"How did your beloved Sansa take the news that you're working with me?" Jaime whispered once the middle of the night had fallen upon them. There was no light in the room and he could just about make out the outline of Gwen's face. She lay next to him, her body close to his as the pair of them hid under the thick furs. The air was cold in the evening and the fire had gone out. They both found themselves too cosy under the covers to move and rectify the situation and so they remained in the cool air.
"She wasn't best pleased," Gwen whispered softly to him, her warm breath hitting Jaime's cheek as he moved his stump out and rested it on her waist. He had to admit that he was always shocked when she didn't flinch. It was as if nothing bothered her.
"I managed to talk her round. She's still hesitant but she trusts me. I trust you so everything turns out for the best in the end. I said nothing about what you did to Bran." Gwen paused for a moment as she heard Jaime inhale sharply and he closed his eyes. He felt the bed move as she wormed herself closer to him and rested her hand on his neck.
"But I told her what you did on the journey. How you helped me when Hoat...well he..."
"It's fine," Jaime told her, not wanting her to remember what had happened to her. "You don't need to think about, Gwen."
"I used to wake up," Gwen spoke and she rolled onto her back, Jaime's arm then resting across her stomach. "I wake up screaming. Brienne normally awakes and shakes me to sense. But there are some nights when I don't scream," Gwen paused, her voice tortured and strained. "Those are the worst nights. The nights when I see it happening...when I see them...and there's nothing I can do. There is nothing that I can do to stop it, no matter how hard I scream and cry and beg."
"Sh, sh, sh," Jaime urged her as her voice became hysterical and she took a deep, sharp breath before her head rolled on the pillow so that her eyes met his again. "They're not here, Gwen. It's just you and me. They are all gone."
"There were some days," Gwen whispered to him. "Some days when we were travelling and we passed some places which were horrible...places I've never dreamed of seeing...and I'd see a man who looked like one of them. I'd see them leering as if they'd never seen a girl before and I couldn't understand why. I couldn't understand why it was me. I had never held anyone's attention before. I thought it was supposed to be a nice thing. I'd heard of how your sister held every man's attention and I wondered how nice it would feel...to be looked at and admired...but now...now it repulses me. I'd rather be invisible and never noticed again."
Jaime didn't know what to feel as he listened to her. He didn't know what to say back to her. Did he reassure her? Did he comfort her once more? Or did he just keep quiet and allow the darkness to swallow her words up?
"As long as I am with you," Jaime whispered, his voice nothing more than a small sound in the darkness, "then nothing shall harm you. No one shall lay a finger on you and no one shall hurt you like Hoat's men did."
"We both suffered that time, Jaime," Gwen replied and she shook her head, realising that she should not burden him with her problems. He shouldn't concern himself with them when there were bigger worries to be held. "You shouldn't have to listen to me."
"I know I shouldn't," Jaime replied to him. "I am well aware that I am a Lannister and I do not need to listen to you. But I want to listen to you, Gwen. You know that I want to."
"And you say my affection is deeper than yours," Gwen reminded him, trying to bring a lightness back to the tone. Jaime chuckled darkly and propped himself up, resting his head in his hand as he bent his elbow and looked down at Gwen.
"I think it is safe to say your affection is much deeper than mine," Jaime informed her. He took another moment to think as he looked down at Gwen in the darkness. "You're safe with me." Jaime replied to her. "They won't hurt you."
"I know," Gwen mumbled and looked up to him as he hovered over her. "What did Lord Baelish say to you exactly?" Gwen changed the conversation and Jaime sighed heavily, dropping his head downwards to look at the mattress of the bed as he watched Gwen in the darkness.
"He simply wants Lady Sansa so that he can claim more territory. I do worry why he told me his plan. He always prided himself on being secretive which is why I am concerned about what will happen. He won't let us take her. The way he spoke about her was almost like he was devoted to her."
"She told me that he hasn't touched her," Gwen whispered. "Simply leers. But...I know what leering can lead to. We need to take her away from here. He kissed her before and I know she doesn't love him. He is far too old for her."
"You do know that I am more than yen years older than you?" Jaime checked with her and she shrugged awkwardly. "I know I may not look it but I certainly am."
"Oh how your ego knows no bounds," Gwen complained to him. "But that is not the point. The point is that I don't trust him at all. Did you see the way he looked at her? It was as if she is nothing more than a possession. I'm worried for her. I don't know why he would care for Sansa as much as he does."
"She is a fair looking girl," Jaime replied. "He is a man. I have been told that is the way of men. I wouldn't honestly know, considering I've only cared for two women before."
"It is completely wrong, Jaime," Gwen complained. "And if he won't let us take Sansa back then what are we supposed to do?"
"What are we supposed to do if we take her back?" Jaime retorted. "You'd spend your days living with Sansa and Arya if you could. You'd protect them from anything in this war."
"Of course I would," Gwen replied. "They're just girls, Jaime. I know they are seen as women but they are just girls."
"You would make an excellent mother," Jaime informed her and she went silent for a moment, the air turning still around the pair of them as Gwen looked to the ceiling above her and inhaled sharply. Jaime watched her for a moment, moving his head on his hand as he popped his lips and waited for her to respond to him.
"Did I say something wrong?" Jaime wondered from her and she shook her head.
"No...it's just...I've never thought of having children...well...especially not now..." Gwen whispered and Jaime arched a brow, slightly confused at what he was hearing from her mouth. "Ever since they raped me I have not had my moon's blood." Gwen whispered to him and turned to find his green glaze which held no emotion. He looked at her with a blank expression and Gwen wondered what he was thinking.
"You're barren?" Jaime checked with her and she bit down on her bottom lip.
"It is looking like I am," she replied in a small whisper and Jaime took a deep breath before moving closer to her and dropping his arm, managing to wrap it around her shoulders without upsetting her broken arm. She could feel how close he was to her in the darkness as he bent his arm around her shoulders and rested his hand on her upper arm, running it along the material which sat there.
"You never said anything before," he informed her and she snorted loudly at hearing him, her forehead bumping against his.
"It isn't exactly the kind of thing which you bring up, is it?" she replied. "Besides, I haven't really had chance to think about it...and by the time I actually do marry...even if I marry...I will probably be too old to have children then...no, I don't want to think about it. It's just something else which has been taken from me."
"Perhaps the Gods will give you a blessing one day," Jaime said and Gwen said nothing but remained sceptical at that.
"They haven't favoured me before. I don't see why they will start to try now, to be honest," Gwen spoke and Jaime shook his head, wondering why this had happened to her. It was just another cruel thing in this game.
"You never know," Jaime said. "In the meantime you have Sansa and Arya to worry about."
"That is true," Gwen nodded in agreement with him and he forced himself to smile at her. He noted how she moved a hand to push her hair from her face and he took a few seconds to recover his thoughts.
"You know that the chance of actually making it out with Sansa is slim, don't you?" Jaime checked from her. "Baelish has his men guarding this castle like a fort."
"But there will be a way, won't there?" Gwen responded. "We can't let Brienne die, can we?"
"Obviously not," Jaime said. "For some reason unbeknownst to me you seem to care for the wench."
"You do too," Gwen reminded him.
"I would hardly admit it," he replied. "Anyway, I will think of something. I'm clever like that."
"I don't doubt it," Gwen yawned loudly as tiredness came over her. "But we have to do something and soon. We have to travel back across lands and the Gods only know how long that will take us. We could try and sneak her out somehow?"
"That's the only thing we have left to do. I can threaten him with the wrath of the King...I don't know if it will work but I can only hope it will," Jaime mumbled. "Tommen is a Lannister but Littlefinger seems to have grown too big for his boots."
"Maybe he just needs bringing back down," Gwen spoke.
"The question is how," Jaime replied to her.
"And that is where we are stuck. If your smart tongue cannot get us out of this then I doubt my smart mouth would help. I saw the way he looked at me. He sees me as competition for Lady Sansa...when he put his hand on her back...it was as if he was marking his territory."
"He probably was," Jaime replied. "Men are like that. I know that I wouldn't let anyone near Cersei apart from her husband...but...it pained me..."
"Thank you for reminding me of your sister," Gwen mumbled.
"I was just using her as an example," Jaime said. "No need to get jealous, Gwen."
"I'm not jealous."
"You sounded jealous."
"Shut up."
"You're in denial, obviously," Jaime said and she snorted, moving her hand to nudge him on the chest and she felt the bare skin there from where his shirt had been unlaced.
"Of course," Gwen said sarcastically. "We need to be serious, Jaime."
"I hate it when you're serious all the time," Jaime complained to her and Gwen groaned. "How did I manage to get myself involved in this? Why did you have to agree to kill me?"
"I told you not to come," Gwen reminded him. "But you're here now and we need to think of something. Surely you can say something? Tell him that The King will take back the Vale and Harrenhal."
"He will know my threat is empty. He knows that we know who Sansa is. I told him that we wouldn't say anything as long as we got to take her back to her mother. Her identity would still be hidden. I suppose we could threaten to oust her and take her back to the capital. If I send word to the King then he will demand her return."
"And we could pretend," Gwen said and she sat up from the bed and left the warmth of Jaime's hold as he propped himself up on his elbow once again. "We could pretend to be taking her back to the capital but go back to Lady Stark. No one would question you, would they? Littlefinger would fear for his power but he'd have no choice but to give her back unless he wanted to die."
"It is worth a try," Jaime said. "He won't listen to anything else that I say. Threatening him seems the only way."
"We will go to him first thing in the morning," Gwen said and she sighed in relief. Jaime nodded, refusing to get his hopes up on the matter as he ran his hand down Gwen's back and then rested back in the bed.
"Get some sleep," Jaime urged her. "We'll discuss this in the morning."
"Fine," Gwen said and she settled back down, her back facing Jaime before he snaked his arm around her waist and pressed her back flush against his chest. "Can you not sleep alone?" Gwen wondered, not really complaining with his closeness.
"Do you want me to?"
"Not particularly."
"Then stop moaning," Jaime urged her.
"I'm not moaning. I was asking a question."
"In a tone of moaning."
"Go to sleep, Jaime," Gwen finally muttered and moved her hand to lace in his.
"Yes, Gwen," Jaime agreed with a smirk and he finally closed his eyes and let sleep find him again.
...
Jaime was awake and dressed by the time Gwen opened her eyes. She turned to find him sat at the desk, draining water and eating bacon as she stirred. She rolled in the bed, her arm outstretched before she sat up. She pulled her garment back up her body to cover where it had fallen down.
"There's bacon and sausage along with some porridge," Jaime told her. "Although the bacon will probably be gone by the time you get here."
"Hmm," Gwen mumbled, knowing that her hair was limp and messed up around her head. She pushed herself from the bed and moved over to look down at the food on the desk. Jaime watched as her hair fell into her face and she picked up a piece of sausage and chewed it. He moved quickly and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to sit on his lap.
"I can stand."
"I prefer this." Jaime assured her and she grabbed another piece of sausage as Jaime ate the bacon. "Lord Baelish has requested my presence this morning. He says that Lady Stone has requested yours in her chambers."
"When?" Gwen wondered, pulling at her dress once more as Jaime finished eating the bacon and helped her to lace it up again.
"As soon as you are dressed," Jaime spoke. "Besides, how many times have I had to lace you into this dress? Your blue one was never this much hassle."
"Apparently Lannisters like red and they like to be awkward," Gwen informed him.
"Not all Lannisters." Jaime said as he finished the dress and Gwen winced at the initial pain of the tightness of the dress. "Just some Lannisters."
"I should probably go then," Gwen said, wiping her hand on her dress before she moved off from Jaime's lap and checked her reflection in the mirror. She dragged a hand through her curls and allowed them to hang over one shoulder. "Where does Lady Sansa reside?"
"I'll show you on the way to Baelish." Jaime promised her and the pair of them left the room side by side. Jaime directed Gwen to Sansa's chambers and Gwen knocked on a door before being told to enter. She walked in slowly and saw Lady Sansa sat at her dresser, still wearing her nightgown.
"Gwen," she forced herself to smile before turning to look at the maid. Gwen took a moment to watch her and then closed the door. "I'm glad you came."
"Of course I came," Gwen said. "Jaime has gone to see Lord Baelish. Apparently you wanted to see me."
"I did," Sansa nodded at her. "He won't let me go with you, Gwen."
"I know," the maid said and she moved to Sansa, leaning around her and taking hold of the hairbrush which sat on the wooden surface. She began to move it slowly down Sansa's curls as the young woman remained still in her seat.
"Jaime is going to try and get you out of this mess. Apparently Lord Baelish has plans for you," Gwen said and Sansa closed her eyes, wincing as she heard that piece of information. "He wants you to reclaim Winterfell. No doubt for his own benefit."
"If my mother is alive then all I want is to see her...and Arya...even Jon...I have heard no word from Bran and Rickon but I know that Robb was killed," Sansa said. "Joffrey always said that he'd bring me his head on a spike."
"I need to tell you that your mother is not who you think she is," Gwen said. "But...no doubt she won't hurt you. You're her daughter."
"I know," Sansa said. "But I have to see her, Gwen. I have to get back to her."
"I understand, Sansa," Gwen said, dropping the formalities. "We will wait to see what Jaime says when he comes back."
"Do you think it will be good news?" Sansa worried and Gwen held the brush in her hands in the air as she looked down at Sansa. The young Stark turned to look up at the maid as she finished brushing her hair.
"I don't know," Gwen admitted.
"I can't stay here, Gwen," Sansa said. "Not now I know that I have you and possibly mother...and Lord Baelish...he has been kind to me but I don't know what to think about him. He says that I remind him of my mother when she was younger. I don't like the way he looks at me and I know that I am probably being naive and foolish but there is something..."
"You are not being foolish," Gwen assured her and bent down to Sansa's height, her knees bending as she steadied herself by resting her hand on the dresser. "You are learning to trust your instincts. It is a skill which no one can undervalue."
"When he kissed me," Sansa whispered, "it was nothing like I wanted. I thought that knights in shining armour were supposed to whisk you off your feet. I thought that there were gallant men...but Joffrey was not that and Lord Tyrion was kind yet not one who I could love. I've been foolish. I've been stupid to think that it does exist."
"It does," Gwen replied as tears began to fall from Sansa's eyes. "Love does exist, Sansa. You are still so young and you have time to find it. Believe me, heartbreak is a part of growing up."
"Like you and the farm boy?" Sansa sniffed and Gwen nodded. Her chest didn't heave at the mention of him. Nothing happened, for she knew that she had moved on from Beren.
"Exactly," Gwen nodded sternly.
"And now you have Jaime and you love him, don't you?" Sansa checked and Gwen shook her head. She wished it was that simple. She wished it was as simple as Lady Sansa made it out to be. But it wasn't.
"He's a member of the Kingsguard."
"He could give up the cloak."
"I could not ask him to do that for me," Gwen said. "Besides, I doubt he loves me. There is no denying that he cares but love is a different story."
"I think he loves you," Sansa persisted and Gwen smiled gently and shook her head, moving to rest her hand on Sansa's pale cheek.
"We need to get you dressed," Gwen diverted the conversation. "Come on."
Sansa did as she was commanded and Gwen helped to change her into a dark blue gown, the collar of it lined with fur to protect her from the cold. Once she had finished dressing her Sansa told her that they could go and wait in the library. Apparently she had adopted it as one of her favourite places to go to for she knew she could be alone there. Gwen didn't resist, deciding to take hold of Sansa's arm and move by her side through the darkened corridors.
Gwen sat by Sansa's side in the afternoon as the young girl told her of Littlefinger's plans. She heard of how he had been the one to kill Lysa Tully and how he wanted the demise of Cersei in Kings Landing. She heard of how he was wanted back in Kings Landing for the finances had gone to ruins. Apparently Cersei had demanded it but he had not gone back yet. Gwen wondered if they could play on that, hoping that something would come out of Jaime's meeting with him.
An hour must have passed before the door to the library opened and Jaime entered; his face pale and blank as Gwen stood up, eager to hear of his news.
"He refuses to go back to Kings Landing. I told him that I would take Sansa back but he refused. He told me that the Lannisters have no power and that he was not frightened of me alone when he has an entire guard protecting him. I have no idea where my men are but they are no match for Baelish," Jaime shook his head in disbelief.
"Perhaps if I go and talk to him-"
"-No," Jaime interrupted her. "I will not have you anywhere near him. I told him that Catelyn Stark was alive. He could travel with us to see. But he thinks it is a trick to bring him back to the Capital. He thinks that as soon as we leave the Vale then the Kingsguard will hunt him down for hiding a traitor."
"Why would we lie about this?" Gwen complained. "Why would we even bother?"
"No one trusts anyone," Jaime complained. "Especially in this place."
"So there is nothing that you can do?" Sansa piped up, looking at Gwen and then back to Jaime. "Perhaps if I talk to him then I can persuade him that this is for the best. Surely he wants me to be happy."
"He wants to use you as a pawn," Jaime said harshly to Sansa. "You are nothing to him but a pawn."
"Jaime," Gwen snapped at his biting tone and he shrugged at her. "There's no need to be vindictive about it."
"I'm being honest," Jaime replied. "Baelish is much too clever to let her go when he knows he can have Winterfell. Besides, if Lady Stark was alive then why is she not at Winterfell now and reigning over it?"
"You know why," Gwen reminded him. "She's leading the Brotherhood without Banners. Winterfell is not under the Stark's control now."
"But it could be," Jaime said. "If Baelish has his way then it will be."
"And so what do we do now?" Gwen wondered. "Is there anything that we can do?"
"There has to be," Sansa cried out. "I cannot stay here when my mother is alive and well! I cannot do it, Gwen!"
"Keep your voice down," Jaime scolded her. "Baelish is no fool and neither are his spies."
"His spies do not bother me," Sansa snapped back. "I shall speak to him. I can try and change his mind. I have to do something. Staying here will drive me crazy."
"I know," Gwen promised her and she moved over to Sansa, sitting next to her on the seat and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. Jaime watched how she made the movement with ease and comforted the young girl in her hold. He couldn't help but think of how she would make an excellent mother. The way she treated the girls was how Jaime imagined his mother would have been with him. He had a vague recollection of her before she had been snatched from him. He'd never truly known love or compassion for it was something which his father rarely offered him. No. It was something which he had only found in Cersei
Jaime moved around the room, looking at the books which sat on the shelves and he wondered how he could manage to sneak out from the castle with Sansa in tow. Baelish would have extra men surrounding her now, Jaime didn't doubt it. And there was only him and Gwen who could get her out.
All sets of eyes turned to look at the door as it opened and Lord Baelish walked in quickly, his eyes darting around the three of them and he sneered slightly as he saw that Sansa was crying.
"There is no need for tears, my dear," he informed Sansa who sniffed loudly and continued to sit beside Gwen.
"Lord Baelish," Gwen dared to speak and Jaime closed his eyes, wincing slightly as she did so. "If you would let us take Lady Sansa with us back to Lady Stark then you would be saving a life."
"I have heard all about this life," he informed her. "Brienne of Tarth. She is a long way from home, isn't she? I'm afraid that there is nothing I can do for the knight. Besides, I don't fully believe your story."
"I do," Sansa piped up. "I believe Gwen, my Lord. I have known her for years. She would not lie to me. Besides, you say my mother is an old friend, do you not? If she is then surely you would want to see her alive and well."
"Of course," Baelish responded coolly. "But we both know that she died with your brother. She had her throat slit."
"And she is not the same woman," Gwen concluded. "But she does live. We have no desire to harm Lady Sansa-"
"-No," Baelish drawled. "You had the Kingslayer come to me and threaten me with her return to Kings Landing if I did not agree to let her leave. It wasn't exactly believable considering I saw you with Lady Sansa. You would never take her back for punishment. So tell me, why do you want her to go with you?"
"We have told you," Jaime said between clenched teeth as he pulled a book from the shelf and began to flick through it, scanning the pages.
"Yes, you have," Baelish said. "Yet I need Lady Sansa more than you. One life is irrelevant to me."
"I will come back," Sansa snapped quickly to Baelish. "I will return once I have seen my mother. But I have to go to her. I have to go and see her."
"Unacceptable," Baelish snapped and Jaime stepped closer to him.
"And what do you think will happen when we go back to Lady Stark and tell her that you have her daughter? Do you think she will be accommodating? Do you think she will leave you alone in this fortress?"
"And who knows you're here? No one." Baelish declared. "Besides, the Brotherhood without Banners is no match for the forces here. The Eyrie is impossible to take hold of."
"And when she learns that you killed her sister then I doubt she will be happy," Gwen snapped and Baelish found the smug look on his face faltering as Jaime arched a brow, placing the book back and going to stand behind Gwen. He took stance behind the seat which Gwen sat on and Baelish moved over the wooden floor to them.
"And she told you this, did she?" Baelish addressed Gwen but his eyes remained fixed on Sansa who was still avoiding his gaze. "That was foolish of her. Foolish indeed."
"Let her come with us," Gwen pleaded. "The Starks are the rightful heirs to Winterfell. Lady Stark will see to it that Sansa is restored there. You can work with her," Gwen said, her voice stronger than she felt. Jaime did nothing, wondering if Lady Stoneheart would work with Baelish. He knew Gwen was clutching at straws.
"I do not need to work with Catelyn," he responded. "Besides, if you tell her that I was the one who killed her sister then I doubt she would willingly ally with me."
"But-"
"-There is no more to this conversation," Baelish interrupted them and Gwen bit down on her tongue. "You and Ser Jaime shall leave here tomorrow morning when the sun rises. You shall go without Lady Sansa."
"Please," Sansa pleaded. "Please let me go."
"All of this is hypothetical, Sansa," Baelish told her and offered her his hand. She sat where she was and Gwen's grip increased on her as she refused to let her leave her hold. "I honestly doubt that it is your mother they are speaking of. Now come along, we have things which need doing."
"Please, Lord Baelish," Sansa pleaded.
"He won't listen," Jaime declared and he placed his hand on Gwen's shoulder, squeezing it gently. He watched as Baelish took hold of Sansa's hand and hauled her to her feet.
"My plans are in motion," he told Jaime. "Lady Sansa cannot go with you. Worry not. You shall maybe see her again when I have her restored to Winterfell."
Gwen said nothing as Sansa stood up and Jaime's hand remained clamped on her shoulder, keeping her sat still where she was.
"Now," he spoke, "Ser Jaime, you are more than welcome to go to the main hall and feast for the evening."
"How gracious," Jaime said; his tone one of sarcasm as Sansa began to plead with Lord Baelish once more and he walked her from the library. Gwen sat where she was as Jaime moved around the seat, his hand still on her shoulder before he sat next to her.
"We have to do something," Gwen whispered to Jaime and he nodded. He moved his hand to look at the bruise which still rested on her broken arm and he sighed, unable to look at her for he knew that he had failed her in his quest to get Lord Baelish to listen to him.
"I know," Jaime whispered to her. "I can think of a plan but it will be dangerous."
"Everything is," Gwen said and Jaime placed his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder by his neck and he rested his own cheek on top of her head.
...
Jaime refused to leave Gwen alone. He refused to leave her be in the castle and so every moment he spent planning the escape. But he spent it with her. She clutched onto his arm and held tightly to him as if her life depended on it. They wandered around, looking completely innocent to the untrained eye whilst Jaime thought of the best way to escape. He finally left her in their chamber and went for a stroll of his one, declaring he needed to get food but having ulterior motives.
"Her room is three corridors away from us," Jaime whispered to Gwen that evening. He kept his voice in a low hush as he sat at the desk and Gwen perched herself on his lap, looking down at the drawing he was making on a piece of parchment.
"I found a way through the window to get to her. The ledge runs all the way along."
"It is at least a thirty foot drop," Gwen mumbled, turning to look at his face in the candlelight as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"It isn't that risky," Jaime promised her. "I have no doubt that men will be guarding her door. We need to move quickly and swiftly. There's a vine outside our room to climb down. After that then we go to the stables and take a horse quickly."
"And how do you expect me to climb?" Gwen wondered and Jaime looked at her arm in the sling.
"With one hand," he said. "If not then I'll find a way to save you from yourself. We have to do it tonight, Gwen. There will be no other time."
"And as soon as Lord Baelish realises we're missing then he'll send a search party for us. How long will we last in this weather?"
"As long as we need to," Jaime assured her. "We reached here in less than a full day. We can get out at the same pace."
"Are you sure?" Gwen wondered from him and he nodded at her, drawing on the parchment once again as Gwen watched his hand, wondering how difficult it must have been to train to write with the left hand.
"I'm positive," Jaime said. "I'll get Lady Sansa and bring her back here. She'll be petrified of the climb but it's a risk she will have to take."
"If it gets her out of his clutches then I am sure she will be willing," Gwen agreed in a whisper. "What about the men patrolling outside?"
"What men?" Jaime smirked at her and Gwen arched a brow at hearing him as he chuckled, moving his hand to drop the quill and reach up for her face, stroking the blonde hair out from her eyes. "Some guards are easy to buy. You just need to study them and exam which ones have no honour."
"What did you promise them?"
"The usual gold," Jaime drawled.
"Very manipulative," Gwen mumbled.
"I'd like to think so," he whispered before pressing his lips against hers quickly. She smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her good arm around his broad shoulders and he pulled back for a moment, pressing his lips on the tip of her cold nose as she smiled at him.
"Do you think anyone is watching in the room?" Gwen whispered to him. "So that they know we've gone?"
"I've not seen anything," Jaime admitted. "I presume someone would have been listening at the door but they'll assume we're sleeping. This isn't like Kings Landing. Littlefinger thinks he has complete control here. Besides, he knows as well as we do that escaping is no easy feat."
"Let's just hope it's easier than we think," Gwen sighed and Jaime nodded at her.
"Let's hope so."
...
A/N: So only 5 reviews for the previous chapter! Thanks to chen, moonlight1ify, Sarai Hawke, x XRoweenaJAugustineX x and kay1104. I don't mean to leave it on a cliff-hanger with will they/won't they escape but it seems I have! Anyway, if you would review then it would mean an awful lot to me pretty please!