King's Landing, The Red Keep – 131 AC

Confusion settled over me like a heavy cloak, thick and suffocating. One moment, we were all at Dragonstone—Helaena, Aemond, Lucerys, and I—going about our duties as if everything was just another day in the life of Targaryens. The next moment, ravens arrived with urgent messages that threw everything into chaos.

The first letter was for Helaena and me, summoning us to King's Landing. The second was for Aemond, but his orders were different—he was to make for Driftmark immediately. But the worst part, the part that gnawed at me, was that none of us had any idea where Lucerys was. She had gone flying earlier in the day, as she often did, and now it seemed like she had vanished into thin air. Not even a raven could find her, and that was enough to set the nerves in all of us on edge.

Aemond protested, of course. He was never one to take orders without a fight, especially when it came to Lucerys. The two of them were inseparable, bound by something deeper than just blood and family. So, when Aemond argued about waiting for her, I wasn't surprised. He didn't want to leave without knowing where she was, without making sure she was safe. But the letters bore the queen's seal, and no one refuses a summons from the queen—not even a Targaryen.

"Lucerys will find her way back," Helaena said, trying to reassure Aemond, though her own voice was laced with worry. "She always does."

But Aemond wasn't having it. "And if she doesn't?" he snapped, his eye blazing with frustration. "What if something's happened? What if she needs us and we're not here?"

I felt for him, truly. But we didn't have a choice. The letters were clear, and there was nothing we could do to delay. Aemond had to go to Driftmark, and Helaena and I had to get to King's Landing.

"Lucerys is strong," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "If anyone can handle themselves out there, it's her. We'll send word the moment we arrive, and she'll find us."

Aemond glared at me, his jaw tight, but after a tense moment, he nodded. He knew as well as I did that there was no point in arguing. With a frustrated growl, he turned on his heel and stalked off to ready Arrax for the flight to Driftmark.

I watched him go, a knot of unease tightening in my chest. Aemond's temper was legendary, and right now, he was a dragon barely holding back his fire. If anything happened to Lucerys while we were gone, if anything went wrong… I didn't even want to think about the consequences.

I turned back to Helaena, who was already looking at me with those deep, haunted eyes of hers. Helaena was a Dragon Dreamer, a seer in the old Valyrian way, and when she looked troubled, it was never without reason. And right now, she looked more troubled than I'd seen her in a long time.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice low as I stepped closer to her. "What do you see?"

She shook her head slightly, her silver hair catching the light as it fell over her shoulders. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice so soft it was almost lost in the wind. "Something's wrong, Jace. Something's coming, and it's dark. I can feel it, but I can't see it. It's like a shadow creeping over everything, and I don't know how to stop it."

A shiver ran down my spine. Helaena's dreams had always been cryptic, but they were never wrong. If she was sensing danger, then we were in for a storm. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll face it together, whatever it is," I promised her, though the words felt hollow even as I said them. How could we face something we couldn't even see?

She nodded, but the worry didn't leave her eyes. It clung to her like a shadow, just like the one she spoke of, and it was enough to set my own nerves on edge. I didn't like this—any of it. The sudden summons, the separation from Aemond, Lucerys's unexplained absence—it all felt wrong, like we were being pushed toward something we couldn't escape.

But there was no time to dwell on it. We had to move. With a final glance toward the sky, as if hoping to see Lucerys flying back to us, I turned and led Helaena to our dragons. They were ready, their restless movements betraying their own unease. It wasn't just us who felt it—our dragons did too. They could sense the tension, the uncertainty in the air, and it made them uneasy.

As we mounted Vermax and Dreamfyre, I cast one last look at Aemond. He was already on Arrax, his face set in a determined scowl. He caught my eye and gave a sharp nod.

And with that, we took to the skies.

The flight to King's Landing was swift, but it wasn't without its share of ominous signs. The clouds hung low and heavy, casting long shadows over the land below, and the wind had a bite to it that made me pull my cloak tighter around my shoulders. Helaena rode beside me, her face a mask of concentration as if she was searching for something in the distance, something just out of reach.

"Do you see anything?" I asked her as we neared the capital, my voice barely carrying over the sound of the wind and the beating of wings.

Helaena shook her head, her eyes narrowing as she peered into the distance. "No, but I feel it. It's closer now. Whatever it is, it's here."

That didn't do anything to ease my anxiety. If anything, it only made it worse. What could be waiting for us in King's Landing that had Helaena so unsettled? What kind of shadow was creeping over us, threatening to pull us under?

When we finally arrived at the Red Keep, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had taken hold of me. The guards at the gates were more on edge than usual, their eyes darting nervously as they ushered us inside. Something had changed here—there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before, a sense of anticipation that was almost suffocating.

We were met by a group of courtiers, their faces drawn and serious. They bowed low as we dismounted, but there was no warmth in their greetings. It was all formalities, stiff and cold, as if they were trying to keep something hidden, something they didn't want us to see.

"Prince Jacaerys, Princess Helaena," one of the courtiers said, his voice clipped. "The queen awaits you in the council chamber. She has requested your immediate presence."

I exchanged a glance with Helaena, who looked just as uneasy as I felt. There was no time to waste, no time to question. We had to go, and we have to go now.

The walk to the council chamber was a blur of stone corridors and flickering torchlight. My heart was pounding in my chest, each step echoing in my ears like the beating of a war drum. I could feel the tension mounting, the shadow growing darker with every passing moment.

Helaena and I were quickly escorted to the council chamber, where the air was thick with anticipation. I didn't know what to expect, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when we walked through those doors. The first thing that hit me was the sight of my mother, Queen Rhaenyra, crying in the arms of Ser Harwin, her sworn shield. My strong, fierce mother, the woman who had always seemed unbreakable, was sobbing like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Harwin held her tightly, his face grim, his hand stroking her back in a vain attempt to soothe her.

My father, Laenor, was pacing the council chamber like a caged dragon, his expression thunderous, every step he took reverberating through the stone floor. He looked ready to tear the walls down with his bare hands, the tension rolling off him in waves. I had never seen him like this—so close to losing control, so consumed by fury.

As soon as we entered, Alicent rushed forward to embrace Helaena, holding her daughter tightly as if she were afraid she might disappear. Helaena hugged her mother back, but I could see the confusion and fear in her eyes, mirroring my own. What in the fourteen hells had happened?

The moment our presence was acknowledged, the other three adults turned to face us. And that's when I saw it—the guilty expressions they wore, like they were trying to hide something, something they knew would break me.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended, the fear creeping into my words despite my best efforts to stay calm. "Does this have anything to do with Lucerys?"

They hesitated, and that was all it took for the dread to settle in my bones. Then, finally, it was my mother who spoke, her voice trembling with the weight of the words she was about to deliver.

"Jace," she began, her voice thick with tears. "Lucerys… Lucerys was attacked by the Cannibal on her flight."

The world tilted beneath me, and for a moment, I thought I might be sick. The blood drained from my face, my legs giving out as the news hit me like a physical blow. I would have collapsed right there if not for my father, who was suddenly at my side, catching me before I could fall.

"Easy, Jace," kepa said, his voice firm but filled with concern as he helped me to a chair by the war table. "Sit down."

I let him guide me, my mind reeling, barely processing what was happening. Lucerys, attacked by the Cannibal? The monstrous dragon that had terrorized the skies for as long as I could remember? It didn't seem real—it couldn't be real.

"Kepa," I choked out, my voice breaking. "Is she—did she—?"

My father squeezed my shoulder, a reassuring gesture that did little to calm the storm of fear raging inside me. "She survived," he said, his voice steady, the words like a lifeline in a sea of chaos. "Lucerys and Ghost survived, Jace. They're alive."

I felt the tightness in my chest ease just a fraction, the world coming back into focus as I clung to those words. Alive. She was alive. But before I could let out a breath of relief, my mother spoke again, her voice tinged with pride even as her eyes remained red and swollen from crying.

"Not only did they survive," Rhaenyra said, her voice regaining some of its usual strength, "but they slew Cannibal. Your sister killed the beast that has haunted our family for years. She did what no one else could."

I could hardly believe it. Lucerys had done the impossible, had taken down the most feared dragon in Westeros. A mixture of pride and disbelief washed over me, but it was quickly followed by worry. She had survived, yes, but at what cost?

Helaena's hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present, her touch grounding me as I struggled to make sense of everything. I looked up at her, meeting her concerned gaze, and she offered me a small, reassuring smile, as if to say, We'll get through this.

Harwin, who had been standing by quietly, stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Prince Daemon and Princess Laena are keeping Princess Lucerys and Ghost safe on Bloodstone," he explained. "But Ghost's wing was burned during the attack. It will take time for him to recover, and Princess Lucerys…" He hesitated, his gaze flicking to my mother before continuing. "Princess Lucerys has been through a great deal. She's strong, but she'll need time to heal, both in body and spirit."

The weight of his words pressed down on me, the reality of the situation sinking in. My sister had faced death, had stared down one of the most dangerous creatures in the world and lived to tell the tale. But it had cost her dearly, and now she was far from us, wounded and vulnerable.

"I need to go to her," I said, my voice firm, the decision already made in my mind. "I need to be with her."

My mother shook her head, her eyes filled with both love and sorrow. "No, Jace. Not yet. The Stepstones are too dangerous right now, especially with the Triarchy and Dorne making their move. We can't risk you—any of you—getting caught in the middle of this. We need you here, safe."

Safe. The word felt like a mockery, considering the danger Lucerys had just faced, the danger that still loomed over us all. Then I turned to my mother confused, "The Triarchy and Dorne are making their move? What does that mean?"

"During her chase, Lucerys had discovered that the Triarchy and Dorne were conspiring together, their forces poised to attack the Stepstones." Dowager Queen Alicent spoke with her usual sharpness, slicing through the haze of worry and anger that had clouded the room. "But it wasn't just their alliance that was troubling; they had outfitted their ships with dragon-killing scorpions, weapons designed with one purpose in mind—bringing down House Targaryen's dragons."

I could feel the tension ratcheting up in the room as those words sank in. For a moment, it seemed like no one could speak, the weight of the threat looming over us like a stormcloud ready to burst. Then, my mother, Rhaenyra, stepped forward, her face hardening with resolve. "This is an act of war," she declared, her voice steely. "They've moved a navy into waters that do not belong to them. They've armed themselves against us. They've made their intentions clear. We cannot let this stand. I will declare war."

The room buzzed with a new energy, the decision made, the path forward clear. War. It was a word that carried so much weight, so much history, and yet it felt almost inevitable, like we had been walking toward this moment all along. I could see it in everyone's faces—the resolve, the fear, the acceptance that there was no turning back now. We were Targaryens, and when someone challenged us, we met them with fire and blood.

And just like that, something inside me shifted. The fear, the uncertainty, all of it was swallowed by a burning need to act, to protect, to fight. My sister was out there, stranded in the Stepstones, surrounded by enemies, and now war was upon us. How could I sit here in the safety of the Red Keep while my family was out there risking everything? I couldn't. I wouldn't.

"I'll join the fight," I said, the words spilling out of me before I could even think. My voice rang out, loud and clear, cutting through the noise of the room. Every head turned to me, startled, eyes wide as they took in what I had just said.

Kepa was the first to respond, his expression a mixture of shock and disapproval. "Don't be stupid, Jace," he snapped, his voice hard. "This isn't a game. You're not going anywhere."

Even Ser Harwin, who had always been the more measured of the two, stepped forward, his tone gentle but firm. "Think about what you're saying, Prince Jacaerys," he urged. "War is no place for rash decisions. You need to consider the bigger picture."

But it was my mother's voice that cut through to my heart, raw and filled with emotion. "Jace, do you want to make me suffer?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I'm already worried sick about your sister and brother being stuck in the Stepstones. I cannot lose you too. Please, think about what you're doing."

Even Alicent, who had always kept her distance from me, spoke up, her tone icy but with a hint of something I couldn't quite place. "We already have enough dragons on the frontlines," she said, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me. "Meleys, Vhagar, Caraxes, and Arrax will be there. You are now first in line to the throne, Prince Jacaerys. Your place is here."

Her words only fueled the fire inside me. "Exactly," I shot back, my frustration boiling over. "Because I'm first in line, I need to prove that I'm worthy of that title. I can't just sit here while my siblings are in danger. I have to fight. I have to show them that I can protect our family, our people."

Then, with a sharp turn, I faced Alicent directly, my voice laced with accusation. "You're letting Aemond join the war, aren't you? Vermax is older than Arrax—he should be the one going to battle, not me. But you're letting him go because it's Lucerys out there, isn't it?"

The room went still, the air thick with tension as my words hung between us. Alicent's glare was ice-cold, her green eyes flashing with anger. "If it were up to me," she said, her voice like a dagger, "none of my children would be anywhere near this war. But I know better than to try and stop Aemond when Lucerys is stranded in Bloodstone, at the heart of the conflict. He would never forgive me if I did. And if you think that means I'm sending him to his death willingly, then you don't know me at all."

The heat of our argument was about to reach a boiling point when, out of nowhere, Helaena's voice cut through the tension, soft yet firm enough to command attention. "I'm pregnant."

The room froze, every eye turning to her in shock. My heart skipped a beat, the anger and frustration draining out of me as her words sank in. Helaena, my wife, the woman I loved, was pregnant. My hand instinctively reached out to her, and she gently placed it on her belly, where I could feel the faintest hint of life stirring beneath my fingertips.

"You're carrying our child?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper, my mind reeling.

Helaena smiled softly, nodding in confirmation, her hand covering mine. "Yes, Jace. Twins. So, you need to be here for them, for us. You need to be their father, not a soldier. Please, don't leave us. Don't leave them fatherless."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of me. I had been so focused on the need to prove myself, to protect my family, that I hadn't even considered what it would mean to leave Helaena, to leave our unborn children behind. The thought of them growing up without a father, of Helaena raising them alone, made my heart twist painfully in my chest.

I was speechless, my mind a whirl of emotions—fear, love, responsibility—all crashing together in a storm that I couldn't control. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to say, what to do. All I could do was stare at Helaena, at the woman who had just given me the greatest gift, the greatest reason to stay.

Slowly, I nodded, my hand still resting on her belly, trying to feel the life growing inside. "I won't go," I said, my voice hoarse but filled with resolve. "I'll stay here. I'll be Prince Regent. I'll be a father."

The tension in the room eased, the atmosphere shifting from one of impending conflict to something softer, more hopeful. My mother let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, relief washing over her face. Alicent's expression remained stern, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes—perhaps a grudging respect, or maybe just relief that another life wasn't being thrown into the flames of war.

Kepa placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm, his voice softer now. "You made the right choice, Jace. We need you here. Your family needs you here."

And for once, I didn't argue. I looked around the room—at my mother, my father, Alicent, Harwin, and finally, at Helaena. This was my family, and they needed me alive, not as another casualty of a senseless war. I still felt the pull of duty, the need to prove myself worthy of the crown that would one day be mine. But I also knew that there were more ways to prove oneself than by riding into battle. My place was here, with them, protecting what we had, what we were building.

As I sat there, the weight of the decision settling over me, I felt Helaena's hand squeeze mine, her warmth anchoring me in a way nothing else could. She had given me something to fight for, something beyond titles and thrones—she had given me a future.

And that was worth more than any battle, more than any war.

It was worth everything.