Chapter Text
One cannot run from fate. You cannot hide from it as it is patient when it hunts. The threads bind all though mortal to its tether. One cannot fight for it has no blood to bleed and no heart to take. It is known in every decision to be made. It brings people far and wide together. Its hands cradle many babes. One cannot run from fate, only change the events that occur. If one is to die they will die. If a house is to fall they will fall. House Targaryan is destined to fall in blood and ash. They will fight like dragons, but not even dragon fire will save them from death. The war will begin with two children saying vows they don’t understand and will end with two children saying vows they don’t understand. This is the fate of the noble and godly house targaryen. Be warned for not even the gods can change fate.
The sun was high in the sky when the members of House Targaryen had gathered at the sept. A wedding was to take place between the kings eldest grandson and the kings youngest daughter. The Kingdom had already grown used to the queer customs of the family as who could be more worthy of those close to the gods than themselves. Their was hesitation in celebrating as the ages of the children were brought into question. Prince Jacaerys himself had just celebrated his 12th birthday just a week ago and Princess Helaena had only just started her monthly bleeding. Many speculated it had to do with te rumors of the king’s failing health. With each council held the king looked more gaunt and trembled when he walked. In the recent years he had taken to using the arms of his wife, Queen Alicent to help walk. Others speculated that it had to do with the quickening divide within the house. The divide had reared its ugly head to the public after the deaths of Laena and Laenor Velaryon, th respected spouses of Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra. Anyone with eyes could see the hatred in the queens gaze any time she looked at her stepdaughter. The rogue prince has always been a violent man ready for action,but he seemed to carry himself as if prepping for war. Many had thought he would put the Queens family to his sword when they were first summoned back after two years on Dragonstone, yet he remained civil at the behest of both his brother and new wife. Outsiders were never privy the lives of those who rule, they just bare the consequences. Now they fear that the children within those families will suffer along with them.
Jacaerys rocked on the balls of his feet as he waited for his wedding to begin. He tried so hard to mirror his stepfather’s confident stance. Daemon stood with his shoulders back and his face had an unreadable expression on it. His mother had her arms wrapped around his younger brothers. He knew she had been upset when his grandfather had summoned them a few says after his birthday. She had grown even more upset when he didn’t announce an engagement between him and his aunt, but a wedding. He had never seen his mother so anger before. She had shouted at her father using a tone of voice that he wasn’t familiar with. His grandfather had just sighed and whispered something to his mother. She still never entirely agreed to the ceremony, her eyes conveyed anger as she looked at her son next to the septon. Not even she had married this young. No one had unless there was something at play.
Jace himself had never put much thought into what marriage meant other than one has a ceremony and then babies come. He wasn’t ready to have children Especially if they were anything like his brothers. Joffrey at age seven was the worst as he was to young to play rough with him and Luke, but still wanted to be in his business all the time. His mother seemed happy to be married. She had loved his father and seemed devastated by the news of his death by his sworn knight, Sir Qarl. He knew he came form their marriage,but he wasn’t immune to the whispers of his heritage. It did make him wonder how deep his mother truly loved his father, his real father. When she had remarried to Daemon it brought on a different set of questions. While his mother had seemed to love his father, she seemed to practically breath love and devotion for Daemon. She was currently pregnant with his youngest sibling,which he hoped was another boy. Their love was something that he wanted within is own marriage. He wanted to make his aunt Helaena happy because she probably just as scared as he is about the idea of marriage. Unlike him, she has to leave her home and family ot come with him to Dragonstone. Jace wasn’t even sure of his aunt would ever come to like him after what happened to Aemond’s eye. Sure Aemond had said thing were resolved, but when they left Driftmark the air was still filled with tension. Mother had Luke write letters afterwords to their uncle to express apologies, but the damage had been done and all the replies that came were demands for Luke’s eye as penance. Since they never took out Luke’s eye his Aunt must hate him. She had been quiet, gentle, and stayed in her own world most of the time, but even the gentle have limits. He stilled his rocking when he saw his Aunt start to be escorted to the sept by his Grandfather.
Helaena had been taught the marriage and giving birth was her duty. She never expected to have to fulfill her duty soon. Before her father had announced her wedding to her nephew she heard her mother and grandfather whisper about engaging her to Aegon. She shudders at the thought of being married to him. Over the years he had grown spoiled by cups and brothels. He was an arrogant boy who had no decency towards women. Aemond was her other option, but after driftmark he had grown cold and spent more time training for revenge that will never come. She had seen his accident and warned her family, though non headed the warning. She should hate her nephews for her brother’s maiming, but she can’t, not entirely at least. She blames the adult for not watching the children properly and using the incident as a way to each other rather than comfort the victims. Her marriage is a mere bandage to cover to gaping wound that was made during Driftmark. She can sense her father growing weaker with time and knows this will be the last full attempt to save his family. Her dress was more extravagant than what she was used to. The dress was white withe decorations of Velaryon blue. Her hair was decorated with pearls carefully sewn into her braids. She used the black cloak that was around her shoulder to cover more of herself from peering eyes
The Sept began his speech, gently he motioned for the pair to raise their hands so he could wrap their hands. Helaena was more scared of this moment than she was for the entire ceremony. Touch had always burned itself into her skin and stayed once it left. Her hand shakes as she watches Jacaerys's hand come upon hers. She gasped when his hand didn't feel burning. It was warm. Jace was warm as the cloth was wrapped. They recited vows that they barely understood the meaning of.
“I am his.”
“I am hers.”
Her father had taken off the black cloak of her shoulder so that Jacaerys could replace it with a his. She studied his face a little more. Baby fat still clung to his cheeks and his curls were wild. His eyes were a deep russet color that was framed by long lashes. As she looked closer she saw merit to the rumors of his bastard heritage. While she was not a gossip there were rumors that not even she could deny. Many had known of Laenor’s paramours being male, so she wasn’t be surprised that her sister had found a lover herself. She was surprised that she had children with said lover.
“I declare Jacerys Velaryon and Helaena Targaryan to be of one flesh, one heart, and one soul, now and forever!” The Septon had concluded.
Helaena and Jace’s fates were now tied together in deep spools of black in histories tapestry. Their fates tied together in an awkward kiss that came from lack of experience.
The feast held afterwards was grand. Houses from all over had come together to either nurse wounds that their children weren’t engaged to the noble house or to celebrate with good wine and food. The food served was a mix of Helaena’s and Jace’s favorites. On her plate was roasted duck and she had sweet wine to drink. Jace had a matching plate though without the wine. She thought it was funny that they had deemed him old enough to be wed,but not to drink. She liked the boisterousness of the feast,though she was worried that their would be a murder at her wedding feast if Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood had any more to drink. She knew it was time for the traditional dance when the cheers grew overwhelming. Jace smiled at her as he lead them to the middle of the hall. Her limbs trembled as she went through the steps of the dance in her mind. She could see Jace struggle as well. The both had so little time to prepare for the ceremony so it wasn’t a surprise to any of the guest that the children would be awkward, half of the were still dubious about how young they are. Once they dance concluded guest poured in. Helaena was swept up into the crowd. She didn’t like being surrounded by so many strangers. A hand gentle grabbed her and pulled her into a small section that wasn’t as crowded. Her savior came int the form of her sister, Rhaenyra. Her mother had told her many stories of Rhaenyra, few were good. Her sister looked at her with a smile on her face as if they had been close friends since childhood.
“I,um, wanted to welcome you,” Rhaenyra said.
Her sister seemed awkward and fiddle with her finger right above her barely there bump. Helaena knew the age difference was a main contributor to the distance between them as she was closer to her sons age than to her sister’s. Neither had much to say to the other.
“Thank you,” Helaena had managed to say.
“I also wanted to apologize for being distant when you were younger. I hope as your good-mother I can repair our relationship,” Rhaenyra looked hopeful.
Honestly Helaena was hopeful to. When the wedding was announced it seemed as though her mother had already started to mourn the loss of her only daughter, despite Helaena still being in King’s Landing. Her brothers were already distant with her as they had deemed her weird, but this had been the final nail in the coffin. In their eyes she had betrayed their house by not fighting her “betrothal” to Rhaenyra’s bastard son. Aemond had refused to speak to her and the last words her mother said to her was when she was helping Helaena get dressed for her wedding telling her:
“You’re theirs now, but do not forget you are a tower,”
The fear of being alone at Dragonstone washed away with Rhaenyra’s open hand. She can never fully forgive her sister for Driftmark, but she can start to move on from it. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her Uncle watching them. Despite her sister’s warmth, her uncles cold stare sent shivers down her spin.
“I look forward to it,” She told Rhaenyra.
Daemon had moved from where he was and swept up his wife. Helaena had taken no insult to it as she knew that he uncle was a deeply mistrusting person and hated her family. It was one fo the many obstacles that would come in her new life at dragon stone. The other came in the whispers the surrounded her husband. She heard the gossip coming from the older women of smaller noble houses.
"A princess reduced to a bastard's wife."
It had been thrown around since her childhood. Bastard. Though now it was an insult to her as much as it was to her husband. Jace had been kind to her in their youth, even though he kept Aegon’s company. He hadn’t been close to her in any capacity, but he was a boy who loved his brothers very much and had lost his father. It felt cruel to keep bringing up his heritage as she doubted he even knew of it. He didn’t match what was said of bastards. She could see him playing with his younger brothers and laughing. She was a bastard’s wife. She was Jace’s wife and she will bear that title if he stays as kind to her as he is to his brothers.
In Westrosi tradition since Jace was still young there was no bedding ceremony. They had been escorted to their new room by their parents. There was little expectation for them to consummate their marriage. That would come years from now. Maids had helped them undress for the night. Helaena thought the Pearls would never come out of her hair when the maids kept pulling more from her. Once they left, the newlyweds were left to awkwardly lay on their backs next to each other. It would be the first time for both of them to share a bed.
" I'm sorry." Jace said quietly.
Heleana was confused on what he could've been apologizing for. He had done nothing to warrant an apology to her the entire night. Perhaps he was apologizing for spending more time with the other boys than her. In which he would be entirely blameless as she had never meet a boy of 2 and 10 to want the company of a girl, nevermind if he’s married.
"What for?" She asked.
"For making you a bastard's wife."
Helaena had wondered if he knew about being a bastard and now she had her answer. Him being a bastard meant little to her now. She needs him to be more than the rumors. She needs him to be the second in line for the iron throne.
"Don’t be sorry for something you can’t control," she said to him.
"So you don't deny that I'm a bastard," he said, his voice sounded hurt.
She will never know what it is like to grow up with rumors of being unfit to be a prince. She grew up with rumors of being simple and dazed. She had grown up with pity being in people’s eyes, but scorn had never been shown to her. She cannot imagine how that would shape a boy.
"You're more than just a bastard," she told him.
Jace scoffed a bit, but never shook off her hand.
"But-" she cut him off
"You are a targaryen prince and the second in line for the throne. I need you to be my husband.” Helaena said.
Jace stared at her.
“I don’t know if I can be,” he whispered.
Jace had been built on insecurity about being a bastard. When Aemond mentioned it after he claimed Vhagar, his blood had boiled in anger. As he looked into Helaena’s pleading eyes, he felt scared. She moved to her side and grabbed his face to put their foreheads together.
“With time you will,” She said. “With time we will be happy.”
“Happy?” he asked.
“Happy.” She confirmed.
____________________
Helaena’s screams echoed off the walls. She felt as if she was being torn apart. Midwives encouraged her to push. She tried her hardest,but she was just 14 and had barely a clue when it came to her first pregnancy. She wanted her mother to be here with her and hold her hand. She wanted her mother’s soft voice to sooth her. She needed Jace to be here. He had been banned by the Maester as he was starting to get in the way. If he was here with her she wouldn’t be doing this alone. She bared down trying to push with all her might s a burning sensation rammed through her. She leaned back out of relief when it was finally over. A cry that could only be made by something breathing for the first time was overshadowed by another wave of pain. Twins. She didn’t want to got through it again. She had no energy to do so. The doors had flown open as he sister had rushed in, most likely sent by Jace. She had clung to her in a way she wished she could to her mother. This time it was quicker and a second cry came out into the world. She knew their names from the beginning. She had found herself attached to the name Jahaera since she had read it in a story and though she had no real connection to her great-grandfather, it made sense that she would name her son Jaehaerys in kind. The names were close enough to hers and Jace’s that it felt perfect to name her twins, A boy and girl, those names.
Jace had finally been allowed in the room. He rushed over to her and brushed her sweaty hair out her face. When he was able to hold his children for the first time tears had run down his face. The tears doubled when he say they had their mother’s hair and eyes. She knew it settled some fears of his.
“Their perfect,” He whisper into her temple.” You’re perfect.”
“Our Jahaera and Jaehaerys Velaryon,” She said,
Jace shook his head.
“These are Targaryans,” He said as he kissed her temple.
Helaena smiled and for a brief moment her dreams were silenced.