THE BASTARD QUEEN (Jacaerys Velaryon)

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕖𝕕

It had been a few weeks since the execution of Larys Strong. It had been a boring few weeks. Not peaceful, no, just abhorrently boring.

Your brother and nephew have been running around together, but had both been sent to Driftmark, for reasons unknown. Your best guess was that Luke missed his sisters. Rhaenyra probably took sympathy, or was just annoyed by the puppy-like boy sulking, and sent him off, and knowing your brother would sulk about without Lucerys, sent him too. Neither of the boys seemed to mind. When they left, both boys were grinning, taking off on their dragons, one large and graceful, and one small and lithe, both beasts all the same.

Your mother and her two friends had been practically inseparable since the execution. Every time you saw them their hands were in each other's one way or another. You hadn't spoken to either of them much, your sister and mother, unless you sat with them counsel in a meeting.

In these meetings your sister had been trying to push integration of the common folk more and more. Her first step, per your suggestion, were midwives. The maesters had thrown a cow, and after many meetings, all ending in yelling, you'd gotten nowhere. You'd yet to give up, but each talk got less and less productive, and your sister was forced to move onto topics which could be solved.

Jacaerys and you had not spoken since the fight. He had turned the other way when seeing you, and you did much of the same. You were forced to sit together during meetings, but you did not touch, you did not look at him, and you did not speak to one another. You thought perhaps the ice would melt, but he has stayed freezing cold. And in return you did not try to defrost him, coming across just as glacial.

The only members of your family providing you with any source of entertainment were the non-couple and their children. Aegon had been soaking up time with his children, Gaemon included. The twins warmed up quickly to the boy. They were confused, of course, they questioned some of Gaemon's odd mannerisms, but in the end they were young. They had a new playmate and that's all they seemed to care about. Gaemon had been slightly more wary of them, but still was happy to play with the twins, play seemed to be a language any child understood. The babe, Maelor, seemed to confuse Gaemon the most. At his cries the boy would flinch, and start to well his own tears when Maelor didn't stop, the little boy too sympathetic. He poked at his little brother's large cheeks, and would light up when his brother laughed at him. Princess Jaehaera was small and quiet. She was not fragile, she was just soft spoken, paranoid, much like her mother, Gaemon fit in well by her side, also soft spoken and kind. Jaehaerys reminded you of an uncorrupted Aegon. He was loud, he loved running around with a wooden sword, determined to protect his sister, and his laughter rang through the entire Keep every day. They were sweet children, polite, and proper, even when being purely rotten. This was not something Gaemon was used to.

Gaemon was used to the streets of Flea Bottom. He was not used to the baths, and the beds, and the rules. You'd all given him grace of course, as you did all the children, but especially at four years old, it was a lot to learn. The bows and curtsies confused him, his mother had not taught him to do so, his mother had not taught him much at all. The titles, calling his aunt The Queen, instead of simply Rhaenyra, made his brows furrow and tongue poke out in confusion. Now, the rest, the cries, and the dirt, and the playing. Those were things of children, things he understood, like a universal tongue. Even Targaryen children, when raised by those who's childhoods had been robbed, were allowed to make a mess. Helaena and Aegon allowed their children the fun they never were permitted to have.

Now, you sat in the twins' room. Helaena sat by, watching them play, sewing bug embroidery stitches into clothes, seemingly into something for Gaemon, because she had not crafted anything bug related for him yet. Each of her children were infatuated with the creatures, just like their mother. Aegon and you sat on the floor, passing a ball between the children who sat in a circle around you. Every once and awhile Gaemon would have to get up to run after it, before bringing it back to the circle. Maelor sat in his own room, sleeping the day away, much to the kids dismay.