As it had been arranged, Myrcella paused her journey to return to Dorne in order to visit Dragonstone as she wanted to see her mother one last time before leaving. Jaime had accompanied her but did not go to his sister. Instead, he went to his liege lady. He found her shut away in her solar, frantically scrambling at papers whilst muttering under her breath, and for a moment Jaime could only freeze and stare. As Rhaena made a mess of her desk, which Jaime knew to always be immaculate and ordered, he saw a reflection of the chaos which must be residing in her head. She spoke of lies and falsehoods, whispering as she managed to find a blank page in order to start scrawling in blotching ink so erratically that Rhaena was not even making words. "No – no, no Tyrion would not he would not he would not cast me out…Cersei lies she always lies she is a liar she has always lied I do not want power I do not need it but oh how I want it! Traitors and spies, they are everywhere. Varys listens he always listens he knows he knows he knows I know he knows how can he not? I am not my father I am not my sister. I am not my father I am not I am not I AM NOT!" The final scream was accompanied with Rhaena seizing hold of her chair and, with impressive strength, launching it across the room.

"Rhaena!" Snapped awake from his shock, Jaime all but leaped across the room as Rhaena began to wail and screech, tearing at her own clothes and threatening to crash her head against the desk just to try and force her own mind to stop. It was difficult with only one hand to keep hold of Rhaena for she was strong and fierce, wriggling out of Jaime's grasp several times until he managed to tackle her to the floor whereby he wrapped his legs around her along with his arms, pinning her against his chest whilst holding her wrists together with his left hand, and there began to croon and hush her. "It's alright, it's alright I'm here. Easy now, easy, you're safe. You're safe with me. I'm here." Treating her as he would his own children when they had woken from a nightmare and needed consoling, Jaime rocked Rhaena in his arms whilst pressing his head to hers, enshrouding her completely so that she could feel utterly secure and protected. It worked well, Rhaena's sobs gradually quietening until she was rocking with him and breathing deeply, tipping her head back against his shoulder. Once she was lax and quiet, Jaime dared press a kiss to her hair, whispering once more before gradually letting her go. Rhaena did not move. She remained collapsed against him as Jaime shifted, making himself more comfortable with his back against the wall with his arms curled loosely around her. "What happened?"

"Cersei." It was all she needed to say for him to understand. Jaime knew better than anyone the power Cersei wielded over others, even when they did not want her to. Sympathising with her plight, Jaime stroked at Rhaena's hair. "It's happening to me, isn't it? I am turning mad, like my father and my sister."

"No, no this was…this was just a moment of irrationality. Of panic. You'll be alright." Jaime assured her, refusing to believe that Rhaena was destined for the same road as the rest of her family. She had always seemed far too strong to be subject to her family's curse. Always, she seemed to be cut from a different bolt of cloth. From what he had just seen, however, Jaime knew that this had only been his wishful thinking. He had seen Aerys and his episodes, and they had been terrifyingly just like the one Rhaena had displayed.

"You have to help me, Jaime." Listening to her now as Rhaena curled up and hid her face, Jaime had never seen her so small. It was as if she were withering away within herself, returning to the helpless child she had been once before. "Keep me from hurting anyone. If I give orders whilst irrational, do not listen to them. I…I shall tell the men too. And Pylos. Only listen to me when I am reasonable. Should I start to go mad, they must keep me from bringing harm to anyone…Rhaegal. How do I explain this to Rhaegal?"

"We will deal with that when it comes to it, but for now just rest. Perhaps this will be the only episode you have. Aerys would go months, even years at a time without another fit until his latter days. The greater his stress, the more frequent the attacks. Perhaps that is all we need to be careful of." Pushing back her hair so that Rhaena would lift her face to look at him, Jaime gave her a confident smile. "It may be that we shall have to retire before long to a warm beach somewhere remote and peaceful. What a shame that would be." Unable to help herself, Rhaena giggled at the thought of Jaime swimming in the ocean whilst she relaxed upon a white sanded beach, bathing under the sun and having absolutely no fears or concerns to torment her. "But you have my word, little dragon. I shall protect you. From others, and from yourself. You shall always be safe with me." Believing him entirely, Rhaena nodded her head and allowed herself to sink back against him for a few more moments. Jaime treated her softly when he needed to, revealing just how tender his heart could be, and Rhaena was glad for it. When he helped her back to her feet, he then assisted in returning her desk to order, burning the paper she had inked upon with nonsensical scrawls. With such a reassuring character beside her, Rhaena felt utterly at ease. When she returned to King's Landing, she intended to confer with Sam about her condition and symptoms, thinking that perhaps if they documented her ailments, there might be treatments developed in the future. "If I may ask, what did Cersei say that pushed you into such a state of mind?"

"That power was intoxicating, and that since I had had a taste of it, would never be able to let it go. I would search for more and eventually, everyone would turn against me because of it." Phrasing Cersei's words more simply, Rhaena rubbed at her face and neck as she sank tiredly into her chair which Jaime had gallantly fetched from where she had thrown it, miraculously unharmed, and returned it to her desk.

"And you believe her?"

"I saw it happen with my own sister. How could I not see an element of truth in her words?" Shaking her head, Rhaena held her face in her hands whilst resting upon her desk. "Power is a Targaryen's weakness. I know that now. It poisons us from within until we are nothing but the architects of our own downfall. We weakened ourselves by maintaining our blood's purity, chained our dragons which caused them to diminish in size and strength until finally, we were nothing but a House of Madness and lesser beings. I fear my father and my sister shall be the last of my family's legacy. The Mad King and the Mad Queen. Songs shall sing of their insanity and their love of burning and destruction." Taking up a seat of his own, Jaime watched Rhaena as she mourned and grieved for her circumstances. Someone else might have known what to say to her, how to comfort her and reassure her that she did not need to have such worries, but words had never been Jaime's gift. It was his duty as her knight to protect her, to keep her confidence and offer her counsel, but in truth, Jaime knew that he was lacking. If only Tyrion were here. Tyrion always knew how to make Rhaena smile. Instead all he felt was guilt as he saw Aerys before him in the throne room, staring at him in terror before turning to flee. His sword followed him and was firmly thrust through his back. Jaime still remembered the sound of rendered flesh and severed bone.

"It was too late for your father, and perhaps also for your sister, but not yet for you. We can fight this." Looking up with a sad yet tender expression, Rhaena felt an endearing fondness for Jaime in that moment.

"Not every battle can be fought with a sword, my Trueknight." Knowing this was true, Jaime did not know what else he could say. If only insanity were a beast or a demon, one that he could see and smell and touch. Then Jaime would take his sword, Lion's Honour, and cut it to pieces before it could sink its fangs into Rhaena. If only every problem could be solved with the sword. At least that much he could manage. "Do you know the true reason why I forgave you for killing my father, Jaime?" Surprised by the question, Jaime could only look at Rheana blankly as she continued with a faraway look in her eyes. "I did not lie when I told you that your good deeds far outweighed your sins, that you saved thousands by killing just one, but I had another reason. One I could not speak in front of anyone else. I think I can tell you, because I think that you are the only man in the world who would understand." Dragging her attention from whatever memory had ensnared her, Jaime found himself meeting the lilac eyes of the princess as they shone with bitterness and woe. "You are not the only Kingslayer breathing. In fact, I believe I have slain more than you. I killed Robert. After he summoned me to his deathbed, I smothered him with his pillow. I killed the Night King, though I doubt anyone will begrudge me that. I…I also killed Daenerys." Jaime's entire body went cold from shock. "It was I who killed her, not Jon. Jon took the blame to protect me, to maintain the peace, but I should not have let him. I should have confessed my guilt, but I was too afraid…I am still afraid…the guilt has been pressing against me like a mountain upon my chest and even when I go to sleep I see her blood upon my hands." She stared down at them as she could see it even now, slender fingers sticky in the crimson lifeblood of her sister. "So you see, dear Jaime…you are not so wretched as you might think. If anyone here deserves to slowly sink into madness, then it is I. If the gods are just, then this is their punishment for me." Jaime refused to believe it.

"No." He spoke firmly, reaching across and seizing hold of Rhaena's hands in order to hold them tightly, feeling her palms which were soft and smooth, counting the callouses upon her fingers from her use of the sword and bow. "No, I refuse to think that. Robert tortured you, he deserved to die by your hands, as for your sister…it is the same as what I did. We slew one and saved thousands. Your sister would not have stopped with Westeros. She would have set fire to the entire world in order to liberate it. She was no better than Cersei." As much as Rhaena wanted to allow his words to absolve her of her guilt, she knew that this would have to be something she carried with her for the rest of her life. She was glad that she had told Jaime, however. Even more than Tyrion, Jaime would understand exactly what it was she felt. Only he had endured the same torment, and only he who could empathise with everything Rhaena had felt, even when committing the act itself. He stayed close to her from then on, even more so than before. He joked and teased her, going back to his usual self in an attempt to rally her spirits, and soon enough the normality of their routine brought Rhaena back to her old self too. They spent several days upon Dragonstone, seeing Myrcella off to return to Dorne where they would follow in a months' time in order to attend her wedding which promised to be a grand affair. Jaime had hidden the tear in his eye as he had embraced his daughter as he sent her off. Rhaena teased him for it, but then patted his arm affectionately to console him. With the last of their business attended to, she and Jaime departed back for King's Landing, walking side by side together where high above them, watching as they went, Cersei saw her only glimpse of her brother, her Jaime, and knew then that Rhaena's words had been true. He had one and for all given her up. All for a dragon whore. Pressing her lips together in anger, Cersei turned away from the barred window and did not once look back, even as the hint of her brother's laughter rose up from below and tickled at her ear.