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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Category:
Gen
Fandoms:
House of the Dragon (TV)Warhammer Fantasy
Characters:
Ikit ClawRhaenyra TargaryenJacaerys VelaryonLucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra)Baela TargaryenRhaena Targaryen (Daughter of Daemon)Daemon TargaryenCorlys "The Sea Snake" VelaryonHelaena TargaryenAddam VelaryonBackground & Cameo CharactersSilverwing | Alysanne Targaryen's DragonOriginal CharactersJoffrey Velaryon
Additional Tags:
Crack Treated SeriouslyCanon-Typical ViolenceThe Dance of the Dragons | Aegon II Targaryen v. Rhaenyra Targaryen EraAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceCanonical Character DeathCharacter Turned Into a HumanIkit got isekai'd as Jace's twinSkaven Species (Warhammer Fantasy)Death to all GreensHuman ExperimentationScience ExperimentsIkit is his own warningSilverwing still has shit taste in male ridersPOV MultipleBackground RelationshipsBackground Character Deathshow canon onlyDragon RidersAnimal AbuseIkit is an abusive dragonriderTho he's fairly mellow compared to his SkavenselfGood Parent Rhaenyra TargaryenNo beta we die like LucerysDysfunctional FamilyCannibalismBlood and TortureCanon-Typical BehaviorBAMF Helaena Targaryen
Language:
English
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Published:2026-02-26Completed:2026-04-22Words:181,492Chapters:55/55Comments:1,270Kudos:749Bookmarks:160Hits:33,651
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 18: Joffrey
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The little pink dragon crawled forward, tiny growls no more intimidating than a kitten's. Its tail lashed from side to side, the spikes upon the end a glittering pearl like its nub-like horns. The other youngling, turquoise scales yet with a iron grey belly, hissed back and flared out translucent wings. The two growled and hissed, clumsily circling each other. Both no bigger than dogs, prowling about one another in the room.
Then the pink one pounced, flaring out its wings to show snowy-white with pink ripples, and collided with the turquoise. They both went rolling, grumbling and hissing and biting at each other but never enough to draw blood.
Aegon, held in his sister Rhaena's arms, giggled and flailed his arms at the spectacle.
The room currently had the majority of the noble children of Dragonstone within it. Only Baela was absent, as she was currently taking a flight with Moondancer and her father with Ceraxes. It was raining upon the isle but as Baela insisted she would learn to ride through any weather. Her good-mother agreed but Rhaenyra still insisted Daemon accompany his daughter to be safe.
There was a cluster of maids and guards in attendance, including Elinda Massey but Rhaenyra herself was down at the docks speaking to some of the workers and minor lords about expansion work and funding. 'Boring administration duty' she had said when her children tried to beg to come along. Jace still tried to insist so Rhaenyra began to talk numbers and parchment work and he quickly gave in and did as he was told.
Now they were watching Morning and Stormcloud play, the dragons still small enough they could easily be carried in both arms. However they were growing fast and soon they would be taken to the stables and the caves.
Joffrey was excited, it had been a while since they had dragons inside the keep and the last had been his Tyraxes. Now his dragon was large enough he could be a danger to the guards so he had reluctantly had him moved into the warm caves of Dragonstone. Even now he could feel the thread that connected him to his dragon but, much like Lucerys, his dragon still wasn't large enough to ride.
Still, Joffrey missed it when Tyraxes could sleep on his bed and could roam about Dragonstone with him. Morning had hatched in Rhaena's own bed, his cousin having woken up only to find a sticky, broken shelled mess in her bed and a snoozing damp hatchling. Her excited yelling brought the guards and she had all but been bouncing that entire day and was mostly in tears due to her happiness in her egg finally hatching for her. Rhaena's excitement- and the family's -grew even more when they discovered Aegon's egg had also hatched that very same morn. It was part of the reason she chose the name for her dragon, and also for the pale pinks streaking the sky when she woke to find her egg broken.
Stormcloud's name made sense less so and Joffrey still didn't really know why his little brother chose it, even if Lucerys thought Aegon was thinking of the dark grey belly as the cloud while the rest of the dragon was the blue of the sky. Joffrey guessed that made sense to a toddler as Aegon still said things that made no sense.
Though Rhaena's blankets had to be torn for dog bedding, as no matter how much the maids scrubbed the dark odd-smelling stains left by of the egg never left. Dragons left their mark like that.
Elinda and Jacaerys were talking more to each other, Jace sitting at the table with Elinda who was absentmindedly embroidering a handkerchief with the Targaryen dragon. Their low conversation was a background hum to Joffrey as he sat on the ground with Lucerys, across from Rhaena and Aegon as the little dragons tussled between them. A pair of maids were further back, with a bucket of water and cooked meat. The window was slick with rain and the outside cloudy but it was no true storm.
"Arrax should be big enough soon," Luke said almost absentmindedly as he watched Morning pin down Stormcloud and gnaw at his throat playfully.
"When Mother says so," Joffrey recited obediently. He'd been lectured enough about that as is. "Maybe we can go to Spicetown for a flight when he's ready but we'll need to get Meleys and Syrax or Ceraxes."
"We have to go to Aegon and Helaena's wedding before anything else," Jacaerys piped up from the window.
"I don't want to go to King's Landing, it smells," Joffrey immediately complained.
"You can't even remember being born there," Jace pointed out.
"Maybe not but everyone says it stinks, including you."
Jace made a face but didn't argue.
Rhaena sighed, "I don't really want to go either but it's proper. I haven't been to the capital since myself and Baela were introduced to the court when we were barely more than babes."
"Can't we just send a gift or something?" Joffrey wasn't done complaining.
"Think of it as an adventure. We can see all the statues dedicated to the Conqueror who is your namesake, little brother. And there's the Street of Flour is just an entire road of bakeries, we can try so many new tasty things," Rhaena said, squeezing Aegon in her arms and making him giggle and squirm.
"There's also the big market square at the Gate of the Gods. Apparently it's the same size as this keep. Maybe we can buy a fancy gift for Ikit," Lucerys added. "I still think my favourite of his is the Cold One. Maybe when I'm a captain I can sail to Sothoryos and capture a live one. Train it like a horse so I can ride it about in places Arrax can't reach."
"We don't know when he's coming back, if ever. And how would we even send it?" Joffrey said.
"Of course he's coming back," Jace frowned at his brother then. "Why wouldn't he? He'll come back home."
"When do you think he'll come back? It's been years now. Aegon doesn't even know him," Lucerys asked, more to himself than anything. Aegon looked up at his name, blinking big guileless dark purple eyes.
"I know everyone," Aegon decided to say, even if he clearly didn't know what they were talking about.
"Father just says 'when he's ready' if I ask but I don't really understand what that means," Rhaena said, ignoring her little brother.
"Morning didn't hatch until she was ready," Jace pointed out. still defensive. "And she took years longer than Vermax and Stormcloud and everyone else. So maybe Ikit will take a bit longer like that."
"He could at least send letters more often," Joffrey pouted. He flopped back against the floor, watching the two little dragons as they tugged a knotted leather rope against one another.
It was nearing two years since Prince had left to Essos and still, there was no sight of the prince nor Silverwing. They would receive word now and again from across the narrow sea, speaking of a dragon sighted about Essos but never close to the narrow sea. The most exciting news that reached them had been a year or so ago, when a massive earthquake had rocked Qarth and caused immense damage. Apparently many accused Ikit of being the cause even if Joffrey had no idea how his brother could make the ground dance like that. Daemon had just scoffed, saying the Qartheen were a superstitious lot who loved pointing fingers at anything and everything.
Rhaenyra had been incredibly fascinated in the news, even if she hadn't been to the Queen of Cities before. Corlys had and the man had eagerly shared his experiences when had visited. Joffrey felt envious, a part of him wishing he could jump upon Tyraxes and go join his brother to spend years exploring the strange foreign land to the east.
After the first year, when there had been not a single word until the anniversary of his flight and the crate had shown up, they would sporadically receive packages. Typically within a month of a nameday, even if that was only for Ikit's siblings and mother. Gifts here and there, vague letters and notes but nothing else. He had not yet sent anything for his newest brother Aegon, but Joffrey didn't know if Ikit was even aware he had a new sibling. Rhaenyra had announced it across Westeros and Daemon had even written to his old friends scattered across Essos to let Ikit know just as Corlys had informed his sailors and the traders who visited through Driftmark's port, but they never got a reply or confirmation Ikit knew of his newest brother.
Joffrey had seen the maps so he knew Essos was absurdly large so he had no idea how long it would take for Ikit to learn he had a new brother. Still, Joffrey would write letters when the mood struck them and would give them to his grandmother who still took regular trips to Braavos and Pentos with Meleys. Even Rhaena and Baela did, despite knowing Ikit's more indifferent attitude to them.
"He may act like an arse but he's our arse," Baela had shrugged when asked, which made Joffrey laugh.
In hindsight Joffrey felt Ikit actually liked Baela the most out of the twins, mostly due to her not being afraid to verbally spar with him. Rhaena was sweet and kind and Joffrey liked her a lot, but he did agree it was for the better she and Ikit didn't marry. Ikit had hated the idea so intently a part of Joffrey felt deeply uncomfortable so when their parents formally dissolved that arrangement then announced Luke's and Rhaena's betrothal he felt relived.
Joffrey felt they would be a lot better together than Helaena and Aegon, whose wedding they would have to attend before the month was done. He couldn't even remember his uncle and aunt but when asked apparently Aegon was drunk a lot and drunk people smelled and threw up everywhere so Joffrey could understand why people didn't like him that much. As for Helaena neither of his brothers even seemed to know anything about besides the fact she likes bugs.
"Zaldrizes," Rhaena meanwhile was instructing her brother, loudly and slowly. She pointed to the two play-fighting dragons, repeating the High Valyrian and then gently jostling him.
"...Zaldrizes," Aegon mimicked, even if his was far more lispy.
"We'll make a find Valyrian lord of you yet," Joffrey said in lofty, overly formal tones. Aegon made a face at him before blowing a raspberry to which Joffrey stuck his tongue out as a reponse.
"Perhaps a few more years until he holds court, my princes," Elinda said in amusement from her place near the window.
"With Stormcloud and all zal...zeli-zaldrizes!" Aegon said loudly, straining out of Rhaena's reach as he lunged for his dragon which she easily pulled him back.
"I don't think all of our dragons can even fit in the throne room but I bet Morning will be even be more beautiful than Sunfyre when she's grown," Luke said brightly. "We can brag about that and tell everyone about her and Stormcloud."
"They'll already know our eggs hatched, Father announced it to everyone," Rhaena pointed out.
"Then we should wait, until we can all fly our dragons to King's Landing," Joffrey said. He just really didn't want to go to King's Landing. He'd much rather stay here on Dragonstone, with Tyraxes.
"They're not yet a year old, you'll need to wait until they're about ten to ride them," Lucerys said.
"Mother rode Syrax when she was seven," Joffrey said.
"Syrax wasn't a cradle egg. Morning isn't either but she's just a late bloomer. The most beautiful of ladies take the most time getting ready," Rhaena said loftily.
"You keep saying she's a lady but you can only tell if she's a female dragon if she lays eggs and she's still a hatchling," Joffrey said.
"She's a girl because I say so," Rhaena declared. "So she'll be with Syrax and Meleys and Moondancer. Us court of ladies."
"There's also Dreamfyre, I think she's the next biggest," Luke said with a thoughtful expression.
"Ikit has Silverwing," Joffrey gestured with his hands, trying to think of the dragons together in his head. He hadn't even seen Dreamfyre but he was still sure she was smaller. "She's the next biggest after Vhagar for lady dragons. And she'll be bigger next time we see her, maybe over Vermithor!"
"I don't think she'll be that big, Vermithor was bigger than her despite both being the same age. Some dragons grow at different rates. Meraxes was nearly Balerion's size when she died despite being the youngest of the three Conquest beasts."
"She's being ridden all around Essos while Vermithor just sleeps in his cave all day. Maybe all the exercise will make her big."
Outside the rain continued to fall, the room warm from the roaring hearth and little dragons playing. Joffrey gnawed at his thumb as Rhaena and Lucerys started talking about what places they could visit in King's Landing and how fancy the up coming royal wedding would be. Joffrey really didn't want to think about it, he didn't think he liked his uncles and aunt that much. He wanted Ikit back, he almost reminded Joffrey of Daemon. Sorta scary but in a protective way and Joffrey felt strange looking at the little- fragile -hatchlings playing in front of him. Nervous, almost.
"We should tell Aegon more of Ikit's stories," Joffrey announced.
Jace, Rhaena and Luke all paused in their conversation to look at him.
Getting to his feet, Joffrey decided, "He hasn't heard them all yet. And Ikit used to draw all those things and people and monsters. So we should go get them to show Aegon and tell him about the stories. Jace?"
Jace, as Ikit's twin, was the only other person besides Rhaenyra herself to have a key to Ikit's room which had been locked shortly after the boy's flight upon Silverwing. After some mumbling Jacaerys got to his feet and so the two brothers headed to the living quarters of Dragonstone. Joffrey knew Jace still visited his brother's room now and again even if Joffrey didn't really see the point.
The room felt still and watchful when Jace unlocked the door with the key around his neck, but Joffrey was ignored the air to it. Most of the room it was left how it had been, but once a month it was giving a light turn over by the maids with Mother watching to avoid dust and decay. Each and every table and cabinet and drawer was stuffed full of parchment, most being in his self-made language no one understood.
Ikit's writing was always sharp and jagged, and when he drew machines it was much the same. As such, while he was very talented at art it was done with numerous sharp hard strokes, either in ink or charcoal. However while he was still in Dragonstone Ikit had never really shown the drawings he had made of the objects of his stories, it was only in the aftermath and his room searched for clues to where he was going did they find hundreds upon hundreds of parchment showcasing the strange characters and fantastical lands he spoke of. They had spent many afternoons discussing the drawings and comparing them to the stories, even if they would always return the paper to Ikit's room.
While rummaging through a cabinet Joffrey recognized some already even if a lot of them were humans or the people with pointy ears. 'Elves' Ikit would call them even if Joffrey just thought they were humans with pointy ears and that seemed to be the only difference.
"What about this one, with the Hag Queen?" Joffrey said, holding up the charcoal picture of a nearly naked woman lounging up against a winged black horse. "Baela likes hearing about her stories the most even if she's mean in all of them."
Joffrey never understood why Ikit would call such a beautiful lady a hag, she looked like she belonged to the opulent decadence of Lys which apparently was known for having very lovely ladies there even if Rhaenyra changed the subject if he asked too much. In Dragonstone there were still quite a lot of memorability from Old Valyria and they never shied from depicting nudity. Apparently King's Landing and the Seven worshipers got stuffy over it even if Joffrey never really got why. Everyone was naked under their clothes.
If anything, Joffrey thought it was quite brave of the lady to go about fighting on her winged horse wearing so little. He would get awfully cold if he tried, even just riding about with Rhaenyra upon Syrax fully clothed it could get extremely chilly.
"Morathi," Jace said quietly from where he was next to the vanity. In his hands was a sheet of parchment showing a vicious-looking ratman, with a gemstone in hand.
"Right. She has the...son? The Witch King?" Joffrey guessed aloud, carefully picking through the parchment until he found the son in question. The Elf who was so badly burned he had to be magically sealed within a suit of frightful armour. "We can tell Aegon this one. Or the one about the Phoenix King."
"No, we'll take some of the Lizardmen, the Rise of Sotek," Jace said, putting aside the rat to pick up several sheets showing the scaly reptile people, one of which was perched upon the back of a huge, heavily armoured lizard with three great horns. "Aegon will like these. They'll remind him of dragons."
Jace still seemed morose even as they shuffled through more of the parchment, finding several more drawings of the Lizardmen including a little skink-beast with a Cold One mount. The stuffed Cold One Ikit had given them a year ago had been argued over for months by Corlys and Rhaenyra, both wanting to exhibit it at their respective keep. Joffrey found that funny more than anything, and his plaque of Tyraxes's hung above his bed.
Still, he didn't miss how his brother seemed withdrawn as they gathered the drawings and left the room.
"...I'm sorry for what I said, about him not coming back," Joffrey said quietly.
Jacaerys sighed, looking far too tired for a twelve year old, before he said, "It's fine. I also wish he would write more. But...Ikit has always just done what he's wanted."
"He gets to explore all of Essos," Joffrey said brightly as Jace locked the door once again. "I'm sure he's having a lot of fun. He can tell us all about it when he comes home."
Notes:
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