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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:33,677
The Rat Prince of Westeros
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 38: Jacaerys
Chapter Text
The raven they received from Dragonstone seemed too good to be true.
King Aegon dead, and his dragon with him. Baela had been reinforced in her battle against the Usurper King by Silverwing, Prince Ikit having returned from his near decade long absence from Westeros. And he had Prince Viserys with him, having been thought dead for over a month in the invasion by the Triachy but instead had been captured and returned alive to Lys. Now with Lys burned down to ashes from Ikit, both had returned to Westeros and in doing so intervened in the fight between Baela and the Usurper King who died.
Of course not all of it was positive, with the warning of Ser Alfred Broome's treachery and how far the treason could have gone to the point someone upon the Black council since the very beginning of the war had become a turncoat. Yet at the same time Jacaerys wasn't sure if he could earnestly believe the letter even if it was obviously in Baela's penmanship.
Rhaenyra was much the same, nervously smoothing down the strip of parchment which had come attached to the raven, as she spoke to her council about the contents.
"This is wondrous news but obviously the actions of Ser Broome needs to be addressed," one of the men said.
"We shall get to that and begin to root out the traitors," Rhaenyra declared. "But for now, we will wait to meet our- to meet the princes as Baela said they will be flying over here quite soon. Addam," the man perked up at his name. "Go and saddle Seasmoke in preparation."
"Yes, Your Grace."
She then dismissed her council, many of the men lingering until a sharp look sent them scuttling, until it was only her, Jace, and Ser Lorent left behind.
"You think it's true?" Jace asked, rounding the table to reach her side.
Rhaenyra rolled the strip of parchment back up, fiddling with it until the edges were nearly fraying, "It is Baela's hand no doubt. Even if King Aegon had taken control of Dragonstone she would sooner bite her fingers off than agree to write something like that if it were an untruth, if it were a lie to make us lower our guards."
"And it fits what Corlys said, when Ikit said he would return once the new year occurs," Jacaerys allowed. A strange twisting was in his stomach, that his twin was returning. Not only that but with their little brother Viserys safe and sound, after having come to Baela's rescue during a dragon battle.
They had all thought Sunfyre dead in the aftermath of the Battle of Rook's Rest where Princess Rhaenys fell, but the Queen Who Never Was had made her opponents pay for it. Mostly Sunfyre who had plummeted from the sky and his broken body lying in the woods for weeks after Aegon had been smuggled back into the Red Keep. It had been assumed he had died from his injures, even after the Greens had desecrated Meleys's remains.
With the nearby keep so damaged, it had mostly been in construction or neglect with the on going war and threat of the roaming Green forces so none had kept a close eye upon the resting place of the presumed dead dragon. But it would seem Sunfyre had clung to life, crawling to stay out of sight in the bay and healing enough that when King Aegon fled the Fall of King's Landing dragon and rider were able to reunite.
For however temporarily it had been, before Silverwing's jaws felled them both.
The queen and the crown prince left the Red Keep, following Addam to the Dragonpit where Syrax and Vermax were held. Joffrey hadn't yet arrived from the Vale but there was more than enough room for the young dragons. Silverwing might not fit, considering she was larger than Vermithor.
Aegon meanwhile was still asleep in his chambers, having had another horrid night of nightmares and crying fits as was usual for him ever since the Triarchy invasion, exhausted and out of sorts until the maester had to fix him an essence of nightshade that he was still sleeping off. His brother's guilt over Viserys was relentless and unending despite all attempts at comfort from his family. Aegon would be overwhelmed knowing his little brother had survived and Jace desperately needed to verify the fact Viserys had in actuality returned before he would inform Aegon of such.
They were concerns that ran through Jace's mind as he sat tersely in the wheelhouse with his mother, Rhaenyra twisting at her rings so wildly she seemed fit to wringing off her fingers while Jacaerys just kept running through logistics. He didn't want to truly think of Ikit returning, his mind trying instead to focus upon their money woes and alliances and troop numbers.
Because when it came down to it, Jace didn't want to confront one important thing that lurked heavily in the back of his mind.
If Ikit would blame him for Lucerys's death.
Would blame him for not avenging Lucerys. Blame him for trying to see diplomatic solutions, when Luke's murderer ran free. For not advocating to kill Alicent, when her son murdered Luke after being poisoned by his mother for decades.
If Ikit had a favourite in the family it was clearly Rhaenyra, but if anyone came second Jace would pick Lucerys. Luke always liked sneaking into Ikit's rooms when he couldn't sleep, to tell his brother about his own favourite stories or to listen to Ikit ramble about his own. There was an adoration there Luke didn't hold to Jace in the same way, nor Joffrey for them.
But now Luke was dead and Jace had been the older brother in Westeros when it happened. Ikit had been absent and Jace could blame him for that, but at the same time Ikit had always thought Alicent and her children traitors. He had been blatant about it after Driftmark, just scoffing when Jace had tried to explain even with their fight and Aemond's eye, it didn't mean the queen would commit treason.
He had been such a stupid naive child then. Little wonder Ikit left, frustrated at all of them for refusing to see the blatant traitor before them. They ignored it then King Viserys died and it turned out yes, Alicent was indeed a treacherous opportunistic snake just like her children and the rest of her House, even if she decided to betray them too when the war went sour for her side.
Jacaerys had advocated to keep Alicent from being executed but that had been motivated in keeping his mother's reputation in tact. Killing a woman, especially a dowager queen, could lead to complications, accusations and whispers of violence akin to King Maegor who was well known for killing his own wives.
He hated Alicent, he did not trust her, and her absolute failure in actually delivering Aegon the traitor to them, Helaena taking Dreamfyre or even mentioning the Triachy and empty coffers made him hate her. He couldn't tell if she was delusional or genuinely that stupid to fail to pass along the information with those last two. Either way she was locked in her chambers and he knew Ikit would protest that. Death to all the traitors would be his opinion, and he would not be impressed with Alicent being alive. No, he would have wanted her to be tortured to death.
But part of being the rulers of the realm were to make unpopular decisions for the good of the realm and, distastefully, keeping Alicent alive was one of them.
It didn't stop him from fidgeting and brooding over everything, toying with the hilt of his sword or fretting to the point Rhaenyra reached over and took his hand. Her expression was tense, eyes shadowed as she stared at the wall of the wheelhouse, but her grip was warm.
Neither of them said anything, as if either of them were afraid of making something terrible to happen. If they voiced it true the fates would change.
All too soon they were before the colossal courtyard of the Dragonpit, Addam already on Seasmoke high above and circling the hill even as many waited in various states of anxiety. A small crowd was lingering as well, drawn by the sight of the royal wheelhouse and Seasmoke's flight.
Then they heard the distant call of a dragon, high and shrill almost as if it were in pain yet so easily carrying across to them from Blackwater Bay. It wasn't a call Jace was familiar with, and he remained tense and nervous as they spotted a huge form began to emerge over the city towards them.
Silverwing, living up to her namesake with the way the membranes of her wings shone in the sun. Following slowly behind her was Moondancer's nearly comical tiny form, the dragons making their way over King's Landing with the much larger she-dragon having to drastically slow her flight for her smaller companion.
At the lessening distance Jace realized Silverwing was indeed larger than the Bronze Fury, and there was a bell tower lashed to her back. Why or even how it was there he did not know.
Seasmoke flew over to the duo as they crossed halfway, swooping around in front of them and then leading the two directly to where Rhaenyra and Jacaerys was waiting at the side entrances leading to the twisting cave system of the pit. Silverwing was so massive both smaller dragons had to wait until she landed first, folding up her colossal wings, for them to have enough room to land as well. She definitely would not fit inside.
And then his twin brother began to dismount Silverwing, Jace's hand so tight upon the hilt of his sword his gloves were threatening to split upon the knuckle.
He felt his breath catch, the noise mimicked by Rhaenyra, when they spotted the much smaller form seated before Ikit on the saddle. One that waved frantically at them before he jumped down and was caught by Ikit now on the ground. Barely a moment later Viserys was running across the ground as fast as his legs could carry him and then Rhaenyra was crying and sweeping Viserys up in her arms.
It was like a dam bursting, Jace finding himself in tears as he embraced his mother and little brother together, Viserys's hair tousled and longer than he remembered, but his little brother was alive. Jace had been livid when Aegon returned, telling them how he had barely escaped with his life and everyone had assumed Viserys had died as the slavers had tried to kill Aegon and Stormcloud. But he had been wrong, and instead Ikit had found him when everyone else thought him gone.
His littlest brother was alive and back with them. His arms tightened around them both.
"My baby, my darling little boy, we thought we lost you," Rhaenyra was crying, kissing at Viserys's hair as he sobbed as well.
Jace wasn't much better, relief near crippling as it flooded through his body and made him almost lighthead. When he managed to stumble away, sniffling and giving Viserys's head a lingering ruffle as if to really make sure he was truly there, Baela was at his side and offering a handkerchief.
He quickly wiped his face, trying to cling back to any type of dignity a crown prince should have. Baela rubbed at his shoulder.
It was only then he noticed Baela's bruised and battered features, her nose swollen and bandages on her neck from burns.
"Baela-"
"I'm hale," Baela grinned at him, even as behind them Moondancer was being shepherded into the pit. "Naught but flesh wounds from the battle. And it is true, King Aegon is dead. Prince Ikit felled the traitor in battle, when he attempted to take control of Dragonstone and he brought Prince Viserys back to us."
Her voice pitched loudly so everyone watching heard and it was then Ikit approached the queen from where he had been watching the reunion silently.
Viserys was now clinging to Rhaenyra's skirts, the queen's eyes wet with tears as her wayward son approached in his gleaming Valyrian armour. He was holding a satchel in hand and a deep silence fell over everyone as Ikit stopped before Rhaenyra and loosened the drawstrings of the pouch before he opened it for her to reach inside.
Rhaenyra's hands spasmed, as if she was restraining herself from flinging herself forward to embrace her son. Yet people were watching, those with their stalls set before the pit had crept up the stairs to watch, those already nearby delivering food for the dragons or drawn by Seasmoke. And then more when they saw Silverwing, all coming from the stairs and city to watch. More and more, curious and excited and always watching.
So Rhaenyra, acting as a queen not a mother, did not cling to her son but instead reached into the bag that Prince Ikit mutely offered her.
Her expression did not change as she pulled forth a bloody severed head from the bag.
Jacaerys felt his breath catch as Rhaenyra lifted the head up in both hands, turning it back and forth as whispers and exclamations filled the air as even the watchers could see the silver-gold hair. The circlet of a steel crown many had seen the usurper wear when he was coordinated in the very pit they stood before.
"Let the Seven Kingdoms know," Queen Rhaenyra declared, her voice carrying over the gathering crowd as she turned to face them and holding the head high. "The Usurper King is dead! He paid for his treason against the crown!"
Roars and cheering and the shaking of fists were seen. The smallfolk were fickle in their fancy and King Aegon had only led them to a blockade where they starved in the streets. He found no love and it was shown as the people jeered at his severed head as Rhaenyra held it aloft, when once they had cheered to see it crowned.
It was in this moment that Ikit looked away from the queen, choosing to approach Jace over his mother even as he threw the bag at Ser Lorent.
Baela smiled, nudging Jace's arm as his twin approached him with an unreadable expression on his face. Jacaerys felt his heart pounding, fighting back the tears that surged to his eyes as his hands twitched. He hadn't seen his brother in so long. Ikit was now even taller than him and his eyes held an arcane glow with that silver hair, and he looked so much like Rhaenyra it was almost uncanny.
Jacaerys hadn't realized how much he had missed his odd, bad tempered twin until he was right in front of him and he couldn't help his relieved smile.
"Ikit-" Jace managed to say, before he was slapped in the face so hard he was knocked over.
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