CHAPTER 21: Ser Dameon Frey and Lady Cat of House Crakehall
Ser Jaime's words were still echoing in her head that night when she snuck out of her room and stole into the godswood that night.
I promised her father I would keep his children safe, Jaime had said, looking haunted. He'd been speaking of Rhaenys's father, Prince Rhaegar… but it was not Rhaenys he was thinking of now, it was Jon. For that reason, he had arranged to spirit her out of the city.
Now they were both on horses and riding hard from the city.
Finally, she'd be rid of King's Landing… and Joffrey and Cersei. It all seemed to much to believe.
Sansa didn't know what to make of what Ser Jaime had told her about her half-brother… or cousin, as he would have her believe. Arya had always been close to Jon Snow, and Sansa couldn't help but wonder what her long gone sister would think of this. It made Sansa sad to think of Arya so she pushed her dead sister from her mind.
They slowed and then stopped as the sun rose over the pink dawn.
"We'll water and feed the horses here," Ser Jaime announced as he dismounted.
The horses certainly needed it. Sansa's white horse was coated in foam and breathing hard, as was Ser Jaime's. There was a creek nearby, running hard. Sansa didn't say anything as she got down from her horse and led it to the water.
She hadn't said anything since he'd met her in the godswood, and they'd fled the city. It all seemed too good to be true.
"You know," Ser Jaime said, facing away from her. "Lady Sansa, it's a fortnight before we're in Riverrun. We're going to have to talk to each other."
"I know, my lord."
Ser Jaime sighed. He held out a bag for his horse to eat from and handed her a similar bag for her horse. "I would rather be friends with you, Lady Sansa. You're married to my brother and the cousin of the king I would serve. Please, call me Jaime."
"Jaime," Sansa said hesitantly, trying the name on her lips. The informality was odd. But he was right, and Sansa had already put all her trust in him, so she might as well be friends with him as best she could. It was only polite.
Her horse ate hungrily from the bag, and Sansa felt a pang of sympathy or the animal.
Carefully, Sansa looked at Jaime. "Then you should call me Sansa, m- Jaime."
The knight looked relieved and smiled less at her than around her. "Good," he said. "But we should only use our real names in private. In front of any others, we will use fake names. Keeping our hoods over our heads will only go so far if I call you Sansa at the first inn we come across."
"How long do you think it will be before we are pursued?"
Being pursued was a thought that had consumed her all night as they rode. She could imagine Ser Meryn riding them down, and hauling them back to King Joffrey. There would be little Tyrion could do to help them, and perhaps he would not want to after she had abandoned him in King's Landing.
Jaime shrugged. "Probably your absence has been noted. Mine as well, I would imagine. But actual pursual… I doubt our disappearances will be connected for at least a few days. And mine… I spoke to my father before I left and told him I was resigning from the Kingsguard, as he had wanted. I told him I'd leave for Casterly Rock today and left no room for argument. I'm not sure any will look for me for at least a few days, but for you my sister will raise alarms across the city."
"But surely, they will look only in the city for a day or two?"
"That… is more than likely the case. Cersei will be loath to lose you though, and when you aren't found quickly, she'll be suspicious and send riders to search the lands. But we've got at least a day on them, so I'm optimistic. Not to mention I can kill anyone likely to come after us, easily."
When he grinned at her then, Sansa smiled back. His confidence, if nothing else, was very reassuring.
"Keep your hood up," Jaime told her. He was scanning the woods around them and kept a hand on his sword. He had left his distinctive white cloak behind, but with is golden hair and dark black cloak he still looked distinguished. As he said this, he put his own hood up and pulled the side of it over his sword.
Sansa did as he bid though she didn't see the point. They were in the middle of nowhere, hours of riding from a city that would just be waking up. But still, she supposed that caution was the safest course. And this close to King's Landing on the King's Road there were bound to be people.
They were on the road again soon, going slower than before.
"No point in killing our horses," Jaime reasoned aloud. "We've got hours on them and we're out of danger of being found by anyone of King's Landing now."
"Okay," Sansa agreed.
"What do you want your fake name to be?" Jaime asked as they rode next to each other.
"I don't know. Would Catelyn be too obvious?"
"Maybe. Cat certainly wouldn't be."
Sansa was relieved. "What should I call you then, while we're on the road?"
"I'll be… Ser Dameon Frey, a cousin of mine. No one would believe I'm not a knight and not a Lannister, so a minor cousin through my father's sister will be easy enough to pass myself off as, I should think. We'll say I've been charged to deliver you, Lady Cat of House Crakehall to the safety of my Genna Frey, Dameon's mother. Should anyone ask, you're a minor lady to be a ward of House Frey at the Twins in the hope of brokering a marriage."
"I didn't think Genna of Houses Lannister and Frey lived at the Twins."
He grinned at her again. "She doesn't. But anyone we're likely to come across won't dare disagree, and if they do, well, they're simply misinformed, aren't they?"
Sansa laughed quietly. "Do you think we're likely to come across anyone who would disagree, Ser Dameon?"
Jaime smirked at the name. "I'm not sure, Lady Crakehall. It's possible, I suppose. There's a lot of Lannisters and Starks in the region, but the Starks are allied with the Freys, so I doubt they'll be much of a bother to us. And like I said, anyone who would pose a problem to us will be easy enough to dispatch."
They rode in silence for much of the rest of the day. Things were slightly awkward between them. What, really, was there to be said?
When they stopped for lunch and to rest the horses Jaime asked her about Jon.
"He's… very much like our father, I think," Sansa answered, feeling inadept to answer the question and confused by his parentage. "Or rather… my father, I guess. Everyone said so."
"Just in looks or in manner?"
"Looks certainly, and manner as well, I suppose. Jon was… kind of melancholy a lot of the time. Sort of sad. He's a very good fighter."
Jaime was smiling as he snorted and said, "He beheaded the Mountain in single combat, I knew he was a good fighter. Is he kind?"
Sansa thought. "Yes," she said finally, thinking of Jon's kindness to her despite her coldness to him. "And he was never cruel or mean." She thought of Joffrey as she said this, who had been about the farthest thing from Jon she could imagine.
"Is he much of a leader? I know Robb was the heir, but did Jon show any signs of being a good leader?"
"I really couldn't say," she bit her lip before saying 'my lord' as she was accustomed to. "If he's been made king then surely he thought he was a good enough leader."
"Hopefully." Jaime seemed thoughtful.
"Can I… Can I ask you a question? Jaime?"
"Yes. Of course you may," he said absently.
"Why… why would you put yourself on opposing sides of a war than your family for a king you've never met?"
She had hoped Jaime wouldn't take offense, and carefully watching his face now she didn't think he had.
Slowly he explained, his face no longer smiling, "I told you that I swore to Prince Rhaegar to protect his children… including this Jon Snow. He told me once that he had wished to name his infant son by Elia Martell Jaeherys after his grandfather but had changed it to Aegon at the last moment. Jaeherys, because he was the only good Targaryen in their family Rhaegar could remember, although the man had died when he was very young. I knew when I heard his name that he was truly Rhaegar's child… and after I had failed Rhaenys and Aegon how could I ignore it? Not to mention, well, Joffrey is no king I want to serve. And my father… there are things between us that have never healed."
Sansa thought he was speaking of Rhaenys's death but didn't ask. Instead, she said, "What about your sister? And Tyrion?"
His face darkened, slightly. "My sister will be fine without me, she always has been. And Tyrion… I should have taken him with us. But Tyrion has always been very loyal to the family, despite the indifference between them. I doubt he would have come with."
Jaime bit his lip and looked away.
Privately, Sansa disagreed. Tyrion didn't like his sister or father, that much she had seen. And surely there was no love lost between him and Joffrey.
There was a slightly awkward air between them. Sansa cleared her throat and asked clearly, "What will you do at Riverrun?"
Jaime brightened, slightly. "I'll plead my case. I'll serve His Grace however I may. Perhaps on his Kingsguard."
The thought of Jon's Kingsguard hadn't occurred to her before. Jon laid claim to the Iron Throne, but he was of the North. Would he even have a Kingsguard? She didn't ask, not wanting to crush his hopes.
"What will happen to Lord Tyrion now that I've left King's Landing?" she asked again, trying to keep the nerves from her voice.
This was something that had bothered her since they'd left. Lord Tyrion had been kind to her, as she'd told Jaime… and leaving him, though she desperately wanted to be home with her family, made her feel… bad. He didn't deserve to be abandoned by her, and he would doubtlessly get in trouble for it. The thought made her miserable.
"Tyrion will be fine." Jaime sounded unconcerned, but his face was troubled as he suddenly avoided eye contact with her and adjusted his horse's reigns.
"Will your lord father be angry with him?"
Jaime's brow knotted. "Perhaps. Tyrion is headed to war anyway, so I doubt there'll be much time for Tywin to lecture him."
"He is?"
That surprised her. Tyrion had said nothing of it to her. And in a second, she knew why… he would be waging war against her brother. Tyrion had tried to spare her from that sort of news. She'd been irritated at first, but after the rumors she'd heard about the gruesome deaths of her brothers… she'd been grateful he hadn't told her them.
"Yes. I'm not sure if he knows yet, though. My father keeps his cards close to his chest. I think there's an inn ahead, but we're still too close to stay, I'm afraid. It'll be the dirt for us tonight."
Sansa nodded, relieved. She couldn't bear getting dragged back to King's Landing now, not when she had been so close to freedom. Not when she had tasted it.
"How long until we're at Riverrun?"
"Soon. A day, perhaps two."
They rode on.
But they had only just started to stop that night when a pack of men in steel wearing Lannister cloaks came up on the road ahead of them.
"Loo'at this," one of them sneered.
Jaime less than subtlety reached for his sword. Sansa slowed her horse instinctually and Jaime rode ahead to meet them. He kept his horse carefully positioned in front of her's, hoping, she knew, to keep her out of sight. She adjusted her hood consciously and ducked her head.
"Gentlemen," Jaime called out. "Good to meet you. I see you wear the cloak and sigil of House Lannister. I am Ser Daemon Frey. My mother is a Lannister."
The rider in front, a squirrely, pinched-faced man snorted loudly. "Sure, ya are. Who's the girl?"
"Lady Cat of House Crakehall."
"Cat Crakehall," said a man towards the back. He and a few around him laughed at the ridiculous name. Sansa's hands clenched on her horse's reign and felt almost nauseous.
"Where are ya headed, Ser?"
If Jaime sensed their disdain, and surely, he did, he didn't let on in his voice. "The Twins. I'm fetching Lady Cat for a marriage between a cousin of mine, Freckled Walder."
He had his hand still on his sword, and that comforted Sansa immensely. As he had said, he could kill anyone they were likely to face. And these men hardly seemed like knights. Jaime would have an easy job.
"Crakehall as in Burton Crakehall?"
Sansa looked at the man who had asked. He was to the right of the main man, and unfortunately didn't look nearly as stupid. "Yes," said Sansa. "But my brother died in the Battle of Blackwater Bay. My brother Tyrell is heir to my lord father now."
"We'll be on our way then, gentleman," Jaime said, with steel in his voice.
There was a long moment. Then the men in front of them wheeled their horses out of the way to let them pass. The main man smiled broadly.
"We're men of Ser Gregor's. 'Course you can pass."
Sansa saw something move in the corner of her vision, in the forest and on the road next to her. She turned quickly and screamed.
Jaime yanked his horse around, sword out of its sheath. But it was too late, there was a knife to her throat and a hand locked in hair yanking her head back. The knife pressed hard against her throat, and she swallowed painfully against it. There was a loud thumping in her ears, and her vision was oddly sharp as she stared at the others. The man's fingers scraped her scalp.
Jaime looked furious, but he didn't spring forward as Sansa had hoped. Instead, he scowled and rolled his shoulders a few times. Attacking now would surely mean her death, and that held him back.
"Let her go!" he commanded. "You said you were Lannister men. My mother is Lady Genna, sister to Lord Tywin. She's expecting us. Let her go, I'm commanding you!"
Jaime was ignored.
"Got you," a voice whispered in her ear. "Got you."
They didn't let her go.
I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out, but I'm publishing it anywhere to move on lol
