2 Viserys I

Viserys felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Rhaella's chest as she slept, holding onto him. Her grip, softened by slumber, allowed him to carefully free himself from her embrace. 

"Finally," he murmured.

His gaze fell on his new mother; he felt sorry for her he truly did. She had endured years of abuse at the hands of her husband, and now, her eldest son was dead. Rhaegar might have been an idiot and a rapist, but to Rhaella, he was the son who she believed would rescue her from her years-long torment.

He shook his head and slowly made his way off the bed. He tiptoed towards the window and gently pulled aside the curtains, gazing out to see the day's light fading. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the godswood beyond the holdfast in a warm orange glow.

'It's evening already,' he thought, surprised. He stood there for a while, replaying the events from the throne room earlier.

'That could have ended badly for me,' he thought, the gravity of his actions sinking in. Why did he even think it was going to work?

"Can Elia, Rhaenys, and Aegon come with us? I would be all alone," he repeated his words from the throne room, mocking himself for thinking he could convince the mad king. It was the last of his week-long efforts to save Elia, Aegon, and Rhaenys from their fate, and now he was all out of time and options. He had even played the dragon dream card, telling Elia and Rhaella about his nightmare of lions hurting her, Aegon, and Rhaenys, but it had failed spectacularly.

'I guess they have had enough of dreams and prophecies because of Rhaegar,'he mused as he laid down on the cold marble floor, his failure weighing down on him. 

He had woken up here a week ago. It was strange to be a child again, even stranger to be a character from a world he thought was fiction. He knew that he and his soon-to-be-born sister would end up in Essos; he only had to wait until they went to Dragonstone. But then he saw little Rhaenys and Aegon, and his plans to wait were derailed. He remembered their gruesome fates, and as he spent time with them and Elia, he decided to try and save them.

As he laid there, he tried to think of another plan, a final gambit. 'Elia can't be saved,' he thought. He had to make peace with that. He could leave her with a warning; that was all he could do now. Aegon could be saved by Varys if he truly was on the Targaryen side and the Blackfyre theory was wrong. The only one left was Rhaenys, whom he could try to save. For that, he would have to walk into the den of a madman. There was a high chance he could be hurt or worse, die, but if he did, maybe he would just wake up back in his old world.

With a self-deprecating laugh, Viserys stood up from the ground and made his way to the door, moving quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping mother.

As he reached the door, he was met by two guards. "I want to go to my room," he commanded, trying to sound authoritative.

The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances; they had orders from the king to keep them both confined.

"Now," he insisted.

"Yes, my prince," one of the guards finally relented, nodding to his companion before leading him through the dimly lit corridors to his room.

It had been like this for most of his time here: he was confined to Maegor's Holdfast along with Elia and the children, and he was only allowed to leave when Rhaella was present. So, he had started looking for secret passageways to escape his room. After much searching, he found an opening in his room and had used that to sneak around the holdfast at night. He had a rough idea of where all the rooms were and where the guards would be.

Arriving at the room, the guard halted at the door. Once inside, he quickly made his way to the far wall. His fingers deftly traced its surface, searching for the hidden mechanism that opened the door to the passageway. Finding the concealed button, he pressed it, and with a soft click, a section of the wall slid aside, revealing the dimly lit passageway. He quickly made a makeshift torch, something he had become adept at over the week of exploring. With the torch lit, he stepped into the secret passage, the flame illuminating the path ahead.

As the door closed behind him, he navigated through the tunnel, his makeshift torch casting long shadows on the damp stone walls. Ahead lay a small opening, one he knew well; it was hidden behind a grand tapestry of Queen Visenya Targaryen. Reaching his destination, he carefully pushed open the concealed door behind the tapestry. Gently easing the heavy fabric aside, he peered through the gap to scan the corridor for any guards or servants.

Making sure there was no sign of anyone nearby and satisfied that he was alone, Viserys stepped out, peering through the gap to scan the corridor for any passersby. The hallway was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of wall-mounted torches, with no sign of anyone nearby and satisfied that he was alone, he stepped out, blending into the shadows of the holdfast's large corridors.

His next destination was the King's chambers.

This, in his mind, was the only way he could save Rhaenys; the only man who could ensure her survival was the same man who held her hostage. Sneaking his way there, he stopped at the corner leading to the chamber, where he spotted a teenage Jaime Lannister standing guard.

He paused, his thoughts racing for a plan to bypass the Kingsguard. But before he could concoct a strategy, Jaime's voice cut through the silence.

"Prince Viserys," he exclaimed.

He froze, wondering how Jaime had spotted him. 'Maybe if I stay still, he'll think he imagined it,' he thought, but Jaime called out again, more assertively this time, and began walking towards him. Accepting the fact that he had been caught he revealed himself.

"Ser Jaime," he greeted.

"My prince, you shouldn't be here," Jaime said, approaching him with a concerned look.

"I just... I wanted to see my father," he stammered, his mind racing for a plausible excuse.

"It's not wise to disturb the king now. Come, my prince, I shall escort you back to your room," Jaime insisted.

Realizing that Jaime wouldn't easily be swayed, he quickly assessed his options. Seeing that Jaime was distracted looking back to the entrance of the chamber, he used his small size and agility to dart past the Kingsguard towards the door. Jaime, caught off guard, turned swiftly and followed him into the chamber, his armor clanking with each step.

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Viserys entered the opulent room and immediately noticed Aerys, who was standing in front of a wall, deeply engrossed in a large map of Westeros drawn on the wall. The king was tracing routes and locations with his thin, bony fingers; he was completely absorbed in his musings. He hadn't heard him enter, but the clattering of Jaime's armor as he hurried into the room drew the king's attention.

Aerys whipped around, his eyes wide with shock and confusion at the sudden intrusion. Aerys's eyes met his. "Viserys, what are you doing here?" Aerys's voice was sharp, tinged with incredulity and rising anger.

He then quickly turned his furious gaze to Jaime, his expression darkening further. "Lannister, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

His heart pounded in his chest, so hard he feared it might burst. Blood rushed to his head as panic set in.

'This was stupid,' he berated himself.

'He's a madman. Why would he listen to me?' Fear gripped him with the thought.

'I'm going to die here.'

Aerys's voice, sharp and commanding, cut through his spiraling thoughts. "Well, have you lost your tongue, boy?" he shouted.

Jolted back to the moment, he scrambled for words. "I... I came to see you, Father. I missed you," he stammered out, hoping his feigned innocence might help him in this situation.

Aerys's demeanor appeared to grow more menacing. His gaze flicked towards Jaime, noticing his hand inching towards his sword hilt.

'YES,' Viserys thought desperately.

'Yes, Jaime, fulfill your destiny as the Kingslayer. Strike him down now,' he yelled in his head, hoping he would do the deed.

However, both he and Jaime were taken aback when a smile spread across Aerys's face. "Leave us," Aerys commanded Jaime, his tone unnervingly gentle. "I wish to spend time with my son."

Jaime cast him a wary glance before bowing and exiting the room. Aerys turned his gaze towards him; it was the first time he had a chance to truly study his face. He had long and unkempt silver-gold hair; his face was gaunt and pale. His robes hung loosely on his thin frame. 

He moved to a nearby chair, his long robes trailing behind him, and sat down, then turned to him."Come, Viserys," he said, patting his lap, signaling him to come closer and sit on his lap.

"Oh, fuck," Viserys cursed silently, seeing Aerys's gesture.

'Oh great, just great, he wants me to sit on his lap,' he thought. He was frozen in place for a moment, but he saw Aerys's patience waning. "Viserys," he called again, his tone more dangerous.

It startled him, and he quickly complied. With hesitant steps, he moved towards Aerys, each step heavy with dread. As he reached him, Aerys lifted him effortlessly and placed him on his lap.

'This is really happening,' he thought. He was sitting on the lap of the most unpredictable and dangerous man in the Seven Kingdoms.

"You must have missed me, son," Aerys asked.

"Yes, father," he quickly answered.

"Rhaegar is dead. We are now the last of the pure and true dragons," he began. "Rhaegar, that fool!" Aerys's voice grew louder and more erratic. "He was never fit to be the heir. You, Viserys, you should have been my firstborn!" he continued, his grip tightening. "Yes, yes, you would have been a far better heir, a true dragon!"

Aerys leaned closer, and he could feel his breath on him. "And Joanna... ah, Joanna. If only things had been different. You, my little Viserys, should have been Joanna's son. My son with her," His words were a confusing mix of resentment, envy, and delusion. He then continued his rant Tywin, Rhaella, the Starks, the Baratheons all were included, he stayed silent through it all, gripped with fear.

The rant was abruptly cut short as Aerys's demeanor changed. He gently set him down from his lap and took him by the hand, leading him towards a grand portrait of a dragon.

"Look here, Viserys," he said, pointing to the portrait. "Do you know which dragon this is?" he asked.

"Balerion," he answered.

"Yes, he was the mightiest dragon ever to soar the skies…" Aerys went on to explain the history of their house. Viserys wondered if this was another side of his madness, a more docile side. 

He had not forgotten why he had come here: to save Rhaenys; he looked for an opening to steer the conversation towards her.

As Aerys told him of how their family kept the bloodline pure, he saw an opening."Father, who will I marry?" he asked, his tone one of feigned innocence.

Aerys fell silent, his expression darkening. The question seemed to hit a sore spot, igniting a fresh wave of anger. He launched into a bitter tirade about Rhaella's failure to bear him a daughter, his voice laced with resentment and frustration.

Undeterred by the outburst, Viserys gently probed further. "Will I marry Rhaenys, then?"

Aerys let out a scoff, mixed with a harsh laugh. "Rhaenys? She's too tainted by Dornish blood She is no true dragon," he declared dismissively. But then, a flicker of contemplation crossed his face. "Yet, perhaps... your offspring could cleanse the Dornish stain from our lineage."

Seizing the moment, he continued, "Then why aren't Rhaenys and Aegon coming with us to Dragonstone?"

Aerys's gaze sharpened, his voice turning icy. "Are you daring to question my decree, boy?" he hissed.

'Too far, too far,' his mind screamed. He quickly shook his head. "No, Father, you told me the importance of keeping our blood pure. What if something bad happened to Rhaenys?" He had taken Aegon out of the equation. "You did say we have enemies everywhere."

The king paused, his gaze drifting back to the map, then to him. "Yes," Aerys murmured, "the purity… blood… preserve," Aerys whispered. Viserys could not hear him clearly.

'Did it work, did he get through to him?' he thought as he waited for Aerys' response.

Aerys began pacing around the room, muttering about traitors, then he halted and called out for Ser Jaime. Jaime entered the room almost immediately.

"Take my son to his chambers; I need to be alone," Aerys commanded.

He felt a surge of disappointment; his last gamble had failed. Jaime led him out of the room.They walked through the dark corridors in silence, reaching his room. He turned to Jaime. "Can I ask you to promise me something Ser Jaime?"

Jaime, surprised by the request, nodded. "Anything, my prince."

"Promise me you'll protect Elia, Aegon, and Rhaenys,"

"I promise, I will protect them," he vowed.

"Thank you," he whispered before entering the room, leaving Jaime in the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he let out a heavy sigh and collapsed onto his bed, consumed by exhaustion.

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At the break of dawn, Viserys and Rhaella were escorted to the docks, with Willem Darry, the master-at-arms of the Red Keep, assigned to protect them. As the procession navigated through the streets of King's Landing, Viserys experienced the stink of the city for the first time.

'This is messed up. How do people live here?' he thought.

Upon reaching the ship, a disheartened Viserys boarded while the crew busied themselves loading their belongings. His mother approached him and hugged him close to protect him from the cold.

"Ser, a group of guardsmen approaches," shouted a man from the docks. Alarmed, Ser Willem ordered his men to surround them for protection as he took a small contingent with him to meet the new arrivals. He could not see what was going on, but after a while, Ser Willem returned with the newly arrived guardsmen following him.

"Ser Willem, who are these men with you?" Rhaella asked. Willem's face softened as he stepped aside, revealing the small figure behind him.

"Rhaenys." she exclaimed.

Rhaenys burst forth from the group and threw her arms around him.

"Vis," she exclaimed, her voice filled with delight.

"How?" Rhaella asked, stunned.

"The king commanded us to bring her here in secret, my queen," one of the guards answered.

'I did it,' he thought. Rhaenys broke her embrace and looked up at him with a smile. Then she lifted a kitten with her small hands. "Look, Balerion is coming with us as well."

He had a huge smile on his face. He saw Rhaenys' expression change to one of worry. "Why are you crying, Vis?"

'Crying?' he thought, confused. He touched his face and felt the wetness of tears. He looked to the Red Keep and back to Rhaenys, smiling once more.

"It's nothing," he said as he ruffled her hair. The ship set off as the sun rose. He had eight months in Dragonstone, eight months to plan his future in this new world.