"It is horrible what happened to Bran," Elena exclaimed once they had finished eating their breakfast the following morning.
Jaime ambled by her side, his hands limp against his thighs as he looked to his wife and bit down on his bottom lip. It was said that the boy would live and Jaime only worried what he would remember when he woke up. He knew that many would see his actions as dishonourable and cruel, but Jaime had done what needed to be done. He had to keep his family safe.
"It is said that he fell from the Tower," Elena continued as they entered their chamber to finish packing. "I could not imagine what we would do if something like that happened to Joanna or Harrold."
Jaime peered up then as Elena turned her back to him and continued with the packing. His brows arched and he shook his head. He couldn't ever think like that. It would only ruin him.
"When do we leave?" Jaime asked, trying to change the topic.
"As soon as Harrold has finished packing," Elena said. "I do not wish to travel with the rest of the royal party if that is fine with you? King Robert does nothing but yell and drink whilst the twins wish to avoid Joffrey and the Queen."
Jaime nodded his agreement.
"I shall go and have the Lannister guard prepare to leave. They can escort us down to King's Landing and then return to Casterly Rock."
"Thank you," Elena smiled, tossing her head over her shoulder to look at her husband. "Oh, and if you see Joanna, do not mention Jon Snow."
"I thought that was a given," Jaime scoffed and Elena shook her head, straightening out and turning to look at him.
"He is joining the Night's Watch," she explained in a soft voice and Jaime's brow arched. "Lord Stark told me yesterday that his mind has been made up. You know what that means, Jaime. He will never be able to take a wife or father children. Joanna found out yesterday and she pretended not to be upset."
"She's not very good at pretending," Jaime responded with a tilt of his head.
"We are her parents," Elena responded. "We know her more than she knows herself. I love her more than anything, Jaime. I love both of them."
"I know," Jaime said, taking a deep breath and moving over to Elena.
He slowly rested his hands on her shoulders and bent down to press his lips on her forehead. She moved closer to him, seeking solace in his arms for a few moments. It was a rare moment when Elena allowed Jaime to hold her. It was even rare for Jaime to offer her his arms. Something often stirred inside of him when he had her so close. Elena had been a stale rock to him. She was strong, but kind. There was more to her than Jaime had initially thought.
"We shall go to King's Landing and I shall do my months training before returning to Casterly Rock. Everything shall be as it was soon enough."
"Shall it be?" Elena whispered to him. "Everything seems different ever since we came here."
"And that is why we are leaving here," Jaime said, running his hands up and down Elena's arms. "We shall leave and it will all change back for the good."
...
Jon looked on as Joanna stood in the courtyard and he finished having his sword forged. She was stood with her Uncle Tyrion as Joffrey scurried away. Joanna laughed at whatever her Uncle Tyrion said, but Jon had a feeling that she was trying to avoid his stare. He had told her that he intended to join the Night's Watch and she had tried to seem impassive.
She had shrugged at him and said nothing before returning to converse with her brother. Harrold had offered Jon a slim smile, knowing full well that the boy had done the right thing in telling Joanna that they could not let their feelings develop.
"Must you leave for the Wall?" Jon heard Joanna ask her uncle. "Why not come back to King's Landing with us?"
"There is much of this world to see, my sweet niece," Tyrion responded. "Why spend it sitting and drinking with all the liars in King's Landing?"
"I am offended you would call me a liar," Joanna teased and Tyrion reached for her hand as Harrold approached them.
Tyrion bent down to kiss her on the hand as she laughed lightly and Harrold stood by her side, his arm brushing against hers as he did so.
"Father tells me that you are leaving for the Wall," Harrold spoke. "Must you go? Returning to King's Landing does nothing but fill me with dread. Perhaps I could come with you?"
"I think not," Joanna was the one to speak quickly. "Would you leave me alone to suffer Joffrey's wrath? Please, Harrold, you're the only who keeps me sane when mother and father are not around."
Harrold sighed and nodded, kissing Joanna on the top of her head before noticing how Jon was staring at them. The bastard boy instantly looked away and went back to staring at the sword which was being forged. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and sighed lowly, wondering if he would see Joanna again. With that thought in mind, he turned his head over his shoulder and looked to her as she peered around and finally caught his eye.
They looked at each other and Jon took in her high cheekbones and her pale features. Her hair was flowing down her back in a contrast against the blue gown she wore. He continued to stare, unable to do anything else but that. Joanna Lannister was one girl Jon Snow would never forget.
...
There were some nights when Jaime couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. King's Landing had a distinct smell to it. It was right near the sea, but there was not the fresh air like there was at Casterly Rock. Jaime didn't like that about it. He detested that part. He kept silent for a few moments as Elena rolled onto her stomach and threw her arm out over the mattress.
Jaime was sat up in bed, his head against the headboard as Elena's hand rested in his lap. He looked down to her and gave a small smile. She slowly opened her eyes and she peered up to him, her cheek resting on the pillow as her hand ran up his bare chest and Jaime caught her fingers inside of his, kissing the back of her hand softly once he had done so.
"Trouble sleeping?" she asked of him.
"I think it is King's Landing," Jaime complained to her, dropping their hands to his lap. "I often have trouble sleeping here."
"Do you need something to help?" Elena asked. "I know how difficult it must be sometimes...you killed the Mad King here..."
"I did," Jaime agreed, "although that bastard did deserve his death."
"No doubt," Elena grunted. "What time is it anyway?"
"No idea," Jaime replied. "Go back to sleep, Elena. We have no need to be up in the morning. The royal party should not return for another few days."
"Hm," Elena grunted and Jaime squeezed her hand.
"Go back to sleep," he urged her, sensing that she was close to closing her eyes again. She slowly shut her orbs and Jaime tucked her hair behind her ear before watching her go back to sleep.
...
"You're not as brave as you seem to think you are, Joanna," Jaime informed his daughter.
They had been back in King's Landing for a week and a tourney was being set up for the new Hand of the King. Ned Stark had not agreed, but no one seemed to care about his opinion. Jaime had decided not to fight in the tourney for once. Elena had not attended, but Joanna had been keen to go. Harrold had tried to persuade his father to let him fight, but Jaime had said that he was too young. He didn't want to see his son hurt, regardless of the fact Jaime had been younger than Harrold the first time he had fought. Harrold went to his chamber in a foul mood.
"What do you mean?" Joanna asked of her father, noting Ned Stark and his two daughters sat at the front of the stand.
Joanna had taken to sitting right at the back and Jaime sat next to her, noting Lord Baelish as he wandered into the stands.
"You have done nothing but frown ever since we returned to King's Landing," Jaime said. "I had thought that leaving Winterfell would help to cheer you up."
"I am fine," Joanna lied.
"And I am not a fool," Jaime whispered to her.
He moved his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and she looked to him. She sighed lowly as he did so and Jaime felt her move closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder as Jaime tucked an arm around her waist.
"I wrote to your grandfather and told him that you had no interest in marrying Robb Stark or Ramsay Snow," Jaime assured his daughter. "You are young, Joanna. You have time to find someone who will love you like you deserve. Everything happens for a reason and Jon Snow leaving for the Wall happened for a reason."
Joanna listened to her father and Jaime rested his chin on the top of her head, looking to the side and noting Cersei sat on the main stand. Her hair was intricately held on the top of her head and her gown was the finest silk. She stared at him and he knew what she was thinking of. He thought of it every night. He couldn't help but picture the boy's face as he fell from the Broken Tower. Jaime told himself that he had done what he had to do.
"I will be fine," Joanna decided to say and Jaime nodded.
"That you will be," he promised her. "Now, do you wish to sit here and watch men hack each other to bits, or do you want to go and take a stroll through the gardens?"
Joanna contemplated his offer before standing up and Jaime did the same. He took her arm inside of his and swept past the people on the bench before leaving the tourney as the trumpet sounded. He had no reason to watch a tourney he did not care about. There were bigger things to worry about.
...
News soon travelled to King's Landing of what had happened between Lady Stark and Tyrion Lannister. It was safe to say that Jaime had not been happy with the news. He had stormed out of the solar and Elena had called after him. He had ignored her; far too intent on whatever it was he was going to.
She had paced the solar for hours, urging Joanna and Harrold not to leave their chambers. She had run her hands down her hair and held her churning stomach. Why had Lady Stark taken Tyrion? What had she accused him of doing? Elena didn't know, but she only found out when Jaime returned. He had blood scattered on his clothes and Elena placed a hand over her mouth once she saw him.
"What have you done?" she cried out and Jaime shook his head back and forth.
"We need to go," he urged his wife in a soft voice.
He took hold of her by the arms and she held her hands to her chest and away from him, the blood on his clothes keeping her full attention.
"What did you do?" she asked him again.
"I attacked Ned Stark. He gave his wife permission to take Tyrion as a hostage. She thinks that he pushed her son from the Tower."
"Tyrion?" Elena checked with him and she shook her head back and forth, refusing to believe that he had anything to do with it. "Tyrion would never have done such a thing. Why has she taken him? And why did you attack Ned Stark?"
"He took my brother," Jaime responded.
"I know, but you could have spoken," Elena complained as Jaime barged into the chamber the twins were hiding in. "You could have spoken to him instead of declaring war on the Starks!"
"I didn't declare war," Jaime called back to Elena as Harrold and Joanna looked to their father and he looked to them. "Pack a trunk, we are leaving King's Landing."
"Why?" The twins asked in unison.
"Is it true that Tyrion is in trouble?" Joanna asked.
"Yes," Jaime nodded. "I will explain everything as soon as possible, but we need to go. Do as I say and pack a trunk."
Jaime left them to consider his words before he took Elena by the hand and dragged her into their chamber. She remained slightly confused and dazed as Jaime closed the door behind him and took her by the waist, staring at her intently as he did so.
"This is dangerous, Jaime," Elena whispered. "You know that."
"I know," Jaime agreed. "What would you have had me do, Elena? He is my brother. I could scarcely leave him and allow the Starks to do as they please."
Elena gulped and Jaime bent down to kiss her on the top of her head quickly as she worried about what the future held. She said nothing for a few moments, choosing to keep quiet as her husband held her to him and she shook her head.
"We will be safe," Jaime promised her. "All of us will be safe."
...
A/N: Thanks to everyone reading do review! We're now into the main plot and there is so much more to come.