Chapter Text
One hundred and fourteen years after Aegon I Targaryen conquered Westeros and made himself ruler of the Seven Kingdoms alongside his sister-wives, the son of the heir of the Iron Throne was born. The heir, Rhaenyra of House Targaryen, was heralded as the Realm’s Delight, and it seemed her son, Jacaerys Velaryon was no different.
There were many rumors regarding the circumstances of the young prince’s birth. His hair was not the silver blonde for which Valyrians were known. Instead, it was common and dark, and exceedingly close to that of Ser Harwin Strong’s. Still, King Viserys embraced the young prince and proclaimed him the future Prince of Dragonstone and the Seven Kingdoms for all at court to see (and it is said Queen Alicent looked like she swallowed a lemon at such a statement). Queen Alicent, the second wife of King Viserys, regarded her step-grandson cordially, if not overly ecstatic, as many noted.
It seemed the only defining Valyrian feature of Prince Jacaerys were his lilac eyes, which followed the Queen and her children incredibly.
Despite the obvious appearance of the young prince, Prince-Consort Ser Laenor Velaryon was quite taken with his son. He cared not who laid eyes on the affection he gifted to his son, and for that, the wagging tongues seemed quite stumped. Surely Ser Laenor was cuckolded? Sword swallower he may be, but what man would stand for his children to not be his own get? And yet, Ser Laenor, as it seemed, adored the boy. Furthermore, Lord Corlys Velaryon was seen in the presence of the young prince, and no man like the Sea Snake would allow his grandchild to be a bastard. So for the time being, the rumors at court were vanquished. They would again be resurrected, however, when Princess Rhaeynra gave birth to two more sons, each with Ser Harwin Strong’s coloring.
However, Jeyne paid no mind to anything the court said. In the two years Jeyne had attended to the prince, she thanked the Seven for such a well-behaved babe. Prince Jacaerys rarely cried and only ever gave happy, childish smiles. He never shrieked, never behaved inappropriately, and drank from her teat in a princely manner. Jeyne was thankful for the coin the job provided, and the ease of it all. The king commanded her to nurse both Prince Jacaerys and Prince Daeron, which she did as her king commanded. Still, as hard as it was to not choose a favorite, Jeyne was guilty of choosing Prince Jacaerys.
Don’t get her wrong, Prince Daeron is a fine babe, if a little fussy, as all babies so new to the world are. But compared to Prince Jacaerys, who is not as much of a chore to look after, Prince Daeron could not be Jeyne’s favorite.
Try as she might, for other, older wet nurses gave her such advice to not grow attached to the babes they nurse, Jeyne found that she did not wish to part from the babe she nursed. Still, she gave a final goodbye to the young Prince, who she hoped would grow into a good, faithful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms like the Old King, Jaehaerys.
Prince Jacaerys and Prince Daeron were still kept in the same room, though at the moment the latter was in the company of the Queen. The dragon eggs sat in the cribs of the young princes, warm to the touch and ready to hatch. Prince Jacaerys sat in his crib, holding a toy dragon.
“This is where I leave, my prince,” Jeyne whispered, though she doubted the prince would understand her words. Two-year-olds could understand some words, but the ones Jeyne wished to say could not be conveyed to a young babe. “You no longer need milk to sustain you, so her grace, Princess Rhaenyra does not need for me, and neither do you. I can only hope you will be a good, confident ruler like your ancestors.”
Jeyne let a lone tear slip down her face and wiped it away. She turned away, ready to leave and become a regular maid in the Red Keep, when Prince Jacaerys made a noise. Jeyne turned, and was startled at the sight of Prince Jacaerys’ face scrunched up. She stood there, unsure of what the prince was attempting to convey to her, but rushed forward when he started to wail. She picked the prince up, and rocked him back and forth, hushing him.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Forgive me, I did not mean to upset you, my prince.”
Prince Jacaerys wailed more, and then abruptly stopped. He dropped his toy dragon and grabbed Jeynes hair, and she winced. “No,” he yelled. “No, Jeyne. Down!”
Jeyne hastily took the prince’s fist so her hair could be released. Prince Jacaerys squirmed until Jeyne put him down, and then he grabbed her hand as tight as a two-year-old could. “Follow,” he commanded and pulled her out the door.
Jeyne was unsure of Prince Jacaerys’ behavior, which was so unlike him. The normally genial boy’s face was set in a frown, and he looked as if he wanted to breathe fire. She never believed the declarations of the royal family, who so often likened themselves to dragons, but at the moment, she likened the prince to Balerion come again. Despite being a two-year-old, said two-year-old would one day be king of the Seven Kingdoms, and as such, Jeyne must follow his commands, no matter how ludicrous.
Prince Jacaerys moved as fast as his little legs could through the Red Keep, and Jeyne was dumbfounded. She should have never said such farewell to the prince, for his reaction was such upset. Guilt pooled in her for making the prince become such a way, but then cursed herself for it, as she was so enraptured in the guilt that she found herself at the door leading into Princess Rhaenyra’s chambers. Ser Harwin stood there, and his eyes flickered to Prince Jacaerys, and then back to her.
“Ser Harwin,” she greeted, mentally applauding herself because her voice did not waver at the sight of such a comely face. “The prince-.”
“Kepa!” Prince Jacaerys squealed, cutting off Jeyne. She followed the prince’s gaze, whose body had turned to face behind her. She turned as well and was greeted with the sight of Ser Laenor and Ser Qarl Correy. The prince drops Jeyne’s hand and pads over to Ser Laenor, putting his arms up, and Ser Laenor picks the prince up.
“My lord,” Jeyne says with a bow. “Prince Jacaerys wished to see her grace, the Princess Rhaenyra.”
Ser Laenor smiles and walks past her with a nod “Thank you, I will-,” he starts, but he too is interrupted by Prince Jacaerys.
“Kepa,” the prince squirms, whining. “Jeyne too.”
Jeyne is taken aback, as are Ser Laenor and Ser Harwin. Her heart warms that Prince Jacaerys would think of her, but he is royalty, in line for the Iron Throne. He shouldn’t concern himself with a lowborn woman like herself.
“Very well,” Ser Laenor shrugs. “Come, Qarl.”
She along with Ser Qarl enter Princess Rhaenyra’s chambers. She’s been inside a handful of times, but the splendor of such apartments still makes her stomach fill with butterflies. Princess Rhaenyra is inside, stroking her stomach, which has become large with another pregnancy. She looks up and smiles, and gives a questioning glance in Jeyne’s direction, but does not push further. “Husband,” she greets Ser Laenor. She nods at Ser Qarl and moves to take Prince Jacaerys from Ser Laenor.
“Muña!” he exclaims. “Muña, Jeyne gone!”
:
Princess Rhaenyra tilts her head. “Yes, Jace, Jeyne will leave soon,” she confirms. She nods at Jeyne, and she bows to take her leave, but Prince Jacaerys whines.
“No! No! Jeyne stay!”
Princess Rhaenyra frowns, and Jeyne stands still, unsure of what to make of what the prince is saying.
“Jace? What do you wish for Jeyne to do? Go or stay?” Ser Laenor asks.
Prince Jacaerys cries out, perhaps in frustration. He bats at Ser Laenor. “Jeyne leave soon. But I want Jeyne. Jeyne mine!” he whines. They ask him again many times, and yet he repeats the same phrase and each time, his voice grows louder.
Ser Qarl then lets out a laugh. “Didn’t you say Prince Jacaerys wouldn’t need to drink milk from the teat anymore, Laenor? Perhaps the boy’s grown attached,” he concludes.
Realization dawns on their faces, and Jeyne resits the urge to smile and dance. It was wrong of her, to want a prince of the blood, her future king, to be so attached to her, but Jeyne nursed the young prince. She fed Prince Jacaerys with her milk. It is her that the young prince searches for. It is wrong of her, and yet she cannot but revel in such a realization. Still, she mustn’t entertain such notions, especially in front of the young prince’s mother.
“I…your grace,” Jeyne begins to stammer, but Princess Rhaenyra stops her with a gesture of her hand.
“It is not a slight to me. I understand Jace must want your presence since he spends so much time around you and drinks from you. I see no harm in allowing you to stay longer.”
Jeyne smiles, and bows. “Thank you, your grace.”
Prince Jacaerys squeals again and claps his hands. “Jeyne!” he exclaims. “Jeyne stay! I see it! It come true!”
Ser Laenor and Princess Rhaenyra stiffen and share a look. “You saw it?” Ser Laenor repeats slowly. “How did you see it, tresy?”
“I dream! I dream Jeyne hurt by blue dragon in tower! Jeyne stays now. She can’t hurt now!”
Ser Laenor and Princess Rhaenyra share another look, and Jeyne is uncertain of what to glean from this, and what their glances to each other mean. Prince Jacaerys thinks she will be hurt by a dragon. Surely, she would never do anything to invoke the ire of the royal family? How could the young prince dream such a thing?
“It’s wonderful you saved Jeyne from the blue dragon, sweet boy,” Princess Rhaenyra finally says. “If you have any more dreams, will you tell your muña and kepa, please?”
Prince Jacaerys nods, and kicks until Princess Rhaenyra puts him down. He rushes over to Jeyne and pulls at her hand. “I will, muña. I have lots of dreams!”
Jeyne thanks the Seven she can raise Prince Jacaerys more. After the strange interaction with Ser Laenor, Princess Rhaenyra, and Ser Qarl, she is ready to just be the average maid in the Red Keep.
She should have known being around Targaryens means the word average is not in their vocabulary.
~
Jacaerys hates the Game of Thrones universe. He hates the world-building George R.R. Martin has created, the misogyny, the religious zealots (see: Alicent Hightower), and most of all, he hates the fucking incest he sees daily. What did he do to deserve such injustice? Sure, it would have been cool to look albino and ride a dragon, but not if it meant he had to fuck his aunt, sister, or cousin, or be subjected to politics for an ugly chair that will most like cut him the moment he sits in it. He was a drama major!
Being a child again sucks. He hates having to relearn to walk and talk, not to mention breastfeeding. Jeyne looks so much like his mother, his real mother, and it’s weird. It’s so humiliating too. Still, he couldn’t bear to see Jeyne go, the only subpar link to his life where he’s not destined to die in civil war. Pretending to be a dragon dreamer was a stroke of theater kid genius on his part if he says so himself.
Four is better than two, however, and now he’s allowed his rooms in Rhaenyra’s wing. Lucky him, he doesn’t have to share a room with Daeron the Daring. He thought he’d hate King Viserys’ children and their mother, but he doesn’t really care, maybe even feels a little sympathy for them. Sure, they may or may not murder him and his family one day, but when he looks at them, all he can see are kids, innocents meant to move to plot along to give way for Daenerys Targaryen. Even Alicent Hightower looks young (not innocent though - he saw the show, Rhaenyra might not be a mother to him, but he’ll be damned if he lets a mother who's just given birth be forced to walk around a fucking castle). She couldn’t be more than thirty.
King Viserys is kind of a dick, too. One, he married a literal teen. Sure, Alicent was legal by Westerosi standards, but Jacaerys is not from Westeros, and Viserys would be sooner sitting in a prison cell than on the Iron Throne. Two, he neglects his kids. Yeah, Jacaerys kind of likes that his side of this incest family is more favored, but he’s not a complete asshole. The kids deserve better. Three, he murdered his “one true love” Aemma. He hopes the king croaks soon. He knows in the show it doesn’t happen until much later, but eh, one can always hope.
Still, being a part of the royal family has its perks. His egg will hatch any day, and isn’t that incredible? A beast that breathes fire, all for him! He has no clue if the dragon will turn out looking exactly like the real Jacaerys’ dragon did, but he’s excited nonetheless. Cracks have formed all around the egg, and Jacaerys is sure any day now he’ll be greeted with the cry of a dragon.
Jacaerys hears his name being called and has to abandon his dragon egg watching. Rhaenyra has called for him and together they will head to the king’s chambers, Lucerys staying behind. Luke is a cute kid, and Jacaerys can’t help but see him as a brother. He was an only child in his first life, and knowing he’ll have many siblings on the way is heartwarming, in a way. When Jacaerys first saw his brother, he knew he couldn’t be idle and let the Dance of Dragons happen. He was only a casual watcher and occasional fanfiction reader of Game of Thrones, but knowing the fates of everyone in his new family was weighing on him. That, and he doesn’t want to die again. It hurts to die, and he will be damned if he doesn’t stop his death and the deaths of his family. So, he’s convinced Rhaenyra that he’s dreamt of her becoming Hand of the King, and him, cupbearer.
“Muña, will grandsire say yes?” he asks as they walk to the king’s chambers.
“I have no doubt he will,” she replies. “You have a very extraordinary gift, and he has always done what he believes to be right.”
Yeah, what he believes, Jacaerys thinks.
They make it to the king’s chamber, and Ser Cristion Cole and Ser Erryk (or maybe Arryk?) stand. Jacaerys resists the urge to groan. He sympathizes with Alicent Hightower, but she can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.
Ser Cristion Cole is openly glaring at them, but Ser Erryk nods and opens the door. Inside, King Viserys, in all his haggard and disgusting form, sits with Queen Alicent, who, in Jacaerys' opinion, looks incredible. Rhaenyra greets King Viserys and gives a short nod to Queen Alicent, and Jacaerys does the same.
“Daughter!” King Viserys exclaims, standing to embrace her wholeheartedly. “Grandson!” he does the same to Jacaerys.
Jacaerys hugs the king limply, and if he notices he does not say anything. King Viserys sits back down, and beams. “We have much to discuss, come sit. My wife, I present to you the Hand of the King and the cupbearer of the Small Council.”
Queen Alicent stills, and her head whips between King Viserys, Rhaenyra, and Jacaerys. Perhaps even a vein bulges from her forehead. “You cannot be serious. Such a disrespect…,” she whispers. “Viserys, I…what of Lord Lynel Strong? Prince Jacerys…he is only four!”
“I understand you must be in disagreement with this, Alicent, but such a decision was long overdue. Lynel understands and Rhaenyra needs to be aware of how to rule a kingdom, Jacaerys too, will need to understand what it means to be the son of the heir to the Iron Throne, and I see no better way for him to learn than to follow in the footsteps of his mother, who was also cupbearer.”
“Thank you, Father,” Rhaenyra says with a smile. Jacaerys almost snorts at the thanks, he can see the barely hidden smirk on her face. “I hope to do you and House Targaryen proud. My Jacaerys, his dreams are so vivid, and he has dreamt of such prestigious positions being filled by us.”
King Viserys is oblivious to the tension between Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent.“Yes, I’m so proud of Jacaerys for his dreams. I used to fancy myself a dreamer, but,” he hesitates, “it seems such a grand ability has skipped me and has been gifted to my grandson. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Queen Alicent looks as if she has eaten too much lemon cake. Jacaerys wonders how King Viserys manages to be even more of a deadbeat. His youngest daughter has real dragon dreams. She’s not a theatre kid who fakes it until he makes it. Jacaerys is unsure if Queen Alicent knows what dragon dreams are, but she must at least have an inkling of how great of a fool King Viserys is. Jacaerys opens his mouth to speak, but Jeyne runs in. “
“Your grace,” she bows, breathing heavily. “Prince Jacaerys’ egg has begun to hatch!”
It takes Jacaerys a moment to process what Jeyne has said, but once he does he leaps from his seat, the king, queen, and Rhaenyra hot on his tail. They all rush to his room in Rhaenyra’s apartments, just in time to hear the cry of a newly hatched dragon. He lets out an incredulous laugh, letting the dragon cling to him and fly. She’s gorgeous, green, and all his. A dragon!
Aemond, along with Ser Laenor, the king, queen, Rhaenyra, and Lucerys, follows in shortly after.
“Muña,” he breathes. “She’s beautiful.”
“She is,” Rhaenyra affirms, smiling proudly at her son.
Jacaerys takes his eyes off his dragon to survey the reactions of the people in the room. Laenor, Rhaenyra, and the king are proud and smiling wide. The Queen’s lips are pursed, and although she thinks she’s hiding her reaction, Jacaerys knows she’s mentally raging. Aemond, well, what can you expect? The boy’s jealousy is clear on his face,
“What’s his name?” Lucerys asks.
“Her name is Gardevoir.”
~
Jacaerys used to think Targaryens were disgusting. Well, he still does, only now, such thoughts weaken in the presence of Gardevoir. His dragon is so gorgeous, so full of fire, and Jacaerys knows now why Aemond was so jealous. What could be better, than to one day fly with his greatest companion? She grew with each passing day, and Jacaerys picked up High Valyrian to be seen as the perfect heir and to better understand his Gardevoir.
The news of Rhaenyra becoming Hand and his promotion to cupbearer had the Greens raging, Queen Alicent the loudest. Jacaerys worked hard to make allies in the court and found himself sinking deeper into the Game of Thrones. One of the most staunch reasons is seeing Queen Alicent torture and belittle Rhaenyra day after day. Weren’t they friends? He couldn’t stand to see Rhaenyra lose her confidence and place in the Red Keep, and he knew it was only a matter of time until Queen Alicent moved on him and Lucerys.
Being a cupbearer had perks and he used this to his advantage. He was able to be taken more seriously and he was able to become better at politicking. Rhaenyra, too, seemed to be getting better at the job, becoming more confident with each meeting, something that made his determination to save his new family grow.
Rhaenyra found herself pregnant again, and Jacaerys prepared himself to go against the Green Queen. He decided now was the best time to mount Gardevoir. He needs to be seen as the perfect heir, and what better way to do so than be younger than Rhaenyra when he flies? He is now six, only one year younger, but the people in court will see and will know that he is a Targaryen, not a Strong.
“Soves!”
Gardevoir rises and begins to fly around King’s Landing, making sure to fly past the windows of many of the nobles in the Red Keep. Jacaerys lets out a whoop and spreads his arms out, taking in the air. Flying atop a fire-breathing beast is like nothing he’s ever felt. It felt right like he was greeting an old friend. He flew for three hours, then decided to land, knowing that he will be in trouble, but ultimately, will be praised, and the Greens' support in court will weaken.
He dismounted and was greeted by the frowns of Rhaenyra and Laenor. Well, it was fun while it lasted. Lucerys was hiding behind Rhaenyra’s skirts, and King Viserys, Queen Alicent, and Aemond were close behind. Damn, she brought the whole family, huh? Talk about a reunion.
“Uh, I’m my mother's son?” Jacaerys croaks out, his pitch high.
Rhaenyra and Laenor rush forward, hugging him tightly and checking for any wounds. “Do not ever do that again,” she warned. She then leaned and whispered into his ear, “I’m very proud of you. My dragon rider.”
Jacaerys felt a nice warmth in his chest. Rhaenyra is his mother in this world, and he has spent long enough with her that muña feels like her name and not the title he gives to her when he speaks aloud.
He is of course chewed out, but King Viserys is overjoyed and orders a feast be thrown for him. Jacaerys can feel Aemond staring at him as the feast progresses and resists the urge to flip him off. Should he be beefing with a…how old is he? Four years older…a ten-year-old? Maybe not. Eh, who cares, he’s already plotting to get the Greens ousted anyway.
It used to keep him awake at night, that he’d think about actually, living people's lives so callously. But the Game of Thrones is not for the weak, and Jacaerys needs to be strong, needs to best the Greens so he lives. He and his family need to live. His first life is gone. He is a Targaryen and Velaryon now, and he needs to remember that if he is to win the game.
~
Rhaenyra is giving birth. It’s Joffrey this time, and Jacaerys mentally prepares himself for what's to come. “He’s gorgeous, muña.”
Rhaenyra gives him a weary smile, and Laenor holds Joffrey, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Jeyne enters the room, a troubled expression on her face.
“Your grace,” she begins. “It’s the Queen. She’s requested the prince be brought to her immediately.”
Rhaenyra and Laenor share a troubled look, and she moves to stand, when Jacaerys hisses out, “Tell the queen consort that her grace, the heir to the Iron Throne is resting, and is unable to bring the babe. Perhaps she should use her fucking legs and walk to muña if she truly wishes to see the babe.”
“Jace!” Laenor exclaims.
Jacaerys is done being belittled. He doesn’t care if he’s a bastard or that this entire fucking world is depraved and garbage and should have never left George R.R. Martin’s drafts. He wishes he could change things, but he’s a child. A useless fucking child who no one will take seriously, even with his “dragon dreams”. Rhaenyra just gave birth. He’ll not allow Queen Alicent to bully her former friend, or torture her in her own home any longer.
Jeyne looks at Rhaenyra for orders, and she nods tiredly. Jeyne leaves, and Rhaenyra gives him a stern look.
The Queen eventually comes, though the sour look on her face indicates that Jeyne conveyed what Jacaerys wanted her to hear. Queen Alicent makes many jabs at Rhaenyra and Laenor, and he resists the urge to roll his eyes. The king enters too, and Jacaerys wants to hurl.
“Next time, sweet boy, I expect you to behave befitting of your station,” Rhaenyra warns. “But thank you for protecting me.”
Jacaerys hugs her. “Any time, muña.”
~
He prevents the Pink Dread Incident by dousing Aegon’s wine with even more wine, ensuring he’s too drunk to even stand. Then, he makes sure to calm Ser Harwin down and he’s not sent away from court. For inexplicable reasons, the fire at Harrenhal; still occurs, and Jacaerys is not sure why. He thought Larys Strong did so because Lynel and Harwin were both there, but perhaps the changes he’s made changed the world itself. Lynel dies, and Harwin is now Lord of Harrenhall. He goes back to Harrenhall, despite all the work Jacaerys did to ensure that didn’t happen.
Time is slow and fast all at once, and Laena Velaryon’s funeral is fast approaching. He can’t prevent Aemond from claiming Vhagar, but surely he could prevent the fight between him, Lucerys, Baela, and Rhaena from happening?
It’s wishful thinking because an eye is closed that night on Driftmark. Only, it’s not Aemond Targaryen who earns the title One-Eye, but Jacaerys Velaryon.