Author's Note: I've said it before but it can't be said enough how much I appreciate all the nice things you guys say about my story. Here's another chapter for you. Sorry it's not the most exiting but it's more of a transitional part in the story. Next chapter though someone we've all been waiting to see will make his reappearance. So stay tuned!
They had ridden for two days straight before finally stopping to take a proper rest. Once Catelyn had informed Amarah of the details regarding Renly's death, she understood the need for urgency. Admittedly, Amarah found her aunt's tale about an assassin shadow to be a stretch to the imagination but she found it easier to believe than the tale that Brienne had carried out the deed instead. Looking towards the lady in questions, Amarah resolved to have a talk with her. Brienne had never seemed a terribly talkative person to begin with, but since departing the stormlands for Riverrun she had hardly uttered a single word.
Catelyn's men had already begun building a small fire to warm them for the night, but Brienne stood off to the side of their little camp tending to the horses. Walking over quietly so as not to spook either the creatures or the lady, Amarah assessed her with a wary gaze. She looked very tired after their journey, but more than that she looked depressed. Amarah had been saddened by the news of Renly's death but she had felt more shock than grief over his passing. Brienne seemed to be taking it much harder and for some reason Amarah felt the absurd need to comfort her.
"You have a good hand with them" she said quietly patting one of the sweaty horses on its nose. Brienne nodded her head in acknowledgement but said nothing. Undeterred Amarah continued on.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, my lady. What could you have done in the face of such a threat?"
"I vowed to protect him" she finally spoke in a harsh whisper. "But I failed."
Amarah regarded her with a sympathetic gaze before venturing a reply. "Punishing yourself over his death will not bring him back. You served him well, my lady."
"I would have served him my whole life" she admitted quietly.
"You loved him. Didn't you?" Amarah questioned, finally understanding the lady's devotion to her departed uncle. She considered telling Brienne the truth about Renly to maybe soften the blow of his passing but rejected the idea. Better to let her remember Renly as the brave, romantic king she had imagined him to be.
"I'm not sure I know what love is" Brienne finally replied after a few moments. "But I wanted to serve him. I knew he could never think of me in such a way. I'm not beautiful or charming, but I just wanted to be near him."
"I understand" Amarah answered thinking of her love for Robb. Brienne looked at her then with a skeptical gaze before Amarah finished her thought. "Beauty does not buy you love, Brienne. If it did I should gladly trade mine for a life of love and peace. As it is, that life sounds like a dream in a song. A song for fools who believe in such things."
"Why can you not have such a life?" Brienne questioned.
"Because I cannot have the man I love" she answered with a sad smile. "And I fear my life will never be a peaceful one. Not while Cersei Lannister lives."
Brienne looked slightly troubled at the mention of the queen's name. "Who will protect you from her?"
"I suppose I shall have to protect myself." Amarah had not given the matter much thought till now, but Renly's death would make her a much easier target for the queen's schemes. With his men now scattered to the wind there was no one to stand between Amarah and the queen's rage. The thought was disconcerting to say the least.
"Would you let me have that honor?" Brienne asked her.
Amarah had not anticipated that request. "You would serve me? But why? Would you not rather return home to your father?"
Brienne looked less than thrilled at that prospect. "There is nothing for me there. I would serve you, my lady. If you wish it."
"I would gladly accept your service" Amarah told her sincerely. Brienne had already proved herself capable enough to protect the fugitive princess, and besides her skill, loyalty was not a commodity cheaply purchased in the realm. Amarah would have been a fool to refuse such a generous offer.
After Amarah's favorable reply, Brienne knelt before her offering up her sword. "I pledge to you my loyalty, my faithfulness, and my service for as long as you shall wish it, my lady."
Giving her a kind smile, Amarah gestured for her to stand. "And I shall swear the same to you. You shall always have a place by my side while I live, Lady Brienne."
Brienne gave a small grimace at Amarah's use of her title. "You need only call me Brienne, my lady."
"I would be glad to, Brienne, but you must call me by my name in return."
"As you wish, my lady." Amarah gave an amused smile at her reply but did not correct her.
"We should reach Riverrun by tomorrow nightfall if all goes well" she informed her. "I suppose we shall stay there for the foreseeable future until Robb returns from his battles. I have no desire to support my Uncle Stannis's claim to the throne after what happened to Renly, as I have no doubt he played a hand in it. For now we stay with the Starks."
"I think that a wise decision" Brienne agreed. "I've heard it said Jaime Lannister is held prisoner in Riverrun."
That particular detail has escaped Amarah's memory until Brienne mentioned it. She remembered her warning to Catelyn about Jaime Lannister's possible escape. It would be most interesting to see if he was still in attendance when they returned. The thought of seeing him again caused within her an unexpected feeling of anticipation. She may have despised the man, but for a sparring partner in a battle of wit she could not have asked for a better opponent. He might be a man with shit for honor, but he still had his uses.
"To my knowledge he is still there. What do you know of him?" She was curious how much of Jaime Lannister's reputation preceded him.
"Only that he served the mad king before murdering him to serve the next one, and the pretender who sits on the throne is his bastard son" Brienne answered. "He does not sound like a very honorable knight."
Amarah gave a rueful laugh at her assessment of Jaime's character. "No, he does not." Deciding she wished to talk of the Kingslayer no more, Amarah bid her a good evening. "I shall leave you here to tend the horses. We leave for Riverrun at first light."
If Brienne was surprised by Amarah's sudden change in topic she did not show it. She simply bowed her head in acknowledgement before returning to the task at hand. After Amarah left Brienne she found her aunt who was warming her hands by the fire discussing something with one of her men. Amarah took a place next to her while waiting for them to finish their conversation.
Once the man had departed, Catelyn looked to Amarah with a weary expression. "I'm afraid I am getting to old to be riding about the country at such a pace."
Amarah laughed softly at her admission. "I am not certain whether age is the culprit or inexperience. After this journey is complete I shall be perfectly happy never to sit atop a horse ever again."
Catelyn smiled at that before her face turned serious once again. "What do you plan to do once we reach Riverrun?"
"I don't intend to join my Uncle Stannis" she informed her truthfully. "But beyond that I had not given it much thought. Robb had mentioned in one of his previous letters that I might return to Winterfell, but I feel as if I should stay and support him in some way."
Catelyn seemed to agree with this plan of action. "He would appreciate any support you could give him. With Renly's forces having now run to Stannis, we can only rely on our own strength."
"I have some news for you" Amarah said remembering her conversation with Littlefinger. "In the chaos of the past two days I have had no chance of discussing it with you. According to Peter Baelish the only one of your children being held in the capital is Sansa. Arya has not been seen by anyone since Ned's arrest weeks ago."
The color seemed to drain from Catelyn's face at this news. "No one knows where Arya is?"
"I'm afraid not" Amarah replied gently trying to soften the blow. "But she is a resourceful little thing, Aunt. I'm sure she is still alive. You would feel it if she was not."
"I suppose you are right." Some of the color had now returned to Catelyn's at this encouraging thought. "But Sansa. How are we ever to get her back from the queen now? I know Robb will never trade Jaime Lannister for her. He loves his sister but the men would revolt over such an action."
"We must discuss it with Robb once he returns" Amarah persuaded her. "Put such thoughts from your head for now. Sansa is too valuable for them to hurt her."
She wasn't entirely convinced of the truth of that statement. She knew Sansa was too valuable to kill but she also knew there was a possibility that the girl had been emotionally and physically abused during her captivity to the Lannisters. Joffrey was an unnaturally cruel boy who only seemed to take pleasure in the pain of others. He would no doubt find a great deal of pleasure in torturing the sister of the man who opposed his right to the throne. However, mentioning such thoughts to a worried mother would be of no help to anyone so she kept them to herself.
Thankfully, Catelyn heeded her advice. "I suppose you are right. But let us talk no more of it tonight. You should sleep now. It will be a long ride tomorrow if we are to reach Riverrun by nightfall."
"You should sleep as well" Amarah returned the motherly advice. "Goodnight, Aunt."
After Catelyn bid her the same, Amarah strolled towards the small tent the men had constructed for her. It was rather small but adequate enough due to her short stature. Since she had not experienced a proper sleep in three days she was deeply grateful for any type of shelter. Despite the hard ground and chilled air, it did not take long for her to succumb to a dreamless sleep. Just before she drifted into unconsciousness, she imagined a pair of green eyes silently mocking her in the dark. Only this time, the eyes did not belong to Cersei. This time they belonged to someone else.