From the distance, King's Landing looked deceptively and strangely splendid with the setting sun bathing in a golden light the chaotic myriad of houses, shacks and buildings all around the vast urban area. The Red Keep stood majestic above the high cliffs by the Blackwater Bay, and the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's Hill might have really passed for a worldly residence for deities, if those happened to drop by the place and fancied somewhere to spend part of their time.
Jaime glanced sideways at Brienne, curious for her reaction at watching the city for the first time. He himself hadn't ever grown fond of it, and it was even less appealing at present, when all he felt at the sight of it was hostility and wariness. She looked equally cautious, but also determined, holding her head high and her back straight like a spear. If he'd admired her before, the feeling only intensified even more inside his chest. She was the true lioness in the family, and he'd never loved her more than in that sunset on the outskirts of the biggest city in Westeros, with the last rays of the sun making her eyes turn into sapphires and her now shoulder-length hair shine.
"It doesn't look so bad from here," Brienne commented next to him. They were riding at the head of the group, flanked by a few of the guards who were traveling with them. The rest of the Lannister soldiers watched over Tyrion's carriage and Kevan, Dorna and Lancel's house on wheels.
"That's because most things look better from afar, but we haven't reached the gates yet. Wait until the charming views and fragrant odors of a great city like this one envelop you and then we will have this conversation again," he warned teasingly.
She snorted and rolled her eyes. He hoped that her stomach wouldn't turn when they were crossing the streets. Up to then, her pregnancy was going very smoothly, with just nausea some days, and strong smells affected her especially, but she very rarely threw up, because she usually managed to control her stomach. But perhaps King's Landing might prove to be too much, with the stench added to the nerves of their upcoming arrival at the Red Keep. In any case, he would remain next to her all the time to offer her his support.
Their group crossed the Lion Gate and there it was, the overwhelming assault on the senses as a result of thousands of people, animals, varied human activities on the streets and dirt coating almost everyone and everything. His hand remained on the hilt of his sword, and he'd warned her beforehand to do the same and keep a close eye on her surroundings. The streets were dangerous, and he wouldn't take any chances when Brienne's safety was at stake. He also watched her attentively from the corner of his eye, studying her reaction. The general atmosphere of poverty and decay evidently was having a deep impact on her, though she tried to keep a neutral expression, but Jaime had come to know her very well and the slight puckering of her nose, her frown and her tight lips showed her dismay. She truly felt for those people's poor living conditions, he could notice. Being the compassionate and kind-hearted person she was, she wouldn't have ever remained indifferent at such a sight. They exchanged a meaningful look and he shrugged in helplessness.
"How do you feel, love?," he asked softly.
"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, honey," she answered with a tender glance. "My father had told me about... this. No wonder he was so reluctant to come here."
Jaime nodded in heartfelt agreement. "I certainly don't blame him for it." He was about to comment that the Red Keep didn't improve very much in the sense of the general moral decay of a few of its inhabitants, but he didn't want to lower her spirits even more, so he opted to keep silent for the rest of the ride. She wouldn't appreciate it if he started to joke around in such an environment, he sensed, and it would be better not to talk about what was awaiting them at the castle. They'd already breached the topic thoroughly along the journey and they were as ready as they could be, or so he hoped.
His heart leapt when he saw the welcoming committee at the keep's courtyard, but not precisely because Cersei, their father and the golden prince were there. Rhaegar looked all the part of a king, Jaime must admit, tall, handsome and with the Valyrian looks, and he certainly wasn't his father by a long shot, but it remained to be seen how he would manage as the new sovereign of the Seven Kingdoms. Jaime wondered in passing how his marriage to Cersei was faring. And speaking of the devil, she stood proud next to her husband, as deceptively beautiful as he remembered, sumptuously dressed, her hair styled in one of those intricate Southern hairdos and with her pregnancy perfectly visible. Her face might have belonged to an ice statue. Her green eyes, so much like his own, didn't harbor a single trace of warmth in them, and she was fixing on Brienne a cold, calculating and disdainful stare which made Jaime's skin crawl and flush with suppressed fury and dread. That glare didn't augur well and Jaime was more determined than ever to protect his wife at all costs. On his part, the reunion with his sister hardly stirred anything in him apart from suspicion and sadness for their ruined fraternal relationship, if such a thing had ever existed between them. She then rested her eyes on him, measuring him. Until just a few moon turns ago, that patronizing look would have irked him and made him feel like an insect, but in that moment, it only roused his most obstinate defiance, and he smirked at her. She raised an eyebrow and threw daggers at him with her glare, but he turned his attention back to Rhaegar, ignoring Cersei deliberately for the rest of the reception. The prince's face didn't give anything away apart from a cordial expression aimed at the newcomers. Tywin on the other hand looked as stiff, stern and cold as ever, and no one would have guessed that his own family had just arrived and that he hadn't seen them in several moon turns. Lord Varys was also there, as mysterious and cryptic as Jaime remembered. He'd never known what to make of the strange eunuch who seemed to know everything about everyone.
The reason for Jaime's joy at arriving at the courtyard was the presence of some of the most legendary knights in history. Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ser Barristan Selmy, Barristan the Bold, who needed no introduction. And Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning in person. Jaime had always idolized him, and the fact that the mythical knight was present as a part of the welcoming party was quite thrilling. And next to him and Ser Barristan, the rest of the Kingsguard were there, all imposing in their white armor and capes: Prince Lewin Martell, Ser Gwayne Gaunt, Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Jonothor Darry.
"Your Grace," Jaime greeted, bowing to the prince. "Your Grace," he repeated, turning to Cersei and bowing also to her, with a hint of irony. "I'm glad to see you both again." He then turned to Brienne and his gaze softened instantly. "Let me introduce you to my wife, Lady Brienne." She bowed as well and Jaime caught Cersei's mocking smile. She was silently laughing at his love for not being able to curtsey, but Brienne opted for ignoring that act of disrespect. Jaime on his part was starting to boil inside, no matter that he'd anticipated such awful reactions from his sister. Damned bitch.
"My lord, my lady," Rhaegar said amicably. "Welcome to the capital. I hope the travels haven't tired you too much in your condition, Lady Brienne. Take as much rest as you need and enjoy your stay."
She blushed at the prince's exquisite manners and, Jaime believed, at his regal bearing. That's the small girl in her who loves tales of dashing and gallant princes, he thought with a small and absurd stab of jealousy. He supposed that was a natural reaction in front of someone whom his subconscious deemed as a potential rival, as ludicrous as it sounded in his own mind.
"Thank you, Your Grace. I feel quite well," Brienne responded firmly, and Jaime admired her aplomb. She was the strongest person he knew, but she must be bone tired after a whole day of riding and two weeks on the roads with a growing baby in her womb. She was well into her third month of pregnancy and it was already starting to show subtly.
"Ser Jaime," Ser Arthur greeted then, with a wide smile. "How is my favorite knight? Are you still that promising with the sword?"
Jaime blushed in delight at the praise, despite himself. "I hope I am, Ser. I've kept practicing nonstop, and my wife has contributed to it greatly. She's superb," he complimented, in proud acknowledgement of Brienne's skill. She was too modest to sing her own praises, but Jaime wasn't, so he would sing her praises as much as he fancied, he thought with a grin.
Ser Arthur turned his sparkling dark eyes to Brienne, with a hint of blatant admiration in them. "Congratulations, by the way, for being the first female knight in history, my lady. It's a pity that in your condition we can't spar, but I'd truly have liked to," the Dornishman admitted, and Jaime was sure that if his wife could have floated in the air, she would find herself a few inches from the ground by then.
"Well, be welcome, the rest of you Lannisters," Rhaegar cut off cordially, addressing Tyrion, Kevan, Dorna and Lancel, who were standing behind Jaime and Brienne, all of whom bowed or curtsied. "Let's go in, you must all be longing for supper, a hot bath and a good night of rest." The prince turned on his heels and all the others present at the courtyard followed him.
Jaime then realized that Rhaegar hadn't crossed a single glance with Cersei the entire time. Interesting. It's going even worse than I anticipated. Jaime had expected such a fiasco in his sister's marriage, but that didn't make him feel calmer with regard to her behavior. An embittered Cersei was as reliable as a poisonous snake.
That evening, the prince invited the newcomers to his private chambers for supper, but didn't want to hear of Brienne tiring herself unnecessarily, so he claimed that her supper would be sent to hers and Jaime's rooms, forbidding her politely but sternly to leave them until the next day.
"Please, be very careful," she pleaded, while Jaime was getting ready to leave their assigned quarters without her. He felt extremely reluctant, but there was no choice. He'd miss her like crazy the whole time he'd be far from her.
He kissed her as a promise. "I'll be. Don't worry for me, love, and go to sleep early. Keep your weapons at hand and don't open the door to any servants or other strangers until I'm back here," he listed earnestly.
"You too be on the lookout. I don't trust Cersei. I saw how she was looking at us. At you," she provided, holding his cheeks. "It's evident she isn't done with you, Jaime."
He was also caressing her soft cheeks. "Well, I'm done with her, and I'm not a blind green boy anymore. I won't let her try anything. And I'll do my best to be back here as soon as possible, all right? I'm going to miss you by my side terribly, wench. You've made me addicted to you, and I'll need my dose of you. Hells, I need it right now. Can you feel it?," he asked with a rough voice. He was pressing his erection against her hip so she wouldn't have the slightest doubt about his undying hunger for her, and only for her.
Brienne giggled and stroked his hardness boldly over his pants, making him hiss and moan. "That can be fixed quickly," she offered, making his lust shoot up.
"Love, you don't have to..." But she was already pushing his clothes down and swallowing half his cock in her mouth before he could even blink. In the past months, she had perfected the skill of sucking him off to heavenly levels, and right then he let her take him to the highest heights of delirious pleasure in just a few minutes without putting up much of a fight, because he was incapable of resisting her burning passion, or had the slightest wish to.
By the time he climaxed and spilled himself on her tongue and into her throat with his voice hoarse from his loud groans, he'd forgotten about the rest of the world and about his pressing fears, and when he left the chambers, he was as relaxed and self-confident as he could be, thanks to the precious love he and Brienne shared.
Jaime remembered the hallways of the Red Keep well enough to manage to find his way to the prince's chambers by himself. He'd always had a very good memory and it was quite useful to traverse huge labyrinthine castles like Casterly Rock or the Red Keep.
Just when he'd turned a corner, a shadow emerged and a hand like a claw grasped his wrist, pulling him toward an open door, but he stood his ground and closed the fingers of his other hand around the throat of his assailant, pushing them against the wall with a thud.
It was no other than his dear sister, of course. He kept his iron hold on her, almost effectively cutting her air supply, but caring not to leave marks on her skin. He'd recovered his cool head quickly, fortunately, and was able to think clearly again, considering Cersei clinically.
"So, tell me, have you already grown bored of your royal husband and are you seeking entertainment all around? Because let me inform you, I'm not interested," he muttered in a sardonic tone. "I'd advice you not to lose your time with me, surely you have a bunch of others willing to jump into your bed, don't you?" He loosened his grip, but didn't let go of her, watching around for any signs of human presence. Luckily, the corridor was deserted.
She chuckled disdainfully. "So I see you still like it rough, don't you? That huge cow fucks very rough, doesn't she? Until not so long ago, you were dying to fuck my brains out, and if you weren't so stupidly blind with that beast of yours, we'd be inside that room out there with you pinning me against a wall and telling all sorts of filthy things by my ear. Such a pity. Well, your loss," she said with a sneer, and Jaime kept his hand firmly in place, sorely tempted to squeeze and crush her windpipe, and even more after her insults against Brienne. "Soon you'll come back to me with your tail between your legs, like you always did before, you'll see. You can't certainly enjoy fucking that thing for much longer. You and I belong with each other forever, remember? I used to be the only woman for you, and you've always been the only man for me. You know that father forced me to marry Rhaegar, or I'd have had to marry someone else anyway, so I had to make the most of it. You won't truly blame me for wanting to enjoy a bit my time with him, will you? He's ended up being a disappointment, like all men, but at least you've always been mine. I miss you between my legs. Rhaegar's cock isn't as big as yours and he isn't that good with it either." She reached for his crotch and he reined in his impulse to shiver in disgust, in case she confused his reaction with a positive response to her touch. His flesh didn't react, like it would have done enthusiastically when he was still mad with desire for her, a long while ago. His cock remained flaccid in his breeches, and he allowed her to check it out for herself before firmly removing her hand. "Oh, your cow has turned you into an impotent eunuch too? Such a waste, you might have enjoyed a more varied and fulfilling sex life here, with me. Think about it, you might still keep on fucking her, for all I care. I'd be willing to indulge your new odd craving for manly kinks in bed, as long as you acknowledge that you belong to me. I might even forgive you for not answering my letters these past moon turns."
He was distracted from his boiling rage at her cruel words against Brienne by her last statement. "What letters? I haven't received any, and I certainly haven't written you," he denied with a puzzled stare.
Cersei's feigned hurt turned to contempt once again. "Father. He's been intercepting all my ravens then. He genuinely doesn't want anything to interfere with his golden son acting as Lord of the Rock and knocking up his beastly wife with a pride of little lions. So sweet."
Jaime hardened his grip on her neck once again. "Don't you dare to insult her, you bitch. She's much more woman than you'll ever be. And I enjoy fucking her much more than I ever enjoyed fucking you, because she's not a cold shrew like you are. Surely Rhaegar didn't take long to notice that lovely trait of yours, did he? But at least he isn't a small and gullible child like I was. Well, thanks for your generous offer, dear sister, but I'll pass. You can always take comfort in going on enjoying the other cocks around the area," he shot back, relishing her look of fury. "And if you go on molesting me or have any funny ideas regarding my wife, be warned that anything that you attempt will backfire. Such as you've said, father doesn't want anything to interfere with his golden son acting as Lord of the Rock. And I'm under the impression that your beloved Rhaegar isn't very fond or supportive of you anyway, so I'd tread with care if I were you." He revelled in her snarl and let go of her. She'd never looked less like a lioness or a worthy woman to him.
"Have you told her yet? That you were like a beast in heat with me for many years and that you put two babies in my belly? Or is it too much for her feminine sensitivities?," Cersei spat in a hiss when he'd just resumed his walk to the prince's chambers.
He half turned his head, hardly bothering to slow his steps. "Yes, I have. And unlike you, she took it like the true woman she is."
And with that, he strode ahead, putting as much distance between himself and her as was humanly possible.
Later at supper, she acted as if nothing had transpired between them on that hallway and performed convincingly enough the role of gracious hostess, but Jaime hadn't ever been so eager to get away from her toxic presence and return to his love.