Chapter 24: Jaime

The summer heat was making everyone sweat. In his armour, Jaime felt it particularly badly, especially as he'd like nothing more than to remove the armour and get to work on the woman in front of him.

The Queen sat wearing one of those red dresses she knew he liked, the type that showed just enough to make him want more. It was a curse. A terrible, terrible curse, and he had to use every inch of his being not to reach out and grab her.

"Have you noticed something odd about the Stark girl?" The Queen, Cersei, asked then.

Jaime blinked. After what had happened on their way south, Jaime had kept an eye on the Stark girls, to make sure they were fine, but Cersei wouldn't know that, would she?

"No, why?" Jaime replied as nonchalantly as he could.

"She has been spending less time with Joff as of late. It's concerning." Cersei said.

"Well, Joffrey has been very busy." Jaime pointed out. After what had happened, Jaime had gone to Robert and asked that the boy be given lessons in fighting. Jaime wasn't sure if that was the right thing, but given it would keep him away from the girl, it was the best thing for now. Thankfully, Robert being Robert had given Joffrey's instruction over to that idiot, Santigar.

"Yes, but even then, when he's not practising, he's usually by himself or with that chit Myrielle. It doesn't look good." Cersei said.

Jaime hid a grin behind his hand. Cersei despised Myrielle because the girl-for that was what she was regardless of how she acted-was very pretty, and apparently reminded many people of what Cersei had looked like at that age. Something that his ever-vain sister did not like.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Though, have you tried talking to Joffrey about that?" Jaime asked. He hoped that Cersei didn't, there would be nothing worse than Joffrey taking it into his head to spend more time with the Stark girl.

Cersei sighed. "I have tried, but he isn't interested."

"Well, they are young yet. There is time." Jaime said. With any luck things, would change and Stark would come to his senses.

Of course, for that to work, the Hound would need to go, and yet, the beast remained. Jaime wanted to raise that point with his sister, but decided against it. He didn't want to raise suspicion. He still had no idea what had happened that day, and the Stark girl hadn't said anything to anyone about it.

Cersei evidently had other concerns. "I think I am with child." She said softly then.

Jaime felt his heart quicken. Cersei had three children, and everyone believed that they were Robert's, but only they knew the truth. "We agreed at three!" He whispered.

"I know." Cersei hissed. "But you weren't exactly pulling out at Winterfell."

Jaime swallowed. This was not going to go well. "What are you going to do?" He asked. Another child being born now could maybe be passed off as Robert's given that the man had slept with Cersei-Jaime hadn't been on guard then thankfully-and the man was clearly still able to have children, given his recent bastard was only a few weeks old. But still.

"I do not know. It is early yet, but it is possible that this child could finally get Robert to leave me alone for good." Cersei said.

"What do you mean?" Jaime asked.

"Well, he wants three sons. One for the Iron Throne, another for Casterly Rock and a third for Storm's End." Cersei said.

"Tyrion's heir to Casterly Rock." Jaime said, whether Cersei or their father wanted to admit that, it was the truth.

Cersei sniffed at that and continued. "If I let this child be born and it's a boy, that means he's got what he wanted."

Jaime frowned. He couldn't understand what Cersei had against their brother. He wasn't responsible for their mother's death.

"And if it's a girl?" Jaime asked.

Cersei took a breath. "Then the girl will stay here."

Jaime frowned. "Are you saying that you'll send the child away if it's a boy?"

"Yes." Cersei said.

"Where?" Jaime asked.

"To the Rock." Cersei said. "To be raised by father."

Jaime opened his mouth to protest that he did not think it wise for a child to be raised away from its mother for so long, but then shut it when another thought came to him. "What will you do to Tyrion?"

Cersei affected a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Tyrion is father's heir, but if he's being replaced by this child of yours, then what will become of him?" Jaime asked. He knew their brother; Tyrion would never give up without a fight.

"He's currently at the Wall, terrible things can happen at the Wall." Cersei said.

Jaime took a deep shuddering breath. He loved his sister, he loved her more than he loved anything in the world, but he also loved Tyrion. "I won't let you harm him, Cersei."

Cersei took his hand in hers and kissed it. "I won't harm him, Jaime, I promise you. I won't harm him."

Jaime didn't believe her, but Cersei was starting to kiss his fingers and oh Gods….forgive him, he was a weak man. A weak, weak man.