Author's Note: Introducing my interpretation of Jace after having read Fire and Blood again and having a lot of time to distance myself emotionally from the shit show that was that final season.
Chapter 5: Jacaerys 1- War
Jacaerys stared at the newly carved dragon tokens representing the new Dragonseed riders on the position marking Dragonstone on the Painted Table. It was from here that his ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, had planned his invasion of Westeros.
He greatly hoped that he need not plan anything so ambitious. If Aegon and Aemond fell the rebellion would have no footing to stand-on, as it was built entirely upon the idea that his grandfather's designated heir choice of his eldest child was no longer relevant with an adult son to possibly take the throne.
Thus if the Blacks could kill one or both and seize King's Landing, for holding the Iron Throne was a kind of legitimacy in and of itself, they could break the powerbase of the Greens.
He was...not pleased by the Dragonseeds which had emerged.
The loyalty of three of them was questionable. And the two who were unconditionally loyal were younger than Jace himself. If only by a month in Addam's case. Further complicating matters, the elder dragons had been tamed by the avaricious Hugh and the slothful Ulf. The thought of Vermithor, the largest dragon sans Balerion and Vhagar, under the control of Hugh galled the young man. As to why the graceful Silverwing, mount of the good queen Alysanne, had chosen Ulf of all people would forever puzzle Jace.
However Jace was certain that he could use these faults against the two, in order to control them. He'd already planned on offering presumptive awards of rebellious lords' castles to all the Dragonseeds.
Harrenhal would be a juicy incentive to Hugh, such a large castle would appeal to his ego. And if Jacaerys were lucky the curse would take the man down after a few years of peace.
He was cautious about giving out titles outside of the Crownlands. Which made how to bribe Ulf more interesting. The Stokesworths had changed their allegiances when Ser Criston Cole marched through which made that a prime title for revocation. Perhaps he could even marry the layabout to the lord's daughter to legitimize things somewhat. Nettles he could marry off to a Velaryon or Celtigar cousin to simply keep dragon riding blood all together.
The issue was that Addam and Alyn, should they survive, would not be equally rewarded for being much more loyal. Thankfully with Addam as heir to Corlys that would likely be enough of a distraction in itself. Alyn on the other hand...well the boy was merely a few moons older than Joffrey. Any reward could be justifiably put off until his majority without slighting his new...no his mother's new Hand.
It felt odd, he thought to himself, acting in his mother's stead as she mourned Lucerys. But they could not afford to lose the momentum they had gained with the allegiances he had formed. The Vale, the North, and numerous smaller houses in the Riverlands and Reach, breaking the ability of those Lords Paramount to operate effectively against the Blacks.
He did not feel ready for this. He did not feel ready for this at all. By the light of the Seven he was merely fifteen namedays old. Mentally sighing he calculated his next move. He needed to get his siblings: full, step, and half, away from Dragonstone and to more secure locations.
To that purpose he had already been in contact with some allies about possible locations. He knew he had to send Joff and Rhaena to the Arryns, simply to begin fulfilling his deal he had made with the Lady of the Vale. However he would feel much more comfortable sending his youngest siblings all the way across the Narrow Sea into Essos to sit out the war. To that end letters had gone out to both the Prince of Pentos and the Sealord of Braavos. He could only hope he received responses soon, as he needed to muster his forces out of the Blackwater Bay and onto the mainland. He needed to seize back the Claw or King's Landing.
Though perhaps a pincer movement going along both the Claw and Massey's Hook while his allies held off Boros Baratheon and the Hightowers would allow him to successfully take King's Landing and the Crownlands before things could descend into all out war with all six of the kingdoms.
That was what Jacaerys truly desired the most, to keep this conflict to a purely family affair and not have it turn into a conflict where dragon riders led hosts of tens of thousands, burning their ways across the Crownlands, Riverlands, and Reach.
Interrupting his thoughts, the door to the chamber opened, and the elderly Maester Geradys shuffled into the torchlight.
"My lord, a messenger boat just returned with a letter from the Prince of Pentos."
The letter was passed over and Jacaerys read its contents eagerly.
"Very well, Maester go fetch the Black Council. We have matters to discuss."
The Black Council met an hour later. Jacaerys internally winced at how reduced it was. He would need to perhaps send for representatives from the North and Vale to join them, to show trust and admiration.
As it currently stood the Black Council consisted of: his absent mother Queen Rhaenyra, his absent great-uncle and step-father Prince Daemon, himself, Lord Corlys, the Maester, his younger brother Prince Joffery, Lord Bartimos Celtigar of Claw Isle, Lord Duram Bar Emmon of Sharp Point, and that was the whole of it.
Lord Staunton? His head now decorated the walls of the Red Keep along with that of Lord Darklyn.
Lord Gormon Massey? The fool had attempted to tame Vermithor just before Hugh and had been burnt to cinders for his troubles. Now his heir ruled under a regency.
A horrid waste, they had not been ready at all for Ser Cole's march up the Claw with both Aegon and Aemond in the skies above. That had allowed them to move past the Crownland keeps with a speed that had left them scrambling for a response. A response which his unfortunate grandmother Rhaenys had fallen afoul of, as she had had no aid when the two had fallen upon her with their dragons.
"Ah so you have a plan now, do you, my lord?" Lord Corlys always said 'my lord' as if he had intended to say 'my boy', but as he was Jace's grandfather he did not take it too insultingly.
"Indeed, lord grandfather, with the arrival of a response from Pentos I believe we can move our plans forward. We send Aegon and Viserys off to Pentos with Joffrey and Rhaena leaving for the Vale of Arryn. That will allow us the breathing room necessary to capitalize upon Aemond being the only true line of defense remaining. With Aegon the Elder incapacitated we can reclaim the Claw, and sweep down from both the Hook and Claw upon King's Landing with our new dragon riders!" As he gave the speech he positioned the tokens representing the armies and dragon riders around the map.
"We should hopefully be able to break the Greens before the forces of the Stormlands and Reach can come to bear. If however they muster too quickly we should at least have made our way to surround King's Landing. At which point we can detach a few dragon riders and token forces to hold the Kingswood and Tumbleton long enough for us to be reinforced by the Vale. Gods willing, we will not have to deal with any reinforcements on our enemies' side from the Riverlands or West due to Prince Aemon's chokehold upon Harrenhal. Any thoughts, my lords?"
Lord Duram stroked his stately dark beard while looking at the Painted Table laid out in front of them, "And when could we expect the reinforcements from the North, my prince?"
That was a sore point for Jacaerys, because even though he had gotten on well with the lord of the North, it would take quite some time, especially so near winter, for them to muster and move.
"Unfortunately Lord Cregan indicated to me that while we had his undying support that it would take moons for the full North to muster, let alone to begin marching all the way across the kingdoms. If we could end this before we ever needed the North that would be for all the better. However he promised between fifteen hundred and two thousand men to join Prince Daemon in the Riverlands in three moons time. Another eighteen hundred on ships from White Harbor in four moons. And finally he said that he should have a full ten thousand men of the North marching down the Kingsroad by the end of the year. Needless to say if we end up needing that final group of reinforcements we would greatly appreciate the relief as our plans would have truly gone horribly awry."
All the lords gathered chuckled nervously at that thought.