Admittedly, Jaime was weak. He was weaker than he thought he was. He had been fed the bare minimum and without his right hand he was not in any place to fight someone, regardless of whether or not it was a man like Stannis Baratheon. He leaned on Ser Davos slightly as the Onion Knight guided him through the encampment, going straight past the outhouse Stannis had ordered for Jaime to be taken to.
Jaime's brow arched in confusion, but he said nothing. He was grateful for the cover of darkness and the fact that they were far enough from the men in the encampment for them to spot anything. Davos had gone in the wrong direction, but he knew what he was doing. Stannis would possibly kill him like he had threatened to do with Gendry, but Davos could not sit back and watch Sarah Baratheon suffer for her father's religion.
Jaime had to admit that he found it rather ironic. How many people had he seen burned to death before he shoved his sword through the Mad King's back? How many people would have burned had he not done that act which cost him his reputation and gained him the name Kingslayer? Jaime did not know, but he did know that death by fire was not something he wanted to endure. He found it odd how people could believe it would cleanse the soul; all Jaime saw was a ash and bone at the end of it.
"What are you doing?" Jaime wondered from Davos once he had stopped walking and had drawn his sword from its sheathe. "You were supposed to take me to the outhouse."
"Do you want to burn to death?" Davos sniped back.
"Not particularly," Jaime replied.
"Then be grateful that I'm one of the sane ones in this camp," Davos responded. "I have no respect for the Lord of Light or his ways. I don't believe in the Gods, but I do believe that it would break the Princess's heart if you were killed...and I fear it would leave her empty and destroy her..."
"How can you deny the Lord of Light?" Jaime managed to ask. "He brought her back into this world as a living corpse."
"Aye," Davos nodded an agreement. "Something happened, but I believe it to be magic...dark magic which should not be used. I have seen it too."
"So you intend to free me?" Jaime checked with Davos. "Why else would you have defied your King?"
Shaking his head, Davos looked to the floor, unsure of whether he was a fool or an idiot. He was perhaps both at the same time if possible. It took him a few moments before he realised that Jaime would need a horse. There were several scattered around and tied to trees, sleeping for the night. He took hold of a brown coloured horse, handing the reins to Jaime who looked at him with suspicion.
"This is no trick," Davos promised him. "I know you and I know your crimes."
"Who does not?" Jaime retaliated, merely staring at the horse.
"But I do know that every man deserves a second chance. Believe me, I had mine," Davos informed Jaime. "And you saved the Princess from certain death at the hand of your sister. You protected her and took her into your care...and that is no crime...nor is loving her."
"And if I leave; where do I go?" Jaime posed the question. "My family is in ruins and I will be called a traitor for saving Sarah. And Sarah will stay here without me. What will happen to her? What life will she lead being locked away in a tower on Dragonstone?"
Davos bowed his head once more, knowing that he could not give Jaime the answer which he wanted or needed. He could not tell him that Sarah would be happy with her family, nor could he promise her safety in this war. He could promise nothing, but he could be certain of some things.
"You cannot take her from this place," Davos said. "She is trapped under Stannis's gaze. The Princess will be content enough to know that you have escaped and are alive and breathing. That is what she would want; not you to gallantly walk back into the inn and try to rescue her."
"This is no fairytale," Jaime scoffed back and Davos handed Jaime his sword. The member of the Kingsguard took it with his left hand and Davos stood tall.
"You need to knock me out with the blunt side of the blade," Davos said. "I would appreciate it if you spared my life."
"You trust me to do that?" Jaime checked and Davos shrugged.
"You'd upset the Princess if you killed me."
"The Princess seems incapable of emotion for others," Jaime observed.
"I wouldn't want to test that theory out," Davos grumbled. "Now do it and be gone. Save your own life and don't anger the Princess."
Jaime's brows furrowed as he bit down on his lip, the words he wanted to say so badly unable to come to the surface for a few moments. Had he ever told anyone that he loved them? Had he already said that to Cersei and meant it?
"Tell Sarah that I will come back for her. Tell her that I...I...I won't forget her...and promise to keep an eye on her. Make sure that Stannis does not corrupt her."
"I'll do my best."
Jaime acted with haste then, the blunt part of the blade hitting Davos across the head with the blunt side of the blade. He watched the Onion Knight fall to the floor before he climbed atop of the horse, the sword still in his hand. He looked back to where he knew Sarah would be, his eyes widening as he did so.
"I'll come back for you, Princess," Jaime promised her in a whisper before he pulled at the reins to the horse. "I promise you."
...
Sarah had been locked inside of her chamber for what seemed like ages, her eyes on the window which showed nothing but the darkness behind the encampment. She kept silent, perched on the edge of her bed as she waited for some noise of activity. She waited for her father to take away the only man she had ever wanted.
He had locked her inside and she had banged on the door, demanding to be let out. Her yells came to no prevail, not even Shireen pressed her ear to the door to ask if her sister was well. Sarah did not know where Shireen was; she only hoped that her little sister would be sleeping soundly in her own room with no knowledge of what had just happened.
The candles were slowly losing light by the time Stannis unlocked the guarded door and stormed inside. He slammed it shut once it had hit the wall behind it, startling Sarah into a standing position. She kept her eyes narrowed, but her gaze level, refusing to show her father just how scared she truly was of everything. She was scared of what he had done to Jaime and what he would say to her.
"He escaped," Stannis hissed. "He stole Davos's sword and he escaped. He dragged the body to the edge of the encampment where no one would find him until he awoke."
Sarah could not help the sigh of relief which left her mouth as she pressed her hands to her chest and a smile of joy passed on her face. The sight annoyed Stannis more than he had ever thought possible as he stormed towards his daughter, grabbing her chin and wiping the look of triumph from her features.
"He ran away and didn't bother to try and come back for you. What does that tell you?"
"It tells me that he is no fool," Sarah responded; her voice harsh as she took her father's wrist and pushed him from her. She continued to pace the room as Stannis stood still, the usual look of distaste on his face at his daughter and her words.
"It tells me that he does not love you as much as you seem to think," Stannis responded.
"You are trying to twist this," Sarah caught her father out without difficulty. "I will not fall for it. I know Jaime Lannister and I know that he would never stoop to your level of lies and deceit."
"No, he would just fuck his sister and kill a King," Stannis responded. "You are a foolish girl to believe that he took your honour because he loves you."
"No," Sarah snapped back. "I was foolish to believe that you actually cared about me when all you have done is lie to my face. You have not earned the right to be called a father."
And those were the words which wounded Stannis the most. He felt something ache inside of him as his daughter continued to glower at him, refusing to back away from the issue in hand. Stannis reacted quickly, rushing over to her and grabbing her upper arms, bending down to her height to look her in the eye.
"Do you have any idea how upset your mother and I were when we found out about your capture?" Stannis snapped. "I held your mother as she sobbed in my arms when we heard of your death. I spent one whole night comforting her, and who was there to comfort me? Do you think that I did not shed a tear over you; that I did not love you enough to give up my own life for yours? I would have done anything to bring you back and I would do anything to keep you safe...but being with Jaime Lannister...a man who is not worthy of you...not worthy of being near you...I will not accept that."
Silence filled the room as soon as Stannis had finished talking. Sarah's orbs had almost doubled in size as Stannis kept his grip on her arms, all of his anger seeming to dissolve over the course of one speech. The memories of him actually having to comfort Selyse rushed back. He had not touched his wife in months, and then he had cradled her to him when the news had broken. He had felt himself ache also, but he did not show it. He could not show weakness.
"The Lannisters deny me what is mine."
"Jaime has nothing to do with that," Sarah responded. "Jaime has changed. Why can you not see that? He has changed like you have changed."
"He is trouble," Stannis responded. "He has gone and I will make sure that you never see him again. Once the war is over then I shall find you a suitable husband; a man nearer your age who will love and cherish you-"
"-I don't want a husband," Sarah interrupted. "And if I cannot be with Jaime then I do not want anyone. Keep me from him, if you must, but do not expect me to marry anyone and have a relationship like you and mother. Jaime has gone and if it keeps you from killing him then I am willing to accept that...I...if it keeps him alive...being away from me...then fine...but do not force me to marry a man I do not want."
"You are young," Stannis spoke, "you will learn that there is a life without Jaime Lannister. You are a Baratheon, Sarah. You cannot be with a Lannister; not now. Stop clinging to him. He has escaped and if he ever shows his face again then I shall not show him any mercy."
"He has done nothing but save my life and you would kill him so easily. Where is the justice in that? Where is the father I once knew who believed in justice?"
"One good act does not wash away the bad ones," Stannis replied.
"It should when your own daughter is involved," Sarah responded and she took a seat on the small bed in the inn, wanting to be left alone to forget everything her father had just said to her. She looked to the ceiling as Stannis kept silent, unable to form a response to her statement.
He ground his teeth together and noted the blanket on the end of the bed. He picked it up and unravelled it, moving it over Sarah's shoulders as she kept her gaze from him. He draped it over her and then stood tall, sighing before he left her alone.
It was then when Sarah clutched the blanket tightly to her body, closing her eyes and sobbing softly at everything that had just happened. She was overjoyed that Jaime had escaped; so why could she not stop her crying?
...
A?N: Thank you to mellielannister and Richasa for reviewing. In response, more shall be explained about how Jaime was with the Mad King in later chapters!
