Hello lovely readers. Here is a new chapter :)
They were riding for a few hours and this time, Ava was more comfortable and knew her body would not get bruised, thanks to the more suitable saddle they gave her. Riding sidesaddle was a blessing, no, Ava was never a good horsewoman and will never be. It was not the only thing she get from Lord Bolton, he gave her a purple southern gown as well. After the long and boring dinner, Roose decided to send Jaime to King's Landing who insisted that the healer went with her after having pronounced the words "Don't worry Lord Bolton, a Lannister always pays his debts" again. She did not like the idea of 'being sold' to someone, but she didn't complain because the place where she was going was the one she had to go, to realise Lady Catelyn's dream... She thought about that, what would happen once he would be there? How was she going to bring the girls back to their mother ? Will she be escorted ? But she had not any answers, I will think about it later, she thought. The trip wasn't unpleasant because Jaime was there too. Now that they were closer to each other, she felt safer with him, she knew that he was not a danger and she knew that he will protect her from it. She looked at him for a few seconds, noticing how handsome he was even with his beard, his hair was a bit messy, but the soft golden curls were still beautiful as his emerauld eyes were, fixed on the horizon.
"You can't even stop watching me... This is flattering" Jaime said suddenly breaking the silence they both were in; the other men being talking and singing.
If they had not came to be so close to each other she would have blushed, but now she only smiled when his gaze met hers. "I'm pleased to have flattered you, ser." she replied in the same teasing tone, as she looked in front of her.
"Please my Lady, continue. I didn't meant to disturb you while you were so delighted by what you were looking at," he said as she allowed herself to chuckle, gazing at him again.
"I'm very excited to see King's Landing!" she said flighty "I have heard a lot about this place, they say it is the most beautiful place in the world, is it true ? And you... you must be so happy to see your family!"
He nodded his head with a smile, he prefered her like this, smiling, laughing and flighty. She was much more beautiful this way, even if her coldness had its own charism... "Yes, I am glad to see my family again." he said.
"Queen Cersei..." she said quietly. He nodded and looked away, it was true, he was happy to see his sister again, but not as much as he would have been a year ago, or even a few months ago. He knew his love for her had diminished a little, he didn't loved her as he once did, as a lover, the woman who shared his life, but now as a sister... He was confused by the change of his feelings towards her, but he kept convincing himself that when he would see her again, his old feelings will return.
She regretted what she just said because of the sad look on his face. She regretted it because now, it had reminded her that he loved her very much, and she could not help but feel a bit jealous, but she did not love him though, she knew it.
"I'm happy to lead Lady Sansa and Lady Arya to their mother," she added, avoiding the last subject, "They will be reunited together again, I hope that I will see this moment!" her eyes brightened as her lips showed a large smile revealing the dimple of her right cheek.
Jaime looked at her again and smiled at her kindness and her naïvety, he began to understand the reason why his love for Cersei diminished...
The more they approached King's Landing, the greener became the landscape. Even if Ava prefered the North, she had to admit that green was prettier than grey.
As the maester was tending to Jaime's hand, he explained him the reason why he didn't wear his chain. The experiences that he performed on living people, how he studied disease by condemning innocents to death. Jaime thought that this was really inhuman. He imagined a poor helpless woman having her belly ripped open. Gladly, Ava was too far to hear the man's words, or he feared that she would have fainted. The golden knight didn't hesitate to show how much disgusted he was and openly blamed Qyburn.
"How many man have you killed my Lord ?" the maester asked. Jaime considered the question and shook his head to show that he had no idea. "Fifty ?" Qyburn insisted. "One hundred ?" he asked as the knight shook his head again. "Countless."
"Countless has a nice ring to it..." Jaime said with a little smirk. This word made him feel powerful. He knew that he should have been ashamed in a certain way, but he couldn't help but feel strong... Everytime he killed a man, he felt nothing more than power on the battlefield, but when he came back home and thought about the life that the man perhaps had, wife, children... He felt a bit guilty. But it is how war works, the man that he killed would not have spared him either... His thoughts were cut by the maester's voice, he watched him as he asked his last question wearing a little smirk on his face.
"And how many lives have you saved ?"
"Half a million," he replied immediately "the population of King's Landing."
The maester gave him a questioning look, but Jaime didn't say anything. He did not want whole Westeros to know this story and to pronounce the word 'Kingslayer' with pity. He was Jaime Lannister, the Golden Lion of the most prestigious House of the Seven Kingdoms, no one pitied him. The only people who knew were Cersei, his sister and lover, and Ava, this confusing and mysterious young girl. He gave the man a little smile and looked at Ava. She was thirty feet away, gently stroking her horse and whispering to his ear. He couldn't help but smile at the vision she made.
"She's quite pretty." The maester said. Jaime nodded and looked back at the man before him. "I wonder what will your father do with her now," he added.
Jaime was surprised, he had not thought about it. But he was sure that his father will not plot something horrible against her, and if he discussed with him, he would perhaps let her go with the two Stark children. And as long as she was with him, he would protect her, she risked nothing.
"Did you travel everywhere in Westeros ?" Ava asked Jaime who shook his head. "I would love to see all the places in Westeros, even in Essos if I could. You know, everytime I meet someone who comes from somewhere I never saw I ask them about that place, but I never asked you! Tell me, Ser!"
"We will reach the gates of King's Landing in only a few hours, are you sure you don't want to wait and see by yourself ?"
"No. I'm not talking about King's Landing, I'm talking about Casterly Rock! How is it ?"
He was surprised by her question but described the place to her, always smiling, because of the beautiful memories that it brought to him. "It is wide, a vast place. Very sunny and warm, the grass is as green as emerauld... The whole place smells like the sea. And the sea is... wonderful... A dark and beautiful blue, not green. There are cliffs as well, immense cliffs near the water and the castle was built on them," he chuckled "I used to climb on top of them and jump to the water when I was young... But one day, Cersei told father, he punished me and forbade me to do that again. Oh, I forgot to tell you about the castle! The castle is huge, as large as the Red Keep, but more beautiful, more colourful. But I don't remember it very well. Last time I saw Casterly Rock I was fifteen." He looked so excited to tell her about this place that Ava was too.
"I would love to see Casterly Rock! It sounds incredibly beautiful, the way you describe it, is... It seems that you really love that place. Will you take me there one day ?" she asked with a little smile, knowing that it will never happen, but still hoping.
"Yes," he answered smiling as well "one day."
When they arrived, and they saw all King's Landing and the Red Keep, Ava's eyes widened and a large smile showing her teeth was painted on her face too. "This is beautiful..." she whispered. "I can't even imagine how Casterly Rock must look like..."
When they arrived, Jaime immediately jumped off of his horse and ran in the castle to join his sister to her chambers... He wanted to be sure. He wanted to be sure that he still loved his sister, he wanted to be sure that the arousal he felt toward Ava was just because he had not have a woman for months, of course I love her, he thought trying to convince himself. He thought about Ava and how he left her alone, and felt a bit guilty, but he needed to know. To understand his feelings. When he arrived in front of Cersei's chambers, he stopped for a few seconds to think of what he was about to say, and what he was going to do, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard little gasps and moans come from inside the room. He recognized the voice: it was Cersei's. But the only moment Cersei made such noises were when... No, it isn't possible, he thought, she would never do that to me. And he opened the door to see that Cersei was naked, on top of a man that he could not see.
"Cersei ?" he breathed.
She heard him, even if his question was not louder than a whisper, and she turned around to face the man who had entered her room and her eyes widened when she saw Jaime. "J-Jaime ?" she asked shocked.
He did not know what to do, what to say, so he turned his back to her and went outside, closing the door. He walked to his room, thinking about what he just saw. My sister, my lover, my Cersei, he thought... She was never mine. After all we went through together? Everything I done for her ? I joined the King's Guard for her, I killed for her and she was fucking another man ? All of this just was a lie ? He felt betrayed, hurt and angry, but not as much as he would have felt a year ago, a few months ago, not as much as he would have felt before her, Ava.
