Thanks for continuing to read and review. I hope that I did the description of Casterly Rock justice, since we never see it or hear about it with much detail in the book. I did a bit of research on the internet of pictures that have been done of what readers think Casterly Rock looks like, and took my inspiration from that. Let me know your thoughts.

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Chapter 34

Jaime had assured Sansa that they would reach Casterly Rock by nightfall when he'd helped her into her carriage that morning. She and Roslin had been watching through the windows for most of the day and they had both noticed that they were getting closer to the water.

"Have you ever seen the Sunset Sea?" Sansa asked in excitement.

Roslin shook her head. She'd been quiet for most of the ride that day and Sansa felt bad for her. Edmure had not spoken to her the entire week they were traveling, and she could see that it hurt Lady Roslin. Sansa had thought that when she told her Uncle Edmure that Roslin cared for him – how she'd prayed for a girl in the belief that it would save his life – that he would seek her out. She thought he would at least see her and ask after the child she carried. But he had not asked Jaime to bring Roslin to him. Not once. She could see how much it weighed on Roslin that the father of the child she carried did not wish to see her.

Sansa's thoughts were interrupted when their carriage came to a stop. She stretched to look out the window, but there was no castle in sight. I wonder why we've stopped? There was a knock on the carriage door, and Sansa saw Jaime standing outside. She raised the lock on the carriage door, allowing him to open it. He stuck his head in, nodding at Roslin. "Forgive me, Lady Roslin, but I shall require my wife's company for the last few minutes of our journey." He held his hand out to her and Sansa took it, not sure why he wanted her out of the carriage.

"Are you going to make me walk?" she asked jokingly.

He smirked. "You're going to ride Honor with me."

She touched her stomach and looked at him uncertainly. "Is that a good idea?" she whispered.

"You'll be safe," he said, mounting his horse once again and holding his hand out to her. She hesitantly took his hand and put her foot in the stirrup, allowing Jaime to help her settle in front of him on Honor. She patted the horse's mane and felt Jaime wrap an arm around her to support her. "We'll ride slowly. I wanted to be with you when you saw Casterly Rock for the first time," he said softly.

Sansa could see that many of the Lannister soldiers had already proceeded ahead. As had the prisoners. And her mother. Though, Arya had waited for Sansa and Jaime. As Jaime's horse slowly began moving them over the hill, towards Casterly Rock, Sansa leaned back against Jaime's chest, feeling his warmth against her back. She pulled her wool cloak tight around her and rested her hands on his arm. She had never been much of a horsewoman, but she felt safe riding Honor, nestled in Jaime's arms.

"There is your home, my sweet," he murmured in her ear, with a soft kiss.

Sansa clutched his arm in excitement as the castle came into view. Jaime had told her that Casterly Rock was built into a great stone mountain, but she had no idea how great a mountain it really was. The Rock rose hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air and she could see the Sunset Sea beyond. Though it was getting to be winter, and the air was quite cold, it was a clear day and the sun was setting behind Casterly Rock, turning it a golden red, as Jaime had described to her. It's so beautiful.

As they rode through Lannisport, Sansa couldn't take her eyes off the enormous fortress before her that was to be her home. Though the Rock was now a castle, it still looked like a natural rock formation. It was only when she looked closely that Sansa could make out the battlements miles up in the sky and the clusters of windows dotting the Rock. I'm Lady of all that – of all of Casterly Rock.

They neared the water and Sansa saw two massive carved lions carved flanking the entrance to the road which led to Casterly Rock. As they approached the Lion's Mouth – the entrance to Casterly Rock – Sansa glanced over at Arya and could see her sister's excitement at the sight of Casterly Rock, as well as the awe of her friend Gendry riding beside her. Arya had always interested in hearing about great battles and great knights. She expected her sister knew quite a bit about Casterly Rock already. Sansa held tight to Jaime, anxious to see inside the great fortress.

"Where will my bedchamber be?" Arya called over to Jaime as Sansa rolled her eyes. "Can it be at the top? Overlooking the sea?" Arya had ridden over so she was walking her horse right beside Jaime's. "Will I be able to go wherever I want?" Arya asked curiously.

"In time. Best not to go off on your own at first. It's easier to get lost in the Rock than it was in King's Landing. Lady Alys, the wife of my father's – of my steward, will see to it that you are given a bedchamber for the night. Near your mother. If there's another you come to prefer, it can always be moved. We'll discuss where you may explore in the morning."

"All right," she said sullenly, turning her horse back to where Gendry was.

"Welcome home," he whispered in Sansa's ear.

She glanced back at Jaime, smiling brightly. "It's so beautiful. It's so big…I don't know that I'll ever learn my way around."

She felt the rumbling in his chest as he chuckled. "I assure you, my sweet, you will do just fine. You are Lady of that Castle and everyone there shall see to your happiness." She smiled to herself as he kissed beside her ear and held her tightly as they rode through the Lion's Mouth, into the castle. She had known that the entrance to Casterly Rock was called the Lion's Mouth, but she had not known why until she saw it herself. There was, in fact, a great lion head carved into the side of the mountain – the only way into the fortress by land. The lion had its head thrown back as it roared and she could see part of the massive, gilded bars that would be lowered to close the entrance in times of war, which gave the appearance of the lion's fangs.

Sansa looked over at Arya again and saw a delighted smile on her face as she looked up at the Lion's Mouth, her head tilted back so far to look above her that Sansa was certain her sister was about to fall off her horse. They traveled through a long tunnel, once inside the Rock, and there were several different paths that could be taken. Jaime proceeded straight ahead, traveling upward and deep into the Rock.

Sansa felt her heart fluttering in excitement and nervousness as they neared the entrance to the living quarters – where she, Jaime and their child would live. Though she'd never been to Casterly Rock before, Sansa already felt safe. She felt as if nothing could harm her here. She'd not felt that way about any place other than Winterfell. Perhaps this will come to be as much my home as Winterfell.

….

As they roade into the courtyard, their party had been greeted by Jaime's steward and his wife, Lady Alys. She was a kind older woman who had been good friends with Jaime's mother. She'd embraced Jaime warmly, and Sansa as well, when Jaime introduced her as his wife. She'd welcomed them both home before Arya and Roslin were turned over to her. She ushered them down a long hallway, taking them to their chambers as Arya peppered her with questions about Casterly Rock.

Jaime chuckled as he took Sansa's hand. "Lady Alys will have her hands full with your sister, I fear. You'll meet the rest of the staff in the morning. You must long for a real bed after more than a month of traveling. You can get some rest before dinner. Shall I escort you to our chambers?"

Sansa smiled and nodded, allowing Jaime to escort her through the grand halls of Casterly Rock. She was glad that Jaime was walking with her, or she might well have fallen on her face. Sansa couldn't stop looking at the high ceilings and the paintings on the walls.

"Here are our rooms," Jaime said, leading her down a side hallway. There was a huge window cut into the Rock at the end of the hall, flooding it with light and gilded doors dotted the hallway. Jaime told her what was behind each door they passed. He opened one door for her, giving her a glimpse of whites, and pinks, and aqua blues. "This was my mother's sitting room and now it will be yours. There's a beautiful view of the sea. I thought you could sit there and do your sewing, overlooking the water. My mother…she used to sit in here a lot and…Cersei and I would sit on the rug at her feet playing."

He closed the door softly and she could see that the room held fond memories for him. He never spoke much of his mother. Or of his childhood with Cersei. She expected that he never mentioned his twin because of what their relationship had become – that he did not wish to upset her by speaking about the sister who had been his lover. But Sansa knew that most of his memories of growing up at Casterly Rock must involve Cersei.

"What's this room?" she asked as they passed the next door.

Jaime smiled. "That is the nursery. The room is bare, awaiting your directions to the staff. I had most of our rooms redone before we arrived but, I thought you would wish to make the selections for the baby's room yourself." They continued walking down the hallway, stopping before a large gilded door. Jaime reached for the door knob, opening it for her. "I wrote ahead and asked that my mother's old chambers be remade for you. They had been locked up for the more than thirty years since she died."

Sansa walked in ahead of him. She didn't know where to look first, or what to touch first. The room was decorated in Stark greys and silvers, with buttery yellows, which represented Lannister gold. There was a huge bank of windows overlooking the sea, with a massive bench, covered in silver-grey velvet in front of it. The bed had a canopy draped in silks and there was a large dressing table, covered with mirrors and bottles containing she knew not what.

"Do you like it? I wasn't sure if you would rather have chosen the furnishings yourself-"

"No," she said, turning to Jaime. "It's perfect." She walked over to a door, her hand resting on the crystal knob. "What's in here?"

"Why don't you look?"

She opened the door and gasped. It was a huge closet, with new gowns lining both sides, and racks of slippers on the back wall of the closet. "Oh, Jaime…" She felt tears coming to her eyes and knew it was silly to cry over something so frivolous as an elegant bedroom and pretty dresses. But Joffrey and Cersei had made her disbelieve in beauty and romance. They had made her think she was stupid to ever think that she would marry a man who would love and treasure her. Her time in the capitol had made her bury that dream deep inside.

Even when she married Jaime, her only hope had been that he wouldn't beat her. She had never thought he could love her. "You didn't have to do this, Jaime," she whispered. "I just wish to be with you. I don't need such extravagance."

"You deserve it. I should tell you, the staff here is aware of your pregnancy. Your seamstress needed to know so your new gowns would actually fit. You are growing rather rapidly," he said jokingly, kissing her cheek.

Sansa leaned back against his chest, her eyes still scanning over the contents of the closet. "Jaime, I could not imagine a lovelier room. It's everything I could ever…thank you."

She turned in his arms to face him, tilting her chin up for a kiss. There was a knock on the door and Jaime bid whomever it was to enter. One of his soldiers walked in with a large gilded chest. "Where would you like this, my lord?"

Jaime released her and walked toward his soldier. "Right here," he said, gesturing to a small table beside Sansa's dressing table. The soldier did as he asked and left, bowing to both of them.

"What's that?" she asked curiously, approaching Jaime.

"Go ahead and open it. It's yours." Jaime handed her a small key and Sansa smiled, excitedly unlocking the chest and lifting the lid. She gasped at the sight of the jewelry inside – the diamonds and rubies sparkling back at her. She glanced back at Jaime in question.

"These were all my mother's. They belong to the Lady of Casterly Rock." Jaime kissed the top of her head. "And now they are yours. Come, sweet girl, there's more to see."

Sansa reluctantly left the jewel chest and followed Jaime to a door on the other side of the bedchamber. She followed him inside a huge bathing room. The floors, walls and ceiling were all covered in white marble. There was a large bathtub in front of a window overlooking the sea.

"And my chambers are right through here." Sansa slowly followed him through the other door. Jaime's chamber was darker and more masculine than hers, with deep, Lannister red bedding and draperies. The bed was even larger than the bed in her chambers, with a massive post on each corner and crimson velvet drapes hanging from the canopy.

Sansa knew it was silly, but she felt a bit stricken. It had not occurred to her that she and Jaime would have separate bedchambers. Since their marriage six months ago, they had always shared a bed and Sansa was used to sleeping in his arms. It was where she felt safest. I suppose he's not far away. She knew that most lords and ladies had separate bedchambers. That men would come to their wives' chambers when they wished to bed them. Though Jaime does make love to me nearly every night. Perhaps he will come to my chamber most nights and stay afterwards and sleep beside me.

She heard Jaime chuckling and looked up to meet his gaze. "I expect you to be here, in my bed, every night, Sansa." She blushed, realizing he could read on her face what her thoughts were. She wished she weren't so weak – that she didn't long for Jaime's presence as much as she did. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her softly. "This is our bedchamber. You are always welcome here."

Sansa leaned against him, cuddling against his chest as his arms enveloped her, surrounding her with his warmth. "I like it here," she said quietly.

"Good." He kissed her again before sliding her off of his lap. "Why don't you go back to digging through all of the treasures in your chamber, and I'll meet you back here in an hour or two."

"Where are you going?"

"My father…his bones need to be laid to rest in the crypts beneath the Rock. Beside my mother. I won't be too long."

"Would you like me to go with you?" she asked quietly.

"I'd never ask you to help bury the man who orchestrated your brother's murder."

Much as Sansa despised what Lord Tywin did to her brother…she knew Jaime loved him. And that it had to be difficult to bury him and to go into the crypts where his mother was buried. "I'm going with you," she said, rising to her feet. "You're not asking me. I insist." She walked over and rested a hand on his chest. "I was all alone when my father was…I didn't get to bury him. But I was left alone to mourn him. I'd never do that to you, Jaime. I'm here for you. And I want to be with you when you lay your father to rest."

She could see Jaime struggling for the words to thank her for her small sacrifice for him. "I…Thank you," he whispered.

She removed her hand from his chest and took his hand. "You'll have to lead the way to the crypts," she said gently.

He smiled softly and squeezed her hand. She started walking towards the door when Jaime pulled her back, into his arms. "I…I don't deserve you, Sansa." She could hear the emotion in his voice and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

"I love you. And there is no one I would rather be with, Jaime," she whispered. She felt his arms tighten around her and she closed her eyes, resting her head against him and breathing in his scent. As she stood there with Jaime's arms around her, feeling his heart beat beneath her ear, Sansa felt completely safe.

…..

Next chapter: Jaime & Edmure speak about Roslin