Kingslayer

Punishment

Jaime had tried and Jaime had failed. Kyra couldn't be persuaded. He rode back to King's Landing with a heavy heart. And he knew nothing would get easier when he got back. His father would be furious. Jaime had no idea what Tywin would do to him. He knew one thing though. And that was that it wouldn't be pretty. If someone went against Tywin's orders, the repercussions would be harsh ones. Especially if it were his own son.

He was back at King's Landing the next day. He rode through the gates of the Red Keep. He tied his horse back up in the stables and entered the palace. He'd been gone too long for his absence to have gone unnoticed. His father would definitely know by now.
He walked swiftly back to his chambers, hoping to avoid any confrontation. Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. It just so happened that Tywin was walking the opposite way. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his eldest son. His eyes darkened and his face turned sour. He beckoned the guards flanking him forwards. He'd clearly been expecting him. They grasped hold of Jaime and unsheathed his sword.
"Take him to my chambers." Jaime was manhandled into Tywin's chambers. He didn't resist or protest. There was no point. He wouldn't win. 

Tywin glared at Jaime.
If looks could kill, Jaime thought.
"Dismissed," Tywin ordered the guards and they retreated hastily. Jaime reckoned they were glad they weren't him in that moment. Tywin returned his stare to his son. "Sit." Jaime did this reluctantly. His father took the seat opposite him. Jaime reached out for the pitcher of wine but Tywin moved it out of the way. Jaime raised his hands in surrender. There were many tense minutes of silence, Tywin's gaze not moving from his eldest son's face. Jaime shifted his gaze uncomfortably. In the few instances when his father got furious with him, Jaime got very scared. Tywin was the only person who could inject so much fear into his children. Jaime didn't even fear death, yet his father could make him fear anything.
"You were given express orders not to leave the Red Keep. You were told. And yet you disobeyed me. Why?"
"You don't need to know."
"Don't test me. I'm not in the mood."
"I just had to see someone. It's not a big deal. The guards let me out."
"They'll be dealt with. I think you'll find it is 'a big deal' as you do elegantly put it. You were on the verge of death Jaime. You were very ill. I was not risking losing my eldest son and heir and if he recklessly decides to risk his own life and gets killed in the process, what happens to the Lannister dynasty? What happens to your family?"
"Well, here I am. Two arms, two legs, one head. Intact." Tywin's lips were so taught that they had gone completely white. Jaime had defied him a couple of times and paid a price every time. Tywin needed to teach him an even bigger lesson this time. He didn't know what yet. He summoned the guards back in.
"Confine him to a room. The spare room in the East Wing. Keep him there. He can talk to no-one, not even Tyrion or Cersei. Deny them access to him. The only person he talks to is me."
"Father," Jaime protested.
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"I've just been imprisoned for a year. And I'm simply making a point. You just said you didn't want to risk losing me. Why leave me languishing in a Stark cell for so long. Why do you want to confine me again when you've only just got me back?"
"Because you need to learn. You will not defy me."
"Then you may as well hand me back to Robb Stark."
"What?" Tones of complete malice entered Tywin's voice.
"Seriously, if you're keeping me holed up, guards surrounding me, no freedom, it's no better than what the Starks put me through." Tywin seethed.

"Get him out of my sight." Jaime was pulled from Tywin's room to another. The guards shoved him in and the door was locked behind him. Jaime Lannister was once again a prisoner. And of his own father. What he knew about this imprisonment though was that he wouldn't be dead or dying at the end. No matter how harshly Tywin treated him, Jaime knew his father's dreams of keeping the family alive depended on him. And to Tywin, his family was the first priority.

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Kyra had reached the inn at the crossroads. She ordered a room for the night and dinner.
"Excuse me," she asked the innkeeper. "Has Ser Jaime Lannister passed through here?"
"Indeed he has," the man replied. "Two days ago." Jaime had been mounted and he knew this area much more than Kyra did. She had got lost several times. It was no wonder he had went through so quickly. Kyra thanked the man, still trying to make sense of what had happened between herself and Robb. She was also so confused about how she felt about Jaime. This was the man who had come back for her in a place of genuine concern but in doing so had lost Kyra the sense of safety and security she already had. He would be back with his family in King's Landing now. He would be back to horse riding and sword fighting and gaining glory. Kyra on the other hand had nothing. No security net, nothing to fall back on. She had no idea if her family were still alive. But she knew she needed Jaime. He was the only one who could provide her with any sort of sustainable life. He owed her.