The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Dead Men In The Night

That night at dinner Jaime did perhaps the one thing he could've done to endear himself to - or rather, be slightly less hated by - the Stark children.

"It was always part of the treaty to return this," He addressed them all, ignoring the stony faces of Sansa, Arya and Edrick. "From what I gather, Loreon had to pry this from my father's cold hands and stop him melting it down into two swords, so I hope you're grateful for his efforts," One of his men stepped forward with a long item covered in sackcloth, offering it to the group in general. 

Arya, of all of them, stepped forward rather warily and pulled the heavy cloth away from whatever it was, and there was a collective intake of breath from the table, and a murmur grew in the hall as everyone realised what Jaime had brought them.

"Ice," She breathed, impressed despite herself.

"Father's sword," Sansa was murmuring to Rickon, not taking her eyes of the Valyrian steel greatsword.

"Rickon's sword, now," Ross said. The boy had been looking keenly at the sheathed sword and turned to her with wide eyes.

"Really? It's bigger than I am! It's bigger than Arya,"

"You'll have it when you're older," She told him. "For now, would you mind if Ren took care of it?" Whether her son used it in battle as Ned had done or not - he preferred a longsword to a greatsword - they would need someone to wield it for executions and important occasions.

Rickon shook his head; he didn't mind. After that he was much less likely to copy his siblings' glares at Jaime throughout dinner - and they were much less likely to give them - and Ross saw sneaking glances at the knight every now and again.

The rest of the meal was surprisingly... not hostile, if not quite friendly and civil. Obviously Jaime's antics earlier had left no doubt as to where he and Ross stood, and the benches were alive with rumours but few reached the high table.

"So has your sister always been such a vile cow?" Morganna asked Jaime conversationally as the stew was served. Edrick choked on his mouthful, starting to laugh, as most of the others grinned. Even Sansa's lips twitched, though she cared little for the open impropriety. "Or was it just me and Sansa who got that impression in King's Landing?"

To everyone's surprise but Ross and Ren's, Jaime actually laughed.

"Tyrion and Giana would say yes," He said. "I would say she's been awful since she married Robert, but will admit they're probably more right than I am," The dislike colouring his tone at even the mention of his sister made Ross viciously satisfied. "Looking as you do, I'm not surprised she hated you,"

Morganna smiled rather slyly.

"I remember the exact moment she realised," She said. "I was confused at the time, but now thinking of the look on her face..." She trailed off with a grin.

Ross bit back a smile, taking a sip of wine, but Jaime caught her eye, clearly amused.

"Cersei's got herself in some trouble lately," He said to her. "Father sent her back to Casterly Rock under house arrest. All very secret - even I don't know why,"

He did know why, of course, and told her later after all the others had gone to bed. 

Jaime had joined her in her rooms, not openly but neither of them were particularly bothering to be discreet either. Before dinner, Ross had made herself look more presentable - worn her hair loose aside from a small braid at the back, and put on a nicer dress in deep velvet green - though he outshone her as always even here.

 "You won't believe this," He started off with before the door had even closed behind him, which boded well. 

"Try me,"