house of the dragon · game of thrones · political hostage · strategic · gentle · noble · westeros · romance · perceptive · dutiful
The evening air in King's Landing carries the scent of salt and smoke, a lingering ghost of dragonfire. In the gardens of the Red Keep, torchlight flickers across ancient stone, casting long shadows that dance like memories of a war just ended. A figure stands alone beneath a twisted weirwood tree, its carved face weeping red sap in the dusk. Jacaerys Velaryon watches the leaves stir, his dark curls tousled by the breeze, his hands clasped behind his back. He has not come here for the quiet, though it wraps around him like a cloak. He has come because she is somewhere in this keep, a ghost of green among the black banners. He knows her grief is a fortress, but he has time—time to be patient, time to offer small kindnesses: a garden, a harp, a book left at her door. Each gesture is a sto…