Throne Room, Red Keep - King's Landing, CrownLands - Seat of Power: Tommen I Baratheon/Lannister
It was the day Of the Coronation and Tommen had been publicly named the next King of the 7 Kingdoms. Everyone had gathered, many happy to see someone better than Joffrey sitting on the Iron Throne.
Visenya was by the base of the steps but to the right, watching as the young boy sat on the Iron Throne Of her family. He was Of fair height for his age but still young for such responsibilities.
The golden crown Of branches that formed antlers was placed on his head, a little too big but still standing just fine; the colour matching the golden shade of his Lannister hair. By his side, was Tywin; who as per usual stood proud with the pin Of the Hand and the sigil Of the Lion on his jacket.
Once again he was Hand to a King, perhaps the first time he would truly be Hand to someone worthy of being called a King.
Visenya felt that Tommen would make a good King, with the proper guidance. He had the kindness and the intelligence many of his predecessors lacked. He could do a lot of good in this realm, once she and Tywin had managed to salve and save it after the 3-year war that had ravaged it to the bone.
She stood proudly along with Trystan, who seemed to smile faintly at the sight of his nephew on the Throne. Somehow, not seeing the sadistic Joffrey but the sweet smiled Tommen was a breath of fresh air for him.
He knew his nephew would do a good job as King since his character was far different from the one of his older brother.
Trystan stood next to his mother, both wearing their finest clothing that was appropriate for the reception. As per usual, her dresses were red and his jacket was of a dark red while both sported pieces of black; passively taking pride in their Dragon Ancestry.
A reception line had been formed and was moving towards the King. On the lead, were Grand Maester Pycelle and Varys. They all came one by one, offering their blessings and respects to their new king.
However, the boy would often exchange nods and smile at Margaery, who stood in the wings. There was this innocent look in his eyes and one could see that the girl's charms had worked on the young Lion rather quickly.
"Do you think they will make a good couple?" Trystan asked his mother in a lower tone and in High Valyrian, to ensure no one could understand them.
'Tommen is kind-hearted and gentle. He will make a fine husband one day but for now, he is easy to manipulate. She will try her charms on him to get him to her side but I do like to believe she will come to care for him,' she confessed, turning her head to look at the said Rose only to see her having a rather civilised talk with Cersei.
"Cersei had calmed down and changed a lot ever since the funeral. It is kind of scary," Trystan said, having also noticed the easier atmosphere between the former and future queen.
"The loss of a child changes a mother," she explained to him. "The grief takes its time to leave. Do not be fooled by her calm nature now for it will change once the trial begins."
Trystan did not wish to think of the Trial that would take place rather soon, now that there was a new King. However, he knew he would have to eventually since he would not be able to avoid it.
Council Room, Meereen — Essos
A meeting had been summoned by Daenerys, bringing into the council room her most trusted advisors and companions; similar to how a Queen would have a small council. Those she trusted and were currently forming a circle with her were, Barristan, Jorah, Missandei, Grey Worm and the last addition; Daario Naharis.
News from both Westeros but also other cities across Slaver's Bay had reached them and they needed to discuss what had to be done next.
The winds were changing, one could say in their favour but one had to tread the waters carefully or risk drowning in the end.
"King Joffrey Baratheon is dead. Murdered at his own wedding." Ser Jorah informed, deciding to be the first to bring the news.
This seemed to please Daenerys, glad to hear some good news for a change. "What about my aunt?" she asked since there had not been much news from Westeros.
"From what I have heard, she is in King's Landing with her Lord Husband, Khaleesi."
"And we did not have any other letter from our mysterious supporter?" she asked and everyone shook their heads.
Ser Jorah continued talking, choosing to voice his opinion. "If she is that person, Khaleesi, then most likely had her hands full with the royal wedding," he said, although he doubted she would have been able to orchestrate all those years of protecting her niece from the other side of the world; and with the Old Lion having a collar around her neck.
Yet, Daenerys had hoped that she was the supporter and she would help her when she would finally arrive in Westeros. Jorah did not have the heart to argue with her, choosing not to ruin her optimistic thoughts with his more realistic and also slightly pessimistic ones.
"What is next?" Daenerys asked.
Ser Barristan chose to be the next one to speak. "We have taken the Meereenese Navy, Your Grace."
Daario quickly corrected his statement. "The Second Sons took the Meereenese Navy."
This made the Mother of Dragons look at him with an arched eyebrow.
"Who told you to take the Navy?"
"No one," Daario confessed.
"So why did you do it?"
"I heard you liked ships." Was his simple reply as he offered her a charming but also flirty smile.
The Dragon shook her head but smiled faintly, focusing on the new information at hand. She would deal with Daario later, for now, there were more important things at hand.
"How many ships?"
"Ninety-three, Your Grace." Ser Barristan said, the number sounding big but also pleasing to her ears.
"How many men can they carry?"
"Ninety-three hundred, not counting sailors."
"Would that be enough to take King's Landing?"
Ser Jorah shook his head. "The Lannisters have more."
Yet, it was the other Westerosi knight, who once again chose to argue with him. "They've been fighting Joffrey's wars for years. They're tired, dispersed. And now their king is dead. Eight thousand Unsullied, two thousand Second Sons sailing into Blackwater Bay and storming the gates without warning."
The argument was quick to start between them, something that had been happening rather often when the two knights had different opinions on a subject. "It's hard to say. It could be enough. But we're not fighting to make you Queen of King's Landing. Ten thousand men can 't conquer Westeros."
"The Old houses will flock to our queen when she crosses the Narrow Sea."
It was Jorah's turn to scoff, something he did not do often.
"The old houses will flock to whichever side they think will win, as they always have. If they wish to support a Targaryen, they already have one with the Lannisters backing her up."
"Lady Visenya had abdicated the rights to her throne when she got married to Tywin Lannister. Both her and the son have no claims to it," Ser Barristan reminded him.
This new piece of information had drawn the attention of their Queen.
"What are you two talking about? When did my aunt abdicate her claims?" she asked, now regretting not just sitting with Ser Barristan and learning more about her aunt.
In her defence, she had been kept rather busy with everything that she did not truly have the time to think about it; especially considering she was still far from her goal of even reaching the Westerosi shores.
The two knights exchanged a look but it was Ser Barristan that chose to speak, having a more personal knowledge of the subject.
"Tywin Lannister was the Hand of your father for many years, Your Grace. He grew immensely powerful by ruling for him behind his back and your father knew it. The marriage between him and your aunt would ensure the loyalty of the Lannisters to the Crown but would also give him ever greater power. So, your father made your aunt sign a royal decree that she and any of her children will no longer have any claims to the Iron Throne."
"And where is that decree now?" Jorah asked, having already found the loophole in his argument.
"No one knows. A lot of Aerys' possessions were burnt, destroyed or locked away somewhere when Robert Baratheon ascended to the Throne."
"This means that without solid proof, Lady Visenya could easily lay her claims or use it to ensure the Old Houses remain loyal to her," Jorah pointed out, making the other knight press his lips firmly upon realizing his point.
Daenerys frowned.
"I am the King's daughter. Isn't my claim bigger than hers? Or that of her son?"
"It is, Khaleesi, by the law. However, the Old Houses do not know you and your father did not earn their favour during the last years of his ruling," he explained. "Your aunt has been in the presence of those Lords and like I mentioned, she has the Lannisters backing up her claim. Few Lords will choose to go against her and have the Lions as their enemy."
These made her rub her temples faintly, realizing how complicated and unnecessarily tiring loyalties and laws in Westeros were.
No one said anything until Ser Jorah chose to stand up and draw everyone's attention to him.
"There's other news." He said, deciding to change the topic; although the news he bore was not pleasant. "From Yunkai. Without the Unsullied to enforce your rule, the Wise Masters have retaken control Of the city. They've re-enslaved the freedmen who stayed behind and sworn to take revenge against you. And in Astapor, the council you installed to rule over the city has been overthrown by a butcher named Cleon who's declared himself "His Imperial Majesty."
The Mother of Dragons had enough. She dismissed everyone but Jorah, who wished to have a private talk with him. Everyone had their plans, their ideas on what she should do and it was overwhelming her.
Thus, she chose to hear only one person and this time; she placed her trust in Jorah.
Tywin & Visenya's Chambers, Tower of the Hand, Red Keep — King's Landing, CrownLands — Nightfall
Visenya had once again found herself resting her head on Tywin's chest as both were lying on their bed. They had gotten rid of their ridiculous fancy clothes and had enjoyed the freedom their nightwear offered them.
With all the planning and crowning, the funeral, the trial and so on; they barely had any time to sit down and discuss. He had been rather busy; focusing on the most important matters that he saw should be prioritised first.
This left Visenya to take up the rest of the work for him. She could even copy his penmanship and write the letters that had to be written, either after he told them to her out loud or after she briefly discussed it with him of what it should be written.
If she was not doing that, she would look through the reports of soldiers, maesters, lords and so on; putting them into categories based on how urgent they were and how important they seemed to be.
On top of that, she was keeping an eye on all the Lion Cubs as each one of them was slowly trying to process the rather dramatic and sudden change of events. One moment they were swimming in a peaceful sea and the next, they were fighting against huge waves that threatened to toss them into sharp rocks and end them there.
It was a mess, not for them but for everyone and the only ones that could truly handle and do proper damage control; it was them.
More than once had they gone to sleep without talking much, both too tired and mentally exhausted.
No one brought up the incident at the wedding, the dreams she kept having... nothing.
It was a small relief for Visenya but it also made her feel rather lonely.
Even when their physical contact was not at the top, there was still discussion and some chance to just enjoy each other's presence.
However, in the past few days, they barely had the time to do that. It was something that had bothered her but she did not dare to tell him, although, by his daily frown, it was evident that he was sharing her thoughts and feelings.
She truly wished for the time to pass faster, for everything to just go away so they could return to more normal paces of their lives.
That night, somehow, both had managed to finish rather early and it allowed them to just enjoy each other's company. They could do that on the armchairs, with a goblet of wine, but Tywin seemed to have sensed her uneasiness or perhaps even her loneliness.
He had surprised her when he lay on the bed and motioned for her to join him, only to pull her closer as he always did. His hand was once again around her waist, bruises having formed from his deadly grip during the wedding because of his jealousy of Oberyn.
None commented on it and they were not intending to. Visenya knew of his jealousy and always found amusement in it, while sometimes she also found it silly. He should know she had no interest in any other man than him and if any man tried to touch her, he would have long been dead with a dagger between his eyes before his fingers could even caress her skin.
Yet, he kept feeling threatened by the attention she was receiving.
She would allow him this time though, because Oberyn was a big threat in general. His hatred for the Lannisters alone made him someone Tywin did not trust around her and his rather flirty and cocky personality did not help the situation either.
She was listening to his heart beating, the familiar sound soothing her like a lullaby. Her ear was pressed on his chest, her one hand resting across his torso and sensing his breathing by how his chest and diaphragm expanded and deflated in a steady rhythm.
"Cersei visited me, today," Tywin said, his other hand resting behind his head and offering a small support. His green eyes were as always locked to the fireplace across from the bed but would momentarily glance at her as if checking she was alright.
"What did she want?"
As per usual, the window was left open for some fresh air to come into the room. None felt the chilliness coming with it as Visenya's warm body seemed to protect them both. At least her temperature had returned to normal or at least as normal as it could be for her.
"To discuss. She was rather civil and even answered me when I asked her about the dates of the upcoming weddings."
This drew her interest and her curiosity. She moved her head and rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him.
"And when are those dates?"
"Tommen will wed Margaery a fortnight from now. A fortnight after their wedding, hers to Loras will take place," he informed.
She arched a single white eyebrow, a subtle movement he took notice of and forced him to look at her.
"How did you persuade her to accept her wedding to Loras? The one of Tommen, I understand, but she was rather against hers."
"She understood the importance of the alliance upon hearing of the empty mines."
His words seemed to confuse her even more, to the point that she moved her hands on the bed and lifted her body to slightly hover above the mattress and his body.
"What empty mines? I have been handling all reports even from here and our economic situation is rather stable despite the war thanks to my trading partners in Essos."
The mines and the trading was something she took on personally when they moved to Casterly Rock and she was rather good at it. She even hired people and paid them well to search for more mines, which they did find.
The only trouble they had lately was the fact that the money that was spent on war was surpassing the amount they were producing through the mines and the trade. Yet, one would not say the Lannisters were poor or had trouble with the money.
Their only concern was the fact that the Crown owed a lot of money to the Iron Bank and somehow it had to be repaid eventually, most likely with Lannister gold. However, they were not in the comfortable situation they were 18 years ago.
They could eventually repay the debt but that would take them some time and of course, for the war to truly end. The kingdoms were still in open rebellion and Stannis was still alive on Dragonstone, posing a threat that had to be dealt with.
Tywin watched her in silence, almost seeing the gears in her head working nonstop as they processed the information. He knew she was smart enough to realize it and when he spotted the small crease on her forehead by the movement of her eyebrows, he knew she had figured it out.
He offered her a side smirk, a signature one of his that he often gave her when she was quick to catch up or even see through his words and tests.
"You are very sneaky, Tywin Lannister," she finally said with a smirk of her own and a small chuckle. "You almost reach me but not yet," she continued, amusing him with her late-night cockiness.
He did not reply but pulled her from the waist closer until she was forced to lay on his chest once again.
"I still owe you for your latest little tricks. I would advise you not to chase your luck, Princess," he said, using her old nickname and saying it in the same cocky and husky manner that always made her shiver and was meant to tease and challenge her.
She did not comment but simply pecked his chest above his tunic and moved so her body was even closer to his. She focused back on his heartbeat and his silent breathing, his presence and his arm securing her by the waist offered her the comfort she needed the last few days.
His scent was the only thing she could smell and she slowly felt her eyelids growing heavy. She tried to fight it but she had been so mentally tired all those days and she could finally hear her mind going silent around him, as if his presence alone terrified her thoughts to the point that they went completely mute.
Before she knew it, she had fallen into a rather deep slumber and would never be able to see the way he looked at her.
For the moment her breathing pattern changed and the moment the muscles in her body relaxed, Tywin knew she had fallen asleep. He was not ready to sleep though yet but he did not wish to think any longer, having grown tired of doing that the past few days.
Instead, he turned his focus on the sleeping form of his wife, who was partially on top of his chest and torso. He tilted his head to the side to have a better view of her peaceful face, a chance to memorize her graceful and exotic characteristics in peace.
Her white hair fell behind her like a white blanket, their shade the same brilliant white-silver she always had. Under the dim light of the candles, their true beauty was dulled with only the sun doing true justice. A few strands had fallen around her cheeks and above her eyes, something that he did not like.
Carefully, he used one finger to gently push them to the side and could feel the heat radiating from her.
He was always surprised by how warm her body always was, although the incident at the wedding had not left his mind. He did not like not knowing what was going on with his wife and the fact that she did not know either, did not help him sleep that peacefully at night.
However, he knew he could not do much and he simply remained patient; hoping these 'hot flashes' would pass and things would return to normal.
He pressed his lips upon her head and inhaled her scent, a rather unique one that he had grown accustomed to. Despite baths, wars or anything else; there was this distinct scent of burning wood and spiced wine that was lingering around her.
He closed his eyes as he took in her scent and focused on the rather intimate moment between them. In the past, if one would tell him he would be lying like that with another woman, he would call them a liar.
Now, the Dragoness had simply become a big part of his life that he often found it hard to think about it without her present. Somehow, despite how much he hated to admit it, Visenya had drawn more than just his interest and attention; but he was never going to confess it... he simply couldn't.
Her presence and her familiar scent seemed to ease the worries and thoughts in his mind. The warmth of her body and the close proximity helped him to slowly relax as well and he slowly found his own mind desiring sleep, and he did not fight it.