It was Harry's idea to go find the wives and invite them horseback riding. Jaime knew that Harry must miss Sansa though Harry hadn't actually said so. They found them in the garden and to Jaime's great surprise Arya was actually sewing. The sisters saw them coming and Sansa looked up, smiling at Harry. Arya only looked curious.
"Harry has an idea." Jaime said to them.
"I was thinking we should go riding. It would at least be something different." Harry said cheerfully.
Sansa glared at her husband.
"I know you hate riding, dear." Harry said to her. "Which is why I was thinking we could share a horse."
Sansa blushed at that suggestion but then nodded in agreement with a small smile.
"Not a bad idea Hardyng. What do say to sharing a horse Arya?" Jaime quipped.
It was Arya's turn to glare at her husband. "I'm not the one who hates riding."
"I know. Riding is so easy for you that you get bored with it." Jaime said. "My way would at least be more interesting."
Arya looked like she was about to refuse but she looked over and saw the way that Sansa was looking at her, as if pleading for her to say yes. "Fine." Arya said with a huff.
Harry didn't want to bring any guards with them on their ride. He insisted that he could guard his own wife just fine on his own. Jaime had no problem with that. In fact, he agreed with the sentiment. So they set out, just the four of them on two horses. It wasn't long before Harry slowed down their horse so that he and Sansa were several lengths behind Jaime and Arya. Arya glanced back at them and then made a disgusted face. Jaime didn't really have to look back to guess what had disgusted her but did so anyway, discreetly. Harry had his arms wrapped around Sansa and was kissing her neck. A mile further down the road and Harry called out to them.
"We're taking this path here!" Harry indicated a side road that he had stopped at. "We'll meet you back at the Castle later."
"Ew." Arya said once they had gone. "Do they think we don't know what they're up to?"
"I don't think they care." Jaime said.
"So now what do we do?" Arya asked.
"The beach is just ahead." Jaime said and saw her redden from her neck into her cheeks.
Jaime helped Arya dismount when they reached the beach. It was difficult for her to do on her own without being able to bend one knee.
"Do you think my knee will ever bend again?" She asked as he set her to the ground.
"I don't know. Maester Gavin said it might not." Jaime told her.
She looked down at the ground sadness filling her eyes. "I can't fight if it doesn't. Water dancing needs flexibility. I need to bend my knee to fight...how will I…?" Arya choked on the words.
"You'll have to learn new ways." Jaime told her gently. "I had to."
"I'll never be as good again." She said, her loss hitting her for the first time.
"At least you're still whole." He said, indicating his golden hand. She said nothing to that so he went on. "Come on, it's warm. might as well get our feet wet."
They removed their boots and stockings and headed towards the water. Arya let them hem of her dress hang into the water as she walked.
"If you let your dress get wet then I'll end up wet during the ride back." Jaime said.
"It's only water." Arya said. "I didn't know knights were afraid of water."
"I'm not afraid of water. I'm just a little surprised at your modesty. I've already seen everything there is to see. The sight of your ankles isn't going to shock me." He told her with a grin.
"No but this will." Arya said and shoved him into the water. He stumbled then fell beneath the waves for only an instant before he was back on his feet again. Arya was laughing but not for long as Jaime grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, dragging her out deeper into the water. She was screaming at him and laughing and demanding to be put down. When Jaime finally did let her go it was to toss her into four feet of water. She was entirely submerged for a moment before finding her feet and standing up. This time it was Jaime who was laughing. A large wave came up behind Arya, the force of it pushed her forward towards Jaime. She allowed him to take her arm and help her back towards shore.
Once they were on dry ground again Arya struggled to walk in her waterlogged black wool dress. "Gods…" She mumbled trying to wring the water from the skirt. "I can't even move anymore."
'Then take it off." Jaime said. "We could hang it to dry in those trees over there."
Arya glared at him. Then something softened in her eyes and she reached for the laces of her dress and began to untie them. She pulled the dress off and was left wearing a thin white shift which was wet enough that it clung to her body and left nothing to the imagination.
"If I'm hanging my dress to dry then you have to do the same with your shirt." She said, making her way towards the tree.
"Deal." He said, amused that Arya was making excuses to see him shirtless. He hung his tunic on a branch near Arya's dress. Then he sat on the ground, his back to the trunk of the tree. Arya was facing away from him gazing at the sea. "Are you going to sit down?"
She moved to sit. He expected she would sit next to him with her back to the tree as well. Instead she stepped in front of him, his legs were sprawled wide enough on the ground that she was able to put her foot there. Once he understood what she was doing he made space for her to sit in front of him, her back against his chest, much like they had been on horseback but somehow more intimate here. He put his arms around her middle and felt her sigh as he did.
"I don't hate you, Jaime." She said.
He didn't know what to say so he bent forward and kissed her lightly on the neck in response. Then he straightened up, not trusting himself to refrain from taking it further if he stayed near her.
"Do that again." Arya said almost breathlessly.
"What?" Jaime couldn't believe what he had just heard. She didn't reply to him. The next thing he knew she was turning to face him, straddling his lap, and her lips were on his. He lost all hesitation then. Her hands were on his chest and his hand was under shift feeling her skin and his tongue was in her mouth. He wasn't really aware of the screams in the distance until Arya was pulling away from him, wide eyed and worried.
"That's Sansa!" Arya said, getting to her feet and grabbing her dress. "Come on we have to help her!"
Jaime grabbed his tunic and headed with Arya to where they had hobbled the horse. They set off in the direction of the screams.
