Prologue,
Pyke 289 AC
Jaime stood in his tent and began to remove his armour, the fighting was done, the rebellion quashed although why the Iron Born thought they could match the combined forces of most of the seven kingdoms was a mystery to him. Did they really think that Robert's rule was that fragile? Did they not understand that with Stark and Arryn Robert controlled 3 kingdoms and with Cersei as his wife that gave him a fourth, even if they reach didn't join in, that was surely too many for a pile of rocks to handle.
Father may have held back during Robert's rebellion but he'd never hold back with his blood on the throne, but just to poke the Lion, even more, they decide it's a good idea to attack Lannisport, were they really that dumb, evidently so. So now Balon sits on a broken throne, two sons dead and the other to be a hostage no doubt Robert would give that dubious honour to Stark.
Jaime had felt alive in the carnage of the fighting, it was the only thing that actually did make him feel anything since that day in the Red Keep, he had failed and no matter what he did that failure always kept coming back to him "look after my family, Ser Jamie, things will change when I return" but Rhaegar hadn't returned and Jaime could never have imagined his father would sink so low. Before his thoughts could get the better of him once again, he was interrupted by a boy at his tent, "Ser Jaime, the king wishes to speak to you" the boy nervously said, "Very well. I'll be there presently".
As he entered the king's tent he could tell this was no ordinary meeting, Stark sat there his serious expression showing, wait what was that look, was that pity, who the hell does he think he is to pity me, the anger threatened to rise but before he could say anything the king spoke very quietly and low and very unlike the jovial or angry Robert that he was used to. "There have been bad tidings from Harlaw, I know no other way to say this other than to say it, your father he fell Jaime, he's gone"
The rest of the conversation had been a blur, still, now he wasn't sure if he heard anything after the news about his father, Tywin Lannister the lord of Casterly Rock, the lion of Lannisport, fallen to a damn Iron Born reaver, surely this was wrong, surely the messenger had been mistaken. Jaime clutched his chest, his breathing erratic, he fell down on the ground and looked up to see Ned Stark offering him a hand, he brushed it away and forced himself to his feet as he turned to leave the tent the king began to speak "we need to..." "Not now your grace" Stark angrily said and for the first time, Jaime actually felt something other than contempt for the man.
Later as he sat in his tent he felt more composed, he'd drank so many cups of water that he could feel the result pushing against his bladder, so he walked outside to the nearest empty space and relieved the pressure, each drop making him more relaxed, he laughed at the absurdity of it all, here he was pissing in the wind while his father lay dead miles away, what a waste.
Heading back to his tent realization began to dawn on him, his father was gone and yet where there should be sadness he felt only relief, oh sure there was pain mixed in there, but surprisingly the overriding emotion wasn't what it should have been, his father had been a monster, the events of the rebellion proved that the body was covered in blood the red Lannister banner covering it couldn't hide it, but it was the two others that his eyes focused on, smaller yet equally blood-spattered, children they were only children, Jaime stopped and the entire contents of his stomach emptied against the ground, luckily he hadn't really eaten since he heard the news.
As he reached his tent the same small boy was standing there, great another message from the king just what I need, "Ser Jaime" the boy began nervously, "Let me guess the king wishes my presence once again, very well lead the way young man" he smiled at the boy as they began to walk towards the king's tent. As before Ned Stark was sitting to the right of the king but the look in his eyes was different, what was it, hope, no it wasn't hoped, relief was it relief, no not that either, whatever it was Jaime didn't get to make the connection as once again the king spoke.
"Ah Ser Jaime, good to see your feeling better" feeling better was he a moron, did he think he was sick, his father died and this was the best this idiot could come up with as a greeting, Jaime noticed even Stark looking at him incredulously, "We have much to discuss, Casterly Rock for one and we need a new Warden of the West, it seems your time in my king'ss guard is at an end, Ser Jaime"