JAIME

Jaime, Joanna and Brienne sat in a flimsy wooden boat as they followed the current down river. The female knight had tried to make Joanna row despite her fragile physical and mental state recently. He had tried to avoid questions related to her pregnancy but it was becoming harder as he watched his niece's demeanour sadden throughout the course of the day. She was in no fit state to be exerting her physically so she had spent most of the journey by boat resting her head on her uncle.

Witnessing the cloud of darkness settle on Joanna's face reminded him of a time long ago. Cersei's first and only successful pregnancy by Robert Baratheon had led to a weak infant that left the world as swiftly as it entered it. Despite his sister baring no love for her husband Jaime couldn't do anything to lift her spirits. Her heart had broken and her spirit had even gone from their love-making. Her mood had only lifted when she had the twins and since then she had made sure nothing bad ever happened to any of her children ever again.

"Are you alright, Joanna?" He asked the miniature version of his twin due to the paleness of her skin.

"Quiet," the wench grumbled, and he doubted that a smile had ever graced her face.

He wore iron manacles on his wrists and a matching pair about his ankles, joined by a length of heavy chain no more than a foot long. "You'd think my word as a Lannister was not good enough," he'd japed as they bound him. He'd been very drunk by then, thanks to Catelyn Stark. Of their escape from Riverrun, he recalled only bits and pieces. There had been some trouble with the gaoler, but the big wench had overcome him.

Luckily Joanna had remained unchained, Lady stark obviously not deeming her an important enough threat but Jaime knew otherwise. Joanna knew exactly how to use a sword from their secret lessons years ago. However she had yet to participate in a true fight where her enemy was truly wishing her home and for that reason Jaime knew that if she tried to fight Brienne she would lose.

After that they had climbed an endless stair, around and around. His legs were weak as grass, and he'd stumbled twice or thrice, until the wench lent him an arm to lean on. At some point he was bundled into a traveller's cloak and shoved into the bottom of a skiff. He remembered listening to Lady Catelyn command someone to raise the portcullis on the Water Gate.

He must have drifted off then. The wine had made him sleepy, and it felt good to stretch, a luxury his chains had not permitted him in the cell. Jaime had long ago learned to snatch sleep in the saddle during a march. This was no harder. Tyrion is going to laugh himself sick when he hears how I slept through my own escape. He was awake now, though, and the fetters were irksome. "My lady," he called out, "if you'll strike off these chains, I'll spell you at those oars."

She scowled again, her face all horse teeth and glowering suspicion. "You'll wear your chains, Kingslayer."

"You figure to row all the way to King's Landing, wench?"

"You will call me Brienne. Not wench."

"My name is Ser Jaime. Not Kingslayer."

"Do you deny that you slew a king?"

"Can you two try and be civil?" Joanna complained, yawning. "Lady Brienne. Do not try and presume you know things you don't."

Brienne scoffed. "If I am a Lady then you are a Baratheon."

She sat up immediately, confusion etched across her face. "What are you talking about?"

Brienne and Jaime shared a glance. To be precise Jaime glared with hate and threat.

"It is not my right to say." The female knight deflected.

In many ways Brienne pitied the young princess. She seemed extremely clever and witty but her biggest flaw seemed to be her love for family. She didn't know a Lannister who loved anyone outside of their family and Joanna seemed no exception. The princess idolised her true father and it surprised Brienne how she hadn't figured out the truth yet. They both resembled each other greatly in both appearance and personality. The poor girl had no idea that she and her siblings were bastards born of incest and had no right to the throne. She probably didn't even realise her twin was a psychopath.

They'd all done a deal of vowing back in that cell, Jaime most of all. That was Lady Catelyn's price for releasing him. She had laid the point of Brienne's sword against his heart and said, "Swear that you will never again take up arms against Stark nor Tully. Swear that you will compel your brother to honour his pledge to release my daughter safe and unharmed. Swear on your honour as a knight, on your honour as a Lannister, on your honour as a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard. Swear it by your sister's life, and your father's, and your son's, by the old gods and the new, and I'll send you back to your sister. Refuse, and I will have your blood." He remembered the prick of the steel through his rags as she twisted the point of the sword.

I wonder what the High Septon would have to say about the sanctity of oaths sworn while dead drunk, chained to a wall, with a sword pressed to your chest? Not that Jaime was truly concerned about that fat fraud, or the gods he claimed to serve. He remembered the pail Lady Catelyn had kicked over in his cell. A strange woman, to trust her daughter to a man with shit for honour. Though she was trusting him as little as she dared. She is putting her hope in Tyrion, not in me. "Perhaps she is not so stupid after all," he said aloud.

It had been Joanna's quick thinking that had got them freed. She had lied to Lady Starks face and told her that Arya had tried to escape and had been thrown in prison. That was why Sansa had no idea her sister was still in the palace, Joanna explained. If she had discovered her younger sister was there she would have tried to rescue her.

This was how Joanna had managed to manipulate the words Catelyn used when making Jaime swear vows. Arya was not in their possession so they had already 'released' her. It meant that technically he was under no obligations. This was one of the times when Joanna most reminded him of Cersei and it almost scared him how much she resembled her at that moment.

"A man who would violate his own sister, murder his king, and fling an innocent child to his death deserves no other name."

"Vicious rumours." Joanna scoffed. "Nobody in Kings Landing believes your lies."

Sighing Brienne paused rowing and turned to the golden girl. "On the topic of rumours, which man dared deflower a princess?"

Joanna glared. "A better man than you shall ever know."

Jaime could sense that she was getting angry and that was not something easily achieved. Joffrey and Joanna were both similar and different in their tempers. Whilst Joffrey angered easily Joanna needed much more provocation however once angry they were both forces to be reckoned with and Joanna had gone through many septas this way.

"I would advise you stop this now wench!" Jaime exclaimed, attempting to calm his daughter/niece.

"Once you return to Kings Landing you are truly ruined. No respectable man will want you, I hope you realise. I would be surprised if your lover won't abandon you."

Joanna's eyes blazed with fury. "Don't be ridiculous. Joff wouldn't-"

Her mouth slammed shut once she realised what she had said. She couldn't believe she had just admitted to sleeping with her twin in front of an enemy knight and her favourite uncle.

Jaime was shocked to say the least. He knew that Joanna and Joffrey were close, perhaps closer than normal siblings however he hadn't even considered that they were victim to the same affections that he and Cersei were. Before he had been disappointed in her for being so careless with her affections but now he didn't have the heart to judge her for the same crime he had committed.

He was however worried for her and he had hoped that Brienne hadn't noticed her slip. Glancing at the large woman it was clear that she had. The knight was staring at Joanna with a look of absolute disgust.

Whilst all 3 of them were distracted by the reveal none of them were steering the boat. A sharp bend and drop in the river jolted the passengers as the current dragged them along fiercely. Out of nowhere the boat hit a rock and the force cause Joanna to lose her balance as she was thrown into the murky waters.

"Joanna!" Jaime screamed, attempting to throw himself after her. Brienne grabbed him and wrestled him back into the boat. He continued to scream and struggle but soon the golden head was out of sight.