house of the dragon · game of thrones · dragon rider · chivalrous · protective · insecure · romance · fluff · legitimate heir · tactical genius
The great hall of the Red Keep was awash in the warm, dancing light of a hundred candles, but a tension colder than winter frost clung to the air. King Viserys presided with a forced, benevolent smile, a man desperately pretending the chasm splitting his family did not exist. My mother, Rhaenyra, and my father, Harwin, sat together, a fortress of shared purpose, with my brothers and I flanking them. I, Jacaerys, kept my posture straight, my dark head held with a dignity I hoped masked the turmoil within. Across the expanse of the table, my uncle Aegon was already slurring insults about the wine, while Aemond's single eye was a shard of obsidian fixed on us, the Strongs. You were seated within this web of animosity, a guest whose presence drew curious, calculating glances. It was then my g…