JAIME
A/N : A massive thank you to all the people who are reading and liking the story!
He spent most of the last night thinking again and again and once again whether this was even close to a good idea. He had oscillated between the yes and no answer before finally deciding to throw caution to the wind and do it.
Which is why he is here, outside the chambers of Princess Visenya Targaryen, first thing in the morning. After his stay at King's Landing for so long he is certain that the Princess is yet to even wake up and that is why it is the perfect opportunity to ask her to break fast with him. She cannot make any excuses about having already broken fast before (an excuse she has made twice in the past when she was ignoring him). His father had encouraged him for this, told him, in very clear terms, that Visenya Targaryen would be his bride and though Jaime isn't all too big on marriages, he thinks for this girl he can make an exception. Also, it wasn't like the wedding would happen this very instant. They were both young, the princess especially, and so Jaime decides that the wedding is at the least three to four years away. Long enough for Jaime to come to terms with the idea.
For now, he is simply going to court her. Simple enough certainly. Take her riding, have a few meals with her, a few dances, do things that he doesn't mind doing with her. Though certainly there are a few other things he wants…
"Ser Jaime you may come in." Finally, one of the Princess's maids allows him to enter. He had been waiting outside the chambers for far too long by now. Seriously, he had sent the maid in like centuries ago to wake the Princess and tell her to get dressed for her visitor.
Princess Visenya Targaryen looks far from perfect in the morning. In fact, she looks like a mess, from behind atleast.
"Is everything well?", he asks the Princess as she remains seated on her bed, her back towards him. She doesn't hear him the first time nor the second. So he finally moves to kneel in front of her and sees her face for the first time. She looks like she is about to throw up.
"Princess.", he calls out again as he tries to get her attention and finally succeeds.
"Ser Jaime? What are you doing here?" He had told the maid to let her know that he was waiting outside. Hadn't she been made aware?
"I… I was waiting outside. Never mind that, what is wrong?", he asks with worry. She is genuinely pale but now she looks white as a sheet. He had only seen this kind of look on her once before. Back when they had been children and she had come to Casterly Rock. It was the morning he had escorted her to her chambers while the Kingsguard was looking for her. When she had asked whether her father had been made aware of her absence.
She rubbed her eyes with her hands before running her hand through her hair. A deep sigh. "Nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing to me. Talk to me please." This is certainly not turning out to be the way he had hoped it would. He would have come, she would smile, they would break fast, go riding. Definitely not this.
"It was just a bad dream really." She was upset over a dream? Really?
"Well then we should go out then. I was thinking riding. Put it out of your mind.", he offers. He has had dreams too and riding or fighting always put it out of his mind.
"I'm sorry I just… I don't feel like it. You should go, Jaime. I need to get ready. Mother is waiting for me, I am certain."
And just like that, he is quite unceremoniously sent out of the chambers. His day takes a turn for the worse when he is left alone with Cersei. He had gone out of his way to avoid her these past few days. She had been pestering him, suggesting him that it was time to go back to Casterly Rock, she had even made the offer in front of their father.
"You do know why you are being kept here, right? And I assure you it has nothing to do with the royal family." She is taunting him. Lying to him, for certain. He has to clench his hands to stop himself from sending her out of his chambers.
"You cannot just ignore me like that Jaime. And you certainly cannot lock yourself away now that your future good-father will be arriving soon. Though we might be visiting him too."
He finally looks up at her, glaring daggers at her and answers crisply, "Nobody is visiting anybody."
"Is that why Lord Tully is arriving on the morrow? You know father wants to have you married to Lysa Tully. Or are you forgetting the time when you were made to visit Riverrun?"
"Stop lying. Go play with somebody else." She is lying. He knows that. His father had said otherwise. And yet there is that smile on her face which suggests that she is winning.
"You know I am right." There is that sing-song voice again. "You are foolish if you believe that there will ever be anything between you and that… that hideous princess."
"You will do well to keep away from her sister. Do anything and I will make sure father knows of it." He has never threatened Cersei before though he isn't sorry for it. He doesn't need to take a vow in the Kingsguard to protect the Princess. He knows he will do it no matter what.
"You are being foolish Jaime. Do not think I don't know of what happened this morning. She kicked you out Jaime. Don't you see it? She does not like you or desire you, Jaime. But I do. You are mine and I am yours, Jaime. Two halves of a whole.
"Look at me, Jaime. I saw father's letter. They were talking of the dower. And you will know it too when Lord Tully arrives on the morrow. Father lied to the both of us. He was never going to marry us to Targaryens. And we never will. We belong to each other Jaime. Can't you see it?"
"Cersei I…" "You know it Jaime. Me and you. Just us. Always us. I love you Jaime and you love me." It is easy to forget about everybody when Cersei stands in front of him, cradling his face. It is like being back at Casterly Rock. Back when they were children and he did not know of another girl. When the only lips he ever even wanted to kiss had been Cersei's. When another girl hadn't even invaded his thoughts.
Simpler times is the only reason that he leans forward and kisses her. It is the vision of silver hair and indigo eyes which breaks them apart. He wants that. He wants indigo eyes to stare back at him. The girl who laughs too easily and talks too loud sometimes. He wants to run his hands through the silver hair that he is almost mesmerised with. He wants to hold the thin fingers that he has held before.
"Jaime…?" That voice is neither his nor Cersei's.
He doesn't need to turn, to look at the person to know who it is. He knows that voice better than he knows his own.
"Oh… Princess Visenya… I… oh… Please Princess… It's not like that. Jaime loves me… Please." Cersei begins and Jaime knows she is just acting. He fears that Princess Visenya ,unfortunately, doesn't.
"I… Forgive me… I should go." In a flurry of blue and purple, the Princess is out of the room and he turns towards the culprit of it all.
"Oh no Jaime… No no no.", Cersei begins as she drops the whole act, "I did not call for her. You did. She received a note signed by Jaime Lannister not me. This is your fault. It turns out you wanted to talk about the morning and tell her something important. Now she knows what it is you wanted her to know."
He moves his hands this time and the hands which not a moment ago were cradling Cersei's face are now wrapped around her neck and he thinks that if he had a little more courage, he would have put more force, wrapped them around just a little tighter. "I will never forgive you for this. Do you hear me? Never."
He lets her go then, letting Cersei grasp for air but he doesn't bother with her shouts for him, telling him how he will regret it. He has more pressing matters to attend, such as finding the Princess and clearing it all out with her.
He tries to approach her in her chambers but he is left standing outside. Strict orders from the Princess. Keep Jaime Lannister out. It is at times like these that he hates the fact that she is a Princess - that she can say one word and the whole kingdom would do it.
By daybreak he gets the news that the Princess is leaving for Dragonstone and he doesn't even get up to stop her, to tell her anything at all. He doesn't have it in him to do so. His father comes knocking at his door, asking him why the Princess was leaving and he blames it all on Cersei even though he himself could have stopped and thought before kissing her. Within moments Jaime is ordered to depart for Casterly Rock and he doesn't fight again. He doesn't say no to his father's orders, doesn't do anything but pack to leave.
However, before he is to leave, he is visited by the person he expects the least.
"Your Grace.", he addresses trying to keep in check his nervousness at being visited by the Queen.
The Queen looks so faded, like a ghost of herself and Jaime pities her. She rarely makes an appearance but every time Jaime sees her, he swears that she just looks thinner and thinner.
"Thank you for coming, Ser Jaime. Come sit for a moment." His Queen offers and Jaime enters the chambers, looking around. He has never been in the Queen's chambers before.
He declines her offer of a drink quickly and fidgets a little under the Queen's scrutiny.
"I can see why my daughter would like you." He jerks at her words. Not what he had expected though it makes him slightly giddy (just slightly, cause he is a knight), he feels more dreadful at the fact that he lost his chance and so he voices his opinion, "I don't think she does anymore."
"Ah yes. I assumed you had something to do with her crying her eyes out to me."
"Don't worry boy," the Queen adds, perhaps sensing his unease, "I am not going to scold you or anything. It is a matter between you children. However, I just wanted to say it is for the best. She is growing up fast. She will have many suitors and it is best if you stay away from her."
"You can leave now. Certainly your men are waiting to depart."
A/N : Just to clarify and remind everyone, we are in 281 AD which is the year of the Tourney at Harrenhal. So we will be reaching it soon.