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Prince Jacaerys Velaryon is Rhaenyra’s eldest and heir inHouse of the Dragon. Played by Harry Collett, Jacaerys, more fondly known as Jace, rides the young dragon, Vermax. Legally, he is the eldest son to the former heir of Driftmark, Laenor Velaryon, and the grandson of the Sea Snake Lord Corlys Velaryon. Jace, in reality, is fathered by the late Ser Harwin Strong.
Jace has two younger brothers, namely the late Lucerys Velaryon and Joffrey Velaryon, and two half-brothers, namely Aegon and Viserys. House Velaryon lostLuke at Shipbreaker Bayand Jace was at the Wall when he received the news. He was back by his mother’s side, and they grieved Luke’s loss together inHouse of the Dragon. But Jace had to step up and do the things he thought were in their interest.
Who Is Prince Jacaerys Velaryon?
In George R. R. Martin’sFire & Blood, Jacaerys Velaryon is the Prince of Dragonstone and set to inherit the name Targaryen upon his ascension to the Iron Throne. He is betrothed to another Dragonrider, Lady Baela Targaryen, who is his stepfather Daemon’s eldest daughter from the deceased Laena Velaryon. Jace will formally inherit the title the Prince of Dragonstone whenRhaenyra takes the Iron Throneat King’s Landing. Lord Corlys in a quandary as, presently, he doesn’t have an heir to Driftmark. The Sea Snake expressed his wish to name Baela, the heir to Driftmark, but she declined, saying:
I am Blood and Fire. Driftmark must pass to Salt and Sea.
Jace carries the dual Targaryen-Velaryon heritage on paper, but in reality, he is half Targaryen and half Strong. As a child, he facedwidespread speculation about his Velaryonheritage. When Harwin Strong was dismissed from the City Watch, and taken to Harrenhal, Jace asked his mother if he was a bastard. Rhaenyra, at a loss for words, chose to answer that question tactfully, saying:
You are a Targaryen. That’s all that matters.
Jace had every reason to doubt his paternity, as he looked more a Strong than a Targaryen-Velaryon. Aside from the open secret that Laenor Velaryon was gay, Jace and his brothers had dark hair, dark eyes. Alicent called Rhaenyra’s son"plain featured"while Aemond teased them bythe name"Strong boys.“Jace, nonetheless, was raised right (mostly by Rhaenyra) as his biological father, Harwin, was killed in a fire at Harrenhal, orchestrated by Larys Strong. His legal father, Laenor, wanted a life free of the burdens of his inheritance and so Rhaenyra and Daemon set him free. In an elaborate ruse that had Rhaenyra, Daemon’s hand in it, Lyonel faked his own death and rowed away with his lover, Qarl Correy. Rhaenyra was left with three fatherless sons, but married her uncle Daemon Targaryen in a traditional Valyrian wedding ceremony at Dragonstone.
Jacaerys Velaryon’s Marriage
To act against the burgeoning crisis between the Greens and the Blacks, Rhaenyra, inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episode 6 “The Princess and the Queen,” proposed to wed her heir, Jacaerys, to the King andQueen’s only daughter, Helaena Targaryen.
Ally ourselves. Once and for all. Let them rule together.
Alicent scoffed at the marriage proposal, because Rhaenyra was laid open to accusations at court. She thought the Princess was putting forward the proposal to strengthen her “plain-featured” heir’s claim to the throne. Rhaenyra wanted to end the conflict, but when that failed, she packed up for Dragonstone.
When Corlys' brother, Vaemond Velaryon, petitioned King’s Landing to reconsiderthe inheritance of Driftmark, Rhaenyra sought Princess Rhaenys' help, saying:
I’ll make you an offer. Back Luke’s claim and let us betroth Laena’s children to mine. Baela will be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and her sons will be heirs to the throne. Rhaena will rule in Driftmark, and the seat will pass to her and Lucerys' children in time.
Vaemond had allied himself withthe Greens under Alicent and Otto Hightower. Since Viserys was incapacitated to sit the throne due to “the rot,” Vaemond was certain that the seat of Driftmark would be passed to him in the wake of Corlys' death. His petition was meant to proclaim Lucerys as illegitimate and, by extension, nullify Jace’s claim to the throne. King Viserys arrived in the nick of time to thwart the Hightower conspiracy and Daemon decapitated Vaemond for transgressions.
As seen inHouse of the Dragon, Jace gives his betrothed, Baela, immense respect and love and is courteous towards her.
Jacaerys Velaryon’s Role In The Dance Of The Dragons
Jacaerys is at the Wall with Cregan Starkwhen he receives the news of Lucerys Velaryon’s death. He departs for Dragonstone immediately, where he brings his mother good news about the Eyrie and Winterfell. He succeeds in his first mission as his mother’s emissary to the Vale and the North:
YourGrace.Lady Jeyne Arryn, has pledged her supportinexchangefor a dragon toguardtheVale. AndLord Cregan Stark has promised 2000 men—
Given that his brothers are still very young, and Daemon has left, Jace is the only one Rhaenyra can count on. He wants a bigger role in his mother’s war, but stands by every single one of her decisions, until she departs for King’s Landing to meet Alicent and sue for peace. Jace recognizes that Rhaenyra has overburdened Baela, while he has little to do except be present atthe Small Councilmeetings. He ends his stint as a sitting duck by treating alone with the Freys at the Twins.
The Freys. They control the crossing at the Twins. Cregan Stark’s Greybeards are marching south. If his men had a direct route into the Riverlands, we would not have to wait for Daemon to act.
Jace flies his dragon Vermax to House Frey’s seat and parleys with them quite like a future king. The Riverlords are in a mess because their liege lord, Grover Tully, refuses to declare for either party. Tully’s vassals, the Freys, fear declaring for Rhaenyra could earn the wrath of their lord.
Jace needs the Twins because it remainsthe only crossing over the Green Fork. He agrees to raise the Tullys as the new lords of Harrenhal, in exchange for their Crossing. He gets more out of the deal by asking the Tullys to declare Black. Jace departs the Twins and seeks an audience with his mother where he speaks of putting someone with distant Targaryen ancestry on the unclaimed dragons. He speaks of the people born in House Targaryen, who married into other noble Houses in the realm. Their sons and daughters should be given a chance to claim riderless dragons such as Seasmoke, Silverwing and Vermithor. Rhaenyra agrees and accordingly summons the Lord Commander of her Queensguard, Ser Steffon Darklyn, to mount Seasmoke. Steffon is burned to death, but Rhaenyra is still hopeful that Jacaerys' proposition carries weight.
Will Jacaerys Dies InHouse of the Dragon- Season 2?
Jacaerys Velaryon, accompanied by four Dragonseed, or new Dragonriders,fly to the Gullet to fight the Triarchyin lore. They set fire to the Triarchy’s warships that fight for the Greens to break House Velaryon’s blockade on the Gullet.Aemond Targaryen has spoken about reaching out to the Free Cities, and his efforts will bear fruit. Jace and the Dragonriders will fly to the Gullet as soon as they receive news of the Triarchy ambushing the Gay Abandon, carrying his youngest brothers to Pentos.
House of the Dragon- Season 2 is headed towards an epic naval battle, and Jacaerys Velaryon is at its center stage. He and Vermax die at the Gullet in lore, but it remains to be seen what route the show will take.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is HBO’s prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
