A Lions Flower |J.Lannister|

• Chapter 37 •

The smoke rose from the field in swirls that were too beautiful for the destruction they rose from. Everything was charred. The chariots, horses, men, money. It was all gone except for the few souls that survived the wrath they had never seen prior to what had just hit them like a ton of bricks. Rose walked around the charred field, stepping carefully over the ashes to where she last saw him. Nothing was there. For the first time she felt her heart shatter into hopelessness. Until again in this moment.

"Rose I-" the words repeated in her head. Over and over again until she felt dizzy.

Clanging armor was heard in the distance but kept coming closer and closer and a soldier sounded behind Rose. Jaime looked defeated, he knew that he was there to bring him back to Cersei, and he would have no chance at telling Rose what his true intentions were.

"Sir Jaime, Queen Cersei is requesting your presence to return to the Dragon Pit." The solider mechanically told Jaime and his face contorted with confusion.

"Did she say why she was going back?" He asked the young soldier. Rose stayed with her back facing the soldier and he eyes closed. She had thought she convinced him to stay.

"She said she stuck a deal with Lord Tyrion, I suggest she will tell the others why."

"I'll be right there."

The soldier backed away but didn't completely leave. Jaime looked over to Rose who looked at him with a disappointed face.

"I told you I wasn't going to make you choose. I never would. But I can't keep going on this way. Before we leave King's Landing, I need an answer." Rose turned around and walked right out of the gardens she loved so much, leaving the man she loves with one final decision before the war engulfs them all.

     Daenerys paced before settling herself by a crevasse where tiny dragon skulls littered the ground. Jon eventually staggered over, talking, and dreadfully waiting for Tyrion and Rose to return. After what seemed like hours Daenerys glanced at a moments notice to see Rose almost in a fast walk come back into the pit. Daenerys shuffled over as quickly as possible and noticed the beat red eyes that Rose had, and knew it didn't go to plan.

"It's up to him now. Apparently Cersei made a decision, they should be back here soon." Rose told Daenerys and walked past her and back to her seat.

Rose could feel the eyes on her. Brienne had one of the strongest stares, barring into her soul. Tyrion returned not long after that, his stare lingering on her too, after talking to Daenerys first. Tyrion sauntered over to her, quietly slipping into the chair beside her and looking at his friend with a concerned demeanor. Rose breathed in, trying to calm herself down to look at Tyrion, and when she did, all she could do was shake her head at him.

"Cersei is pregnant." Tyrion told her quietly, not sure if anyone else could hear him, but he thought she would want to know.

"I know. Jaime told me."

"I-" Tyrion began but Rose just simply shut her eyes and shook her head lightly at him.

"I can't do this right now Tyrion. It's his choice now and that's all I can say."

It was just moments after Tyrion began talking to Rose when the Lannister army returned and surrounded the Dragon Pit. Cersei, with Jaime and the new grand maester in tow, made their way right up to the blocky stage where everyone sat. Tyrion rose to his feet and quickly went to Daenerys' side, Jon, Davos, and Brienne close to them. Rose shakily stood, regaining her composure as Lady of Highgarden, not as Rose Tyrell, mother of Jaime Lannister's unborn child. She made her way behind Tyrion, avoiding eye contact with Jaime, burning her eyes into Cersei.

"My armies will not stand down." Cersei began as everyone watched her wearily, not trusting her one bit.

"I will not pull them back to the capital. I will march them north." Everyone could almost feel the weight lifted off everyone else's shoulders.

"To fight alongside you in the Great War. The darkness is coming for us all. We will face it together. And when the Great War is over, perhaps you will remember I chose to help with no promises or assurances from any of you. I expect not." Cersei glanced to Jaime, whom was standing over her shoulder.

"Call our banners, all of them."

Cersei left. Jaime left. And the rest of the Queen's inner circle and army left the Dragon Pit. Leaving the rest bewildered that she is going to help.

Rose decided not to return to the boat in which Jon, Tyrion, Daenerys and others would be taking to Winterfell. Rose decided to join Brienne and Pod, just to get away from everything. They would stay in King's Landing for the night and leave the next morning, and although she hadn't expected it to, the night went off without a hitch. It was quiet, the only thing could have heard were the waves.

The next morning Rose awoke aching from her pregnancy and she honestly thought she couldn't feel worse. Her head was pounding from crying, her skin felt disgusting from being in such a place and she wanted to go home, but she knew they all had to finish the fight before she could finally go home. It was still early, not even the city was awake, and Rose, Pod, and Brienne made their way to the horses and carriage, since Rose's state wasn't safe enough to let her ride her own horse. Pod never said a word to Rose other than formal greetings and Brienne watched her every move without a sound, keeping tabs on her friend without drawing attention.

One thing was different when they were just making their way out of King's Landing, it was snowing.

The travel party stopped and Rose got out of the carriage and removed her capes hood from her head and looked up into the sky. It was cloudy and grey, the darker night sky still looming over the city, a brief light shining through break of clouds, alerting the town the sun was rising slowly in the distance. Brienne walked up next to Rose who still had her eyes trained on the sky.

"We should get moving." Brienne told her and Rose looked back to earth and to the city that loomed in the back.

"I've never seen snow fall in King's Landing."

"Neither have I."

"It makes it look pretty."

Brienne didn't say anything, just watched the snow fall with Rose. Pod jumped off his horse and approached the two women.

"We should get moving my ladies. We need to stay on schedule for our return to-"

Pod was cut off by the sound of hooves galloping in the distance. The three whipped their heads around and looked for the horse or horses that might be approaching. Brienne moved in front of Rose and drew her sword for protection but once the dark horse came into view, it was clear they were in no danger.

It was Jaime.

Jaime was on top a dark horse, different from the white ones he always rode. He was dressed in black, not gold and his golden hand was covered with a black glove. He quickly dismounted his horse and made his way to the group. Rose could feel the breath hitch in her, like she couldn't breathe or talk. She knew why Jaime was here and it brought butterflies to her stomach, as if she was a teenager again. Before Brienne had the chance to stop him, he came up right to Rose and put both hands on the side of her face.

"I choose us."

And he captured Rose's lips with his own, sealing their fate.