Gwen did as Jaime had told her. She kept away from him and spent most of her time simply conversing with the Stark girls for the remainder of the journey. She had kept herself quiet and her distance had seemed to spare her from the glares of the Queen. But she did not change her mind. She did not once tell Gwen that she would be able to stay with the girls.

The mood had become sombre as Kings Landing came into view. Gwen had sat on top of her horse, watching Arya and Sansa as their eyes remained fixed ahead. Lord Stark was riding much further on then they were, keeping to himself and clearly focusing on the task at hand.

"You have to remember what I told you," Gwen whispered to the girls as the wall of the city became larger. She leaned further from her horse, one of her hands in front of her as Arya grabbed onto it. "You two have to remember that you are sisters and you need each other. Remember what you have been through but do not give up on each other."

"Gwen...we will talk to father again..." Sansa promised and Gwen shook her head sadly. Sansa's hand rested on Gwen's arm as Arya gripped tightly onto her fingers.

"It does not matter. The King has made his final decision and that is all there is to it," Gwen said to the girls as the wagon drew to a halt. Gwen dropped down from her horse, standing beside the girls as she noted commotion come from within the palace walls. Guards of the King moved out from them, approaching Lord Stark and saying something to him hastily.

Gwen had not noticed that Jaime had left her side or that he had left the congregation instead. She did not know when he had gone but she failed to care. She would be leaving in a short space of time; that was what she knew.

"Gwen," Lord Stark called her and she turned around to look at him. "Have the girls settled in. I shall have someone sent for you later on."

"Yes, Lord Stark," she nodded.

She saw the annoyance which rested on his face. Clearly he was as put out as she was. He did not think it possible that the King could have agreed to such a request. The Queen had been brash in her decision and it had not been a decision which Lord Stark had agreed with. He did wonder why she held such a loathing for Gwen but he had no chance to air his concerns. The King would hear none of it.

"Come on, girls," Gwen said and the Septa dropped down from her seat first, walking away from them along with Jory to their own rooms. Gwen held onto Arya's hand tightly whilst Sansa tried to be strong. She tried not to cry in front of the men who escorted them up to their own chambers within the walls. Gwen walked alongside the girls in the light and airy palace. She could not believe how different it was in contrast to Winterfell. The darkness of Winterfell was depressing in comparison to Kings Landing.

"We will miss you," Sansa spoke as soon as the men had left and the door to their room had been shut. Gwen smiled sadly at them and pushed her hair behind her ears, walking around their room and looking at the decorations there. It was much grander in comparison to their rooms in Winterfell, even though these were simply guest rooms.

"And I shall miss you," Gwen agreed with them. "But you do not know what shall happen in the future. We may meet again. I may come back to you or you may come back to Winterfell. We do not know for certain."

The girls half-heartedly nodded at her and Gwen looked out the window for a moment, the sun still high in the sky and shining down over Kings Landing. She took a second to look out into the distance and then she turned back around to face them. They stood side by side, their eyes never leaving hers and she smiled at them.

"Come along," Gwen urged them. "Do not look so sad over me."

"But we don't want you to go," Arya complained. "What else can we look like?"

"Girls," Gwen whispered, forcing herself to move closer to them. She dropped down slightly and kissed each of them on their cheek before she heard a knock at the door. She stood up and sternly looked back at them. "Remember what I told you." She urged them.

Gwen heard another knock on the door and she rolled her eyes at the impatience of whoever was there. She walked hastily over to it, opening it and seeing the Kingslayer stood before her. Her eyes widened and suspicion instantly took hold of her body as she wondered what he was doing in the Stark's chambers.

"I thought that a man of Lord Stark's was to take me back to Winterfell?"

Jaime instantly took to thinking up a lie as to why he was there. He knew she would not come with him willingly and she was right. A member of the Stark's was to be coming for her.

"I have been asked to take you down to the stable where your horse is waiting," Jaime said to her and he noted Lady Arya and Lady Sansa in the background, their eyes on him and then resting on the blonde hair of Gwen. "You can have a moment to say goodbye. I will permit that considering I have a bit of heart."

Gwen spun on her heel and hugged the girls close to her once again as Jaime watched on. He saw her whisper something to them but he could not tell what it was. She pecked them both on the cheek and then stood tall, her hands holding onto the sides of her cloak as she nodded at Jaime. He knew that the moisture in her eyes was beginning to build and she wanted to leave the girls behind and run from them before she cried openly.

She followed Jaime out of the chambers as Sansa and Arya stood on the same spot, crying on their own and wishing that none of this had happened. If only Gwen had been early that morning. If only she had not conversed with Jaime. Maybe the Queen would not have entered their chambers and looked after the girls herself.

"I need to talk with you," Jaime admitted to her.

"I thought that you were keeping your distance?" Gwen checked and he smirked, shaking his head as they wandered down the empty corridors. He saw her lift her hand upwards, wiping the tears away from her eyes using the back of her hand.

"I need to know that you will not breathe a word of anything once you leave for Winterfell," Jaime said and Gwen chuckled, knowing that he was simply looking out for himself. All he cared of was his dirty secret. Gwen shrugged, knowing that she could tell Lady Stark of the secret. She could tell her of the Queen's traitorous acts.

"You did give me your word," he reminded her and she stopped walking, turning to glare at him for a second, disgust evident in her eyes at what he had said to her.

"You had your hand around my throat and were threatening to kill me," she reminded him. "I was simply pleading for my life."

"And I could do the same action again if it stops you from talking," he warned her with a hiss to his voice. She looked at him and shook her head.

"Your threats do nothing to me now," she assured him. "The Queen is the one has wronged me. She is the one who has managed to get away with everything. Why should see?"

Jaime looked at her and realised the hatred which she held for his sister. He could not help but think of how she was so meek one moment and the next venom filled her. She was contained with rage and it was showing now that she had been parted from the two girls she cared so deeply for. Jaime studied her for a second, wondering what he should do with her.

Cersei really had made his job harder. He could do without her leaving and not being in his sight. He really did have no choice now.

"Did I not tell you what she could do to the ones who you care for?" Jaime wondered and Gwen stepped closer to him, her chin jutted out as her gaze fiercely met his. She refused to back away from him, not giving up on her warning.

"Lord Stark would never allow any harm to come to his daughters. Besides, would there not be talk if they were harmed? There would be full scale war and you know that as well as I do. Even your sister is not foolish enough. Everything that you have said has been to scare me. You have tried to scare me senseless to keep me quiet."

"And it has worked so far, has it not?" he checked with her and she looked at his smugness, nodding in agreement with him. "It really isn't difficult, Gwen. You keep your mouth shut and we can evade war between us. Do you want war?"

"No," Gwen shook her head. "War is not something I want. What I want is for your sister to be knocked from the stool she sits so high upon. She has taken away my livelihood and life is not fair, so why should it be fair for her?"

"Because she is the Queen," Jaime said. "You will do well to remember that, Gwen. You know that if I cannot trust you then I will have to kill you."

"Then kill me," Gwen offered to him. "Because we both know that you cannot trust me. You cannot believe a word that I say so why have you not done it yet? Why have you not cut my head from my body?"

"Perhaps I find it a shame to deprive the Stark boys of the only good looking maid on their staff?" Jaime suggested to her and Gwen shook her head sadly. She wondered if he was ever stumped for words. It certainly seemed not.

"You will never trust me but you cannot kill me. You would have done it by now."

"And he shall."

Gwen jumped as the voice echoed around her and she turned around. Jaime continued to stare over Gwen's shoulder as he saw his sister come into view. Her red gown hugged her body, flowing out behind her whilst her fingers remained laced together. Jaime felt something swell through his body as he saw her and it was not the normal lust. He felt fear at the sight before him. The timid maid and Lannister Lion. Cersei took to stand opposite her, her lips in a tight line and her eyes narrowed.

"How does she know?" Cersei asked her brother yet her eyes never left Gwen's.

And then Jaime did not answer. Apparently he was stumped for answers sometimes. Cersei's gaze snapped upwards and her eyes found her brother's. The ferociousness in them was unmistakeable and Jaime even felt himself falter for a moment.

"She is the one who heard us in the corridor, isn't she?" she checked with her brother. "I thought that you said you had taken care of her?"

"What are you doing down here?" Jaime simply replied to his sister.

"I came to find Sansa," she spoke. "I wish to speak with her of Joffrey. I suppose I am lucky that I stumbled among such an interesting conversation between the pair of you. So, is it true? Is she the one who heard us in the corridor?"

"Yes," Jaime admitted. "But I did not think it right to kill her. Questions would have been asked. She is not simply a handmaiden to the Stark girls but it seems she is valued to them."

"How many times have I told you that is not true?" Cersei snapped at Jaime, her voice venomous. "She is just a maid, dear brother. A maid who you could not kill. Since when did you become so weak?"

"I did not," Jaime denied. "I think logically and killing her would not be in our best interests."

"It is now," Cersei said and looked back to Gwen. "Surely you understand why we must kill you, girl. You cannot speak of this to anyone. Or perhaps we shall simply have your tongue cut off...that would suffice..."

"You cannot threaten me," Gwen spoke to her, shaking her head. She felt her hands shaking as she balled them into fists and placed them sternly against her sides. "I know of what you have done...and then you throw me out. You throw me out and away from Lady Arya and Lady Sansa."

Cersei admitted herself to be confounded at the bravery of the girl and Jaime simply rolled his eyes at her attempt to be brave in front of the Queen. Did the girl have a death wish?

"You dare speak to me in such a tone?" Cersei asked. "I am your Queen."

"I am dead regardless of what I do," Gwen told her. "It makes no difference now to me. And how could I ever class you as my Queen after all you have done?"

Cersei took her decision to step forwards then. Her hand raised and instantly made contact with the maid's cheek. The sound ricocheted off the walls as Gwen's head snapped to the side. The maid instantly held onto her cheek as Cersei bent down, her eyes never leaving Gwen's as she glared at her.

"You insolent girl. You dare speak to me like that? You dare speak to your Queen in such a way? Perhaps death shall be too easy for you? Exile may suit you better...a girl wandering around with nothing...no credit to her name and no one would believe your lies."

Gwen continued to hold onto her cheek, her eyes set anywhere but on the Queen who refused to stop glaring at her. She heard Jaime sigh from behind her.

"Nevertheless she shall be heard," Jaime told his sister. "And if we kill her now then questions shall be asked. Questions with answers which we do not have."

"We let her go then," Cersei told her brother. "We let her go and you escort her and kill her."

"And the second we let her go then she runs to someone and tells them of us," Jaime said and shook his head. "We need to think about this, Cersei."

The Queen stepped back, tossing her hair behind her shoulders and doing as her brother had told her. She thought of what would be the best for the girl before settling on her decision. She looked to Jaime, wondering what he was thinking but she could not tell. He was her brother and she knew him better than most yet she had no idea what he was thinking.

"She refused to pledge allegiance to her Queen," Cersei said and Gwen looked at her again, her hand dropping from her cheek. "She does not see me as Queen. That is an act of treason. It is an act which can have her imprisoned."

"No!" Gwen shrieked loudly. Cersei shook her head at her, silencing her from protesting further. Words would be useless.

"It is your word against mine, you silly girl," Cersei reminded her. "You bumped into me and began yelling of how you could not be dismissed. You yelled of how you would not serve me as Queen and would reject my wishes."

"That is a lie!" Gwen snapped back and Jaime watched the back of Gwen's head. Her blonde hair violently swung around her as her head shook back and forth.

"I will lie if it keeps you silent," Cersei assured her. "And that is what I shall do. No one shall be permitted to visit you and your treason shall carry execution which will be carried out."

"No!" Gwen yelled, moving closer to the Queen. Jaime instantly leapt forwards, grabbing onto Gwen's arm and hauling her back to him, keeping her from lashing out at the Queen.

"You cannot do this!" Gwen yelled, thrashing against Jaime. "I did nothing wrong! I did nothing! It is you who did this!"

"Jaime, keep her quiet and take her to the dungeons. We shall speak later," she said, turning her stare back to the girl one final time. "You really are troublesome. If only you had been granted with status. You may not be in this predicament."

With one final nod at her brother she left the pair of them in the hallway. Jaime turned Gwen in his arms, pushing her tightly against the wall and she gasped loudly at the contact, wondering what he intended to do. She fought against his hold, wanting nothing more than to push him from her body.

"Do not fight me," Jaime urged her, his voice low and soothing. He brought his fingers around her throat and pressed down tightly. Gwen gulped loudly for breath, pleading with him to stop.

"No...please...don't..."

"Stop struggling," he urged her but she ignored him. He took his other hand up to her, her hits against his chest subsiding and not hurting against his armour. He ran it down her cheek, distracting her in a soothing manner. Her eyes followed the trail of his hand as she felt her eyes roll back and that was when Jaime knew that she had succumbed to unconsciousness. He released her, seeing her collapse to the floor in a heap before him.

He pushed his hands over his hair and then scanned the corridor for any sign of life before he bent down, picking her body up and into his arms. He looked down at her for a moment, her hair matted in her face and he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Jaime was no fool. The girl was being sentenced to her death all to keep their secret safe. But it had to be done. She should never have been eavesdropping in the first place. He continued telling that to himself, urging it to make him feel better. He wanted her to know that this was her entire fault. It might make him sleep at night.

"Ser Jaime."

The Kingslayer stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the words of Lord Stark enter his ears. He took leave from his thoughts, glancing across to Eddard as he approached him, his eyes intent on the figure which Jaime held.

"Lord Stark, I thought you had business to take care of, what with being the Hand of the King."

"What have you done to Gwen? My men said she was not with my daughter's and that you had taken her."

"Unfortunately your maid finds herself in a sticky situation," Jaime admitted to the Lord of Winterfell. "She spoke out against the Queen. She lashed out, blaming her for everything and how she could no longer look after your children. Quite the scene."

"And how is she unconscious?"

"I had no choice but to do it. She needed restraining in order to be taken down to the dungeon."

"This does not sound like Gwen," Eddard admitted to Jaime. "She would never do anything like this...she is not foolish enough..."

"Oh, but how well do you truly know your maid? After all, she is simply a girl who is in your employment."

"I know her well enough," Lord Stark responded. "I'll take her to the dungeons and will talk to her as soon as she regains consciousness."

"Afraid not," Jaime said, stepping back and holding Gwen tighter to him, her head drooping downwards as he shifted her in his hold. "The Queen has ordered me to take her and she is to have no visitors."

"Why?"

"I do not know," Jaime lied. "Why do you not take it up with the Queen?"

"I'll do one better," Eddard responded. "I'll talk to the King."

"You do that, Stark," Jaime said curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to be taking her to the dungeon."

Lord Stark had no choice but to stand aside and allow Jaime to pass him with Gwen still in his hold. Balling his hands into fists he moved away, intent on finding the King and speaking of the madness which was happening.

Jaime walked hastily to the dungeon, his feet hitting the ground quicker than normal. He soon found himself in the dirty dungeon, ordering for a cell to be opened up. The room was dark and the smell vile. There were no other prisoners there yet Gwen was placed in the cell furthest away. The guard opened the door and Jaime stepped in, noting the hay on the stone floor and he rested her down where there was the most of it, comforting her body slightly.

"My Lord, I need to shut it if we are to keep the prisoner in," the guard informed Jaime as the knight stood there, his eyes intent on her as she breathed lightly.

He turned his head back to the guard and arched a brow.

"She is currently unconscious, a prisoner at her Queen's request and she has me the blocking the door. Tell me, if she were to wake up and charge at me, do you think she would escape?" Jaime asked and the guard simply shook his head in response to the question.

"Right answer," Jaime informed him with a small sneer. "Now leave us be. I shall take watch here."

"But it is my duty, Ser Jaime."

"And I am your superior. I tell you what your duty is." Jaime concluded. "Now leave here."

The guard scurried away and Jaime kept his place in the cell. He leant against the metal bars which kept the prisoner in the cell and watched her intently, knowing that she would wake up soon enough. He had done no lasting damage to her.

Surely enough it took a matter of moments for her to start moaning, her eyes slowly opening and then the panic became apparent. The darkness of the room scared her and she sat up, her hands searching behind her and resting on the cold floor.

"You are alright."

She found the source of the voice and saw him stood there, leaning against the bars as if he had not a care in the world. And she supposed he didn't. He was going to have her killed and she knew his secret would be kept then.

"How am I alright?" Gwen wondered, running a hand down her hair and remaining on the floor in the cold room. She drew her knees up to her and wrapped her arms around them, her head aching as Jaime watched her. "She's going to have me killed all because she overheard you talking to me...all of this mess has come from people hearing things which they shouldn't..."

Jaime continued to watch her, seeing the fear in her eyes as she looked around the darkened room, panic coming through her. Jaime doubted she had ever been in such a place. Even he had to admit that he disliked the dungeon. It held no charm.

"You should never have been there that night."

"And you should never have slept with your sister," Gwen spat, a tear rolling down her eye as she realised there was nothing more. She had nowhere left to run. She had no one to rely on. "But you did. But it is not you who is paying the price, is it? It is me who is suffering for your secret...and I never told anyone...I kept my mouth shut...but then your sister ruined my life and I wanted revenge. I wanted revenge but I never got it. I get to spend my last days in this place."

"I shall see to it that you are well treated," he simply said. "You know...fine foods that you've never had before..."

"Is everything a joke to you?" Gwen snapped and Jaime looked at her, the smug look gone from his face. "I'm going to lose my life and all you can do is joke. You disgust me."

He said nothing as he saw her shake her head, her eyes blinking and she pushed another hand through her hair again.

"Not once did I wrong your sister," Gwen whispered. "Not once did I threaten her with the secret...I threatened you...but not her...nothing..."

"It matters not. She is the Queen. She does not need a reason for her actions," Jaime told her, his voice quieter and more serious.

"And so she can act so unfairly," Gwen concluded. "Just leave me alone, Ser Jaime...nothing you say can make this any better..."

"You know that I cannot do anything," Jaime told her, folding his arms and looking at her. "I cannot go against the word of the Queen."

"But you will do nothing to try and change her mind, will you? You will not try and help me."

"And why should I?" Jaime asked her, his brows arching. He studied her for a moment and shook his head sadly, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. "Do you think I am compassionate?"

"I thought that you knew what was right from wrong," Gwen muttered. "But you don't...you know nothing and I know that I was foolish to think anything otherwise."

Gwen said nothing, wondering if her words had any effect on him. But he simply looked at her, lost once again for a response.

He left the cell, closing the doors and watching her small figure in the small space. She didn't move. She remained where she was and her eyes never left his form. He locked the door and she winced the screeching sound. Jaime noted her actions and he opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to say something. But he pushed his lips together again and turned away, leaving her in her own silence and wondering what he would do.

...

A/N: Genuine dilemma she finds herself in! So, I'm back at university and had a double chance to update. Anyway, I do hope you will review and let me know what you think will happen! It does mean a lot to me so thanks to anyone who has even read this far!