A/N: How's it hanging? Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. If i'm being honest, I am once again finding the interest in this to be quite minimal as I have noticed that i've lost a couple of followers over my last few updates so I don't know if I should move on from this. Is my writing getting bad? Is the story not moving in a popular direction? I really won't know unless you tell me so I urge you to do so. Maybe i'm just feeling down at the moment cause i've not been feeling very well with flu, but I think i'm probably gonna take a little break from this until things start looking up cause I feel a little strung out with all the work I need to get done as well. Maybe if I leave it alone for a week or so i'll get inspired.

MORE TO THE POINT: An element in this chapter is inspired by something I read in another wonderfully done Jaime fic called "Juxtaposed" by Lady Fountainhead. It was just something I read that I instantly visualised, took to heart, and it kind of became a canon trait to Jaime even though it was never mentioned in the books. I'll be more specific as to what it is at the end of the chapter so as not to be a spoiler!

Hold on to your seats. I'm kidding. I'm a bore.

Course is the feel of my unrefined sands,

walk my beach and revel in my dreaded sun.

Spend the day with me,

let me have you whole.

-Unkown.

Jaime

"Oh, Jaime"

Despite his earlier ministrations Jaime stopped suddenly at the sound. His name had escaped her and it was not something he could pretend to ignore anymore.

He had heard far more of her than he had expected, and Jaime found that applying his skills to his wife's awaiting warmth every night was the only time he could hear her voice so freely.

He looked up at her. The eyes that had been so hooded with expectant pleasure were now alarmed and cautious, she gulped down as she made contact with his own and they neither one of them knew where they would take it from here.

Uncharacteristically of his little wife, who was always so head-on and borderline confrontational, Lorraine pushed Jaime's head down to the place he had so thoughtfully been attending to earlier and Jaime could all but refuse her demands -especially when they were this delectable. She climaxed in silence with her eyes shut tight, and Jaime added that to the now growing list of faces she made when she had reached her end.

It was the middle of the day, which was unusual for them as they only seemed to conduct these particular activities when the sun had at least set. But she was being coy when he had walked in, she had approached him. And as previously stated, how could he refuse her? Her practical admittance of her arousal drove him mad with anticipation for she was slowly and surely opening up to him. Night after night the intimacy between them grew and he felt the first buds of trust return between them.

Should I mention something? He thought silently as he wiped the evidence of what had just happened off of his face. The sound of his name roll of her tongue with such pleasure gave him chills, and it only made him want more. But he would wait. He had silently and without words promised the both of them that. The only one who had the power to deem whether he was worthy enough to derive such from pleasure from his Lorraine was she herself.

A little while later, after they had both settled out of their lusty fixations, a knock on the main door sounded through the room and Jaime called for whomever it was to enter.

"M'lady?" Came the sound from a young maid he had seen increasingly over the past few days in Lorraine's company, he had forgotten to ask why.

Lorraine stood graciously, if he did not know better he would have never guessed that just now she had been reduced to shivers and pulses at his touch, and walked over to address the young maid. Mary, was it? He had never been very good with names.

She seemed to have a large instrument of sorts in her hands but Lorraine standing in front of her obstructed his view of the curious object and he tried not to look as curious as he actually was.

"M'lady i've brought you the harp you had asked for. It's not been touched in years i'd think, but I got Allister to polish it best he could. Are you pleased enough with it M'lady?"

Lorraine seemed enthused by the sight and state of what Jaime heard was a harp, and he could not help but wonder why she had asked after it. She was not very fond -or good at the harp as he recalled her saying, could this be for practice? Is my little wife so bored that she is making do with forgotten hobbies? He knew the harp and any musical instrument had likely not been touched in years or so, for it was only his mother he recalled was fond of music -the harp in particular. And when she had died it was easy to say all the music died with her. There was a singer, though. Whitesmile Wat he had been called, Jaime had been in his presence at Riverrun as his aunt was fond of music but he recalled him from earlier on in his youth entertaining what guests they would receive here at Casterly Rock. Perhaps she is missing music in her life, does she find her new home dreary? He had been remiss in showing her the grounds himself, and had yet to give her a proper tour. Though he could say he had been an attentive husband over the past few nights, during the day he had been extremely busy and forlorn with coordinating a time to strike on the bandits, getting the castle back in order, retraining guards and managing the accounts and debts of the household. He had been so engrossed in his own dealings that he did not even know what Lorraine was getting up to in her time outside of gardening. After the maid had left and Lorraine had placed the new polished harp on one of the sofas near them he took it upon himself to ask her just what it was she was up to these days,

"I daresay you are not the best harpist there is in the West, hoping to relearn your lost talents?" Lorraine returned to him with an unimpressed look,

"It's not for me" he let his confusion roam freely on his face then at her answer knowing there were little others in the castle she would want to give a harp to. Perhaps she wishes to send it to one of her sisters, he reassured himself. But he could only ask to know,

"Then who, may I ask, is it for?" and Lorraine then reached for the notepad that he noticed was always conveniently in her pocket nowadays,

"Roslin Tully."

She seemed unaffected by her answer. As if, naturally, she would be gifting such things to their hostage, the wife of a man who despises him. And over all of that, someone Lorraine did not even know. Although now, looking at the way she regarded the harp with such pride in her endeavors, he thought to himself that that may not be as true as he thought.

"What reason do you have giving that to Roslin Tully?" Her eyes were now bordering on annoyance as she looked at him again,

"Why not?" She shrugged.

"You don't even know the woman."

"Yes I do"

"How? When?" She sighed out at that, clearly now annoyed at his worry and overall confusion on the matter.

"We share our meals. She is a nice girl"

"And why did you not tell me of this?" She returned to her notepad then with a challenge in her eyes. He noticed she always wrote things down when she was particularly annoyed -or angry.

"Do I need your permission to do so, my Lord?" He stopped himself from saying what he was about to say next.

Lorraine, especially after all that had happened between them, had been more defensive about what she was and was not allowed to do and Jaime himself did not mean to sound as confrontational as he did when he had asked. But he found it strange Lorraine would have wanted to spend her time with Roslin Tully, is she that lonely? He thought was he tried to soften his gaze enough for the conversation not to take a sharp turn.

"Of course not, you are the Lady of the Rock are you not? But you can understand why I would ask, surely." The fight in her seemed placated at his comment and he silently commended himself for his new found diplomatic spirit.

"I suppose I just have to ask whether you've shared Lord Edmure's company at all as well?" And she almost leapt forward in denial to his question.

He felt a strange relief at that. The last time he had spoken to the unfortunate Tully something did not sit well with him in the way he spoke of Lorraine. It was not as if he was worried about her in that way. Yes, Edmure is known to tend to whore around, but his wife was not a whore. Nor was she one to give in to any unwanted advances, as he knew full well. He worried her being somehow manipulated by Edmure. Perhaps he would want information. Or maybe greater leniency. Maybe he would try fooling her so he may forge some sort of escape plan. It was silly and preposterous but Jaime knew that angry men could also be desperate men. He had not yet told Edmure of his plans for him in King's Landing, so him trying to hatch an escape was still a relatively low, but real, possibility.

"And Roslin...the girl? She hasn't asked you anything?" She replied with a light scoff and looked down at her fingers.

"No, I just felt lonely. She is good company. What would she ask me about?" He did not know why but he felt something sting as he interpret her. He had brought her here and all he had wanted to do was spend time with her. All he could even remember of Ashemark were his mornings, afternoons and evenings spent with her doing trivial things and now it seemed like they were spending less time together.

"I trust you know what you are doing but it is possible that she could want information from you. So just...be aware" Leaning back into her chair Lorraine awarded his comment with a tired smile,

"What could I tell her?"

"Plans, movements, I don't know. Anything you may hear from me."

"You tell me nothing."

And she was right. It was not on purpose, he just did not have the time to discuss any of it.

He remembered how his mother had always been his father's confidante, and he never understood why anyone needed to tell or share anything with anyone until he had spoken to Lorraine in such a way. She had proved extremely useful in terms of political delicacies, and he knew she would probably be an asset in matters regarding his new position as Warden of The West, but he realised it would be up to him to make use of her the way he needed. Perhaps my little wife is not entirely content with just meeting her end every night. A little bit of conversation is all she needs.

He smiled and stood up, refusing to allow the so far pleasant afternoon to turn sour, for he had taken it upon himself to change the state of limbo they seemed to be in. Extending his hand far enough for her to reach, he helped her stand so she was facing him now. He stroked her face with the back of his fingers and placed a soft kiss on her delicate lips.

"Are you meeting Lady Tully soon?" She shook her head.

"Then how does a tour, an overdue one, sound to you my lady?" Her eyes seemed to resume in their glimmer, a shine he felt she had almost forgotten back at Ashemark as it was constantly duller by tears, anger, boredom and occasional lust.

"Yes" She had replied with a more enthusiastic smile to her features.

Still holding her hand, he moved to the door in longs strides and brought the latch down to begin their journey. Looking back at her for a moment in her plain looking gown of cream that he had given her -she had ordered more of the same ones but they had yet to be finished, something in him swelled at the sight of something so ready and alive and excited about something new.

"Shall we begin, then?" He said with a smirk, and the wife with whom he was still learning to appreciate smirked right back at him.

Lorraine

It had taken a little while for me to stop feeling so daunted by the huge castle that was my new home. But all the strides I had believe I had taken in my short time here had all been for naught once my husband gave me a proper tour.

He took me to the main library first, which was an awful choice because I truly did not want to leave it. Textured maps of Westeros and Essos were carved into heavy oak on the walls, like a sort of tapestry splayed across the entire perimeter of the huge room. I could scarcely believe it. I, simple Lorraine Marbrand was standing in one of the biggest libraries in Westeros and it was all...mine.

I ran to all the closely stacked volumes that seemed forgotten in one corner, they were all documents of the Dance of Dragons, the Greens Blacks, the infamous civil war between siblings for the throne on the backs of their dragons. If I did not know how real it was I would think it was some sort of epic fantasy, something from a dream -or nightmare. Jaime had watched me with equal amounts of wonder. I'm sure he thought I did not notice, but he was not so lucky -I was merely too entranced with the my new findings to care.

I tried to be considerate as best as I could, for I knew Jaime was not overly fond of libraries. But this was my new home, and it was my duty to fully acquaint myself with it. But after close to an hour had passed as I scavenged through all the books I thought to myself that I would have plenty of time to search through this place and decided i'd let my husband show me around everywhere else he thought was worth seeing.

"You remind me of my brother" He had said to me as we walked out the library. It was not something we often -or ever, discussed. And so I took it upon myself to squeeze my husband's hand reassuringly, letting him know it was alright to remember him and he did not have to talk about it if he did not wish to do so.

Next, he took me to the observatory. Well, the main observatory. He said his mother had commissioned it to be made up when she had first come to Casterly Rock, and I wondered if I would ever commission anything or mark the castle in a way that would allow future generations to remember me. It was remarkably warm, and according to Jaime if it were not for the bricks of salt that made up the room against the glass the heat would seem almost strangling. But instead it felt soothing, and the air seemed purer than it could have ever been outside. The room was still relatively bare and after remarking that I could have an easel and canvas placed there to make more use of the room I tried not to show me swift boredom to my husband realising that this room held much significance to his childhood. I had plopped down onto one of the sofas directly facing a view of the sea in an attempt to ease the awkwardness in the air -I somehow felt like I was imposing. Jaime sat next to me then, and forced my shoulders back so my back was on his chest and somehow we ended up laying there for a little while in perfect silence. I could not really call it silence though -the sound of the waves was amplified in that very room and I could not ignore the sound of his heart beating against my head, or was that my own heart? It felt so intimate that it might as well have been. He wrapped his arms around me, closely and we just stared at the ceiling together. I wondered what it was he was thinking about, but I found I did not care. He seemed calm -relaxed, far more than I had noticed him to be over the past few days. And I was content to lie in his arms like that for as long as he would have me -which did not prove too long after we got back to our senses from our salt brick induced haze. We got up a little awkwardly at first and did not look at one another, as if we were somehow back to strangers -as if he had just stormed into my library. But I kissed him. Perhaps I wanted him to know that I was still there with him, or that I still wanted to kiss him -either way, I learned that kissing Jaime could never do me much harm.

We passed through a few music rooms and he showed me around a few ornamental rooms, but they were of no considerable value to me...just empty spaces. He had even asked if I wished to make the walk to the Hall of Heroes but I think he felt as well as I did that fresh air would have been a welcome change to the stony cave that was our home. We were already at a crossing point in one of the halls, and I could plainly say that I had not even ventured this far out into the castle before. I noticed the wolfish grin I had so missed come across my husband's face and I knew then that he had decided for me where we would go next.

Stepping to our right we moved down a long corridor. We went down a small flight of stairs leading to a small clearing and then back up another short flight right in front of it, we almost seemed to be racing to what was to me still an unknown destination and I felt my husband get almost giddy at the prospect of our destination. Soon, finally, we arrived at bright white opening and Jaime held my hand in his tighter, like he was bracing me into new grounds. With only a moment to stop and consider the next move, we rushed out, hand in hand.

We were at the beach. I was at the beach. There I stood, my husband in hand and the Sunset Sea before me, and I had never seen anything so beautiful -or terrifying. It was all so vast, my eyes could not even see past it. I was so taken by the beautiful shores that I did not notice my feet slowly sinking into the ground. Sand. It was sand. I had never seen sand before. And once Jaime had moved us to a nearby rock so that we could remove our shoes I discovered how warm sand was. It was like sand soaked up the sun and feasted on its heat. I, Lorraine, love sand.

We got closer to the beach and I could feel the incoming waves teasing my toes. I looked back at Jaime, how was still intent on looking straight at me in a shameless examination. I turned my head back then as I wondered what it was we left behind and was stunned to see Casterly Rock hovering over me. It looked like a huge lion standing mid-roar ready to devour anything that would come its way, could I have really just walked out of that? Could I have been living in that? I looked back to meet Jaime's eyes that were still wandering over me,

"What part of this is ours?" I asked, gesturing over the entirety of the castle grounds, the beach and the Sea around us. And with a sly side smile he answered in surprising seriousness,

"As far as your eyes can see." Then i'm sure he would not mind if I ran into it, i'm sure -I thought to myself.

I spared no second looks back at my husband as I ventured into the sea before me, standing still immediately at first contact with the realisation that it was cold. The husband I had so eagerly left behind was now in front of me, grabbing at my hands and pulling me forward into the freezing water. I shook my head fervently at his attempts but he laughed me off, instead taking me over his shoulder and walking into the sea until the water was halfway up his thigh. With a loud splash he threw me down in to the water and I involuntarily clung to him due to the insurmountable cold I was surrounded by. Again, he laughed. And I slapped his chest. And he kissed me.

I could taste the salt on his lips, or perhaps they were on mine. But he kissed me like he wanted to tell me something, and I was so keen on listening to him. His tongue moved inside my own and everything sting of cold meant nothing against my skin as he held me closer to him. I was realising more and more that such things became all too trivial when Jaime touched me, and for once I did not care what that meant for me -and so I kissed my husband back the only way I knew how.

We swayed slightly with the waves, and when his eyes of such green looked back into mine I found a hint of mirth in them and so I raised an eyebrow at him,

"Do I displease you, husband?" He laughed.

"Not at all. But we have gotten quite...wet. Perhaps we should return to our rooms? It'll be time for supper before you know it." Surprised at his announcement I looked back towards the horizon and only then just registered that the sun was setting. How strange it is, my husband has made me forget about the setting sun.

I did not waste time in agreeing with him and to my delight Jaime, without asking, decided to carry me on his back the whole way to our rooms so my "feet would not get cold".

After we had returned to our rooms and had headed to our rooms to undress Jaime lead me to my convenient changing screen and, strangely for him, asking me what I would like to wear next so he may prepare the dress for me as the maid was not there.

I felt an alien sensation overwhelm me at him just asking something like that, at asking to do something like that for me. It was so little, but it made me think of all the other things he had done for me. Yes, Jaime was not perfect, but he was, to me, far from a bad man either. And what overwhelmed me further was the fact that there were very little things I wanted to do anymore that were merely only to serve him. I wanted to...do things that I have had the impression would please him and from what little experience I have and growing curiosity felt that may serve to please me as well. Taking the initiative then that I would make my husband truly mine, that my husband was truly worthy and that I had known it the moment I had agreed to marry him, I turned to face him in my wet dress.

He eyed me like he was still expecting me to answer his question. I had forgotten what he had even asked.

"Lorraine? Are you cold?" He asked, his voice plagued with concern.

Without heading his earlier question any mind I swiftly unbuttoned the front of my thin dress and slid it down my body, leaving me in my shift -which I swiftly moved to discard not a moment after.

Jaime's eyes were now wide, and I hoped he had not forgotten what he was supposed to do with a naked woman so soon. I stepped closer to him, somehow fearing he would step away. He did not. I pressed my body against his wet clothes now, ignoring the cold, wet, material and instead trying to focus on the strange bursts of fire running through me with every touch. I leant my head into the crook of his neck and bet his ear the way he had done to me before, and then I finally felt him move to touch me. His hands went straight to my waist, his golden one offering no warmth but a strange comfort I had grown accustomed to. I moved, kissed and bit at his neck the way I had always wished I could, I needed him to know.

Take me, Jaime. Don't you know? Take me.

Jaime

Had he heard her correctly? He did not get as much time to reconsider as she moved to loosen the strings of his doublet.

A part of him wanted to devour her. A part of him wanted to take her on the very spot they now stood on. But a larger part of him knew she not only needed to explore him, but knew that he wanted her to. It made him feel...wanted. Finally, after so long, Jaime felt like someone wanted him enough to give herself over fully with only the promise of himself in return. No games, no motives, no services and favours. Just us.

He stayed still as she removed his tunic, and she let her hands roam him freely once his chest was bare. She gave him a short kiss, and surprised him by moving her lips down to his own neck. What surprised him further was how much he reveled in her lips, so consuming and so hot on him. He found his eyes coming to a close as the combination of her intoxicating lips and her gentle hands consumed his skin and he felt every hair on him alive with anticipation.

As Lorraine moved back out to face him Jaime finally took it upon him to make use of himself. He caressed her waist with his good hand and she in turn splayed her hand across his chest -effectively pushing him back until he had reached the bed.

She reached for his breeches and unbuckled them with ease, and Jaime was wondering why he was not yet moving. But once she had successfully pulled his breeches down and returned her eyes up to meet him he saw them pleading, begging for something he knew he wanted her to have. He forgot to think about what this must have taken for her and how unused to taken any sexual initiative she truly was. You could have fooled me, wife.

And even though this moment and its implications meant that she trusted him, even though her coming to him meant that she had taken leaps to meet him -he wanted this to be easy. He did not want to assign such importance and pressure to what they were about to do because he wanted her to feel like she could come to him anytime with this and he would have her any way she came to him in.

Gods only know how I want you, woman.

Feeling like they were at another crossroads, Jaime knew it was up to him to lead the way. And so he did.

Lorraine

He grabbed me by my waist and lay me down on the bed before him, finally. He took my breasts in his mouth and something about the slight animalistic tinge to our current situation freed me from all the restraints that had thus far held me down. Everything from fearing my own want for him, to the doubting myself in my inexperience and my reluctance to give in after he had wronged me so. I had angrily, at the time, thought that the worst thing I could do was give him what he wanted. But now it was different. It was what I wanted too. Gods help me, I want my husband.

He took my breast in his mouth and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding his skin close to me -it was the only sanity I could afford in this state.

Having his fill of my bosom, Jaime moved his head up to kiss me shakily with want as he his hands snaked down to my core and he rubbed at my wetness -stimulating all of my senses.

I could not call what was growing in me exactly courage, but perhaps it was my inhibitions dissipating like snow falling off a mountain in an avalanche. I felt like my skin was peeling away and all the walls I had kept around me were falling and there was no longer anything I knew -or feared. All I knew was the man hovering over me, and I moved my sweat hands down and wrapped it around his erect length. There was something...mesmerising in the knowledge that his arousal was directed towards me and here I held it in my hand, was it silly of me to feel so powerful at that realisation? It mattered not if I did, for here I lay, a mess of shivers and moans waiting to be taken.

I was feeling so...much. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction by Jaime's hand and his mouth that I doubted if I would feel him enter me. But I did. And when I felt his full length inside me in its entirety I opened my eyes to bore into his, unlike the last time he was inside me.

He stroked his length deliciously inside me and my mouth emitted silent moans lost to the air, lost to the passion I felt growing all the more as he picked up his pace. It was a different sensation than the feeling of his mouth on me, but it still felt so...so good.

I wrapped my hands tighter around his shoulders and held on to him as he pumped through me and something strange inside me felt insanely stimulated by his movements. I could not describe it, but it was like something inside me wanted to explode, like it was a pain of malleable glass that was waiting to be shattered -I needed something to break it. And that something finally came when Jaime moved his mouth -that had been previously preoccupied licking the inside of my mouth, down to my hardened nipple and bit down on it.

I'm sure I yelled. I'm sure I screamed. For it was like fire, fire go through me a thousand times over. Burning every cell in my being and every vein I had until I was unrecognizable, until I was new. I had barely calmed from my frenzied orgasm when Jaime himself raced into me and reached his end inside me.

It was nothing like anyone had describe to me, no one could have said anything to prepare me for what I had felt at Jaime's emptying his arousal inside me. It was a state of bliss, of perfect fullness and comfort that he had found enough comfort to reach this form of closeness with me. I felt him pulsing inside me, what a strange thing that is?

I kissed him fully on the lips, hoping he would know how much I appreciated his trying, his patience, him. I hoped he would know how grateful I was for him.

When he removed himself and I was rewarded with emptiness I stopped himself from moving to a water basin to wipe the remainders of his seed off of me, I strangely did not care about what stained or stuck to me -or the fact that we probably had a dinner waiting for us, I only wanted him to lie with me.

As I lay with my back to him, peaceful with the knowledge that we were truly each other's now, I felt Jaime playing with my hair. It started off innocent enough, and I assumed he was merely combing through it the way he usually did, but the attempt quickly took shape as I felt him twirl my hair expertly with one hand through loops and the likes. Granted, he gave up quite soon as his unusable hand debilitated his ability to expertly braid my hair, but I did not pretend to ignore his attempt. I turned to him, facing his eyes still dusty with exertion,

"Where did you learn how to braid hair?" His peaceful smile fell a little.

"I used to braid my sister's hair" He had brought up two of his siblings in one day, it was definitely progress. Even if it was progress I did not yet know how to respond to or encourage. Instead, before I could think of something smart to respond with he leaned down to kiss me, brushing he thumb down beside my eye brow.

"I think I might prefer braiding such dark hair, anyway." And at that, I could not care less about his siblings or what had been done to them -or the dinner that still probably awaited us. I still, could only care about the Golden man lying in my arms, carelessly braiding my hair.

A/N: How'd you all like this chapter?

The part in which Jaime braids Lorraine's hair whilst reminiscing is what I had taken from Juxtaposed (with full permission of course) but still felt like it deserved to be given full props because I feel like it adds depth to Jaime's actions. It's a little childlike and I feel like that's what Jaime misses the most.

Anyways, please review.