Thanks to everyone for reading and for the reviews!

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Chapter 3

Jaime had drunk himself into a stupor and fallen asleep in a chair in Tyrion's small room. When he awoke, Jaime began walking to the Tower of the Hand to prepare for the afternoon's spectacle. He still wasn't certain that marrying the Stark girl was the right decision, but there was no going back now. As soon as he exited Maeger's Holdfast, Cersei appeared from the shadows.

"I thought you might be with our brother. Father told me you had returned. After such a long time apart…I had thought you would come to me." She knew him well enough to know that there had to be a reason why he didn't come to her. He always came to her.

Jaime wanted to tell her what he saw, how she'd hurt him, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. Perhaps it was because, part of him wanted to forget what he saw and take her in his arms. Her beauty still took his breath away. He longed for comfort, to hold her, to feel her hands on him. Despite his hurt, Jaime found it difficult to keep his anger. Thoughts of her had kept him alive; the thought of getting to her and being with her again. And here she was.

Jaime couldn't stop himself from walking towards her. He reached for her, but a wave of bitterness overtook him when he saw her glance toward his stump and flinch in unmistakable revulsion. As much as Jaime wanted comfort, his pride wouldn't allow him to embrace her after that. And the sight of her with Osmund Kettleblack, and the pain that went with it, was fresh again.

"I found I had no opportunity to come to you last night. I was with Father and Tyrion. And I came upon Joffrey from having Sansa Stark beaten for his amusement. Helping the girl took a bit of time. Have you made no efforts to control him? Or do you like the idea of another Mad King terrorizing the realm?"

Cersei was clearly taken aback by his hostility. "Do not speak of our son that way," she hissed.

"He's your son. You saw to that."

"Father tells me that you wish to leave the Kingsguard. That you are to marry the Stark girl. That you don't wish to be Joffrey's Lord Commander. You must tell him you changed your mind. I need you here. Father means to marry me off again. I won't agree, but he is adamant. Don't allow father to force you from the Kingsguard."

"He didn't have to force me," Jaime said, advancing on her. "You forget, I never wanted to join the Kingsguard. That was your idea. I had always planned to be a knight and then, when the time came, Lord of Casterly Rock. I gave you nearly 20 years of my life. That is far too long." Jaime knew he was provoking her anger, but he couldn't help himself. "Sansa Stark will make a beautiful Lady of the Rock. It's a much better use for her than your plan. To make her Joffrey's whore."

"Joffrey is King. He should have anything he wants. Why do you act as if you care for the Starks all of a sudden? As if you are such a good, caring man. Who was it that threw the Stark boy from that tower? It wasn't me." Her eyes narrowed. "Father said you had suffered an injury but now that I see it…you certainly couldn't serve in the Kingsguard any longer. Nor fight in any battles. You can't even compete in tournaments. I suppose that you are only fit to breed now." Cersei meant to hurt him and she hit her mark.

Jaime placed his left hand on her throat. "I wager I could crush your throat with this hand as well as the other. Shall we see?"

Cersei angrily shoved him away. "Tell me, brother, what do you mean by having Sansa moved to the Tower of the Hand? She's my hostage."

"By the end of the day, she'll be betrothed to me and your hostage no longer. I can do with her as I like. I won't have her beaten or tortured. Not by you, not by Joffrey. Not by anyone."

"Deep down, you've always wanted to be the hero, haven't you? I suppose the girl will be happy to let you be her honorable knight. She's stupid enough to believe in that sort of thing. To think a man will come and rescue her. She may even like you…until you try to bed her, of course. Then the sweet little Stark girl will fear you. You can't believe that she wants be fucked by a man she barely knows, crippled and old enough to be her father." Cersei looked down at his stump. "Take care not to scare her with that."

Jaime watched as Cersei turned, her skirts swirling behind her, leaving him alone. He told himself that she was angry and lashing out, but he couldn't fight off the shame and humiliation that overcame him as he stood in the hall. She wasn't wrong – he wasn't a warrior anymore. He wasn't good for much of anything. He was being put out to pasture with this marriage and trip back to Casterly Rock.

He thought about Sansa Stark and wondered if she would be disgusted by his stump as Cersei was. She had touched him last night without disgust. But, that was before she knew he was to be her husband. Jaime looked down at his stump. Cersei may be right. Being bedded by a one-handed man old enough to be her father may not be any more appealing than being bedded by Joffrey. Jaime supposed that once the marriage was consummated, she didn't have to share his bed again if it repulsed her.

Jaime held no illusions about the marriage he was about to embark on. It was said that lord and ladies found love after they married, but given the history between their families, Jaime knew that would not happen for he and Sansa. Besides, Jaime wasn't able to love her. Wasn't able to love anyone but Cersei. In time, perhaps Sansa will see that binding her to him in a loveless marriage was a kindness, compared to what her fate could have been.

…...

Sansa sat in her bedchamber, and watched several handmaidens packing up all of her belongings. They told her that her chambers were being moved to the Tower of the Hand, but she had not been told why. She couldn't stop the fear from taking hold of her, as she wondered what fresh hell the Lannisters were about to inflict upon her. When she had first been betrothed to Joffrey – knowing that she would be queen someday – that was the happiest Sansa had ever been. She never dreamed that the sweet would turn sour so quickly.

The pain of the beatings and whippings no longer affected her as it once did. What hurt the most was the way Joffrey degraded her. It wasn't enough for him to have her beaten by his guards. He'd taken to forcing her to strip naked – not just in front of him, but in front of his guards as well – before being beaten. She was in constant fear that one day Joffrey would go beyond just stripping her and would actually defile her. Once, he had forced her to kiss him as she stood there naked, waiting for his guards to strike her. She could feel the eyes of his guards on her body – could see their lust.

Every night, Sansa prayed to the seven that Robb would come for her. He was a King now, just like Joffrey. Surely Robb would rescue his own sister. When she learned that her brother had captured Jaime Lannister, she had thought that he would make a deal with the Lannisters – that he would trade the Kingslayer for her. That hope died last night when Ser Jaime told her that he had not been freed by her brother – but had escaped. She knew now that she would never be free. She was doomed to wed Joffrey and go to his bed; doomed to be forever at his mercy.

She supposed Ser Jaime's return was not all bad. He was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and he had protected her last night. Maybe he will be different from the others. Maybe he will make them stop. She shook her head, telling herself that was ridiculous. She'd heard rumors that he was Joffrey's father. If it was true, he would not stop his son from doing as he pleased.

Still, he had helped her last night. It had been kind of him to try to comfort her. When he'd kissed her hand, she'd met his eyes, and she had seen kindness, not cruelty. After he left, Sansa had crawled onto her bed, still wrapped in Jaime Lannister's black wool cloak, and cried herself to sleep. Her only hope now was that Ser Jaime would not allow the Kingsguard to harm her.

"You have heard that my brother Jaime returned to us last night?" The queen's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Sansa looked at her warily.

"Yes, your grace. I saw him last night."

"Then you saw that he is not the fierce warrior that he was. The war has left him a bitter grotesque, a cripple. He's lost his sword hand. Without it…what is he good for? That horrible stump…" Sansa realized that the queen was speaking more to herself than to Sansa and remained quiet. Cersei seemed to remember herself, and turned back to Sansa. "He's nowhere near as glorious…as perfect as he was. He'll do well enough for you, little dove."

"What do you mean, your grace?"

"You are to marry Jaime and we shall be sisters now," Cersei said sweetly. "You should count your blessings. Had he not agreed…well, you wouldn't have liked the alternative."

"I don't understand. I am to marry my beloved Joffrey."

Cersei looked at her in annoyance. "You are truly stupid, aren't you? Today, before everyone, Joffrey will set you aside for Margaery Tyrell." Cersei's eyes narrowed. "It would not do for a traitor's daughter to be Joffrey's Queen. And Lord Tyrell has been most generous in defending Joffrey's throne. The High Septon has been consulted, and he agrees that your betrothal to Joffrey will no longer be recognized by the gods."

Sansa looked down, not wanting her joy and relief at not having to marry and be bedded by Joffrey to show. Though…she did not want to marry the Kingslayer either. She looked up when the queen grabbed her arm harshly.

"You will not humiliate my son, do you understand me? You will show the appropriate regret at not being good enough to be his queen. And then my brother will most generously offer to wed you himself. You will act appropriately today or there will be consequences."

"Is that why my chambers are being moved?"

"That's Jaime's doing. Beginning today, he's free to do with you as he likes. I suppose some would say you are lucky. For years, every woman in the seven kingdoms wished to lie on her back for Jaime Lannister. Now you will do so whenever he wants you, such as he is." Cersei looked as if she wanted to say more, but she rose and left Sansa's bedchamber almost as quickly as she had arrived.

I don't want to marry a Lannister. Sansa owned that marrying Jaime was preferable to marrying Joffrey. He protected her last night. He was kind to her. He seemed to understand her shame. When she'd all but begged him not to look at her injuries, he'd relented. And he had kissed her hand, as a gallant knight should. She thought about Cersei's words and felt a tremor of fear. Now she'd have to go to Kingslayer's bed.

What if the rumors are true and he has been bedding the queen – his own sister – and he is Joffrey's father? Joffrey had to get his cruelty from somewhere. She hoped that it wasn't from Ser Jaime.

Sansa knew that she had no choice in the matter. That she would be forced to marry Jaime Lannister whether she wanted to or not. Why won't Robb come for me? Sansa blinked back her tears. She felt so abandoned. I'll never be free of the Lannisters. I'll never see my family or Winterfell again. Sansa would make the best of things with Ser Jaime and be grateful that at least the gods answered her prayers to free her from her betrothal to Joffrey. She had to stop dreaming of a rescue; stop dreaming that she would be happy. She had to think of survival.

...

Later that day, Sansa stood in the throne room, watching Joffrey grandly and formally welcome Tywin Lannister to Kings Landing as Hand of the King. She was nervous that she would say the wrong thing or that Joffrey would change his mind and force her to marry him after all. She glanced over at Ser Jaime, curiously and wondered how he felt about their betrothal. He must have felt her gaze because he met her eyes and Sansa quickly looked away, feeling her face heat.

Sansa listened as Ser Loras requested that Joffrey marry his sister Margaery; and as Margaery spoke of her love for the King and the tales she had heard of his bravery. Tales indeed, Sansa thought, having heard that Joffrey fled the battle when it appeared they might lose. If only the Lannisters had lost. She felt a thrill in her stomach that she was careful not to betray when the High Septon released Joffrey from his betrothal to her and he agreed to wed Margaery Tyrell.

Ser Jaime stepped forward, as planned, from where the knights of the Kingsguard stood, bowing before Joffrey. "Your grace, I have observed that Lady Sansa Stark is true, loyal and pure. She is a rare treasure in a world where other women stray." Jaime seemed to be looking at the Queen as he spoke these words. "Memories of Lady Sansa's beauty, and her gentle nature gave me the will to survive my imprisonment." He looked at Sansa then and gave her a small smirk, clearly betraying how ridiculous he thought this spectacle was before turning back to the King. "I beg of you, your grace, release me from my vows, so that I may make her my lady wife."

Joffrey looked at Jaime, clearly enjoying his role. "Uncle, I am moved by your words. If the High Septon approves it, I gladly release you from your vows, so that you may be united with sweet Sansa, the object of your affection."

The High Septon stepped forward yet again. "Your grace, the gods would never condone separating Ser Jaime, a brave warrior who has served the realm with much devotion, from the maiden he has admired from afar. He is released from his vows to the Kingsguard, so that he may marry Lady Sansa."

Sansa took a deep breath, stepping forward as Jaime took her hand, and said what the queen told her to say. "I will always love my king, but I know that he deserves better than a traitor's daughter as his queen." She looked at Jaime. "I am fortunate that a man as handsome and brave as Ser Jaime would love me and take me as his wife.

Sansa knew that this was all planned, and for show, but she couldn't help thinking how romantic it would be if it were true. She knew that songs would be written about this day; about she and Ser Jaime. Only they would know that none of it was true. She wondered if any of the love songs she knew were true. Or if they were all a farce, as this was.

She'd hardly recognized Ser Jaime yesterday, but today he was back to his normal appearance. She looked over at him again and took in his appearance. The queen had said that Jaime wasn't as glorious as he once was. But Sansa thought glorious was the perfect word to describe him. He was dressed in his white armor of the Kingsguard for the last time. His undeniably handsome face was freshly scrubbed and shaved. A golden hand, newly forged by the armorer, was affixed to the end of his right wrist, concealing the stump where his sword hand used to be. Sansa could almost believe that Jaime was the handsome knight who had come to save her. Just as they always did in the songs. Almost. Perhaps if he weren't a Lannister.

Sansa looked at Jaime's face, trying to see a resemblance to Joffrey, but other than his coloring, she didn't think they looked at all alike, much to her relief. Joffrey was a snotty, vicious boy while Ser Jaime was a grown man, strong and handsome. As her eyes roamed over Jaime's face, his green eyes met hers and Sansa immediately looked away from his intense gaze. She felt a shiver run through her body. I have no choice in this but, I wonder why he's leaving the Kingsguard and marrying me? She stole another curious glance at Ser Jaime and thanked the seven for freeing her from Joffrey.

...

Hope you liked it. Jaime and Sansa will get a chance to speak to one another about thier engagement in the next chapter...