[Red Keep - Dungeons]
Bronn and Jaime were walking by the dragon skulls. Both men had sparring swords in their hand.
"We don't have time for this. We should be preparing the city for a siege. The Dothraki are coming." Jaime said.
"All the more reason for you to train. Unless you plan on fighting Dothraki twelve year olds."
"I seem to recall them giving you a bit of trouble as well."
"And here I am ready to train."
"Why down here?"
"I don't think you want people to see how you look swinging that thing yet."
"Today might be the day I kill you by accident."
"Oh, you won't be swinging it at me." Bronn stopped walking and held his torch out.
Tyrion stepped from around a pillar and looks at Jaime, who looked angrily at Bronn.
"I'll leave you to it." Bronn turned and walks away leaving Jaime and Tyrion alone.
"I needed to see you and I knew you'd nevr agree to meet."
Jaime remained silent and stared at Tyrion.
"You made me look like a complete fool. I thought I'd surprise you by hitting Casterly Rock, but you were three steps ahead of me. You abandoned the family home. Completely unsentimental. Father would have been proud."
"Don't talk about our father."
"Listen to me-"
"I once told Bronn that if I evr saw you again I'd cut you in half."
Tyrion glanced down at the sword in Jaime's hand.
The tension between them was palpable, like the weight of a thousand swords hanging over their heads.
It was hard to believe that these two men were brothers, born of the same blood. Their father, Lord Tywin Lannister, would be proud to see them like this - locked in a bitter struggle for dominance and power. But then again, perhaps not. For despite their shared lineage, Jaime and Tyrion were as different as night and day.
One was the golden child, a paragon of strength and courage. The other was the black sheep, a dwarf who had always been an embarrassment to their family name. And yet, despite their differences, they shared something deeper than blood or bone. They shared a history, a past full of pain and loss. They shared memories of a father who had never truly loved either of them, but had loved one more than the other.
Jaime could feel Tyrion's gaze burning into him, searching for some sort of weakness, some chink in his armor. But Jaime was used to withstanding such scrutiny. He had been training for it his entire life.
As much as he hated to admit it, there was something admirable about Tyrion. Despite being born a dwarf, despite being treated like garbage by their father, Tyrion had carved out a life for himself. He had proven himself to be clever, cunning, and resourceful. He had become the master of his own fate, in a way that Jaime never had.
It wasn't Tyrion's fault that he was born the way he was, but their father's treatment of him had always eaten away at Jaime, making him feel guilty for being the favored son.
And yet, deep down, Jaime couldn't help but envy Tyrion in some small way. He envied him for his resilience, for his ability to turn their father's hatred into fuel for his own ambition. He envied him for finding a way to survive in a world that was not built for him.
"I freed you," Jaime muttered. "I freed you, and you murdered our father."
"Do you want me to apologize? I won't. I'm not sorry for what I did. He was a horrible father, a horrible man. Everyone knew it."
"You might not have loved him. But, I did. Our sister did."
"Father was the one who couldn't love me." Tyrion exclaimed. "Do you truly believe me cruel enough that I felt nothing when I shot that bow into his heart?"
"Not nothing, no. I'm sure you felt hate. You didn't think about how your siblings would feel."
Tyrion scoffed. "It certainly is easy to stand there and say these things, because he actually liked you."
"Maybe," Jaime conceded. "But, that still gave you no right to kill him."
"You know, you should consider yourself lucky."
"Why is that?"
"You had everything. You felt a father's love, a mother's love, a sister's love, hell, you even had the people's love. You had the looks, the opportunities, skills in swordsmanship, the 'right' body. But you lost it all."
"I lost it with the death of my father."
"No," Tyrion shook his head. "You lost it when you became a Kingslayer. You f*cked your sister, allowed the Stark boy to capture you, and lost your sword hand trying to escape. Maybe if I had all the things you did, our father might have found it in himself to love me. You lost it all, and our father overlooked it. Because that was much easier than admitting his only heir was a dwarf who killed his mother as she gave birth to him. That's all people see when they look at me; the Imp, a murderous, cruel dwarf. If I had even half of what you did, I would make sure I nevr lost it. Not like you."
Jaime was left speechless as he listened to the resentment pour out from his own brother's mouth. But he quickly felt anger boil within him at Tyrion's words. "You don't know what it's like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders! You don't know what it's like to be expected to be perfect, to be loved by everyone! I did what I had to do to protect the people I cared about!"
"He was going to execute me. He knew I was innocent. He didn't hate me because of anything I did, he hated me because of what I am. The little monster sent to punish him. Do you think I wanted to be born this way? Did he think I chose-"
"What do you want?" Jaime interrupted.
"Daenerys will win this war. You're a military man. You must know there is no way around it. Daenerys is not her father. She's even willing to suspend hostilities if Cersei agrees to certain terms."
"You want Cersei to bend the knee you can ask her yourself."
"I -- I don't. Daenerys doesn't. Not right now anyway. She has a more important request."
More important indeed.
[King's Landing - Flea Bottom]
Men are in the market selling their wares. A blacksmith sharpens a sword on a grinding wheel. Davos was walking through the market glancing around.
A man in a blacksmith shop pulled a sword from the fire and began to hammer it on his anvil.
Davos walks into the shop. "I wasn't sure I'd find you."
The blacksmith put the sword down and turned around, revealing Gendry Waters, the bastard son of Robert Baratheon.
"I thought you might still be rowing."
Gendry chuckled and Davos smiled.
"Our mutual friend looked in shops, taverns, brothels. He should have known to come straight to the Street of Steel."
"Weren't you worried about the Goldcloaks?"
"I haven't been here in yeas. Why should they recognize me? Sometimes I hardly do. Nothing fucks you harder than timr."
Davos walked to the side of the shop and inspected a rack of swords. He pulled one, nodding in approval and put it back in its place.
He turned back to Gendry. "Anybody give you any trouble?"
"Here I am arming Lannisters. I nevr get a second look. You were right. Safest place for me was right under the queen's nose."
"Don't be so sure. Safety is nevr a permanemt state of affairs. Bad things are coming."
Gendry nodded. "Davos sent you to get me. You want me to come with you."
"I think you need to understand-"
"I'm ready. Let's go."
"You should know what you're heading into."
"Don't you think I've been thinking about it every swing of the hammer... how happy I am making weapons for the family that killed my father? They tried to kill me." Gendry was tossing his tools and apron to the side. He picked up a satchel and swung it over his head. "I've been getting ready. I nevr knew what for, but I've alwys known I'd know it when it comes."
"You might want to bring one of those swords."
Gendry smiled at Davos and began walking towards the weapons. "I don't know much about swinging swords, but this-" He removed a giant war hammer from the wall. "-this I know."
Gendry and Davos turned and walked out of the shop.
[King's Landing - Beach]
Davos and Gendry are walking towards the boat Davos left on the beach.
"Keep your father's name to yourself. The situation is complicated enough already."
They arrived at the boat and Gendry laid his hammer on top of the cargo. Davos was gathering the anchor and rope.
Two Goldcloaks began walking down the beach towards the boat unnoticed by Davos and Gendry.
"Who should I say I am?" Gendry asked.
Davos turned and noticed the two guards approaching the boat. He turned and loudly addressed Gendry.
"I told you, Clovis, if we don't get out of here soon someone is going to-"
"You there." The first guard said.
Both guards had their hands on their weapons ready to draw.
Davos started walking towards the guards and spread his cloak open while Gendry remained by the boat. "No weapons, friends. I promise. What can I do for you?"
"Is that your boat?"
"It is."
Gendry looked down into the boat and saw his weapon in plain view.
"The docks are that way." The second guard informed them.
"That they are. I try to stay away from them to avoid good men such as yourselves." Gendry said.
The two guards look at each other and chuckle.
Davos retrieved a coin purse and opened it. "Still five gold dragons?"
"Are you joking?" The first man questioned.
"You must be even older than you look. Fifteen."
"Fifteen?" Davos asked.
"A piece."
He angrily reached into his pouch and paid the men. "I can't say it was a pleasure doing business with you." He turned and began walking back to his boat.
"What's in the boat?"
Davos paused and turned back to the guards. "Not more gold."
"Wine?" The second guard guessed.
"Mmm." The first hummed in delight.
"I like wine."
"Or hams."
"Come and have a look." Davos offered.
The guards walked over to the boat. As they approach, Davos walks to the boat and pulls a cover to reveal the cargo. As he pulled back the canvas, he threw it over Gendry's exposed weapon, covering it from view. There are several baskets of fermented meat. The guards twisted their faces in disgust.
"Fermented crab." He explained.
"What?"
"Fermented crab. One bucket of this triples the brothel's earnings for the week. A man thinks he's done, he's ready to go back to his loving family, but before he gets his britches up his lady of the hour pops a tiny spoon of that into his mouth. Five minutes later, he's back in the race. Here, have a taste."
Davos scooped up a bit of fermented crab and offered it to the guards. Both men reached out and took a pinch. The guards sniffed the crab and put it in their mouth. They both recoiled from the taste and looked at each other.
"I'd hurry to your favorite establishment or you'll put a whole in that chainmail." Davos told them.
The guards and Davos laughed. They turned and started walking back towards the city. Gendry nodded at them as they went.
Tyrion appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the beach. The Goldcloaks saw him as he was walking down the path. Tyrion walked by the guards and they exchanged glances.
The guards stopped and turned back toward the boat.
"Oi, Dwarf!"
Davos quickly walked to cut the guards off. "I really wouldn't try anymore until you see how the first bite hits you."
"That dwarf-"
The guards blew past Davos and began talking to Tyrion.
"Where did you get that scar?" The first asked.
"Fish hook. Some men you just can't teach." Tyrion replied.
"We was looking for a dwarf with a scar like that awhile back." The second man added.
Davos was still standing behind the guards. He retrieved his gold pouch again and held it up, shaking it. "Perhaps there's some arrangement?"
The two guards turned back to Davos.
"Arrangement? You gonna arrange to pay us more than Queen Cersei?"
Gendry slowly retrieved his hammer and crept up behind the second guard. He swung his hammer and connected with the side of the guard's head. The man dropped. The first guard turned to look and caught a hammer blow to the face.
Davos was looking at Tyrion and motioned towards Gendry. "This is Gendry."
"He'll do."
The men grabbed onto the boat and began to push it into the water.
[Red Keep - Cersei's Chambers]
Jaime opened the door and stepped into the queen's room.
Cersei was seated near a window speaking to Qyburn. "That won't be necessary."
Qyburn bows his head and walks to leave the room. As he passes by Jaime he addressed him. "Ser Jaime."
He closed the door as he left, leaving Jaime and Cersei alone. She began walking over to a chair in front of Jaime and sat.
"Why was Qyburn here?"
"He's Hand of the Queen. Why are you here?"
"I met with Tyrion."
Cersei paused for a moment making Jaime uncomfortable. "What did our brother have to say?"
"Daenerys wants to meet."
"To discuss a surrender?"
"To discuss an armistice."
"She just won a great victory. Why would she want a truce now?"
"Because an army of dead men is mqrching on the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion claims he'll have proof."
Cersei smirks and looks away from Jaime. "Are you going to punish him?"
"Tyrion?"
"Bronn."
Jaime looked confused.
"He betrayed you. He set up a meeting without your knowledge or consent. Do you think anything of importance happens in this city without me knowing?
Jaime shook his head. "You let it happen. Why?"
"I've come to believe that accomodation with the Dragon Queen could be in our immediate interest. She has the numbers. If we want to beat her, we have to be clever. We have to fight her like father would have. Dead men, dragons and Dragon Queens, whatever stands in our way, we will defeat it ourselves for our house. For this." Cersei lifted her hands from the chair and places them both on her stomach indicating she's pregnant.
Jaime was noticeably shocked. "Who will you say is the father?"
"You."
"People won't like that."
Cersei stood from her chair and walked in front of Jaime. "Do you remember what father used to say about people?"
"The lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep." Jaime reached forward and grabbed Cersei, kissing her.
While they embrace, Cersei spoke to him. "Nevr betray me again."