I would like to start by thanking all the readers for the support, follows, favourites, and lovely reviews. I'm so happy the previous chapter excited you! Now that Jaime's relationship has been fully established I think things will be more free flowing. Enjoy!

Damon

It had been years since he had had to walk one of his daughters down the aisle, but he knew it would have to come some time. Janyne was always easy. She had no nerves, she was full of acceptance when the time had come. And even though he had noticed how fond Reina had become of Steffon he still felt her fingers clutching tightly into the material covering his arm in fear.

Damon was always a man that preferred seeing th better end of agreements. Unlike his late wife, he did not like to dwell and lament over what may be lost. Which in this case was his darling daughter. She truly was, to him, the light of his home. She feminine touch they had needed after Janyne had left, the perfect lady. But he had always known that at some point she would leave. He had tried his best to arrange for her to be married to someone of good standing but also close to home, and a result of that many of her betrothals fell through. Ultimately, it was best to have her married to someone good rather than someone close, which was already rare to find.

While he tried to rest knowing she would be in good hands and she would probably find her own happiness, Damon could not help himself from feeling a pang of hurt at seeing his daughter go. She would officially under the care and protection of another man, and his only solace to that was that he was worthy.

Of course it did not help that his youngest daughter, the one he had always imagined never leaving Ashemark, had recently accepted Lord Lannister's proposal. Suddenly, all his daughters would be gone. He had spent so many years surrounded by his children, save for Addam who was always being the gallant knight, and now the same children that had surrounded him would all be leaving. Reina today, Elaine soon, Lorraine after that and Duncan will be off to King's Landing. The home he had forged out of laughter would now be empty save for the one child who was no longer a child at all.

But nevertheless as Damon walked Reina down the aisle, struggling to slow his pace to accommodate hers, he looked to the good of every situation. Reina will be happy with Steffon. He thought to himself. And for now, that was enough. He had done his duty. And they would all follow suit.

Reaching the altar of the sept and now facing Ser Steffon's awaiting figure Lord Marbrand heard the Septon say,

"Who gives this girl away?" He gulped down before grasping Reina lightly by the shoulders and kissing her forehead gently,

"I, Lord Damon Marbrand, give my daughter, Lady Reina." He stepped away, not helping the slight drop of his heart as Reina did not hesitate in letting his hand go.

"And who accepts this girl?" He heard the Septon once more. And with that Steffon stepped closer to Reina, his head bowed to meet her eyes with reassuring smile resting on his face.

"I, Ser Steffon Trant, do accept." He said calmly.

"You may now cloak the bride and bring her under your protection." He tried not to let it disturb him, seeing their ancestral burning tree removed from Reina's being and replaced by a stoic hanging man.

"Join hands." Commended the Septon once more. And Damon held his breath in anticipation.

"In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one, for eternity. Look upon one another now, and say the words."

In unision, a harmony of Reina's voice of honey and Steffon's deep octave vowed together,

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger, I am his and he is mine from this day until the end of my days."

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger, I am hers and she is mine from this day until the end of my days." And just like that, Reina was not longer his daughter, but someone else's wife.

Sealed with a kiss, the entire Sept swept up in boisterous cheer and applause as the now happy couple made their way to leave and go to the hall of Amber for the wedding celebrations to finally commence.

Damon looked on as Addam held Margot closely as they followed the newlyweds out of the hall, followed by Janyne and Ronald and Duncan grasping Elaine closely after. Finally, Jaime and Lorraine made their way out with Lorraine's arm wrapped around Jaime's and his good hand resting upon her dainty little fingers.

There were still a number of people left in the hall, but for some reason Damon was awash with a feeling of suddenly being alone. All his children had left or would be leaving. Even Addam, who would still be with him would eventually find his own family, just as Damon had before him.

Lorraine

What happy, happy days we are living. Though these recent nuptuals signify Reina's imminent departure, her smile on this day overshadowed any feelings of sadness I may have had in regard to her. She looks happy, happier than I have seen her since the war, and happier than I have seen her fake time and time again.

The new couple sat in the centre of the dais, both proud to bask in one another's beauty. Reina has always been beautiful but even I must admit I have never seen her so radiant before. Her gown of a deep earthy gold did nothing but accentuate her hair and pale blue eyes and though I myself could rarely look away from her splendour I did catch a few entranced glimpses of Steffon regarding my fair sister.

Sat to Steffon's right was Addam and his own betrothed, who over the past few days since their meeting Addam has reported to be very sweet. Addam had mentioned, and I on my own had noticed, that in his company Margot seemed to slowly get teased out of her overbearing shell and find it in her to smile and express herself the way she deserved to do. But every single time anyone had managed to coax out any confidence from her it had always, without fail, been shattered by the stiff arrival of her brother.

She was petrified of him, I could see that. And it was obvious that he had mistreated her and ignored her enough to shape her character. Still, one could be thankful that Margot Manning was not bitter because of it. Although i'm not really sure if that's worse or not. Nevertheless, I and my sisters have tried our very best to accommodate her allthewhile subtly pulling her farther away from her brother's grasp and influence. She will not live in fear in our home. Or I suppose it will be her home, and shall cease being mine for too long.

We had not discussed it, Jaime and I. Oh how new that still sounds to me. I have tried to accept how Lorraine Lannister would look and it alarmed me how perfectly it seemed to fit the mould.

Over the course of the past number of days Jaime and I had done everything from announce our engagement -albeit queity, and continue preparations for Reina's wedding. Not much had changed, truly. Perhaps it was because both of us are too hesitatant to really discuss the matter and its details. But Jaime and I continued our strolls and our little games, the easy air about us had not vanished yet. I did notice, however, that Ser Jaime ventured to hold me tighter to him than he used to, but in a comfortable way. As if he was holding back before.

His surprising proposal turned me to think of how sure he seemed to be. It made me wonder that all this time, could he have been thinking of me as his little wife? I did not want to ask him, because I did not want to know the answer.

I did not know which answer I preferred to play out in my mind that would be the most ideal. Surely not that it was love at first sight. And of course, Ser Jaime had said nothing about love.

Looking over at the hall in which I had witnessed many celebrations occur in over the course of my life, I knew that what I was feeling was something close to love. For I loved to see the faces in the hall merry and laughing -even if drunk. I loved to see Janyne dancing Duncan and Elaine with Ronald interchangeably. I loved to see my father looking out at the hall the same way I was with pride. I loved seeing Reina with her new husband in a state of bliss I truly believed she deserved and spying Addam moving to rest his hand gently unto Margot's. All of this love I felt could not be hindered by the comfort I felt at having a certain golden lord at my side.

Pushing my heavy oak chair back, I excused myself from my intended and strode over to Reina and Steffon. I grabbed both their hands and joined them together, trying then to pull them out of the confinement of their seats and onto the dance floor. Ever blushing, Reina looked upon Steffon hesitantly, only barely masking her own wish to share their first dance together. And as if reading her, her new husband obliged and even lifted her up by her feet and carried her onto the main floor after they had descended the dais.

Her gown looked like golden waves sweeping the floor, and her smile shone brighter than our mother's jewels that she wore around her neck. It was a smile I had never seen on her person, a smile that lacked the usual self concern and humility. It was free and full of warmth.

My finger prodded Addam's shoulder as I was in the close vicinity and eventually managed to pull his tall frame from his own seat to join me for a dance. This song was graceful and smooth and we all glided in turn to the music. I took the opportunity of a moment alone with Addam to direct my eyes at Margot, who was sitting alone now, and made sure Addam followed my gaze. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, eternally submitting themselves to outside domination, but her face was not so solemn. In fact, it was quite wondrous as she looked upon the festivities. I motioned to Addam exactly what I wanted to impart on him, the real reason I had dragged him out for this dance,

"You should ask her to dance." His light chuckle was followed by a resigned sigh, for he knew I was right. Addam was not overly fond of dancing, if one could not already tell. His tall frame and lanky limbs often made it too awkward looking for him to gracefully guide someone around. He could never really decline us a dance if our hearts so wished it, but other than that he saw dancing as pretentious and unnecessary. But he and I both knew he needed to do it for Margot, if not to bring them closer then for the sake of making her feel truly included.

"Fine. I shall be done with you now." He said as he pushed me away with full force while still holding on to one of my hands, consequently clumsily flinging me in a different direction. A gulping shriek left me and Addam's laugh was almost as loud as the music playing. For my eldest brother, he could really be a child at times.

Still held by Addam by the hand, I scanned the room quickly to make sure his little stunt had not disturbed anyone. It had seemingly gone unnoticed except from Janyne who had made her way over in her husband's arms to yank a strand of Addam's hair out in retaliation. And of course, Jaime Lannister, my betrothed. He was half-standing from his seat, as if my shriek had caused some sort of alarm and he was getting ready to defend me. He had been watching me, then. Which makes sense, I feel like he is always watching me.

I soothed his confused gaze with a smile. And perhaps it was because of his awkward half seated half standing position, Jaime raised himself fully and made his way off the dais and towards me, crossing paths and exchanging quick words with Addam who was on his way up to proposition Margot.

When he finally met me where I stood it was only then that I had realised that I was still standing in the midst of the dance area, like a lost piglet with not enough nerve to look for its mother. He approached me with the arrogant smirk he often wore and his eyes dripped with mirth and looked down at me slightly before starting, barely audible over the music,

"Couldn't keep yourself out of trouble for long, could you?" His smirk only grew and I lightly tapped his arm in response, rolling my eyes in the process.

In fact, I quite liked him when he was like this. He was comfortable playing the arrogant knight and it seemed like we had developed a kind of repertoire for that route of conversation. He would make pointed remarks and I would slap his arm. I wondered then what kind of bawdy remark he would have to make to me to warrant a real slap across the face. Would he ever be that improper with me? Or would he think I could not handle it? What if I just...slapped him? What would Jaime Lannister do then?

I did not miss his hand as he extended it out to me in a silent question with slight hesitation. Why would he be hesitant? It's not as if I don't want to dance, as he had just seen me dancing. Perhaps he thought I would not like to dance with him. You would think that my acceptance to be his wife in the near future would mean that i'd be at least willing to share a few dances with the man.
Regardless of what hesitation he may have had I readily awarded him with my hand and allowed him to spin me once into position before he had come up closer to hold me so we may commence.

We had not danced since that first night when Steffon had been announced to arrive the day after. He was still careful not to touch me too low down my back, I noticed. And I usually would not mind, but it was beginning to hinder how easily we could have been dancing. As a consequence to his high handedness, I in turn had to keep my arm held high and it was beginning to hurt my shoulders. So instead of moving his hand down myself, I moved closer to him to release some of the exertion on my shoulder nad his hand. And it worked, for the most part. His hand relaxed, but now his whole form stood stiffly against mine. It was a good thing he was far taller than me, for we would have been nose-to-nose, and I did not yet crave that kind of intimacy.

We continued dancing that way throughout the entire song, and I found my breath hitching every so often when the hand I had placed mine in would afford me with a light squeeze. When the song ended I made to remove my hand from his and move away as I did not think Jaime would humour me enough for a second dance. But I was stunned by the sudden force against my back, holding me in place. I looked up to find that same coy smirk, but gentleness lingered in his eyes.

"Oh I do think I am due for another dance yet, my lady." And unable to look away from those shining orbs of green that seemed to know no age, I could but give a feeble nod in acceptance.

We moved smoother than we had previously. It was as if the music begged us to move closer and closer. His hand had still not wavered too much from where he had placed it initially, but I found my head resting on his chest the faster the music played. I took in his scent, one of cleanness and the outside, and I thought that perhaps this was what the rest of my life would smell like. I had yet to know what it was that necessarily made me accept such a thing, that Jaime Lannister, this man I had met not a moon ago, would be mine and I would be his for as long as time will allow. It had been a big leap on my part to go from a mute on the road to blissful spinsterhood to a mute marrying one of the most powerful lords in Westeros. Many had suggested to both me and the back of my head that I should join the Silent Sisters, how fitting that would be. How would those same people feel knowing I had not wished to invite them to bear witness on my marrying the infamous Jaime Lannister.

My musing about this might suggest to some that Jaime's name matters to me at all. It does not. Even when Elaine had explained to me how both our families had been connected in the past and how our father was in fact a cousin to the late lord Tywin, it still did not matter much to me. For all Jaime was or was said to be, he was just a man who needed something he could no longer find on his own. He wants to share his life with someone, and for some reason he wanted me. And what made me accept him was that he had not wanted me despite of my "shortcomings", but regardless of them. He had understood me, we had understood each other. And right here, right now, dancing under a chandelier of Amber Roses giving an orange tint to the hall, I felt we both needed one another. I did not care how we looked to others. I needed someone to hold me, and he wants someone to hold, for now that was enough.

After the song ended I felt as if I had drifted out of a dream and was finally awake. Gently tearing myself away from my betrothed, I nodded to him swiftly to express my gratitude for the dance, not meeting his gaze in order to avoid him noticing my very noticeable blushing. He held on to my hand, and it seemed he had no intention of letting go of it. Surprisingly, despite how my palms may have been sweating, I had no qualms with his want to keep my hand in his. If it brought him what comfort ot brought me, then I would understand his need completely.

Moving away from the dance space that had itself died down considerably in response to my father's sudden approach to the midst of the hall by the burnt tree, Jaime stood by my side regarding the strange sight that had now come before him.

There, my father stood with Reina to his left and Steffon to his right, and his ancestral sword, Ash, in his hand, glistening with something I am sure all newcomers could not venture to guess. My father's voice boomed through the hall, expressing words of delight, pride and honour.

"This is truly an occasion to celebrate, I suppose we have the young couple to thank for that!" Laughter followed, Father always knew how to charm a crowd.

"Ashemark had not seen too much happiness over the past couple of years, but I think it's time it found the joy it deserved. And what better way to plant the seeds to a new, and improved, Ashemark, than at the wedding of the dearest of all that is dear? The burning of the tree will commence, and I pray to the Seven that it does not see its end!" Applause followed suit, as did a confused look on my betrothed's face. I knew it was not something I could have, or should, explain to him. He would have to see it himself to understand, and so he would.

My father lifted Ash then, holding it up to his middle as Addam approached with a torch, and lit the sword aflame. He lifted it over his head, with both Reina and Steffon nudging away from his side to avoid the sudden glare of the flames. With all the might he could muster, he brought the end of the word down onto the solemn tree, shaking it for a moment before the flames consumed it whole. Still, the tree stood, unshaken and unbothered by the flames. Instead, the flames danced off the branches, adding warmth to the hall and widening eyes in the process.

I looked up at Jaime to take in his expression, expecting him to find him far more impressed than he actually looked. Instead he only looked back at me, taking in my own expression of pride and joy and he looked back at the tree solemnly. He asked me then,

"Will you miss this?" And it was my turn to look away. For what else have I ever known but this home of mine that I so love? I could only nod back to him, knowing that even I could not express the full extent of my answer.

But yes, Jaime, I will miss Ashemark when I made to leave it. More than you could ever imagine.

Janyne

She could not help the tear that had escaped her at the lighting of the tree. The last time the tree had been set alight was during her own wedding. So much has happened since then, so much sorrow and pain, not nearly enough happiness that any of them deserved.

Janyne liked Silverhill, but it was still away from Ashemark. And though she had her own children and her own life, she often did think about the siblings she had left behind and what they were doing. She was the only mother they had known, and as all mothers did, she worried for them. For Addam and his penchant for glory in gore. For Reina who's many betrothals kept falling through time and time again, leaving her delicate heart in a state barely well enough for repair. For Elaine and her silent sadness she would keep to herself. For Lorraine, who no one ever understood but them. And for Duncan, who was always causing trouble.

But now, the worry had been lifted. They were all well. Or all on their way to it.

She detached herself silently from her husband, retreating to the outer hall as so many did to compose themselves. Stepping out in to the light breezy air of the West, her sigh of relief only turned to one of twisted confusion as she found Ser Jaime Lannister by the stone railings, looking up at the night sky alone.

Janyne was likely the only one of her siblings, save for Addam, who was not entirely surprised at the news of Jaime's proposal to Lorraine. She had spied him looking at her in a way that was not merely friendly over the past few weeks, it seems that the golden lion did not know yet how easily those looks could give him away especially to someone as seasoned as Janyne. That being said, she did feel a little surprise at hearing that Lorraine had accepted. Immediately she had taken her alone and asked her if she had felt pressured in any way to accept or afraid of declining, but Lorraine seemed completely at peace. More so, it seemed like after thought it was something that she wanted. Now that Jaime and Lorraine's relationship was more open, it also meant that it would also be scutinised. And no one could miss the easy companionship they shared followed by moments of tension they occasionally fell victims to. And watching them tonight especially, each one's hesitations rewarded with the other's willingness to move forward, Janyne could almost kick herself in the head for not thinking how perfect of a fit they would be for one another.

So why is Lannister out here alone? She intended to find out.

"It seems we keep running into each other this way Lannister." He whipped his head around, perhaps I was not the Marbrand you expected. But he returned her smile, and seemed insistent on quipping back,

"Merely got too hot for me in there, Janyne." He emphasised her name then. Somehow it reminded her that some time soon, she would be his good sister. He was not the worst of men to share family with, surely.

They stood in silence then, as they usually did. Somehow they always found one another in times when both of them wished to be alone. Their breaths could be heard, the steady ins and outs as Janyne thought of something to add. She was sure she had a million things to say to him, but presently could not think of one. Thankfully, before too long Ser Jaime, or Lord Lannister, turned his head, smiling weakly and said,

"Do you think she'll hate me? For taking her away from here?" Janyne stood stunned at the question.

"My Lord, I assumed you've barely had time to entertain the idea of loving one another. Surely the idea of such hate so early is not in its place?" She was never very good in giving diplomatic answers. He asked her something once more before she could continue,

"How did you feel, leaving here?" She smiled at that, perhaps answering would not be too difficult for her this time. If it was talk of Janyne he wanted, it was talk of Janyne he would get.

"The moment I set foot in Silverhill I immediately thought of running back to Ashemark myself." She let him look at her with unease before she continued.

"Everything was different. The castle, the banners, the smell of the river, everything. But you see my Lord, it had become mine. I become part of two things, and once you know that, you can not help but take pride in it. Does any bride generally take much pleasure in being torn away from her home, especially if it is such a happy one as this is? Certainly not. But if the urge to scream is not silenced by mere duty, it is silenced by the part of us that wants to leave. That needs to leave. And if can say anything, my Lord, it is that Lorraine does not do anything she does not want to do."

"Perhaps." She could see that her words could only soothe him to some extent, but unease was not quick to be put to rest.

"She likes you. Very much. I think you can make her happy." She had not intended to let that slip, as that counted as meddling. But she had never been too good at holding her own tongue.

A smile bore into the Lannister's features then, surprised and true to form.

"I like her too." He said simply. A forced tone of boredom overriding his voice.

"Don't hurt her." She joked but a part of her plead him at that moment from deepest chasm of her heart.

He did not spare another look at her, instead choosing to redirect his gaze back to the hall behind the separating silks, following someone's shadow.

"I would not dream of it."