Visenya Targaryen

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Aella Targaryen

Valarr Targaryen

> ‘“You have been born to greatness, my daughter, you shall be the same.”’
>
> — Owen Costayne to his daughter Visenya

**Visenya Targaryen**, also known as '**the Maiden**', is the daughter of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Owen Costayne, and therefore the granddaughter of Daenaerys I. She is the twin of Valarr Targaryen.

## Biography

*Taken from the many pages and musings of Maester Petyr, who gathered a series of written accounts relating to the female members of the House of Targaryen and their peculiar lives, naming it 'Women of the Dragon'.*

I. The Warmth of Fire

Born on the last year of the longest spring in living memory to the Princess of Dragonstone and Heir to the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra Targaryen and her consort, Owen Costayne, Visenya came to the world with celebration all around her. Her twin brother, Valarr, following after her by a few minutes.

Being the daughter of the Princess of Dragonstone did not come easy. Rhaenyra was a fierce woman, known for her disciplined attitude and even stronger personality. Being raised by such a woman came with undoubtable hardships and privilege. Visenya grew to know her place in the world because of it. It was no wonder that Visenya became the woman she did, her mother was meant to rule one day and her grandmother was the Queen on the Iron Throne. Being a woman in the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms certainly came with expectations that were doubled than that of men. The younger princess irrefutably felt like she had to live to that standard.

So began her journey to perfection.

It was engraved in Visenya's mind that she had to become the perfect embodiment of what it was to be a member of House Targaryen, if there was such a thing.

The young princess would grow to have an education and childhood suited for a member of the royal family. Visenya was always the curious one of Rhaenyra's children. Venturing on her own to see a butterfly fly out of a cocoon or look under a river rock to find a lizard or two. With the grand maester teaching the curious princess the basics between math, reading, and writing and more, she grew fond of *knowing*. She was hungry for knowledge and when the grand maester and Red Keep library satisfied the need she always wanted more.

Her motion of perfection meant having an increased need to surpass what was *needed* and more so what was *unexpected.* However, even the smoothest of porcelain has the smallest of cracks. Flaws manage to seep in, and Visenya's dreams proved as much.

II. Dragon’s Curse, Dragon's Blessing

The first of Visenya's dreams came to her on the two-hundredth-and-second year after the conquest in the midst of summer, she was five years of age at the time. It was a particularly hot night, one that left everyone in the Red Keep drenched in sweat in their beds and sheets. Any attempt at sleeping was disturbed and any attempt at cooling off was surely ignored. The cool of night never came and with it many wondered whether one of the Seven Hells had risen to haunt the denizens of the world.

Visenya, however she could and however she did, managed to fall into a deep slumber. You see, if there was one thing the young princess enjoyed it was heat. Scorching baths and blazing fireplaces were musts, no matter what day or season it was. It is unknown whether the dream came caused by the peculiar heat of that day or by simple coincidence, but when it did Visenya was left scarred.

Telling of what she envisioned can only be left to interpretation as the princess never spoke of it to anyone but her grandmother and mother. Rumor has it she saw death of those closest to her, blazed in dragonfire, their screams echoing so loud in her head that she woke up doing the same. Waking almost all in Maegor's Holdfast. Four Queenguard, her mother and father would rapidly enter the scene. Only to find Visenya curled up in a ball in the corner of her chambers, her small hands on her face as tears streamed down them. Fear and fright was all she felt, it could be seen in her, how her body trembled and winced at even her mother's touch. Her family would pass it as a normal nightmare, for Visenya's silence was loud and speaking of it again would prove traumatic. Whatever Visenya dreamt that night would define who she was for the rest of her life.

The dreams didn't stop that dreadful, heat scorned night, and Visenya was a fool to think so. Mentioning them to her mother would prove somewhat of a relief, although Rhaenyra didn't give her answers, rather stories of legend and myths of old. Of Daenys 'the Dreamer' and how the maiden princess saved House Targaryen from the doom of Valyria. But that was just that, a story. Nothing to prove it's validity. She would come to realize that in time, however, as a six year old she would believe it.

Holding it to herself that perhaps one day she will be able to save her family from a doom.

How wrong she was.

III. Flawed Gods

Visenya had been anointed with the seven oils and named in the rainbow of light that filled the Starry Sept at Oldtown. She was of the Faith, like her mother and grandmother and her mother before her. The Faith became an essential and almost necessary part of the princess' life. At the age of three and ten she would turn to it after her dreams of dragons and conquerors became more and more vivid as she aged.

It was in those seven-walled buildings, within her worship and prayer that Visenya felt at peace. Septas surrounded the princess, teaching her of etiquette and all things religion. She didn't particularly enjoy their presence, they imposed a picture of 'ladyship' she was not accustomed to. Her dreams saw the ambition and power her ancestors had, how fierce Aegon's Sister-Wives were and how eloquently the Good Queen managed to rule *beside* her husband. Her own mother and grandmother were prime examples of who she wanted to become, not some feeble lady ready to be married off to a random lord. It was certainly a struggle for Visenya to come to terms with her education and 'place' in the world. One that she continued to struggle with for many years.

Meeting the High Septon was an experience like none other for her. When first met she felt an incomprehensible amount of excitement, there he was the voice and body of the Gods, the one that would certainly know the answer to her prayers. When asked, the High Septon answered. 'Your dreams are nothing but messages from the Gods themselves.' He would then explain how the Holy Seven sent him a dream that set him on *his* path. How said dream was a changing experience for him that gave him the means to succeed.

Although an answer, it wasn't the one that Visenya wished to hear. Why was it that the Gods sent her dreams of death and destruction. While others received dreams of life and purpose. Surely, Daenys 'the Dreamer' had more answers than these.

It was in the year two-hundred-and-ten after conquest that a dream manifested itself once more in Visenya's sleep. It was the last year of the Dornish Conquest, the year the war would end and her family would come back. Daemon, her father, Lyonel and Durran, and others, would finally come home accomplishing her grandmother's ambition.

Night's before her father's death, Visenya would dream.

A dream of fire and blood.

She knew it in herself that someone wouldn't return. That someone dear to her wouldn't come back home. And so it was, Owen Costayne, Visenya's beloved father died at the hands of a child. His own compassion became the death of him. Saddened spirit and a cold mind, Visenya had enough. A darkness had settled in her heart and no one would be able to take it out.

There was no gods, there was only dragonfire. And the world would see it burn.

IV. The Dragon and the Maiden Fair

After years of fighting her mind, of fighting her dreams and herself, Visenya would grow tired of it. Perhaps she couldn't fix everything, perhaps she was meant to be flawed. After all, she can feel the power of a dragon or see through the eyes of a conqueror, if anything she is beyond better than those who can't. Perhaps her mother was right all those years ago, perhaps embracing her ability would be better than not. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

It was time for Visenya to assert herself as the woman she was meant to become. With her mother's guidance and the stories of the greater women of House Targaryen engraved in her mind, she was ready to learn. She soon realized it was only a perfect picture that needed to be painted for others to see you as that what you wanted them to see you as. And so she did just that. Between smiling to those she despised and giving to those she did not like, she accomplished what she wanted.

In the year two-hundred-and-fourteen after conquest, Visenya and an entourage would be sent to the Vale on a royal progress in her mother's stead. Accompanying her would be her best friends and Ladies-in-Waiting as well as the Lord Commander of the Queensguard. The trip was one of feasts and greeting. She came to the conclusion that she adored the attention from others, how they saw her as something above them. At arrival to the Eyrie, the Lord Arryn would introduce Visenya to his family and home with warmth and welcome. It was here she would meet Arwen Arryn, soon to become the next addition to her entourage of plenty. A grand feast was hosted and a hawking tournament would take place, and Visenya would enjoy every last ounce of attention given to her.

V. The Maiden

Her new mindset in place and a new confidence within her. Visenya would walk through the halls of the Red Keep with a head held high and an air of entitlement to her. Although her dreams were still concealed, it was through them she had found true power. The feeling of empowerment and ambition felt every time she had one.

The Daughters of Mother's Mercy became the perfect cover for Visenya, they were just what she needed to continue displaying who she wanted to be. And in the midst of it all, her friends became closer to her. Tea parties, gossip, and everything in between was done together. The 'perfect' maidens always seen with one another, envied by most and loved by all. Or so her entitled mind, told her. Through her grace and generosity, by the smallfolk and many more, the young princess was deemed the embodiment of ‘The Maiden’ herself. Earning the epithet of the goddess, a nickname that did nothing but inflate her ego.

On the night of her eighteenth nameday, Visenya would have a dream equal to the first. It was the same one and this time, she screamed even louder. Same reaction from those at Maegor's Holdfast except in the place of her father came no one. No one to carry her to bed and tuck her in with calming words and a soothing smile. But the dream lingered in her mind, it teased a future she feared for those in her family.

A future that would see them burn.

## Appearance

The blood of the dragon flows strong in Visenya. She has long luxuriant platinum hair which cascades past her shoulders. The hue of her striking heterochromatic eyes switch between cerulean blue and dark violet depending on the lighting. Her manner of dress is one appropriate to court life, preferring to wear the most adorned gowns and expensive jewelry. Although she does not shy from wearing a large array of colors, she is frequently seen in black, red, silver, and gold. A circlet of pale spun white gold set with tiny diamonds and rubies said to sparkle when the wearer turns the head is always atop her head.