As promised, there's going to a bit more action in the next few chapters. I'll warn you - it's going be a bit dark, and there's some violence at the end of the chapter...but I think it's good for the progress of the story.

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Chapter 48

Jaime leaned back in his chair, reading over the simple letter he'd written to Tommen. He knew Cersei would devour every word and had spent hours agonizing over it, all while his squire stood by the door, waiting for him to finish.

Your Grace, King Tommen,

Lady Sansa Lannister has given birth to a little girl, named Julianna, who shall henceforth be heir to Casterly Rock. Both mother are child are healthy and doing well. I look forward to introducing her to your grace.

Your Uncle, Ser Jaime Lannister
Lord of Casterly Rock

Jaime thought it best to keep the announcement of his daughter's birth brief and to the point, in hopes that it might escape much of Cersei's notice. Though he expected his sister would be consumed with outrage and jealousy that another woman's child was heir to the Rock. Especially since that woman was Sansa. He was again thankful that he and Sansa had left King's Landing. He did not relish the thought of Cersei being anywhere near his wife and daughter. Especially given his most recent letter from Ser Kevan.

His uncle had been serving as regent since Cersei's incarceration, and from what he could gather from his letter, Cersei was now causing difficulties for him. Her champion, someone by the name of Ser Robert Strong, had prevailed at her trial by battle, and Cersei had immediately reinstalled herself at the Red Keep, scheming to take back the Regency from Ser Kevan and the Tyrells. Ser Kevan would never say it, but Jaime sensed that Cersei was completely out of control. She should be strengthening her alliance with them, in preparation for Stannis's next attack. Instead she alienates them all.

"May I interrupt for a moment?" Ser Addam asked from the doorway, holding several letters in his hands.

Jaime nodded, sealing the letter to Tommen and handing it to his squire so that the raven could be sent immediately. "Of course. I take it you have news of the war?"

Addam nodded, sitting opposite Jaime's desk and tossing the scrolls on the desk. For the past few days, Jaime had spent almost all of his time with Sansa and the new baby. He had turned over the daily duties of running the castle and monitoring the war to his friend.

"Stannis has retreated to the North. It appears he's stationed himself at the Wall, reworking his strategy. I have to wonder if he is attempting to convince the Brothers of the Night's Watch to join his fight."

"The Night's Watch is sworn to stay out of such matters."

"That's true. However, your Lady Wife's brother is Lord Commander. I expect Ned Stark's son might wish vengeance on those who killed his father. And his brothers."

"Aemon Targaryen stayed at the Wall during Robert's Rebellion." After I slit his brother's throat and my father killed his heirs. "From what Arya and Sansa have told me of the boy, he has Ned Stark's stubborn sense of honor. I'd be surprised if he entered the battle, though I suppose we should consider the possibility." He thought of the words of Sansa's house. Winter is Coming. He supposed winter was now here. "It will take months - if not years - for Stannis to bring his forces south, if that is what he means to do. I expect most will die of cold and famine. Most of them will never leave the North alive, given the present conditions up there."

"There's more," Ser Addam said warily. "There is a great deal of talk of the Targaryen girl. And her dragons."

Jaime raised his eyebrow. "Dragons?"

"King's Landing is dismissing it as lies but…I do not think it should be dismissed out of hand without more information."

"There haven't been any dragons for hundreds of years."

"But if it's true…you've seen Harrenhal. No matter how impenetrable the walls of the Rock are, dragon fire could melt it into the Sunset Sea."

"I'll think on it," Jaime said. He didn't give such stories much credence, but he supposed it was possible. At present, Jaime could not conceive of a way to combat the Targaryen girl if she indeed had dragons at her disposal. "I wonder if it is…cowardly for me to stay here with Sansa…with all of our soldiers. To not rejoin the war." His banishment to Casterly Rock had troubled him for some time, knowing that the war was going on. A part of him felt he should be riding North with his soldiers, to meet Stannis at the Wall.

"The Queen Regent sent you away. She sent you here. She did not want you fighting on King Tommen's behalf. And after Blackwater, if there is another sea attack, it will be here, at the Rock. It's best to have the harbor heavily manned as we do now. Your lord father always intended for you to take Lady Sansa and return to the Rock. Not to march North."

Jaime appreciated his words, though he wasn't sure he believed them. The thought of a battle at the Rock, with Sansa and his daughter inside, did not please him, though he knew they all could stay inside the Rock for years, with the stores of food Sansa had procured in preparation for the long winter. They could likely outlast any enemy.

"I don't expect there will be many battles during Winter. It will be difficult enough to keep troops alive, let alone move them, for many years, if this winter is like the others."

Jaime nodded. "Perhaps we should have our men practice with bows and arrows. If we're forced to defend the castle, I'd prefer to do it from behind the stone walls, rather than meeting the enemy out in the open."

Ser Addam nodded. "Of course."

When Ser Addam left, Jaime turned to look out the window, thinking about his options, and heard someone enter the room behind him. He spun his chair around and saw Sansa hesitantly entering his solar, carrying the little two handled basket she kept the baby in at night. She didn't yet wish for Julianna to sleep alone in the nursery, and instead chose to keep her in the small basket, placing it beside her on the bed. Though, Jaime frequently gave in to his urge to hold his daughter, and took her from the basket during the night, cuddling her on his chest, against Sansa.

"Is she asleep?" he whispered, nodding toward the basket.

Sansa nodded, gently placing the basket on the sofa, and walking to Jaime, settling on his lap. He sighed in pleasure as she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck, her fingers playing at the back of his neck.

"Are you sorry to be missing the war?" she asked quietly.

Jaime wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Listening at the door?" She blushed and looked away guiltily as he laughed quietly, kissing her forehead. "I don't know how useful I'd be with only one hand. And, selfishly, I wouldn't wish to be parted from you or the babe."

She smiled, craning her neck up to kiss him. "I'm glad you're here with me. Where I know you're safe." She kissed him again, smiling as he held her tighter.

"You worry for my safety, do you?"

Her eyes widened and she rested her hand on his cheek. "Of course I do. I could not bear for you to be out in the war…not knowing if you were safe or not. I will do anything I can to protect you." He kissed her, holding her close.

"How's our girl today?" he whispered between kisses, nodding toward the basket on the sofa.

"She's perfect. Sleeping like a little angel." Sansa looked over the letters scattered over Jaime's desk. "What news from King's Landing?"

"Wouldn't you rather kiss me than speak of that?"

"Of course," she said, smiling. "But I still wish to hear what's happened."

Jaime sighed, stroking her hair as she cuddled against his chest. "Cersei's doing her best to alienate the Tyrell's. She wants the regency back from Ser Kevan, but I doubt she'll get it."

"How is Tommen?" she asked quietly. "Do you think he's all right in King's Landing?" Sansa knew about Cersei's imprisonment and subsequent trial by battle and had spoken to Jaime before about her worry that the Tyrells would not take care of Tommen. She'd asked if perhaps he could come to the Rock, but Jaime knew it was not safe for Tommen to travel during wartime, and he knew that was a sure way to bring Cersei's wrath upon them. He already worried about her reaction to the news of Julianna's birth. Cersei was nothing if not a jealous creature, and he knew she would not like to think that another child was more important to Jaime than hers were.

"I'm certain Tommen is well. He's king. The Tyrell's would not harm him. He's too young to understand the power struggle going on. I expect he's being kept far away from the political intrigue at court."

"Margaery told me she would make sure he's safe, but I worry for him. He's only a little boy and…bad things can happen in the capitol." Jaime knew that she was thinking about the brutal treatment she had received, and kissed her temple, holding her as they looked out the window at the snow falling over the Sunset Sea. The babe started fussing and Sansa moved to get her but Jaime lifted her off his lap and put her in his chair.

"I'll get her," he murmured, kissing the top of Sansa's head. "Come here, my little lioness," he whispered, lifting Julianna from her basket and cradling her in his arms. She immediately quieted down, and began cooing, when Jaime held her.

"She feels safe with you. Do you think she knows we're her parents?" Sansa asked, rising from Jaime's chair and curling up on the sofa beside him, her feet tucked beneath her.

"I don't know," he said, as the babe grasped his finger tightly, looking at them both. "I know I felt connected to her the moment I held her."

"Me, too," Sansa said, resting her head on his shoulder. "She's a little bit of both of us," Sansa murmured, looking over her baby's features. "We really are a family now, aren't we?"

Jaime smiled as he thought about her words. It had been so long since he'd truly been part of a family. Probably not since his mother died. He had felt a strong brotherly connection with Tyrion his whole life, but he, Tyrion, Cersei and their father had never felt like a true family. And Cersei had been more a lover than a sister. Now that he had his sweet Sansa, and the perfect infant in his arms, he truly felt that he belonged to someone.

"Yes, we are, sweet girl. A real family," he murmured, smiling down at Sansa as she curled up against him, fussing over their baby, which he held securely against his chest.

….

It had been little more than two weeks since Julianna was born, and Sansa was feeling physically well and had settled into a routine with Jaime and her little girl. She was still surprised by how much he loved and wanted to take care of their infant. More than once she had caught him holding her in his arms and just staring at her in wonder. It always made her smile when Jaime called her his "little lioness."

Since the baby was born, Sansa spent her mornings in the nursery, while Jaime and Arya sparred on the practice grounds. She enjoyed the time alone with her baby, holding her and nursing her. Her mother had come to visit her several times. Lady Catelyn only came to visit with Sansa when Jaime and Arya were sparring on the practice grounds - knowing there was no danger of seeing him. They never spoke of Sansa's husband. Instead, they spoke of the baby. Sansa knew it was a start and she was grateful to have her mother in her life.

Sansa rocked the babe to sleep and placed her in her bassinette, standing over and watching her. I love you so much, my sweet baby. She walked over to the sofa in front of the fire and folded up one of Julianna's blankets before settling down with her sewing.

She heard the sound of someone entering the nursery behind her and felt a hand clamp down over her mouth. She tried to turn her head, but whoever it was held her tightly, until he turned her around, slamming her against the wall. The man before her was a Lannister soldier she vaguely recognized from King's Landing. She thought he was one of the Queen's guards. She struggled against him, but his grip was unyielding. What's happening? Why is he doing this? He reached for the front of her gown and ripped it open to the waist, exposing her breasts and looking her over. "Pity I won't have time to do all that was asked. I can see why Ser Jaime has been so entranced."

She heard the babe start cooing from her bassinette and Sansa's eyes flicked to it in terror. She began shaking her head. Please don't hurt my baby.

"I'm afraid the babe must die as well, Lady Lannister."

Sansa's eyes widened and she began struggling even harder, as his other hand closed around her throat. She started sputtering as she struggled for breath, and he moved his hand from her mouth, wrapping his other hand around her throat as well, his hands tightening around her neck.

No…This can't be happening now. Not while we're so happy.

Sansa started kicking at him, landing several blows to his ankles and he shoved her to the ground, holding her down with his body. Jaime. Jaime, where are you? Where are my guards? Sansa started clawing at the man's hands, scratching her own neck in the process, trying to get free. It hurts. Sansa began to panic. The pain in her lungs increased as every part of her screamed for air.

She tried to scream, but she couldn't manage more than a whisper. "Please…please stop."

"Sansa?"

She heard her sister's voice and her eyes flew around the room. She didn't think it possible, but he squeezed her neck harder. She saw Arya standing in the doorway, taking in the scene. Sansa tried to tell Arya to take the baby and run, but she couldn't breathe and couldn't speak.

I love you, Jaime.

She saw Arya draw her little sword, just as everything went black.

….

Sorry for the cliffhanger…the next chapter will pick up right where this one left off.