Chapter 1
Jaime Lannister paced about his room in the Red Keep. He heard the reports from the Trident and was greatly dismayed. While he hated Aerys Targaryen, he had loved Rhaegar and was greatly saddened at hearing of his death. He didn't know what he should do now, the one who should be king was dead and now they were stuck with either having a madman, or a whoring drunkard as king. He made up his mind and started readying himself for his task when he started to feel an overwhelming pain form in his head. Jaime fell to the floor holding his head and tried desperately not to scream. As quick as it began the pain suddenly stopped, and the Jaime on the floor was not the same as what was just there. While his looks were identical this man carried himself in a much more controlled and dignified way.
He looked around the small room and reacquainted himself with the sight. He found a mirror beside the bed and held it up to see his face. They really did it. They sent us back. Finally putting the mirror down, he reached for his sword. It seems that I have received my gift already. He ran his hand over the patterns in the steel; it still amazed him how beautiful Valyrian Steel was. He put the sword away and remembered the plan. First kill Aerys and the pyromancers, then take Rhaenys and Elia to the docks and board a ship to Dragonstone. Gather Rhaella and Viserys go to Braavos and wait for Stark to send word. With the plan firmly set in his mind he made his way out of his room toward the king's chambers.
Through the keep he went dodging various servants and guards wandering around the castle. It would not do for him to be caught this early into his mission. As he reached the door to the king's room he knocked.
"What is it?" Came the call through the door.
"Your Grace, a raven just arrived stating my father will be here to reinforce the city by morning." Jaime said.
The door opened revealing an extremely disheveled Aerys. "Lies, Lies I say." Aerys shook his head. "Your father is coming to kill me, you have to stop him." Aerys grew more agitated as he spoke. He started to mutter under his breath about burning his enemies and dragons. His eyes finally focused as the narrowed-on Jaime's face. "You will ride out to meet your father and take his head and bring it to me."
Jaime shook his head. "You are asking me to kill my own father?"
Aerys smiled. "Yes, and as proof of loyalty you will have his head at my feet before his army reaches our gates." Aerys drew closer to Jaime as he said. "For if you don't I will have you burned alive."
Jaime didn't waste any time as the king was now in his reach. He grabbed the kings head and slammed it against the door, he pushed him back into his room. As the king tried to scurry away; Jaime grabbed his hair, tilted his head back, and slit his throat. He looked down at the body as the lifeblood was slipping away. He gave a small bow and said. "Your Grace."
He found Wisdom Rossart easily enough and as he approached the man he stuck a dagger into his heart and ran away. After leaving the hand he rushed to Maegor's Holdfast, he reached Elia's room and knocked quickly on the door. After a few moments the door opened and Jaime rushed inside. "Pack your things and grab Rhaenys and Aegon, we must leave quickly." He paced as Elia just continued to stare at him with a confused expression. "I don't have time to explain it all, but we must hurry. My father marches toward the city, with Rhaegar dead he will now support Robert. What do you think he will do to you, Rhaenys, and Aegon if you are still here when he arrives?"
Elia was spurred into action and in a few moments they were ready to depart. Right before they were about to exit there was a soft knock on the door. Jaime positioned himself ready to attack as he slowly opened the door revealing Varys. He grabbed the man and pulled him inside the door and bolted it shut.
Varys tittered quietly before saying. "My, my Ser Jaime you have been busy this evening, haven't you?" He tilted his head as he took in Elia and the children. "First you kill your king, his hand, and now you are secreting the heir of the Iron throne away. You can see why I might find this a might contradictory."
Jaime smirked. "What can I say; I like to have a little excitement in life."
Varys frowned. "Be serious Ser, what are your intentions?" He stared at the kingsguard. "Tell me why I shouldn't call the guards, and have you arrested for treason."
Jaime looked from Varys to Elia and after a few moments answered. "My intentions are to take Elia and the children to Dragonstone, somehow convince the queen to leave and make for one of the free cities." He didn't tell Varys about Braavos because he wasn't sure he could be trusted. "You know my father, you know what he will do to achieve his goals" He ran his hand through his long golden hair. "I killed Aerys, because he was a mad tyrant that was trying to blow up a city. Check the catacombs and see for yourself, the stores of wildfire there waiting for Aerys word to ignite. So, it seems to me Varys, whether you will let a mother and her children die or let us be on our way."
Varys stared at him as if he was trying to find the lie in that statement. "Very well Ser Jaime I shall lead you away through the secret passages." He turned and walked to a bookshelf and activated some mechanism as it moved aside. He gestured to the others to follow him. "So, what will you do once in the free cities Ser Jaime? Will you begin preparing Aegon to do like he namesake and conquer Westeros. The throne is his birth-right after all."
"Come now, we both know that Aegon isn't really a Targaryen. I do wonder where you found him for Rhaegar though." Jaime smirked as he saw Varys jump in shock. He frowned though as his thoughts drifted to Robert. "Robert Baratheon will be a terrible king, you know it as well as I do." He studied Varys as they made their way deeper into the tunnels. "Tell me something. Who do you serve Varys?"
"I serve the realm as I always have."
"That is all well and good, and if true, a noble sentiment. Keep serving the realm and hopefully in the not too distant future the realm will have the king it needs." After that Jaime moved back took Rhaenys from her mother and walked the rest of the way to the docks in silence.
They boarded the ship that Varys had procured for them and as they were preparing to cast off Varys called out. "I look forward to our next meeting Ser, though it surprises me that I do. Usually sword wielding buffoons are what I despise most."
Jaime smiled. "Then you shall love, good king Robert for he is exactly that, though maybe hammer wielders are more suited to your tastes." The ship started to move before Varys could respond and Jaime carried a tired Rhaenys to her quarters. He was tucking Rhaenys into her bed when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to look and saw a relieved Elia standing there.
"Jaime how did you know Aegon was a fake? Rhaegar promised it would be kept a secret, did he tell you?"
He wracked his brain his brain trying to think of what to say. "No, he told me nothing. I just knew I can't tell you how I just did." He turned to leave and said. "You should get some rest, today proved to be a long one and tomorrow might as well." He made his way to the deck of the ship, his mind focusing solely on the trials ahead. He knew that saving more people was the right thing to do, but he couldn't shake the terror that gripped him as he thought about facing the army of the dead again. He went over the plans again and again until he fell asleep on the deck.
Jaime was shook awake by one of the sailors the morning following their escape from Kings Landing. As he slowly regained his bearings; he saw the towers of Dragonstone starting to peak over the horizon. He went below deck to wake Elia, and help her with the children. They waited another hour before the ship docked, and they disembarked to a small welcoming party that included the Queen.
Queen Rhaella rushed forward and brought Elia and Rhaenys into a tight embrace. She then turned her attention to Jaime. "Ser Jaime, why are you here? Are you not supposed to be protecting the king?"
Jaime was about to respond when Elia answered for him. "We should wait for privacy before having this conversation." Jaime nodded and escorted the party up the long stairs and into the castle. They made their way into the war room, and Jaime began his story. He told the queen of how her husband and his hand were planning on igniting King's Landing with the wildfire stored under the city. He explained how he killed them both and then went to help Elia flee the city. After his tale was finished he finally looked at Rhaella, and instead of anger he saw pride on her face.
"Aerys is really dead?" Rhaella asked her voice brimming with hope.
Jaime nodded his head. He almost missed the transformation the queen went under. Gone were the meek septa that the realm knew her to be, in her placed stood a strong proud woman who held her head high. "Rhaegar dead, Aerys dead, and Aegon a fake I guess we must crown Viserys." She turned to call the Maester when Jaime stopped her.
"No, Your Grace, there might be another. Rhaegar's second wife Lyanna is pregnant"
Rhaella pursed her lips in thought. "They were married?" She gazed back and forth between Jaime and Elia. "Did you know about this, Elia?"
Elia nodded her head. "Yes I was the one who pushed the together once he told me what he found while searching for the Knight of the Laughing Tree." She told Rhaella how Rhaegar had come to her and spoke of Lyanna's courage and brashness. She explained that it was her idea to crown Lyanna, and how a romance started with letters and small gifts. She finally got to the so called abduction; she explained how both Lyanna and Rhaegar talked to the young man fostering with Hoster Tully, and his promise to tell Brandon Stark that she was running away so as not to marry Baratheon. She finished her story as Rhaenys burst into the room searching for food.
Rhaella called for lunch and once the servants left. "Where is she, because if she is carrying my grandchild we must retrieve her now?"
Jaime rolled his neck trying to relieve the stress that had been building since returning to this time. "She is in a tower in Dorne, she is safe for now and should soon be reunited with her brother, Lord Stark."
Rhaella looked curiously at Jaime. "And how have you come by this information, better yet how did you know about Rhaegar's and Lyanna's marriage?"
Jaime coughed nervously. "You will not believe me if I told you." He looked between the two women who stared at him with eyes trying to get every secret out of him. So he broke, he told them about his past life and all that happened. When he finished his tale lunch had finally arrived. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed the wine pitcher and quickly filled his goblet. The women were giving him strange looks as they ate, neither said a word to him but quietly conversed amongst themselves. He was grateful as it gave him a chance to clear his mind, once everyone had eaten their fill and the table cleaned of dishes Rhaella finally spoke.
"Your story is quite unbelievable, so unbelievable that it makes me want to believe it is true. If your story is true then my daughter by law and granddaughter were killed last time, and Robert did nothing to punish those responsible. My grandson lost his mother in childbirth, and was raised by his uncle as a bastard to protect him. Eventually joining the Night's Watch, fighting all manner of things, then he is murdered by his men, but raised up again by a priestess of R'hllor. I die during childbirth and my children are taken by Ser Derry to Braavos and eventually find themselves living as beggars once he dies." She paused as she tried to strangle the cry that came from her throat. "Viserys apparently inherited his father's madness, and sold his sister to a dothraki horse lord for an army. He never gets his army but instead is killed by my daughter's husband. My daughter hatches dragons, frees slaves, and then brings an army to take back the throne" Rhaella stood up and started pacing across the room." She meets her nephew who is now King of the North, they fall in love, fight white walkers, and your sister, and then they rule this Kingdom for fifty peaceful years. After all of that the gods sent you back so you can save more people who needn't die in foolish wars or from the hunger and cold the white walkers bring. Do I have all of it correct?"
Jaime ducked his head. "I know it seems crazy but it is the truth. You know me I don't have the imagination to make this up."
"I don't want to believe it Ser Jaime, but as you said I don't think you could have thought this up." Rhaella sat back down in her chair. "Say I do believe you what do we do now?"
"The plan was for us to go to Braavos, once Lord Stark has returned north and addressed his lords, he will send a ship to pick us up. Once we arrive at Winterfell we begin our plans to take back the throne." Jaime stood up and gestured at the painted table. "Westeros must be united if we are to beat the White Walkers without being decimated."
Rhaella glanced at Elia, and then Rhaenys and gave a short nod to Jaime. "Fine we sail for Braavos before the week is out."
