Jacaerys Velaryon

Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, nicknamed Jace, is a prince of the Targaryen dynasty, and the firstborn son of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. He is the rider of the dragon Vermax.
==Biography==
===Background===
Jacaerys is the eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and her husband Laenor Velaryon,https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/us/bio/house-dragon-character-descriptions and older brother of Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon. He is second-in-line to inherit the Iron Throne after his mother, Rhaenyra. Per an agreement between Viserys I Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon, Jacaerys is expected to take the name "Jacaerys Targaryen" upon acceding to the throne.
Although presented as legitimate, Jacaerys and his brothers are in truth bastards fathered by Ser Harwin Strong.
===House of the Dragon: Season 1===
Jace and Luke are playing with Harwin when Rhaenyra and Laenor return to their chambers in the Red Keep with the newborn Joffrey. There, Jace and Luke show the dragon egg that they chose for Joffrey, and Jace says that he let Luke choose. Laenor takes Jace and Luke back to the Dragonpit, where Jace is trained by Dragonkeepers to command Vermax. While there, Jace, Luke, and Aegon pull a joke on Aemond by giving him a pig dressed as a dragon and making squealing noises.
Jace later trains in arms alongside Luke, Aegon, and Aemond under Ser Criston Cole. When Harwin advises Criston to train the boys equally, Criston grabs Jace and has him fight Aegon, who Criston has knock Jace to the ground. Harwin steps in to defend Jace, and Harwin is provoked by Criston into attacking him. As a result, Harwin is dismissed from court and sent back to Harrenhal. Harwin promises Jace that he will return. Jace runs to watch Harwin as he leaves, and Rhaenyra assures him that they will exchange letters. He then asks his mother if Harwin is his father, and if he is a bastard, but Rhaenyra tells him that he is a Targaryen, and that is all that matters.
At the conclusion of a Small Council meeting, Rhaenyra proposes to betrothed Jacaerys with Alicent's daughter, Helaena in an effort to mend the rift between herself and Alicent and unite their families, to which Alicent ultimately declines. Jacaerys later departs with his mother, father, and younger brothers to Dragonstone.
Jace is present with Rhaenyra, Laenor, Lucerys, and the rest of the royal family during the funeral of his aunt, Laena Velaryon. During the funeral reception after, Rhaenyra implores Jace to comfort his grieving cousins. Jace replies that he can sympathize with their grief, informing his mother that they should be at Harrenhal mourning the loss of Lord Lyonel and his true father, Ser Harwin. Rhaenyra chastises Jace that visiting Harrenhal would not be appropriate, reminding Jace that the Velaryons are their true family, while the Strongs are not. Jace proceeds to walk over to Baela and Rhaena, with Baela holding his hand for comfort.
Later that evening, Jace is awoken by Baela and Rhaena, who informs him that someone has stolen Vhagar, their late mother's dragon. The trio, alongside Lucerys, proceed to confront a returning Aemond Targaryen, with Rhaena correctly deducing that he was the one who had taken Vhagar and stating that Vhagar was hers to claim. Aemond retorts that Vhagar is now his, before insulting Rhaena by stating that her cousins can find a pig for her to ride, causing Rhaena to angrily grapple with him. When Aemond pushes her to the ground, Baela punches him in the face, only for Aemond to do the same, threatening to feed Baela to Vhagar if she attacks him again. This prompts Jace to enter the fray, followed by Luke, but both are knocked to the ground. Despite this, Jace manages to push Aemond to the ground, and he, Baela, and Rhaena begin to pummel Aemond. Aemond manages to escape before grabbing Luke by the throat and brandishing a rock to hit him with, threatening to burn Luke alive just like his father, before calling Luke and Jace bastards. This prompts Jace to unsheathe a knife and attack him, but Aemond dodges him before hitting him in the head with the rock. As Aemond prepares to strike Jace again, Jace blinds him with sand before Luke grabs the dropped knife and slashes Aemond in the left eye. The commotion attracts the attention of Lord Commander Harrold Westerling and other members of the Kingsguard, including Ser Criston, ordering the children to cease fighting.
The children are brought to the Hall of Nine, where King Viserys angrily demands to know from his Kingsguard how this happened, while Aemond's eye is tended to by Maester Kelvyn as Corlys, Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, and Daemon enter the hall. As the children begin arguing on who was responsible for the fight, Viserys orders them into silence, before demanding the truth from Aemond. Queen Alicent comments on what more can be said since Aemond was maimed by Luke. Rhaenyra states in the defense of her children that it was a regrettable accident, that her sons were only defending themselves, and that vile accusations of their parentage were uttered. When Viserys asks what insults were said, Jace states that Aemond called him and Luke bastards. Rhaenyra tells her father that since Jace is in line to inherit the throne, such rumors on Jace's legitimacy are the highest of treasons. Viserys demands for Aemond to tell him the truth on where he heard of these rumors, with Aemond replying Aegon told him. When Viserys questions Aegon on where he heard the rumors, Aegon simply states that everyone knows based on Jace and Luke's unusual Targaryen appearance.
Viserys furiously demands that the children make peace with another as they are family, before declaring that anyone who question's the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children will have their tongue's removed. Alicent states that this is insufficent, insisting that one of Rhaenyra's children should lose an eye in exchange for the one Aemond lost. Viserys flatly denies this course of action, but Alicent continues to press the issue, using her authority as queen to order Ser Criston to bring her one of Luke's eye, shocking the assembled court. Viserys again demands for Alicent to stop, but as he walks away, Alicent takes his Valyrian steel dagger and attempts to carry out the punishment herself, sending the hall into an uproar. Rhaenyra steps forward to protect Jace and Luke from Alicent, getting slashed in her left arm in the process.
The following day, Jace is present with Luke and Rhaenyra as Maester Kelvyn sews her arm wound. He is subsequently dismissed by his mother alongside his brother Luke, when their father, Laenor, enters the room asking what happened.
Following the incident with Aemond and the alleged murder and funeral of Laenor, Jace is present alongside Luke and their cousins, Baela and Rhaena, for the marriage of his mother and their father, Rhaenyra and Daemon, at Dragonstone.
==Personality==
Jace is good-natured. He wants to be a successful, respected ruler, and is willing to do whatever it takes to defend his family and his claim to the Iron Throne. He is not concerned with the whispers of the royal court surrounding his legitimacy.
==Quotes==
===Spoken by Jacaerys===
===Spoken about Jacaerys===
==Family==
===Biological paternal===
===Legal paternal===
===Maternal===
==Behind the scenes==
On March 30, 2022, HBO announced that Harry Collett had been cast in the role of Jacaerys Velaryon for House of the Dragon. His character description reads as follows:
:"Eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen."
==In the books==
In Fire & Blood, Jacaerys was the firstborn son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon. Laenor wanted to name him after his deceased lover, Joffrey Lonmouth, but Lord Corlys insisted that the boy should have a traditional Valyrian name. Jacaerys's youngest full brother would be named Joffrey instead.
==Appearances==
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==References==
===Notes===
==External links==
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Category:Bastards
Category:Black Council
Category:Crownlanders
Category:Dragonriders
Category:Individuals appearing in House of the Dragon
Category:Individuals from The Dance of Dragons
Jacaerys Velaryon
Jacaerys Velaryon
Category:Princes
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