Blood Upon The Snow ||| Cregan Stark

two

Jacaera was admittedly terrible at archery when she first started. It wasn't unexpected. She was a young girl who'd never done it before. Even pulling the bow back was tough for her and shooting straight felt impossible.

Of course, the other boys let her know how embarrassing it was. Comments from across the yard when the arrow would fall to the ground a step in front of her, loud laughs when she couldn't get the string back.

Jace was protective of his sister. He didn't like seeing her pout or watching as she tried to hide her quivering lip by turning around. But there really was nothing he could do, not with Aegon, who was older, and Aemond, who listened to his older brother.

The girl enjoyed training in the yard. She liked learning how to shoot, even if she was bad at first. But the constant comments from Aegon and the laughing of the others almost had her quit. Even as young as she was, Jacaera hated it.

Especially when the comments began to turn towards her lack of dragon. Even when Aemond himself didn't have one, Aegon liked to pick on them both for not having dragons.

She wanted to quit. But Jacaera wouldn't tell her mother or father, she wouldn't concede. To be called a tattle for the rest of her life.

There were two people who kept Jacaera from quitting. Ser Dain for one, who reprimanded the boys every time they laughed. And when Ser Criston stopped him, he kept Jacaera focused on what she was doing instead of what they did.

"They might be able to beat you in a physical fight. But archers can shoot them before we're ever seen."

The other person who kept her going was Lord Commander of the City Watch. Harwin Strong.

Jacaera didn't know why she felt comfort from him. Why he visited the Training Yard sometimes, and encouraged her to keep getting better. One day she would be amazing and thank herself for not giving up.

She didn't know why it felt natural for him to lift her chin. No memory of the nights he admitted to being her father, to calling her his little girl. Letting her play with his curly hair, a match of her own silver hair.

The girl didn't yet know he was her supposed father. It had been a while since any whispers had spoken of it. Not since Viserys forbade it.

He was nice. That was what Jacaera's little mind thought.

So, she didn't quit. Jacaera hardened herself to the insults thrown by her uncles and continued to learn to shoot.

As they said, she got better. With time and with patience, Jacaera began to actually hit the targets she was aiming for. She was learning.

It didn't solve her lack of dragon, which was another sore spot for her, but shooting a bow made her feel stronger. More capable.

That was one of the only things Jacaera and Aemond had in common. Neither had a dragon. And both were bullied for it by Aegon.

And it did lead to a few dual heists. As they grew, as they became older and more jealous of the dragons of their siblings, they wanted their own. Jacaera and Aemond snuck into the Dragonpit together.

They weren't allowed down there. With no dragon and no knowledge of how to act, Jacaera and Aemond were forbidden from entering the caverns.