บท 17: A New Guard
(AN: Trying to make a backlog of chapters so I can release them on a more regular basis. I've written one chapter ahead as of now, but I plan to write a few more in the current days which means I can release one either later in the week or sometime next week. Hopefully….)
Jace stood in his old room looking out over the city, it had been left untouched since he was last here; though that did not surprise him, it would be quite unseemly to give away a Prince of the Realms room to a guest. He did find it strange being here, the last time he was here was during his dreams, but then he didn't have much time to appreciate the nostalgic feeling it gave him. He leaned over the balcony looking to Flea bottom, that's where his power base would start and where he'd grow until he was the richest and most powerful man in Kings Landing, and he'd do it without relying on his title.
He looked back into his room and chuckled, while it was relatively the same it was looking quite bare at the moment as Jace had gone through with his plan to sell all of his belongings. He didn't feel any regrets when he did, but he had hoped to get more than that pouch of gold dragons; he grabbed the bag off the table, it was a little heavy but that would soon change once he began to buy things. 'Hopefully, Lord Beesbury will be able to make time to tutor me,' he thought to himself. His mother always had kind words to say about the old Master of Coin, and the realm didn't seem to be in need of coin, so he couldn't think of anyone better to teach him about economics. He sat down at his table looking at his sword; Daemon was not in King's Landing so another task he had was finding a teacher for his swordsmanship. 'Maybe one of the Kingsguard,' he thought, but he had to be careful. His mother had told him on the way here that not all the Kingsguard favour her as the Heir and some would prefer Aegon; while this wasn't much of a problem yet there was a risk they'd hamper his education.
Jace breathed heavily as he rubbed his eyes, he was so tired at the moment, but he had too much to do before he could rest. He was brought out of his thoughts when his door was roughly opened, Jace turned around and all of his tiredness seemed to evaporate as he saw Helaena who had the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face. "JACE!" She screamed as she ran towards him jumping into his arms so roughly that she pushed him off the chair and they both fell onto the floor.
Jace groaned as he hit the ground roughly. "Sorry Jace! Did I hurt you!" She said while still gripping him tightly. For the first time since he'd gone to Valyria and come back, Jace smiled, not only did he smile but he laughed as well; Jace grabbed Helaena and pulled her into the tightest hug as they rolled around the floor laughing. Jace never knew how much he missed Helaena until he saw her at this moment, seeing her in his dreams didn't feel real; having her here was an indescribable feeling.
Helaena giggled as Jace tickled her and she slapped his chest to try and let her go. "JACE!" She screamed with laughter. Jace relented and he let her go, they both lay on the ground panting. Jace quickly got up and helped Helaena to her feet, he didn't know why he acted so childish when he saw her. 'I just felt so overwhelmed,' he thought to himself.
"I'm so happy to see you, Jace!" Helaena said as she grabbed his hands with a wide smile —wider than he'd ever seen.
"I'd thought for sure the monster would've taken you," she said as her smile morphed into a worried expression.
Seeing that Jace wasn't answering and just looked at her with a vacant expression worried her more. "Jace?" she said with mild concern shaking his arm.
His vacant expression disappeared and he gave her an apologetic smile, though Helaena could see how awkward it looked on his face. "Sorry... it's just talking about those dreams with you in the real world that makes them seem all the more real," he said with a distant expression.
Helaena stepped close and hugged him again. She couldn't begin to imagine how scary it all was, she felt scared and yet she was able to escape as she was out of that monster's reach. "You're home now," she whispered as she held him tighter.
"Yeah," he replied as he hugged her back as well. They hadn't seen each other since he last left Kings Landing, and so seeing her again made him happy beyond words —evening managing to temporarily bring him out of his melancholic mood.
"How did you escape! I couldn't return to you after that day, I've been so scared for you," Helaena said rapidly speaking.
"I'd prefer not to speak about him... he won't hurt anyone anymore, that's all I'll say on the matter," Jace replied solemnly.
Helaena gave him a sad smile before nodding "All that matters is you're home," she said before hugging him tightly once again.
"Will you join us for dinner?" Helaena asked.
Jace drew his head back and snickered "Do Aegon and Aemond miss me that much?" He said jokingly.
She hit his shoulder before laughing as well "I miss you, shouldn't that be enough," she replied.
Jace nodded "As long as I can bring Daella," he said.
"Of course she's family," Helaena said with a smile. Her eyes then started to move around his room and her smile morphed into a frown "Jace where are all your belongings?" She asked.
Jace pointed to the small sack of gold dragons on the table "I sold everything," he replied bluntly.
"What! Even your Weirwood sword collection?" She said incredulously.
Jace sighed but nodded "There are many things I need to make up for and to do that I need coin, I didn't want to sell my things but I didn't know if any other way," he explained.
"Why not ask your mother, she'd easily give you ten times that," she said gesturing over to the bag.
"What kind of man will I become if I can only rely on my titles to get what I want," Jace said echoing his grandfather's thoughts.
"In Valyria being a Prince mattered about as much as being a peasant, had I been more than I am now... things may be different," Jace said, his melancholic mood returning.
Helaena pulled him into a hug and gripped him tightly, she didn't speak and they just stayed like that for a while. "Why don't you sing Jace?" Helaena said with a smile as she drew her head back from his shoulder.
Jace raised an eyebrow in confusion "Singing? Like on the street? I don't think I'm that good," he replied.
"Oh Jace your voice was beautiful when we were younger, I've missed the nights you'd sing for me," she said with a smile.
Jace let a small smile grace his features "Then mayhaps I'll sing for you once more."
"But don't worry I have a plan to make more coin, sadly I can't do much until Mother hires a bodyguard," he said slumping down on his bed.
"Why would you need a bodyguard? Is a Kingsguard not enough?" Helaena asked as she sat next to him.
Jace shrugged "She doesn't like the Queen and since she's close to the Lord Commander she doesn't trust the Kingsguard."
"But they are sworn to protect all the royal family! They wouldn't hurt you!" Helaena said with shock.
"I know, but Mother is paranoid," Jace said, nodding his head in agreement.
Helaena leant her head on Jace's shoulder. "My mother has been speaking of betrothing me to Aegon," she said in a soft voice.
Jace felt a sour expression form on his face, Aegon had always treated his sister badly, always calling her crazy and homely. Jace had always assumed he would marry Halaena, it made the most sense as it would bind both sides of the family together. "We will marry, that's what we promised when we were younger," Jace said to Helaena who looked up at him.
"But mother would never allow it," she replied.
"Her word means nothing if the King agrees with us," Jace said wrapping his arm around her and putting his head against her own.
Helaena smiled "If we married I'd be able to come with you to Dragonstone," she said.
Jace nodded "We will marry I promise, I won't let Aegon take you away."
Jace then moved his head back "So why don't you tell me about what you've been up to since I've been gone."
...
Jace sat in the dining room between Daella and Helaena slowly eating the roasted lamb that had been served. The whole dinner so far had been incredibly awkward as his mother and the Queen had been delivering backhanded compliments and making smart remarks about each other. The King pretended not to hear them and smiled the whole time while asking how Aegon and Aemond's sword training went.
"It has been a while since I've gone to Volantis, me and Daemon travelled there in our youth, is the Long Bridge still as marvellous as it used to be?" Viserys asked Daella.
Daella smiles politely "I'm afraid I wouldn't know your grace, I spent nearly all my life in my mother's palace," she replied.
"Ahh, well we may not have a Long Bridge in Kings Landing there are still many sights and splendours to see," he said, the smile still present on his face.
"What was Valyria like," Aegon said interrupting the polite talk of the table.
Rhaenyra dropped her cutlery and glared at her half-brother "I don't think talk of such places is appropriate for the dinner table," She said sternly managing to stop herself from shouting at the young boy.
"The last person that came back had worms crawling out her eyes," Aemond said.
"I bet he does too," Aegon added with a snicker.
"Enough!" The King said slamming his cup down on the table.
"While I'd normally agree with you daughter, I find myself curious as well, Jace is the first person to travel there and return to tell the tale," Viserys said while shooting his daughter an apologetic smile.
Rhaenyra was still not happy with the subject at hand but bit down her retort "If Jace wishes to share that's his decision," She stated. Everyone at the table the Queen included looked at Jace expectantly as he ate his meal; meanwhile, the boy sat there with a blank expression on his face.
"You forget that Daella was with me in Valyria, you do her a disservice by not remembering that," Jace said emotionlessly as he looked up at his grandfather.
"Jace honestly it's fine, I didn't do much there anyway," she said quietly as she gripped her dress tightly, just the mere memories of Valyria made her shake; she couldn't get the voices the palemen made out of her head, nor the brightness of their eyes in the dark.
"No, my grandson speaks true, merely surviving Valyria is a feat worthy of song, I am sorry for not including you Daella," Viserys said with a small bow of his head. Daella just nodded and then looked down in embarrassment as her cheeks heated from the attention that was being drawn to her.
"I remember you read to me about Valyria when you sat me on your knee on the Iron Throne," Jace said looking at his Grandfather, making him smile.
"You told me of its splendour, the beauty and power of it all," Jace said as he sat back in his chair.
"While that may have been true once, it's not anymore."
"Valyria is a place that could only be formed in my nightmares, I spent every minute there thinking I would die in the next," Jace said emotionlessly. Rhaenyra covered a gasp with her hand as her eyes began to water; no mother wants to hear these words coming from their son barely ten namedays old. Helaena and Daella squeezed Jaden's hands under the table as despite his lack of facial expressions they could both tell how distressed he was.
Aegon's face screwed up "What kind of stuff was there?" He asked sceptically.
"The first day I was there, we were attacked by a dragon bigger than Vhagar," Jace said with gritted teeth.
The whole room apart from Daella and Helaena gasped, all had seen the size of Vhagar so to think there was a dragon larger than her was hard to grasp "Horse shit!" Aegon spat out.
"Aegon!" Alicent said cuffing the back of his head for his language.
Viserys shook his head "When Aerea Targaryen returned from Valyria, Balerion was heavily injured, while it is hard to believe a dragon bigger than the beast I find no other explanation for his injuries plausible," he said silencing any more protests from his son.
"Pale men live beneath the earth, they come out at night to hunt..." Jace said continuing his tale.
"Grandfather's entire crew was torn apart and eaten by those men, if not for Daella then we would've been as well." The Queen and her children look at him disbelievingly, but the King seemed to be hanging off every word he said. Rhaenyra had to wipe her cheeks as tears streaked down her face.
"How did you escape?" Viserys asked, he believed his grandson.
"Uncle Daemon and Aunt Laena saved us all, if it weren't for them then we would've all perished," Jace said.
Daella frowned at him "If Jace had not killed that Dragon I do not think any of us would've survived," she said not agreeing with his humble attitude.
"Now I know this is nought but a fantasy," the Queen stated as she began to eat her food.
"Alicent..." the King said with exasperation.
"I'm sorry but do you honestly expect any of us to believe he slew a dragon bigger than Vhagar? No, I think not," she replied.
"I assure you he did do it, your grace," Daella said the last part almost growling.
"Daella..." Jace said trying to calm the usually shy girl.
"No Jace, you almost died to save us, I won't allow anyone to call you a liar," she said emotionally.
"She is right Queen Alicent, if you'd seen the state he'd returned to us in them perhaps you'd say differently," Rhaenyra said in a biting tone as she glared at the queen.
"It doesn't matter," Jace said before the argument could continue.
Before Daella or Rhaenyra could speak he held up his hand "There was no honour or glory to be found in Valyria, I survived and that's all there needs to be said about it," he said in a stern tone not befitting of his age.
"Now if it pleases your grace I'd prefer not to speak anymore on this topic," Jace asked respectfully.
"Of course Jace, and I apologise, from what you've shared it seems I've brought up rather unpleasant memories, let us fall for dessert!" He said trying to change the subject.
The rest of the dinner was rather uneventful, only Daella and Rhaenyra shooting glares at the other side of the table while Helaena looked at Jace with worry.
———————————————————-
Jace wasn't very happy, he had spent two weeks in the Red Keep and only now did his mother inform him that she had chosen a bodyguard for him. He had believed that he would be able to choose but it seemed that decision was taken from him; Jace didn't care too much as he trusted his mother, but it still would've been nice to have been told. He sat in the courtyard with his shadow Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard, his mother had determined she was the most trustworthy and forced the Lord Commander's hand in assigning him to Jace.
Rhaenyra then made her way into the courtyard with a pleasant smile on her face as she approached Jace. With her was Ser Steffon Darklyn her Kingsguard and a man he didn't recognise. He had black hair with some streaks of grey and a goatee, his skin was olive-toned like that of the Dornish and he had a great sword strapped to his back. "Jace, are you well?" Rhaenyra asked as she sat next to him and put her hand on his lap.
"I'm well mother," Jace replied with a soft smile. 'Apart from being driven crazy by being confined to the Red Keep,' he thought to himself.
Rhaenyras's smile brightened "Very good, I'd like to introduce you to your new sworn sword," she said gesturing to the man before them who bowed his head in respect.
"Well met My Prince, I am Edryck Dayne," he said before falling silent.
Jace frowned "Dayne? The House from Dorne?" He asked.
"The one and the same," Edryck replied.
"Dorne is not part of the realm, why would you come to serve a member of its Royal Family?" He asked.
Edryck didn't look very interested in answering his question, but eventually, he sighed and began to speak "In my House, it is tradition to award its most skilled member with our House Sword, I held the title of Sword of the Morning until recently, a younger and fiercer member of the family beat me in a duel and took both my title and Dawn."
"I have no place in Starfall and so I've travelled North to fight in your Tournaments and earn some coin, the Princess offered me a lot of coin to serve as your protector and so here I am," he said holding his arms out.
Jace nodded slowly, he had heard of the Sword of the Morning, they were said to be the best warriors in Westeros. 'I wonder how he compares to Uncle Daemon,' he thought to himself.
"Then I am glad for your service," Jace said with a smile.
Rhaenyra gestured to one of the Gold Cloaks and they rushed over. "Find Edryck here a room in the royal suites and take him to the smithy to get him outfitted, bill everything to me," she commanded.
"I bid you farewell Prince, Princess," Edryck said respectfully if a bit coldly before following the Gold Cloak.
"If what they say about House Dayne is true then we have gotten lucky," Rhaenyra said to Jace.
"We have," he replied. He could use this, he needed to learn the sword and if this man was as good as his reputation stated then he would learn a lot from him.
But honestly, now Jace was more excited that he would finally be able to leave the Red Keep and enact the first part of his plan. He needed more coin, the limited funds he had wouldn't be enough to realise his goals; he had seen the way nobles devoured wine and he just so happened to have a recipe for one that could not be replicated by anyone else.
'Valyrian Bloodwine'
(AN: Jace has a bodyguard and one that will teach him swordplay. Though that isn't the only one he will have, while Edryck is an OC his next bodyguard will not be. He still needs a rough peasant kind of person like Bronn to help him navigate the streets. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
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