Tyrion Lannister had forgotten how incessantly hot and humid the air surrounding Kings Landing was, and coupled with the millions of people in the capital did not make it any better. The pungent stench made its way to Tyrion's nose as he entered the gates of the city; his eyes never leaving the colossal castle sitting atop Aegon's hill. The Red Keep was the only massive structure besides the Great Sept of Baelor in the capital. If Tyrion's memories of Casterly Rock were not laced with his own father's torment, perhaps he would have chosen the great seat of the Lannisters rather than the Keep to spend his days. This has been his home away from home. Only a madman would deliberately live in the Rock with Tywin Lannister as their only company.
After his near-death experiences one too many times, Tyrion would have enjoyed his comfy featherbed and plush pillows, with a whore distracting him for the night's duration until the sun rises. But for the first time, he was here on business. He arrived with what's left of the hill tribes, and the sell sword Bronn, whom saved Tyrion's life after demanding trial by combat in the Eyrie. The journey Tyrion endured from the Wall all the way to the South was petrifying to say the least – being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, attacked by the hill tribes twice, managing to leave the Eyrie without having to jump to his death through a moon door, reunited with his father and Uncle Kevan in the middle of their war council, survived a battle by being knocked unconscious, and now he's arrived in Kings Landing as acting Hand of the King, appointed by Tywin himself. In between those occurrences, he was informed of Robert Baratheon's death, Eddard Stark's beheading, and his brother, Jaime Lannister's capture.
Tyrion made his way to a room behind the great hall, entering the place whilst whistling a jolly tone. The sound made all other members of the small council stop what they were doing. All their heads quipped to the entrance to where the sound of footsteps originated from, as they saw Tyrion Lannister walk in clad with Lannister armor from head-to-toe; though it seems to be covered by a thick layer of dust that managed to cover the crimson red color. None were expecting to see the Imp alive, nor sauntering his way into the small council.
"Don't get up. More ravishing than ever, big sister." Tyrion spoke for everyone to hear, as Cersei rolled her eyes at the presence of her youngest brother. He went to her seat first, giving Cersei a peck on the cheek. She made no effort to hide the nuisance on her face upon seeing the brother she had not seen for almost a year. If the two siblings shared any affection for one another, they were not doing a good job showing it. "War agrees with you. Carry on." He told the entire council as he walked to the seat by the other end of the table where the Hand normally sits.
"What are you doing here?" Cersei questioned him,
"Ah, it's been a remarkable journey. I pissed off the edge of the Wall, I slept in a sky cell, I fought with the hill tribes...so many adventures, so much to be thankful for." Tyrion expressed in a sarcastic matter. He grabbed a pitcher of wine situated by his side on the table, and poured himself a drink into an empty glass.
"What are you doing here? This is the small council." Cersei clarified her question with anger rising in her voice; a tone Tyrion knew all too well for he had grown up with it.
"Yes. Well, I do believe the Hand of the King is welcomed at all small council meetings." Tyrion remarked, astounding the members of the council.
"Our father is Hand of the King." Cersei corrected him,
"Yes; but, in his absence..." Tyrion pulled out a rolled paper from under his armor, and handed it to Varys, whom seated on his left. Tyrion's eyes never left Cersei's, wanting to witness firsthand his sister's reaction after she listened to what is written on that paper.
Varys pulled away the loose rope tied around, and opened it.
"Your father has named Lord Tyrion to serve as Hand in his stead while he fights." The Master of Whispers proceeded to read.
"Out! All of you out!" Cersei shouted, as she slammed her fist on the table and stood up from her seat. Without sparing another second, all members of the council rose to their feet and bowed before the Queen Mother. Tyrion only looked on in amusement as everyone left the room one after another, and Cersei made her way towards him. "I would like to know how you tricked father into this." Cersei asked of him,
"If I were capable of tricking father, I'd be emperor of the world by now. You brought this on yourself." Tyrion stated, as Cersei sat back down on the vacated seat beside him.
"I've done nothing."
"Quite right, you did nothing when your son called for Ned Stark's head. Now the entire North has risen up against us." Tyrion commented,
"I tried to stop it." Cersei tried to give reason for her failed attempt to control her own son.
"Did you? You failed. That bit of theater will haunt our family for a generation." Tyrion said,
"Robb Stark is a child." Cersei pointed out as a way to ease her worries of the war. To her, what can a boy withstand against her father's army?
"Whose won every battle he's fought. Do you understand we're losing the war?" Tyrion reminded her in a way a parent would scold a child.
"What do you know about warfare?" Cersei questioned him,
"Nothing. But I know people. And I know our enemies hate each other almost as much as they hate us." Tyrion replied, and Cersei finally turned her eyes to look at him.
"Joffrey is King." Cersei stated after a momentary silence,
"Joffrey is King." Tyrion repeated her,
"You are only here to advise him." Cersei told him,
"I am only here to advise him." Tyrion repeated once more, "And if the King listens to what I have to say, the King might just get his Uncle Jaime back." He pointed out, and the shift in Cersei's expression conveyed that she was interested in hearing what Tyrion has to say.
"How?" She questioned,
"You love your children. That's your one redeeming quality; that and your cheekbones. Starks love their children as well, and we have two of them." Tyrion explained that a trade between hostages would be the only way to ensure Jaime's safe return.
"One." Cersei corrected him quietly, knowing that it would not help their cause any further.
"One?" Tyrion asked with a tone of disbelief.
"Arya, little animal...she disappeared." Cersei told him,
"Disappear, what? In a puff of smoke? We had three Starks to trade. You chopped one head's off, and let another escape. Father would be furious." Tyrion told her with a hint of irritation. Cersei rolled her eyes at his brother's remark of their father, trying her best to not be affected by his words. "It must be odd for you...to be the disappointing child."
"If Robert had chosen another hand, none of this would have happened." Cersei mentioned, and for the first time, Tyrion agreed with her.
"Whomever killed poor Jon Arryn is responsible for all this mess. If he's alive, Robert would have no need to choose another hand." Tyrion told her, as he took another sip of the dornish red wine that satisfied his thirst more than ever. "Did you know who killed him? Honestly, sister." Tyrion asked cautiously, as Cersei gave him a side-eye in response to his question.
"Ned Stark asked me that same question." Cersei remarked,
"And what did you tell him?"
"The same as I'm telling you. I don't know." Cersei stated, and truthfully at that. "Why is it that you come to me with that question?"
"Well you see, I was enjoying my journey from the wall and back to the Capital when suddenly from a distance, I saw Lady Catelyn Stark in the same inn where I was. Next thing I knew, all of her father's bannermen pointed their swords at me and I was whisked away to the Eyrie for facing the crime of pushing her ten-year-old boy off a tower." Tyrion recounted the memory that was still very vivid in his mind. "Not to mention, once I saw Lysa Arryn, the grieving widow in the Eyrie seems to think that I killed her Lord husband."
"Your point being?" Cersei questioned,
"Well you always act as if you know everything happening in this entire city. I thought this time, perhaps you actually knew." Tyrion explained,
"I don't." Cersei told him the truth, and he debated with himself on whether he should believer her or not. She prided herself in her ability to manipulate others, but it never worked on him. Tyrion had always been capable of deducing her lies.
"Why did Ned Stark?" Tyrion asked her in return,
"Why did Ned Stark what?" Cersei asked.
"Well you asked me why I came to you with that question; why did Ned Stark?" Tyrion said, wondering if he has to explain every single detail to his sister from now on.
"He had reason to suspect– well him and that Jon Arryn – that...or well, believed to..." Cersei tried explaining but she could not find a way without exposing her secret to Tyrion. No one else knew other than her and Jaime, and anyone else who did were dead; all except Bran Stark, but he was no longer a threat.
"That you were fucking our sweet Jaime?" Tyrion finished the sentence for her. She immediately gave him a deathly glare that would make anyone else cower. Cersei raised her hand, and slapped him across his cheek, but all it did was made Tyrion smirk. "Did you think I was as blind as father?" Tyrion rubbed his cheek.
"How long have you known?" Cersei asked him,
"Ever since I was old enough to understand the things I was seeing." Tyrion replied, "You've become more careless than ever, and now the secret has slipped through these walls and into the ears of our enemy. Do you understand what will happen once there is proof that your son has no claim to the throne?"
"We were doing fine until Jon Arryn and that fool Ned Stark figured out the truth." Cersei said, "They are both dead now and the secret surely must have died with them."
"Fine? I knew the truth well before they did." Tyrion exclaimed, "And what of the Stark boy that was pushed from the tower, and the catspaw that was sent to finish the job once news broke that the boy had awakened? Catelyn Stark seemed to believe that I committed such a crime as well? I can only think of who would despise me so much to put me in such a position."
"I had nothing to do with that!" Cersei defended herself,
"Nothing? Then how did Catelyn Stark come to the conclusion that a Lannister is responsible for the demise of her son?" Tyrion began to raise his voice, but Cersei chose to remain silent. "Did...did you push him from that tower?"
Her eyes casted down to her fidgeting fingers, unable to look at Tyrion in the eye. Cersei thought she rid herself of the memory but one single question brought her back to that moment. It was not something she was proud of, but given the circumstance, Cersei felt as if it was the only option.
"Dear Gods, sister." Tyrion looked on in shock. She didn't need to speak any words for Tyrion to know. "I took you for many things, but murdering a child is not one of them."
"I didn't murder him. The boy is still alive is he not?" Cersei spoke,
"But you crippled him for life. What kind of monster would do that to an innocent child?"
"He would have exposed the truth! I did what I had to do to protect my children." Cersei defended her actions.
"Save your children, or save yourself?" Tyrion asked,
"If he told his father, I would have been dead before the sun could even set. So will Jaime, and Joffrey, and Myrcella, and Tommen." Cersei explained, "What would you have done?"
"I would not have been so careless at first." Tyrion gave the same answer Jaime had given her. "And what of the assassin? He was about to kill the boy with a Lannister dagger."
"I know nothing of that." Cersei said, "I may have pushed the boy, but I did not send someone to finish the deed."
"You must have been angry once father arranged that marriage between Jaime and Aurelia Stark. I do still remember the look on your face when all of it became official, especially when you tried persuading father to break the betrothal. You and Jaime could never even so much as held hands in public, but then this girl comes along and she could do everything you could not for the rest of your life." Tyrion taunted her sister, as her anger increased.
"She cannot do everything! I'm the Queen, and she's just a common traitor." Cersei told him,
"A traitor who's smarter than she lets on, and is standing by Robb Stark's side as they continue to win this war." Tyrion said of Aurelia. Despite the both of them only conversing twice, he could sense something strong in the she-wolf. "Might I remind you; she is married to Jaime. That makes her a Lannister." He continued,
"That makes her nothing. She can never be a part of our House, nor will she ever. Father will soon realize that she has tainted the Lannister name. It's only a matter of time until their marriage is over." Cersei continued to held onto the hope that whatever relationship Aurelia and Jaime has will diminish, and she-wolf along with it.
"Father already sees her as one. He cares not of her bloodline if it meant securing our House's legacy. She is the only person who can give him an heir, and we both know how much father values that." Tywin reminded, "Besides, what makes you think Jaime won't fight for her? Or try to keep her alive at least."
"Jaime does not love her. He can't." Cersei seethed,
"He's starting too. Why else would he have brought Aurelia if he could have just left her in the capital, or at Casterly Rock?"
Cersei grew quiet at that. She has pondered on that thought ever since Jaime fled Kings Landing. She expected him to leave her be, which is why she was surprised when they informed her that he took Aurelia with him as well.
"Did you ever think that perhaps, Aurelia could be the best thing for Jaime?" Tyrion asked her,
"Why exactly would that be? What can she give that I haven't given to him?" Cersei questioned in return. "We were brought to this world together and we will thread through life as one." She thought to herself.
"Happiness, love, a good life?" Tyrion piqued, "I never understood what Jaime saw in you, apart from his own reflection."
Cersei slapped him again.
"Be gentle, Cersei, I'm only jesting with you." Tyrion mused, "In fact, it's only showing your true fear; someday Jaime will long forget you because his heart is occupied by another. Must be scary for you to be a person who's not loved."
Cersei slapped him once more.
"If you keep doing that, I may get angry." Tyrion told her, as his cheeks were red and burning. Although he was the one in pain, it brought him joy to see his sister in such a state. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get the rest I deserve before ruling this country for your beloved son." With that, he downed the remaining wine in the glass and took his leave.
Cersei let out a deep sigh, as Tyrion's words seeped into her mind. She hated so whenever her youngest brother got to her, and she made certain that she would never show it in front of him. Cersei was too prideful to give that satisfaction to Tyrion. She poured herself her own glass of wine, and reveled in the bittersweet taste of the drink as a cunning smile appeared on her face. Tyrion's words may have affected her, but she gained pleasure knowing of her own little plan at the back of her head about a certain Stark whose presence threatens everything she holds dear.
***
Elsewhere in the Riverlands, the days had not been easy for the Starks. Robb distracted himself by discussing mounts of battle strategies in the war council, and he would not spare a second to feel the grief within. He feels alone sometimes; that everything about the war rests upon his shoulders and that he has to do it all by himself. But he was always reminded by Catelyn and Aurelia that he was not alone. They will stand by Robb's side through it all. Their father always taught them that the pack shall always stay together; protect one another, and that is what the three of them intent do until everything is right.
Catelyn was the most skeptical of them all about Robb being crowned the King in the North. There is no doubt that she was proud of his eldest for all he's managed to do, and yet the title instilled a sense of fear inside her. Not the fear of his son holding power, but the fear that the title would bring upon more danger on him than it already has. A few days ago, their sole purpose was to retrieve Ned and their girls back from the Lannisters. But now with Ned gone, it seems that their purpose has shifted. Whomever is sitting upon the Iron Throne will not take lightly to the fact that the Northerners has truly rebelled against the crown. Anyone vying for the throne wishes to rule over the seven Kingdoms, not six.
The Northern army were moving from one stronghold to another in the Riverlands. Aurelia was not certain whether it was because she was tired of all the moving, but she grows fatigued every other day. Nights would always end in exhaustion, and she finds herself shutting her eyes earlier than usual. There are days where she would wake up with a migraine, but always decided to shake it away. Aurelia felt as though she need not burden anyone else with her own small problems. She had been trying to get to know the men following Robb, training with a few soldiers here and there, attending war council meetings, conversing with all the other Lords and Ladies. Whatever mistrust between Aurelia and the other Northerners were gone by then.
She had just finished her responsibilities in the healer's tent where all the injured soldiers were treated. More victories meant more casualties, and less men in the army. Aurelia took it upon herself to choose which soldiers shall rest more until properly healed, which can fight in the next battle with their full strength, and those who cannot anymore. It was especially difficult for her due to her animosity towards death, but she held on to her father's words that the feeling will eventually subside. Aurelia had been occupying her mind elsewhere. Thinking about her father would only bring so much sadness.
People were offering condolences to the three Starks; everyone who followed them from the North all admired Lord Eddard Stark. It feels as though a part of the North died along with him. Aurelia appreciated everyone's sympathy, but it made her no grief no better. None of that could bring her father back, and as of now, that is all she wants. When she sleeps at night, Aurelia dreams of their family feasting at sundown as the roar of laughter's, the usual bickering coming from Sansa and Arya, and stories of Bran improving his skills as a fighter filled the entire Great Hall. Such a memory seemed so long ago, and Aurelia wish they could all return to that.
Most of the time, she spends her nights alone. Aurelia would take her supper at her own tent to avoid hearing her mother's lecture on her decreasing appetite. She never felt lonely though; on the contrary, Aurelia enjoyed these moments alone. It's as if she can finally breathe without having anyone to watch her every move. One of the servants – who was a camp follower at first – would come by at night with tea, saying that it will help soothe the migraines.
Her mind would occasionally turn to Jaime once a while. It confused her ever more so how after everything him and his family have done to hers, Aurelia still cares for him. She would often cry herself to sleep, and there was no one else's arms she would rather be in than Jaime's. The two rarely shared any moments of affection but when they do, it feels right for them both. However, she cannot help but feel as though she's betraying her entire family for having feelings towards a certain Lannister; feelings that she continued to deny every single day. She tries to convince herself that she only cares about Jaime's life because he is the only chance to have Sansa and Arya returned, but a part of her is having a difficult time accepting such a thought. Perhaps she cares about Jaime's life simply because she truly does; and perhaps that is the reason as to why she was walking through the prison cells at the dead of the night.
Aurelia's black cloak cascaded down the back of her equally matching dress. Her footsteps were silenced by the moss-covered ground underneath, as Aiyana trudged beside her. The direwolf instills a sense of fear wherever she goes, quietening the loud noises that always came from the prisoners. Somedays, it seems as though Aiyana could connect with her. There was nowhere Aurelia would go where her direwolf would not follow. Catelyn Stark was against the idea at first in letting all her children have direwolves as pets, but now she was starting to think that perhaps Ned knew all along the wolves would protect them when the rest cannot.
Jaime's head looked up from the dirt below once he heard the turn of locks. The cage doors pulled open, and only when the two soldiers left did Aurelia walked inside. She held a white cloth on her right hand, and a jug of clean water in another. He looked worse than when she last saw him. His clothes seemed loose than before from Robb's men starving him. Jaime noticed her red-rimmed eyes, and the circles underneath. He wasn't the only person who appears different.
"Aurelia..." The name left Jaime's lips softly,
She opted not to say anything to him, instead placing the held objects on the ground beside where Jaime is currently being chained. Aurelia did not even spare him a glance, despite Jaime's eyes never leaving hers from the moment she entered the cage.
"I heard about your father...I am sorry." Jaime offered his sympathies,
Aurelia's relationship with Ned was closer than he can ever have with his own father. It was strong and unconditional. The day they left Kings Landing, Jaime saw how incredibly fierce the lengths Ned was willing to go through to ensure his daughter's safety. When Jaime attacked Lord Eddard Stark, it was out of pure anger, but Ned fought him back out of love.
"Are you?" Aurelia questioned,
"I may have never been fond of your father, but I understand very well that he meant everything to you." Jaime replied,
"And yet, you started a brawl with him." Aurelia recounted the memory she can never forget. "If that was not enough, your family decides to imprison him and behead him for a crime he could never commit." She continued in anger,
"I did not have a hand in any of that. I had no idea, Aurelia what they were going to do to your father." Jaime told her,
"Yet, that does not make things any better."
"Then what are you doing here?" Jaime asked her in small disbelief, believing that Aurelia would not want to see him after their last conversation.
"I asked myself that same question before." Aurelia replied, before placing the objects she was holding on the ground beside where Jaime was chained. "But we need you alive no matter how much Robb wants you dead. I don't think the men following him understands that. I came here to tend to your wounds."
"You're the one that's hurt, Aurel." Jaime pointed out the grief that was slowly consuming her.
"You're the one that's bleeding." Aurelia said in return, "If you do not want my help, I could easily leave you here for you to fend off yourself-"
"No," Jaime interjected, and it came as a surprise to them both. "Don't leave." He said,
In that moment, Jaime never felt so vulnerable. Aurelia responded by slowly nodding her head, as she unwrapped the white cloth and soaked in in the fresh water. She cleaned his head wounds first; that's where all the blood is coming from. When Aurelia first saw him, Jaime was clean shaven with no scars on his face. Now he was covered in his own stench and blood. He lightly flinched upon the fabric touching his scar, but allowed Aurelia to continue.
"What of you? Do you share the same feeling as your brother?" Jaime broke the silence,
The question caught her off guard. It's the same question she knows deep down the answer to be; the same one she has been trying to avoid.
"Doesn't matter what I feel. They won't kill you either way." Aurelia replied,
"It matters to me." Jaime told her,
He had straightened his back as far as he could while being bind by irons. Aurelia could feel his breath on her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
"And what would you do if I said yes? It changes nothing." Aurelia said,
"Then I know that you feel something for me as well. That our days in Kings Landing when it was only the two of us...it does not mean nothing to you." Jaime declared,
"I did feel something for you...and, maybe I still do." Aurelia decided to tell him after a short silence, and Jaime's heart began to beat faster than before. "But whatever feeling I have for you...I have to cast it aside; you should too."
Jaime furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at her words.
"Why would I do that?" Jaime asked, and Aurelia stopped her hand midair, letting the cloth hover for a while. The white fabric was stained with a light pink hue from all of the blood seeping through. She let her hand down, submerging the cloth into the fresh water before bringing it up again.
"Whatever the outcome of this war...if my family finally receives the justice and freedom they deserve, or if yours win...do you really see our relationship continuing?" Aurelia asked him response,
Jaime became silent once more as he pondered on Aurelia's words. He was confident that the Lannisters would win this war; believing that Robb Stark simply lacks in army and experience. As soon as the war ends, Jaime wishes for things to return to the way it was before. She was his only chance at redemption; the only chance where he can start anew. Jaime never thought that he would care deeply for her in such a way; never thinking for once that he was capable of love after Cersei. But then comes Aurelia, and she changed his perception. She treated him like no one has before. Never calling him a 'Kingslayer' throughout their time together, and she gave Jaime a chance to prove himself. But alas, he ruined it for them both. All this time, he had been looking at their relationship from a one-side perspective.
"Our families are at war with one another; does not mean we should be." Jaime stated, but it was far easier said than done.
"Jaime-" Aurelia began to protest,
"You told me once that our family can never see eye to eye, but we can compromise where they can't." He interjected, recounting the words she once said to her in the Kingsroad when the entire Royal Party was en route to Kings Landing.
"Does that still apply to war? Enough with the pleasantries, Jaime. We both know what is to come when one our families win this war. There's no good in pretending otherwise." Aurelia replied, "When Robb wins, we'll have our sisters back, and we'll have the North back and it'll remain an independent kingdom as it once was. Do you think I'll be returning South when that happens?"
"So once the war is over our marriage will end?" Jaime asked,
"What other way is there?" Aurelia questioned in return, "Do you think your family will welcome me with open arms? They beheaded my father; they're keeping my sister as hostages...what do you think they'll do to me? I'm not going to put myself in danger by the hands of the Lannisters."
"I wouldn't harm you. I could never." Jaime replied,
"It's not you I'm talking about." Aurelia pointed out, "But can you vouch for your family? Can you ensure that they'll never lay a hand on me?"
Robb and Catelyn would never allow her to be with Jaime Lannister after the war. They can never look at the disgraced knight the same way as Aurelia does, no matter how much she tells them that Jaime can never hurt her. Her mother would always regret choosing the mistake of allowing Aurelia marry a Lannister, and Robb would never be able to forgive himself by making that same mistake after the war ends. He promised himself to look after Aurelia for as long as he breathes. What kind of brother would he be for putting his own twin sister into a lion's den?
Aurelia and Jaime shared an intense look between each other, as Jaime cannot promise her that. Although Tyrion can never harm her, the same cannot be said for Cersei or Tywin Lannister. Jaime never trusted them both with Aurelia, let alone after the war. Taking his silence as an answer, she continued to press the cloth down on a large gash on Jaime's forehead.
"Your brother will never release me even for the life of your sisters." Jaime told her,
"Robb's not like that. He holds his pride second to his family." Aurelia replied, full of hope that his brother will stay true to his word.
"And what of his new title? You think it wasn't his pride that accepted it." Jaime changed the subject, commenting on Robb's newfound title as King. He heard the soldiers spoke of it many times while standing guard; all of them exhilarated at the prospect of their leader becoming King. It gave Robb's followers the motivation they need, and the hope that they'll win this war.
"Robb became the King in the North because he has to." Aurelia said about his brother's title,
"So, the North will propose on becoming independent now is it?" Jaime questioned,
"Why should it not? The throne has not given us anything before. My father accepted Robert Baratheon's offer as hand, and the crown repaid that by beheading him. Why should we allow a Southerner to rule amongst the people they never cared for? The North deserves to be free and independent, as it has before." Aurelia informed him,
"You stand by your brother." Jaime said,
"Of course, I do; and I will continue to do so until the end." Aurelia said in return,
"You do realize that no one sitting on that throne will ever accept your brother's proposal? Those fighting for the crown will be promised seven kingdoms, not six." Jaime argued,
"They would if they still want an alliance with the North; if they want peace amongst the lands." Aurelia exclaimed back,
"And how many more thousands of men are going to die before you receive it? Aurelia, I know you. You never wanted any of this; you don't want war...you just want it to end. You're not a person who would send innocent men into their deaths."
"I'm not sending anyone to die! What would you have me do? Submit to Joffrey, bend the knee to your family who have done nothing but bring us pain and despair?" Aurelia asked of him with pure emotion written all over her voice. "My brother is doing the right thing. He's protecting all of us."
"What are you to do once the North is independent? Seeing that your brother is King, it's only fitting that you're a princess. Is that what you will do? Sit there with a pretty gown and a pretty hair, exchange courtesies, host feasts for all the other Northern lords?" Jaime questioned back,
"I'm going to return to Winterfell; I'm going to make sure that my family is whole once more, and that nothing can ever tear us apart again." Aurelia told him,
"From what I've heard, all the Northern lords were vying for your hand in marriage before I came. I imagine there would be more added to the list once you become princess." Jaime jeered,
"I don't care for any of that. That's the least of my concern." Aurelia exclaimed, "Why should you be? You'd be able to return to your family." She continued to fight back,
"You really think your brother would let my family will live?" Jaime questioned, "He is not the same person as he was when you said goodbye to him in Winterfell."
"Robb is not a murderer. He'll do what's right. He'll let you live even if it is upon my behest. Besides, you'll be with the same people you're fighting for once he releases you. The same people that you would always care for...more than me. Why should you worry about me returning to Winterfell."
"Because I don't want for you to marry anyone else." Jaime told her in a serious note, and Aurelia averted her gaze to him. "I told you I care for you, and I will always say that until you believe me, because I do, Aurelia. No matter what, I do."
She finished tending to his gashes and wounds that the once fresh and clear water she brought earlier was now filled with dirt and blood. Aurelia placed the white cloth down on her lap, wondering if she had heard the wrong thing. Jaime has been telling that ever since they left for Kings Landing, but Aurelia never wanted to listen to him. She was afraid that if she does, she would be the one whose heart was broken. Aurelia knew him as a violent and abrasive person, capable of loving for someone else other than him and his own family.
Their faces were only an inch apart, and Aurelia could hear nothing more than the beat of her own heart. Jaime was in chains, her brother's prisoner, the man whose family beheaded her father and yet, he is still capable of making Aurelia feel as though they were seeing one another as for the first time. How their eyes connected with none wanting to turn their gaze elsewhere; how Jaime felt a pull to a Stark girl he never met before; how Aurelia yearn to learn more and more about Jaime; and how he saw a chance with her. He never cared for anyone who was not his family – that was true – but, that was before he knew Aurelia Stark; before she treated him in a way no one ever did, and Jaime was slowly beginning to open himself to her, as is the same to Aurelia, and that frightened them both.
Jaime closed the gap between them with a single and bold move. His lips touched her, taking Aurelia by surprise at the action but she did not pull away. It was wrong, but why did it feel so right? She let go of the white cloth held between her fingers, placing her hand on Jaime's neck as he deepened the kiss. In that moment, the entire world around them disappeared. She chose to forget that if Robb and Catelyn find out, they would chastise her for acting stupidly. She chose to forget the hurt Jaime has caused. He too ignored the fact that he was in chains; that he was a prisoner. Jaime took comfort knowing that this was the only way he could be close to Aurelia. If he's freed, she would be all lost to him. Her lips on his was like a lost memory; both of them forgetting what it felt like.
When Aurelia pulled away, he opened her eyes slowly, as did he; both of their chests heaving for breath. Jaime was about to capture her lips once more if Aurelia had not strayed her head backwards knowing that she would have given in to him.
"Jaime, please...don't make this any harder than it already is." Aurelia whispered to him, her hand resting on his chest. She let her forehead lingered on Jaime's for a moment longer, neither wanting for the moment to end even though it had to.
She looked him in the eyes once more, and he locked his gaze on hers. Neither spoke anything else, and it took every part of her to finally move away from him as she stood up. Jaime's sight never left hers even if hers does, and Aurelia walked away from the cell without glancing at him for another moment. She passed by all the other cells and all the other guards, her fingers unconsciously touching her lips as the memory of the kiss replayed in her head repeatedly.
There was no turning back now. If Aurelia truly hated him, she would have pushed him away, but she did the exact opposite. The feeling terrified her.
"Why have you allowed me to care for a complicated man?" Aurelia asked the Gods silently, as she made her way back to her own tent, revealing to no one else the encounter she had with Jaime Lannister.