- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌
FRANCIS FOREVER
❛ on sunny days i go out walking
i end up on a tree lined street
i look up at the gaps of sunlight
i miss you more than anything ❜

౨ৎ disclaimer
i hope the chapter makes sense—

also i published a new jace / aemond fic titled MOIRA!
its about two cursed sisters falling for opposite sides
of the war— go check it out, the first chapter will be
up really soon!

JACAERYS.

Rhaenyra's forces descended on King's Landing like a storm. Dragons soared over the city, their shadows casting dread upon the streets. If it wasn't for Vermax's deadly roars, the common folk wouldn't have been cowering in their homes.

It was easy enough as is to sway the gold cloaks to the Black Queen's side, afterall it was Daemon who gave them the cloaks, it was Daemon who they've sworn their loyalty to. In less than a day, King's Landing fell, and in less than a day, the rest of the dragonriders descended from the sky. The remaining loyalists of Aegon long have fled or bent the knee, those who refused to were quickly captured. As if perfectly timed, many more of Rhaenyra's loyal men from across the south of Westeros found themselves hauling 'traitors' into the throne room– where the queen, her son, and her husband stood. Otto Hightower was dragged into the chambers by House Beesebury– who were still angered by the death of their Lord.

Alicent, among Aegon's council, found themselves standing in the room as well, watching as Rhaenyra descended from the Iron Throne. "You stole my birthright, your grandson usurping my throne," Rhaenyra's voice echoed as she continued to step closer towards Otto, who kneeled with his head hung low. "Now you all will have to pay for it."

Otto sneered, but before he could reply, Jace found himself speaking. "Kill him," the prince said, his jaw tightening at the sight of the older man.

"Jace," Rhaenyra began, "we–"

"Kill him," he repeated, snapping his head towards his mother. "Have him executed for treason– have them all executed for their treachery, for the blood they've shed. If they're going to answer to their faults, they'll have to do so with their life."

"I don't think that's necessary," Addam murmured, only for Jace to shake his head.

"Either she does it, or I will." Rhaenyra hesitated, clutching the hilt of her sword as she stared at her son. Slowly she nodded, stopping in front of Otto– the man she once saw as her father's closest advisor. His head bowed, exposing the nape of his neck. All in one swift movement, her sword swung, striking the man as his head came off clean, his blood pooling at Rhaenyra's feet.

Alicent could only let a loud cry, reaching for her father's body from where she knelt. Rhaenyra's eyes could only widen at the sight of what she had done. Jace immediately took a stride to her side, picking up Otto's head by his hair and holding it up for all to see. "Let it be known," his voice boomed, peaking the interests of the hundreds who crowded the hall. "Shall anyone betray my mother again, Your Queen, you'll have to pay the price."

The crowd erupted in cheers and cries of encouragement, Jace making eye contact with the Green Queen before tossing her father's head towards her direction– which caused Alicent to stare at him with wide eyes. "I'll let my mother decide the rest of their fates," he sneered, then walking towards the big doors that stood between him and finding what he was looking for.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

His heart started to race as he rode Vermax, flying around the Red Keep before spotting the balcony where Eudora had supposedly fallen from. Jace's eyes caught sight of the broken bushes by the cliffs, he wasted no time and brought his dragon closer. There, tangled in the thorns, he saw scraps of her dress– reminding him of when he found a scrap of her tunic at the beach. Blood stained the branches, dark and dried, a cruel reminder of what happened. He dismounted his dragon by the edge of the cliff, beginning to try and push through the thorns– trying to find whatever was left of her, even as his hands started to bleed, desperately searching for her.

"Eudora!" he shouted, his voice raw and hoarse. "Eudora!"

Daemon arrived moments later, grabbing Jace by shoulders and pulling him back. "She's gone, Jace," he said firmly. "There's nothing here."

"No– No there is," Jace said, his voice breaking as he fought against Daemon's grip. "She– her dress, she can't be–"

"Jace you'll kill yourself if you keep this up," Daemon interrupted, his voice harsh. The prince stilled, his chest heaving as tears streamed down his face. His hands were torn and bleeding, only now he allowed himself to feel the pain. Daemon quickly guided him away from the thorns, his grip steady on the young man who dared not to utter another word.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

Nights were always hard, but this one in particular was the hardest for Jace.

As he found himself in his old room in the Red Keep, the prince cried himself for hours. Eyes bloodshot as he weeped himself dry, the only thing he could do was stare at the scrap of her dress in his hands, stained with blood to the point he couldn't tell what color it originally was.

Is this all even worth it? He remembered asking Eudora, his own words scrambling around his head as if it was a broken record. "I'm sorry," he whispered to himself, his lip quivering as faces of those who passed flashed in his mind. "I'm so sorry." Jace quickly buried his face in his hands, his silent cries turning into violent sobs as if there were some tears left to cry. His head began to pound, aching, but Jace tried to put that aside. Quietly, the door opened, Baela approaching him.

"Jace?"

"Leave me be," his voice hoarse.

"Your mother needs you, the council's discussing her coronation tomorrow morning–"

"Baela, please, I don't need any of this right now–"

Baela cuts his words off immediately. "They're discussing Eudora."

It was like he moved almost instantly, Jace was on his feet– his body reacting faster than his mind could.

The walk didn't take him that long, the prince barging into the room. "Jacaerys," Rhaenyra says, watching as her son strided towards the table.

"Tell me, why did Baela come to me to share that my wife is being talked about in my absence?"

"Her death has, indeed, shaken the realm," Lord Massey began, sharing a weary look around the rest of the people who surrounded the council. "But with that, we aren't sure if Lord Cregan Stark would continue to remain loyal to the Queen–"

"Why wouldn't he?" Jace snapped, his eyebrows furrowing at his words.

"Your marriage is what kept the Starks loyal to us–"

"The Starks remained loyal because they keep to their oaths," the prince then interrupted. "Cregan Stark wouldn't back down from his words, nor would he dare to go against us."

Rhaenyra watched her son with furrowed brows, her expression unreadable. "You don't understand, Jace. Cregan is grieving, too. Your marriage with her was more than just a political union– it was a bond that tied the North to our cause. His loyalty to us is strong, but how far will that loyalty stretch without her by your side–"

"I do not care about politics right now!" Jace yelled– the murmurs of lords and ladies started to suffocate him. Daemon leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, his expression hard to understand. Yet his eyes lingered on the prince, who clenched his fists. "Eudora is dead, and I will not have her memory reduced to a pawn in the grand scheme of this game we've been playing. She's– she's not just some bridge to the North–"

"Watch your tone, boy," Daemon bit back, beginning to step forward. "You forget your duty to the realm. Eudora understood that better than you seem to."

"Do not speak of her as if you knew her better than I did," Jace's head snapped toward Daemon.

"I know enough–"

"Easy for you to say, you told me you couldn't trust her."

Daemon's eyes narrowed. "If you were in my position, you'd feel wary about her intentions as well. Might I remind you, her cousin agreed to marry her off to Aemond–"

"Which turned out to be a lie!"

"You think she sacrificed herself just so you could wallow in your grief? You have a dragon to command, a title to uphold, a realm to secure."

The Velaryon took a step forward. "She didn't sacrifice herself, Daemon. She was taken from me. She died because I couldn't protect her–"

"What makes you think you're the only one who's lost someone?" His words cut through Jace like a knife. "Do you think Rhaenyra or I haven't bled for this war? Look around you, Jacaerys. There are empty seats which could've still been filled. You aren't the only one in mourning– Eudora's death is a tragedy, but you forget that it also threatens everything that has led up to this moment. You're a prince of the realm, Jacaerys, and it's time you start acting like it–"

"I will not turn her into a tool for your ambitions!" Jace shouted, striding closer until they were nearly face to face.

"Whatever your feeling right now won't win this realm, boy. Your head will, and if you don't start thinking with it, everything your wife died for will be for nothing."

Jace barely noticed how his fingernails dug deep into his palms, the skin beginning to break. He did, however, notice the silence that came upon them as he tried to think of something– anything, to fight back against Daemon's truth.

But nothing fell out of his mouth.

And so instead, the prince left, his footsteps echoing behind him.

🫗