Vaerena Targaryen

"*It is true. Not a lion, a fish nor a wolf is enough for a dragon.*"
―Vaerena's lament about men to her handmaiden**Vaerena Targaryen**, first of her name and heir to the **Iron Throne**.

Not only in King’s Landing, but all across the Seven Kingdoms people rejoiced when the king and his queen welcomed their firstborn child. For some years, the firstborn child of the king being a girl seemed like no real issue. They believed that one day, the gods would bless her with a brother; someone to take on the iron throne and follow in the King’s footsteps. No one but the Maesters who had assisted in the childbearing would have known the truth of it all. The queen would not ever mother another child again. Despite Vaerena having been born a healthy babe, her mother suffered many complications in the process of giving birth. She survived, but her recovery was lengthy and tiring. The Maesters chose to not burden the king and his wife with what they had witnessed. They chose to keep Vhaenyra’s infertility a secret, to delay the inevitable tumult that lay ahead.

The deep love that the King harbored for Vaerena was apparent since the day she was born. As Vaerena’s mother was bedridden with complications of her own, she was unable to be as involved in motherhood as she would have liked. Instead, going against the norms and standards befitting of a man, and especially that of a king, her father ensured to give Vaerena the parentally love she deserved. Though she was mostly handled by wet nurses, king Baelon would often choose to tend to paperwork in the nursery.

Vaerena grew older, and got assigned a handful of Septas and Maesters to teach her what she needed to be taught. As time passed by, the King realised that traditional teachings intended for a princess were not going to cut it. And so, the King decided to take his daughter under his wing to prepare her for the future that lay ahead of her. At first, it all happened covertly. The King wished to avoid sparking rumours, refraining from showcasing his consideration on declaring Vaerena his heir for many years. She would sit by him in his chambers, going over his daily life as a King as he presented her cases someone of his status would have to deal with. Gradually, the playful child-friendly nature of the teachings would grow into more profound ones.

Though it had taken the Queen only a few years to seemingly recover from giving birth to Vaerena, and that she and the King actively tried for another baby, it never seemed to work out. Her mother tried to be as involved in Vaerena’s upbringing as she could be, but was most often held down by both mental and physical restraints. This also lead to the Queen being notably absent in court, which had people looking at Vaerena in her stead from a young age on already. And so, Vaerena began taking part in shallow politicking around the age of seven. From that same age, King Baelon had appointed Vaerena to become his royal cupbearer. She rarely had spare time, as she was busy living up to and exceeding both her parents their expectations. Though its intensity often appeared to take its toll on the young princess, it was only ever limited to Vaerena lashing out and throwing temper tantrums. She learned the pretentious ways of participating in court politics, whilst she also got to listen and learn from the men that formed the Small Council.

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Academics came easy to her. Never too much time was spent dwelling on intricate subjects, for Vaerena experienced no trouble in mastering the knowledge her tutors offered up. She rushed through many topics, growing easily bored if staying on the same one for too long. Vaerena cared lots for wisdom, even craving it from young age. But most of all, Vaerena adored praise. She felt the urge to prove herself in whatever she deemed necessary to prove herself worth as her father’s one, true heir. And whilst her Maesters spoke of her with exalt, due to her sharp mind and unwavering insight, her septas grew infuriated with the young princess. Vaerena disregared the fine, maiden-like arts they taught her. She needn't know how to sew, and most definitely did not care for reciting silly poems and plucking the dullest instrument known to mankind, a harp.

## Personality

Vaerena was inextricable from the royal court; she was heavily involved in the capital’s day-to-day politics and played an active role in maintaining the Crown’s relations. Despite the busy schedule appertaining to the crown princess’ daily life, like studying under her Maester’s watchful eyes or bonding with her dragon Sunfyre, she spent most of her time out and about within court. Though she was never one to openly instigate gossip or fall from grace, Vaerena often dismissed the discretions that befit her royal status. Her ever radiant charm, paired with her teasing nature and the innuendos which often found their way into her speech, left many guessing at the princess’ true intentions.

Fire ran through her veins and outed itself in Vaerena’s audacious approach to life. With everything being served to her upon a silver platter by only batting her eyelashes, Vaerena developed an insatiable need for more. To the princess, life was like a game of Cyvasse; one she naively believed herself to have mastered at a young age. She needed her buttons pushed, seeking out extremes and only ever taking her rest if forced so by her handmaidens.

She was a calculating young maiden, knowing exactly what she wanted and how she was going to get it. She took the duties her father granted her with absolutely serious and was determined in making him proud. But, being so set on fulfilling her own whims had the princess sometimes crossing boundaries she should not have crossed. Still, she never shied away from hiding behind her juvenile looks of innocence. After all, she was merely seven and teen. To slipups she never confessed, no matter the evidence or outcome. Even if it meant someone else would have to take the blame.

## Appearance

Blessed with Targaryen genes, Vaerena’s heart shaped face was crowned by a cascade of ivory hair that reached to well below her shoulders. Her skin held a warm olive tint, a testimony to the scorching sun that was known to stand high above King’s Landing. Typical Valyrian features outed themselves in an almost chiseled appearing jawline, hollow cheekbones and a hawkish, yet small nose. Antithetical to the harsher, austere lines of her face, Vaerena’s lips were soft and plump, and her eyes big and doe-like. That, in combination with her dainty build, added to the benignant character many made her out to be.

Despite the fact that as a woman of her status her looks were never her own to worry about, Vaerena cared a lot for the way she presented herself. And so, she was always heavily involved with the styling of her hair and the newest fashions her maidens advised her to wear. Though silks and satins were mostly the norm to dress in accordingly to the high temperatures of the Crownlands, Vaerena preferred thicker fabrics such as brocatelles and brocades. With her handmaidens in charge of her wardrobe, many dresses were imported from afar to have the princess stand out amongst the others at court. Her dresses exhibited exotic motifs and traditional embroidery, and were often even a respectful nod to the princess’ Valyrian heritage by incorporating patterns of dragon-like scales. Whilst always dressed in imposing clothes, Vaerena was often overlooked due to her height. She had always been frail and smaller than others her age. And so, Vaerena sought her very own ways to attract wanted heed.

The necklines of her gowns were usually squares or sweethearts, as she favoured modesty and enjoyed the allure that added to her mystique by covering up instead of showing off. Complimentary to her attire, she wore headdresses; headbands and hoods of the finest fabrics, with some of them even laid in with arrays of rhinestones.

Vaerena wore golden jewels with either mother-of-pearl embellishments or colourful gemstones. Most of the time they were either rubies and onyxes, representing the colours of her House emblem, or pink morganites as a reference to her dragon Sunfyre.

Her dulcet voice was seldom raised. Usually its tone remained soft, almost velvety. She would not bellow or try and drown others in conversation. Instead, her timbre remained the same. Which for a girl like her naturally resulted in people falling silent to listen instead. Vaerena’s laugh was genuine and ebullient, radiating joyful bliss enough to fill up the entirety of a room.

## Skill

As she would often sneak away from her guard, Ser Sunglass, off to do as she please, Vaerena grew aware that she would have to be able to defend herself one way or another. If it were ever to get to that point. She was neither a warrior princess like her predecessor Visenya, nor would her father ever allow her to wield a sword. Not even a heirloom piece. So, she just carried a gauche, yet scanty knife around her right ankle; one she had once nicked from the table.

She had never received proper training, but she had always enjoyed watching the Kingsguards spar. And sometimes, with the pouting of her lips and imploring saccharinely, she was able to beguile her appointed guard into blessing her with knightly tales. Though it would never come nearly in as handy as actually knowing how to wield a blade of any size, it still brought her some kind of confidence.