Chapter Twenty

I humbly apologize for not updating this story at the usual time. Here we are with chapter twenty, a bit earlier than the normal time to make up for it. Also, I just may have to put up chapter twenty-one at the normal time to get back on schedule, don't you think? Wouldn't it be nice to have another chapter to read in a few hours? Hmmm?

Enjoy!

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Melara stood in the morning sun by the stables, preparing Sia to depart from Harrenhal. She had been given both decrees from Tywin to carry with her on her journey. Two days after her meeting with Lord Tywin she had become Lady Melara Lannister, wife to the now Lord Jaime Lannister, heir to Casterly Rock. At least on paper she had. Tywin had said the decree meant nothing until the marriage was consummated. Melara was nervous at the thought of being intimate with a man, but thanked the Gods that the man was to be Jaime. Tywin had told her this marriage was in her best interest. "For your protection," he had said. She didn't understand how being married to a prisoner and a Lannister would protect her.

"Melara!"

She whipped her body around. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in weeks but would recognize it anywhere. Although she looked a bit different, Melara would recognize her sweet Arya anywhere. But why would she be here? She ran to Arya to embrace her, but the girl took a step back, looking around to be sure the wrong people didn't see the Lady trying to hug her.

"Arya, what are you doing here? I've missed you and cried for you. Oh, and your father—"

"Don't talk about my father!" Melara stopped in her tracks at the venomous voice coming from the girl she once thought as the only light in her darkness. She didn't understand why her once Sweet Girl would speak to her in such a tone. "You're a Lannister now. His death is just as much your fault as it is theirs!" Arya pointed at the red cloak that Melara wore. Tywin had insisted she wear it, again for her protection. Melara tried to make sense of what the girl was saying. Petyr Baelish said Lord Stark had died from the wound in his leg becoming festered. It was Jaime's fault he received that wound. And now that Melara was married in name to Jaime, Arya blamed her as well. Melara had come to the right conclusion for the wrong reason.

"Arya, please. I didn't have a choice in this. I've never had a choice in anything since we left Winterfell." Melara held back her tears. She would be strong, if not for Jaime then for herself. It's time for me to control my own life. Melara spoke to Arya again, not wanting to lose her now that had been reunited. "They are sending me to Robb's camp. Arya, come with me. We can be with your mother and your brother again."

"They are sending you there so that you can free Jaime Lannister! Then what leverage would Robb have over them? Do you think that you will be welcomed there? After you've already betrayed us all?" Arya had never spoken with such anger before. Melara wondered what had happened to her to change the once sweet girl into this spiteful one. The death of her father must have done it. And whatever journey she went on that brought her here. Melara realized that what Arya had said, while cruel, was partially true. She had, unintentionally, betrayed the Starks. And now she was being sent from the lion's den straight into the wolf's den. When will I find my peace?

"Then come with me. Tell them I had no choice but to be married." She dropped her voice to a whisper so that only Arya could hear. "It's only a marriage by name. I still have to consummate it but I just can't, Arya, I can't." She thought she had cracked through Arya's stubborn wall when the girl's face softened. Melara tried to continue but Arya spoke first.

"I didn't have a choice when I was turned into a boy and had to escape with the others headed for the Wall. I didn't have a choice to be brought here either. But I have a choice now." Melara was relieved that Arya was going to be coming with her. She had missed her and would be glad to have her back next to her side. But Melara's relief was short lived when Arya continued. "I'm choosing to leave Harrenhal. But not with you. Not because Lord Tywin commanded me too. I'm escaping here because I'm strong enough to do what I need to do to protect myself." Arya was right, she hadn't a choice in how she got there, but she was fighting for her freedom while Melara still played right into their hands. I'm weaker than her. I can't even stand up for my own life.

"Arya, please don't do this. Not when we've only just found each other."

"No, Melara. You've made your choice and I've made mine. You choose to be a pawn but I won't." Arya turned to walk away but paused with an afterthought. She turned her head slightly to the side but did not turn her body as she spoke. "Give Robb and Mother my love." And with that she walked away, Nymeria coming from the shadows to join her. Melara felt her heart break at the sight. Her sweet Arya had abandoned her. Will all of the Starks abandon me as well? The people I love always leave me.

She took the few steps back to her horse and was surprised when Tywin was walking towards her. He hadn't said anything about seeing her off. What cruel Gods would make Arya leave me yet have Lord Tywin say he is trying to protect me? Melara just could not make any sense of her life anymore. She had been tossed from place to place and had her emotions torn in little pieces over the last months.

"Lord Tywin." She greeted him respectfully, trying to appease him until she could be gone from this place. She would ride to Robb's camp, that she was sure of, but what she did when she got there may not be what Tywin had told her to do. She didn't know what to expect when she rode into Robb's camp wearing the colors of his enemy on her shoulders. Tywin did not give her a greeting in return instead getting right to the point of why he was there.

"I expect you to return my son to me. Remember that if you do this, my family will be in your debt."

"And a Lannister always pays his debts." He gave her a rare smile, as much of a smile that Tywin could do, but it happened so fast she wasn't sure she actually saw it. He held his hand out to her and she accepted the ring she would wear on her finger, signifying what the decree she carried with her said to be true. He lifted her onto her horse without a word. He walked to his own and mounted, riding next to her until they reached the gates. Lady stood at attention, ready to leave with the girl she now swore her life to. Melara noticed a guard of ten Lannister men waiting for them just outside of the gates.

"These men will be your escort, taking you into the camp. I don't expect them to live but I hope that at least you'll be alive long enough to get Jaime free." Without as much as a goodbye, Tywin turned his horse from her and rode back into the city. Melara proudly rode by the men who were to escort her, Lady at her horse's side. She did not spare them a glance but knew that they followed her.

As she began her latest journey Melara only thought of one thing.

A Lannister always pays his debts, Lord Tywin. And I am now a Lannister.

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Jaime was not entirely happy about his situation. He had been caught unaware in the comfort of his tent by Robb Stark and his men weeks ago. And since then he had been drug from camp to camp instead of left in one place. He would never admit it, but it was a good move by Stark. Keeping Jaime with him had lowered the chance of losing the highest ranking prisoner because of Jaime's silver tongue. More like gold tongue. Jaime gave off a little laugh causing his guard to look his way. The man was a brutish man, middle aged with a bald head and a large gut. Jaime had given him the affectionate nickname of Darren the Dull, because the man never did anything but stand and stare. Sometimes he would stare at a rock, other times a tress. Jaime thought that the man was touched, but knew better than to underestimate the man who guarded him. That would be what Stark wants me to do. Get comfortable and try to escape. But I won't try. I'll succeed.

"Ah, Darren the Dull! Time to have a stare at me? Hmm? I can assure you that I'm much better to look at after a bath, a shave and a good meal. Care to offer me any other those today?" Jaime enjoyed taunting the men in the camp almost as much as he enjoyed taunting Robb Stark. They had stopped gagging him after the first time Robb had commanded it. It was a little known fact but one could still make noises while gagged. Annoying noises. In the dead of night when everyone else is sleeping. He had agreed to stop making the high pitched, ear splitting noises if they stopped gagging him. Even as a prisoner I can still get what I want.

The large man just grunted and looked back away. Jaime huffed out a bit of laughter and started to whistle a tune. He didn't have much else to do beside whistle or taunt. Or think of her. Jaime had given his thoughts over to Melara many times. He hated himself for asking her to lie with him. It was more out of desperation to show her how he felt than to find a release. Jaime had never been romantic with Cersei, so he wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words. If he would have stayed just a day longer, he might not be a prison at the moment. And he may have been able to show Melara what she meant to him. He had given her the package that he intended to give to Cersei many years ago, just before he had left to join the Kingsguard. When he thought of Cersei, he just couldn't understand how he could love her for so many years but then fall out of love the moment Melara allowed him to show her attention. Cersei is too much like a man sometimes. Never giving the sweet smiles or innocent blushes that Melara gives. Gods damn me but I think I love her. It took the thought of never seeing her again for him to realize what he felt for her. When she had asked him the day he left King's Landing Jaime had told her he would tell her the next time they met. He wasn't being coy or romantic, he just didn't know at the time. He would give his sword hand just to see her once more, to tell her what he feels for her. To show her what she means to him.

Shouts rang out through the camp but Jaime paid no mind. The men were always shouting about one thing or another. He continued with his whistling, hoping to drown out the shouts so that he could sleep. His eyes drifted closed and he began to dream of Melara's stormy eyes and sweet smile. If only he would have stayed awake a few more moments he would have heard another guard telling "Darren the Dull" that the Lady Melara had ridden into their camp.

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Melara's nerves were getting the better of her. The closer they made it to the camp the more she wanted to flee. But the feeling of seeing Jaime again kept her steady on her path. She was grateful that her bleeds had come and gone before she had to deal with seeing the Starks again. She was much too prone to tears when her moon blood came. And she would need to put her emotions aside to accomplish what she was meant to in this camp. The men had told her to stop and wait a good ways from the camp, she didn't understand why until a single rider came towards her. Of course they would send a messenger out. She did not recognize the rider, an older man she would guess to be the same age as Tywin. He sat proudly upon his chestnut horse, with his direwolf sigil proudly displayed. Melara was positioned behind the guards to protect her from any surprise attack. Lady stood ready to defend as well.

"What business do you lot have here!" The tension could be felt in the air and Melara had a bad feeling that something just wasn't right. She looked around the clearing but saw nothing strange. She just thought her nerves were putting her on edge. I am mere moments away from the camp. From Lady Catelyn…Robb…Jaime. Melara urged Sia forward to speak to the messenger. She knew that if the guards spoke, only bad things would happen.

"Ser, I am here to meet with Lord Robb and Lady Catelyn." The man's eyebrows shot up at seeing a girl surrounded by the guards. He wondered what trick this could be.

"That's King Robb, wench. You're in the North now. And us in the North…we do things different than you Southerns." He dropped the banner he had been flying and everything seemed to happen at once. She didn't know where the archers were even hidden but the guards to her left and right started falling from their horses. Melara hugged her chest into Sia's neck, hoping to make herself as small as possible as she cantered away from where the guards were still having arrows rained down upon them. Lady ran ahead of her, Sia following in the direwolf's path. Melara thanked the Seven that her animals seemed to know where she needed to go to be safe. When the shouts of the men behind her had gotten quiet, Melara dared to slow down.

She pulled Sia back into a walk, sitting up now to see where her horse had carried her. She found herself twenty feet from Robb's camp, with a man standing with his sword drawn guarding the entrance. She narrowed her eyes to see if there was more than one man but with the sun setting, there was not enough light to see. She did not stop her horse but continued to the camp with her head held high and her chin up. She had come too far to cower now and back down. She realized just who the man was when she was close enough. He recognized her immediately.

"Melara!" Robb couldn't believe his eyes. The skittish girl he had fell in love with as a child was now before him looking more confident than any woman he had ever seen. With the sun setting behind her, it only made her beauty glow more than it normally did. Robb dropped his sword to the ground and took a step towards her. She pulled Sia to a halt and slid off her mare's back. Melara walked towards Robb and stood within arm's reach of him. Who is this woman? Melara would never have been this close to me before. When she spoke, he could even hear the confidence in her voice that had never been there before.

"Hello, King Robb. Might I have a moment of your time this evening?"

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Finally they are that much closer to a reunion! When is that reunion you might ask? Well, gentle readers, it is in the next chapter. Chapter twenty-one. Which I may have to finish right now so that you can all read it. I won't eat or sleep or move out of my spot until I finish because I love all of the lovely reviews I receive and the amount of people who are continuing to read this.

The things I do for love…