Jaime's eyes were shocked as they fell from the letter in his hand. He chewed his bottom lip almost nervously as he stood up. He had a son, an heir to House Lannister...in the letter, there had been reports of the people either worshiping Leonardo or becoming frightened of him. Jaime did not believe that his son was some prince that was foretold long ago. He didn't care if there were a hundred fucking red comets in the sky, he was no prince.

Jaime longed to see them both now more than ever, he wanted to be rid of this mission.

He had to hit The Blackfish where it hurt most, but he knew that threatening to kill his nephew has no effect on him anymore. He wondered what the fish was protecting in there, he said that Maya knew about it. So what was it exactly?

He had heard a rumor from his men that perhaps he was guarding an important follower of Robb Stark, some say it is the Stark girls, others whisper that it is Maya. He knew that rumor was false since he had a couple of birds keeping an eye on her while he was away.

"Lord Lannister," one of his men greeted to him. "Edmure Tully is asking to speak to you."

Jaime threw the letter aside as he strode out of the tent, the guard following him. His golden hand seemed to have a dull glitter to it since the sun did not show its face today. Edmure Tully was clean now, but still had the appearance of a shell. He still looked dead as ever, knowing that he lost everything.

"Where is Roslin Tully?"

"At The Twins with her family, my lord," he answered.

"Send her to Casterly Rock, make sure that she is well taken care of," Jaime said, making sure that Edmure heard him which he did.

Edmure looked at Jaime as he was chained on the ground to a pole in a lone and empty tent.

"I think that this condition is better than what I had to endure when I was a captive of the Starks."

Edmure scoffed. "You think I really care about the treatment I receive from you lot? You've taken everything from me."

"Not everything," Jaime reminded him. "But I can. I can easily call back the guard and tell him to lock her in the dungeon of my castle and make sure she gets the worst treatment there."

"Maya won't let you. You can threaten to kill her, but everyone knows that Maya Stark is your weakness. She has more power than you do right about now."

"Do you think I really care what you think about my marriage?"

"Is that what you keep telling yourself?" Edmure questioned. "That whatever you seem to think you have with my niece is a marriage? She was forced to marry you and she never wanted to. What you have is not a marriage and everyone from The Wall to Dorne know it too. They'll come for her or she'll leave you."

"Is that what you think?"

Edmure watched as Jaime stared him down for a moment before he walked out of the tent, commanding, "Get Lord Tully bathed and fed!"

Walder Rivers walked into the tent, glaring at Edmure who sat up straighter. Edmure has a frightening calmness to him as Walder walked up to him before kicking him over to the ground.

"I don't know what's so special about you, Tully," he sneered, some spit coming out of his mouth.

Edmure would've fought back years ago, but the fight left him long ago when he realized that his family didn't care for him especially his uncle.

Walder kicked him again in the thigh of his leg before grabbing the collar of his shirt, raising his fist to hit him the face.

Edmure closed his eyes, anticipating the punch until he felt nothing, but cold air on his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes to see a large hand curled around the wrist of Walder Rivers by a tall man with black curly hair and tattoos all over one of his arms. He caught a tiny fish on his arm along with a crossed out wolf. It looked to be scarred over already.

His arms are completely bare! How is this man not cold?!

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Frey," the man warned from behind Walder as Edmure sat on the floor.

Walder let go of his shirt and charged foolishly at the stranger who easily side-stepped him, smirking. Under the light of the flames from the torches, Edmure could see the sword in his hand. The handle was in the shape of a scorpion. The man tripped Walder which made Edmure smile. He wondered if he worked for the Lannisters. Edmure wouldn't be surprised actually if the man did since his skill was magnificent.

Edmure watched in awe as the man slammed his head into Walder's head. He did not look to be in pain unlike Walder who fell to the floor.

"That's all you have for me, Frey," the man said. "Disappointing. Then again...it's to be expected of a house who dresses like homeless people and septas."

The man knocks Walder out by kicking his face before turning to Edmure. "Sorry about that, Lord Tully. I don't usually hit women."

"Why? Why are you here? Have you come to kill me?"

"Not today."

"So do you work for the Lannisters then?! They sent you here to torture me then, huh?!"

A cold look passed over his face as he looked upon Edmure, bending down to look into his eyes. "I am and will never be loyal to the Lannisters. I am loyal to my lady, Lady Maya Stark of Winterfell. Your niece. She sent me here to keep an eye on you. Lucky for you, she's not so blinded by her love for Jaime Lannister that she's able to know when he's feeding her bullshit."

"She doesn't trust him."

"Not with the lives of her family...Ser Brynden, Sansa, Jon Snow, and you. Two Tullys and two Starks are all that's left in the world."

"Jon Snow is not a Stark. He is a bastard."

"Where I come from, it does not matter what your last name is, but the blood you possess. Stark blood so he's a Stark in my eyes and your nieces'. Still don't trust me I see."

"My entire family was massacred! Sorry if I seem distrustful of a man I never met nor heard of," Edmure snapped sarcastically at him.

"Malakhi," he told him. "That's my name. It seems you are starting to get back to your own self again. By the way, I don't serve the Lannisters. I serve Maya."

"How long will that be before someone buys your services?"

"As long as Maya's son, Leonardo is still a babe then I will continue to serve her."

Suddenly, Jaime Lannister strode into the room with an irritated look on his face. He glanced down at Walder before eyeing Malakhi.

"I'm surprised that you were able to make it past my men."

Malakhi shrugged. "Yes, your men are not the best like I had been informed of. Disappointed really."

"Why's that?"

"Because I could've easily come into the night to kill you."

"Who sent you?"

Malakhi smirked. "Your wife."

"So you're Malakhi. My men call you The Scorpion. I should thank you for protecting my family."

"I wouldn't care for you thanks."

"Why did she send you here?"

"To keep her family safe. Did you honestly think that she wouldn't do anything?"

"She must have a great trust in you. You talk as if you know her," Jaime questioned. "They say you are honorable. Yet just hearing the way you talk about my wife makes me think otherwise."

Edmure saw Malakhi's hand tighten around the handle of his sword. Fury clearly clouded in his eyes.

"I will kill you and if not me then someone else, but it will be a Stark. Perhaps your son...most likely your wife since your father killed her entire family and you pushed her brother off of a tower, just so you could fuck your own sister."

"Maya knows all of this yet she still loves me and married me."

"Do you think I am jealous of you and your marriage?!"

"In some ways, I think that you want my wife as a lover." Jaime replied.

Malakhi scoffed. "Does she even know that her sister was forced to marry Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton's bastard son and now is heir to Winterfell. He has Theon Greyjoy too. Do you think that she'll just sit there and not fight?"

"She hates the Greyjoy."

"You don't really know that...they grew up together, she loved him like a brother."

"I see hatred in your eyes. The same hatred that the Starks and so many other houses has had for me and my family. Why? Where are you from? Who are you really, Malakhi?"

"I am no one." Malakhi gently helped Edmure from the ground, swinging his arm around his shoulders. "Now move out of the way, Ser Jaime. I will bathe and fed Lord Tully by myself since I don't trust your men to not harm him."

Edmure watched Malakhi closely as they walked past Jaime and towards the bathing house set up.

TBC…

THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Wow! HOLY CRAP! 500 FOLLOWS, 378 FAVORITES, AND 278 REVIEWS! I am so happy that you guys love/like this story. Thank you so much for being so supportive for this story and the characters over the last two years!

This chapter was going to be longer, but then I decided to put the last part in another chapter. It's getting interesting! I hoped you liked this chapter.

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