Jaime
Jaime was standing guard on the Wall. That blithering bully Thorne punishing him for being a better teacher. Jaime didn't mind, the long hours atop the Wall gave him time to think. He missed Cersei, her passion, her warmth, even her paranoia and power-mongering. Joffrey was a little shit he didn't care for, but Myrcella and Tommen were sweet. It hurt that he'd never see them again, but at least they were all alive. Jaime had been sure they were doomed when he'd seen the Stark boy alive after his fall.
"Jaime Lannister," said a woman. There was only one woman at Castle Black at the moment.
Jaime turned to nod. "Minerva," he greeted. "How may I help you?" He bore the Visitors no ill will, even if their Captain Prophet had revealed the children as his. They were just lazy gods doing what they wanted.
"If I asked you a question, would you give an honest answer?" the Grey Woman wondered.
"Depends on the question," Jaime told her.
Minerva looked him in the eye. "Why did you kill Aerys?"
Jaime frowned. "You know, I don't think anyone's actually asked me that question. They just call me Kingslayer and make their own assumptions."
"Well, I'm asking now," the Visitor said.
"Why do you ask?" Jaime questioned.
"Your answer, truth or lie, will tell me something about your character," Minerva replied.
Jaime was silent for a minute. "... The rebel forces had just breached the walls. King Aerys ordered us to burn the icty to the ground in order to stop them. Those were his last words: 'Burn them all.' Then I drew my sword and stabbed him."
Minerva nodded. "Ah, I see. Your oath as Kingsguard bid you obey your king. But honor bid you to protect the innocents of King's Landing. You were, as my people would say, caught between a rock and a hard place."
"I didn't have to sit on the throne afterwards. That was just for me," Jaime admitted.
"So you've been dishonored and scorned for choosing the lesser of two evils. How do you handle that?"
"By not giving afuck what anyone thinks of me," Jaime said pointedly.
Minerva merely nodded. They stood there in silence for a bit.
"Does your world have a king?" Jaime asked, curious about the Visitors despite himself.
"Not anymore. A century ago, we united as all one people. We decided our leader should be chosen by the people. Politicians campaign to earn votes, and come election day the candidate with the most votes is elected leader of our world for a term of five years. One can only serve two terms total. My crew missed an election during our voyage here, there's a new president now. I don't like him, but over half my world voted for him, so he's the one we've got," Minerva spoke upfront.
"How many people are on your world?"
"12 billion, give or take, including the colony on our moon. The empire has a total population of over 100 billion," the Grey Woman said.
Jaime's mind boggled at such a high number. 'How do you find the room?"
"We built cities, massive cities that make King's Landing look like a crofter's village. Buildings that reach over a mile into the sky. It gets crowded, so some prefer the country where the population isn't quite as dense. We've managed so far, and we've claimed over 100 worlds so it's not like there aren't other places we could expand."
"Will some of them come here?" Jaime wondered.
"The home planets of intelligent aliens are off-limits except for government-sanctioned crews like ours. Don't worry, there's no flood of colonists come to take all your land," Minerva grinned.
"How are criminals treated on your world? Do you have something like the Night's Watch?" Jaime asked.
"No, we don't have penal colonies. We don't even have jails and prisons anymore. We call them rehabilitation centers. We give them therapy, try to address the root cause of why they committed a crime. When they're deemed ready and deserving of reentering society, we let them go. Repeat offenders get longer and longer healing hours and stricters standards for release. It's all very gentle and humane. Nothing like your executions."
Jaime shook his head. "Whatever works for you," he said and returned to watching. After 10 minutes, he asked "You came up here for more than just asking me a question, didn't you?"
"The ranging shall return within the hour. I wanted to see them come back," Minerva answered.
Jaime raised a brow. "Thanks for warning me," he griped playfully.
"You're welcome," she said with a grin.
True to her word, the rangers came out of the woods less than half an hour later. Jaime blew his horn to alert Castle Black they were coming. Duty bound Jaime to stay on guard. He'd miss all the excitement. But what could you do?
"Thank you for answering me," Minerva said. Then, casual as you please, she jumped off the Wall. Jaime looked down and saw her gently float to the ground. More of their magic, no doubt.
Jaime turned back to the far side of the Wall to see the cage being brought out. It rattled and shook as whatever was in it attempted to break free. Then the ranging was successful. Lord Commander Mormont and his men had captured a wight.
Jaime wondered how the undead thing would be received at court.
Sansa
Sansa brushed her hair and Lady's fur in the early hour after waking but before breaking her fast. She was so nervous. The Tyrell party had arrived two days ago. Sansa hadn't caught a glimpse yet of Margaery Tyrell, the future queen, but she'd been invited to a tea party in the Maidenvault this morning. This is what she'd dreamed of when coming to King's Landing. She was scared but excited in equal measure.
Unfortunately, Arya had been invited too. Every lady in the Red Keep had been invited. Sansa only prayed her little sister would be on her best behavior. Brunhild and Harriett had been invited too.
Sansa considered her diamond dress, but she didn't want to outshine Margaery. She went for her old favorite blue stress she'd made herself. Deciding she looked as good as she could, she led Lady, who was getting to be big as a pony, to the dining hall in the Tower of the Hand.
Well, Arya was wearing a dress instead of pants and a shirt. That was a small victory. Father chose to comment after they'd served themselves. "So, are you both excited to go to Margaery's tea party?"
"Yes, Father," Sansa said brightly.
"I'm only going because Brunhild's going. I'll have someone to talk to about something other than gossip and girl things," Arya said plainly.
Sansa rolled her eyes. "Arya, you are a girl."
"Not one like you. I was never going to be as good a lady as you. So I'm going to be something else," Arya stated as she fed bacon to Nymeria.
Sansa blinked. In an odd way, Arya had just given her a compliment. "Well, please don't embarrass me," she asked.
"I'll try. It's not worth you getting mad and being all moody and passive-aggressive if I don't," Arya conceded.
"Do boys have something like tea parties?" Bran asked.
"A night at a tavern," Father said with a chuckle.
After the meal, Sansa and Arya had a quick refresher on proper decorum from Septa Mordane. And then they were walking to the Maidenvault. When they entered, Sansa admired the tables and decorations that had been brought in. Seated at the table on a slight rise, booking regal as a queen already, was Margaery Tyrell.
Her beauty had not been exaggerated. Sansa, in all modesty, knew she was at least as beautiful as Mother. But Margaery made Sansa look like a plain-faced peasant girl. Her brown hair fell to her back and she wore a dress of green silk with gold flourishes. She had a welcoming smile, and Sansa thought it might even be real. "Welcome to my little party. I am Margaery of House Tyrell. Please let me know your names, though I'm afraid the direwolves rather give you away."
"Greetings, Margaery. I am Sansa of House Stark. And this is Lady," Sansa gave her best curtsy,a nd Lady bowed her head as if she understood what was going on."
Arya gave a quick little curtsy, almost rude. "Arya Stark and Nymeria."
"Splendid! You're the first to arrive. Come, sit up here next to me." Margaery made a 'come here' gesture with her hand. Sansa walked over, trailed by Arya and the direwolves. Sansa sat on Margaery's right and Arya on her left, their wolves curling up behind them to wait for the moment their mistresses left.
"So, King's Landing must be quite the adjustment after Winterfell," Margaery said conversationally.
"It's been a transition, yes. But King's Landing is so fascinating," Sansa told the king's betrothed.
"It's much hotter here. You're from even further south, does it feel cooler up here?" arya asked, at least making an effort.
"It's perhaps a bit less hot up here but the humidity from the ocean is new to jme. Summer in Highgarden is a dry, baking heat. King's Landing feels more akin to a room full of steam," Margaery said with genuine honesty. "How do your direwolves cope with all their fur?"
"The Visitors gave us cooling collars. It keeps them from getting too hot," Arya replied.
Margaery got a deeply curious look. "I've heard tell of these Visitors from another world. Is it true the Red Woman won the Tourney of the Hand?"
"Yes, she did. And she beat everyone with one pass!" Arya said excitedly.
"They're able to enhance themselves somehow to be stronger than natural. Brunhild is stronger than most men of this world. Maybe all men," Sansa said with her familiar discomfort at how unnatural the Visitor woman was. "And I think Harriett is much stronger than she looks. But she's a healer, so I don't think she'd ever try to fight someone."
"Harriett is the Green Woman, yes? Is she the one who turned my betrothed from a fat man to a fit man?" Margaery inquired.
"It would have been her or Vivaan, but he's at th eWall right now," Sansa answered.
Another lady entered the room. "Forgive me, I must play hostess," Margaery said before greeting the lady. Others began to trickle in, and within half an hour the room was full, every table occupied. Brunhild and Harriett had come in last and were invited by Margaery to the head table.
"The ta should be here in a few minutes. Please talk, get to know each other. We are here to make friends, are we not?" Margaery told the room with her smile wide on her face.
"Tea with the queen-to-be. Didn't expect this when I signed up for this expedition," Brunhild said to herself.
"Are there tea parties on your world?" Margaery asked.
"Yes, but they're very old-fashioned. Plus, there's different kinds of tea parties depending on what part of our world you're from. An English tea party and a Japanese tea party are two different things," Brunhild shrugged. "Me personally, I prefer coffee.
"Coffee?" Margaery asked.
"You have it on this world too but it only grows in Sothoryos," Harriett answered. "It's a drink made by filtering hot water through ground coffee beans. It's black and bitter and makes you feel awake and energetic. It's one of the most popular drinks on our world. Maybe one day an expedition to Sothoryos will bring it back to Westeros and you can try it yourself," Harriett answered.
"Sothoryos? The land beyond the Summer Isles? Goodness, that would be a long trip to and from Westeros," Margaery mused. "Now, this is a question I ask every girl. Who would you want to marry if it were up to you?"
Sansa blushed. "I'd say your brother Loras but I know he's not… that way inclined. I suppose Tyrion Lannister is handsome now he's not a dwarf."
Margaery turned sharply to Sansa. "How did you know? He keeps it secret very well."
"I told her," Harriett told. "And of all the men in this world… Sanar Raalaq. You wouldn't know him."
Brunhild snorted. "Classic Harriett. Me, I like them tall. Gregor Clegane is a monster but Sandor is decent once you get past the prickliness. Not that I would actually marry an alien, no offense."
Arya shrugged. "Any man who's okay with me wielding a sword. I don't care if it's a crofter or a lord."
Margaery turned to Arya. "You have a sword?"
"I want to be a knight. I know girls aren't 'allowed' but i'm going to do it anyway," Arya said determinedly.
Margaery got a pensive look. "Arya, have you heard of Brienne of Tarth?"
"No, who's she?" Arya asked.
"She's tall as a man and fights with a sword. No septon has blessed her with seven oils, but she certainly acts like a knight. I remember she came to my father trying to offer her sword. He laughed in her face."
Arya's eyes lit up. "Yes! I knew I wasn't the only girl in the world that wanted to fight!"
Brunhild chuckled. "There's a whole tribe of warrior women in Sothoryos. Of course you weren't. Some girls just have hot blood and a fighter's spirit."
Margaery blinked and seemed to center herself. "Well, I wish you the best of luck when you're older, Arya"
The tea arrived then,a long with little sweet cakes. The servants filled their cups and offered sugar from the Summer Isles to sweeten it. Sansa took a sip and found it to be excellent quality. "Is this tea from the fields of Highgarden?"
"How could you tell?" Margaery asked.
"It's the best I've ever had," Sansa said honestly.
"You flatter my House, Sansa, but I thank you for the compliment," Margaery smiled and it reached her eyes.
"So, Margaery, looking forward to the wedding?" Harriett asked politely.
"Of course. What girl doesn't dream of being Queen?" Margaery giggled and it was a lovely sound. "Thank you, Harriett, by the way. I half expected to be crushed under my groom but you made his fat disappear."
"Just helping a man become healthy again," Harriett shrugged.
"What happened to Cersei and her children, though? Even my grandmother doesn't know what happened and she knows everything," Margaery asked.
Bruhild answered as Sansa struggled whether to disclose the scandalous information. "Cersei and Jaime Lannister were committing incest. All three children were his, not Robert's."
Margaery's jaw dropped. "No wonder I hadn't heard. The king must be keeping this information under firm cover. But good to know my children won't have competition for the throne."
They talked for another hour, the tea long since sipped away. Margaery released them all for lunch. "A pleasure to have met you al. I hope we can be friends going forward," she told the Starks before they left.
Sansa walked back to the Tower of the Hand. Arya commented "She'll be a much better queen than Cersei."
"I agree," Sansa said. "Thank you for being nice."
"Thank you for not getting all giggly with her like you do with Jeyne," Arya returned.
There was a moment of silence where they actually felt like sisters. It wasn't a bad feeling.