Chapter Text
Jace didn’t actually know when Joffrey’s lessons ended, which made his promise to find him when they were done troublesome. His solution was that he would simply collect Joffrey just before lunch and excuse him from any other lessons for the day.
Baela had recovered from her sickness by the time he had gotten back to their chambers and when he told her of his plans, she had laughed- which he felt was unfair.
“Who are you and what have you done with my husband?” she teased. She was sitting at the table in their chambers, breaking her fast with simple foods.
He scowled, he didn’t think it was so terribly out of character for him. “One afternoon of skipped lessons will not make much of a difference.”
“I agree,” Baela said- still laughing, “But I recall someone refusing to let any of us skip even a single lesson when we were children.”
“I only made Luke attend his lessons,” Jace corrected, “Whatever you and Rhaena did was of your own free will.”
“He would get so upset at you for it,” Baela reminisced, “It was just about the only thing you wouldn’t ever compromise with him on.”
Luke had never taken well to lessons and if left to his own devices would have forgone them more often than not but he rarely was. Jace never presumed to tell Baela and Rhaena what to do but he always made sure Luke was at his lessons, for the same reason he’ll help Joffrey miss his lessons today. Joffrey is a third son, with nothing to inherit, since Lord Corlys changed Driftmark’s succession after Luke’s death. A grace Jace and Luke had never been afforded.
He’d always been acutely aware of the flaws he inherited when he was born with dark hair. That people would always find issue with him if they could, so he must give them no issues to find. That a skipped lesson was something he couldn’t afford and he had tried to gently impress that upon Luke to no avail until their father died. Then the scrutiny on Luke was hard to ignore even sequestered away on Dragonstone. Jace was lucky in that regard, people were so up in arms about his mother’s succession that they rarely got to him and now very few people dared whisper against the Queen.
“They were important,” Jace said, the words laced with meaning he couldn’t say any other way.
Baela’s face softened in understanding. She had always been good at knowing what he was truly saying without him having to speak plainly. It made everything so easy, when so much of Jace was intertwined with one deadly, unspeakable secret. Baela has always been able to peer into his soul and see all of the weight he carried in his soul.
If Joffrey could grow up without such a weight on his shoulders, then surely it was just as much Jace’s duty to ensure that as it had been his duty to ready Luke for his inheritance.
It was his duty to protect his family, but protection can look many different ways. That he knew. If Ser Harwin protected them by keeping his distance, by leaving, then Ser Laenor protected them by giving them his name and his warmth, when he had no obligation to. And Jace knows that Dark Sister swings for him and Joffrey just as much as the rest of their family, that Daemon has always treated him like a son of his own blood. Although Jace has never been certain whether it was only because of his mother’s blood in his veins, rather than any particular fondness for Jace himself, he doesn’t doubt Daemon’s care.
“I’m sure Joffrey will appreciate the break,” Baela said, standing up from the table to stand to come near him, “You could benefit from an afternoon messing about with your brother.”
Jace opened his mouth to protest her wording but she cut him off before he even uttered a sound, “Do not,” she said seriously. “He will be very cross with you if you’re distracted while playing with him.”
“I won’t be distracted,” Jace argued, “Besides, I was hoping you would join me?”
Baela shook her head. “I planned to spend the afternoon with Rhaena,” Jace nodded in understanding, then Baela declared, “I’m going to tell her about the babe.”
Jace would’ve been more surprised if she didn’t tell Rhaena. He’s certain the only reason he didn’t tell her the previous night is because she didn’t want anyone overhearing.
“I’m sure she will be very glad to hear of it,” Jace said.
Baela wrapped her arms around his neck. “But…” she said suggestively, “we have quite a bit of time until then.”
Jace kissed Baela in response, pulling her impossibly close. She held him tighter as he reached around and picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist, all without breaking the kiss.
He walked them to their bed and gently dropped Baela onto it, her silver hair splayed out beneath her.
“Well, valzȳrys?” Baela asked with a smirk.
She was the most beautiful woman in all of Westeros, fierce and strong. He thought her akin to a Valyrian goddess more often than not, nothing but fire and blood, Targaryen to the very bone. Loving Baela was easier than breathing.
Loving Baela in their marriage bed was even easier.
***
Jace had assumed that lessons were still done in the same room they were when he was young. He discovered they were not. So instead he had to ask several servants if they knew where he might find his brother- they didn’t know- until he ran into a guard who kindly pointed him to where Joffrey took his lessons.
Jace did not knock before entering as such the maester- one Jace didn’t recognize- appeared to be in the middle of scolding Joffrey given his sullen posture.
The Red Keep had been well purged of green loyalists following the war, including the maesters, still Jace found it hard to trust very many of them with the Citadel so closely tied to Oldtown. If only it were practical to employ only the maesters they knew well.
However if this maester was allowed to teach his brothers, he must be trusted by his mother and Daemon, so Jace will try to not be too paranoid.
It took nearly half a minute for the maester to notice him and when he did he startled and straightened up. “My Prince,” he said quickly, bowing his head. Joffrey turned fully around in his chair, excitement clear in his face. “Prince Joffrey has been restless today, I was only reminding him to pay attention-“
“No matter,” Jace said, cutting off the maester. He may be at fault for Joffrey’s excited state but he didn’t feel particularly remorseful. “I’m here to collect my brother.”
“Of course, My Prince,” the maester said, “But I wasn’t yet done with my lesson-“
Jace narrowed his eyes, “Prince Joffrey has been in lessons since this morning, yes? Perhaps that’s why he’s so restless.”
“Perhaps, My Prince,” the maester agreed hesitantly.
“Then a break seems necessary,” Jace said. He beckoned Joffrey to him without waiting for the maester to respond, who scurried over so fast the chair almost tipped and attached himself to Jace’s leg. Since the maester seemed to have no more protests, Jace bid the maester farewell and left the room, Joffrey in tow.
As soon as the door closed, Joffrey let go of his leg and held his arms up, silently asking to be picked up.
“You’re almost getting too big to be picked up,” Jace teased him as he hoisted him into his arms. He wasn’t really. At seven namedays, Joffrey wasn’t notably heavy or big for Jace, but Mother might struggle to pick him up and none of the nursemaids would at this point.
“No!” Joffrey protested looking very alarmed at the idea.
“Don’t worry,” Jace laughed, “ I said almost, not that you were.”
His face changed to one of relief. “Well, you're very big and strong so you can pick me up forever,” Joffrey declared.
Jace had the urge to laugh at the irony of the statement, even more so since Joffrey wasn’t even aware of what he said. He resisted.
“Well,” Jace said instead, “One day, you’ll be as big as me. It might be hard to pick you up then.”
Joffrey shook his head, “Nuh-uh. I’ll never get big,” then he paused, considering, “Do you have to go to lessons when you’re big?” he asked.
Jace bit back a smile, “No, but why does that matter?”
“Because I hate lessons, they're so boring!”
“They are,” Jace hummed, “but they’re also important.”
Joffrey scowled, “No.” then he paused, “Wait, do I have to go back to lessons? Because you promised that you would play with me when they were done but they’re not done yet.”
Jace snorted, “No, you’re done for the day,” Joffrey cheered. “Did you have something in particular you wanted to do?” Jace asked.
Joffrey’s face fell. “Well I want to show you Tyraxes but he’s in the Dragonpit, and that's so far and Kepa said I can’t go by myself but Muña and him are so busy all the time.”
Jace could sympathize with him on that. It was probably one of the worst things about King’s Landing that it required going through the city to get to the Dragonpit. Jace was lucky when he was younger that there were so many children with dragons at the time that it was worth it to ferry them all to the Dragonpit twice a week. But Stormcloud was still small enough to keep in Aegon’s rooms so Joffrey was the only one who could not see his dragon whenever he pleased.
“I can take you to the Dragonpit,” Jace offered.
Joffrey perked up, “Please?”
“Of course. It’s been a whole two days since I’ve seen Vermax, I’m sure he misses me.”
Joffrey gasped in offense and argued that Tyraxes misses him more because it’s been longer and also Tyraxes was prettier and better and scarier than Vermax, all of which was completely untrue and they bickered the entire time it took him to reach the stables and the stable hand to ready a horse.
Joffrey also protested when Jace sat him in front of him in the saddle.
“I can ride my own horse!”
“I know you can,” Jace said soothingly, “But this will be easier.”
Joffrey, unsurprisingly, wasn’t particularly convinced by that argument but he was distracted by the sights of King’s Landing as they left the keep enough that he didn’t argue back.
“Tyraxes has gotten really big since we moved to King’s Landing,” Joffrey informed him, as the Dragonkeepers coaxed Vermax and Tyraxes out of the bowels of the Dragonpit.
“Has he?”
Joffrey nodded, “Kepa says I’ll be able to ride him in a few years.”
At that moment, Tyraxes bounded out of the cave and Joffrey ran to greet him. “See!” Joffrey said, looking between Jace and Tyraxes expectantly.
It had been nearly a year since Jace had seen Tyraxes. He had definitely gotten bigger as he stood at the size of a very large dog.
“He’s bigger than Vermax at that age,” Jace said, which was true, and Joffrey’s eyes went wide.
As if called, Vermax lumbered into the main area of the Dragonpit with a trill. He bumped Jace’s chest with his snout and flapped his wings a little, trilling as if asking a question.
“ Sorry, no flying today ,” Jace said. He had considered stopping to change into riding leathers but he hadn’t wanted to leave Joffrey on the ground and Vermax did not have a harness nor saddle for a passenger. Vermax grumbled, but settled down and let Jace pet over his jaw.
“Vermax has gotten so big,” Joffrey said with a tinge of awe in his voice.
Jace hummed in agreement. Ever since the war, Vermax had been growing faster than before, with Moondancer keeping pace. They usually nested together in the Dragonmont and could be found curled around each other more often than not. Perhaps soon there’d be a clutch, a dragon egg for the babe growing in Baela. How and when dragons laid eggs was a mystery, for many reasons, so there was no way to say- until of course, there was an egg.
His mother still had some eggs from Syrax and would surely give them one for their child’s cradle, he couldn’t help but desperately want it to come from Vermax and Moondancer.
Tyraxes flapped over, nudging Vermax in the side cooing excitedly which caused Vermax to growl and swat at him with his wing. It only put Tyraxes off temporarily, much to Vermax’s disdain.
“Is Tyraxes coming to Dragonstone with me?” Joffrey asked quietly, something unsure in his voice.
Jace’s brow furrowed, “Of course,” he answered “I do not think he would leave you.” Joffrey looked relieved at that which prompted Jace to ask, “Is there a reason he would not?”
Joffrey shrugged, “I was just unsure.”
“The Dragonmont is much closer to the castle than the Dragonpit is to the keep. And while it is still best that you wait for either me or Baela, we don’t have nearly as much to do as Mother and Daemon. I promise you will see Tyraxes plenty.” Jace said.
Joffrey smiled, “Okay.”
After a few more attempts to get Vermax to stand up and play from Tyraxes, Vermax simply huffed and batted at the smaller dragon until he settled down beneath his wing.
“I’m excited to go to Dragonstone,” Joffrey said, “I miss it.” he had moved to leaning against Jace's side while they watched their dragons, who had finally settled.
Jace wrapped an arm around his shoulder, “We’re excited to have you.” he said with a smile, “The Red Keep just isn’t the same.”
Joffrey shook his head. “I hate it.”
Jace was a little taken aback by the passion with which he said it but certainly agreed with the sentiment. “I do too,” he said, “and I grew up here.”
“I forgot that you used to live here,” Joffrey said.
“Mhm, with Mother and Father and Luke. I remember the day you were born,” he said, “we were all so happy to have you.”
He remembered several other things from that day as well. He remembered hearing the servants whisper about the blood on the floor after Alicent made Mother present Joffrey to her, remembered listening to his parents hissed argument through the door that night, quiet enough couldn’t make out most of the words.
“I- I don’t remember Ser Laenor,” Joffrey said, serious as could be.
“I shouldn’t think so,” Jace said, “You were very young when he died, and even- even Luke struggled to recall him at times.”
Joffrey sniffed. His eyes were teary though whether it was from the mention of Luke or just the conversation in general, Jace wasn’t sure.
“It won’t be the same, will it?” Joffrey asked, “I hate it here because it’s not home but Dragonstone won’t be home either.” he started crying properly, sobs shaking his small body. Jace knelt and pulled him into a hug, feeling grief rising in his own throat.
Tyraxes chirped, as if concerned, but didn’t move from his spot underneath Vermax’s wing.
“No,” he said hoarsely, “It’s not.” he would do anything if it meant he could go back in time and make sure Luke never went to Storm's End. Would smack his younger self for letting his need to prove himself get his little brother killed, would do anything if it meant that the war never happened, and he could spare his family the pain. If Luke lived. If Visenya lived.
“I just- I just want-“ Joffrey hiccuped, “I miss Luke!”
It was such a big grief for such a small boy, Jace thought. He himself felt like he could barely breathe from it all sometimes.
“I do too,” Jace said “I miss him so much.” Joffrey tucked his face into Jace’s shoulder as he cried and Jace held him tighter. “But you will come with us to Dragonstone, and it won’t be the same, but it will be good.”
It will be good because Jace didn’t have the time to fall into despair during the war and he didn’t have time now either. Because Baela was carrying their child and in less than nine moons he will be a father. Because if he had learned anything it was that the only thing to do was to keep going. It will be good because it has to be.
“Do you- do you think Vermax and Tyraxes miss Arrax?” Joffrey asked hesitantly, once the worst of his tears had calmed, “Like we miss Luke?’
As if he could understand the question, Vermax raised his head and crooned, loud and mournful, Tyraxes following suit.
“I’m sure of it,” Jace said. He rubbed the top of Vermax’s head, and Vermax dropped his head onto the ground with a quiet thump and closed his eyes. Tyraxes finally managed to squirm free of Vermax and bounded over to Joffrey, nearly knocking him over with his enthusiasm. Joffrey seemed sufficiently distracted by his dragon and Jace was happy to watch him while leaning against Vermax. They would need to head to the keep soon in order to make it back in time for dinner with their mother, but for now, they still had a little time.