Chapter Text
Visenya watched her mother's brows furrow as she pulled the last hour of stitching out before she went back to stitching the twin stags into the small blanket. "I was never any good at this." Visenya couldn't help but smile at her mother's frustration.
"You sell yourself short, little sister." Aunt Eddara replied with a snicker and a teasing tone. "We are not in King’s Landing and it does not have to be perfect." She watched her mother and aunt share a look before Aunt Eddara set her work aside and laid her hands across her belly that looked as if it would burst at any moment. Her aunt held out her hand and her mother handed the blanket she was working on over to her. Aunt Eddara looked it over and smiled before handing it back. "If the twins are anything like their brothers, these blankets will get a lot of use. No one will notice if the stags do not mirror each other properly though I have a feeling in my bones that one of them is a girl. Perhaps the smaller one needs not the antlers."
"Some things never change do they?" Her mother asked with a huff before taking the blanket and going back to work.
"What does my mother mean?" Visenya asked her aunt.
"Your mother means that she is horrible at stitching though I find it endearing. The imperfections in her work are honest and true to her. She hated doing it as a young lady. I'd rather she gift my babes a blanket that is not perfect because that means it came from my little sister and not the queen."
"Yet, I am the Queen and if someone sees such terrible work…"
"Fuck what others say!" Aunt Eddara replied with a hearty laugh and her mother gasped. "Lya, relax." Visenya watched her aunt slowly push herself up before waddling over the wardrobe and struggling to bend over. "Visenya, can you help me?"
She walked over to the wardrobe and her aunt pointed to a small chest at the bottom. She picked it up and they walked back over to her mother. Her mother's face flushed red and Aunt Eddara grinned and nodded her head. She opened them up and inside with two black blankets. She pulled the first one out. It had holes in it and the golden crowned stag was lopsided.
"That belonged to Ormund. He slept with it until he was four though he far outgrew it. It was his favorite." Aunt Eddara said softly and Visenya turned to her mother who was wiping a tear from her eye. Aunt Eddara pulled out the next one. It was black and with far more holes in the blanket but the crowned stag was titled so it leaned over a bit too far. "This one belonged to Borys and I finally was able to get him to stop sleeping with it four moons ago. Garon absolutely refuses to part with his."
"You made your point." Her mother sighed before she returned her focus to stitching the twin stags on the blanket. Visenya picked up the blanket she was working on and could tell it was far better than her mother's and she felt guilty. "Do not even think about it, Visenya!"
"I do not understand?"
"I am your mother and I know that look and what you are thinking. It makes me happy that you are already better at this than I am."
"I need the maester." Aunt Eddara said suddenly as she struggled to stand as she held her stomach.
Visenya ran to the door and opened it to see Ser Jonathor guarding it with two Baratheon men at arms."Get the maester!" She said pointing to the first guard before pointing to the second guard. "Go find Lord Baratheon. Ser Jonathor, help my aunt get into the bed."
Ser Jonathor rushed in to help her mother get her aunt to the bed. The Kingsguard was gentle as he lifted her aunt up and placed her on the bed. "Your grace, shall I escort the Princess outside of the chamber?"
"Yes, once the maester and guards return then you shall awaken Ser Jaime. Have him watch over Visenya and her cousins before returning to my sister's chamber. You shall have the privilege of keeping Lord Baratheon company." Her mother commanded in a stern but gentle voice.
"Let us go, Princess." Ser Jonathor replied with a warm smile as he took her hand and they walked out of the room just as the maester, an elderly man with an apprentice approached down the hall.
The next few hours were a blur as she was passed to Ser Jaime who took her to find Borys and Garon. They went to the kitchens and the servants eagerly made raspberry tarts and lemon cakes for them. It was in the kitchens when she first heard her aunt's screams. She had never heard anything like it before and it terrified her. The servants bowed their heads and she heard them muttering prayers under their breaths. She flinched when she heard Uncle Robert’s roar of a yell. Her cousins looked terrified and Borys and Garon demanded to be taken to their mother. They ran off and she followed with Ser Jaime close behind her.
On the way back to her aunt's chamber they ran into Uncle Stannis. It took Ser Jaime, Ser Jonathor and Uncle Stannis to stop Uncle Robert from busting into her aunt's chamber. Her mother opened the door and poked her head out and ordered Uncle Robert to leave. He did so only after being dragged away. It was Ser Jaime who suggested a spar. When they got to the training yard she approached her uncle and reminded him that killing Ser Jaime would not please her. He gave her a small smile and patted her on the head and promised not to kill him. He kept his promise but he beat Ser Jaime all across the training yard for close to an hour before they both couldn't lift their training swords and shields anymore.
They all tried to enjoy supper but her aunt's screams made it difficult. Uncle Renly did his best to try and keep the mood light but after a while even he gave up. She tried to eat her fill but she couldn't help but worry about her aunt. She was always so cheerful and happy but hearing her screams of pain was too much. As the servants cleared the food mostly uneaten from the hall the maester's assistant entered.
"Lord Baratheon, your lady wife is demanding to see you." He said with a bow and her uncle wasted not a second to rush out of the room. Visenya may only be turning ten in a few moons but she knew enough to know that a wife demanding her husband in the birthing bed was not a good sign. She felt Ser Jaime place his hand on her shoulder. Uncle Stannis and Renly both picked up their nephews and with a sad nod they left her alone with her Kingsguard.
"I wish to pray before I go to bed." She whispered and Ser Jaime, despite being sore and battered from his spar, carefully lifted her up and carried to the Godswood. She always felt safest around him for as long as she could remember. It was not as if she didn't feel safe around the others but Ser Jaime would always help her and Rhaenys hide from their lessons much to their fathers displeasure and their grandmother's amusement. That made him special to her and her sister. Visenya didn't mind the cold of his armor as her cheek rested against it. She struggled to stay awake as Ser Jaime did as she asked and the rattling of his armor helped her from drifting off.
"We're here." He whispered and he sat her down in front of the Weirwood tree. Its solemn face reminded her of her grandfather and uncles in the North. She knelt before the tree and prayed for her aunt, for her uncle and cousins and she prayed that one day her father would return to her and be the father he was before Queen Elia and her brother Aegon returned. He was kind back then and would play with her and Rhaenys. Now it seemed he only had time to play with Rhaenys and Aegon. The smile he used to give her was gone, replaced by a sad one and everything was about doing her duty and becoming a warrior.
Her eyes slowly opened and she covered her face as the morning light entered the chamber she was staying in. 'Ser Jaime must have carried me here.' The last thing she remembered was praying in the Godswood. Visenya heard snoring and looked over to see Borys and Garon. She smiled at them as they laid sprawled out on the bed. The sight of her cousins in her bed was not a new one. When they visited the Red Keep they all usually crammed into a single bed. It was usually Rhaenys' room where they all stayed up later than they were supposed to.
She was wearing what she wore the day prior and a look in the mirror showed her that her hair was a mess. She opened the door and saw a tired Ser Jaime. "Good morning, Ser Jaime."
"Good morning, Princess Visenya."
"My mother?" She asked.
"With Lady Baratheon. She gave birth to twins but is still weak. The Queen has yet to leave her side." Ser Jaime answered as Uncle Stannis approached.
"If you are looking for my cousins it seems they joined me last night." She told her uncle and she swore she saw him crack a small smile. He simply nodded and went to fetch them.
She was nervous as they drew closer to her aunt's chamber. The screams of pain and agony from the previous day would probably never leave her mind. As they approached her mother exited the room and she fought a gasp. Her blue and white dress was covered in blood. "She is tired but wants all of you to see the babes. I need to rest and so do the both of you." Her mother said to the two Kingsguard. "Do not protest me on this. There are plenty of leal men to protect us while the both of you rest." Her mother added as she pointed to the men at arms wearing Stark, Baratheon and Targaryen colors
They all bowed their heads as her mother walked by and she gave her mother a hug before entering behind her uncle and cousins. The first sight she saw was her aunt looking pale in the bed with a babe at her breast. Uncle Robert was laying beside her and even at a distance she could see his blue eyes shining with tears. Visenya stayed back while her cousins approached. Eventually her aunt motioned for her to join them. "Jocelyn, this is your cousin, Viseyna." Her aunt cooed weakly. The sight of the dark red blood staining the bed made her feel sick but she did her best not to show it.
"I was told you had twins." Visenya stated as she looked at her cousin suckling weakly at the breast.
"Steffon is in the nursery. Jocelyn is not as strong and must stay with me until she is ready." Her aunt replied. "They say she might not live through the day but I can not allow that. The gods would not be so cruel to take her."
Visenya was awoken the next morning to her aunt's screaming and that was when she knew the gods were cruel.
_____
When the raven came announcing her father was traveling to Storm’s End she felt angry. Visenya couldn't understand how her father could be so cruel to come right after her aunt and uncle lost their daughter. Aunt Eddara had yet to leave her room and was still running a fever. Maester Cressen was hopeful her fever would break within a few days.
Storm's End was not a large castle. In fact it was one of the smallest that was ruled by a Great House but it was one of the strongest. She took pride that her ancestor, Bran the Builder, had built the stronghold if the legends were true. The walls were thickest facing Shipbreaker Bay and that was her favorite place to visit and look out over the water. That was where she found her mother with Ser Jaime standing at a distance to give her some privacy. Ser Jonathor gave her a nod and she bid him to join his sworn brother.
"Mother?" Visenya asked and her mother turned and smiled at her.
"I can see why you like this spot. Your father will be here around midday." Her mother's words were soft as she rubbed the stone beneath her hand.
"You still have not told me why he is coming? Why bring the whole court when Aunt Eddara and Uncle Robert are still grieving?"
"He is not bringing the entire court. Ser Arthur and an escort are with him. Your father is not coming as king but as family." Her mother replied before her grey eyes watery with tears locked with her violet ones. "He wishes to be here for his cousin through his grief like Lord Baratheon and my sister were there for us when Daeron died."
"I never knew that you named him." Visenya told her mother as she took her place at her side. She leaned into her mother's embrace. She had no memories of her brother who had taken a handful of breaths before his life was gone. Visenya had just turned two when her little brother had been born and no one talked about it. Her earliest memories were shortly after her fifth nameday when she asked for a brother and her mother told her that Viseyna was the only child she would ever have.
"Your father named him. I could not find the strength to do so myself. Now my sister is suffering like I did and I can do nothing to ease her pain." Her mother sighed then kissed the crown of her head. "All we can do is be there for her and Robert."
"Can we go see her?" She asked and her mother nodded. Ser Jaime helped her keep her footing as they walked down the steep stairs and towards the singular massive tower that held the entirety of the keep. It looked like a raised fist jutting into the sky and everytime she looked up she felt dizzy.
As they approached her aunt's bedchamber her Uncle Robert walked towards them with Borys and Garon on each side. Borys was almost a year older than her. His blue eyes were almost dancing as he ran towards her. "Father, said he is going to let me practice with a warhammer! Do you want to join us?"
"We are on our way to see your mother, little lord, but perhaps after she can join you." Her mother answered for her. Uncle Robert whispered something into her mother's ear that seemed to make her relax.
"Come on boys, let your aunt and cousin go visit with your mother." Uncle Robert told his son as ruffled Visenya's hair and gave her a warm smile. "We should have enough time to get some training in before the king arrives."
She had yet to see her aunt after Jocelyn died but had asked daily to see her. She had been denied and only Uncle Robert, Maester Cressen, his assistant and her mother had been allowed to see her. Based on her cousin's faces it seemed obvious they had just seen their mother and she was doing well.
Her mother knocked. "Eddara, it's me and Viseyna."
"Come in!" Her aunt's voice called out.
Her aunt was sitting by the window in a small chair looking out towards the Red Mountains. She was dressed in a long black dress and her hair was unbraided and almost touched the floor. Visenya walked in silence with her mother. Her aunt stood up and turned to face them and winced as she curtsied. Visenya noticed the small black blanket in her aunt's hands. 'Jocelyn's blanket.'
"I told.." Her mother started to speak.
"I know but I wanted to." Her aunt replied with a smile that did not seem to reach her eyes.
Visenya was at a loss of words to say to her aunt. She simply walked over and her aunt wrapped her arms around her. "I am sorry." She said softly. She heard her aunt sniffle and she wanted to look up but decided to keep her eyes on the floor.
"Thank you, Princess Visenya."
She didn't know how long they stood there but she felt her mother's presence as she wrapped her arms around the two of them. When her mother started crying it was only a moment before her own eyes burned with tears.
Eventually her aunt composed herself and offered them water. Visenya took it upon herself to pour three cups and they took their seats around the large blackened oak table topped in a polished gold plating. The silence was awkward until her mother started telling stories of growing up in Winterfell. How the two of them loved to ambush their brothers with snowballs. Uncle Brandon pretending to be a ghost in the crypts and scaring his younger siblings. When her aunt brought up tickling her mother until she wet her small clothes Visenya couldn't help but laugh loudly at how red her mother's face got.
The stories reminded her of playing with Rhaenys and Daenerys with Uncle Viserys being the big brother. That all stopped when Queen Elia and Aegon returned, at least it did for her. Before when her father caught them he would smile and occasionally join in much to their delight. Now though he would call her over and take her for extra lessons with the sword and speak of how she needed to be strong to protect her brother and sister. That she did not need to focus on such childish activities. She heard her mother start to laugh loudly and Visenya felt the white hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Senya?" Her mother asked as her mother wrapped her in a hug. "What's wrong, sweetling?"
"Nothing." She lied.
"Those tears aren't nothing." Her mother chided softly before wiping gently wiping the tears away. "Your father?"
"Yes." She sniffled. "Those stories of Winterfell reminded me of playing with Rhae and Dany and how much things have changed."
"We have got to put a stop to this, Lya!" Aunt Eddara added in and Visenya was caught off guard with the anger in her aunt's voice. "He might be the king but he is also supposed to be her father."
"I know. Father and Brandon are planning on bringing it up when they come down for her name day feast and tourney. I doubt he will listen to them if he won't listen to me. Elia has tried as has Rhaella and Viserys." Her mother replied back.
"I don't mind the sword lessons. They are fun but I want to be able to play with my siblings." She added in to defend her father though she didn't know why.
"I'm going to talk to him the moment he arrives." Her aunt said as she slowly stood up with a loud sucking in of her breath. "I may be the Lady of Storm's End but I will always be a Stark of Winterfell. Visenya, you are a Targaryen but Stark blood pumps through your heart the same as mine and your mothers. I have stayed in this room long enough. He should be arriving soon enough."
"Ned!" Her mother exclaimed. "You still have not recovered. Please go rest some more. You can talk to my husband once he is settled."
"I have birthed five Baratheon children. I feel well enough to walk around my own keep. Unless you plan on ordering me to stay in bed, little sister, then let us enjoy the fresh air and watch my boys spar." Her aunt replied with a prideful smile.
"Lead the way!" Her mother replied dryly. "It doesn't matter that I am a queen does it?"
"Apologies, your grace."
"Come on, Ned, I know how stubborn you are! You may be a proper lady but you are just as stubborn as Brandon or Robert."
"You forgot someone."
"Who?"
"You!"
She followed her mother and aunt as they giggled all the way to the training yard.