Sarah didn't know how long she had been kept in the dungeon for. Darkness was all that shrouded her, the only light coming when a man brought her enough food to keep her alive. There had been a limited supply of water and Sarah had lapped it up as soon as she had been given it. She had no idea what was happening, nor was she told anything regarding Jaime or Brienne.

It wasn't until the female knight came down did Sarah speak to someone. Brienne had come down to the dungeon one afternoon to tell Sarah what was happening. Apparently she had slipped past the guards who were under strict orders to keep Sarah under lock and key.

"Brienne?" Sarah checked; her mouth watering once more as she looked to the light which had stopped outside of her cell. Sarah pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over to wrap her hands around the bars.

Brienne looked at the state of her, noting how her hair was in disarray around her face and dirt covered her pale skin. Her dress was filthy and she smelt worse than Jaime had done before he had decided to bathe.

"Lady Sarah," Brienne spoke and moved into the skirts of her dress where she had concealed a flagon of water. She pulled it out from the garish pink material, handing it over to Sarah and the girl took it with haste, draining the liquid down her throat and a sense of satisfaction ran through her.

"What is happening?" Sarah asked, wiping away a drop of water which had trailed down her cheek. "Has Lord Bolton done anything to you?"

"You have no reason to fear for me, Lady Sarah," Brienne promised her with a small curl of her lip. "I came here to see how you are...I...well...I was concerned."

Sarah could feel her face scrunching together in confusion at the woman's words, but she nodded once, gulping loudly before taking another swig of water and leaning against the wall at the side of the bars of the prison.

"And Jaime?" Sarah wondered. "Lord Bolton has clearly gone against the Starks and has changed his allegiance."

"That is true enough I fear," Brienne agreed with Sarah, doing her best not to sound too disgusted. But Brienne did not serve the Starks. She served Lady Catelyn and she had been tasked with a job which she intended to follow through on.

"Jaime has been taken ill with a fever." Brienne suddenly informed Sarah and the girl did her best to remain neutral on what she had just been told. It took another moment before Brienne continued. "The maester says that he should be well soon enough, but I thought that I should tell you. He also told me...well..."

"What?" Sarah wondered and Brienne shook her head.

Was it in her place for her to tell Sarah? Did Jaime want anyone else to know that he had killed the Mad King for a good reason? Brienne still could not quite understand what she had heard. She never thought that there was more to Jaime than what he let on. How wrong she had been, but she had no intention to tell Sarah his story when their time was so precious.

"Jaime will tell you another day perhaps," Brienne shook her head, looking behind her to make sure that no one was listening in. "I only came down here to tell you what Lord Bolton intends to do with you. Jaime does not know yet, but we have been summoned to dinner with him tonight."

"And what does he intend to do?" Sarah asked back, sinking down the wall as she felt her knees grow weak. She curled into a ball and Brienne bent down by her side, knowing that the girl was not cut out for all of the horrors she had seen. She was far too innocent to comprehend any of it.

"He is sending you to King's Landing," Brienne whispered into the darkness. "Lord Bolton is sending you to King's Landing, but he is riding to The Twins for a wedding between the Starks and the Freys."

Sarah's brow furrowed and she shook her head, recalling the slight bit of gossip she had heard. Robb Stark had married someone else. He had fallen for another woman who was no Frey. His uncle would marry in his place, but something was out of place.

"There is something wrong," Sarah replied back to Brienne. "Why would Lord Bolton send me to the Lannisters and not to Robb if he was on his side? How does any of this make any sense? What will he do with Jaime?"

Brienne shrugged and looked Sarah straight in the eye, both of them well aware that there was something more happening. There was something which the pair of them did not know about, but they knew that they would make it their mission to find out soon enough.

"I think he intends to return Ser Jaime to King's Landing," Brienne said and Sarah bit down on her lip.

It was then when she looked at Brienne, fear building in her eyes as she did so. She knew that the female knight had a job to do, but she had to find out what Lord Bolton was plotting at the same time. Sarah knelt in front of Brienne, wrapping her hands around the bars as she looked pleadingly onto the woman.

"You need to ride to The Twins," Sarah spoke.

"No," Brienne said. "I have to bring the Stark girls back-"

"-And do you think the Queen will allow for you to take them? They are her leverage. Something is not right, Brienne. Why would Lord Bolton attend a wedding if he served the Lannisters?" Sarah asked and Brienne had to admit that she had no answer to her question. "The Stark girls only chance to leave King's Landing is if they are snuck out and...well...I don't think Lord Bolton would let you leave Harrenhal and continue on your way if he is truly on the Lannisters side. Think about it, he knows your agenda. He won't let you continue."

Shaking her head, Brienne looked to the floor. "But I made a promise-"

"-I know," Sarah interrupted her, "but if you are to return the girls to their mother then you need to make sure that their mother is safe."

Brienne knew she was speaking sense, but she would not go easily. She stood and Sarah remained on the floor, slumped downwards as she reached for the flagon of water she had discarded. She drained more of its contents and then handed it up for Brienne to take.

"I don't want you to be in trouble for giving me water," Sarah informed her and Brienne took it from her hands. "See what Lord Bolton's intentions are at dinner and then decide what you wish to do."

"Yes, Lady Sarah," Brienne replied. "I shall ask for your release too."

Sarah chuckled at that and closed her eyes, waiting for Brienne to leave her and the darkness to engulf her again. It was easier to pretend that there was never any light. It was easier but painful at the same time.

"Thank you," Sarah said. "Go before someone finds you here...and...good luck, Brienne."

Brienne studied Sarah for a few more moments, noting how the girl kept her eyes closed the entire time. She seemed sincere, much more so than anyone she had ever met before. Everyone had mocked Brienne her entire life; no one cared for her and no one bothered to ask questions about her. But the girl looked at her as if she were equal to anyone else in the Seven Kingdoms.

"You too, my lady."

...

Jaime ignored Locke on the way down to the dungeon after his meal with Lord Bolton. He had slowly taken his time to understand what it was Bolton wanted, but he almost refused to leave the girl in the dungeon for another night. He had asked for her to be released and Bolton had looked at him in a questioning manner.

It was that night when Brienne left Harrenhal in complete silence, knowing that Sarah had been right in her assumption. Lord Bolton was a traitor. Brienne may not serve the Starks, but she served Lady Catelyn and she would make sure that the woman was safe for her to receive her children. And she had also spoken with Jaime. He had promised to see the Stark girls returned home safe and she believed him.

The Gods only knew why she did. She didn't tell him of how she intended to escape. That would be too dangerous for her.

Jaime left his thoughts alone as the guard handed him the key to Sarah's cell. Jaime dropped the keys onto one finger before taking hold of the torch with his hand. He wore fresh clothes, but his hair was still long and his beard still covered his face. He did look cleaner, but he knew it would take time for the cuts and bruises to heal.

"I did hear that there was a dear little Princess being held captive down here," Jaime drawled as he approached Sarah's cell.

He looked over to her as she curled in the corner, quivering in fear of the darkness. He noted that she looked terrible, even worse than he had done. She squinted over to him and Jaime instantly regretted his cocky remark.

"Come on," Jaime said. "I'm here to give you a night in a bed...under guard...and...well...in my chamber because it is the only one available...but it matters not what people think."

"Why?" Sarah wondered, her voice small and she stood up and Jaime watched her take the torch from his hand through the cell gate, holding it whilst he unlocked the cell door.

"I persuaded him that I would keep you under my gaze. Lord Bolton is sending you back to King's Landing tomorrow along with me."

"And what then?" she worried from him and Jaime swung the door open, taking the torch back from Sarah as she wandered out from the cell, holding onto the iron as she went. He could see that she was weak. She had been in the darkness for five days whilst a fever took hold of Jaime. She looked underfed and tired.

"I don't know," Jaime admitted lowly.

"Will your sister have my head on a spike?" Sarah wondered, her eyes drooping and Jaime left the key in the door. "I don't think that it is pretty enough to decorate the walls of King's Landing."

"Your head is sweet enough alright," Jaime promised her and he offered her his arm. "You will be a hostage, Sarah. I would have...you know that I would have tried to send you back to Dragonstone...but Lord Bolton is adamant..."

"Lord Bolton is a backstabbing bastard," Sarah hissed out and Jaime couldn't help but agree with her on that matter. "Do you know what he intends to do?"

"No," Jaime lied.

He had a vague idea what he was going to do, but he did not want to divulge with Sarah about it. She was just as honourable as Robb Stark. They really would have been a perfect match with each other.

Sarah ignored the arm which Jaime offered her, but he was much more insistent as he saw her almost collapse against the iron bars she was holding onto. He swooped his arm with the stump inside of hers and she looked up to him in the light.

"Just hold onto me," he urged her in a whisper. "You've been down here for five days. I trust you've been looked after."

"Five days?" Sarah checked, both of her arms wrapping around his free one. "It feels like a longer time."

"I can imagine," Jaime promised her.

"So why has Lord Bolton allowed you to free me?"

"I assured him that I would keep my eye on you," Jaime replied. "He agreed with me. He knows that there is no chance for you to escape and disagreeing with a Lannister is never an option."

"A Baratheon and a Lannister untied is not something which is an option either," she reminded him and Jaime shrugged nonchalantly. "What will people say when they hear that I am sharing a chamber with you?"

"That I fucked you," Jaime remained neutral with his tone and Sarah hit him across his chest. "Well it is true. Besides, it matters not. Now come along, Sarah. You smell worse than a pig sty."

Sarah rolled her eyes as Jaime continued to help her from the dungeon and into the bathhouse of Harrenhal. He stood behind her as she looked around the tubs in the room. There were guards at the doors, probably stationed there to keep their eyes out for Sarah.

"I can manage unchanging alone," Sarah assured Jaime as she wandered over to the final tub.

Jaime watched as she reached behind herself for the laces at her dress. She tugged on them and Jaime saw her struggle. Moving over to her, he pushed her hand aside and used his own to pull at the material, removing them from their eyelets.

"I could have managed," Sarah assured Jaime and he shrugged.

"Perhaps," he agreed with her. "Watching you struggle is not that much fun."

"Then leave the bathhouse," Sarah repeated and Jaime watched her hold the dress to her shoulders as it parted in a v shape down her back, revealing her dirty underclothes. Jaime dropped the material and moved his hand to a speck of dirt which sat on the nape of her neck, swiping it away and causing her to shudder.

"Has a man ever even touched you?" Jaime asked and Sarah remained mute. He took that as a no. She turned around to face him, still holding her dress to her shoulders, refusing to let it fall down her body.

A look of discontent overcame her. "Do you think a man would ever want to touch me?" she replied. "Besides, that is the least of my concerns. There is a war on and my father's forces were defeated. I think Lord Robb may be in danger and now I have to go to King's Landing and suffer the wrath of your sister."

Jaime noted the stress had changed her slightly. She looked slightly older than the girl who had come to King's Landing. She had weathered and her face was showing strain; not that Jaime could blame her. He suspected he had changed slightly in the past few months.

"My sister will not harm you once we reach King's Landing," Jaime promised her and Sarah scoffed at hearing him.

"Your sister would have me rot in the dungeons of King's Landing," Sarah said. "Besides, I am certain King Joffrey will not take too kindly to me. I know what he does to those he does not care for."

"Does my word mean anything to you?" Jaime replied, questioning her and she shrugged.

"I don't really trust anyone," she admitted. "Who is there to trust nowadays?"

Jaime stood back and folded his arms over his chest. "You can trust me."

"I can try," Sarah said after a few moments of deliberation.

Jaime inclined his head to her; "I will wait outside for you."

Sarah forced herself to smile at hearing that. She watched Jaime go before stripping down and climbing into the water, closing her eyes and longing for the safety Dragonstone gave to her. It was the only thing that mattered to her now.

...

A/N: Thank you so much to Huestes, AverageBraavosi, Yakitori-Chan and Guest for reviewing the previous chapter. Do let me know what you think so far!