Volantis, 277 A.C.

Melelna dipped the tip of her brush into the small jar, coating it with scarlet paint. It was the first time she attempted to paint the creatures that haunted her dreams. The young girl let out a deep breath and allowed her hand to work freely over the canvas, staining it with red. Painting came naturally to her, like it did to her Lady Mother before her. When her mind could assemble the image, her fingers could bring it to life easily enough if she had the appropriate colours at her disposal.

But the image that started to take form in front of her, wasn't one that her mind had produced. Her mind couldn't produce such vivid images of creatures she's never come across—Creatures long forgotten in this world.

Melelna switched to a deeper red and started painting the details on beast's body, then his wings. She was about to paint his eyes when a knock interrupted her work.

The door of her bedchamber busted open and Vinar strode straight in, not bothering to wait for an invitation to enter her rooms.

Melelna scowled at her older brother. "Vinar! What if I was indecent? I'm not a child anymore!"

"You're always going to be a child to me, my little Mel." Her brother smiled before affectionately hauling her into his arms to plant a kiss on her forehead. Her anger eased at once—but then again, she'd never remained upset with Vinar for longer than a few minutes. Her brother had a special talent for sweet talking his way out of all their quarrels.

She felt him tense around her and Melelna lifted her chin to see what had changed her brother's playful mood. He was staring at the canvas, a thousand different emotions passing through his deep lilac eyes.

He released her and Melelna expected him to say something but her brother just kept standing there, silent, as if he'd forgotten she was in the room with him.

"Did you dream of him?" Vinar suddenly broke the silence but still didn't tear his gaze from the creature.

"Do you dream of them too, Vinar?" the young girl asked, her tone full of hope and excitement.

Her brother gave her a sad smile. "No, but our mother did. Maybe it's best if you don't tell Nyessos about this. Keep your paintings covered as well."

Melelna's expression faltered at the mention of their oldest brother and Vinar didn't miss the sudden change of her mood.

"He is grieving Melelna, give him some time. I'm certain Nyessos never meant to scare you," Vinar said, referring to Nyessos's latest outburst after finding her talking to one of the kitchen boys. "He is just overly protective of you. You know how you remind him of mother. Her death is still fresh in his heart. Give him some time to come to terms with it."

She'd tried telling Vinar that there was something wrong with their older brother. There's been something wrong with him since long before their mother's death but either Vinar didn't wish to believe her or Nyessos chose to reveal his true vile nature only when Melelna was around. Her father thought him to be the perfect son, worthy of the family legacy he was to inherit. She almost snorted at the thought. The only thing Nyessos deserved was a good beating, preferably by one of the slaves he liked to torment so much.

"We all lost her, Vinar. We all grieve," Melelna pressed.

Vinar sighed before pinning her with a sharp look. "I need you to make good with Nyessos. Especially now that it's only going to be the two of you until father comes back from Lys." His tone was serious now, all traces of playfulness and affection gone from his voice.

Melelna knew that Vinar meant well, she knew that he truly believed Nyessos would never hurt her but she wasn't so sure anymore. Her mother was found dead a fortnight before Melelna turned four and ten, but it's been five moons since then and Nyessos's moods only seemed to worsen with the passing days. She didn't want to think about the time she would have to spend alone with him until she had the safety of their father's presence. He was the only one Nyessos feared, the only one who could protect her from him now that Vinar was going to leave her side.

"Why can't you stay a few more days–at least until father comes back? Please Vinar, for me?" the girl begged, not for the first time since her brother announced that he would be joining the crew of one of her father's ships.

Vinar loved the sea and he loved seeing new places even more. His responsibilities at the Palace were minimal due to his status as second son, so their father made no protests when he asked to see the world.

His lips curved into an apologetic smile. "The ship is leaving on the morrow, Mel. You know I cannot delay the shipments for days without good reason."

Melelna's shoulders sagged in resignation. "Do you think father would ever let me come with? Or travel on my own ship, Vinar?" she asked, her every word coated with hope.

Vinar's expression softened and he gathered his sister back into his arms. "Father loves you very much. It shan't be easy to convince him to part with you. But Jaenys Vhassar is not an unreasonable man. Prove to him that you could survive on your own and you just might have a chance."

"How?" Melelna asked and then borrowed her face deeper into the crook of his arm.

"He taught you how to read the trade books and work the numbers. Take over some of his work and make him coin, Mel. If there is one thing father respects, it's one's ability to multiply coin. You're a clever girl, I'm sure you can get the hand of it in no time."

Melelna reared back and gave him a slow smile. He was always overestimating her abilities. But Vinar was right about their father and she'd ask him to give some of his work over to her as soon as he was back in Volantis. She only prayed she wouldn't see a lot of Nyessos while she was waiting for his return. She'd keep to her rooms and only walk the palace corridors when he was busy overseeing the shipments at the docks.

But deep in her heart Melelna knew that while she was doing everything in her power to avoid Nyessos, he would be doing everything in his to find her.

A/N:

Some info about this fiction and alternate universe:

• Aerys Targaryen disapproved of the match with Princess Elia Martell so her marriage with Prince Rhaegar Targaryen never went through. Elia is happily married to ser Baelor Hightower and lives with him in Oldtown.

• Rhaegar's interest in Lyanna never developed so he never triggered Robert's rebellion by abducting her.

• Since Robert's rebellion never happened, all the Starks and anyone who'd died in that war are alive. This however does not mean that there will be no wars or political conflicts in this fiction. I have imagined my OC with a backstory and a set of additional OC's and circumstances that will slowly be revealed through the story and play a bigger part in the long run.

• Back to the Lyanna thing, to kill any speculations you guys may make while reading the story: Even though I love Rhaegar and Lyanna combo in canon, I have already read too many fics with RhaegarxOC where Rhaegar just ends up taking Lyanna anyway and the oc ends up heartbroken and alone. I don't see the point of taking the time to write another one. If i wanted to write such a story, I would write about RhaegarxElia. This is an AU where some things may come to pass as they did in canon but others may not happen at all or happen in a different way.

• Some characters may have been aged 1-3 years for the purposes of the story.

• This fiction mostly follows the books and not the show. I know that a lot of the characters are not in the show since they are long dead but I feel that I should still put this note here since the show producers changed the personality and appearance of some of them.

• Timeline: The main story starts a few months before the tourney at Harrenhal (early-ish 281 A.C.)

Happy reading!