Chapter 58

Ser Barristan had stayed behind with his fellow Westerosi while Daenarys was escorted back to the palace. Sandor was surprised to see the old knight looking as good as he did. He was aware of how Ser Barristan was looking at Jaime in disgust, he decided he might as well see how righteous the old man thought himself to be. Sandor guessed that the reason for the contempt was the Kingslayer's past, but Barristan had done just as bad. " Selmy, what has your old face looking so sour? Surely you knew who was coming here."

Ser Barristan turned to him, then looked back at Jaime," I don't care for Kingslayers around my Queen. Oathbreaking isn't so easily forgotten by me."

Sandor watched the warriors in his group tense, obviously taking offense at the words. As much as the arrogant bastard pissed him off at times, he had grown tired of people's self-righteous judgement about things they knew nothing about. Not only towards the Lion but others in general. It hadn't occurred to him, until recently, how much his opinions and thoughts had changed in regards to others judgement. Jaime, on the other hand, didn't deign to respond to it. Sandor was finally seeing, first hand, what type of scorn the Lion had lived with all these past years. Of course he had seen it, but not on such a personal level, Jaime was family now, as well as a person he trusted. He didn't like it at all. It made a rage in him boil like it did when weak ass nobles talked to him like they used to. "Selmy, you bloody bastard. You are quick to judge others, aren't you? Seems to me that you've forgotten that you are also an oath-breaker. Wasn't it you who switched sides during the rebellion? You were King's Guard then, right? You were sent out with the Targaryen forces to fight old, fat Robert's army and when you thought it was a loosing fight, you broke your oath and vows and fought with the Baratheon army, am I right? Then you swore fealty to the rebel and stood at his side. Seems to me that you and Lord Lannister, here, are just the same, yet to my judging, he's a better man than you. You deny your own sins but readily point out his. Might be, you need to respect your betters."

Jaime was surprised at Sandor's defense of him. He had gotten so used to everyone's scorn over the years that hearing it again was nothing to him. He had not looked at the situation in the same way that Clegane did, but now that it had been voiced, it was true. He felt more confident than he had since they left the ship, he felt his old cockiness easing back into him, his familiar smirk playing across his lips. " Ser Barristan, I assure you that I have not come all this way to slay Our Queen. Obviously she feels this also or she would have never turned her back on me, knowing that my sword isn't the only blade I carry. I trust that you will remember your place from now on, you are no longer my commander nor are you in a position to do anything other than threaten me. Now, if you'll excuse us, it seems as though the rest off our party is here."

Ser Barristan was left red faced, both insulted and chastised.

Norlec and his unit of Unsullied arrived with the women and children. Ser Barristan was openly surprised to see so many young ones, not that it was unpleasant, he knew the Queen would enjoy them, as she couldn't have her own. He wanted to ask whose children were whose but after the tension of the past minutes, he felt he should wait. He was loathe to admit it, especially to himself, but he had only, on rare occasions, let himself think along those same lines. Yes, he too broke his oath. But he didn't kill his King...he just ...betrayed him. Was he really made of the same cloth as the Kingslayer? Was Lannister's discretion worse than his? He knew what The Mad King had become, what he had done. Were his actions and Lannister's so different? He wasn't ready to admit that, yet.

The rooms they were given were on the same wing, as if they had their own area in the palace. This gave Sandor a slight bit of comfort. He made sure that everyone was settled and guarded with his own personal guardsmen, and that Hecnok and Norlec were with Lord Lannister. As much as Jaime didn't want the extra guard, he gave into Sandor after Myrcella threatened to stay in his room with him if he refused. He did flatly refuse to have a guard in his room, but relented and let Sandor assign him ten Unsullied of his own to rotate guard around him. Two were to be outside his door at all times and one on the terrace garden outside of his room. Jaime didn't like being surrounded with guards like that, it made him feel like a prisoner again. He was privately relieved for the feeling of security and concern that his family and friends were giving him, but he would never admit it. He had always been the one who gave the protection and safety, at times, even killing for it. It was an odd but comforting feeling to know that he wasn't alone, that there was someone there for him for once. It didn't make him feel weak or any less of a man like he thought it would, strangely, it made him feel more powerful. He decided to just let events unfold as they would and relax for a while. There was to be a welcoming feast with The Queen tonight, he needed to be fully alert for that.

Sandor finally made it his rooms, he wasn't surprised to see that Shalene had already bathed and had a fresh bath ready for him. He couldn't help but smile as he noticed that she had donned one of his linen tunics, it thoroughly swallowed her but somehow made her look even more desirable than she already was. When she heard the door shut, she turned to him, the smile on her face was so wicked he knew what she had on her mind. After all their time together, words were no longer needed. They could read each other so well. She walked to him so gracefully it was as if her feet didn't even touch the floor. He openly enjoyed the way her body moved, his cock giving her a clear indication of just how much he was admiring what was in front of him. He could tell that she wanted to control this, he willingly let her.

She stopped in front of him, her small hands ghosting up his chest to his shoulders, tracing the ridges of the muscles along his ribs and chest, pulling him down to her. Her lips were soft and sweet, her tongue tracing along his bottom lip before she gently nibbled it, her hands moving into his hair, pulling it almost painfully. The low groan that escaped his throat seemed to be what Shalene was after, she answered it with a soft, seductive laugh and pulled away from him. She let her hands trail down to his waist, slowly unlacing his breeches, letting them rest low on his narrow, muscular hips as she untucked his tunic and pushed it up, her touch so familiar and satisfying to him, he just closed his eyes and drifted in the hazy, floating sensation she had created. Sandor quickly finished removing his tunic, wanting to feel more of her touch on his bare skin. She didn't disappoint him as she molded her small body to his, her arms around his waist. She nuzzled into his chest, breathing in his scent as she always did, her fingers running through the black curls on his chest, he couldn't stop the smile that played across his scarred mouth as her felt her hands move into his breeches and caress his ass. He held her to him as he ground his aching cock against her, needing to be closer to her, to be in her, soon. He picked her up, bringing her up level with him, aggressively kissing her, forgetting that he was going to let her take her pleasure. Her legs wrapped around him, as her arms encircled his neck, he carried her to the bath. His hold on her never faltered as he kicked off his boots, their kisses changed as quickly as their moods tended to, soft and gentle, tongues tasting and exploring then rough and demanding. Each wanting dominance over the other, both giving and taking. He held Shalene up, easily with one arm as he pushed his breeches further down then stepped out of them and into the bath, settling comfortably with his wife straddling his hips.

Shalene pulled away from him, smiling," My Prince, I have already bathed."

"Aye, but not with me. Bathe me, Woman, but take this off first." He quickly pulled his soaked tunic over Shalene's head, her laughter echoing in the bath chamber. He could feel his heart beating faster just listening to her, he loved her laugh, it was always so honest and carefree, it made him feel like a young man again, it made him forget what was going on in what had become some sort of mad world they lived in. His mind was brought back quickly, when he felt Shalene's hands slide across his shoulders and down his chest. He watched her hands, slick with soap, wash his arms, circle his neck, slide over his chest, teasing his nipples on her way to his stomach. He looked at her face, she was so focused on touching him she didn't appear to notice his intense, hungry gaze. Her full, red lips were slightly parted, her breath quickening. She moved against him, needing to ease the ache growing between her legs. Sandor moved his hands down her body, gripping her firm ass, and pulled her against him, pressing her against his throbbing cock that was nestled between them. His eyes closed and he let his head fall back at the exquisite feeling that coursed through him.

The groan that rumbled through his chest was deep and thrilling, sounding like the thunder rolling in during a summer storm. Shalene could feel it in her fingertips as she rinsed Sandor's body. She looked up at him, he was so relaxed under her touch, his eyes closed, totally trusting her as he does no other. Her throat constricted at the overwhelming feeling of love and utter devotion that she felt for her husband. She leaned in and trailed kisses from his jaw down his neck, taking her time to taste his skin, gently biting his shoulder then finding that place just below his ear that she knew would have him moaning and moving against her as she traced it with her tongue, then started sucking it, marking him, and she wasn't disappointed as she heard him growl her name and tighten his arms around her, moving against her, his cock sliding easily between their wet bodies.

Her desire was as deep as his, when they looked at each other again, dark, stormy gray eyes met smoldering, sultry black ones. She raised herself up onto her knees, grasping Sandor's aching cock in her smooth hand, his sharp intake of breath and moan, as she rubbed the head of his cock against her pearl, was what she wanted to hear, she slowly, eased down onto Sandor's cock, so slowly that it was almost a painful pleasure even to her.

As much as he desperately wanted to just bury himself in her and fuck her like a demon, he controlled the urge to do so. This slow torture was too wonderful. He knew it wouldn't be like that for long, her need was as strong as his. She didn't control him just as he didn't control her, this was another part of their lives that they had learned together. How to completely know the need of the other, to feed it, tease it, satisfy it. They knew each other so well now, it amazed him every time he looked at her that such a beautiful woman would love one such as him, but he knew now, without a doubt, that she did.

They move together, Shalene's hands, again moving to his chest, she felt Sandor take over their pace, moving her up and down on his glorious cock, his thrusts becoming more powerful, their moans and words to each other push them closer to the ultimate pinnacle of pleasure that they both seek.

Sandor was so close when he heard Shalene whisper,"Not yet, please." He was so lost in his own pleasure that he hadn't noticed how Shalene's movements had changed. The way she was rolling her hips against him, rubbing herself against the area just above his cock, he tried to control his breathing, holding back his own release, he knew what she was doing. She had shown this to him before, he knew she was searching for that one special place, the one he could find with his fingers, that left her dripping wet and so satisfied she couldn't even move. He thought he had hurt her the first time, he had never known a woman could spill her essence just like a man does. When Shalene had finally been able to talk to him, it had made his pride soar, knowing that he could bring her that much pleasure.

As he watched his wife find her pleasure on him, he knew she found what she was after when he heard her groan and felt her run her fingers through his hair and pull it, almost painfully. His breathing was as hard and ragged as hers, he stilled his own movements, letting Shalene find her own pleasure. He was so close, so desperate in his need, it was taking all of his control to hold off, "Shalene," was all he could manage to gasp out, as he tried to hold his body still for her, buried completely in her hot tightness. Feeling every movement of her body, every flex of her muscles, hearing every breath she took and watching her beautiful face as she fell further and further into the heavens she was chasing.

Her whispered," Sandor, almost," was just about his undoing. Her grip in his hair was relentless, but he reveled in the pain. She leaned her forehead against his, kissing his nose, when she pulled back from him, he knew how close she was, her eyes were glazed, as he watched them roll back and then close, he could feel her clench around him so tightly, she whispered," Yesss," that was all he needed. He felt her wetness flowing over his cock, her body shaking, and her cries of, Fuck me!" blinded him to all else. He thrust savagely into his little wife, very quickly following her into a satisfied oblivion. His seed was hot and plentiful as he filled her with it, sounding very much like his name sake with the deep, resonating growl that he was fairly sure all of Meereen heard.

He was just as sated and weak as Shalene. She leaned against his chest, her arms wrapped around him and he knew she would soon be asleep. He sat here, holding his woman, kissing her silky hair, for a short time. Not wanting to move, but knowing he had to, he finally stood up, Shalene never moved, he knew she wouldn't. He had no trouble stepping out of the bath with her in his arms, he was always amazed at how such a small woman could handle him, he knew he was ,at times, brutal and savage when they made love. He couldn't help it, there was just that part of him that had to have it like that, yet she took it all, never complaining. She had her rough side also, but he knew his strength and power completely shadowed what she did at times. He knelt on the bed, laying her down, 'Seven Hells, how he loved her.' He went back to the bath to wash his hair, when it was mostly dry, he lay beside his wife, pulling her against him, her back to his chest, his arms around her, his face buried in her hair, this was the most wonderful place to be, he thought, as he drifted off, surrounded by his wife's exotic scent.