Jaime

"Is that smoke," Jaime asked, unsure of what he saw at the horizon. I don't suppose I should expect an answer from my...traveling companion, he thought to himself glancing at Ser Ilyn. The man may be the perfect sparing partner for me, but he is near as poor company as Brienne of Tarth.

Ser Ilyn nodded his head. Was that an answer? Mayhaps there is hope for him yet. Jaime felt himself tense as the smoke kept rising and he ordered his men to ride towards the capitol as quickly as they could.

He had left Riverrun once he realized that Lord Tarly was not going to let him do anything important, but even then, the choice between Casterly Rock and King's Landing had been a difficult one. In the end, he was still the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and his duty was in the capitol, standing beside his...King. Joffrey made the decision considerably easier by calling him back to the capitol. The smoke rose higher and higher the closer they got to King's Landing. Jaime's feelings of unease turned to to sheer panic once he got a clearer view of the capitol. It can't be...

"Seven Hells. It's not possible. Not him..."

"Who," asked Ser Marbrand.

"Aerys," Jaime replied before racing ahead.

Men called him the Kingslayer for saving the city and everyone in it from the Mad King twenty years ago. Now Jaime could see King's Landing consumed by green flames that could only be that damned wildfire. Seven hells, Joffrey, what have you done…

When he finally reached the Tyrell camp at the outskirts of the city, Jaime saw that it was filled with horribly burned refugees and a few confused, scattered troops. He wanted to curse, he wanted to scream, he wanted to take his sword and do something, yet all he could do was stay silent as he looked for someone who could tell him what he already knew and didn't want to hear. It was then that he saw one of the Gold Cloaks lying in the mud outside of a tent with half his right arm gone and knelt beside the man.

"You! What happened here?"

"Ser Jaime…it...it's you? You must run...you –"

"Who did this?"

"The Tyrells betrayed the King. They s-stormed the Red Keep and then the city started to burn and...and...please mercy. PLEASE!" Jaime pulled a dagger out from the man's belt and drove it into the poor bastard's heart.

The fire had reached the city walls and prevented anyone else from escaping the city. There had been no sign of Ser Aurane Waters or Ser Loras Tyrell, but the rest of the Kingsguard were all believed to have died shortly after the King lit the city on fire. Joffrey and Tommen are dead too, most like. The Oaf, the Queen, her son, and Lord Redwyne had all cooked to death inside the Tower of the Hand. The King was believed to have ordered a cache of wildfire to be place directly under the building. Lord Mathis Rowan appeared to be in charge. Jaime knew that he should avoid the man – Lord Rowan had been the Oaf's creature – but he found himself possessed by a desire to gather as much information as he could.

"You shouldn't be here, Kingslayer," Lord Rowan snapped the moment he saw Jaime. Even now, he calls me that. Lord Rowan must be relieved. There were no Kingslayers with Joffrey when he decided to burn down King's Landing.

"My Lord, I almost get the feeling that you're not happy to see me." They never are, he thought to himself bitterly.

"It's not me you should be worried about," Lord Rowan replied. "The Tyrells tried to overthrow King Aerys III and put his son on the Iron Throne. They're all dead now. The Mad King too, most like. I could take you prisoner like Janos Slynt and send you back to Highgarden, but after seeing how Joffrey Lannister paid his debts, I don't plan to make any more enemies in the Westerlands. At least not until I figure out which poor bastard is in charge here. Damned if I'm going to let myself get stuck cleaning up this mess."

"I fear you've made a mistake, my Lord. I believe my brother sent Janos Slynt to the Wall."

"Aye, the Imp did. Even a Lannister is right every now and then. Your son brought him back to King's Landing and re-appointed the dumb bastard Lord Commander of the City Watch. The boy said he hoped the fool's loyalty would set an example for the rest of the Gold Cloaks. I'm going to have Lord Slynt sent right back to the Wall where he belongs." My son... Seven Hells, can't you at least pretend not to believe it.

After learning what little more he could from Lord Rowan, Jaime left the Lord's tent and did his best to avoid the Tyrell guards, searching for anything that could provide some glimmer of hope. And then he saw him.

"Uncle Jaime," Tommen shouted.

Without giving any thought to what the nearby Tyrell men might think, Jaime raced to help his son. The boy was dressed as a peasant with Ser Balon Swann posing as his father, having traded his white cloak for some torn rags. Ser Balon had managed to smuggle Tommen out of the city after hearing that the King planned to burn the King's Landing to the ground. They had escaped just before city turned into a green hell.

The three of them made their way back to the Lannister guardsmen that had travelled with Jaime, all of them shocked at the sight of King's Landing. Ser Ilyn looked at him, as if expecting orders.

"The Tyrells have betrayed the crown and they have paid the price for it. The King has paid for his crimes too, most like. We ride for Casterly Rock."

Father, Cersei, and Joffrey may be dead, but Tommen and Myrcella are still alive. He knew that Tyrion and his nuncle would fight for them as well. With Sansa gone and Arya dead, Cersei's children were the only way that he could salvage what little remained of his honor. In the end, Aerys Targaryen had his revenge. The Mad King did not become a dragon when he died...he became a Lion...my son.