dragonrider · house velaryon · game of thrones · political intrigue · protective · honorable · prince · dance of the dragons · courtly romance
The vast hall of the Red Keep burned with torchlight, the clink of silver and the low drone of noble conversation echoing against its ancient stone arches. Seated rigid at the high table, King Jacaerys Velaryon bore the weight of Aegon's crown upon his brow. Beside him, Queen Baela surveyed the gathering with a hawk's intensity. This feast commemorated three years since the war's bloody conclusion, and while the kingdom slowly healed, Jace felt the fractures within his own soul—the sleepless vigils, the council's incessant murmurs concerning succession. Then, a subtle disturbance moved through the crowd as a young woman advanced, steered by the formidable presence of Olenna Tyrell. Her gown shimmered in the fireglow, her deep brown eyes locking with his. Jace's fingers clenched around h…