A/N: As usual, you guys are the best! Thanks for all the kind words :)
Misunderstandings
"Jaime . . . " Mara began softly, a somewhat cautious tone sounding in her voice.
Leaving Harrenhal behind was a lovely idea, and she would be telling an outright lie if she were to say that she'd never considered it before — especially since Jaime's arrival — but the reality of his words had quickly begun to sink in. After all, Jaime was a very important man. He was the eldest son of Tywin Lannister, as well as a member of the Kingsguard. He could have anything he wanted; denounce his position on the Kingsguard, become heir to Casterly Rock, marry a woman of high standing and rejoice in all the spoils it brought him. Mara's head grew heavy as she mulled over all the reasons he had to return home to the life he'd left behind, yet she couldn't think of one decent explanation as to why he would risk all that and more to bring her to the Capital with him.
Ignoring what he knew were bound to be protests, Jaime buried his face in her stomach, nuzzling his nose along the soft flesh covering her ribs. Mara could tell that he was attempting to get her to laugh, to not take things quite so seriously — to perhaps distract her once more — but she couldn't be swayed, not until they spoke reasonably about the situation at hand.
"The look on Tywin Lannister's face when you bring home Roose Bolton's handmaiden," She mused aloud, shaking her head.
"Meaning absolutely no offense, my lady, as you are indeed a sight to behold, but I do believe that all of my father's attention will be devoted to the fact that his eldest son no longer possesses his swordhand."
"And what am I to do in King's Landing?" Mara questioned, tilting her head as she looked down at him. "Did you ever think of that?"
"Be with me," Looking up at her, Jaime flashed her one of his world famous smiles, but knew full well that she would require some elaboration. "Anything you like. You'll never have to work again. You can pursue your passions . . . hell, take up sword fighting for all I care." Pressing a kiss to her belly, he whispered against her smooth skin. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'll take care of you."
"I can take care of myself," She replied softly, combing her fingers through his hair.
There it was, that same stubbornness that he had grown so fond of. Mara was easily the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, and sweet as roses and honeysuckle, but there was iron in her soul. As it was, he indulged in that trait more than anything else. It was her stubbornness and intelligence that had drawn him to her, as well as her honesty and kindness. Without all of these traits, she would have been just another pretty face, and not nearly enough to keep him as intrigued as he was.
Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her collarbone. "All right, then you can take care of me." Hovering over her, he bent his head to touch his lips to her breasts. "You can bathe me, feed me, fuck me . . . " Taking her nipple into his mouth, he smirked against it. "Tell me how gorgeous I am on an hourly basis . . . "
"Jaime," She sighed.
"Okay, daily then. I can work with daily."
Tossing her head back against the pillows, Mara laughed, her soft curls bouncing as she shook her head. "You really are something, Lannister."
Setting all playfulness aside, Jaime gazed up at Mara with a genuinely determined look in his eyes. "We'll take care of each other, how does that sound?"
Deciding that that was one term she could agree on, she smiled as she tucked her finger beneath his chin and tapped it gently. "Okay."
"Okay?" He repeated in disbelief. "That's it? You're just going to give in that easily?"
"Would you rather I put up a fight?" Sitting up, she pressed him down into the mattress as she climbed on top, straddling his lap. "Because I'm pretty sure I could take you."
Moving his hand to her lower back, Jaime pulled Mara forward, grinning as she squealed with surprise. "You're sure about that?"
"Never been more sure about anything in my life," With a smile, she pressed her lips to his, smirking into the kiss as their tongues battled for dominance.
It was sheer and utter madness, what they were discussing, but at the moment it didn't seem to matter. Deep down, Mara felt uneasy at the prospect of going to King's Landing, not only because of who she was, but of whom she had been. Slowly leaning back to look at Jaime, she stroked his jaw with her fingertips, a sensation that he had begun to delight and find comfort in. Taking a deep breath, she hesitated as she considered her options. It would be wrong not to confide in him everything about her past, especially in light of the sacrifices that he was willing to make for her . . . but somehow she just couldn't find the words.
"Jaime, I need to speak with you at once—"
At the sudden intrusion, both Jaime and Mara looked up to watch as Brienne threw open the door and hurried forward.
Quickly moving from Jaime's lap, Mara pulled the wool blanket over her exposed body.
"I apologize for my intrusion." Brienne muttered, averting her eyes and quickly turning away as she quickly realized what she had just interrupted.
"You know, there's this custom you're obviously not aware of, but it's called knocking . . . " Jaime began, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
"My apologies," Brienne repeated somewhat impatiently, her back still turned to the pair. "But this is very important. I need to speak with you, Jaime. Alone."
Making to get up from the bed, Mara stopped when Jaime grabbed her wrist.
"Go ahead." He said.
"What I'm about to tell you is something best unheard by . . . others . . . "
Attempting to move once more, Jaime slid his arm protectively around Mara's waist as she attempted to grab her clothes. "Jaime."
"Give us a moment, Brienne." Jaime insisted.
Briefly hesitating, Brienne nodded her head before exiting Jaime's chambers to stand outside the door.
"If she has something she needs to tell you in private . . . " Slipping from his grasp, Mara picked her underclothes and dress up from the floor and hastily began pulling them back on. "I'm not going to pry."
"Anything she has to say to me, she can say in front of you."
With her back turned, Mara couldn't help but smile in spite of his words, as well as the sentiment behind them. Leaning down to pick his clothes up as well, she turned around and tossed them to him.
"Well, get dressed then." She said with a smile.
When Brienne returned a few moments later, she tried once more to attempt to get Mara to leave, but gave in upon Jaime's continuous refusals. Retelling them both the conversation that she had overheard between Lord Bolton and Locke, she waited for Jaime's reaction.
"You actually heard Bolton refer to my family by name?" Jaime questioned.
"Well, no, not exactly." Brienne admitted.
"So really, this could be anyone Bolton's referring to?" He mused.
"How many spoilt rotten daddy's boys do you think Lord Bolton has a vendetta against?" Brienne exclaimed.
Raising an eyebrow, Jaime couldn't help but become somewhat impressed by her bold words. Alas, what she was saying didn't make sense. "Brienne, I've been a guest under Bolton's roof for over a week now and he hasn't tried to lay a hand on me. In fact, he's been rather hospitable."
"I'm not going to even begin to understand the motives of a madman, I'm just telling you what I heard. I would expect you to be a bit more attentive to such matters!"
Jaime chanced a glance at Mara, wondering what her opinion might be. "Have you overheard anything that would lead you to the same suspicions?"
"No," She replied, shaking her head. "I would have told you if I had."
Jaime gave her a small smile of reassurance. Of course he knew that.
"Are you honestly going to keep questioning this? This is Roose Bolton we're talking about!" Brienne fumed.
"She's right," Mara agreed softly. "He's a monster."
Taking Mara's opinion into consideration, Jaime hesitated. Of course his handmaiden likely knew him better than anyone else, but why would Bolton continue to host Jaime as a guest in his home if he was planning to lay siege to the Capital? Robb Stark was visiting the Twins with the rest of the northern army, and Bolton didn't have nearly enough men in Harrenhal to stand against King's Landing. No matter how he spun it, Jaime could not make sense of Brienne's concerns.
"If you want to keep playing guessing games, be my guest, but I'm leaving now." Brienne didn't care much for the Lannisters, but she did care about her promise to Catelyn Stark, and Lady Stark's daughter was still being held prisoner in the Red Keep. "Just remember, Jaime," She continued in a grave voice. "Nothing's more hateful than failing to protect the ones you love."
With that, Brienne departed, leaving Jaime and Mara to stare after her.
"It doesn't make sense," Jaime muttered once Brienne had left. Even so, her words still held an obvious hold on him. "Bolton hasn't been holding me prisoner, if anything he's been encouraging me to leave Harrenhal."
Mulling over Jaime's words, Mara frowned. Honestly, she couldn't think of much of a reason for Bolton to plan such a risky attack either, but Brienne seemed so confident in what she'd overheard. "There has to be an explanation."
Shaking it off, Jaime stood and began to gather his things. "I can't risk it either way. Can you get a raven to King's Landing?"
Nodding, Mara hurried towards the door. "Qyburn keeps them up in the North Tower."
"I'm going to ready the horses," Crossing the room, Jaime pulled Mara closer. "Gather your things and any food you can manage. I'll take care of the rest."
Touching her hand to Jaime's face, she smiled. "Everything's going to be okay."
Taking hold of Mara's hand, he pressed a kiss to her palm. "As long as you're with me, I know that's true." Giving her a small smile, he nodded towards the door. "Quickly now."
It was far too early for Fiyona and the other kitchen maids to be awake, but Mara still made sure to work hastily as she gathered the food. Placing a sack around her shoulder, she flipped through the pantries, loading loaves of bread, hard cheeses, fruits, and any vegetables she knew would keep well inside. Quickly stepping over to another pantry, she paused, knowing it would be wasteful to bring anything that needed to be kept cold. Who knew how long it would be until they were able to rest peacefully near a river, or some other cold climate? Moving next to the flagons, she filled several with both cool water and wine.
"What are you doin' in 'ere?"
Quickly turning around, Mara cursed as she accidentally turned over a bowl of fruit from the counter. Startled by Rand's sudden appearance, she hesitated, but then quickly sighed her relief. At least it was only the stable boy. The last thing she needed was Lord Bolton finding her sneaking around the kitchens at this hour. "Nothing, just preparing for breakfast."
"Without Fiyona?" He questioned, his eyes full of suspicion. "You know well as I do that she don' rise till the rooster do."
"I thought it would be wise to get an early start. Lord Bolton's leaving for the Twins soon, I wanted to prepare for his journey." Mara said, avoiding his gaze as she quietly tucked the sack behind her back.
"How dutiful of you," He replied sarcastically.
Ignoring him, Mara made to move past Rand when he stretched his arm out to keep her from passing. Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her teeth. "Let me go."
"Why're you in such a rush? You know, you used to enjoy talkin' to me."
"I never enjoyed anything that had to do with you," She hissed, turning her face away in disgust.
"You know, it's interestin' that you should be the one given the task to pack for Lord Bolton's journey . . . "
Keeping her face impassive, Mara waited for Rand to finish his thought.
"When Fiyona already packed everythin' earlier this evenin' so they could get an early start. As a matter of fact, Bolton's probably on his way to the Twins right now."
Racking her brain for an excuse, Mara hesitated. "I didn't realize. I suppose I should go ahead and put all this away then." Making to step forward, she narrowed her eyes when Rand moved once more to block her path. "Let me pass."
"So you can return to that Lannister cunt? I think not." Grabbing Mara's wrist, Rand pulled her close, sliding his other hand down to grip her waist for leverage. "You've been spendin' so much time with 'im, I hardly see you anymore . . . " With one hand still glued to her waist, he used the other to brush his fingers over the tops of her breasts. "Time to let me see you."
Struggling against him, Mara dropped the sack of food, beating her hands against his chest. Cripple or not, he still overpowered her easily. "No, Rand, stop!"
Taking hold of her shoulders, Rand slammed Mara up against the chopper's block, causing her to wince as her lower back came in contact with a sharp corner.
"Shut up!" Raising his hand, he then slapped her hard across the face.
Momentarily stunned by the impact his hand had made with her jaw, Mara became still as Rand lifted her up onto counter, raising her skirts as he began to fumble with the buckle of his pants. Although Mara had been put into several horrible positions during her time working at the brothel, she'd never once had a man force himself on her, and she did not intend for Rand to be the bastard to change that.
Taking a deep breath, she eased back into her composure. "Let me help you with that."
Startled, Rand hesitated when Mara suddenly began to give her consent, but grinned approvingly all the same. "Always knew you'd come round, Mara."
Returning his smile with one of her own, Mara reached down as if to undo his trousers but then brought her fist forward instead, slamming it right between his legs.
"FUCK!" Rand cursed, stumbling backwards, realization hitting him almost as hard as her fist. "YOU FUCKIN' WHORE!"
Taking advantage of his moment of weakness, Mara jumped down from the counter and kicked him twice in his injured leg.
"Shit!" Crying out, Rand spread his arms in a helpless attempt to keep his balance, but only managed to turn over a few pots and pans on his way down to the floor.
Knowing that wouldn't be enough to keep him away, Mara grabbed an iron pan from the stove and brought it down on his head three times for good measure. With each clang of the pan, Rand's body jerked this way and that before collapsing into a pathetic heap on the floor. Breathing heavily, Mara stood for a moment, staring down at his lifeless form. He wasn't dead, but he would certainly be out for hours to come. Lifting her sack of food, she hastily left the kitchens and rushed upstairs to the tower where the ravens were kept.
Unlike many handmaidens, Mara was well-versed in the common tongue, as well as Dornish and high Valyrian. Her mother Alina had been born to a high standing house in Dorne, but had given everything up to be with her father. Nonetheless, Alina Jordayne had made certain to teach her daughter everything she knew during the cold winter months spent cooped up inside of the farm.
Moving through the tower that also served as Qyburn's quarters, Mara tried to remain as silent as she could while furiously searching through his desk for spare parchment and quill. Once finding the proper instruments, she began to construct her letter to Tywin Lannister.
Taking a few detours along his way to the stables, Jaime grabbed a couple of swords from Bolton's armory, along with a bag of gold he'd seen one of his men hide away earlier that day, some spare clothes and boots he'd managed to find in his size. Bolton was a smart man, but was in desperate need of decent soldiers. In fact, only one man remained dutiful, standing watch along the corridors while the others had retreated to drink and whore in a small tavern not too far from the castle. Stepping over to the horses once he had finished packing, Jaime came to a sudden stop upon hearing a gruff voice that he recognized all too well.
"I'll be back in a few days time," Bolton began as he saddled up his own horse. "Keep watch over things while I'm away."
Nodding his understanding, Locke patted Bolton's horse on the back with a grin. "Safe travels, m'lord."
Returning Locke's eerie smile, Bolton turned and cantered his horse from the stables, a group of his soldiers following.
Remaining where he hid behind a bale of hay, Jaime narrowed his eyes as he watched Bolton lead his men away from Harrenhal. Although he was taking a few men along with him, there was perhaps twenty in all. Hardly an army. Again, something in Jaime's gut told him that Brienne's assumptions were off . . . but then who the hell had Bolton been referring to?
Watching as Locke went to join the other men in the great hall, Jaime looked both ways, making sure that no one else remained behind. There were a few horses left, but the one Bolton had shown to Brienne was gone. Of course she'd made off for King's Landing as soon as possible. Part of Jaime was sad to see her go, but he also knew that if any woman could take care of herself on the Kingsroad, it would be Brienne of Tarth.
Moving over to the horses, he loaded his bags, tying them to the saddles so they rested on top of the horses' rear. It would be a long journey to King's Landing, but the thought no longer deterred Jaime as it once had. He would have Mara by his side, and she was all he needed. Bearing that in mind, he finished up with the horses and hurried back to the castle.
Sat over her letter, Mara looked up when she heard the door to the towers open. Holding her breath, she clenched the quill in her fist.
"Just me," Jaime announced softly, slipping inside and gently closing the door behind him.
Relaxing at the sight of Jaime, Mara let loose her quill.
"Are you alright?" Jaime asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he moved towards her.
"Fine," Nodding, she forced a smile. "I had a bit of a run-in with Rand in the kitchens, but I'm fine."
Eyes widening, Jaime hurried towards her. "Did he—"
"He tried," She replied softly. "He failed."
Moving his arms around her, he clenched his jaw. "Where is he now? I'll tear his fucking—"
"It's taken care of," Pressing a finger to his lips to keep him quiet, she whispered. "We don't have time for that anyway."
Gently touching his hand to her face, Jaime frowned as he saw a shadow of a bruise blossoming on her left cheek. "I don't care, I'll kill that fucking bastard—"
"Shhh," She insisted, pressing a kiss to his lips to silence and distract him. "Here, you need to sign this." Offering the letter to him, Mara handed him her quill.
Quickly looking over the letter that Mara had written to warn his father of the possible threat to come, Jaime hesitated. Something still felt entirely off about the entire situation, but he remained stumped. Whether the conversation that Brienne had overheard was right or wrong, it didn't matter. If there was any chance that his family was in danger, he could not risk it.
Taking both the quill and letter from her, Jaime paused with his hand over the parchment. Just as the sword had felt foreign in his left hand, the quill did as well. Hastily scratching it across the page, he was relieved to see that it was legible and somehow managed to look very similar to his right handed signature. Folding the letter up into forths, he handed it to Mara who took it and quickly and tied it to the raven's ankle before opening the window of the tower.
"How long do you think it'll take for us to arrive in King's Landing?" She asked, watching the raven as it spread its great black wings and soared out into the night. The bird would make it to the Capital long before they did.
"A week, maybe two, depending on what happens along the way." Noting the look of concern in her expression, Jaime pressed a kiss to her brow. "You're safe with me, Mara. I won't let anything happen to you."
Tilting her head back, she stroked his chin. "We should go, while most of the castle's still asleep."
Nodding his agreement, Jaime gripped Mara's hand and pulled her through the exit of the towers. Hurrying along the corridors, the two managed to make their way through the castle and down to the stables without being interrupted. The moonlight shone down on them, a small mercy, lighting their way through the darkness as they saddled their horses and left the blasted ruin of Harrenhal behind.
A/N: Yaaaay, laterz Harrenhal! I am so excited to start writing about Jaime and Mara in King's Landing. There's definitely a lot that's going to go down, as you can imagine, but first they have to make it there . . .
