"Hoat says that we reach Harrenhal this afternoon," Gwen informed Jaime when she returned after going to the lake. She had filled the flask up with water whilst Hoat did the same. He had told her that she should be lucky. Bolton may take pity on her and leave her alone for one night. She handed Jaime the water and he looked up to her.

"How do you know?"

"Hoat told me," Gwen admitted. "He was by the lake and he said I may be lucky to spend one night on my own in a bed."

"He could be right," Jaime whispered to her before he pushed himself to stand up. Gwen reached down, helping him as he remained silent, not once protesting as she allowed him to wrap his good arm around her shoulders.

"And would you look at this, boys," Hoat called out as Gwen helped him limp forwards. Brienne looked, wondering if she could manage on her own. She stayed in front, ready to protect the pair of them if anything were to threaten them. Gwen glared on as the men laughed at Jaime being unable to stand on his own. Jaime said nothing as he hobbled forwards and prepared himself for the final journey which he was to make. Gwen sat behind him once again, knowing full well that he needed a bath.

She had taken a quick look at his stump, knowing that Jaime would snatch it away from her gaze if he caught her looking. He considered it a sign of weakness. He saw it as something which made him a pathetic man. It stopped him from being a man.

Gwen kept silent as they travelled and she almost fell asleep, her head often hitting Jaime's back which woke her up. He said nothing, simply remaining sat where he was, grunting occasionally at the pain in his arm.

It couldn't come soon enough for the horses to slow down as the walls of Harrenhal came into view. Hoat climbed down from the horse and grabbed hold of Brienne, pushing her down onto the floor before grabbing her once more, pushing her forwards.

Gwen looked around for a moment, noticing the men which were suddenly flocking around the group of them. She managed to push her own body down from the horse as Hoat came to grab Jaime. Roughly, he pushed them forwards, Jaime once again weak due to the travelling. Gwen followed, watching as a man stepped forwards. She heard people muttering around her, asking if it was the Kingslayer who was being pushed to the ground by Hoat, his boot pressing on Jaime's back and forcing him to the floor.

Gwen winced as she knelt down beside Jaime who had his eyes shut as he moaned once his face hit the floor.

"Help him up," Lord Bolton declared, not wanting to see him on the floor and moaning. The men grabbed either side of Jaime, hailing him back to his feet as Bolton spoke.

"You've lost a hand."

"No, my Lord," Hoat said. "It is right here," and he motioned to where Jaime's hand sat around his neck. Gwen shook her head, running her hands up and down her arms as she looked away from the mocking which Jaime was receiving.

"Take this away," Bolton demanded, snatching the hand from Jaime's neck.

"And send it to his father," Hoat chuckled, holding it proudly as his men laughed wildly.

"You'll hold your tongue unless you want to eat it," Bolton snapped and Hoat instantly looked aggrieved with the scolding which he had just received. "And cut them free. Women should not be treated like this."

"Apologies ladies," Bolton spoke. "You are in my protection now."

Gwen stood up as Brienne did the same thing, her eyes still looking to the ground as Hoat piped up once more.

"This one her claims to be a Knight," he informed Bolton, motioning to Brienne. "Escorting the Kingslayer back to Kings Landing."

"I do not doubt it," Bolton said, clearly unimpressed with Hoat and his behaviour.

"And this one has been vouched for by the Kingslayer. Claims she's a maid who the Queen wants dead. Said that you'd know about it."

Bolton regarded Gwen for a moment, trying to rack his brain for any recollection of such a notion. He admitted it was an odd one. Jaime looked up then, wondering if Bolton knew who she was. It had been months since Cersei had demanded her found and killed. It wouldn't be a shock to him if he didn't know.

"I recall something," Bolton said suspiciously, thinking back to the raven which had come to him. Gwen hesitantly peered up at him and he watched her, noting the red marks on the side of her neck before he sighed, realising what Hoat and his men had done to her. He said nothing, intending to deal with Hoat and his men later on in the day.

"Find suitable rooms for our guests. We'll speak later. Send the girl to the maester. I assume she'll need looking at after what you half wits have done to her."

Lord Bolton began to turn around, walking away from the three of them before Jaime spoke, his voice calm and louder than it had been since his accident.

"Lord Bolton," Jaime called out and the man turned back to look at him. "Is there word from the capital?"

Bolton walked back towards Jaime, his brow arched and his voice low.

"You haven't heard?" he wondered. "Stannis Baratheon laid siege to Kings Landing. Sailed into Blackwater Bay."

Gwen looked at Jaime as his eyes widened, his hair falling into his face and the mud obscuring his expression. But she knew it was one of horror and panic as he silently prayed for her to be safe.

"Stormed the gates with thousands of men," Bolton said. "And your sister...how can I put this? Your sister is alive and well."

Jaime fell to the floor, holding onto Bolton's wrist tightly as he felt relief flow through him.

"Ser Jaime isn't well," Bolton said. "Take him and the girl to Maester Qyburn."

Gwen said nothing as a man took hold of her elbow, forcing her to walk through the castle until they came to the room of the maester. She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room as she caught sight of a man sat in the corner, hunched over a desk and waiting for something to happen during his long and, so far, quiet day.

"Maester," Hoat spoke up. "Lord Bolton wants these two cleaned up."

"I see," Qyburn nodded as the two of them were ushered into the room. Gwen looked around, wondering how the man could work with light obscured and only a few candles to keep him company. "Well bring them in and leave me be. I will make sure they are tended to."

Hoat did as was told, clicking his fingers as his men went rushing back to him.

"And what do we have here then?" Qyburn wondered and Jaime was the one to speak.

"She needs seeing to," he said.

"I don't," Gwen protested. "He is more urgent than I am."

"Maester," Jaime grunted out and collapsed into a chair, unable to stand on his own. "I am Ser Jaime Lannister...now...see to her before me..."

"And what is the matter with you, my dear?" the maester asked from Gwen and she bit down on her tongue, running a hand down her arm and the maester followed her gaze, looking at her bruises as Jaime spoke.

"Hoat's men raped her," he declared and Gwen winced, her body turning tense and her shoulders lifting upwards. "She has cuts which need tending to along with some moon tea."

Gwen's brows rose as she heard the final part and the maester nodded, instantly setting about preparing some of the tea. Gwen looked at Jaime who was peering at her, his lips parted as he tried to control his breathing in front of her.

"They never...they didn't finish..." she blushed and Jaime shook his head at her.

"You don't know that for certain," he replied. "Now sit down and stop protesting."

She huffed to herself but did as Jaime had told her, settling down in the chair next to his.

"You should be looked at first," Gwen informed him in a small mutter as the maester continued his work, humming to himself whilst Gwen looked at Jaime and he stared back at her.

"Another few moments won't hurt," he informed her, finding himself looking away from her gaze. And it was at that moment that Gwen realised he was scared. He was scared about what would happen to him. She had thought that it would be probable that the entire arm would have to come off. She knew Jaime would never agree with that. But that was what he was worried about.

"And here we go!" the maester declared before Gwen had the chance to question Jaime anymore. He handed her the goblet and she took a hold of it, drinking some of the tea and then gagging.

"Well the taste can't be to everyone's liking, my dear," he informed her and she forced herself to drain the contents of it, almost choking before the maester took it away from her. He rested it on the desk before taking hold of her arm and looking at the bruises.

"And where are these cuts?" he wondered and Gwen's cheeks reddened once more as she shook her head back and forth.

"Honestly they are nothing. I can tend to them myself."

"Gwen-"

"-I'm fine," Gwen snapped before Jaime could say anymore. The Kingslayer sighed but nodded at the maester who took to sit opposite him. He looked at the stump on his arm and sighed whilst looking at the rotting wound. Gwen watched as he removed the bandage she had placed around Jaime's arm and she did nothing as Jaime looked at her.

"You can go," he dismissed her and she shook her head.

"This will not be a sight of a fair woman, my Lady," the maester agreed and Gwen shook her head.

"I will be fine," she said, her gaze fierce against Jaime's lacklustre stare. He said nothing and simply turned his attention back to his wound. Gwen kept her intent on his face as Jaime spoke.

"Will I die?"

"No," the maester said. "But the corrosion has spread and I fear it must be cut away. The safest course would be to take the whole arm off."

"Do that and you'll die," Jaime warned him and Gwen's mouth hung open as she saw the determination in Jaime's gaze, his eyes set on the maester who blinked profusely at the words he had just heard.

"Jaime..." Gwen whispered his name.

"I can leave your upper arm, make the cut-"

Jaime's hand instantly flew out, taking hold of the maester around his neck as Gwen stood up, a look of disgust passing her features as she wrapped her fingers around Jaime's arm, trying to stop him from doing anything stupid.

"I don't need my right hand to kill you," Jaime declared to him.

"Let him go," Gwen demanded and he did as she said. He sat back as the maester leant forwards, looking at Jaime with intrigue as he realised that nothing he did would make the man more at ease.

"I can take away the rotting flesh and try and burn out the corrosion with boiling wine."

Jaime grunted in agreement with him.

"With any luck that will suffice but you will need milk of the poppy."

"No," Jaime declared, watching as the maester began to prepare some.

"There will be pain," the maester warned him.

"Jaime, think about it," Gwen urged him. "He's not going to go against his word. You can trust him."

"I will scream," Jaime said; his jaw defiant and his teeth clenched together as Gwen shook her head at hearing his words.

"They'll be quite a bit of pain," the maester spoke back.

"I'll scream loudly," Jaime replied.

Gwen shook her head at his defiance and took hold of his hand in both of hers, forcing him to look up to her once again as she narrowed her gaze into his.

"Don't be a fool," she hissed. "I won't let him take you arm off. I will stay here and make sure he doesn't."

"No," Jaime growled back to her, removing his hand from hers as he looked at the maester. "I won't do it."

Gwen watched on with horror as the maester set about his work and she placed a hand over her mouth as Jaime's eyes met the maester's gaze and he waited for him to do something. Gwen looked down as she saw him begin to prod at the wound, trying to clean it and Jaime's breaths came out in short and laboured pants. His hand held onto the side of his chair whilst the maester looked at Gwen, silently urging for her to do something.

She nodded back at him, bending down to kneel by the chair and taking hold of Jaime's hand as he screamed in pain. She felt his fingers cling onto hers; squeezing them so tightly that she was certain he could break them if he really wanted to.

"I've got you," Gwen whispered to him, a feeble attempt to soothe him for his gaze never met hers. She tried not to wince as she saw the maester at work and she moved her eyes back to look at Jaime, managing to remove one of her hands from his and draw it up to his bearded face. She grabbed onto his chin, forcing him to look at her as she moved slightly, bringing their entwined hands up to rest against his chest.

"Look at me..." Gwen whispered to him. "Go away inside..."

Jaime wanted to yell at her, to bark at her to leave him alone and stop making him weaker than he already felt. He wanted to tell her to get out and that he didn't need her help. He didn't need anyone's help.

But he said nothing. He allowed her to hold him, comforting him as he screamed in pain. Gwen held her nerve as she heard him scream, unable to imagine the pain which he was going through. She bent down slightly before Jaime moved his head, resting his cheek against her chest as her free hand found the back of his head and she ran her hand down his dirtied blonde locks. His yells became muffled as he shouted into her dress and Gwen wondered when it was going to end.

She held onto him for what seemed like ages until he finally stopped yelling, his sounds simply grunts and groans of pain as the maester finished tending to him, wrapping the stump up and Jaime slowly moved away from her.

"It will take time to fully heal," the maester informed him. "You need to be careful with it."

"Fine," Jaime replied without another word and he looked at the maester who had begun to tidy away his tools. Gwen pushed his hair from his face once more and forced herself to smile at him as he stood up, still weak in his movements.

"You could do with a bath," the maester informed him and Gwen nodded in agreement. He really could.

"I'll walk you there," the maester spoke. "No doubt there will be guards everywhere. Lord Bolton won't want to let you loose."

The maester moved one arm underneath Jaime's and wrapped it around his waist whilst Gwen held onto him from the other side. He leaned heavily on both them, well aware of how he must have looked. The legendary Kingslayer being carried. The people would talk. But he failed to care at that moment in time. All he cared about was cleaning himself and making sure he survived.

Gwen kept her eyes downcast as they entered the empty bathhouse and she was shocked to see Brienne already in the water. The Knight quickly moved, protecting her modesty as Jaime shook his head.

"You do nothing for me," he assured her and she scowled as the maester released Jaime and Gwen thanked him gratefully.

"Irrelevant," Brienne responded to him. "I'll be going. I trust you can manage, Lady Gwen?"

"Me?" Gwen wondered from Brienne and the knight had already pulled a towel around her body, covering herself as she left the pair of them by themselves.

Gwen gulped as Jaime moved from her hold, pulling his clothes from his body, his actions snappy and curt. Gwen watched him for a moment before he spoke to her.

"You can go. I can manage by myself."

"Can you?" Gwen asked; her voice full of doubt as she watched Jaime struggled with his shirt. She watched him for another moment, the moist air sticking to her already sweating skin as she pushed her hair behind her shoulders.

She moved slowly then, taking hold of his shirt as he watched her.

"I'd understand," he assured her. "After what you've been through...if you never wanted to touch a man again..."

"You're not them," Gwen responded, lifting her gaze to meet his and he nodded once as she continued to pull at the shirt, pushing it over his head and disregarding it on the floor.

"I can manage now," he promised her as she saw his hand move to his breeches. She shrugged nonchalantly and looked to the steaming water, wanting to do nothing more than climb in and cleanse herself. Actually using a brush to scrub her body seemed appealing to her. She watched Jaime for a moment before moving to the other side of the bath and she slowly moved her ripped dress from her body.

Jaime barely heard the sloshing noise of water as Gwen dropped her body into the pool. She sat down and leant against the side of the tub, sighing contently as Jaime finally managed to drop his breeches to the ground.

She respectfully looked away as he walked around, his nudeness not seeming to bother him. Gwen coughed awkwardly as he sat opposite her in the vast tub.

"Jaime," she said his name. "There are other tubs."

"You wouldn't let the maester see your injuries," Jaime informed her and she looked at him for a moment, her expression puzzled. "Someone needs to tend to them, Gwen."

"I can manage," she said. "I'm fine, anyway. I'm not as delicate as you think."

"No," he said. "You're more delicate than I think," he concluded. She reached for a scrubbing brush and drew it down her skin, the pain too much against her cuts and she instantly placed it back. Jaime watched the small movement she had made and he saw how she cursed out loud, the bruises too much for her to handle.

"Would you mind passing me that?" he asked her and she picked the brush up again and moved through the water. She remained on her knees, refusing to stand up and allow the water to reach her waist. She extended her arm, passing him the brush but he reached for her wrist, using every bit of strength he had to draw her closer to him.

"Gwen," he whispered her name as she tried to fight against him, splashing in the water as she dropped the brush to the floor of the tub. She was well aware of how his naked body was sat before her kneeling one. If she moved any closer then she knew she would be closer in between his legs and pressed up against his chest.

Jaime let go her wrist, moving his hand to the back of her neck and cupping the curve of her head softly as panic rose in her eyes and he realised he shouldn't have been so brash.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised her in a soft voice. She remained silent for a few moments as Jaime ran his thumb around the back of her neck, the small curls there sticking to her skin as she watched him.

"What are you doing?" Gwen wondered from him. "There is nothing wrong with me. I'm-"

"-If you say that you are fine once more you may cause me to lose my sanity," Jaime replied to her and managed a small smile at his words before looking away from the water and over to his gaze which was on her.

"Maybe I'm not fine," Gwen whispered, admitting it to him finally. "I...I know that it sounds pathetic to-

"-You don't know what I think," Jaime said back to her and she remained silent. "I don't think you're pathetic at all. I think you've been through something which would scar anyone, never mind just you."

"It's...I keep thinking about it...thinking about their hands on me...so intrusive...and I want to know when it will stop. I want to know when the memory will go away because every time I think about it...well...it makes me sick. Physically ill...everything they did on that journey. I want to pretend it never happened but I know it did. I know it did and I worry what will happen now."

Jaime slowly moved his hand from her throat and to her shoulders, turning her around so that her back was facing him and he looked down at the purple stains on her skin. He let out a small sigh as she continued to speak and he reached behind him for the small bar of soap. He placed it on her back, his touch so delicate that she wondered if he was actually touching her.

"Because Lord Bolton knows that I'm wanted by the Queen. He knows that yet he is a supporter of the North...but after what I did...betraying Lord Robb...he will surely want me dead. I know that now."

"Lord Rob would never wish you dead," Jaime said. "I saw the way the boy looked at you. He may hate you but he will not kill you."

"Do you know that?" Gwen asked, turning her head over her shoulder to look back at him, her blonde curls falling back onto her back as he looked at her. "This is war time. Traitors aren't tolerated. You know that and so do I."

"Only time shall tell," Jaime whispered to her and she took a sharp breath. "I can ask Lord Bolton to let me take you with me back to Kings Landing."

"Where your sister can then kill me?" Gwen asked him, turning her head back around, unable to stare at him as his hand dipped into the small of her back and she winced as he pressed harder on her bruise. "I'd rather take my chances in the North."

"I won't let her kill you."

"Do you have a say?" Gwen whispered.

"I will do. Times have changed, Gwen. Cersei...I will talk to her. I will tell her to keep you somewhere safe. You'll have to hide, of course. She won't want to see you."

"You still love her, don't you?" Gwen checked from him and his hand froze on her shoulder as she wondered what to say further to him. He kept quiet and the next word he whispered confirmed what Gwen had feared.

"Yes."

She knew there would be no arguing with him. She could try to tell him that his love for her was unhealthy. She could try to tell him that it was wrong. But he wouldn't listen. She never did listen to the voice in her head when it told her that Beren wasn't dedicated to her. Why should he listen to her?

"And you would go against her to keep me safe?" Gwen checked as he ran the back of his hand down her neck and she shivered, closing her eyes and reminding herself that it was just Jaime. It was just him and he wouldn't hurt her. She was sure of that.

"A Lannister always repays his debts," Jaime reminded her. "That is something which Cersei often forgets."

"But you don't," Gwen whispered and Jaime kept silent for a moment. "You honour it truly."

"Honour," Jaime chuckled the word as Gwen turned around to kneel before him and she pushed her hand over his cheek, clearing the dirt from his skin and he remained sat where he was. "How far would you really to protect your honour?"

Gwen said nothing as Jaime thought back to the time with the Mad King. The time when he had plunged his sword into his back and he looked at Gwen, slowly speaking to her as he recounted the tale, his words sinking into her ears as she continued to run her hand down his cheek, cleaning him from the dirt which had plastered itself to his skin.

"And then...he told me...he told me to kill my own father. He wanted me to bring his head back to him. My own father. He was obsessed with death and destruction. Fire...under the castle he had the potential to burn the whole kingdom...and he would have done...he would have killed everyone if he had the chance..."

Gwen remained silent, moving closer to him as she ran her hand down his shoulders; his skin smooth even though it was covered in bruises. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, his eyes fixed intently on her skin which was above the water.

"And I remembered the Queen...that night he had hurt her and I didn't doubt how many he would willingly kill. How many would have died? How many would have suffered if he had his way?" Jaime wondered, bringing his gaze up to look at her.

"No one else would have done it," he told her, his green gaze focused on her blue orbs as she sat still, acting as if a simple movement would disturb the concentration on his face.

"No one would have acted...but it wasn't their fathers who he wanted dead...it was my father...my own father. What would you have done?" Jaime asked her, his hand moving to the side of her neck, his fingers wrapping around the curve of her skin. "Could you have killed your mother...all for one oath...all for honour...?"

"No," she whispered to him being bluntly honest.

"And then I did it," Jaime whispered, his voice barely audible. "He was stood there...waiting for the madness to begin...and I pushed the sword through his back. I killed him."

She said nothing as she saw his eyes droop and paleness took over his skin. She watched him intently, knowing full well that he wasn't well and she should get him out of the water. She said nothing as he continued to speak, as if stopping would hurt him and his body began to shake silently.

"I didn't know what he was thinking as I did it...I don't really know what he expected...and then that was it...he kept telling me to burn them all...he didn't think he would die...he didn't think he could die...I slit his throat to make sure he had...and then Ned Stark found me...

"Why did you never say anything?" Gwen whispered to him and he shook his head, his mane of hair falling into his eyes as he did so.

"To who?" Jaime wondered. "Dead Ned...do you think he would listen to me? He judged me as soon as I pulled the sword out of the Mad King's back...what right does the wolf have to judge the lion?" he asked her and she shook her head at him. Gwen watched as his gaze found hers and his body suddenly convulsed.

"Jaime," she gasped loudly, moving closer to him, his bare flesh against hers as he doubled over, his body numb as she held him tightly, making sure he didn't go under the water.

"Jaime...what is it? What is wrong? Talk to me..." Gwen pleaded him as he took deep breath, his body warm under her fingertips as she held him as if he would break.

"I...Gwen..." he whispered, finding himself unable to say anything to her as she shouted for help, pushing his hair from his face as she tried to soothe him, dragging him through the water until the guards appeared, looking at his body before they dragged him into his clothes and Gwen watched helplessly as Jaime closed his eyes, unable to say anything more to her.

...

"I have to see him," Gwen spat as soon as she found a guard after she had changed into her ruined gown. She had continued to hold onto Jaime's cloak, keeping it tightly round her shoulders as she rushed to the maester. She had changed as quickly as possible before seeking Jaime out.

She had asked a guard who had escorted her to a room in the castle. She had knocked politely after being given entrance a moment later. She saw Jaime lay in a bed, his skin red and his eyes closed as his body shook. Gwen stood by the side of the bed as the maester watched her.

"What is wrong with him?" she worried.

"Fever," the maester offered her. "His body is fighting an infection. Apparently I didn't clean the wound out well enough...I should have taken it off from the elbow..."

"He would have killed you," Gwen said and she looked on as his body convulsed. His eyes opened for a moment as he found her. He moved a hand out to her and Gwen took it, kneeling by the bed as he looked at her, his lips parting for a moment as moisture pooled onto them. She smiled weakly at him, pushing his hair from his face and behind his ear before he muttered to her.

His voice wasn't recognisable and she could barely make out what he said as he spoke.

"Cersei," he whispered and Gwen's smile instantly fell from her face as Jaime closed his eyes again, repeating her name.

Gwen allowed him to hold her hand, her eyes looking away as the maester saw the pain wrack through her body.

"Delirium is sometimes a symptom," he told Gwen as if to explain what had just happened. She nodded in agreement and Jaime released her hand, rolling onto his side as the maester looked at her once more.

"He needs to ride it out," he said. "There is nothing you can do for him now, my Lady. You would be best off going and taking rest for your own."

"I'll stay," Gwen said; a feeling in her chest which she didn't recognise over the name of his sister. "I'd prefer to."

"As long as you are sure, my Lady," the maester said and Gwen nodded, taking the seat next to the bed and bringing her feet up onto it, curling into a ball. She folded both arms and rested them on the armrest, using them as a pillow for her head to rest in. After one final check on Jaime the maester left her. She sat there for hours, her eyes wide and tearing as she watched him, unable to shake what she had heard him mutter from her mind.

...

A/N: Three updates in a day. This truly is a novelty. I do hope you enjoy them all and I'd love to know what you think!