MOONSHINE ○ JAIME LANNISTER

أربعة عشرة

The boat rocked relentlessly as Flora paced around her small room, irritated at the never-ending sounds of vomiting. She would've swam all the way to the capital if she knew that the whole royal court would be emptying their stomachs every night. Even Jaime, who she knew to be very strong-willed, seemed to pale as he ate his dinner. She was too used to the rhythm of the water beneath her, swaying gently as the moon shone through the window.

"Flora?" A knock on the door snapped her out of her reverie as Flora went over and opened the door. Her handmaiden, Maia, shot her a smile as Flora raised an eyebrow. "The royal family is calling for you."

She sighed slowly as she walked out of her room, her orange dress blowing harshly against the wind. Flora closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the peace of the vast ocean even if the situation present was quite chaotic. Flora arrived at the suite of Robert, knocking quietly at the door as a voice called for her.

The dinner scene of the Baratheons was one that was unforgettable. In one side of the table was the King, eating a whole turkey leg in one hand and grapes in the other. He looked up and smiled at Flora as she bowed towards him in respect. She closed the door softly, looking at Jaime in the corner, eyeing her with an intent gaze. Across the King however, was Cersei, who seemed to be growing red with every passing second. Tommen was in her lap, and by the looks of it, Flora could spot a pained expression.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Would you tell them to stop the journey for a moment? It seems Tommen's stomach is upset because of the rocking." Cersei asked her, not bothering to look up at Flora, too busy consoling the child in her arms.

"Alright."

"Alright? It's Yes, Queen Mother to you." Cersei grinned maliciously as she shot Flora a look.

Flora flamed immediately with irritation and anger at the Queen Mother. She couldn't bow to her, not ever, yet as she left the room to ask the boat's captain of the request, she could not help but bowing ever so slightly out of the little respect she had left for the blonde.

Once she had finished asking the captain to halt the boat for a moment, Flora walked over to the edge, smelling the salt pass through her nostrils as her eyes observed the open water. It was endless, waves upon waves crashing against each other in a constant motion. Flora looked down, yearning to feel the water against her arms and to move against it. She turned around for a moment, seeing if there was anyone besides her on the open deck. A man was there, cleaning the wooden floor with a dirty rag so intensely she concluded that he would pay no mind to her.

In a rash, decisive moment, Flora pushed herself onto the handle of the boat, leaning on it as she looked back once more. The water below did not seem too far that if she jumped it would be painful. In fact, it was what she decided to do. Closing her eyes and praying to the seven gods that there would be more times like this, when she was irritated out of her mind and there seemed to be no positive outcome in her future, that the gods would provide her peaceful moments to wallow in.

The man on the deck, who really barely noticed anything as he was too busy scrubbing, did not notice the missing person, who seconds ago, was present on the deck. It was only when he heard high-pitched giggles and the sound of something dropping into the water did he look up, wide eyes and raised eyebrows. The noise seemed to be coming from the other side of the deck, though not from the ship itself. He walked over cautiously, taking out his dagger in fear of the ghosts his fellow mates would tell him about traveling the seas towards High Hermitage. 

The view that was in front of him was akin to what he thought of. A woman's figure swam across the water, wearing an orange dress that floated silkily, just like her ebony hair. The man's heart froze in his chest, paralyzed by fear as he looked over the ship and stared at the woman. She stopped for a moment, raising her head from the water. The man gasped loudly, fear taking over his whole body.

Yet the moment Flora raised her head, with a big smile, and looked at the man, he was already screaming his head off so loud the whole world could hear him. Flora immediately panicked, looking around for any possible solution out of her stupid action. She would definitely be reprimanded for doing such a dangerous thing, and especially out at night. But she was all too familiar with the waters around her, and she was sure no threat would come.

"Is someone there?" A voice yelled from above, garnering her attention as Flora looked up again. It was the King who had a blank expression on his face, as if bored already. Yet the crowd appearing beside him looked all too excited, wondering what stories this circumstance would conjure up in the next few days.

"Yes?" Flora asked quietly, trying to hide her face as she floated in the water.

"Flora?" She regretted her decision immediately.

Before she could blink her eyes and look up at the King's face again, water splashed in her face as another person joined her in the cold water. She widened her eyes in surprise, moving back immediately. She could hear the crowd gasping as the figure beside her panted, swimming desperately.

"Are you alright?" The unknown figure was moving tirelessly waving his arms around. She approached him, grabbing his shoulders, forcing his body to relax as she looked at Jaime straight in the eye, an exasperated look on her face.

"Why are you so stupid sometimes?" She groaned out as more people huddled above them, wondering what the whole commotion was about.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, eyebrows furrowing. Flora repressed the urge to sigh, instead glaring at him.

"It's more of are you okay? You're flailing about as if you're going to drown, Jaime. I'm alright swimming here, but you look like you're about to faint." She replied, raising an eyebrow as his expression turned sour, sighing deeply before plunging himself into the water.

She followed, lookin at him just floating as if he were resting. Flora wondered what was troubling his mind, and moved forward, closer towards him that she laid her palm on is cheek. Jaime opened his eyes in the water, and there, in the silence of the water, she put her lips to his, kissing him softly before they would have to come out. It was one of those moments she would later soon cherish, when everything around her would erupt in chaos she felt like snapping in half. She would remember the way the water felt against her skin, the way Jaime felt against her skin, and for a brief moment, she would escape the cruelty that Cersei shoved her into. 

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omg guys i seriously need to be hit i hvent updated in so long. 

but ive been ggoing through a lot to say the least such as - 

its my last year of junior high, my grandma passed away :( , and there's a lot of stress being built up on my self 

BUT HERE IS A SHORT UPDATE!! sorry if there are any typos... love u all < 33 

sophia !!!!!