A Game of Dragons

Chapter 4: The Fall of Lions

Rand, Aviendha, and Min were lead to an area that seemed to be some kind of Barracks or Practice yard.

Weapons of various kinds were lined along the walls with a rectangular, open-spaced area in the center. Several armed men stood around the area, watching the party enter.

"Look sharp men! I've brought entertainment in the form of an upstart that has challenged me!"-Jaime calls out to the surrounding Gold Cloaks who begin chuckling.

Jaime goes over to a barrel containing some practice swords, grabs two, then walks to the center of the open area and motions for Rand to join him.

"Come over here! I ain't got all day and its too late to back out now!"-Jaime says with a bit of a laugh at the end.

Rand, doing as told, moved to join the blonde man in the center-area, getting a softly-thrown practice sword.

~~~'Finally! Something enjoyable to do!'-Rand thought, allowing a small smile to grace his face as he hefts the wooden sword.

"It's a bit heavier than i'm used to...but it'll do for now i guess"-Rand says aloud, making some simple swings to adjust to it's balance and weight.

Jaime just smirks and says-"You ready?"

Rand forms the 'Flame and the void' in his mind, mentally preparing himself for the exorcise before moving into the stance; 'Cat Crosses the Courtyard'.

It was regarded as a somewhat arrogant stance, but it did maximize reaction potential...among other things, like being relaxed.

Jaime Lannister wouldn't know that, but he sensed danger mixed with a mocking arrogance as soon as Rand entered the stance.

~~~'Does this man mock me with his arrogance? What is with that stance anyway? Does he not know that he's leaving himself wide-open to attack standing like that?'-Jaime thought as he watched Rand prepare.

'Hmm, well, at least he seems to have some kind of training...even if it seems that it was poorly taught, or learned'

Jaime began a slow walk around Rand, slowly getting closer...as Rand began doing the same.

'Perhaps i should just knock it out of his hand...or should i give him a good whack for his arrogant manner?'-Jaime pondered his first move.

Jaime didn't get to make the first move however, as Rand lashed out with the speed of a striking viper...

~~~'He isn't in any stance that i know of...maybe he's just overconfident?'-Rand thought as he moved within striking distance.

'Time to find out how well he can react!'-with this thought and the pulse from his heart, Rand performed an under-handed swing that rose upwards, trying to hit the blonde man behind his left knee.

The blonde man parried the blow, but the widening of his eyes showed the surprise at Rand's speed.

As soon as their practice blades met, Rand shifted his body so that he could carry the momentum of the strike up, causing Jaime to take a step back or get hit in the chin.

Seeing the retreating step, Rand continued shifting to do a backwards twist with his torso, his blade never stalling, to come back around in a sweeping arc for the man's throat.

Jaime ducked and made a simple thrust towards Rand, who simply continued his shifting momentum to spin out of the way and counter with a downward slash.

Jaime brought the wooden sword back in from the thrust and tilted it in such a way that Rand's simply slid down it's length.

Heartbeat.

Both took a step back, Jaime looking nervous and Rand looking content.

Rand lunged forward, moving into 'the Swallow Takes Flight'.

Jaime is barely able to block the strike, likely do to taking a second, half-step, backwards.

Seeing his opponent a little off-balance by the attack, Rand transitions into 'The Moon Rises Over Water', performing a slashing attack.

Thwack!

Heartbeat.

The onlookers are stunned...the Kingslayer had been bested within the opening seconds of a practice duel.

~~~Jaime felt pain. More than that, he was stunned. 'By the gods he's fast!'-Jaime thought to himself as his eyes narrowed and he focussed himself.

'I can't be confident against this guy...truly impressive'

Jaime smiled at his opponent.

"Sorry, i really did not expect you to be so good"-Jaime said to the red-haired man.

"Good? We have just begun..."-Red-head said, forming a curious expression.

'Well...shit, i can hold nothing back then. My only chance lies in not letting up on my attacks then...he's just too damn quick!'-Jaime thought as he took a step forward...

Jaime started round two off with a feint; another thrust that he turned into a sweeping slash half-way through.

However, Red-head seemed to have expected or predicted this from how, even as Jaime began changing the attack, the man was already moving to parry a non-thrust.

'Damn!'

Heartbeat.

Leaning back on his legs, Jaime used the momentum of his opponents parry to increase the speed of his next attack.

Having his sword knocked back towards himself, Jaime continued the motion and swung it back around in a whistling arc.

But Rand merely ducked under it and performed his own swinging arc, to which Jaime saw coming just in time to continue the momentum and do another spin with his body to juuusst be missed by it.

Ending the spin, Jaime brought his sword down in a diagonal slash that he turned upwards halfway through, hoping to catch red-head in the face as he got back up from his duck from the last swing.

But he never did, he'd stayed low, and so Jaime's attack missed by a fair margin...

Rand's previous attack turned into a pommel strike on Jaime's side, nearly knocking him to the ground.

Heartbeat.

Another spin and a balancing step back, Jaime regained his balance enough to bring his sword from up high, and around, and down again in another diagonal slash.

Red-head rose, spun and caught his slashing strike on his own blade's length and gave a flick of the wrist, bouncing his sword back at him.

Jaime took yet another step back.

Heartbeat.

'This guy is like lightning made flesh! I'm the best swordsman in the seven kingdoms! How'-Jaime thought as another burst of pain hit him in the back.

Thwack!

Grunting, Jaime slid his left foot forward, and swept it to the side, which normally would have tripped his opponent, not this time though.

Red-head just smiled and raised a leg, like some strange dancer, bringing his blade up in a more recognizable guard-stance, before swinging it out as he performed a spin he was not expecting.

Thwack!

Heartbeat.

'Damn!'

The two separated once more, Rand looking rather disappointed and Jaime looking rather disbelieving...

~~~"You are no Blademaster, Jaime Lannister..."-Rand said, looking at the surprised man in disappointment.

"I've only fought against a few in my life, and you're definitively not one of them."

With a sigh, Rand dropped his guard.

"No matter how long we continue this...i think i'll win every engagement we have. This duel is over, i've won"-Rand said dis-heartened, and began walking towards the barrel that held the practice swords.

"W-Where did you learn to move so fast?!"-Blonde-man said.

"From the greatest swordsman to ever live, al'Lan Madragoran"-Rand said, looking over his shoulder as he thrust the sword into the barrel with the others.

Rand sighed again.

"Honestly..."-Rand looked at him with a cold, intent stare...

"I could take you bare-handed while you swing your normal sword at me"-Rand finished, barely noticing the gaping men around him.

"You are quick and good with a blade...but bare-handed?"-Jaime exclaimed.

"Even for you that's a bit cocky don't ya think?"

"No, not really...not unless you've been holding back on me as i have on you"-Rand said, letting a dangerous note slip in there...or maybe it was his being in the 'Oneness' that was giving his tone such an emotionless edge to it.

~~~Jaime felt the sweat run down the back of his neck and an eye twitch at the man's words...and the deathly seriousness of them.

"Aha, ahaha, fine, you've won! Till next time!"-Jaime said, trying to laugh it off.

He knew he shouldn't just leave them there, but he had to get out of sight and regain his composure...there were few people who ever made him nervous, let alone afraid, but that man...

He felt a shiver run down his spine.

Rounding the corner into a nearby walkway...

"Agh, there you are sir Jaime! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Huh? What is it?"-Jaime asked, his composure starting to come back, but the man looked at him oddly, telling him he needed to school his features yet.

"Oh, um, the King wants you to join him in the throne room"

"Kay, i'll head there now"-Without another word, he started heading there.

'Now what does that fat pig want? Another hunting trip i'd guess'-Jaime thought irritably to himself, not noticing the messenger giving him strange looks, nor did he notice that his hand had tightened around the pommel of his sword at the mention of the king.

~~~Tywin Lannister looked around the throne room with foreboding.

The Council members were all present, All the Lannisters were present, including the children which would have been even stranger if all the Starks in Kings' Landing weren't as well.

Still...'What kind of announcement is that fat fool planning on making that requires us all to be here?'-Tywin thought as he surveyed the room.

'Why so many armed men as well? Surely there isn't need for'-Tywin's thoughts ended there as his son, Jaime walked in looking curiously troubled.

As the doors closed behind Jaime the King, Robert Baratheon stood.

"We are gathered here today to pass judgement on those that would undermine the throne and it's heirs'!"-the King began.

'What? How could that fat slob uncover such a plot that i'd not even heard of yet!'-Tywin thought, very surprised...though he had no idea just HOW surprised he was about to be.

He was not so surprised that he didn't notice the subtle movements of the guards towards the people gathered however.

"Jaime Lannister and my Queen, his sister Cerci Lannister have committed crimes against the gods and the throne!"

Cerci began to protest while Jaime stood in shock for a moment.

"The two, a brother and sister, have sired children...the same who are supposed to be my own!"-the king's rage was growing, becoming ever more noticeable.

Cerci began denying such claims, as expected, while Jaime curiously just stood where he was with a shocked, dis-believing expression on his face.

"For such acts, the gods, and I, King Robert Baratheon demand their heads by law, i sentence them to be-heading immediately!"

At this, Tyrion could be seen quietly laughing at his sister until he looked towards Jaime with a sad look on his face.

Of course the room erupted, mostly the Lannisters in flat-out denial, if Cerci throwing things and shouting wasn't the Que for all hell to break loose, Tywin didn't know what started it.

He was furious! How dare that slob make such accusations without consulting him!

Though, even with anger starting to break his calm, he looked at Cerci's children and entertained the notion...He didn't want to admit it, didn't want to acknowledge that his children had done such a thing...but, but, thinking about it while looking at them...he knew the truth. He'd heard the rumors over the years.

Jaime and Cerci had always seemed inseparable...Jaime's reluctance to sire children...Cerci's reluctance to be Queen...it was all starting to fit into place.

Tywin's shoulders drooped, his head hung low...it would take generations to recover from such a scandal...if it could even recover at all.

"Joffrey and Tommen are to be sent to the Wall as recruits for the Night's Watch and live out the remainder of their days! Mycelle will be sent to live out her days with the Silent Sisters!"

"None of these bastards who hold none of my blood shall ever sit on this throne!"

Tywin dropped onto a nearby step, no longer able to stand after hearing such a blow to his family line.

The Lannister name would be no more...

Then it came to him, Tyrion! That little monster that took his beloved away from him!

Yes! Not all was lost, but what kind of future would that mean for the Lannister Lions?

"Tywin Lannister is to be exiled to Casterly Rock and required to pay off the Crown's debts that have accumulated until this day!"

"Tyrion Lannister shall be a member of the Small Council, but unable to leave the Red Keep!"

"Take them away!"-The King finished announcing the sentences.

Tywin barely noticed the men grabbing him by the arms as they dragged him away from the throne room.

Everything he'd worked so hard for his entire life was for naught...

A/N:

Okay, i know that was all rather quick, but i like what i have and didn't want to mess with it.

This will really screw with the GOT plot now won't it? Mwahahahaha!

"May the Lord of Chaos Reign!"