Jaime and Elinor met in the godswood a few days later as they had planned. As soon as he saw her, Jaime realised that Elinor looked ill. Her skin was more pale than normal and it soon became obvious that she had no interest in eating any of the food she had prepared.
"Are you feeling well?" Jaime asked her concerned.
"I will be fine. I've just been tired and nauseated for a few days is all." She tried to reassure him.
He gave her a look.
"No, it's not that." She responded. "It's only been a few days and I drank moon tea after you left."
He nodded, slightly relieved. "Perhaps you should try to eat, keep up your strength."
She made an effort to eat a little, if only just to please him. After they had eaten Jaime lay back on the blanket, flat on the ground with his arms behind his head. Elinor gazed at him for a moment before moving to lie down next to him. He wrapped one arm around her and they stayed like that, talking and cuddling for much of the night.
It was well past midnight when he took her back to her chambers. He went inside just to have a quick look and be sure that they were empty. A locksmith had changed the lock on her door two days earlier and given her a new key but he checked the room anyway if only for an excuse to be with her a little longer.
When he kissed her goodnight, he wanted more, they both wanted more. However, several of the goldcloaks had seen them return to the room. It was bad enough that they had been out alone together somewhere. Staying in her room would be worse. It was true that people generally ignored it when kingsguards spent time with a woman but they still needed to be discreet about it for that to hold true. Openly taking a betrothed woman as a mistress would only be asking for trouble.
"Next time I will come to your chambers." Elinor said when they broke apart.
"Next time." Jaime agreed. His chambers were a better meeting place. There were hardly any people awake or wandering about on his side of the castle by night. No one would find them there.
Jaime found he was tired from all the recent late nights awake. He fell asleep very quickly on returning to his chambers and didn't awaken until well past dawn, late for the morning changing of the guard.
He arrived after the guard had already changed shifts so he headed to the armoury instead. There were a number of swords and weapons that needed repair or replacement. He had been planning to gather them up and bring them to the smith to be taken care of. Today was a good a day as any to get it done with. He found one of the younger goldcloaks to assist him in this task. The two of them filled a cart with weapons that needed attention and were just taking out of the room when a conversation down the hall caught Jaime's attention. Jaime motioned for the lad to go on without him and he stayed in the doorway, listening.
Two maids were pushing a cart filled with laundry. He recognized them. They gathered laundry from the whole castle, making round to every room, including the goldcloaks barracks.
"The queen was very worried. I could tell." Said the shorter plumper of the two girls.
"You always think you know what the highborns are thinking. Just because your gran was a lady don't make you no expert." Said the taller one. "Besides, she should be worried. Lady Elinor ain't been quite right for a good three days."
"I hope it isn't catching, whatever is wrong with her. I've never seen anyone alive look so dead." The shorter maid replied.
"And the way you screamed when you found her…" The taller one laughed.
"Tisn't funny. I thought I was walking in on a dead woman or a murder. She didn't even move when I poked her."
"You shouldn't have done that. It's not your place to touch her. We aren't ladies maids and don't you forget it." The taller girl scolded.
"I couldn't help it. She wouldn't wake up no matter what I did but she was still breathing, it was so strange."
Jaime waited until the maids had passed him in the hallway before leaving the armory and heading straight over to royal quarters. If Elinor was as ill as they said, he needed to be there. All he could think the whole way there was that Cersei may have poisoned her. If his sister had done this he would kill her. Cersei would die by his hand.