" her voice showing a hint of exasperation. Viserra couldn't help but agree with her mother's tone. She loved her sister, truly, but she found the girl exhausting at times.

"It has eyes..though..I don't believe it can see." Helaena murmured, face moving closer to the creature.

"And why is that so, do you think?" Alicent murmured, staring at Helaena's face, to which she only received a quick glance, "It is beyond our understanding." causing Alicent to purse her lips slightly. She reached out and grasped Helaena's shoulder, who seemed uncomfortable with the touch, "I suppose you're right. Some things just are."

The door opened behind them, Viserra turning and spotting Aemond covered in soot and ash, smelling heavily of dragons. It was a difficult smell to describe. The guard glanced at the three of them, "Your Grace" causing Alicent to turn her head in confusion. Her eyes widened, "Aemond.", standing up and walking over to the young boy, "What have you done?"

Viserra stood up, walking over to her mother and brother, noticing the hurt look in his eyes at his mother's quick accusatory tone. Helaena turned her body, "He did it again" making Viserra frown. Aemond had grown obsessed with gaining a dragon these past few years, her own dragon, Moonryder, didn't help his case.

They were two halves of a whole and yet only one of them had gotten a dragon, even if not through the egg put in her cradle. Alicent huffed, "After how many times you've been warned, must I have you confined to your chambers?!" her tone was harsh and angry.

Aemond was quick to respond, "They made me do it!" making Alicent's eyes frown, "As if you needed encouragement. Your obsession with those beasts goes beyond understanding.". Aemond's eyes teared up, "They gave me a pig!" causing Alicent to pause, Viserra moving to her twin's side, grasping his hand.

"..A what?" Alicent's eyes darted over his dirty face, watching Aemond's eyes blink rapidly. He grew quiet, "They said they found a dragon for me..but it was a pig" with Helaena's murmuring filling the empty spaces in his words.

Alicent's face lost the tension, growing soft, "You will have a dragon one day..I know it" only faintly could Viserra hear Helaena mention something about an eye but she paid no mind, her sister often spoke nonsense. Aemond gulped, looking away from his mother, "They all laughed.." before being pulled into a hug. Viserra gave Aemond a smile when he glanced at her, squeezing his hand.

"I need to go speak with your father, I'll have this resolved." Alicent declared to him, letting him go and storming out of the room. Viserra was quick to pull Aemond into a hug of her own, "You'll have a dragon. If anyone deserves a dragon, it's you.." feeling his arms wrap around her. It was moments like this that she wasn't entirely angry that she got sick, the two had grown closer since.

Helaena made a soft noise which drew both their attention, her hands turning to show they were empty, "I don't know where it has gone..." causing Viserra to search the room with panic. She squirmed, "Helaena! Why'd you let it go?!" making Aemond give a soft laugh at her terrified expression.

Helaena stood, abandoning the boxes of creatures that she sat beside, murmuring softly as she left their mother's chambers. She moved as if in a dream, quite odd. Aemond quickly grabbed Viserra's hand, dragging her out of the room, "Hurry, we don't want the creature catching you" he giggled, a soft breathy noise.

Viserra pouted, pushing his shoulder lightly, "Don't tease me, Aemond, it's not nice." making him laugh a little harder, the two stopping in the middle of the hall. He turned to her, "I need to go get ready for my lessons, Viserra, I'll see you at supper" a smile appeared on her face at the words.

Aemond turned and walked down the hall, likely to wash all the ash off of him, moving at a brisk pace. Viserra turned, suddenly feeling tired and turning to the man outside her mother's chambers, "Ser Rickard...please escort me back to my chambers, I think I need some rest.." grasping his arm in her pale hands.

"Right away, Princess" he said, leading her down the halls to her chamber, moving slowly to match her pace. Her small footsteps didn't make much noise next to the clacking of his armor, the white cloak trailing behind the two.

Eventually they made it to her chambers, causing her to turn to Ser Rickard, "Thank you, Ser, it means much to me" to which he gave a small smile in response. Viserra walked quickly into her chambers, crouching to the floor with her arms wrapped around herself. Her vision was quickly blurring, leading her to crawl to her bed and climbing in it.

The young girl fell asleep, still dressed in her jewels and elaborate dress, neat hair growing messy from the pillow under her head. It wasn't long until a handmaiden walked in, noticing the young girl laying in her bed, fitfully sleeping. The woman walked up, shaking her shoulder lightly, "Princess..are you alright?"

The woman was a familiar sight lately, her kind eyes and long brown hair. The slight smile on her tan skin, wrinkles evident in the light, was comforting in a way similar to her mother. Often she got the feeling of deja vu looking at her, like she had seen her before, but that could not be the case. She had only been stationed as her handmaiden around a week ago.

Viserra looked up blearily, "Oh..Talana..sorry, I wasn't feeling well.." making the woman's brown eyes soften in sympathy. She aided the princess in sitting up, "Would you like me to get you dressed for bed..?" with Viserra shaking her head, "I have to eat supper..Aemond..was excited to eat together.."

Talana nodded, "Is there anything you'd like me to do..?" watching her face grow calm. Viserra licked her lips, "Could you..get me some books..on the histories..?" causing Talana to pause, it was a newer interest of the young princess. She watched her brown eyes flutter, before nodding, "I'll go ask the maester for some, Princess" then bowed, running out of the room.

Viserra stretched her limbs, yawning softly, looking out the windows to her chambers, the sky slightly clouded leaving a dreary atmosphere. She blinked, time escaping her as her thoughts began to consume her. How was Moonryder fairing? Was he getting enough to eat, was he happy? Why were they all so cruel to Aemond, would they have treated her the same if she didn't have a dragon?

The thought disturbed Viserra, how they were so quick to treat Aemond as inferior over something he had no control over. Her twin had come to her so many times with his worries, how he wished he could have a dragon like her. It never failed to make her feel guilty over the luck she had.

The thoughts were cut short when Talana walked back in, carrying a single book, "The Maester only gave me one..said it should be something a young girl would enjoy" before handing it to her. Viserra nodded, glancing at the title of the book, "Queen Alysanne: The Good Queen" instantly making her interested. She couldn't explain the reason but she had always been fascinated by queens, finding herself drawn to them.

A smile graced the young girl's face, "Thank you, Talana, I'll be thoroughly entertained." before turning back to the book. In the corner of her eye she noticed her bow and quickly left the room, leaving Viserra alone. The book opened and the first thing she noticed was the High Valyrian, something she still needed practice in when it came to the more complex sentences.

Viserra brought the book to her face and began to read.
___

Hours had passed and Viserra sat in front of her vanity, having her long hair fixed by Talana and her other lady-in-waiting, Elyse. Her hair was being braided simply to ensure her comfort came first while honoring her Targaryen heritage. Her mother had always made it clear how they were to honor their heritage, both Targaryen and Hightower.

Elyse helped her stand with Talana fixing the wrinkles in her light green dress before they both backed away and bowed, signaling that they were finished. Viserra smiled at the two, "Thank you.." before making her way out of the chambers, the Kingsguard outside her door following close behind.

Each of King Viserys I's children were granted a Kingsguard, her personal Kingsguard being Ser Rickard Thorne. Usually the King is given two of the Kingsguard, and she wasn't sure why he didn't just give her, the youngest of his children living in the Red Keep, a normal guard. She was still grateful, however, for Ser Rickard. He was kind, always informing her of things she would need to know in situations, something like an advisor for her.

He escorted her to her mother's chambers, where she and her siblings were encouraged to eat their suppers. She climbed the steps with the help of Ser Rickard's arm, he had always kept her close so another incident would not take place, finally entering the chambers where she noticed her grandsire was present. Why was he here, she thought to herself, was he not supposed to be in Oldtown?

The man turned to look at her, Aegon and Alicent already present in the room, his eyes shining with familiarity. She was never very close with her grandsire, believing he found her of little importance and she couldn't disagree. Viserra quickly thanked Ser Rickard, walking to sit in her usual assigned chair next to where Aemond would sit across from where Helaena was told to sit.

Food was being set on the table to which she noticed Aegon, who wore a simple dark green tunic, messing with a woman who served a plate of duck, it never failed to fill her with utter disgust. Viserra's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes turned to her grandsire who was staring at Aegon with frustration clear in his eyes.

He cleared his throat, "Aegon. Leave the girl alone." making Aegon frown with a quick roll of his eyes, slouching in his seat like a pouting child. The door opened and in walked Helaena, her round ash purple eyes trailing around the room, walking with grace that Viserra could only dream of having.

Helaena walked to her seat, sitting and trailing her finger on the table, tracing words that Viserra couldn't figure out. The dress she wore sparkled in the candlelight, the greens similar to morning dew on a blade of grass. Her sister was an undeniable beauty to the young Viserra, how her hair grew in waves from her braids, her eyes sparkling like water in the sunset, she was truly the kind of lady she wanted to be like. And it was the same with Rhaenyra.

Both her sisters were the blueprint of Targaryen beauty, long silver hair, stunning purple eyes, and an air of elegance. Viserra couldn't help but feel envious, how she wished she had those noticeably unnatural eyes or that hair that shined like silk. Helaena wasn't even much older than her and still fit the part to perfection.

It wasn't long before her eyes trailed to her mother, who sat in her seat, leaning back into it, the effortless beauty and grace she carried was one that always caught the eye. Sometimes Viserra wished she could meet her mother when she was young before she was married and was seen as the perfect lady, the kind of lady that was deemed worthy of being Queen.

Viserra gulped, glancing around the table, noting only Aemond was missing as the last plate of food was set on the table. Alicent looked around the room, her eyes clearly tired, "Viserra...where is your brother?" causing the young girl to gulp. "I..I am not sure, Mother..I haven't seen him.." Her voice cracked, embarrassment filling her at her grandsire's glance, putting her head down to prevent the tears growing in her eyes from being noticeable. Alicent sighed, "Aegon?..Do you know?" her voice had grown sharp, an edge to it that carried some kind of context she did not have.

"No..Mother..I haven't seen him since we had training in the-" his words were cut off due to the door opening, signaling Aemond's entrance. He quickly sat next to Viserra, "Pardon my lateness, Mother, Grandsire...I lost track of the time.." easily looking nervous in his chair. Viserra reached over and grasped his hand, squeezing it softly in support, something they both often did during tense moments.

"It's no problem, now..how was each of your days..?" Otto mused, turning to look at Aegon, clearly only curious about him, who was quick to shine under the attention. His smug voice easily filled the room, "We watched Ser Harwin and Ser Criston fight earlier, didn't we, Aemond?" to which Aemond nodded. Alicent hummed, "I heard about that..it's not surprising however.." though she did not continue, they all understood the meaning.

It was no big secret that Rhaenyra's children were fathered by Ser Harwin Strong, her mother often complained about the fact. He was an attractive man, Viserra mused, so she could see the appeal in him. She gave a small, almost silent, giggle at the idea although it wasn't quiet enough as Aemond glanced at her.

"Aegon..Helaena..I have some news I wished to inform you.." Alicent sat her chalice of wine down, hands clasping while she looked at her two eldest children. Aegon glanced over, clearly annoyed, while Helaena's eyes stayed focused on the duck she was poking with her fork.

"Your grandsire and I..are arranging plans for you to wed one another, to strengthen our house" causing all the children to pause in place, not having expected those words from her. Their mother had always been a devout follower of the Seven and it was quite known of their opinion of the Targaryen's marriages. The most notable example in mind was the war after King Aenys I's death, Oldtown spoke out following him marrying both of his children together and King Maegor I was quick to take advantage.

Viserra met eyes with Aemond, shock shining in both of their purple-blue eyes, before they both glanced back at their mother who watched their reactions. Otto cleared his throat, "It's the smart decision, after all, to strengthen your..ties.." his voice trailing off, although Viserra could not figure out what he had meant.

Did this mean she would be engaged soon? To whom? For what reason?

Viserra guessed it would be some far away lord who would keep her inside for the rest of her life while she had his children. Such was the life she was being prepped for, at least that's what her mother told her. If she had the choice she would prefer to marry Aemond, no other had stayed by her side so loyally, it left her feeling quite safe.

"I don't want to wed yet, especially to Helaena of all people!" Aegon sneered, gripping his chalice of wine tightly, glaring at their mother. Alicent matched his glare, "This is a necessary choice you must accept, or do I need to remind you of our talk earlier this day?" which made Aegon pause.

Helaena kept quiet, seemingly accepting the fate she was being told to follow, although that didn't surprise Viserra much. Helaena had always been like that, mind far away and eyes often unfocused. If you were to ask her, she would tell you she found her elder sister to be quite odd.

The night continued to pass as silence filled the room, Otto occasionally asking Aegon and Aemond questions yet he did not speak to his granddaughters, for a reason unknown to Viserra. She messed with the end of her braid, chewing on some potatoes, when the door quickly opened.

A man walked in and quickly went to Otto's side, whispering in his ear, before turning to leave the room. Otto looked at Alicent, a spark in his eye, "It seems that Princess Rhaenyra has left for Dragonstone." making her head shoot up. There seemed to be a fire in her mother's eyes, one that appeared like hope.

Viserra squinted her eyes, the two of them always spoke in a way that left much to confusion. She could never understand the secret meanings of their conversations, how they slipped information behind words with no meaning. Aegon often said she was dense as a wall.

She glanced at her mother, noting that the food on her plate had scarcely been eaten, like that she was not hungry, "What..does that mean, Mother?" causing eyes to turn to her. She felt pinned in her seat, Aemond looked at her confused. Did he know something she did not?

"It means that we can begin to guarantee your safety, sweet girl." it was like her mood had changed in an instant, from frustration to confidence. Her eyebrows furrowed, guaranteeing her safety..was she not safe? Who would harm her? She was a princess, that would be treason, would it not?