"Gwen," Jaime spoke her name as the boat finally hit the shore one more time. Jaime had been staring at Gwen for the past couple of moments as she looked at the water in the river. Gwen had been contemplating the trip to Kings Landing and wondering how tough it would be. She hadn't thought about it when she had agreed to go along. She wondered what would have happened if she had managed to keep Beren. Where would she be then? Would she still be in Winterfell instead of walking to Kings Landing?

Jaime rolled his eyes as he realised she was completely in her own world, ignoring everyone else. Her face was pale and her eyes wide as Jaime leant forwards, pressing his hand onto her knee and she instantly snapped her head up and looked at him.

"Hm?" Gwen wondered from him and he studied her for a moment. "What did you want?"

"We're moving again," Jaime told her and she looked to the sky which was covered in clouds. It was turning cold in the air and Gwen had begun to shiver. Jaime stood up as Brienne took hold of his chain and hauled him from the boat. He turned to look at her for a moment, glaring at her as Gwen tried to stand up.

"Could you wait for one moment, wench?" Jaime wondered from Brienne, his voice a hiss as he offered Gwen his hand. She looked at him with hesitance and Jaime made a tut noise.

"It is a hand, Gwen," Jaime told her. "I am not asking for your hand in marriage."

Gwen said nothing as she laced her fingers through his and the wind rustled through her cloak as Jaime placed his hands onto her waist, picking her up from the boat and placing her back on the ground.

"Are you safe to walk, my Lady?" Brienne checked with Gwen and she nodded, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears quickly and looking down at the leaves which rustled on the floor. Brienne dragged Jaime back to her as the Kingslayer removed his gaze from Gwen and she pushed him forwards.

"Walk," she demanded and Gwen limped behind them, trying not to fall over the pebbled land they had come to. She listened on as Jaime continued to taunt Brienne, asking her questions about personal matters and Gwen said nothing. She heard him as he told her that he was strong enough to pin her down and make love to her. Gwen snorted at hearing that, earning a glare from Jaime as he turned back to look at her.

She stumbled onto the path and looked around before her eyes settled on the sight hanging from the trees. She screamed once and Brienne and Jaime both rolled their eyes at her squeamishness.

"No doubt they served the lions before they died." Jaime declared as Gwen continued to look at them and managed to move slowly to stand by Jaime's side. "My father's men must have found them. Tavern girls no doubt."

"It's...Gods...it's disgusting," Gwen spoke, bowing her head and looking away from the sight of their limp bodies.

"What are you doing?" Jaime snapped as Brienne dragged him against a tree, pushing his body against it and securing him there. Gwen watched on as Jaime looked at Brienne with confusion.

"What are you doing?" he repeated once more.

"They deserve respect," Brienne said.

"We shouldn't stay here. We need to keep travelling. I am sure they would understand."

Brienne turned around and left Jaime tied to the tree before glancing at Gwen.

"Have a moment to rest, my Lady," she instructed Gwen as she looked back to the bodies and Gwen nodded once, moving to rest by Jaime's side, her back against the tree and taking away some of her weight.

"She has only walked from the boat," Jaime complained and he looked back to it as Gwen's gaze settled on him, her glare silencing him from saying anything further. He rolled his eyes quickly and mumbled under his breath, complaining about how they should keep moving.

"Untie me from the tree," he demanded Gwen and she shook her head.

"Not until Lady Brienne says I can," she said and Jaime glared at her.

"Since when did you follow her orders?"

"I don't," Gwen said. "I just know that she could kill me quite easily if I did anything wrong."

Gwen looked past Jaime's body and to the side as they heard mutters approaching them and Jaime instantly felt his spine stiffen as he looked back to Brienne who had her eyes set on the approaching men.

"Untie me," Jaime demanded her. But she did nothing. She took to stand in the middle of the road as the men finally came into view and Jaime grunted under his breath. Gwen watched as the men came to a standstill, their eyes narrowing and their faces scrunching up in confusion as they looked at Brienne.

"What's your business here?" they demanded.

"Travelling the prisoners," she declared and it took Gwen a moment to realise she had mentioned prisoners instead of prisoner. Jaime moved then, his hand slowly working its way out from the sleeve of the cloak he wore and grabbing onto Gwen's wrist. The men doubled over laughing whilst Gwen turned to look at Jaime, her blue gaze looking into his green one. His eyes told her to remain silent as he directed her hand to rest on his arm. Her fingers instantly wrapped around his cool skin as he hid the contact with his cloak, making it look as if they were chained together by one hand.

"You're a woman?" a man checked with Brienne before looking to Gwen. "No offence...but that is a woman..." he said and pointed at her as her fingers dug further into Jaime's skin and he watched Brienne intently, wondering what she was going to do to get them out of the mess they found themselves in.

Gwen's look was one of sympathy as Brienne's eyes found the ground and she could only imagine how she felt. She was openly being mocked and taunted for her appearance and Gwen wished nothing more than for Brienne to take it upon herself to silence the men.

"If you're quite finished..." she said quickly but they continued laughing. "Alright then, we'll be on our way."

Brienne moved back to Jaime, untying him from the chain as Gwen kept her hand hidden his arm, her body tight against his side as he squeezed his arm around her hand.

"Who do you fight for?" the men decided to ask as Brienne worked on the chains.

"The Starks," she declared.

"What did they do?" one of them asked and Jaime looked to Brienne, his face emotionless as he wondered what her next plan would be. She said nothing to them and Jaime took it upon himself to speak, turning his head to look at the men.

"Apparently eating is now a crime, who knew?" he declared, his voice gruffer and deeper than normal as he kept his head bowed to the floor.

"No," Brienne spoke, "stealing is a crime. And a maid stealing from the Tully's to keep you both alive, is a crime."

"So it's not a crime to starve? That's justice for you," Jaime grunted out.

"Where are you taking him?"

"Riverrun," she answered without a moment of hesitation.

"Why Riverrun?"

"You steal from the Tully's it is their dungeons you rot in," Brienne declared and finally loosened the chains, the force of it almost pushing Gwen from Jaime. She managed to hold onto him, doing her best to keep their entwined bodies hidden behind cloaks and from the men's eyes.

"Why not kill them?"

"Don't be silly," the other man answered. "Kill the man but why kill the girl? She could be enjoyed in ways I bet he never dreamed of enjoying her," he said and turned to look at Jaime and Gwen inwardly winced at the suggestion.

"I don't give the orders," Brienne said.

"And all we did was steal a pig," Jaime snapped back at them, shaking his head in disgust.

"They must be important to someone," Brienne declared.

"Sending him with you how important can he be?" they chuckled at her and their suspicions rose at the story. "Besides, why don't you leave the maid with us? I am sure we can take care of her for you...just like we did these beauties. What do you think to them?"

Jaime turned to look at the men, glaring at them as Gwen shuddered and looked up to the bodies hanging from the trees. Jaime knew Gwen wasn't cut out for this. These men would be no problem for him if he had his sword. And he was sure Brienne could take them on. His nerves were calm yet he knew the girl next to him was panicked. He could tell she was hyperventilating.

"I hope you gave them quick deaths," Brienne said, pushing the pair of them forwards.

"Two of them we did," the man smirked and Brienne looked at them in disgust, pushing Jaime and Gwen forwards and back to the river.

"Wait!"

They stopped walking and Jaime sighed, knowing that this could be it for escaping without a battle.

The man moved closer towards them and finally stopped as Jaime turned his head to the side.

"I do know you. That's Jaime Lannister," he said, pointing to the Kingslayer as the leaves rustled on the floor in the wind. Jaime shook his head, a cocky smirk on his face as he looked from side to side.

"I wish someone had told me," he declared. "We wouldn't have had to steal that pig."

"If this was the Kingslayer then I think I'd know about it," Brienne said.

"And how do you know what the Kingslayer looks like?" one man asked the other one who glared back at him.

"I was at Whispering Wood!" he exclaimed back. "I saw him. He was dragged out the woods and they threw him down before the King...and she...she was there...with Lady Stark! She's been looking after him all this time."

"He is not the Kingslayer and she is none of your concern," Brienne said. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Brienne pushed them forwards once more before the men moved quickly. The one who had accused them of being at the Stark camp stepped closer as he saw Gwen's grip fall from Jaime's arm and noted she wasn't tied to him. He grabbed onto her and she shrieked whilst Jaime watched as the man's hands wrapped themselves around Gwen's waist, drawing her tight against his chest as he placed a dagger to her throat.

"Let her go," Brienne demanded.

"There's a simple way to solve this," the one in charge told them. "You say his name on the count of three and we let you go...if not then she is the fourth one to the collection above us."

Gwen whimpered as he pressed the knife tighter against her throat and Jaime looked at Gwen before looking at Brienne, knowing held on his face as Brienne drew her sword. The man holding Gwen panicked, pushing her from his hold as he drew his own sword and Gwen fell to the ground. She moved to the side quickly, crawling on her hands and knees.

Jaime also moved from the scene as Brienne pushed him away and he saw Gwen being tossed to one side. He moved over to her, his hand on her back as she fell onto her bottom and Jaime looked at her as the final man fell to the floor.

"Are you safe?" he checked and Gwen nodded at him, her breathing deep and her cheeks flushed red. Her eyes were filled with moisture as Jaime nodded at her and then turned to look at the sight which Brienne had caused.

Her sword was still stuck in one of the man's midriff and Gwen felt her throat clench at the repulsive sight. She did nothing for a moment as Jaime remained sat next to her, his hand resting on her back and his thumb moving in circles against her blue gown.

"They were Stark's men," Jaime informed her.

"I don't serve the Starks." Brienne snapped back and cut the women down as Jaime took to his feet once more. Gwen also hauled herself to her feet and rested against the tree as Brienne tidied the bodies away.

"Well...that was close..." Jaime commented and took a deep breath. He smirked lightly at Gwen who was leant against the tree with closed eyes. He watched her and shook his head, knowing full well that she should not be with them.

...

"Make sure he doesn't escape," Brienne snapped at Gwen later on in the evening as she tied Jaime to a tree. "I'm going to find some wood for a fire."

"Where am I going to go?" Jaime snapped. "I'm tied to a tree."

"I'll make sure," Gwen promised her and sank to the ground after a full day of travelling. She sat across from Jaime as Brienne strode away from them and headed deeper into the woods. They had moved from the main road after Brienne had stated that they would need to spend the night resting. Gwen admitted that she had been thankful for the decision. Her leg was hurting her and in the end she didn't even protest when Jaime had insisted on carrying her for the journey.

"I take it you have never had a dagger pressed to your throat," Jaime declared and Gwen looked at him, her hands instantly pulling her skirt out around her body as she hugged herself tightly to her cloak. She stared at him and he continued to speak, one of his legs bent with his arms dangling over the kneecap.

"No, of course you haven't," Jaime spoke. "You're a sheltered maid. You've never been in danger. It does make me wonder why you came. You should have known that the journey would not be an easy one. Maybe you should turn around and go back."

"I can't," Gwen said quickly. "I cannot go back."

"Yes you can," Jaime said. "You stand up and turn around. You go back to Lord Robb's camp and plead for him to spare you from punishment for helping me escape."

"And leave Lady Sansa and Lady Arya?" Gwen checked. "There is no honour in running back."

"There is no honour in dying either."

"I won't die."

"You came close today," Jaime reminded her and she played with a crease in her skirt with her fingers.

"It won't happen again," she said confidently and Jaime shook his head whilst she looked back across to him in the darkness. "I didn't...I didn't know how hard it would be," she admitted to him. "I didn't think and I know that I am not cut out for this..."

"You're not," Jaime agreed with her harshly. "You'll find no pity from me, Gwen. You'll find no pity from anyone. This is a time of war and pity is not something which anyone holds."

Her watering eyes found his harsh green ones and she knew he was right. She couldn't act like this.

"If you are to keep coming with us then you cannot swoon every time there is a threat. You cannot cry about everything. Bad things happen and they may happen to you," Jaime reminded her. "And if you cannot handle that then you should leave. You should leave now and go back to the camp and back to Lady Stark."

Gwen said nothing as she rested some of her weight on her palm which rested on the dried mud on the ground. She looked to the floor and nodded once at Jaime's words.

"You're right."

"I normally am."

"I have been sheltered." She agreed. "I've never truly known pain and the only time I felt it was when...well...Beren..." she trailed off and Jaime had to think who Beren was. He deduced it would be the man who had almost raped her.

"A man does not deserve to have the power to make a woman feel pain in such a way," Jaime declared. "He should never take her against her will. You should forget about him and wipe him from your mind."

Gwen chuckled at hearing that, her free hand pushing through her curls as Jaime gulped once, his throat dry.

"You cannot help who you fall for," she told him.

"No...you cannot..." he reluctantly agreed. "Do you have any water?"

Gwen nodded and moved to grab the water which Brienne had left her. She had brought her own leather drinks pouch and filled it in the river. Gwen took it over to Jaime and handed it to him. He took it from her as she knelt by his side, waiting for a quick drink when he'd had his fill.

"So if you cannot choose you fall for," Jaime said after a moment of contemplation. He held the water over his knee as he turned his head against the tree to look at Gwen. "Then I cannot help that I fell for Cersei."

Gwen shrugged, not too sure if that rule applied to him. It was made worse because she was his sister. She was his sister who he had fallen for. Gwen was unsure what to think about that.

"Do you truly love her?" Gwen wondered from him and he looked into her gaze for a moment, her eyes cast down to look at her lap. "I mean...is it that love where you would do anything for her? You miss her every second you're parted?"

"Does that love exist?" Jaime asked. "I thought it was only meant for stories told to children before they realise they have to marry for politics or money."

"I think it exists."

"Then you are a foolish romantic," Jaime told her and he shook his head. "I love Cersei. She and I are...we both understand each other in ways that no one else can...we were destined to be together."

"Even though she is your sister?" Gwen whispered to him and he shrugged.

"It means nothing," he said. "I consider it irrelevant. If you love someone then you love someone. You cannot help that and you know that as well as I do."

Gwen said nothing as he passed her the water and she drank it quickly, allowing it to slide down her throat and provide her mouth with moisture once more.

"And does she love you?" Gwen wondered from Jaime. "I thought that Beren loved me...he said that he did..."

"Are you implying my sister whores around with other men?"

"I am not implying anything," Gwen snapped back at Jaime. "I am just wondering how you know if someone loves you. How do you truly know? Is it possible to know?"

"It is possible," Jaime nodded at her. "I am sure Cersei loves me. Anyway...why are we talking about this? It is hardly a fascinating topic."

"I disagree."

"You always do," Jaime muttered and looked around the trees, wanting to do nothing more than move on from the topic of love. He didn't consider it appropriate when they were in the middle of a war. "Where is that wench, anyway? I'm freezing my-"

"-Don't finish that sentence," Gwen urged him and he smirked at her prudish behaviour. She was smirking back at him, a small moment of calm between the pair of them. "Lady Brienne will be back soon. You're not the only one freezing."

"We could share body heat?" he suggested ludicrously and Gwen arched a brow at him, an unimpressed look on his face.

"Considering you are so love with your sister I am shocked you would even suggest something."

"I did not mean to remove clothing, Gwen," Jaime responded, the mischievous glint in his eye.

"Of course not," Gwen whispered, unable to believe anything which he said. But she did move. She slowly leant her back against the tree trunk, her arm brushing against his as she placed her hands into her lap and he watched her.

"When did you meet Beren?" he wondered and she closed her eyes.

"I didn't think you were going to talk about it," she replied.

"You were the one to bring him up," Jaime reminded her. "So, when did you meet him?"

She took a deep breath, entwining her fingers together and then flexing them, too intrigued in doing that to look at Jaime.

"It was after my seventeenth name day," she spoke. "He worked in the village...he was a farm boy."

"And how old was he?"

"He was twenty," Gwen replied. "He said that he'd seen me occasionally. I used to go to into the village and buy threads to help fix up Lady Sansa's dresses. We spent time together whenever we could. His father would often be out...he liked to drink...and so I stayed in his home until the next morning. He'd walk me back to the castle and then go find his father in an alley or stables."

Jaime saw how a small smile found its way onto her face and he allowed both of his legs to rest in front of him, discomfort of constantly being bound finding its way to him.

"And then you found him in a brothel," Jaime concluded and she shrugged.

"After a year," she whispered. "I didn't think he was like that. I never thought he could...I thought that if you loved someone then that was it...I thought it was the honourable thing to do."

"No one is honourable anymore," Jaime reminded her.

"You said that you've only been with your sister."

"I also pushed a boy from a window," Jaime reminded her. "One honourable thing does not make up for a dishonourable act. No one is as perfect as they seem."

"I suppose so," Gwen whispered and her eyes looked to the canopies of the trees and Jaime followed her gaze, searching the green leaves himself after a couple of moments.

"There was one time," Jaime spoke after clearing his throat, "whilst I was in the Kingsguard with the Mad King...it was then when I realised how truly vicious men could be."

"What happened?" Gwen whispered.

"I stood guard outside of Queen Rhaella's bedchamber...we were to look after her and protect her. We stood there, me and Jon Darry, I believe. The night was long and dull until Aerys showed himself. He came walking in, pushing past us without a moment's thought. We did nothing. We stood and listened intently. It took all of twenty seconds before we heard the first scream."

Gwen said nothing as she watched Jaime stare into the moonlight, his pale face illuminating further and she unknowingly moved her body closer to his, her arm now resting against his.

"The King hurt her in ways I had never known possible as a young man. He laughed as she screamed. He raped her repeatedly. All the while we stood there and listened...eventually I knew that I couldn't stand it anymore. I had never been raised in a way that it was right to treat women in such a manner. I thought of Cersei...the thought of anyone doing that to her...it made me...well...let's just say it didn't bode well with me," Jaime trailed off. "I tried to persuade Darry to come in with me and protect the Queen. He would not let me do it. We stood there until the early hours listening to the Queen's cries."

Jaime turned to look at Gwen, seeing how she had turned mute, words escaping her from the story he had spoken.

"The next day she came out and she acted as if nothing had happened. Not once did she acknowledge the fact that her husband had ravished her in the most brutal manner known to man." Jaime whispered and Gwen's dry lips parted as she finally whispered to Jaime.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because things happen, Gwen. Bad things happen and I do not doubt that you will see such things. I saw you today as the wench killed that man. You need to be strong. You need to cope like the Queen did."

"I am no Queen," Gwen whispered, her blood turning cold.

"No, you are not," Jaime assured her. "You are a young woman who has never seen any horrors. But you will do. This is war time and you must be strong, Gwen. I am warning you...there is only one way for you to be strong and you have to disassociate yourself from it by going away inside."

"How?" Gwen replied. "How can you be so...so...unattached?"

"It is something I have learnt from a young age, Gwen," Jaime whispered. "It is something which has kept me sane when other men have gone crazy."

Jaime looked at her, his head turning and meeting her stare. She was mere inches away from him and he knew he had scared her for the evening. Even the retelling of the tale made Jaime nervous. It was one night he truly wanted to forget about. Shaking his head he moved his chained hands and allowed one of them to pick up Gwen's hand and hold it tightly.

She looked down at it, wondering what he was doing. Truth be known, Jaime didn't completely understand why he had completed the sudden action. Why was he showing sympathy towards the girl? Why was he acting so kindly?

He didn't know. All he knew was that her touch had managed to bring him slight comfort in the days during his capture. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the tree and taking a deep breath.

"Get some sleep," he urged her. "It will be morning before that wench comes back with any firewood."

Gwen looked at him and sighed, closing her eyes and resting her head against the tree, sleeping coming quicker to her than she had initially thought. Jaime simply remained awake, his eyes shut until he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He looked down onto the nestled golden curls there as he dropped his hand from hers and rested it back on his lap. He took a deep breath and waited for the wench to return, deciding to leave Gwen where she was.

...

A/N: So, two chapters in one day! I hope the updates aren't coming too quickly! Thank you to Zamya and Miss. Lori. MacManus for reviewing today already! Do let me know what you all think!