Gwen left the camp on a horse, her hood on her head and covering her pale face. Her eyes remained fixed ahead of her as a small tear ran down her cheek and she thought of what she had just agreed to. Lady Stoneheart was obviously not one to be trifled with. She was not Lady Stark. She was not the woman who had held Gwen when Beren had broke her heart. She was not the woman who had tenderly stroked Gwen's cheek when she had stabbed herself. Nor was she the woman who had spoken to her about love.
She had been lost.
Gwen inhaled sharply at the memory and shook her head, wondering what she was going to do now. She kept her thoughts to herself as the horse moved down the main road and Gwen looked ahead. The darkness was fully upon her and Gwen knew that her body was physically drained. She didn't know how long she had been travelling before she noted a camp ahead of her the following morning.
Her mind was set on one task and one task alone.
She moved closer along the road and looked to the camp in the woods before she noted a familiar head move from behind the flap of one of the tents. Gwen felt her heartbeat flutter as she saw him and he turned around. He instantly looked at her and Gwen knew that she had been spotted. He moved his hand through the air, waving at her to come closer and Gwen remained sat where she was.
She had sent him for the Kingslayer. She had been the one to send him for Jaime. And there he was. And she knew Jaime would be there. He had only stopped to set up camp for a couple of hours because he had found the Brotherhood with Banners and needed a plan of attack.
Podrick didn't move as he kept his eyes on the female on the horse, wondering why she wasn't moving closer to him in the camp. He knew that camping so close to the main road had been risky but he doubted she would have found them if they didn't. Besides, the Kingsguard were well prepared for any attack which would come their way.
"Podrick, where is the chicken?" Jaime snapped at the serving boy who still held the flap to his tent open and his eyes set straight ahead of him. He'd been removed from his armour and wore his simple attire as he pushed his hand through his hair and looked at the young boy. He stood up, moving over to him and following his stare, wondering what had spooked him.
Jaime felt his mouth drop open as soon as he saw her and he knew it was her instantly.
"You should have said, boy," Jaime snapped. "Don't leave her sat there wondering."
Jaime pushed past Pod and moved closer to Gwen who still sat on her horse. She should run. She should leave and claim that she had never seen him. He didn't need her near him. She pulled the reins on her horse as the creature began to gallop away from the sight. She heard Jaime shout after her as she remained focused on the path ahead, unable to look back at him.
"Slow down, boy," Gwen whispered to the horse, trying to force the horse to slow down as soon as she was sure that Jaime was out of her sight. But her horse had other ideas. It bolted suddenly as soon as it had been spooked by a flock of birds which flew out from the trees. Gwen held tightly onto the reins before she felt herself slipping.
Her fingers dropped from the reins and she slid down the back of the horse, landing awkwardly on the floor as she felt her arm twist beneath her. Gwen yelled out in pain as the horse continued to gallop on, clearly out of control. She groaned as she remained where she was for a moment, panting for deep breaths. She sat up slowly, looking down at her arm and running her hand down it, feeling the sensitive skin under her touch.
She moaned in pain as her eyes stung with tears and she tried to push herself to stand up with no prevail.
"What were you doing, Gwen?" his voice snapped at her as she remained in the middle of the road and he rushed towards her. His breathing was uneven as he slowed down his run as he approached her, his arms flinging out to the side.
"Go away!" Gwen yelled at him. "Leave me alone!"
"What in the name of the Seven Hells has gotten into you?" Jaime asked her as he finally came to stand before her and he noted her cradling her arm delicately.
"Get away from here," Gwen demanded from him, moving back on her bum away from him as Jaime knelt by her and she shook her head, still crying from the fall which she had endured.
"Dear Gods, Gwen," Jaime complained. "I haven't seen you in months and now you want me to leave?" he checked with her as he knelt by her side, moving to take her hand from her damaged arm and she shook her head.
"Please," she begged him. "Jaime...you have to go...if they're following me then you're in danger..."
"What are you talking about?" Jaime wondered from her and she continued to shake her head back and forth, knowing full well that she had to get rid of him. He had to leave her.
"Jaime, trust me when I say that you have to go," Gwen said and she looked into his green eyes. She failed to believe she was seeing him again. His commanding orbs never eased up on her and she could feel her heart flutter again. He looked back at her, those vivid blue eyes staring straight at him and questioning her. She looked different to him. Her hair was longer than he had ever seen it, flowing down to her bottom in limp curls. Her body wore a simple red dress and he noted that it was the one which had been given to her at Kings Landing. It was fading and parts of it ripped along with her black cloak.
Her body looked slimmer than normal and her face gaunt. She looked unhealthy in front of him.
"Gwen," Jaime whispered her name. "We haven't seen each other in months. What danger are you talking about? And where is the wench?"
"You have to go," Gwen urged him. "Please...if they are following me...they'll kill her."
"There is no one here," Jaime told her and ran his fingertips over her arm which was turning purple and looked swollen. "Let me take you back to the camp and look at your arm."
"It's fine."
"It's broken."
"It will be fine."
"Stop arguing, Gwen," Jaime demanded her and she jutted her chin out.
"If you knew what I had done then you would understand," she assured him and he rolled his eyes before slipping his arms under her body. His stump sat under her arms as his intact arm wrapped around her waist. She struggled in his hold as he pulled her against his chest and a moment of weakness came over her as contentment flooded her veins and she inhaled his scent in her nostrils.
"You can explain to me as I look at your arm," Jaime said to her and Gwen looked around skittishly, her forehead dripping with sweat as she wondered if any of the Brotherhood was following her around. She hoped not. But she didn't know who she could trust.
Jaime moved with her through the small camp as Gwen caught Pod's eye and looked away instantly, guilt coming through her body at the deal which she had made with Lady Stoneheart. She thought that she had been brave. She thought that she had been clever and could manage. It was only as she travelled alone did she realise that she hadn't been.
Moving into his tent Jaime sat Gwen down onto his bed and she remained where she was, content enough that they were in private there as Jaime grabbed a goblet and filled it with water. She looked down into her lap as Jaime studied her for a few moments.
He knew that she needed a bandage for her arm but he could see that there were no medical supplies. She took a second to look into his eyes as Jaime called to Pod and demanded him to go and find something to make a sling with. He took a seat on the bed beside Gwen and handed her the goblet of water. She took it from him and sipped it delicately as Jaime noted the indentations on her wrists.
"What's happened, Gwen? I can see you've been taken captive."
"How?" she wondered and he picked up her wrist delicately.
"Your wrists have been bound," he told her. "The Brotherhood without Banners took you and Brienne according to Pod. You were on official King's business. No one should have the power to stop you."
"I...Jaime...you need to listen to me...you have to let me go."
"Be quiet, Gwen. I am not letting you go anywhere," Jaime snapped at her as Pod came back with the material. Jaime told him to leave it on the foot of the bed and he did so without a second of hesitation. Jaime continued to cradle Gwen's wrist in his hold and she inhaled sharply as her chest heaved intensely.
"Now talk to me, Gwen. And no more telling me to leave you alone because I cannot do that when I have just found you."
"You should," Gwen said. "When I tell you the truth then I know you're going to hate me. I know you're going to want nothing to do with me and that scares me, Jaime...but I can't blame you...because...I was a fool for even thinking I could do this...I panicked."
"Gwen," Jaime complained to her and she drank some more of the water without a moment of hesitation. He kept mute before he heard her whisper the sentence which hurt him more than he thought he could be hurt. Even Cersei's betrayal hadn't hurt as much as this.
"I was sent to kill you."
Jaime kept a moment to himself and thought of what she had just said, his entire body shaking with anger as he did so. He moved from the bed, his hand pushing through his hair as Gwen dropped the goblet to the floor, the water pooling everywhere as Gwen stood up and moved after him, keeping her distance.
"I don't want to, Jaime. I didn't think I would have to," she said to him and he turned back to look at her, his eyes hurt yet his face calm and collected as he waited for her to speak further to him, to give her a chance to explain herself.
"The Brotherhood did take us. They took us to Lady Stark...Lady Stark is their leader..."
"Lady Stark is dead."
"True," Gwen admitted to him and he arched a brow. "She calls herself Lady Stoneheart now. She's nothing like Lady Catelyn...she's cold and manipulating and she's horrible...Jaime...she was going to hang Brienne. She thinks we're traitors. She thinks that we work for the Lannisters now and she was going to hang us."
Gwen took a deep breath as Jaime watched her; still unsure whether or not he should believe her. He had heard so many lies in his time. He had listened to people talk to him and lie to his face. Yet lies never led anywhere. They never helped anyone.
But Gwen had never lied to him before. She had always been honest with him. But people changed.
"She wanted me to prove my loyalty by killing you." Gwen muttered, her eyes never leaving Jaime's. Lady Stark used to say that only a liar avoided eye contact. Only a liar couldn't bear their soul and truth to someone.
"I said no. I told her that I couldn't do it but she threatened me and Brienne. She told us that we would both die...she took Brienne and was about to hang her...she was about to mercilessly kill her and I had to stop it. I told her I would do it. I told her I would kill you, Jaime."
Jaime's blood ran cold as he heard her and she shook her head back and forth as he waited, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"But I had no intention of bumping into you. I had no intention of finding you-"
"-You sent Pod to me," Jaime reminded her.
"I know," she said. "I panicked. But I...I have thirty five days to kill you. I thought that if I could find Sansa in those days then I would go back to her and I would show her my loyalty...I would save Brienne and keep her alive...substitute Sansa for you..."
"So she has the wench?"
"She kept her captive to make sure I didn't forget my promise," Gwen mumbled lowly. "She told me that if I didn't deliver then she would kill me. I had to do it. I had to stop her from killing Brienne but I didn't know how to stop it unless I agreed. But if I find Sansa then maybe she will forgive me. She thinks Arya is married to the Bolton boy in the North and isn't lost."
"And if not?" Jaime wondered.
"Then she will kill me," Gwen said in a mumble. "But there is nothing I can do. I can't kill you and I can't let Brienne die so easily."
Jaime regarded her for a moment or two but he said nothing as she continued to cradle her arm against her slim waist and he watched her intently, seeing if there was any trace of dishonest behind her glance. But there was nothing. She looked at him with such longing and pain that he knew she was telling the truth. Her lies were never that effective. And it was Gwen. That explained everything.
"And how do you expect to find Sansa?" Jaime wondered. "Did you think about that?"
"Not whilst I was trying to save Brienne, no," Jaime asked her. He knew her to be brash. She had been foolish in saying what she could do, but Jaime understood why she had done it. She panicked and she didn't want any deaths on her hands.
"You'll need help," he sighed to her. "I'll come with you and find her."
"You can't," Gwen defied him. "If anyone were to see that you were with me and they told the Brotherhood then they would kill Brienne."
"You told them to give you thirty five days, didn't you?" Jaime wondered from her.
"Yes." She agreed.
"Then they will not kill her until that day. Lady Stark may have changed but she is no fool. She will think you are befriending me...trying to worm your way into my bed before you kill me. It would make it easier. If she doesn't know what we are doing then nothing shall come from this. Besides, the Brotherhood is no threat. I could go and swamp them out now."
"She would have Brienne killed as soon as possible if you did that," Gwen said to him. "We cannot risk her life."
"Do you think that her life means that much to me?" Jaime wondered and he picked up the material which Pod had brought him.
"It should," Gwen said. "You were the one who told us to go and find Lady Sansa."
"I did, didn't I?" Jaime simply muttered back before moving over to Gwen. He took her by the wrist, his fingers around her skin causing her pulse to quicken as she sat back down on the bed. Jaime said nothing as he set about holding her arm in the sling, tying it awkwardly yet delicately around her neck as he pulled her hair over her shoulder. She noted the golden hand which sat on a makeshift desk and she watched it with interest as Jaime followed her gaze, his one hand holding her golden locks.
"It holds a shield for me." Jaime told her. "It's clumsy but necessary."
"I can see," Gwen said. "I heard the rumours around Kings Landing," she changed the topic. "About your brother and your sister."
"And the death of father no doubt," Jaime said back to her and she nodded. "None of it matters now. People die and it has been a while. Tyrion has gone missing and Cersei...she...she brought her misery on herself."
"I don't know what to say," Gwen admitted to him and he shrugged nonchalantly, his hand still running through her hair slowly as she relaxed against his hold, her back against his chest.
"There is nothing to say," he promised her. "What is done is done. Besides, I have hardly been in Kings Landing. Cersei sent me to Riverrun. I refused to be the Hand of the King and she couldn't stand the sight of me. Although she couldn't really stand the sight of me ever since...well...you came into my life."
Gwen instantly turned her head to look at him and Jaime shrugged again at her. He moved his hand to her cheek, running it down to her neck as she studied his face. She took in his square, stubborn set jaw along with the stubble forming there. His forehead was wrinkled and his gaze was watching her as she drank him in once again.
"I am grateful to see you," Gwen told him. "But I'm scared for you. I'm scared that I could have gotten you killed."
"No," Jaime told her. "You did what you thought you had to."
"I know," Gwen mumbled softly and brought her own hands up to Jaime's face, running her hands from his cheeks and into his air. He gulped loudly as he did so and Gwen felt herself move closer to him.
Gwen drew her lips closer to his but she stopped as soon as a sudden moan was heard. She stiffened and sat up straight whilst Jaime silently groaned. He kept his eyes closed for a moment as he cursed his squire.
"That would be Peck," Jaime mumbled to Gwen and she looked to the wall of the tent as another moan entered their ears. Jaime chuckled and said nothing as he knew that rest was imperative for Gwen. She looked terrible and Jaime knew she had to be tired. "A serving girl I met and brought along on the journey. Pia, she is called. Maester Qyburn sent her to me when I was in Harrenhal."
"Why?" Gwen wondered from him and Jaime shook his head.
"He thought that she would be a kind distraction for me. I'd just come around from the fever and he thought I needed something to help loosen me up," Jaime explained to Gwen and she instantly looked put out. Jaime chuckled and shook his head, moving his hand to her hip. "It was the night you and I had an argument about how you could not come with me. I'm afraid I was most unpleasant to her. She had a curt encounter with me yet her and Peck have been inseparable and she has suffered misery at Harrnehal."
Gwen said nothing for a few moments, thinking of what he had just told her before an amused grin found her features.
"You took pity on her?" Gwen wondered from him. "That doesn't sound like something you would do."
"It seems I've done many things which aren't normal of me," Jaime grumbled. He had been told often enough by everyone that even he didn't know who he used to really be. "You need to get some rest, Gwen. You can have this bed."
"I need to keep going," Gwen protested. "I need to find Sansa and then go back for Brienne."
"You can do nothing when you are moments away from collapsing," Jaime said to her simply and she shook her head at him.
"I will be fine. I can sleep whilst riding."
"And break your other arm?"
"I'll be careful."
"You've never been careful before," Jaime reminded her. "It's not up for argument, Gwen. You will go to sleep and I will come and help find Sansa in the morning."
"It's a waste of time," Gwen said. "We need to act quickly."
"So you don't intend to sleep for thirty five days?" Jaime wondered and she kept silent for a moment, her lips pursed together as she knew that Jaime was right. As per usual. She said nothing as another groan entered the tent and Jaime shook his head.
"I've had to live with this for months," he told her. "They'll stop soon enough. Now get some rest, Gwen, or do I have to force you to sleep?"
"You're insufferable sometimes," Gwen complained. "That hasn't changed, has it?"
"Apparently not," Jaime muttered in agreement with her as she managed a small smile and he kissed her gently on the forehead, his hand pressed firmly on the side of her head.
"We will ride early tomorrow," Jaime promised her. "Try to sleep."
Gwen said nothing as her breath hitched in her throat and she felt him pull back from her and stand, moving back to the makeshift desk in the corner. Gwen watched hesitantly for a few moments before she dared to lay down on the bed on her back, her arm still in the sling.
Jaime looked at the letter which he continued to hold on his table before he heard Gwen snore loudly. Turning his head over his shoulder he looked back at Gwen who was snoring and he chuckled, remembering the time she had denied that she did. He smirked and glanced at the letter from his sister and then back to Gwen.
Both of them were in need of his help.
As he looked back at Gwen he felt his hand move closer to the flame from his candle before he placed the letter against the small yellow fire and he watched as it turned into nothing but ash in front of his eyes.
It seemed that only one of them held his affection.
...
A/N: So I didn't want to leave you in suspense for too long! So thank you to Yakitori-Chan, Jofrench22, x XRoweenaJAugustineX x, chaz, KingofTruands and kblatz for reviewing the previous chapter! So Gwen has a plan but we need to see how it will play out...
Do let me know what you think!