Author's Note: Thank you for the lovely comments once again! Here's another chapter. It's pretty long since we're finally back in the capital, and there's so much to do. Hope you enjoy it!

After what had almost seemed an endless journey, he had finally managed to reach King's Landing. Bolton's men and Qyburn had left to return to Harrenhal, and Jaime now rode towards the gates of the city with the same two women he had started this adventure with many weeks ago. He looked to Amarah who rode her own horse now beside Brienne as Jaime had finally managed to master the reins of his mount with his one remaining hand. Amarah had hardly spoken a word since learning of Robb Stark's death, and even now Jaime still remembered her mournful sobs as she cried in his arms for those she had lost. He had simply held her until she cried herself into exhaustion before carrying her back to the camp and handing her over to the wench. Seeing her in such a state affected him more deeply than he cared to admit, and even now, she was not fully recovered from the shock of Stark's death.

She sat on her horse in silence with the hood of her cloak pulled up to conceal that pretty face. Though he couldn't see her eyes, Jaime assumed the look in them was the same as it had been for the past two days, bleak and hopeless. Amarah had always been inclined to keep her feelings tucked away inside, but he had never seen such a woeful expression of emptiness in her gaze. He had expected her to plead with him not to take her to the city, to save her from his father, but she had done none of that. She simply accepted her fate in silent reserve, and for some mad reason he wished she would fight him on it. He wanted her to show him somehow that she still cared what happened to her, but she did not.

Jaime felt all of his thoughts should be of the sister he longed to hold in his arms once again, but Amarah had invaded his mind and senses. He kept trying to think of some way he could comfort her, to help her see that there was still something worth living for, just as she had helped him after he lost his hand to the goat. Jaime didn't know what to tell her to fight for though. She no longer had any family to run to, no place to go. Nowhere but this place they rode towards now, and it was the last place in the seven kingdoms he wanted her to be.

These bleak thoughts swirled through Jaime's mind as they passed through the gates of the city and rode to the red keep where his family was. As they passed through the streets, Jaime noted that conditions looked worse than when he had left many months before. There seemed to be more beggars on the streets and a rotten stink filled the air with the smells of death and suffering. The unpleasant conditions were due partly to the battle against Stannis but most were likely a direct result of Joffrey's inability to rule.

Well Jaime thought with a grim frown as he surveyed the scene before him he'll have no difficulty ruling them now.

They had received word almost immediately following the massacre of Robb Stark and his mother at the Twins that Joffrey had been poisoned at his own wedding feast to the Tyrell girl. Jaime had waited for some feeling of sadness or grief to come after hearing the news, but he felt nothing. It sounded rather heartless, he knew, but Joffrey was nothing more to him than some seed he had squirted into Cersei's womb. He had found that no matter how he tried to care for the boy, he couldn't summon any paternal feelings whatsover. Cersei loved her children at least, so their bastards had one parent that cared what happened to them. Jaime didn't see why they needed two.

He was pulled from these musings as they cantered into the outer courtyard of the red keep and found two members of the Kings guard there. Upon closer inspection Jaime saw that one of the guards was young Loras Tyrell. It didn't surprise him that Cersei would have appointed the boy to guard the king as his sister had been meant to marry Joffrey. Jamie pulled his horse to a halt and swung out of the saddle to meet the two men. He glanced behind him and saw that Brienne was dismounting as well and keeping a close eye on Amarah. Jaime was glad she had the wench's attention as his was needed elsewhere. He noted that Amarah still hadn't removed the hood of her cloak, leaving her face shadowed and hidden from view. Turning his attention away from the women, Jaime looked to the two men before him.

"I have two new brothers I see" he said to them by way of greeting.

Loras Tyrell merely bowed his head in acknowledgement but the other man, Ser Meryn Trant noticed the stump on Jaime's right arm. "Your hand…"

Jaime cut him off in annoyance before he could continue. "I fight with the left now. It makes for more of a contest. Where will I find the queen?"

"You will find her in the sept" Ser Meryn offered. "She is praying over king Joff-"

"You!" Loras Tyrell interrupted then, taking notice of Brienne as she towered behind Jaime holding the reins of the horses. She just stared at him with a stupid expression and said nothing.

With barely leashed rage, Loras stalked angrily towards where the women stood. Amarah still concealed herself within the hood of her cloak escaping the young Tyrell's notice, but all of Jaime's attention was solely for her. He could see from the sudden tenseness in her shoulders that she was ready to defend her knight if necessary. It amazed Jaime that he could sense that about her without even needing to see her face. He slowly followed Tyrell, planting himself by Amarah as the young knight of flowers threatened her wench. She didn't acknowledge his presence but kept her hooded gaze on the two knights before them.

"Why?" Loras demanded of the wench. "You will tell me why. He treated you kindly, gave you a rainbow cloak. Why would you kill him?"

"I never did" the wench defended herself. "I would have died for him."

Loras answered her plea of innocence with a disbelieving sneer as he drew his longsword from his scabbard before pointing at her with deadly intent. "You will die."

Amarah moved towards them then but Jaime grabbed her wrist to keep her by his side. It was time he intervened before the princess lost one more person precious to her or she got herself killed trying to stay Tryell's hand. He made sure Amarah received his message to stay in place before heading between Loras and Brienne.

"Put the sword away, ser" he commanded the young knight in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

Loras's blood was clearly up for revenge as he ignored Jaime's. "This is no concern of yours" he argued trying to shove past him.

No longer in a patient mood, Jaime grabbed the boy with his one good hand and swung him back around to face him. "I am the Lord Commander of the Kingsgard, you arrogant pup" he said emphasizing the title Cersei had newly placed on him before his return. "Your commander, so long as you wear that white cloak. Now sheathe your bloody sword, or I'll take it from you and shove it up some place even Renly never found."

Loras looked as if he still wanted to argue, but finally relented before replacing his sword. After that deed was done he looked back to Brienne with murderous rage still in his eyes. "I want her arrested for the murder of Renly Baratheon."

Jaime looked back at Amarah once again and saw she stood where he had left her moments ago, her face still concealed in shadows. With a long-suffering sigh, Jaime realized the only way to get Brienne out of this mess for the time being was to comply with the boy's request to arrest her. He only hoped both women understood that he agreed to the demand merely for the wench's safety. With a quick nod of his head, he gave the order to Ser Meryn.

"Escort Lady Brienne to a tower cell and hold her there under guard."

The man nodded in acceptance of the orders and approached Brienne to escort her away to the towers. Jaime was grateful that Amarah made no move to stop her wench from being imprisoned. She must have understood the reason for Jaime's order, but the wench herself did not. As she was led away, Brienne looked at him with an expression of deep betrayal. Jaime felt the absurd need to defend his actions to the ugly creature, but clamped his lips closed in stubborn refusal. Amarah would explain the situation to her soon enough. With that thought, he looked back at the still, dark figure who had yet to utter a single word. What to do with the girl?

The other soldiers in the courtyard were beginning to notice the mysterious, hooded figure, and Jaime needed some explanation for why she was there. For some reason, he wanted to keep her presence in the city secret for as long possible while he determineed what to do with her. Struck by a sudden notion of how to explain her presence, he walked towards her with a dangerous gleam in his eye and placed his good arm around her shoulders. She stiffened a bit at the touch, but did not push him away. The other men noticed his actions and gave him secretive smiles as if they knew what she really was to him before turning back to their separate tasks. Jaime then noticed a young squire moving towards the keep and called him over.

"Yes, my lord" the gangly thing answered once he was standing before them.

The boy looked familiar but Jaime couldn't place him. It had been too long since he had been in the capital. "What's your name, boy?"

"Podrick Payne, Ser" he answered with a quick bow. "I was the squire to the late Hand of the king, Lord Tyrion."

Jaime felt Amarah tense in his arms at those words, but he squeezed her shoulders in a silent command to say nothing. "What do you mean late Hand?"

"Lord Tywin is Hand now. Lord Tyrion has been thrown into the dungeons for conspiring to kill King Joffrey. Lord Tywin held me for questioning about my lord's role in the king's murder, but when I had nothing to tell he finally released me."

That is hardly encouraging news Jaime thought with a dismal frown but kept the thought to himself. He would see to Tyrion as soon as possible, but the girl at his side demanded his more immediate attention. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the boy's news about Tyrion before seeing to the matter at hand.

"I need you to assist me, Payne" he said, waiting for the boy to nod his head in agreement before continuing. "I have a companion here as you see" he said caressing Amarah's shoulders with a lecherous smile to give the boy the impression that she was a companion meant for rather sordid purposes. Amarah stiffened again slightly when she understood what he was about but still continued to hold her tongue which he was grateful for. "I need you to escort her to my chambers without drawing undue attention. I wouldn't like it discovered she was in my company, if you understand my meaning. Even we knights of the king's guard need certain companionship at times, and I would not appreciate being denied of hers."

He spoke this request in a polite voice but made certain to employ a threatening gaze in order to instill a righteous amount of fear in the young squire. If the boy had served Tyrion, he was probably well-versed in how to keep secrets as Tyrion had many, and Jaime needed him to keep this one. If Tywin or Cersei heard a woman had accompanied Jaime to the capital, they would immediately know her identity. Jaime wanted to give the girl at least a short respite before her imprisonment began, no matter how small.

Young Payne gave a silent nod of his head in agreement, and Jaime breathed an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He looked to Amarah to see her reaction to this, but she still kept her face hidden without meeting his eyes. Podrick gestured for her to precede him, and she moved without hesitation with the young squire trailing behind her. As Jaime watched her go, he wondered why she had agreed to his scheme without ever once looking at him to judge his intentions as she usually did. She either had more faith in him than he had previously thought, or she simply didn't care enough what happened to her to determine what his intentions were. He found he would rather not dwell on the answer to that question.

With Amarah taken care of, Jaime immediately began in the direction of the sept where Cersie said her prayers for Joffrey. No doubt their son would need every one of those prayers. She would be in deep grief for the boy as she had loved him greatly, and she would be in need of Jaime's comfort. The thought pushed him to move even faster so he could reach her as soon as possible. Jaime knew that he was the only one Cersei trusted to turn to with her tears since she thought of them as a weakness. At the thought of Cersei's tears, an image of Amarah sobbing in his arms quickly flashed through his mind, but he stubbornly shoved it away. It was his sister that needed him now, not Amarah.

He reached the sept within a few minutes to find a large guard standing at the door. The man moved to stop him from entering, but Jaime quickly shoved him aside explaining who he was. The man whose name was Kettlebeck, an unfortunate name Jaime thought, relented when realizing his identity. Before entering the sept, Jaime gave the man instructions that he and his sister were not to be disturbed. When he entered the dimly lit space, Jaime saw small candles that lined the room as Cersei kneeled at the slab holding Joffrey's lifeless body, weeping silently.

When she heard him enter, she turned her tear streaked face to his with an expression lit with hope. "Jaime?" she questioned him as if she didn't believe he was really there.

Jaime noticed she made no move to come towards him. She never did. She always waited for him to go to her. I know enough to see she's been leading you around by that cock of yours for longer than I care to think about Amarah's words rudely broke into Jaime's subconscious before he shook them away. Gods, he couldn't escape the girl even now with his sister before him. He moved forward then to take Cersei in his arms as he always did. She stood to meet him, but just as he was about to wrap her in his strong embrace she caught sight of the stump on his arm. He quickly looked to gauge her reaction to his deformity and was dismayed by the hint of revulsion he saw there. Immediately, he dropped his arms to his side once again, losing the impulse to hold her in his embrace.

Your loving sister has probably had more men through her legs than the doorway of Littlefinger's brothel Amarah's harsh words intruded into his thoughts once again. He gritted his teeth against the memory and pushed it away as he looked at the woman before him. Her beautiful green eyes, so like his, glimmered with tears for their fallen son. Jaime wanted to comfort her, but there was a strange awareness between them that hadn't ever been present before. An awareness that hadn't existed until Amarah filled Jaime's head with her words about his sister. He had been so certain before that they were lies, but as he looked at Cersei now he wondered whether or not they were really true.

"What's this I hear about Tyrion?" he asked trying to forget the girl and her accusations that surrounded his mind like a fog.

Cersei's mournful expression turned hard at his mention of their brother. "He killed Joff, poisoned him before the whole court. Tyrion served him the wine with the poison in it. Everyone saw."

That didn't sound much like something Tryion would do. "Very foolish of him" Jaime murmured quietly.

Cersei reached towards him then, holding his arm as she so often did when trying to persuade him of something. "He swore to me he would do it, and he made good on his threat. He told me that when I was happiest and secure, he would see to it that my joy turned to ashes in my mouth. Even as Joffrey died, he pointed the finger at his murderer, our wretched monster of a little brother. You must kill him for me, Jaime. You must avenge our son. You will, won't you?"

Her suggestion that he kill their brother, one of the few people in this world Jaime truly loved besides her, turned his stomach. Without thinking, he shook off her touch and backed a pace away with a strange look in his eye. He knew she had never liked Tyrion, but he had never seen how far her hate had extended until this moment.

"I can't kill him" he denied with a shake of his head holding up his stump as reason for his refusal.

Cersei was not dissuaded so easily. "You still have one hand. That is all it takes to swing a sword, and Tyrion would be no difficulty for you even then. You can sneak into the dungeons and do the deed before any one knows you have been there."

"No" Jaime repeated once again. The picture she painted in his mind of murdering his helpless brother made him sick.

Cersei's look of pleading turned to one of anger at his refusal. "Did the man who took your hand take your courage as well, brother?"

"I don't consider it courage to murder a dwarf" he answered back in a low voice.

Her face hardened further at his statement before she stepped back a few paces from him as well, placing more distance between them. "Leave me then" she spat before turning back to the corpse of their son.

"Leave you?" Jaime repeated in disbelief. She would send me from her side because I refuse to murder our brother? "I've traveled a thousand leagues to you, lost a part of me along the way, and you ask me to leave you?"

She turned back to look at him then, disdain now mixed with the anger in her eyes. "You've changed." She spoke the words like an accusation as if he had betrayed her.

"I lost my hand to a goat" Jaime defended himself.

She shook her head in denial. "No it's more than that. You've changed somehow, and I don't like it. Leave me."

It was on the tip of Jaime's tongue to ask Cersei then about Amarah's accusations as she stood there accusing him, but he held his tongue. He didn't want to think about the reason for his hesitancy to ask her if the things Amarah had said were true. Because I fear they might be. As he stood there and looked at her unforgiving expression, he felt as if he were seeing her in an entirely different light. Had he been so unaware of her cruelty before? Perhaps she was right. He had changed. He didn't see her the same now as he always had before. His mind had been invaded by another who was warping the picture he always carried of his sister. Had he truly changed? He contemplated this perplexing thought as he complied with her wishes and turned to leave.

Before he reached the door he was stopped suddenly by the sound of her voice. "Wait!"

Jaime felt a small smile grow on his face at her refusal to let him go. He had been wrong after all. She was the same lover he remembered from before. He still had her love. However, once he turned to face her again, the smile on his face instantly died when he saw the anger that still lingered in her gaze, but this was not the same anger she had directed at him before. This was anger of a different kind. Burning hatred he remembered Amarah's description of it.

Cersei approached him in a few short strides before they stood face to face once again. "Where is that little Baratheon bitch that was sent back to the capital with you?" she asked him in a dangerous whisper. "We received word from Bolton's ravens that he was sending her to our father as a gift."

Jaime was suddenly made very uneasy by the intense hatred burning in his twin's eyes. She had never disguised her dislike of Amarah before, but this was a side to her he had never seen. A dark, dangerous hate he had never witnessed, and he didn't like it.

He tried to keep an even tone when answering that wouldn't betray his protective feelings of the girl. There was no reason for Cersei to hate Amarah even more, if such a thing were even possible. "Why do you want her, sister?"

Cersei didn't even hesitate before answering. "I want to watch her face as she dies."

It was quite some time before Jaime was finally able to retire for the evening. After his meeting with Cersei he had gone to speak with his father about all that had occurred since they had last been together and there was also the matter of Tyrion's imprisonment discuss. Tywin had informed Jaime that Gregor Clegane had gone back to Harrenhall to find Vargo Hoat wasting away from an infectious fever caused by the loss of his ear. Jaime had thought the circumstance rather humorous and wanted to share the news with Brienne even though he didn't think she would share his level of amusement. Although he found the thought of the goat's agonizing death rather uplifting, the accusations on Tyrion's head worried Jaime greatly. He was still thinking on that unfortunate circumstance as he quietly opened the door of his bedchamber and slipped inside. He had been quiet in the expectation that Amarah would be fast asleep, but as he entered he caught sight of her at the window looking into the dark night with a listless gaze.

She had changed from her traveling clothes into a nightdress that she had likely charmed the young squire into acquiring for her. In the wispy, white material she almost looked like a ghost standing there gazing into the night. Her concentration must have been quite focused elsewhere because she wasn't even aware of his presence until he was almost upon her. When she finally turned to look at him, they were mere inches apart. At so close a distance, there was no missing the sadness in her eyes, and it haunted Jaime. He missed the mischievous humor in her gaze that seemed to lift his spirits even when he thought her a nuisance. The girl before him now with this despondent look seemed almost a stranger.

"Did you come to make sure I hadn't run away?" she asked bitterly finally breaking the silence between them. "Tell me, Jaime. Where would I run to?"

He was taken by surprise at her use of his name. She had not called him that since whispering it in his ear that night at Harrenhal. The erotic image that memory stirred caused him to instantly harden at the thought. His reunion with his sister had been less than satisfying, leaving him in a state of sexual frustration. Having Amarah so close him now while he was in this state was dangerous to his peace of mind. He quickly backed a few steps away from her before replying.

"You still have family, Princess."

Something seemed to spark in her eyes then at his words. A brief flicker of life, but it was there. "Where is Sansa?" she asked him cautiously as if almost fearful of the answer.

He didn't have good news to tell her, but it was not as bad as it could be. "It seems she disappeared from the city immediately following Joffrey's death. No one knows where she's gone."

Jaime could see the despondency slowly leaking from Amarah's gaze as she thought about her missing cousin. "Cersei must be going mad over the thought."

"She seems to be more concerned with my brother at the moment" Jaime answered.

"Might I assume she wants me to join him in the dungeons before the sun rises" Amarah asked mockingly. Most might not find the sign of her anger a positive thing, but Jaime did. This was the most life he had seen in her since she had broken down in his arms two nights ago.

"No, don't tell me" Amarah continued on. "She wishes to execute me at dawn. What better way to heal the pain of her son's passing than to watch me die?"

"She won't kill you" Jaime told her then, drawing a skeptical gaze.

"Won't she?" Amarah asked. "And how can you be so sure of that?"

Jaime gave her a wicked smile then. "Because she can't kill you if you already happen to be dead."

At his answer, a look of fear crept into Amarah's grey eyes as she backed away from him even further. "When I suggested you do the deed first I meant it in jest" she told him with a wary gaze. "I never intended for you to actually kill me."

Jaime shot her an annoyed frown over her misinterpretation of his words. "I'm not going to kill you, you silly woman." She relaxed a bit then at his assurance that he wasn't going to shorten her by a head.

"Then what exactly did you mean by that?" she asked quietly.

"I told her you were already dead" Jaime supplied the answer with a careless wave of his hand.

It seemed he had finally managed to shock her with that answer. "You what? And you mean to say she believed you?"

"Sometimes people believe what they want to hear, Princess" Jaime whispered softly as he approached her once more. He was done talking now. His blood was running high, and he wanted to feel her. He remembered her touch on him when he had bared his soul to her that night in the bathhouse. He remembered how it had eased his pain. Perhaps now he could do the same for her.

Once he had finally reached her, Jaime slowly ran his hand up her cool arm before dipping it behind her neck to untie the strings that held her flimsy night dress together. Amarah seemed to have forgotten what they were just discussing as she eyed him in astonishment, but he noticed she made no move to push him away. Emboldened by her reaction, Jaime finished untying the loose knot until one side of the dress slid seductively over her pale shoulder. Fascinated by the entrancing sight, Jaime moved his hand to the soft skin there. As he softly trailed his finger along her collar bone to the edge of her shoulder, he heard her breath start to flutter in short gasps.

"What are you doing?" she finally managed to whisper as she continued to watch his hand.

He took his hand from her shoulder then and moved it to her chin to force her gaze to his. "I recall you paying me a similar favor once when I needed a moment free from pain" he whispered, leaning closer towards her soft mouth until he felt her sweet breath brush softly across his lips. "I would be remiss in neglecting to do the same, and a Lannister always pays his debts."

Was it mean of me to leave y'all hangin' like that? Sorry:) I tried this once before and it worked pretty well, so we'll give it another go. If I can get ten reviews for this chapter, I will post the next one tomorrow morning. Will Amarah let the sexytimes roll? Review and find out:) (Hint: You probably won't be too disappointed) Also, note that next chapter will develop the implications behind that interesting lie Jaime told about Amarah. As always, thanks so much for reading!