Hello and welcome! I didn't plan to write any fanfiction again, but after being once again obsessed with Game of Thrones and Jaime Lannister I simply had to try my luck with this one - I hope some of you like it and I like it even more, if you let me know what you think - good or bad, anything is appreciated! Please note that English is not my mother tongue, but I hope I don't make too many mistakes! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for Neasa which is entirely my own creation! The whole world of GOT belongs to George R. R. Martin and HBO for the visuals!

1 – Arrival in Winterfell

JAIME

The farther north they got the colder and more gloomy the weather seemed to get and the colder the looks of the people they met became. Southerners were not welcome here. Even less when they wore the red and gold of the Lannisters and had lions embroidered on every spare scrap of cloth. But then again even without the lions and the king for a companion everyone would have known their names. With their golden hair and green eyes they were not really hard to guess. And seeing the three of them together gave it all away.

Cersei Lannister, wife to Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros. Tyrion Lannister – the imp; wicked dwarf brother to Tywin Lannisters golden twins. And himself: Jaime Lannister, best swordsman in the seven kingdoms, knight of the kingsguard and -

"Kingslayer!" a booming voice called for him and Jaime brought his horse next to the man who it belonged to. "Your grace?" he inclined his head in a mocking display of respect which thankfully remained unnoticed by the king. He was hated enough as it was but he did not do well with authorities and King Robert was one of his least favourites. The feeling was mutual. "Stay where I can see you, Lannister. I don't like the feeling of you behind my back." The King laughed heartily and Jaime clenched his jaw in anger at this not so subtle jest. None of them had any idea what he had done that day. None. Not the king and also not the oh so honourable Ned Stark. He urged his horse forward, letting his anger out on the poor creature and galloping away from the king. Kingslayer. That was the only name they ever had for him. No matter how mad Aerys had been, no matter what he did. He was the one who forsake his vow to rid Westeros of the mad king – and they called him kingslayer for it.

The road was muddy and difficult, even his surefooted mare had trouble with it but Jaime pushed her on. The rush of cold winds against his face and the physical exertion of riding being a welcome distraction to his whirling emotions. He couldn't keep going for long though. Soon the destination came into view and he stopped in the middle of the road – the king, his entourage and the carriages far behind him. Winterfell. Home to the Warden of the north Eddard Stark and his family. Robert's friend who helped him win the rebellion and who he now planned to anoint Hand. Jaime let his eyes stray a little left of the castle to a small hill where he saw a single rider on the lookout. He was riding an auburn coloured horse and next to him stood a large dog. As if the rider had felt his eyes on them, he turned his horse around and galloped back towards the castle.

NEASA

She hated the buzz and the preparations that seemed to go on without end since the raven from King's Landing arrived. Orders were shouted, men and women alike hurried over the castle grounds like busy bees and everyone's nerves seemed on edge. Her mother was the worst trying to get everything looking its best and constantly complaining to one of her children about one thing or another. Their attire, their hair, the way they looked. It had all gotten too much and so Neasa jumped at the idea of fleeing the castle for a bit and having a lookout for the king and his entourage. She had saddled her stallion and called for her wolf Blue who she'd named after the colour of her eyes and left the castle in a quick canter. The fields stretched before them the grass short and springy. The ground was hard from the cold air but not yet frozen. Her horse had enjoyed the run as had Blue who stayed close to her side. 'Don't go too far' her father had said and so she reluctantly reigned her horse in on the top of a small hill that overlooked the Kingsroad. There was not much to be seen except the dirty muddy track that wounds its way towards Winterfell like a giant snake. No riders or carriages of any kind and Neasa was sure the King's travelling company would not be that inconspicuous. As she strained her eyes and stared further south the suddenly noticed a single rider emerging in the distance. His steed was white as was the large cloak billowing behind him. She almost thought he was a rushing messenger but just in that moment he stopped his horse and stared at the castle in the distance. Neasa hesitated. She could see him a little better now. He was a knight she guessed from the armour he wore and not just any knight – a knight of the kingsguard. His armour was golden and the cloak white so he must be. The king couldn't be far off then – perhaps this one had been sent ahead as a scout. Preparing to leave Neasa gathered the reigns up again when she felt his eyes on her. Even across the distance his look made her uncomfortable and she quickly turned around and headed back towards Winterfell.

"The king is coming. I saw his entourage from the hillside." She said as she jumped off Bale's saddle and handed the horse to one of the stable boys. Her father and mother already approaching her. "They were just coming up the kingsroad. At first I saw just one rider, a scout maybe, but he is a kingsguard and when I left the rest of them was coming into view. They will be here before long." She stated and her father nodded. "Alright, we will greet them. Everyone assemble in the yard!" he called. "Neasa, get changed and bring your sisters along." Catelyn told her daughter who simply nodded and hurried off, her wolf on her heels.

Neasa hurried back inside, already discarding some of her clothing along the way. Upon entering her room she threw her cloak and riding gloves onto the huge chest at the foot of her bed and then changed into a woollen dress. "Are they here?" Sansa, her younger sister had entered the room almost without her noticing and Neasa nodded. "Almost. Get Arya and meet mother and father outside. I'll be there in a minute." She said and fastened a heavy coat rimmed with grey fur around her shoulders. Her hair was still a little tousled from the ride but there was no time to braid it now. The king would have to do without an intricate hairstyle on her part. Signalling Blue to stay right where she was on Neasa's bed she left her room and almost flew down the stairs, tousling her auburn hair further in the process.

She arrived precisely on time. Everyone else was already assembled. Her parents and next to them her brothers and sister. Between her mother and Robb a spot was left for her to stand in. Her mother shot her a disapproving glance and opened her mouth to probably comment on her hair when Neasa was saved by two riders announcing the king's arrival. She instantly recognised one of them or rather his horse. It was the same man she had seen watching her. His horse was as white as the coat around his shoulders and much slimmer than she had it anticipated to be. This was no great warhorse but instead a nimble and quick beast clearly able to outrun most others. Before her eyes could settle on the rider though the booming voice of another tore her eyes away. The king was a bulky men with almost no neck and black beard and hair. He was also quite fat even though still strong she presumed. His horse was a heavy black steed matching his owner in stature. He dismounted just as ungraceful as Neasa expected and walked towards her father.

"You've got fat." Was all he said as a greeting and Neasa's head shot up. Fat?! The surely did not have any mirrors in King's Landing then. Her father did not react verbally though. He only shot the man in front of him a look, eyeing his belly and raising his eyebrows ever so slightly. Suddenly the king's booming laughter exploded across the castle grounds before he embraced her father and kissed her mother's cheek. "And you must be the oldest Stark then. What is your name, darling?" The king addressed her and Neasa quickly bowed a second time. "Neasa, you Grace." She said and held his gaze. He nodded before he moved on to her siblings. The boys were of much more interest to him but he still said a few polite words to every one of her siblings. Neasa's attention shifted yet again to the other members of the king's household. The Queen had left her carriage, pulling her furcoat tighter around her. The climate here must be so much harsher than in King's Landing. She was a beautiful yet cold woman with long tresses of golden hair and green eyes. She looked every bit as regal as her position but there was no warmth in her eyes. The children all looked slightly nervous, especially the two younger ones. The all had the golden hair of their mother. The trademark of the Lannisters. Only the crown prince, Joffrey, carried a certain arrogance around him that Neasa disliked from the very beginning. He looked at them all as if they were below him and he couldn't be that much older than Sansa. Neasa had not been paying attention to the conversations around her so she was a little startled to find everyone disperse again. Her mother led the Queen and her children inside while Sansa and her younger siblings followed suit behind. All except for Arya. She was looking at the travelling company, stretching her neck and almost standing on tiptoes. "Where's the imp?" she called disappointed. Neasa shushed her quickly but she had already been heard.

The Queen stopped and turned around, clearly also looking for her little brother. She stepped aside then and grabbed the kingsguard closest to her by the arm. It was the man Neasa had seen before and now she instantly recognised him. The Queen's twin brother Jaime Lannister – rumoured to be the best swordsman in the seven kingdoms and killer of the Mad King. He was also rumoured to be the most handsome men in all of Westeros and Neasa could not deny his remarkable looks. He was tall and lean with a pretty face, blonde hair and dark green eyes. "Find that brother of ours!" Queen Cersei all but commanded and her brother simply nodded before turning away.

JAIME

The Starks were all lined up before them in the castle grounds when they arrived. He let his gaze sweep over them and his eyes rested on the oldest child. She had auburn hair that was flowing almost freely down her back and clear blue eyes – clearly a heritage from the Tully house. Her face was pretty with a straight nose and dark lashes surrounding those blue orbs but she didn't look that much a lady. She seemed tougher somehow and for whatever reason Jaime got the feeling her slim figure was awfully similar to the rider he had seen earlier.

Greetings were spoken and pleasantries exchanged until King Robert announced his desire to enter the crypts. Jaime could all but hear his sister scoff at this. She loathed Robert's undying love for Lyanna Stark who the king had wanted to wed before he took her as a bride. Their marriage was a loveless one held together by politics.

They all turned to get inside and Jaime joined them, glad to get out of this dreary cold. Even his thick cloak could not keep the freezing winds at bay and had begun to numb him. He hoped the inside of this bloody castle would be warmer at least though he doubted it. There seemed to be no spot this fucking wind couldn't reach.

"Where's the imp?" Jaime's head whipped around and focussed on one of the younger Starks. She looked more like a boy than a little girl. Her hair was dark brown and much shorter than her sister's, she was slim, almost lanky and had piercing grey eyes. And she clearly had a temperament too. Her older sister had quickly grabbed her by the shoulder but the words had already slipped out of that cheeky little mouth and they had been heard. Cersei turned on the spot and after curtly scanning the courtyard yanked on his arm.

"Find that brother of ours!" she commanded and Jaime knew better than to argue. The way her green eyes glowed he'd rather be back on his horse than faced with her wrath about Tyrion's disappearance. So he simply nodded and turned back to his horse that was just been led away by one of the stable boys. He took the reins again and swung himself back in the saddle before leaning down to the stable boy. "Where's the closest town and does it have a brothel?" he inquired lowly and the man nodded quickly. "Y..yes my lord." He stammered and pointed a shaking hand down the kingsroad. Jaime nodded. He had a fairly good idea where they'd lost his little brother. With a kick of his heels his mare cantered out of the castle and turned onto the kingsroad once more.