Jacaerys/Baela
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Jacaerys Velaryon/Baela Targaryen |
| Alternative name(s): | Jacaela |
| Gender category: | het |
| Fandom: | A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon |
| Canonical?: | Yes (as political match)/Unclear (as romantic couple) |
| Prevalence: | Common |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Jacaerys Velaryon/Baela Targaryen - is Het pairing between Jacaerys Velaryon and Baela Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire. They are described in Fire & Blood chronicle and appear as characters in its adaptation House of the Dragon.
Canon
Jacaerys is legal son of Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, whilst Baela is daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon, making them first cousins once removed from Targaryen side and legal first cousins from Velaryon side.
In book
In Fire & Blood chronicle by George Martin, it is said Baela and Jace were engaged as children, when he was 4 and she was 2. As boy was heir to Crown Princess, this alliance made Baela future Queen consort. After Laenor's and Laena's deaths, Daemon and Rhaenyra married, making their children stepsiblings to each other. Baela and Jace were growing up together in Rhaenyra's seat at Dragonstone.
When Dance of the Dragons begun, it is reported that 13-year-old Baela decided to stay with 15-year-old Jacaerys at Dragonstone in display of deep commitment and devotion to her fiancé. If record is truthful, that would suggest she was in love with him. Baela is said to wish to marry him as fast as possible, but Jacaerys reportedly declined - one chronicler states Crown Prince wanted to wait till the end of war, while other claims Jacaerys secretly married another girl, Sara Snow. Jacaerys ultimately perished in battle of Gullet during Dance.
Because Fire & Blood is chronicle, exact feelings and motivations of characters are uncertain. If records are accurate, then Baela appeared to love Jacaerys deeply, judging by her fierce support of him and wish to wed, but it remains mystery wheter he reciprocated those feelings.
In show
Season 1
In House of the Dragon show!Jacaerys is recognized by Laenor Velaryon as his legitimate son with Rhaenyra, but in reality he is fathered by his mother's lover, Harwin Strong. Jacaerys and Baela are of the same age. Two meet for first time on-screen during Laena's funeral, when they are both 10, and Baela grieves for her mother, while Jace mourns his biological father Harwin. Unlike his maternal half-uncles or even their own grandmother Rhaenys, Baela appears to not care about boy's not-Valyrian features and his presumed illegitimate origins, and she takes Jace's hand in hers when he comes close.
It appears pair bonded well, as after Aemond's claims Vhagar, Baela and her sister come to Jace for him to help them confront Aemond.
Six years later Baela and Jacaerys, now 16, are engaged after their grandmother Rhaenys accepts Rhaenyra's proposal that would allow Baela to become Queen of Seven Kingdoms and strength political alliance between Rhaenyra and her parents-in-law. Baela smiles during announcement of engagement and at the feast Jacaerys protects her from Aegon's advances. When Velaryon boys fight with their uncles, Baela is eager to help them, until she is hold back by her sister.
After Aegon usurps throne and Corlys Velaryon comes to Dragonstone to pick side, Baela is present at Jace's side during war council, demonstrating her support for her stepbrother as heir to the Iron Throne. Seeing his grandchildren together, Corlys pledges his loyalty to Rhaenyra.
Season 2
Baela comforts Jace in his grief after Luke's death. Pair also bonds over their complicated relationships with their respective fathers. Baela is also aware of Harwin being her fiancé's true father (although it is unknown if she had learnt from gossips or if Jacaerys had told her himself), but seems not care, even assuring Crown Prince that Harwin loved him, when boy doubts this. Baela is steadfeastly loyal and determined to fight for Jace and Rhaenyra; she even flights on her dragoness to watch over King's Landing in place of Jace, who is eager to flight himself but - as he is Queen regnant's heir - his life is too valuable for Rhaenyra to risk.
After lowborn bastards (Dragonseeds - Hugh, Ulf and Addam) claim dragons, Jacaerys becomes wary of his bastard origins, thinking he is not worthy of being Crown Prince. Baela assures her fiancé she doesn't care about his parentage and points that many nobles are in fact bastards of their mothers who were claimed as legitimate by their stepfathers. She ultimately convinces Jace to take part in dinner in honour of Dragonseeds, to show them his authority as Queen Rhaenyra's heir.
Harry Collett who plays Jace described their relationship this way:
Apart from, I'd say Corlys and Rhaenys, they [Jace and Baela] are the healthiest couple in Westeros, because they genuinely love each other and they wasn't [sic] forced together, it was like: in a way they were forced together but they do in a way they were very happy about it.[1]
Fandom
Jacaerys and Baela are generally viewed as one of least problematic couples in House of the Dragon, especially given they are similar age and more distantly related than other pairings (especially in show where pair is biologically not closely related on Velaryon side, as Laenor is not true father of Jace), and at the same time appear to be good political alliance and seems to be also love match in book.
With season 2 arrived, two are also perceived as having one of healthiest relationship in the show, supporting each other emotionally in hard times, as well being honest with each other (like being able to openly talk about Harwin being Jace's true father).[2]
Controversy
Before airing of season 2 content creator Fey Fire made video in which she criticized constant associating Baela with Jace, saying that Baela is much more than "Jace's betrothed" (which is true)[3]. She also expressed skepticism towards Baela's love for her fiancé in book, claiming Baela and Jacaerys grew up separately (he on Dragonstone, she at Driftmark with her grandmother), so their connection might actually be very loose and that could explain why Jacaerys in book supposedly married Sara, as his stepsister was like stranger to him. She also theorized that reason why Baela was living with her grandmother is because she resented her father, stepmother and stepbrothers. However Fey Fire's perspective cannot be defended, as she was using show universe to talk about book Baela - in Fire & Blood Baela and Jacaerys did grow up together on Driftmark, so creator's interpretation could not be applied in discussing source material. (It should also be noted it was never specified how long show!Baela was living separately and that she and Jace already bonded as children.)
Season 2 ultimately debunked theory about "Baela resenting her family", as Baela and Jacaerys are presented as close to each other, despite fact living separately for some time in past. Show Baela - just like her book counterpart - remains steadfastly loyal to her stepbrother and stepmother.