Snow Ghost [Jaime Lannister]

Chapter XV. Old Town

The labyrinthine square fortress of unadorned black stone at the castle's foundation contains gloomy halls, vaults, and chambers. The Hightower contains a high hall. The top of the tower contains the apartments of the Lord of the Hightower. Deep vaults are located underground.

The Hightower is the tallest structure in the Seven Kingdoms, even higher than the seven-hundred-foot Wall, and it is the tallest tower in the known world.

The people of Oldtown can tell the time of day by the tower's shadow, and some claim that the Wall can be seen from its top. Casterly Rock, however, is three times taller than the Hightower or the Wall.

It is speculated by fans that the Hightower is one of the nine Wonders Made by Man written about by Lomas Longstrider.

Ser Arthur Lannister rides his horse. The men are ready to get into the tower with their swords and hold wood to push the main gate. 

Arthur orders "On my count" the men steady "3 2 now!" The men get in the gate when it opens.

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Some time has passed. The battle is already over. Jaime is walking in the courtyard and there are dead Tyrell men scattered everywhere. 

Jaime climbs to the top of the tower to meet Olenna Tyrell.

In Olenna's quarters, Olenna is sitting alone at a table wearing all black. Jaime opens the door and enters the room.

Olena says "It's done?"

Jaime says "It is."

"And now the rains weep for our whores. Did we fight well?"

"I suppose as well as can be expected" he walks to the wine and pours two glasses.

"It was never our forte. Golden roses indeed. Your brother and his new queen thought you would be defending Casterly Rock."

"The truth is Casterly Rock isn't worth much anymore. Well, it is to me. My fond childhood memories won't keep Cersei on the throne."

"So you'll just let them take it?"

"For now. They won't be able to hold it. Euron Greyjoy's navy burned their ships, we emptied the larders before we left. Eventually, they'll be forced to abandon their position and march all the way across Westeros." Jaime walks to where Olenna is sitting and places both wine glasses on the table and sits down.

"And you took your army, your real army, and went where they weren't?"

"As Robb Stark did to me at Whispering Wood. There are always lessons in failures."

"Yes. You must be very wise by now."

"My father always said I was a slow learner."

"If he was so clever why didn't he take Highgarden the moment your gold mines ran dry? I suppose I'll be able to ask him myself soon enough. No more learning from my mistakes, eh? How will you do it? With that sword?" Jaime shakes his head no "That was Joffrey's sword, wasn't it? Not that he ever used it. What did he call it?"

"Widow's Wail."

"He really was a cunt, wasn't he? I did unspeakable things to protect my family, or watched them being done on my orders. I never lost a night's sleep over them. They were necessary. And whatever I imagined necessary for the safety of House Tyrell I did. But your sister has done things I wasn't capable of imagining. That was my prize mistake, a failure of imagination. She's a monster, you do know that?"

"To you, sure. To others as well. But after we've won and there's no one left to oppose us, the people living peaceful in the world she built, do you really think they'll wring their hands over the way she built it?"