CHAPTER 6

The torture never seemed to stop.

Of course, watching Jaime be whipped bloody was not enough, more horror was yet to come to persuade her to continue giving prophecies in bloody, gurgling, thrashing fits recorded by a man with a quill listening nearby.

"Please no! Please, I'll tell you anything! Forgive me, your Grace!"

"Laenna!"

"FATHER! FATHER! No, please! Please, NO!" Laenna begged till her throat cracked and screamed louder still, a shrill pitch to her voice, she barely noticed as Jaime held her back.

He begged, "Laenna, please"

Laenna's father had been 'summoned' to the capital and though she could barely remember him and resented his treatment of her in the past, she still saw his eyes as the same as hers and the fear and the color was the same.

She then watched and watched as her father burnt and burnt, his screams expressing his pain with every shout as his flesh melted off and cracked, as his eyes fell out of his skull and no longer looked at her, his hands no longer outstretched but reaching none the less for someone to help him.

No such help came.

Like that, Laenna cracked too.

The king seemed delighted that she had broken and that her father was burning and he laughed and laughed.

Wildfire was truly a horrendous thing as it never seemed to stop burning, just like how the king never seemed to stop laughing.

No pity for her fathers charred remains, nor her broken burnt out spirit, the monster fire and the monster who unleashed it kept burning and laughing all at once.

She could barely hear the words spoken by the king meant to further disgrace and ruin her completely.

"From this day forward, you are nothing and no one, you are stripped of title and rank, and your name will henceforth be Laenna Flowers. Liars and traitors as vile as you deserve nothing less."

Jaime's hands tightened around her waist to keep her from falling and held onto her quivering hands to keep her from ripping out her hair but Laenna couldn't care less. She was numb and not even the hands of the man she loved truly holding her could make her feel comfort in her torment and guilt and shame.

Her father was killed, her house was destroyed, she had been bastardized, guards had died trying to save her father, and many innocent people had probably died when his lands were seized when her father had been taken and brought before the king. All because of her stupidity. This is all my fault, she repeated over and over again in her head.

Later the next day on a whim, a ball was held for the remaining court, one especially 'in her honor'. This would be the king's fourth and final devastating humiliation for daring to tempt Jaime into disobedience, for disliking giving fortunes by blood magic, for anytime she showed anything but utter loyalty and subservience. It made no sense and yet to this madman, it made utter sense, traitors were everywhere and all were liars waiting to be revealed.

She was unwillingly and forcefully dressed in utter grey rags (probably ripped from some poor unwilling soul from Flea Bottom), no shoes for her feet and no gown would grace her. No No she was not worth that.

Laenna was then walked to what felt like her execution, down the long halls to finally stand before the door, ready to enter the throne room, and with a clang and loud screech of the door, she was ready to be paraded in front of the court as she walked the long walk to the king of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm.

This was while she crossed her arms as she tried to cover herself from the holes peeking to reveal some of her breasts and belly and shoulders.

Many a man and woman of noble birth dared to look away yet none tried to help her or even clothe her.

It was then she finally realized she was truly all alone.

It was then she realized that she fallen so far and was below even the lowliest beggar on the street. To these people she was a witch, a nasty figure of fear.

She remembered Cersei then, she remembered her tears even as she held the knife to her.

Was she truly a monster, Laena thought.

Surely, otherwise why would she be here.

The king looked at her with great pleasure and chuckled lowly, burning a hole through her lowered head, right into her skull and brain.

A slap then shattered across her head, "Look up, girl, to your king."

Laenna lifted her face and tried to bite her quivering lip.

The king let out a great laugh, "Now you truly look your station."

What she had not noticed till the king looked to the side of him, was to her shock and utter surprise, Jaime Lannister with tears falling down his face.

The king looked at him for a good minute before a sadistic grin crossed his face.

"You weep like a woman, you are weeping now almost as much as she is, you are not fit to be called a man, Jaime Lannister. You are weak! Just like your father is!"

The king having finished his long violent outburst with a loud irritated sigh, finally showed the true purpose of the grin before.

"Is she your lover? Is that why you weep and defend her? Well, let me tell you, you have failed at that and everything else. You are worthless," the king said trying to get a rise out of him.

Laenna kept praying and praying to all the gods she knew of to let Jaime stay silent.

Of that they at least seemed to answer her prayers.

The king grew irritated till he finally decided what he would do since Jaime would not speak.

"A 'match' for the songs," Aerys said with a smile and a booming voice, "Dance with one another, that will amuse me greatly"

The king laughed as Laenna wept greatly as she was dragged by her hair to Jaime.

As she was finally flung into his arms, Jaime held her for two seconds, his green eyes staring into her, before he moved.

Gripping her hand and pulling her behind him. He finally got to the middle of the room, turned around to her, put his palm to her palm and the other behind his back before moving to the music being played. She almost tripped.

Of course it had to be a jig and a joyful sounding bard.

They turned and turned till sweat gathered on both their bodies. His armor suffocating and her exhaustion and starvation weakening her quickly, till they finally came closer to support each other to keep standing and turning.

The only thing keeping her on her feet was Jaime's strong arms which seemed to grip her tightly and the only thing holding her steady.

"Im here, Im here" He said trying to calm her, "Just go away inside" he begged as she shivered from the cold sweat and fear.

"I don't know how," she said. "Just think of nothing," he replied, "it's what I do."

"Why did you cry then?" She asked.

Jaime looked at her in complete perplixation on his brow, green eyes piercing her very soul, ""I'm not actually sure."

Now, Laenna looked down at his chest and he pushed the matter no further.

They turned and turned and with that too did Laenna's vision and her panic. Nothing she could do seemed to calm her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely, "I'm so sorry," she couldn't help the tremor in her voice.

She had destroyed him, humiliated him, made him a laughing stock too, this was all her fault, she thought. She had dragged this man she adored from afar to her level in the mud.

Jaime was meant to be a great knight for ladies to swoon over and men to praise for his fighting skills, and she had ruined his entire reputation simply by existing and bringing him into her shit.

As they turned and were swept to the music, no greater misery seemed possible.

Jaime said nothing besides, "Please don't say you're sorry" as though he were in the greatest pain.

Laenna kept weeping and as she kept weeping the king kept laughing, a laugh so shrill and loud and absolutely haunting.

The only comfort she had was knowing from a dream that the king would die, and knowing how she was going to keep that dream secret.