Ser Jaime Lannister

Lannisport thrummed with activity, women, children and their men folk were all walking around the streets stopping at the various stalls and shops to examine goods and jewellery from as far flung places as Asshai, and debate over prices, news and trade gossip. As Jaime walked through the streets with his wife and children, he could not help but feel happy, the peace had been going on for seven years now, seven years for the kingdoms to get fat on the riches of the land and trade. Jaime himself had spent those seven years learning all he needed to know about running the Rock and ruling the Westerlands, for as the first born son of Tywin Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, all of this would one day be his, and his father was a great believer in learning by example.

He felt his wife gasp in excitement beside him and looked at her and then to what she was looking at, a witch was performing magic tricks with fire and ice, and other such nonsense and his wife and it seemed his daughters were fascinated by it. "You can go and see what's happening there if you want my love." Jaime whispered to his wife Rhaena. "Just take some of the red cloaks with you." She nodded and Jaime watched her and their two daughters walk towards the stall where the witch was accompanied by twelve red cloaks who walked discreetly behind them. Jaime smiled slightly; his wife for all her fire and passion sometimes could be just like a child. He supposed that was what happened when it was just you and your brother living together, and fighting for survival as it had been for Rhaena during the struggles.

Both Jaime and his wife were fiercely protective of their children, never really wanting them to disappear from their line of vision but inadvertently knowing that they would ultimately leave for some form of mischief which would inevitably be instigated by Tygett their eldest son and child. Tygett was nine now, and would soon have to be sent somewhere to foster, Jaime's father had insisted on it during his last letter, saying that the bonds between the Lannisters and the other houses in the realm could only help strengthen their position. Jaime himself had been fostered for a time, well not truly fostered he had spent the first eight years of his life in King's Landing with his father, and then the next few years in Crakehall squiring for Summer Crakehall before being knighted at the age of fifteen on the field of battle by the king himself.

Jaime's goodbrother was only a year older than him and yet the war and the responsibilities of being king had made him seem like an old man. Gone was the laughter and the fire in his belly, that had before been so prominent, when King Aemon had last visited the Rock with his wife and Jaime's father, he had been much more reserved and quiet, though in the sparring yard the fire had still been there, as had the skill. Jaime had been sore afterwards for nearly two weeks. "Father, when will I be able to use live steel?" his son's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Jaime looked down and saw his firstborn Tygett standing close by a look of pure want on his face as he looked between Jaime and the steel swords that were on display in a shop window. Jaime chuckled and said. "When you are old enough and can fight without breaking every sword you use son." His son had a habit of fighting with more strength than he knew what to do with and as a result often ended up breaking the sword he was using. Casterly Rock was becoming bereft of wooden practice swords as a result.

His son pouted. "But Prince Maekar told me he uses live steel and he's only a few months older than me!"

Jaime laughed. "I'm sure he was only joking Tyg, the Prince is too young to use live steel as well, and besides pouting won't get you anywhere with me, I am not your mother."

His son turned round and walked into the shop, Jaime looked at Addam Marbrand one of his oldest friends and his friend nodded and walked in after Tyg, and Jaime looked behind him and saw his mother holding onto Lucion's hand. He smiled at the sight, his mother had been very ill as of late and had rarely left her rooms, Jaime knew not what it was that was ailing her, but he deeply wished for her to get better, and if this was any sign of things to come then perhaps she would. Joanna Lannister senior looked up and saw him looking at her and smiled back, before nodding that everything was okay and that he should go on.

And so he did, he walked on through the streets, and took a left turning into a back alley where he knew the witch was said to live. The witch who had driven his sister to madness, it had been so long since he'd been in this part of Lannisport but he remembered it well, the spices, the stench of magic and evil. He continued walking on through the dirt tracks, the red cloaks tailing behind him silent as shadows, until he came to the little hut. It was just as it had been all those years ago, when he and Cersei had come here last, it must have been after the feast for the ending of that tourney his father had held, Cersei had shown him the place where the witch had made her go to madness, and then made him swear an oath that he would kill her. He had not spoken to his sister in seven years but there were bonds that were just to deep to go away like that, even if he no longer truly loved her.

He pushed open the door to the hut and it creaked loudly. A man was standing at the counter and looked up in surprise when he saw Jaime. "My Lord, it is an unexpected pleasure. What might I do for you?"

"Is your mother here?" Jaime asked.

"My m-m-other my lord? She is sleeping, I can go and get her if you wish." The man said.

"Aye do that." Jaime said. "And tell her, the brother is here." He needed to get this done and quickly.

The man hurried away up the stairs and soon returned with a hunched and shrivelled old lady, a maegi from the east who had come with the father of the founder of House Spicer some years ago, when Tytos Lannister had ruled as lord of the rock. She had made the prediction for Cersei's future, and though Cersei's fate was safe now, Jaime still had one thing he wished to know. The maegi was blind now, but she sat down and bid her son leave. Her voice was hoarse from disuse when she spoke. "So you have come back Ser Lion. Have you come to do your sister's bidding?"

Jaime snorted. "If I had come to do that, then you would be dead by now old woman."

"Ah but I can sense hesitancy on you, young lion, you are not sure whether you should have come here or not. After all what my words did to your sister, drove a wedge between the two of you that has not healed in all the intervening years. Now tell me Ser Lion, what you would have of an old woman." The maegi replied.

Jaime was silent for a moment and then he asked the question he had wanted to know the answer to for a long, long time. "Where did you come from? And why chose Lannisport?"

The maegi chuckled. "That is the not question you want the answer to is it Ser Lion? But you are too scared to ask it, never mind I shall answer your question. I come from the east, this you know but you would not know where my home is. As to why Lannisport, what better place to watch the fighting of dragons than in the city of lions."

"What do you mean the fighting of dragons? Aerys and Rhaegar are dead and rotting in the ground and Robert Baratheon was a stag not a dragon." Jaime said.

"That is the problem with you Westerosi; you all think that there is just one dragon family in the world. Before the doom there were thousands of them, Qoherys and Towers were dragons as well. But no that is not who I mean, there are dragons in Essos, the descendants of the Brightflame, who will look west soon enough." The maegi said.

"Pah, the Brightflames will not look west they have an empire in the east now. What could they want with Westeros that they do not already have? Besides none would be mad enough to challenge King Aemon now." Jaime retorted.

The maegi smiled a toothless smile and said. "Oh you are very naive Ser Lion, for all that you are smarter than your sister and brother. So very naive. Be sure that does not bring your downfall when the kraken comes."

Jaime was about to respond when the door to the hut slammed open, and Ser Boremund Crakehall of the red cloaks appeared breathless. "Ser Jaime, you must come immediately. Your wife is asking for you. It's urgent."

Jaime felt his heart begin to pound faster, he threw a few coins onto the table and left the hut, Crakehall on his heels. He found his wife sat in front of the statue of Lann the Clever, her eyes read and her hands bandaged. His mother and his children were around his wife, "What happened?" Jaime asked the minute he got to them.

"I, I couldn't stop them Jaime, they took her, they took her." Rhaena said sobbing.

"Rhaena, Joanna and Cerenna went for a walk near the peer to see the ships and speak with some of the men." Jaime's mother began calmly. "Rhaena was speaking with some of the sailors, and Joanna and Cerenna went off to play by the river's edge with the red cloaks watching over them."

"That's when I heard the sound of drums and the sound of arrows. I asked the captain of one of the ships what was happening and he said he didn't know." Rhaena sobbed.

"What happened Rhaena?" Jaime asked doing a quick scan; Tygett, Lucion and Joanna were here. "Where's Cerenna Rhaena?" he asked again feeling fear begin to rise inside of him.

"They came out of nowhere Jaime. They killed the captain, and then began burning the ships. Ser Lyonel urged me back behind him and Ser Guyard took Joanna to safety as well. Cerenna as well. But then they came onto the land from their ships and the red cloaks fought them and most were killed, but we had to flee. And then I got separated from the girls in the crowd fleeing from port. And then I was here and Joanna was here, but Cerenna was not. So I sent Ser Lyonel out to find her and he didn't return. Oh Jaime." Rhaena sobbed and then she threw herself into his arms and began crying.

Jaime looked at his mother then and asked. "What happened mother. Who were the fools who dared raid Lannisport and burn our ships?"

His mother was silent and then she said softly. "The Ironborn Jaime. Euron Crow's Eye led the attack himself. Our ships are burnt and Cerenna has been taken."

Jaime felt anger then, pure white hot anger. "Tygett, help your siblings and your mother and grandmother back to the castle. I must speak with Ser Addam." Once some of the redlcoaks had helped his family walk back to the castle, he turned to Ser Addam and through gritted teeth he said. "I want a full search of the peer started, and I want Ser Lyonel found. I will also want letters sent to Pyke and to King's Landing. The king must know." Ser Addam nodded and then began roaring orders for the others to follow. Jaime looked at the statue of Lann the Clever, and swore to himself, I will find you Cerenna whether I have to burn Pyke to the ground or not, I will find you.