"My Lady! My Lady...wait...please!"
Sarah took a moment before she realised that someone was calling for her. She took a second to turn around and look back at the serving girl who was rushing towards her. She had her skirts in her hands, pulling up at them as Sarah watched her with a small smile.
She still held the jug to her hands, gripping it tightly in her fingertips as she watched the servant curtsey in front of her.
"I've been waiting for you to come up, my Lady," she responded to the girl. "I am sorry again...I should..."
"There has been no harm," Sarah promised her. "The man who taunted you is unconscious. I trust that it shall be safe for you to go down into the dungeon for Ser Jaime tonight."
"Yes, my Lady," the girl said and took the jug from Sarah's hands. The girl from royal blood watched as the servant girl nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and cradled the jug in her hands.
"If you ever need any help then don't hesitate to ask," Sarah informed her. "You don't need to fear me. I won't tell anyone of this occurrence."
"Thank you so much," the girl spoke.
"I suppose I should know your name." Sarah added on as the girl allowed one hand to fiddle with her creased skirts.
"Teresa," the girl said.
"And how old are you, Teresa?"
"Ten and two years," she responded and Sarah nodded. She had thought as much. Going into the dungeon was no job for a girl her age. Surely there were older servants who were more willing to go down there. Sarah supposed she should talk to Lady Stark.
And then she mentally scolded herself. Lady Stark would never want to speak to Sarah of the Kingslayer. He had pushed her son from a window and crippled him. She would not care one little bit for him, and Sarah couldn't blame her.
"Is there no one else to do your job?" Sarah wondered. "You are far too young to be in such a dark place."
The girl shook her head with haste. "There is only me, my Lady. Everyone else has a job in the kitchens. There aren't many of us nowadays...most of them are off in the encampment...helping the men as much as they can..."
Sarah bit down on her bottom lip and smiled gently to the girl;
"Well...my room is just past the Great Hall...if you ever need anything then let me know," Sarah told her. "And please, don't worry about being caught. I shall see to it that nothing will happen to you. You can believe me on that matter."
The girl seemed hesitant, knowing that it wasn't her place to question Sarah. She was a high born. She was noble. A serving girl did her job and that was it. She had never been treated in this manner. She supposed it was rather nice, but she didn't want to seem too complacent. She inclined her head and curtseyed again;
"Thank you, my Lady," she whispered. "I should get going to the kitchens...the Old Hag wants me there..."
"As you say," Sarah nodded and smiled.
The girl ran off and Sarah turned around, moving back down the corridors until she came to her chamber. She opened the door, shocked at the sight in front of her. Shireen was sat on the floor, a book in her hands as Catelyn sat on a chair behind her, leaning back as her hand rested underneath her chin.
She had a small smile on her face and a look of content in her eyes. Sarah couldn't quite understand why the woman was in such a state, but she said nothing, quietly shutting the door and causing Shireen to stop reading.
"Sarah," her sister smiled, "Lady Stark and me are reading. Do you want to join?"
Sarah shook her head as Shireen stood and hugged her around the waist.
"No, sweetling," Sarah replied. "I shall go for a walk in the gardens whilst you read. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"You're not interrupting," Catelyn said, moving to stand up and her eyes found Sarah's. A moment of doubt crossed Catelyn's mind as she took a moment to think. "Actually, I would like to speak to you, Lady Sarah. I trust your sister shall be safe here for a few moments."
Sarah looked to Shireen, a moment of disappointment crossing her sister's face. Sarah ran her hand down Shireen's hair and kissed her on the top of her head.
"We shall read when I come back," Sarah promised her sister.
"We shouldn't be too long," Catelyn replied; her hand on Shireen's shoulder before she led the way out of the room.
Sarah closed the door and winked to her sister, doing her best to keep Shireen's mind at ease. She spun around and followed behind Catelyn for a few moments. The Lady Stark slowed her pace so that she could walk besides Sarah, her hands clasped together as she took a few moments to think about what she was about to say.
She didn't know why. She just knew that she was being torn apart inside every day she was separated from her family. Every moment that passed hurt her more and more. She wanted to be back in Winterfell. She wanted the safety of Ned's arms in the cold mornings.
They entered the gardens and Catelyn adjusted the fur around the back of her neck as it tickled her skin. Sarah looked to the roses, remembering her time in the rose gardens in King's Landing.
"You love your sister very much, don't you?" Catelyn spoke to Sarah. "I can see how much you care for her. You worry for her at every given moment. It is much like a mother's love to a child."
Sarah hesitated for a few moments. "I spent most of my life raising Shireen. Mother...well...she had many miscarriages and she had no time for Shireen. I had no other option but to try and raise her. It wasn't very difficult. She is a sweet girl."
Catelyn smiled at hearing that before she took a seat on the bench at the end of the row of flowers. Sarah slowly moved to sit next to her, resting her hands in her lap.
"She is," Catelyn agreed. "You are both charming. There is no denying that."
Sarah couldn't help the unladylike scoff and snort. "I have been called many things before, Lady Stark. Believe me when I say that charming is not one of them."
Catelyn smirked limply as she heard that and she turned her gaze back to Sarah. "You would do anything if she was in trouble, wouldn't you?"
Sarah had an idea where the conversation was going. She knew that she shouldn't be discussing something like this with Catelyn. It was not her place to talk about the negotiations that had fallen through.
"Yes," Sarah said. There was no use in lying to her. "I have an idea where this conversation is going to."
"Do you?" Catelyn wondered, shaking her head and sighing loudly. "I am sorry. I shouldn't speak of it. My son is doing his best. He is right not to negotiate...he is right...of course he is..."
"Lord Robb is a good man," Sarah nodded. "He shall do the right thing by your daughters. If trading Jaime Lannister is not the right thing then he cannot be forced to do it."
Catelyn looked down to her lap and thought of Sansa; the perfect lady. And Arya...Arya had always been a deviant child. She had always done as she pleased, even if it went against her mother's wishes.
Sarah took another moment to observe Catelyn. She could see the turmoil she was going through at that moment in time. She could see the pain in her face.
"It is not your place to worry over me," Catelyn replied. "I don't know what I was thinking in questioning my son. He is the King in the North."
"You are his lady mother," Sarah informed her. "You are the woman who brought him into this world. You should always know best in his eyes...but...Robb is fighting a war. He is the King in the North. He has to do what he feels is right."
"Yes," Catelyn muttered. "I am sorry, Lady Sarah-"
"-Nonsense," Sarah shook her head. "You have been so kind to me, Lady Stark. The least I can do to repay you is to listen to your worries. They aren't without foundations."
Catelyn took a moment before she rested her hand on Sarah's arm;
"You are a lovely girl, Lady Sarah. I admit that I was cautious when you came to Winterfell. You did seem rather sour all the time...yet...now you have changed. I cannot describe it. You would have made a good wife for Robb."
Sarah didn't want to tell her that she doubted that. She never had wanted to marry Robb, and even seeing him now, nothing had changed.
"I believe your son is to wed a Frey girl, is he not?" Sarah checked, making sure she had heard the gossip correctly.
"He is," Catelyn nodded and stood up. "Alas, I do not think now is the time to talk of marriage. We should head inside before it gets dark. I am sure there shall be a fine feast for this evening."
...
Jaime closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wooden post. He had hardly expected to see Sarah again so soon. Yet she came to him that night. She had another jug of water and some bread in her hands. He hadn't seen the young girl from earlier, and the man next door was still unconscious. It wouldn't surprise Jaime if he was dead.
"You really are eager, aren't you?" Jaime spoke to Sarah as soon as the guard had left them.
The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head. She had seen Teresa on her way to give Jaime his supper. Sarah had intercepted her, telling her that she would go for the evening. There were still some thoughts that were running through her mind. Thoughts she needed answering by Jaime.
"Tell me, is it my good looks or my charming wit that keep you coming back?"
"Neither," Sarah promised him. "I want to know why you did it."
"Why I did what?" Jaime wondered after draining the water she had pressed to his lips.
"Why you drank the tea," she responded. "I deserve to know why you drank it."
Jaime rolled his eyes. Were they back onto this conversation? Honestly, he didn't think it was important. Why did she? He had no idea.
"I know the difference between right and wrong, Sarah," Jaime informed her. "Do not think me a fool."
"Do you consider it right to push a boy from the window?"
Jaime groaned as he heard the mention of the boy. He wondered how long it would be until that was forgotten. He doubted it would be quick.
"And have you ever stopped to consider what would have happened if the boy had gone running off to dead Ned? Do you have any idea what would have happened then?" Jaime replied, tired of listening to the crimes he had committed. In his eyes he had done nothing that was not justifiable. "Dear King Robert would have had Cersei and her children strung up outside of King's Landing. My father would have declared war for that act."
"We are already at war."
"We weren't back then," Jaime replied. "Do not play dense, Sarah. I did what I did for love. Surely anyone else would have done the same."
Sarah took a few moments to study him as he chewed on a slice of bread. She wondered if he was being serious. No one in their right mind would have pushed a child out of the window. But then she looked into his eyes. He wasn't joking. He was deadly serious in what he was saying.
He had done it out of love.
He was trying to protect his lover and children.
Sarah gulped and looked down to her lap;
"You said her children," Sarah whispered.
Jaime arched a brow and watched as Sarah dabbed a small cloth in the jug of water. She slowly pulled it back out and ran it over Jaime's dirtied face.
"Is that all you took out of that declaration?" he asked from her. "Besides, do you honestly believe that anyone wants to claim Joffrey as their child? I knew the boy was trouble months ago."
"He is your bastard son," Sarah replied.
"Thank you for pointing out something all of the Seven Kingdoms already know," Jaime replied, his tone laden with sarcasm. "Now, I assume you aren't down here to talk about why I pushed some small boy from a window."
"I told you why I was down here," Sarah replied to him. "I want to know why-"
"-I already told you why I drank your tea," Jaime snapped back as an interruption. "You are after something more, aren't you, Sarah? What do you want to hear? I did it because I cared for you? I did it because I had grown fond of you?"
She didn't know what she wanted to hear. That was the issue she faced. She knew that there was some kindness inside of him. There had to be. He simply concealed it very well.
"I do not know what I want to hear," Sarah responded.
Jaime felt the cool cloth move over his face, the dirt slowly peeling from his pale skin as she rinsed it over the jug. He observed her for another moment, trying to deduce what she wanted from him. He simply couldn't see.
"I do have a query," Jaime spoke. "How have negotiation talks being progressing? I heard a rumour that some cousins of mine were in Riverrun. I have no idea why. The Wolf King has taken a fancy to me. I think he likes having me around."
Sarah snorted at hearing that.
"Robb would rather see you six feet under," Sarah promised him. "He just knows that it would not be beneficial for that to happen."
Jaime smirked at the effect he had on the King in the North.
"So?" he urged her. "Has he done anything to secure my release? I grow tired of sitting in my own filth."
Sarah shook her head. "He does not think that it is a fair negotiation. You in exchange for two girls. He sees it as-"
"-And his mother?" Jaime interrupted. "I saw the Lady Stark's fury when I told her what I had done to her son. She is protective over her children. If she had her way then I assume I would be on my way to King's Landing right now."
"Lady Stark is entitled to her own opinion," Sarah replied, trading carefully. "I do not know what she thinks of this matter, nor do you."
"I have an idea," Jaime replied in a drawl. "And can you stop eating my bread? You do know that I am only fed bread?"
"I know," Sarah replied as she swallowed the bit she had been chewing. "Anyway, eat this and then I should leave."
"You should," Jaime replied. "I know that you don't want to leave."
"Why do you think that?" Sarah wondered and she stood up, straightening out her blue skirts.
"You keep finding reasons to come back down here," Jaime informed her. "Have you warmed to me?"
"You really do hold yourself in high regard," Sarah responded to him. "Perhaps it is you who enjoys my company? You seem to trick me into thinking I want to stay...when I don't...perhaps you just cannot say that you want me to stay."
"Now who is flattering themselves?" Jaime replied, his lips tugging upwards as Sarah moved from the cell.
"Goodnight, Jaime," Sarah spoke dully.
Jaime watched her go again before he chuckled and closed his eyes one more time. If only he knew then that he would be free within the next week. He would have been incredibly joyful.
...
A/N: Just another filler chapter until we get to the point of freeing Jaime! Also meet Brienne in the next chapter. Thanks to everyone reading and let me know what you think.