Jacaerys watched Reina as she talked with the guests that attended her wedding with Aegon.
He felt someone touching his shoulder and he looked up at his step father. Daemon sat next to him wanting to know what had gotten into his son.
"Who are you watching?" the older man asked, eyeing the boy suspiciously.
"No one." he averted his eyes from the redhead woman, watching Aegon instead. His eyes filled with anger as he saw his uncle drinking and not making an effort to look happy and pleased on his wedding day.
Daemon looked in the direction he was looking and frowned when his eyes met his nephew. "Are you looking at that cunt?" he asked, while rolling his eyes.
"No, Daemon. Leave me alone." he huffed, making his step father roll his eyes again.
Jace looked again at Reina and sighed.
"Now i know why you were looking at that cunt." Daemon said, patting his shoulder.
"You know nothing." the Prince drank aggressively from his cup.
"I know some things, I know the fact that you wished it was you instead. Giving her your name, taking her to your chambers-"
"Enough." Jacaerys slammed his fist on the table, making Rhaenyra look at him worriedly.
"I was once in your situation, boy. I know it hurts, but you will find another." he waved his hand at him.
"I do not want another. I know I can treat her right, better than that idiot." Jace said angrily, meeting Daemon's eyes.
"You should talk with your mother about this kind of feelings. I can help you with one thing, killing him." he whispered, making the boy's eyes widen.
"No."
"Why not? You want Reina? You can have her, but we have to get rid of her husband first. We can poison him, murder him in his sleep-"
"I will not kill him. I am not that cruel." Jace shook his head.
"You just have to tell me." he shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
The young Prince sighed and drank again from his wine cup, staring again at the girl. Why couldn't he be her husband? Why didn't she choose him?
So instead of overthinking more, he sat up and decided to approach her and ask her for a dance.
•••
His mother decided to travel to King's Landing in order to see her father and forced them to come with her.
However, he did not think that he will find Reina like he did. With a round big belly and with Aegon still by her side, kissing her neck and lips whenever he had the chance to.
His blood boiled as she saw her smiling at her husband and actually enjoying his company. Who would have thought that someone could enjoy his annoying uncle's company?
Jacaerys approached her and kissed her hand. "It it nice to see you again, my lady." he smiled lovingly at her, holding her hand in his.
The young man could feel Aegon's eyes on him, but that only made him smirk. The proud look on his face fell when Reina took her hand from his and moved on to his brother, shaking his hand.
He looked at the other man who was smirking at him and also glaring. In that moment, he wanted to tell Daemon to kill him on the spot, to remove that look from his face.
"How long until you give birth?" he heard his mother ask and turned to look in her direction. He saw Reina smiling and rubbing her pregnant belly.
"It could be any day now."
The words made him grimace, feeling bad for her, the pain she will endure because of that man.
He shook his head, trying to forget about everything before he will become worse. He should be happy for his uncle, the boy who once was his closest friend, but he could not bring himself to. Not when the girl he liked was the one who loved him and made him happy.
The silver haired man stepped in and whispered something in her ear, kissing her neck. Reina smiled at her husband, making Jace even more angrier.
His eyes met Daemon's, who was smirking at the couple. His step father locked eyes with him and shrugged his shoulders.
Throughout the whole breakfast he could not keep his eyes off her. Of her beautiful face and fascinating hair. How could someone be this beautiful?
His grandfather's words mattered little to him, he could not concentrate with Reina at the same table. Especially while she was in another's man arms.
•••
Reina could feel Aegon's piercing gaze on her as she danced with Jacaerys. She knew that he was jealous and angry.
"Come with me." Jace whispered in her ear, making her look at him suspiciously.
"Where-"
"Come with me to Dragonstone. Tonight." he whispered again, "I can make you happy."
Reina shook her head at his words, "You are joking." she tried to brush it off with a forced chuckle.
"I am not. I may be betrothed to Baela, but I want you. I have always wanted you, Reina." the Prince confessed. The woman's eyes widen and she looked at Aegon for a second, not knowing how to answer to his plea.
"Jace, you are a dear friend to me-"
"Friend?" he asked, pained by the words that left her mouth.
"I am sorry, but I am married." Reina said, shaking her head.
"What about it? I can treat you better than him, I will treat you better than him." he promised, his eyes getting teary.
"I love him, Jace. I cannot leave him. And you should learn to love your future wife too, you will be a good husband to her." the redhead smiled, though her eyes were filled with sadness, sensing the boy's disappointment.
"You know, if he ever hurts you...you can come to me. I will always help you." Jacaerys smiled back at her.
"I appreciate your words and your kindness, truly."
"If you ever change your mind, I will be waiting for you. I will always wait for you, because I have always wanted you. From the day I have seen you at that table my heart longed for you. You were so beautiful, while I..." he rambled, looking into her green eyes.
"Stop, Jace. You are only making this worse for you." Reina pleaded him, not wanting to hurt him any more.
"I love you, Reina." Jace smiled and wiped away a tear that fell down his cheek, "And I know that you will never love me back, you will never come to me."
Reina's heart broke upon hearing him confessing his love her. She loved him too, but as a friend. As a nephew. The boy had always been kind and caring towards her, but now she realised why.
"You do not have to say it back, you do not. I know you love me too, deep down I know you care about me, in your way. And I hope you will be happy, with him and your family." Jace continued, trying to pretend that her reaction did not hurt him, even though he could felt his heart breaking into pieces as she saw the look in her eyes.
"I am sorry, Jace. I am so sorry I am the one you love." that was her last words to her before their dance was interrupted by Aemond.
Jacaerys could not tell her anything more. He understood that her love for Aegon was too deep for her to leave and join him on Dragonstone.
He looked down, looking one more time at her face. Realising that he will never have her in the way he always wanted.
•••
Rhaenys approaches Rhaenyra, who is holding her bump.
"Princess Rhaenys, might we hope for news of Lord Corlys's recovery-"
"Viserys is dead." the older woman interruptes her, not wanting to waste any more time. Daemon turns his head to look at her.
"I grieve this loss with you, Rhaenyra. My cousin, your father possessed a kind heart."
Rhaenyra's eyes fill with tears upon hearing the death of her dear father. A kind man who loved her dearly.
"There is more." she watches as the other woman takes more steps towards her.
"Aegon has been crowned as his successor." the words made the Princess cry out in pain, holding her lower stomach.
"They crowned him?"
"How did Viserys die?" Daemon speaks up, looking at his cousin.
"I could not say." she replies.
"How long ago?" Rhaenyra asked.
"A day past, perhaps two." she answers calmly, "I was made a prisoner in my quarters while the Queen made her preparations."
"Viserys has been slain." Daemon says to Rhaenyra, but the Princess does not even acknowledge his words, the grief being too much to take.
"Alicent demanded you declare for Aegon." she says, trying not to cry harder.
"She did. I refused her."
"And yet you are alive." Daemon says, making Rhaenys tilt her head at her cousin.
"The High Septon crowned Aegon in the Dragonpit. I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys." the older woman continues, making Rhaenyra grunt in pain.
"They crowned him before the masses."
"So that the masses would see him as their rightful king."
"That whοre of a Queen murdered my brother and stole his throne." Daemon says, through gritted teeth, "And you could have burned them all for it."
"A war is like to be fought over this treachery, to be sure." her cousin hummed at her words.
Rhaenys takes a step closer, "But that war is not mine to begin. I only rushed this warning to you out of loyalty to my husband and to my house."
"The Greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra." she warns her, "And for your children. You should leave Dragonstone at once."
Rhaenyra groans in pain, bending down, leaning on the table for support. A tear rolls down her cheek as realisation hits her. She lifts her dress and pushes her hand under.
When she pulls it out, her palm is coated in blood, "The babe is coming."
•••
Jacaerys felt betrayal rush into him. Reina betrayed him, he felt angry at her, but somehow could not blame her entirely.
She only chose her husband. The one she truly loves.
•••
While Rhaenyra lost both of her children because of the greens, Aegon was gifted with two.
She lost her only daughter and her sweet son, while her usurper brother's wife gave birth to two baby girls.
After she lost Visenya, she was devasted. But when her husband informed her of another death, of the death of her son, Lucerys, she collapsed.
She could not bear the pain and felt like her heart was cracking.
Daemon swore to her that their children will be avenged. And he had a good plan for it.
A/N: last chapter!!! I'm sad I've finished this book, but I'm also excited to make a second one when season two will be released!
I've wanted you to see how jace felt about reina and how hurt he was when she stood by Aegon's side with these flashbacks.
tell me if you want me to write an alternative ending, a happy one perhaps?
the epilogue will be published soon!
thank you for all the votes! I love you all 🎀💖