Gwen had been told by the head kitchen maid that she was to stay in the kitchens, cooking and cleaning. She had not complained, believing that to be the best place for her when she was considered by the Queen Regent as a distasteful maid to have in her employment. Gwen went about her work quietly as did everyone else. No one seemed to initiate conversation like they did in Winterfell. She wondered if people were much too scared in Kings Landing.

She never caught sight of Jaime and she wondered how he was faring. She had heard that he had managed to free Brienne and she was residing with his men, training in order to go and find Sansa once Jaime had arranged for her travel. She only hoped that he would let her go with Brienne. She didn't know how much longer she could take knowing that Sansa and Arya were out there somewhere.

"Lord Tywin has requested you go and take him this."

Gwen did a double take as she heard the order. She nodded and took hold of the tray which was being passed to her. She looked at the chicken and vegetables which sat on it before making her way from the kitchen. She had a vague idea of where Lord Tywin resided after being shown around the castle by one maid. She walked hastily, not wanting to bump into the Queen Regent on her journey.

She stood outside the wooden door and looked onto it with apprehension. Raising her knuckles, she hit the wood, knocking quickly before being told to enter. Lord Tywin sat at his table, pouring over letters and considering responding to some of them. His eyes looked up as he saw the maid enter, the silver tray tucked expertly in her arms.

His chambers were no less grand than the rest of the castle. An open balcony sat around the dining area and a large table sat in the middle, exquisite decorations lining the vast area.

"Gwen, is it not?"

"Yes, my Lord," Gwen informed him and moved forwards, her heart beat fluttering as she placed the tray on the table, picking the plates from it and resting them in front of the Lord of Casterly Rock. He looked up at her as she bent over, her blonde hair dangling in front of her face and her plain features focused on the task at hand.

He could see why Jaime had been kind towards her. Her face was one which showed kindness and she was rather good looking for such a plain girl. The red dress she wore on her body was nowhere near as pretty as what other maid's wore but he supposed that was how they dressed in the kitchen. It was tight fitting on her and he could see how her hand moved to her stomach and ran down it, pulling at the material in an attempt to loosen it.

"So you are the maid who my children fought so hard over," Tywin declared and she placed her hair behind her ear as she poured wine into the goblet.

"I would not know, my Lord," Gwen said, doing her best to be polite in front of him. He chuckled at hearing her and lowered his eyes back to his letter for a moment.

"My daughter was very insistent on having you removed and cast out. She sees you as traitorous and unworthy of her trust. Apparently you spoke out against her," Tywin said and Gwen inhaled sharply as she straightened herself back up and tucked the tray under her arm, looking back to the Hand of the King.

"I allowed my anger to get the better of me," Gwen admitted. "It will not happen again, my Lord."

"You speak well for a servant," he informed her. "Why is that?"

"My mother was a personal friend of the Stark family. She died when I was young and Lady Stark took me into her care and allowed me lessons in basic speech and writing until I was old enough to become a servant, my Lord." She informed him and he regarded her for a moment.

"Surely a maid who has been educated should know when to hold her tongue?" he asked Gwen and she bit down on the spoken of tongue tightly. "It matters not now. My son spoke highly of you. Apparently I have you to thank for him not being damaged any further."

"All I did was take care of Ser Jaime," Gwen said. "I did nothing which no one else would have done."

"I doubt that Starks would have done," Tywin admitted to her. "But, we have no need to worry about them now, do we? What with Arya Stark marrying one of Bolton's bastards."

Gwen allowed her brow to furrow at hearing Tywin. She had thought that Lady Arya had escaped the day of Ned's death. Gwen held her tongue, deciding to be sensible for once and making a mental not to enquire what the Lord was talking of.

"I suppose not, my Lord," Gwen said and she curtseyed quickly in front of him, determined to escape from the breezy room and back to the kitchen where she knew no Lions could get to her.

"And my son," Tywin said as he saw her about to turn around, "have you fucked him yet?"

Gwen froze, her spine straightening out as she turned stiff at his words. She turned back around, her eyes wide and full of concern as she made the movement. Tywin had his brow arched in front of her and she remained still for a few moments as he waited for an answer.

"No...no, my Lord," Gwen said hesitantly, wondering where the conversation was heading.

"You do not need to lie to me," he assured her. "Jaime said the same thing but I know that he was probably lying to me. He knows that I would be disappointed in him if he began to act like his younger imp brother."

"I am not lying, my Lord," Gwen promised him with a whisper. "Ser Jaime is a Kingsguard and I am a maid."

"And members of the Kingsguard break oaths," he recalled Jaime's killing of the Mad King. "I need to be sure that you know where you stand, girl. There have been whispers which I do not care to hear."

"I do not know of these whispers, my Lord," Gwen informed him and he chuckled.

"Of course you don't," he muttered. "You can consider this a friendly warning. I think it may be wise if you kept your distance from Jaime. We wouldn't want to mane that pretty face of yours, would we?"

"No, my Lord," Gwen responded in a small voice and Tywin waved his hand to dismiss her.

Gwen swept from the room, unable to believe that the conversation had taken place. Not once had she thought Tywin Lannister would be warning her. She moved back to the kitchen, her mind clouded with what had just happened before she continued with her activities for the rest of the day. She knew it was late at night when she was dismissed. She made her way back to the room which had been provided for her down a corridor full of other maid's rooms.

Entering the empty corridor she moved her hands to her back, tugging at the lace which kept her fastened into her dress. She began to pull at it, tiring of having the material rubbing against her skin as she opened the door and the dress began to fall from her shoulders.

"We need to talk."

"Dear Gods!" Gwen shrieked as the door closed and her hands moved to her chest, holding the dress back in place. She squealed before turning to lean against the wood and she saw him lounged on her bed. His head was propped up by pillows against her headboard as his arms rested on his stomach. He had changed from his armour and wore a simple shirt and breeches with his coat over the top. She moved her dress back onto her shoulders and reached for the laces behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Gwen hissed and he shook his head.

"No need to lace the dress again, Gwen. I've seen you in further states of undress," he informed her and he saw her wince at the memory. He instantly regretted bringing it up with her but she did allow the material to droop on her shoulders.

"Thanks for the memory," Gwen muttered. "Now what are you doing here?"

"Plotting your escape," Jaime said. "Which needs to be done tonight."

"Why?" Gwen wondered from him. "What's happening? And since when did Lady Arya marry a Bolton?"

"You go from one question to another," Jaime complained. "How do you expect me to keep up?"

"I think you're smart enough," Gwen informed him and he chuckled as she moved to sit on the side of the bed, turning her upper half to face him as he sat up straight, his face coming closer to hers as he completed the motion.

"I gave Lady Arya to Walton once he left to cement the ties to Winterfell."

"But she isn't here...is she? How could you have done that?"

"If you allow me to finish, dear Gwen," Jaime spoke quickly. "She wasn't Arya. She was pretending to be Arya. I have no idea who she is but I am not at liberty to argue. As far as I know they have pinned a wolf onto her cloak and declared her a Stark."

Gwen's brow furrowed as she listened to his information and she looked at him once again.

"So she is not Arya?"

"As I said, no," Jaime told her. "But no one needs to know that."

"I see," Gwen said, not truly understanding who the girl could be. She said nothing as Jaime leant back against the pillows, closing his eyes after a day serving the King. He had been summoned by his father in the evening and given the sword which Lord Eddard Stark had used. Jaime had felt completed disgusted at his father's behaviour and had refused to keep the weapon. Instead Brienne held it in her company and waited for Jaime to give her the news that she was to escape.

"Anyway, I hear my father spoke to you this afternoon." Jaime commented.

"Oh, yes," Gwen agreed. "Your father wanted to know if you and I had been lying together. Apparently he thinks there is something going on."

"Who doesn't think that?" Jaime snorted. "Word broke out about you leaving my chambers the other night. Normal people consider it suspicious behaviour and you know how they love to let their minds wander."

"They have no need," Gwen spoke quickly, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief.

"It matters not," Jaime told her. "I have Brienne waiting in the stables for you if you still wish to go and find Lady Sansa and Lady Arya."

"Are you still against me going?"

"Does my opinion make a difference?" Jaime asked her and he shook his head before she could answer. "It doesn't matter. It is not safe for you here, Gwen. Cersei...I worry what she will do to you and I do not want to be dealing with her hurting you. Even though it is still dangerous with Brienne, I think it is safer than being stuck here."

She said nothing, remaining where she was before she picked his hand up and held it in her own.

"It will be odd," Gwen admitted. "After spending months with you then I wonder what it will be like to spend months without you."

"I am sure you will manage," Jaime informed her with a small smirk and she shrugged.

"I have to," she said.

She should tell him. She should tell him how she truly felt about him. Tell him how she was beginning to care for him much more than she should. Tell him how she would miss him and how she wished she didn't have to go. But there was no point. There was no point in crying her heart out over him. He knew as well as she did that they weren't living in a fairytale. There would be no happy ending for them.

She had to accept it no matter how much she wanted to defy it.

"Besides, I will miss you and that smart mouth of yours," Jaime told her and she looked at him with apprehension. "I've become quite attached to it if I have to be honest."

"Of course you have," she replied, still smirking as he leaned closer to her, delicately pushing her hair from her face as he came nearer.

"Would you care to see how much I've become attached to it?" he wondered suggestively and she said nothing as she felt his lips land on hers and she closed her eyes, moaning as he dared to move his hands to wrap onto her waist, hauling her closer to him.

She knew that what they were doing clearly defied her attempt to stop acting on her feelings for him but she knew that she would probably not see him again. She moved closer to Jaime, forgetting about everything for a few moments. All she could think of was Jaime and how much she wanted to keep kissing him and holding onto him.

Jaime wrapped his arm around her waist as she knelt on the bed and moved closer to him, their lips never parting as she placed both of her hands onto his shoulders, her fingers splaying over them as Jaime placed his stump against her waist and paused. His lips pulled back from her as he looked to the contact.

Cersei had frozen the last time he had touched her with it. She had paused and looked at him, wondering what was wrong before she saw his stare.

"It makes no difference to me," Gwen whispered to him and he looked at her intently, wondering how she could say that to him. She took the initiative, moving to him once again and pressing her lips squarely against his. He took a moment to watch her as she concentrated and closed her eyes. Jaime tried his best to keep his hormones under control, refusing to scare Gwen away from him. He thought that she was doing well not to recoil from him at that moment in time.

"Gwen," Jaime said as he removed his lips from hers and kissed her cheek. "You have to go, Gwen. You have to leave here and go...listen to me...Gwen..."

He panted for breath as his hand caressed her cheek and she smiled softly at him. She had no idea what she meant to him. She had no idea how he felt about anything. But he seemed content with her and she couldn't ask for anything else.

She moved her hand to cup his square jaw, her fingers running along the bristle of stubble which sat there. He watched her as she looked at his neck and he finally pushed her hair behind her ear and smirked at her.

"Promise me that you will look after yourself," Jaime urged her, his hand moving to her arm and running up and down it, causing her hairs to stand on edge.

"I'll try," she assured him and he supposed that would be as good as he would get from her. He pecked her quickly once more on the lips before standing up and she did the same, fiddling with the laces on her dress. Jaime quickly moved to help her and she stood in front of him without complaining.

"Is Brienne content enough to allow me to come with her?" Gwen wondered, still flushed after their interaction.

"She has no say in the matter. She thinks you may slow her down but I told her that she is to protect you at all costs."

"And will we be disturbed by anyone?" Gwen wondered and Jaime shook his head.

"I had Tommen sign a declaration that you are on important King's business and are not to be disturbed," Jaime explained and haphazardly tied the laces together into a bow. "No one should be bothering you and if they do then I trust Brienne can sort them out."

"I have no doubt," Gwen admitted and Jaime moved to grab her cloak which sat on a peg on the back of her door. He took it with his good hand and held it out to her.

"When you go then you need to keep your head down," he urged her. "You need to keep off the main road and protect Sansa if you find her. Cersei will want her dead if she knew she had been found. She sees her responsible for Joffrey's death. She is the rightful heir to Winterfell now."

"I know," Gwen said with a nod before Jaime took hold of her hand quickly.

"You need to be careful," Jaime urged her.

"You've said."

"Only because I mean it," Jaime replied to her. "I'm serious, Gwen. I cannot help you but if...if something happens to you and I find out about it then I will help."

"Why?" Gwen wondered simply.

"Because I care about you, Gwen," Jaime said. "This goes beyond repaying my debt now. This goes further than that."

"You just don't know how far," Gwen whispered and he heard a sadness in her tone. He slowly ran the back of his hand down her hair before kissing her once again.

"Come along," Jaime urged her. "I'll take you to the stables. I have Varys on my side to spread a lie about your disappearance which doesn't involve me."

Gwen nodded before she allowed Jaime to take hold of her hand. He dragged her through the corridors, making sure each one was quiet as Gwen lurked behind him, her hand tightly in his and her other resting on the same arm. He finally made it to the empty stable and looked around, knowing that Brienne had to be resting in a stable.

"Wench," Jaime hissed and she finally emerged, her gaze anything but amused.

"I've been waiting here for ages." She complained.

"We were a little busy," Jaime said and Brienne looked as Gwen glanced to the floor, her cheeks reddening. She didn't want to know. Brienne climbed onto her own horse quickly whilst Gwen stood by Jaime, looking at him one final time as he watched her back.

"Remember to be careful," Jaime urged her and Brienne made an audible tut, forcing them to hurry along their conversation.

"I will try," she promised him again and moved up to kiss him one final time. He closed his eyes tightly, his face scrunching up as he felt himself hold onto her once more. His concentration went into making sure he never forgot what he was doing. Maybe if he kept his eyes closed and Gwen in his hold then she wouldn't have to go. Perhaps he would be able to stay in that moment and forget everything which was happening.

Gwen pulled back after a moment and pushed his hair back, feeling the softness of it in her fingers as she kissed him on the cheek once more.

"Go before I change my mind," Jaime spoke gruffly and she leant back for a second. He helped her onto a horse and reached up for her hand one final time.

"Look after her, wench," Jaime demanded. "Gods know that she won't protect you."

Gwen smirked and held his hand tightly before releasing his fingers, her horse moving and following Brienne from the stables. She looked back as Jaime leant against the frame of the door, his eyes never leaving hers as she finally left his sight and he knew there was nothing more for him to do.

...

It took all of several hours for Gwen's disappearance to be noted. Jaime stood outside the throne room, his hand on his sword as he saw his sister move closer to him. He nodded at the guard who was on duty with him, dismissing him before he felt the wrath of Cersei.

He took the message and left instantly as the Queen Regent came to stand in front of her brother, her cheeks turning red with the anger which had filled her along with the rushing around.

"Your maid is gone," Cersei hissed at her brother. He stood where he was, looking at Cersei as she glared at him and he shrugged nonchalantly. It was not his issue anymore.

"Is she?" Jaime wondered. "I wonder where she's gone."

"They say she left in the middle of the night with that great beast of a woman who came back with you," Cersei said and Jaime dropped his hand to his hip, looking over her shoulder for a moment as Cersei refused to let her gaze drop.

"Did she?"

"Stop playing coy," Cersei hissed at her brother, wrapping her hand around his arm. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"I've been sleeping for the entire night," Jaime declared. "Besides, if I was so besotted with her then why would I want her to escape?" Jaime wondered, taunting his sister further and she increased her grip around his arm painfully. "And do you have any evidence to suggest that I helped her?"

She bit down on her tongue then, shaking her head for a moment as she backed away from Jaime.

"I'll find her," Cersei assured him. "If she's gone to find Sansa Stark then I will find her and I will kill her. I will do what I should have done months ago."

"If you find her," Jaime reminded her and she turned around and walked away from him.

He inhaled sharply and watched her go, determined not to let her get to him.

...

"Besides, we need to rest," Brienne said to Gwen after they had spent the entire night and day riding. She moved herself from the horse and looked to the inn before yawning loudly as she looked to the inn which they had come to. She kept her hood over her head as Brienne took lead and entered the inn. Gwen kept silent, looking around as people remained going about their own business, ignoring them as they stepped in and Brienne ordered two rooms for the evening before demanding a jug of wine.

"So where do we go first?" Gwen wondered and Brienne looked at her as she drank the alcohol. She still didn't know much about Gwen from their journey. She had learned that the girl seemed kind and she was devoted to Sansa and Arya but that was about it. She had also come to realise her impending love for Jaime Lannister which disgusted her slightly but she made no comment. Brienne had no doubt that Jaime was an honourable man deep down. But it still didn't excuse what he had done in the past and how he was an arrogant arse.

"Duskendale seems a good place to start the search," Brienne said. "Although anywhere would be a good place to start. I am assuming Lady Sansa is staying hidden. It would only be wise."

"She's a clever girl," Gwen whispered in agreement. "I just worry that she may be too trusting and naive and get hurt for it. It's already happened once with Joffrey."

"Well, we will find her and bring her back like Lady Stark wanted."

"We did give her our word," Gwen mumbled and she held her goblet up and pressed it to her lips before sinking back in her chair and exhaling loudly. Brienne watched her and looked into her wine, deliberating for a moment.

"I did not know that you and Ser Jaime were so close," she admitted and Gwen arched a brow and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter," Gwen responded. "It was one kiss. It doesn't mean anything. Besides, I doubt I will see him again if we're travelling all the time."

"I still find it odd," Brienne admitted and finished off her wine. She stood up before Gwen could question her and she looked back to the maid.

"You should go to bed, Lady Gwen. It is going to be a long day tomorrow."

...

A/N: I admit that some parts are going to be skipped so that I can continue with the story and the search for Sansa but an update may be sooner rather than later! Anyway, only three reviews for the last chapter so thanks to x XRoweenaJAugustineX x, Jofrench22 and Kay1104. Updates may not be as often but it would be amazing if you could let me know you're still with me on this!