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The following story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood.”

IN A WAY , no one in House of the Dragon walked around with a bigger chip on their shoulder than Jacaerys Velaryon. As the first-born son of Rhaenyra Targaryen (herself the true heir to the Iron Throne) and Laenor Velaryon (a son of royalty himself), under normal circumstances, Jacaerys—known informally as Jace—would’ve had a pretty cushy life. But as a Velaryon (and, more importantly, a Targaryen) with dark hair, his legitimacy was questioned his entire life. And, really, everyone seemed to more or less know the truth: His father wasn’t really Laenor Velaryon, he was born out of wedlock, and his real father was Ser Lyonel Strong.

As a result, Jace was always walking around with something to prove. And, even accepting the truth—he’s a smart character and understands reality—it doesn’t make the Targaryen part of his lineage any less real. He was riding a dragon after all.…