Jacqueline cursed Catelyn Stark. She cursed the Imp as well. And she cursed the King for leaving her behind. After spending nearly a month alone with the Starks in Winterfell, she had joined Lord Tyrion on the road south. The first couple of weeks went by without an incident. The small group, which consisted of the dwarf and his two guards, Yoren from the Night's Watch and Jacqueline, traveled must faster than the King's large entourage had when they made the journey to Winterfell. The conversation was light and the King's Road was mostly empty.
But then they met Lady Catelyn on the road and now Jacqueline found herself riding alone through the Riverlands. When they stopped at the inn for the evening, the men went into the busy establishment and left Jacqueline alone in the stables as she fussed over her horse. The poor animal hadn't had a decent brushing since before Robert had left Winterfell. Dried dirt and bits of grass had found their way into the horse's grey coat. They were nearly King's Landing now and Jacqueline felt it would not be wise to enter the city on a dirty horse or else Renly would chastise her for it. Of course, it had probably been a long time since Renly brushed his own horse but her youngest brother had always been a creature of cleanliness.
Jacqueline had just dug the small brush out of one of the saddle bags when she heard a commotion in the inn. And it wasn't loud drunkenness and the clinking of tankards that one would associate with roadside inns. It was the sound of swords being drawn. An unusual silence followed. Jacqueline stood next to an empty stall with the brush in her hand, uncertain if she should check on the others in the inn or stay away. But at that moment the entrance to the inn burst open and a number of people exited. Feeling an unexplainable need to hide, Jacqueline pushed herself and the horse into the empty stall before kneeling down out of sight.
There were voices, men's voices, as the group entered the stables. Jacqueline couldn't make out what they were saying as the voices mixed with the sound of stomping boots and the sound of horses being readied. Her own horse nudged her in the shoulder with its nose but Jacqueline just pushed it away, worried that someone might find her. She wasn't sure what caused her hide. It seemed like such an overreaction to the situation. But then Jacqueline heard her voice.
Catelyn's voice was louder than the others, projected so everyone could hear. Jacqueline could detect a small amount of anger in her voice but it was mostly filled with power and control. They were taking him back to Winterfell, her voice proclaimed. The voices left the stables, pulling their straddled horses with them. When the stable was empty Jacqueline left her hiding place. She peered around the opening of the stable, towards the road which was now busy with riders.
She recognized Catelyn Stark first, with her Tully red hair shining in the sun. Jacqueline counted twelve men in her group, not counting the three men who had sacks pulled over their heads. One was clearly Tyrion Lannister and Jacqueline assumed the others to be his guards. She didn't see Yoren, though. Jacqueline stayed hidden in the stables until the group had set off the down road, headed north. To Winterfell? It was a long way back to the North.
Curiosity overtook Jacqueline's senses and she followed them. Yoren had taken off soon after only he was headed south, pushing his horse into a run and leaving Jacqueline alone at the inn. He's off to alert Lord Stark, she thought. Or perhaps the King and Queen but Jacqueline believed the Night's Watch held the Warden of the North in more respect, which was understandable. If she went straight to Cersei, Jacqueline could only imagine the woman screaming as to why she hadn't done more to stop Catelyn. Because he is not my brother, she would respond. But he was by laws of marriage. Robert would certainly get an earful from his wife if it looked like Jacqueline had simply cowered in the stables, as she truly had.
Without much of a plan, Jacqueline mounted her half brushed horse and headed north again. She was smart enough to keep her distance from the large group. If they saw her they did not do anything about it. However, two days into the strange journey, Catelyn and her hostages turned east off the King's Road. Jacqueline didn't follow them. There was no way to get to Winterfell by the Eastern Road. It only led into the steep mountains of the Vale. The Vale of Arryn; home to Jon Arryn's widow, Lysa Arryn. No, Lysa Tully. Catelyn was taking Tyrion to her sister in the Eyrie.
Jacqueline wasn't about to follow them. The Eastern Road cut through the mountains, which were home to a number of hill tribes that attacked those traveling on the road. There was a great amount of danger on that road, no matter the size of one's party. It would not do herself, no Tyrion, any good if Jacqueline got killed, or worse, by a band of barbarians. And if she did reach the Eyrie, Lysa Arryn would more than likely kill her anyways for the poor woman had become increasingly paranoid over the years and the death of her husband only furthered her progression into instability. And Lysa would definitely have Tyrion killed if Catelyn took him to the Eyrie. Jacqueline wondered if Lady Stark was aware of her sister's state of mind.
Following was not an option so Jacqueline was only left with two others. Turn around and return to King's Landing to inform Cersei of her brother's whereabouts. Or travel to Casterly Rock in the Westerlands and tell Lord Tywin Lannister instead. Both were roughly the same distance away so time was not a deciding factor. If Jacqueline went to Cersei, what could she do to retrieve Tyrion? Would the woman demand the head of every Stark and Tully for the insult to her family or leave Tyrion to his fate? Cersei had never been fond of her youngest brother. Jacqueline wasn't quite sure why Lady Catelyn had taken the Imp in the first place but Jacqueline didn't want the dwarf to die. They never talked much but Tyrion was one of the very few people at court who didn't look upon on her with pity or whisper behind her back.
Just the same, Jacqueline was unsure of how Tywin would deal with the situation. He had a reputation to uphold but she always believed Lord Tywin to be a reasonable man. More so than his daughter, at least. But either way, if things got too messy, Robert could always step in and store things out. Since he was the king. In the end, a still somewhat uncertain Jacqueline decided to tell the head of the family. She turned her horse west and made her way towards the Riverlands and Casterly Rock.