They have travelled for more than a month in the Kingsroad. Every step they take closer to the Capital, Aurelia knows Jaime no more than the day before. They had another argument piling up the last one in which they still had not spoken about. Jaime was too arrogant to apologize, and Aurelia was too stubborn to even mention it.
They were sharing the same bed as well, with both sleeping on opposite sides far away from one another. Once Aurelia would awaken, Jaime would already be gone. When Jaime returns, Aurelia would choose to avoid him by reading a book or sleeping right then. The two did not converse unless need be, and even then Aurelia would only reply Jaime with short sentences.
Their second argument arise a week during their travel. Aurelia was not overly fond of the fact that Lannister soldiers are following her everywhere she goes, even to visit her sisters. It felt as if being watched over a pack of hawks, and she was the prey. During that day, the entire party was getting ready to leave for another day's journey, and Aurelia had just mounted on her horse when she noticed two guards with their crimson red armor and heavy chain mail, riding on their horses up to her.
"We have been assigned to protect you, my Lady." One of the guards informed, puzzling Aurelia. Ned promised his daughter two guards, and he's been keeping that promise. If he has assigned more, he would surely have sent Stark men, not Lannisters.
"On whose orders?" Aurelia questioned them,
"Ser Jaime Lannister." The guard replied, and Aurelia can't help but let out a disapproving sigh. He was adding fuel to the fire, and Aurelia was having enough of it.
"Well you can tell Ser Jaime Lannister, I do not need more men watching over me. Two of my men are enough." Aurelia dismissed the guards, and with perfect timing Jaime appeared out of the blue.
"Is there a problem here?" Jaime chimed in, as he sat astride on his white stallion.
"Yes, there is. Relieve your men of the order you gave them. I do not need more soldiers. I can watch over myself perfectly." Aurelia opined in a stern manner.
"The Kingsroad is a dangerous place. I am merely concern about your safety. No Lady should journey unattended." Jaime told her,
"Well, I am not unattended. Two of my father's men are perfectly capable protecting me. I don't need yours." Aurelia exclaimed with exasperation.
"Your father's men?" Jaime questioned, "As far as I am aware, you are my wife. That means you're a Lannister now; you need to be protected by my Lannister men."
"I did marry you. However, that does not mean I am not a Stark." Aurelia corrected him, making Jaime irritated now. All that she wanted was for this nonsensical discussion to end. "As your wife, I have the ability to voice out my reasons; and my reason is I do not wish to be watched over by Lannister soldiers."
"Are you saying you don't trust me and my men?" Jaime inquired, nudging his horse closer to Aurelia.
"No, quite frankly I don't." Aurelia replied boldly, without thinking of the consequences. Jaime scoffed, and let out a smirk upon hearing her words.
"These men will protect you. End of discussion." Jaime instructed, and dug the heel of his shoe on his horse. This caused him to ride away from her, before Aurelia could respond anything. It took her a moment to process what he was doing.
"Jaime!" Aurelia exclaimed her husband's name to get him back. She let out an anguish groan at his childish behaviour. She would have gone after him but it wasn't worth it. Aurelia looked towards the two Lannister men, with no choice but to have them as part of her protection.
"You ride behind my men, and only behind my men." Aurelia ordered them, and they abide to her command.
Ever since that argument, Aurelia cannot stand Jaime and of course, they never talked about it. It was a marriage with no communication, and it went longer than expected. Jaime thought that she would succumb to the enduring awkwardness, but Aurelia stood strong. She acted as if the state of their relationship had no effect on her.
Today, the Royal Party stopped by the Crossroads Inn for a night's rest. Her thighs had began to burn, with red marks starting to appear. She wanted to rest inside her tent until the next day comes, due to her sore legs. Ned told her that once she gets tired, Aurelia can travel inside the wheelbarrows, but of course she didn't listen.
Since Jaime won't retreat to their bed until nightfall, Aurelia took this opportunity to spend some time alone. Sansa and Arya were off to do their own things; one being with the Prince, and the other playing with the butcher's boy, Mycah.
She sat by the chair set beside their bed. The sound of the hustle and bustle outside was apparent, but it didn't bother her the slightest. Aurelia spent about half-an-hour reading a book, when a tear slipped from the corner of her eyes and stained the old pages of it. She placed the book down, touching her cheek gently. The soft moisture on her skin caught her by surprise, as she had not realize she had been crying. Nothing triggered her emotions, and she felt no anger.
As if aware of her feelings, Aiyana moved from where she lay down next to Aurelia, and rested her nozzle against Aurelia's lap. The direwolf was capable of producing a touch of cheer to Aurelia, as she stroked behind Aiyana's ear. That was when Aurelia felt the longing of home. Her fingers unknowingly fidgeted with the locket hanging around her neck, and she would gladly have raced back to Winterfell if given the chance. Aurelia hated the road, and the anger building up inside her was too much to carry.
Choosing to not be alone, as it will only increase her yearn for comfort, Aurelia closed the book she held and stood up to head outside where she could find her father to make herself useful.
Opening up the flap of the tent, she took a step forwards and accidentally bumped into something like thick metal. Her cheek made contact with an armor plate, creating a loud clang that ended with her loosely stumbling to the ground behind. By pure reflex, the other person reached out for Aurelia's hand and grabbed her before she could fall. His other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.
The incident stunned her, and Aurelia held up her chin to see that it was Jaime she had bumped into. The touch of his hand on her waist fluttered her heart; a feeling she failed to remember as they made no contact with one another ever since their departure from Winterfell. Aurelia averted her gaze upwards to be met by Jaime who was all too surprised at what happened. She couldn't move away from his flashing eyes, even though she wanted to.
"Are you alright?" Jaime spoke in minor panic,
"I'm fine." Aurelia replied him in a placid nature, and Jaime brought her back on her feet. She instinctively brought her hand on her cheek, realizing a small sting. He noticed the redness that wasn't there before, becoming alarmed.
"I'm sorry, I should have known better." Jaime anxiously apologized. He lowered himself down to see her cheek, hoping that it was not severe. "Are you sure, you're alright?" He asked once more, taking Aurelia by surprise at his worry. She had never seen him act this way before.
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt as much. It'll go away, Jaime." Aurelia assured him that the redness did not equate to the level of pain. It was if the strain between them was put aside for mere moments, due to Jaime's sincerity. "Anyways, it's my fault this time." She stated, taking in Jaime's gaze towards her. He was aware that Aurelia wasn't talking about their previous 'incidents', but rather about the fight that started the tension in their marriage in the first place.
The two were only inches apart as Jaime's lips hovered over her cheeks. If she turned her head slightly to the right, their mouths would touch. It was the first time they have been close to one another after the wedding. Noting the situation, Aurelia took a step backwards and Jaime straightened her back.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have your duty?" Aurelia asked him. It was way well in the afternoon, and Jaime's shift would be over when the King is finished with his dinner.
"I asked the King to relieve me of them earlier than usual. I wanted to see you." Jaime explained, and her ears perked up at his words. As far as Aurelia knows, Jaime loves being in the Kingsguard more than anything; Aurelia included. She would be no exception when it comes to guarding the King, or lack thereof.
"Oh," Aurelia replied speechlessly,
"Where were you going?" Jaime asked her in return,
"I thought of looking for my father. Figured he needed some help. I had to keep myself busy, there's not much to do when you're in the road." Aurelia told him, "If that is all, Jaime, I still intend of going." She continued, and made the move of walking away from Jaime. However, that was stopped when Jaime grabbed her forearm.
"Aurelia, please..." Jaime spoke trying to be patient as possible. When she felt Jaime's touch, Aurelia turned to face him by reflex. Her eyes wandered to his hand then back up to him, and that was when he let go. "We need to talk." He added,
"Talk about what?" Aurelia acted obliviously, despite understanding him perfectly well.
"You know exactly what."
"Well, you're the one who has no intention of apologizing." Aurelia pointed out,
"You're the one who has been avoiding me." Jaime stated,
"You weren't exactly helping the situation by putting two guards on my watch." Aurelia exclaimed, "Do you know what it's like to have people watching your move every second of the day? I had protection back home, but nothing this intense. I can't even talk to my sisters without them listening, let alone walk in peace!"
Her tone quickly escalated because all of the emotions she had buried deep inside her was coming out, and she was having a hard time restraining herself.
"Okay," Jaime spoke gently, not wanting to push her buttons. He was aware now that any rude remark regarding her family elicits her anger. He can't seem to figure out any more other than that. "But you have to understand, I did that for your own good."
"I had wished you'd ask about me before. I'm more furious at the fact that you spoke not a word to me about it, and made the decision yourself." Aurelia explained, "It's my own protection, I should have a say in it."
"Well, I was about to, but you were so keen on staying away from me." Jaime reminded Aurelia of her actions in avoiding him anytime she saw him.
"Well, who put us there in the first place?" Aurelia shouted, to make her message clear. They were in this messy situation from the beginning because of his careless words and she wanted Jaime to understand that.
Then came the silence between the two as Jaime figured out the words to say to her. Aurelia had proceeded to sit down by the edge of her bed, as she rested her forehead on her hand, thinking of a way to try and settle this argument.
"What do you want me to say?" Jaime asked her,
"An apology! Is that so difficult?" Aurelia cried out, "We have been at it for weeks, Jaime. I am exhausted, of living in mute with you. I promised myself that I will make this marriage work no matter what it is I do, but you're not exactly helping me. Do you truly want to continue this way?" She expressed angrily,
"No...No, I do not." Jaime replied, "Believe me, I am just as much as tired as you are. You have to see this from my perspective, as well. Yes, I spoke out of turn and didn't put much thought to it. But if you know the reason as to why I said that, you would understand. I mean, have you sat and wondered about what you think of my family? Things you say in your head, but know better than to say it out loud."
Aurelia pondered on his question. Growing up, Aurelia's heard stories of Tywin Lannister's acts of deceit, the fall of the now extinct House Reyne, and Jaime murdering the king he once vowed to protect. She once perceived them as having no honor, but there were times when Jaime would put an end to that view.
On the other hand, Jaime does not believe that the Starks were as morally principled as people say they are. He saw it in his own eyes the very same night he killed the Mad King, and Ned's bastard son became more proof. He loathed the fact that Aurelia has this flawless perception on them, though it wasn't her fault entirely because she was raised to be fierce and protective of her family. She would defend them to the end of time, Jaime was certain of that.
Aurelia stayed silent this time, unsure of what to say next. She didn't want to end up saying the wrong thing. She has her own opinions regarding the Lannisters, and some not so pleasant than the rest. But who was she to judge? She has only been a Lannister for a month, never made conversation with the Queen before, never met Tywin Lannister before, and only spoke to Tyrion twice and that was by making small talk.
"You love your family, I'm quite aware of that, Aurelia. But I have my reasons as well as to why I don't sit well with them. You can't expect me to admire them, I won't. And I don't expect the same thing to happen with you." Jaime continued to speak, noting Aurelia's silence. "I am sorry for what I said, but that doesn't change the way I feel about your family. Please, understand that." Jaime finally apologized. Although it wasn't the apologize she hoped, it was enough.
"Then we compromise." Aurelia offered, "Our family may never see eye to eye, but the same thing doesn't have to happen to us."
"Alright then." Jaime agreed, "Can we put this behind us then? Start our marriage from the beginning?"
Aurelia nodded her head in response. It wasn't the best solution there was, but it was the best she could think of. How else are they to live in peace? There families were polar opposites, which is why everyone was surprised by the betrothal when they first heard about it. It was depicted that their fights would be countless, their marriage unhappy, and the Lannister wife would be miserable as Jaime continued being a knight, not worrying about Aurelia the slightest. However so, Aurelia was determined to beat the odds. Her mother told her that marriage was never easy, but if the pair placed both feet forwards, they could survive it.
"Lady Aurelia!" A voice shouted from the other side of the tent. Jaime and Aurelia's attention diverted to whoever was calling for her, and she stood up from the bed to walk towards the entrance. She knew who it was the second she heard the voice.
Opening the flap of the tent, she was met with same person she thought of in her head. Jory's voice had become all too familiar, since he had been with her for her entire life. Other than that, Jory has refused to call Aurelia by her new family name. It sounded strange on his ears, as he was unfamiliar with calling the eldest daughter of Ned Stark other than the title 'Lady Aurelia'.
"What is it?" Aurelia wondered, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Jory appeared tensed, reminding her of Maester Luwin when he informed her about Bran's fall. "Had something terrible happened to her sisters?" She thought to herself,
"You better come with, my Lady. Your Lord father wishes to see you." Jory notified, not liking the tone he was using. That was when she registered the scene happening behind Jory, noticing the scram of Lannister guards all around to the area around the river surrounded by dense trees.
"Aurelia, what is the matter?" Jaime's voice broke in, catching Jory off-guard. He hadn't thought that the knight would be present. He took one look at the man standing across from Aurelia, before his eyes landed to his wife.
"I'm not sure." Aurelia answered him, as she was still in the dark. "Jory, would you tell me what happened?"
Jory stayed silent for a moment, pondering on what he should do.
"Lady Aurelia asked you what is happening. I suggest you answer her." Jaime spoke rather sternly at Jory. He realized that the reason Jory was not talking was because of him.
"Not here, my Lady. Please," Jory begged, and Aurelia knew then that it must be serious. It made Aurelia think that whatever Jory had to say, is somehow related to Jaime as well.
"Alright," Aurelia agreed to come with him, but before she could go, she turned around to face Jaime. "I'll be back." She told Jaime, and there was nothing else he could do but oblige. Jaime was curious as well, taking note of the commotion around him. He decided to go to the one person whom he knows he can get his answers from; Cersei herself. While Jaime headed to where he figured his sister would be, Aurelia was walking her way to Ned, not realizing just how big of a deal this entire ordeal is.