Fighting Fate
Jacaerys X Targ!Reader
Word Count: 5602
This mfer lives I decided it- also part two probably because we need some FLUFF. Also reader claimed Silverwing as a child and will use that mfter to battle
Warnings/tags: ANGST, blood and violence, death, dragon fighting and death, death via drowning and burning alive, angst, angst, some fluff, reader is absolutely down bad for him but can't show it, but will die for him
A cold chill filled the misty morning air and beads of moisture pooled on the exposed skin of her pale, shaking hands. It smelled of salt mixed with hot smoke and brimstone along with a soft undertone of pine. It’s aggressive and overwhelming, but somehow it felt like home to her all the same. Throughout the months the air had begun to freeze, a pervasive cold that settled into her bones like stone. She found herself drowning in the feeling, her dragon blood resenting the chill seeping into her body.
Summer was drifting away with each passing day, the war made sure of that. With each death, each lie and deception, the world permanently shifted and she feared the repercussions of her family.
This wasn’t how it was meant to be.
Queen Rhaenyra should be on the throne right now, ruling as her father, King Viserys, decreed it many moons ago. How easy it would have been for Alicent and Aegon to abdicate, but the pride of men and women does not die so easily. It clings like sap, sticking to the skin and absorbing into their very souls. And so, they are forced to fight a needless war, just to set things right.
It was a betrayal to her family to be here, she knew this implicitly. But she couldn’t sit idly by while their dragons and family were uselessly slain, whilst the very magic of this world died with each passing. She couldn’t sit idly by while her family murdered and maimed her betrothed and his family- her family. The world would remember her as a kinslayer perhaps, but how does a title compare to a life?
The choice was simple.
So she fled Kings Landing three moons ago in the dark shroud of night. The dragon pit was virtually inaccessible during the day, having been banned by her mother and Aegon, but the patrols were more lax at night and so she slipped by, clinging to her cloak with trembling, freezing hands. It was difficult leaving her home, even more so knowing that sweet Heleana would be left alone at the mercy of her family- left alone with a dead son and screaming daughter.
It would’ve been easier to remain at home, to enjoy the warmth and familiarity of the Red Keep’s gardens. She supposed that Aegon’s Garden would suffice for now, even if the trees and roses were far too dark and dangerous for her liking. Everything here was far too dark for her liking.
A shadow seeps into her vision, obscuring her view of the dark, cracked stone and startling her from her pointless musings. Violet eyes flicker up, trailing over the darkly clad, slim body before they lock onto the brooding figure of Jacaerys peering down at her- dark eyes crinkled in something akin to happiness. Or perhaps it’s trepidation. He smiles at her tensely, shuffling on his feet before motioning to the bench next to her, silently asking for permission. She just nods and shifts over, tucking her dress beneath her thigh to allow him more room.
They sit in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say, despite everything needing to be said at once. Once upon a time, they were betrothed, but her mothers betrayal and Aegon's usurpation ruined that for them, but the feelings still lingered. In Rhaenyra’s eyes, she was a traitor's blood, one unworthy of her son's hand- far less so than Baela.
“I-” She pauses and sighs, wringing her fingers together before continuing, “how does the war progress?”
“Mother believes we shall win soon, it appears. She called the council for an emergency meeting soon. I-” he pauses and turns towards her, “I wanted to see you before I went to her. To speak about our-”
“Our what, my lord? According to the Queen there is nothing and there will never be anything.”
“Please, do not-”
The air shifts aggressively as she shoots up, her chest clenching as her eyes pinch shut, trying desperately to quell the rising tears. Their destinies are no longer intertwined and she will not fight to destroy what little favor she has left with the queen.
“Good day, my lord. I wish you the best this evening.”
Tears fell freely down her flushed face as she rushes away desperately, her pale dress gathering loose, blackened dust as she goes. It was miserable seeing him like this, even worse when she heard the wavering of his beautiful voice and glanced into the glassiness of his strong eyes. When she left Kings Landing she held onto desperate hope Rhaenyra would allow them to continue, to get married under the Gods. But she was foolish to hope.
And even more foolish to love him still.
But he was so easy to love, so easy to be around. He was light when there was none- fire in the dark. He was soft when men were hard and cruel. He was quiet when others yelled, cunning when others were stupid and naive. Whatever he needed to be, he was- adaptable and strong. Just like his mother.
But he was taken from her, even though she fled to be with him, betrayed her family to be with him.
He continues to yell after her after she runs, but he doesn’t chase. No matter how much they both want him to.
`
She finds herself in the Dragonmont later, her hands stroking the silvery, blue scales of Silverwing. She purred underneath her touch, the dragons striking blue eyes staring at her very soul. They were bonded for life and each of them would die for the other- or die together.
The dragon knew of her pain, knew of the plight wracking her riders very body. There was nothing Silverwing could do, however. And so they shared the pain together, relishing in each others presence.
“This war will be over soon, sister. Then we will be free of these shackles, but-”
“Come, Vermax!”
Jacaerys’ voice rings out throughout the cavern, sounding oddly unsteady in her ears. Baela follows quickly after, crying out for Moondancer. Anxiety and fear spikes in her chest for some unknown reason and Silverwing begins to screech in discomfort, her cries echoing loudly in her mind.
“Shhh, Silverwing,” She pats the dragon's head, lulling her down with a placating hand. “Wait here, sister, I will return shortly.”
Muffled yelling permeates the air further into the cavern and she follows, desperately seeking the panicked voice of Baela and Jacaerys. Each shout, each word tightens her chest with a spike of fear. She knows something is wrong, the feeling settles deep within her chest- pervasive and overwhelming.
“They killed my brother, Baela!”
Lucerys.
Poor, young Lucerys who was ripped apart by Vhagar’s massive jaws and teeth. Murdered by her demonic brother.
“I won’t let them take her as well.”
When she turns the corner, Jacaerys has Baela’s arm within his grasp, firmly holding her within inches of his body. Palpable excitement fills his face, an unrestrained smile as he stares into her face, begging her to join him on his quest. It forces her to stop in her tracks, sorrow and dejection filling her very soul. But neither of them notice her presence, yet.
“We are ready! We can win this victory for her,” he shakes his head in pride, fire flickering in his eyes like a dragon stalking his next meal. “Was this not always our purpose?”
She can’t hold it in anymore.
“What victory?” It’s pathetic how shaky and soft her voice is in this thundering cavern. But it echoes nonetheless, and he wrenches himself away from Baela, his face widening further into surprise. “What victory?”
It’s Baela who answers, “there is war in the Gullet. We shall meet them there.”
Jace perks up again, his face elating as he steps towards her, his hands raising in a small plea. “Come with us, please! We can win-”
“The queen, has she approved of this?”
She knows Rhaeneyra would never let him go, not so soon after the death of Lucerys and Rhaenys. They all know the answer, and she watches with a firm, pointed glare as Baela and Jace remain silent in front of her- refusing to meet her eyes, shame overwhelming them. That's all the answer she needs and she shakes her head whilst backing away.
“The Queen needs to remain safe,” Jacaerys struts forwards, reaching towards her with a desperate hand, pleading for her to place her fingers in his. Immediately she flinches away from his contact and backs away, shaking her head once more, “our men are dying out there, we need to leave. Now.”
With that, he walks away, calling again for Vermax who trills in response to his riders calls. Baela remains still for a moment, looking between the two, watching as the rift boldens in between them. Because of her. Because of this war they are living in. For a moment she considers staying, but Jacaerys needs her and Moondancer to aid him in this battle. So Baela turns and walks away, leaving her alone in the dark shadows of Dragonmont.
There’s two options, right now.
One is to return to Dragonstone and report back to the Queen- to earn and keep her favor in order to protect her life and future. Or she can commit treason and fly out to fight at Jace’s side. To defend him in the name of love. The decision should be hard, she should fear giving up her life to defend his.
But it was easy- her life for his.
“Silverwing! To me!”
The dragon roars throughout the cave, her shrills and screeches echoing loudly throughout the loud cavern as she claws to her rider. There’s no time for them to prepare for this war, no time to dress in proper leathers or armor. A simple dress and gloves would have to do for now.
Silverwing bows before her, leaning her neck into the ground so she can climb into the saddle easier.
“Fly, Silverwing! To the Gullet!”
With a roar, Silverwing rushes down the cavern, chasing the light of day filtering down through the tunnel opening. She breaks through and her wings flap loudly, pushing the air down as she ascends into the air. Moondancer and Vermax are leagues in front of her, but she follows, Silverwing gaining ground on them in no time.
For a second she catches Jace's eyes and she feels pride soar through her at the smile he gives her.
It was the right choice.
`
The break through the clouds and her heart clenches at the sight below. The Gullet is on fire, ships and men screaming as the burn and choke on fiery swords. Arrows soar through the smoke, hitting man and wood with reckless abandon. She watches as men fly over the edge and land in the water, sinking to the bottom as they fight the weight of their own armor.
“Dracarys!”
A breath of fire burst out of Silverwing’s mighty jaws, igniting a ship ablaze as she soars above their heads. Screams of agony rip out of the men as they burn and she watches with barely concealed pity as they jump overboard in search of relief- only to drown in the freezing waters.
Vermax soars overhead over her before he dives down, aiming and burning a loan ship fleeing the battle. Cowards. As soon as they start to lose, they run, refusing to face their deaths head on like men should.
An arrow wizzes past her head and she gasps loudly, her head snapping to the side as she dodges the sound. She whines and commands Silverwing to dive, trying to escape the arrows pelting the air around her. It’s terrifying, the constant looming threat of death and fiery blood permeating the air around her. WIth every breath, her chest clenches and eyes water, fear threatening to overwhelm her. She’s never been in a battle like this, never smelled the flesh of burning men.
But she persists.
She burns every ship that dare lay waste to her home and threatens her family, trying to keep track of Moondancer and Vermax at every turn and dive. But her eyes burn and her throat clenches around nothing and she loses them in the fray, confusion and fear forcing her to rely purely on instinct.
Suddenly, the pained scream of a dragon rings out and her heart breaks. Vermax. He screeches and cries, begging for the agony to stop as he slowly gets dragged down to the surface of the water. She can almost hear Jace’s pleas and cries as he descends.
“Silverwing! To Vermax! Defend!”
With a loud, musical scream, Silverwing turns, banking a hard left as she sets her sights on Vermax. A rope has attached itself to his neck, pulling him down slowly into the water, no matter how much Vermax tries to fly away.
“To Aid!”
Right before they sink, Silverwing snaps the rope in half, her talons ripping apart the rope as if it were soft, supple flesh. Vermax trills and soars upwards, his wings and body straining himself to the max as he moves to escape the fight.
“Leave, Jace please,” she whispers, pushing herself tighter against the saddle in a pitiful attempt at dodging more arrows. “Please, I can do this alone. Please!”
But Vermax continues, soaring through the sky and leveling with Silverwing as they descend to attack in tandem. The two dragons work in synch, burning ships and tearing sails as they dive and dodge attacks. Moondancer provides support, burning down ships as they launch grapnel shots continually.
For a moment, victory is imminent, the assailants' ships fleeing in burning around them with only a miniscule amount of enemies left. But a roar rings around, low pitched-and unfamiliar to her as it growls and shutters aggressively. It burns her ships and the screams of her men and enemies sound out as the dragon slaughters them like animals.
It’s rogue- killing both sides with no discrimination.
Sheepstealer.
“Silverwing! To aid! To Sheepstealer!”
Moondancer approaches from behind Sheepstealer, whilst silverwing attacks from the front, almost large enough to take on the rogue dragon alone. But Sheepstealer turns, facing Moondancer head on and forcing her to dive towards, narrowly missing his extended claws. Silverwing claws at his back, barely scratching the surface of his thick, dense hide before he banks, tailing Moondancer with a vengeance.
“Silverwing! Defend, Moondancer!”
Faintly she can hear the screams of Vermax as he approaches, intent on defending Moondancer as well. But Sheepstealer continues, chasing them and nipping at her claws and tail, attempting to kill Baela with every breath it takes. She can faintly see a rider, red and black fabric contrasting off of the back of the dragon, along with thick white hair.
Who would do this?
“Silverwing! Ascend! Kill the rider from above, Silverwing!”
Jace and Vermax follow her and they level head to head, their eyes locking in barely restrained fear. She wants to reach out to him, to take his hands in hers and embrace him like she did so many moons ago under the stars in the Godswood. But fire and blood are her life now, and her dreams continue to remain dreams.
With a nod, they separate, Vermax shifting on the left and Silverwing taking the ride of Sheepstealer, ready to dive in tandem. Vermax dives first, heading straight for the bundle of red. But he stops, evading last second and diving towards the water as Sheepstealer claws at his tail. But Sheepstealer does not stop, and instead he begins to chase Vermax, sending blisteringly hot, orange fire at Jace.
“Dive, Silverwing! To Jace!”
With a scream, Silverwing dives, her claws extended towards the dragon's back. They sink in easily, and Sheepstealer screams, his body rolling as he attempts to dislodge the claws scraping at his spine. But that’s when she sees it, the fearful, tear filled eyes of Rhaena staring at her, begging and pleading for her life.
“Silverwing, release!” She screams when Sheepstealer turns around, his claws aiming at Silverwings unprotected ribs. “Rise, Silverwing! Rhaena, what-”
“I’m sorry! I’m- Sh-Sheepstealer. No! No!”
Arrows pelt the dragon's side and mouth, shallowly burying itself into his hard, armored flesh. But Sheepstealer screams and rises, pulling away from them and fleeing the battle, deciding that the risk is no longer worth the meager reward. She watches in fear as the dragon ascends, disappearing into the canopy of clouds- just as fast as he came.
Rhaena? Why Rhaena?
How did she even claim Sheepstealer and why would she do this? Burn and kill her own men? For what?
A scream of agony breaks her trance and she snaps forward, watch as red, hot blood pours out of Vermax and into the water below. Another grapnel shot has lodged itself in Vermax’s side, pulling him steadily into the water as the dragon quickly weakens from loss of blood. All she can do is watch as the dragon is pulled lower and lower, blood leaching into the water as he hits the icy water.
“Silverwing, faster! Dive!” She unbuckles the saddles, preparing to jump in, before an arrow flies past her head. She slams into the saddle, a shriek escaping her lips as bile rises into her throat. “F-faster, Silverwing!”
Her saddles unlatches with a click and she leans up, her legs and body shaking as she practically stands in her seat.
“Dracarys, Silverwing.”
With those final words, she dives into the pool of ocean just as Jace disappears under the water, her mouth filling with red, metallic dragon and salty water. It’s freezing and her heart skips under the pressure, her body pausing at the shock stabbing through her. But Jace.
Jace.
With a gasp, she dives searching for his body in the shallow depths. Her eyes burn and the water is clouded with the blood of a draining dragon, obscuring her vision. Faintly she sees him, still fighting the clip of his saddle as Vermax strains to swim upwards, to escape the confines of the icy water clawing at his throat. She never has been the best swimmer, but she pushes forward, her lungs burning as her fingers fight the clip locking him into the saddle.
It unclasps with a muffled click and she pulls him up, her body straining under the combined weight of Jace and her clothes. They break the surface together, gasping and clinging to each other as they fight for air. Her eyes burn from the water, but ash soon sills them, before fire and burning flesh fill her nostrils. Exhaustion quickly sets in and she fights to stay afloat, her legs kicking desperately as she clings onto Jacaerys.
Fingers grasp onto her arm as he swims along, clawing at a neighbor plank of wood, holding onto it for their lives. She opens her mouth to scream for Silverwing, begging for her beloved dragon to pluck them from the ocean, but she screams instead.
An arrow whizzes past her head before a dull thud echoes next to her, knocking the air of Jace as it lodges into his back. His fingers slip from her arm and he turns, locking eyes on the ship behind them.
“No! N-no. Silverwing! To aid! Silv-”
Another arrow shrieks through the air, landing in Jace's chest as she screams and begs. Her hands find his chest, pulling him into her as he blocks his body with hers. They cry together, listening to his pained gasps and shutters as his body begins to weaken in her arms.
“N-no! Silverwing! Dracarys!”
Pain flares in her back and she screams again, tucking her head into Jace's neck as an arrow finds its home in her back. White, hot pain sears through her body, and all she feels is pain, all she sees is the blood pooling around them and the light slowly leeching from his eyes. But she stays steadily in front of him, blocking his body with hers.
Her life for his.
That's how this was supposed to go. It wasn’t supposed to be the both of them. He was supposed to live a long happy life with Baela, to become the next king of Westeros. To have children and a family that loved him and followed in his footsteps. He wasn’t supposed to die here.
The screech of a dragon rings out above them and her head lulls back, limply falling into the water as a flash of silver rushes towards the ship. Hot, blue fire escapes Silverwing's jaw, igniting the ship in flames. The men scream and fall into the water, their flesh melting off of their bones as the ship sinks into the water slowly.
Jace whimpers in her ear, straining desperately to speak, “I-I’m s-sorryyy…”
Her head snaps towards his, her violet eyes locking on with his, so brown they’re nearly black. But so, so tired.
“No, Jace! You’re fine… you’re going to be fine! Silverwing, help him! To aid, Silverwing!,” Her hand strains to grab at his shoulder, her body shaking with exertion and she trembles in exhaustion and pain. The arrow moves, shifting in her back and stabbing at her body and she groans loudly, tears streaming down her face in aggressive heaves. “Jace, please! P-please, you will be fine!”
“I… I still lov-”
There’s no end to the sentence. His eyes flutter shut and he goes limp in her hold, weighing her down in the water. She sinks deeper, her head slipping under as water and blood flood into her mouth relentlessly. Jace’s blood. Her blood. She shrieks louder and chokes on it, her lungs and heart clenching as she fights to stay afloat- the driftwood doing little to help.
“Jace! Jace please!” She screams, and water fills her mouth some more. All she tastes is his blood, all she can feel is his body laying dead in her arms. “Ja- Jace! Wake up, please! Silverwing! To me! To Jacaerys!”
The screech of a dragon sounds out above her and her head snaps up, locking with the silvery form of Silverwing descending towards her. It’s instinctual, the way her hand reaches for her dragon, shaking and trembling as she grasps desperately for the saddle. It’s putty in her hands, slipping from her hands as if she were sliding on ice. But she persists, pulling herself onto the leather, screams erupting from her throat as her skin tears from the strain.
Silverwing lifts her up, sinking her body deeper into the water, pulling her away from Jace. She doesn’t relent, pulling and grasping at his body, heaving him onto her saddle. Silently, Silverwing takes off, rushing towards Dragonstone faster than she;s ever flown before. The entire time, her ride holds Jace, screaming into his body, tears and snot trailing down her face as blood trickles down her spine.
It was supposed to be her.
Her life for his.
`
She is silent by the time she arrives back at Dragonstone, the stone is cold underneath her sullied, sodden shoes, the fire does little to ease the pain in her heart and spine. It’s pervasive, a steady pulse of lighting shooting throughout her body.
Strange men filter into her vision, and she faintly hears the screech of a dragon behind her, it’s melodic singing echoing dully in her ears. They take Jace from her arms and she screams, holding desperately onto him- trying to fight their prying hands.
“No, n-NO!”
“My lady, please!”
“J-jace, nO!”
They ignore her pleas and pull her down, but she continues to fight, wriggling in their arms and hitting them with every chance she could see. Silverwing shutters aggressively next to her and, sensing her riders desperation, nips at the nearest queensguard, politely removing him from her rider’s side.
“Get o-off me!” She rips free, falling to her knees as they start to carry Jace away, Baela leading them further into the cavern. She stands and follows, ignoring the pain and pleading of the men around her, pushing their hands away. “J-ja… no!”
The ground approaches her again, her hands and knees scraping loudly as she falls down. But she stands again, her head rushing as she practically crawls her ways towards his body. She can feel their eyes on her, watching her with barely restrained pity.
She collapses again, her eyes lulling closed and she fights to keep them focused. Baela walks towards her slowly, kneeling down in front of her grasping her cheeks with her freezing cold hands.
“Bae…la ... Don-t let them… take……”
All she sees is tears filling Baela’s eyes, before a scream rips through the room, shattering through her skull like a spike of hot iron. It pierces and she groans loudly, pressing her skull to the floor as she wheezes and heaves for breaths.
Rhaenyra continues to scream before she stops, her breath hitching as she whispers- the words barely audible.
“H-he’s alive.”
Black shrouds her vision and she slips under, her heart elating at those words. He is fine. Everything is fine and as it should be. Her life for his.
`
Lights filter through her vision slowly, black figures shift around, blinking in and out of reality as her eyes flicker over the poorly lit room. A gasp escapes her lips before her throat closes around nothing and she chokes, rattling escaping her lips as she choughs and heaves. Fear travels down her spine like electricity, igniting her body in burning hot tingles.
She shoots up, groaning under the pressure and pain in her back.
This isn’t possible- she was dead. She remembers dying, remembers the life leaving her body and her final breath escaping her lips as she clawed at the floor.
“No, my lady, please! You must rest, my lady,” a hand presses down at her shoulder, forcing her back into the soft, warm bed. “The maester states ‘you need to rest’”
“F-fuck the maester,” she coughs into the air before she wheezes and sits back up, “Jacaerys? W-where is he?”
“The prince rests in his chamber…… the maester says he might live- thanks to you, my lady!”
“Bring me to him,” she demands.
The bed groans under her as she shifts and her body fights the movements, but she persists, forcing her legs over the bed. The maid tries to push her down, fussing over her wounds like a mother would her child.
“You can either help me… or I can walk there myself.”
“Yes, my lady- at once.”
The maids hand slip under her shoulders, pulling her up with a soft, strained grasp. The pain is meager compared to her trepidation, compared to the anxiety wracking her body. Everything is still blurry, sounds are muffled, her body weak and cold, but she fights it, her eyes lamely flickering towards the door.
“My lady… you are not dressed properly.. Your-”
“At once.”
They walk slowly, up countless stairs and around countless bends. People stare at them as they walk past, before they rush away- presumably to alert a nearby guard or, perhaps, the Queen herself. It doesn’t deter her from her goal.
Two guards are posted at the door to Jacaerys’ room, tall and imposing as they stare at her approaching. For a moment they stare at her, watching as she drags her legs and clutches at the wall and her maid for support.
They let her in immediately- even if they weren’t supposed to.
“How dare-” Rhaenyra stands and turns, ready to disarm the intrusion before she stops, her mouth dropping open in alarm. “Wha-”
Ignoring everything, she drops the maids arm, rushing over the bed where he lay. A gasps escapes her lips as she stares down at his limp body. His lips are pale and purple, his perfect, white skin marred with bruises and flushed grey with death, hair full and frail. This is not her Jace.
“J-jace… oh..” She turns towards the queen, her lips trembling as eyes shaking as tears threaten to escape them. They mirror each other, two people desperate for him to live, sobbing and clawing at the world to see life rush back into his body. “My queen, I- I’m sorry! I-I….. it all happened so fast.. I- I could not…”
“H-he will live… the maester declared it this morning. The worst has passed.”
A choked sobbed escapes her lips and she leans down, pressing her face into his chest as her body heaves for breaths. It’s a cry of relief, of knowing that all of this would not end in vain. A victory at the cost of his, and how many lives?
“You saved him…” The soft clicks of shoes approach her and a hand presses against her back, cold and shaking against the thin material of her night dress. “ He will live.. T-thank you.”
She turns around, pressing her face in Rhaenyra's chest, clawing at the fabric of her dress to pull the woman closer.
“Wh-where did it all go wrong Rhaenyra? Our family? We fight and maim each other…. like a dog shredding off his own leg to live.”
There’s no answer, but Rhaenyra pulls her closer, wrapping her arms around her half-sister for the first time in her life. They were never allowed to be close, never allowed to bond as siblings should. They were forced at each other’s throat since her birth- a path she refused to follow.
She pulls back and turns back around towards Jacaerys, her fingers seeking his on the bed. They intertwine together, so cold and clammy against her. Silently, she brings them up to her lips, breathing on them slowly to force heat back into the skin.
“I-I was wrong about you….. about the betrothal.”
“Yes.” She presses his hand against her face, leaning into it like he was holding her once again. “ I would like to stay with him… i-if your grace would allow me that pleasure.”
“You are welcome to stay here as long as you like…. Save it doesn’t impede his healing.”
“On my life, it will not, your Grace.”
“Good.”
`
Weeks pass with little to no progress.
The measter returns every day with milk of the poppy, dosing Jacaerys enough to reduce pain to nothing. Life slowly returns to him, his skin becoming flushed with pink as he begins to warm. She reads to him most days. And when she’s not reading, she’s tending to him as if she were a maid, cleaning his skin with a damp cloth and massaging his waning muscles gently.
Two days after the victory at the Gullet, Rhaenyra claimed her throne, storming the castle with her dragons and executing Otto Hightower. It was all of little consequence to her, really. The throne could burst into flames and disappear permanently and she wouldn’t care, as long as Jace would wake up.
“How is he?”
Her head shoots up, locking eyes with Baela as she walks into the room, soft amber fire flickering against her face. A smile flutters across her face and she looks down, her hand tightening around his as she abandons her book.
“He is well. The maester states he should wake soon.” Baela smiles and she continues, “I count down the hours til his eyes flicker open.”
“You are good for him.”
“Hmmm, so are you.”
“No, not like you are,” She sighs and walks closer, her fingers playing with the edge of his blanket. “I do not love him like you do, only as a sister would love her brother. It’s not I who should marry him.”
“That is not for you to decide, Baela.”
“No, it is not…… but… the queen seems to agree with me. The betrothal has been called off.”
“Wha-” Her head shoots up and she locks eyes with Baela, tears immediately pooling in them. “You mean?”
“Yes.”
His hands are warm against her face as she laughs loudly before pressing a lingering kiss to his knuckles. It’s inappropriate to act this way- her septa would be scandaled at her actions for the past two weeks. But she finds herself not caring, choosing instead that her happiness is worth the yelling.
“Thank you, Baela.” There’s no response, only the soft clicking of a door as it closes behind her. “Did you hear that, my love? You need only wake up.”
“Just wake up.”
`
“Your mother is doing good for the realm, Jace. She’s bringing food to the people in need…… far more than Aegon ever did for them.”
Her fingers tighten around his once more before the intertwine and for a moment, she swears she can feel them squeezing back. She’s much too tired right now.
But it squeezes again and she shoots up, her eyes flickering onto his face, desperately searching for life. A soft, warbled groan escapes his lips and she gasps, leaning down as his eyes flutter behind their lids.
“J-jace!?”
He groans again and his eyes flicker open, before shifting closed again. Her lips tremble and her body shakes, her heart clenching as she bites at the skin of her cheeks. They open again, shifting around the room, glassy and unfocused as he blinks endlessly before locking onto her.
There’s no recognition for a moment and her heart breaks, fearing the worst for his mind. But, slowly, he smiles, his lips shakily curling up as his eyes focus. Her fingers tighten against his and he tightens his back, far weaker than hers.
“Jace…..”
Tears fill her eyes and she chokes on air, happiness overwhelming her senses. All she knows is him. And gods, is it beautiful.
“Goodmorning, my love.” She presses a kiss to his knuckles, “there’s so much you missed.”
