HOW ON EARTH had Visenya stooped this low? arm in arm with Rhaenyra's oldest bastard, trotting down the grass of the Vale in the middle of the night?
Dirty with mud, her ball shoes were ruined to say the least, her gown destroyed. A cold sweaty mess ruining her makeup. Yet there she was, trying to conceal a girlish smile feeling the happiness she had only read in silly fantasy novels in her library.

And how on earth did Jacaerys get here, arm in arm with his childhood enemy. Accompanying her to the castle like they were lovers, like they did not pin at each other's throats like two dragons in a battle?
She was the girl who would remind himself of how he was a bastard at every point and turn, yet now they walked peacefully together. Perhaps Jacaerys was dreaming, or having a nightmare. Perhaps this was a trap and Visenya would pull a dagger and stab him in a minute's notice. He knew how callous she was, and how secretive. Yet still, he chose to give her the warmth of his cloak and chose to suffer in the cold.
All because she suddenly changed her mind on not wanting him to be in Gods know where.

"My lady!" Elise had practically shouted like a worried mother when she saw Visenya enter the castle grounds with the boy Visenya proclaimed to hate with all her heart hours earlier. Elise herself thought Visenya would kill Jacaerys at any moment, but no. Visenya had this glowing look in her eyes, a sight Elise had never seen so often.

"Prince Jacaerys." Elise curtsied, "it's good to know you've changed your mind." Jacaerys nodded with a smile before handing Visenya over.

"Will you be attending the ball?" Elise questioned the two of them, "I don't see a reason not to." Jacaerys shrugged before entering the castle.

"What has gone over the two of you?" Elise asked as she looked between her lady and the prince.
"I must confess I don't know myself, Elise. Perhaps I must be going mad."

"Mad indeed, princess." Elise said as she helped Visenya to her accommodations, "We must get you cleaned up if you still wish to attend the ball. What on earth were you thinking running off into the night..."
Elise scolded Visenya until they had reached Visenya's room where she was washed once more and styled in haste. Surprisingly, Visenya looked even better than she did before.

"Princess Visenya Targaryen, second of her name, the Realm's shining emerald." Her name was announced once more, and the attendees all turned to look at Princess Visenya. There were lustful looks and those of true admiration in the crowd at the sight of the Gem of the Seven Kingdoms.

"Princess Visenya, you look even more beautiful than before!" Lady Jessamyn complimented by the side of her close companion, the Ward of the Vale.
Visenya's hair was braided, her gown a crimson red  with golden jewelry, her makeup was dark—setting a
statement that she was no longer a child.

Visenya could not spot Jacaerys in the crowd, but Jace could spot her well. How could he not when she shined brighter among all those surrounding the festivity?

The animated hymns of the bard began, and soon the lords began to invite the prettiest and the youngest ladies to dance with them. Jacaerys had tried to make his way to the angel that awaited him, but the circle the men formed, begging pathetically for the princess first dance blocked his way.
"Visenya!" Jacaerys called out, but the sound was muffled over the musical strings.

A smaller figure touched the prince's shoulder, "don't bother, my prince." the female voice said, making Jacaerys hairs stand up as he stepped back surprised.
"The princess is not what she pretends, I thought you'd have realized that by now—based on the rumors of your continuing quarrels." The lady in question was Visenya's height, with golden hair and green eyes like grass.

"How do you..." Jacaerys began, suspiciously paranoid by the power this new lady had over him.
"No one is capable of being what the blindmen say of her, their eyes are veiled with lust of course. Lady Ganna Grafton, at your service." The lady lifted her left hand, and Jacerys took it and kissed it, such was the chivalrous way.
The blonde women looked at the princess with a dirty look, leading Jace to a dance yet making it seem as though he was the one who brought her forth.

She was right, no matter how kind Visenya had seemed earlier. Visenya was deadly, she was arrogant. How could his lust forfeit his good judgment?

The dance began, and so with the princess and the prince choosing their unkown dance partners.
"How are you liking the Vale, so far?" Ganna asked with a kind smile, a genuine one.

"It is a beautiful place." Jacaerys smiled, though his eyes landed on his rival for a fleeting second before Ganna turned so he faced his back to the princess.

Visenya glanced at the prince she humiliated herself for him to stay, she expected him to come to her for the dance. Yet there he was, smiling and kissing the hand of a lady of a lesser house, the nerve. What could she expect from a bastard such as he?
Her partner was a young, handsome man of golden locks and a red attire similar to hers. Marwin Lannister was but five years older to Visenya, he was not involved in the family politics as his father was a second son. Making Marwin the cousin of the current head of the house, Jason Lannister.

"You are more beautiful than they say, my lady, the fairest of them all." Marwin breathed, kissing the princess knuckles in formely manner.
"You are not so bad yourself, Lord Lannister." Visenya smiled. They twirled and danced to the song, occasionally being in the hands of another partners.
All the while the two royals could not help themselves but look at one another angrily, all based on a misunderstanding.

"Do not pay attention to the bastard prince, my dragon, these mongrels are not worthy for you to bestow them with your beautiful eyes." the Lannister boy said, and Visenya cringed as she looked at the side.

"what was that?" Prince Jacaerys stood behind Visenya, which made her surprised and hit her head on his chest. Of course he had heard the Lannister's bastard claims of him. The bards stopped, the conversations ceased and the whispers began.
"what was what, my prince?" Lannister feigned innocence with the hint of a smirk on his face. Still, he held his head down low in reverence to the man he spoke ill of.

Jacaerys hand moved to the gold collar of Marwin's cloak, "what did you say I was to the princess?" his voice was a harsh whisper, like the waves of the sea or the breathing of a dragon.
"A b-b-bastard p-prince!" Jacaerys' head whipped to the side to see the glimmer of confirmation at the claim, or maybe to see her reaction. Visenya looked around the crowd, she looked at the commotion that took place right in front of her with uncertainty.
A Bastard Prince, she knew of it, of course she knew when she'd speak with her brothers. When her mother's tongue whipped at the B of the nickname. When Visenya would spew hatred herself with the maids.

But gods, it made her uncomfortable to see someone else say it. It made her have the slightest hint of a smile to see Jacaerys had grown courageous enough to stand up for himself. It would be a laughing matter to Aegon and Aemond as they mocked him. But Visenya was genuinely surprised at the sight.

"I'll have you know that I will cut your tongue before you say any of the words you said behind my back tonight." Jacaerys moved to whisper on Marwin's ears, "and if you ever touch the princess again with your dirty hands, I will be the one to remove them myself." he spat and Marwin scurried away, quickly leaving the ball.

There was a tension in the room, but to Jacaerys' luck, he had found that his ward was extremely drunk and content with his stay. "To Prince Jacaerys!" Jeyne Arryn raised her cup, and the guests followed suit.
Jacaerys smiled, and turned to Visenya who did not partake in the toast.

"you made my partner leave," she raised an eyebrow with slight disdain but she was entertained by the scene, Visenya was one for the dramatics.
"your partner was a coward, one with a treacherous tongue." Jacaerys jaw locked. He offered his hand to Visenya as a new song began anew.

Visenya took his hand, "perhaps we had that in common, not the coward part." Jacaerys smiled slightly, but he knew it to be true.

"I wonder where is your dance partner?" Visenya looked around, she was certain there was something off about the looks Ganna had given her as she danced with Jacaerys moments ago.

"she was to fetch some wine, I don't know where she went." the corner of the prince's mouth smiled, Ganna was a beautiful lady indeed. But her envy for Visenya was something that drove many suitors away.
"ah, I see." Visenya nodded, Jace twirled her. And as Visenya was famous for always being the center of attention, the couples danced around the two royals, making them the center of the dance floor.

"They make a fine couple," Jessamyn whispered to her secret lover, Jeyne Arryn who looked at the red head with a small smile. "If only the princess was not so blinded with hatred to see what lays right in front of her." the Wardress evaluated the dance partners.

"They're young, naive. They're both blind by their arguments to realize it." Jessamyn smiled with adorning eyes to the woman she loved.

"Let us pray to the Gods that when they do, it won't be too late." Jeyne looked away from Jessamyn, they could not do this. Not here. They were only close friends in the eyes of the public, privvy to what happened in the secluded walls of the Eyrie.