#jaime x bronn

[wonderful-world-of-midget-mcgee]

Women's World Cup and still laughing that the Seven-cursed Dorne lovechild between Jaime Lannister and Bronn has returned

[rp-partnerfinder]

Please be 21+ and communicative to interact!!!

About Me: 21+. She/Her. EST. I like to plot on Tumblr and write on Discord. I write in third person, past tense and ~2-4 paragraphs (about 200-400 words or more). I work full-time during the week so replies won't happen every day. I aim for at least 2 replies a week, but it all depends on how work is going. I don't expect anything more than 1 reply a week from my writing partner. I don't double because I don't have the time to put equal effort into two threads with one person. I want both of us to be happy with the one idea we come up with.

What I'm Looking For: Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire and House of the Dragon threads. MxM is my strong preference, but I'm open to doing FxF or MxF. I prefer my writing partners to be open to discussing MxM. I'm mainly interested in canon x canon pairings. I'm willing to do some canon x OC, but I'm picky with OCs so don't be offended if I turn you down. I like canon or canon divergent plots. As long as something makes sense within the universe, I'll generally be okay with it. Romantic ships and NSFW/smut are preferred but with a healthy dose of plot.

I'll be listing my main muses (I might be willing to try some other characters out) and some of my favorite ships. I'm open to discussing other ships as well.

All characters will be 18+.

My Muses:

Alicent Hightower (pre-10 year time jump only)

Alliser Thorne

Benjen Stark

Beric Dondarrion

Daemon Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen

Gerion Lannister

Jaime Lannister

Lyn Corbray

Margaery Tyrell

Otto Hightower

Petyr Baelish

Robb Stark

Roose Bolton

Stannis Baratheon

Thoros

Tywin Lannister

Yoren

My Favorite Ships (bold = my preferred muse ; italics = slightly preferred muse ; nothing = no preference):

Alicent x Rhaenyra

Alicent x Daemon

Alliser x OC Member of the Night's Watch

Benjen x Yoren

Beric x Thoros

Daemon x Criston

Daemon x Laenor

Daemon x Rhaenyra

Daemon x Laena

Dany x Margaery

Dany x Jorah

Dany x Jaime

Gerion x Male OC

Jaime x Bronn

Jaime x Sansa

Lyn x Male OC

Margaery x Sansa

Margaery x Stannis

Margaery x Joffrey

Otto x Viserys

Petyr x Renly

Petyr x Sansa

Robb x Roose

Robb x Theon

Roose x Stannis

Roose x Tywin

Roose x Sansa

Stannis x Davos

Please message me (highly preferred) or like this post if you'd like to work something out.

.

[norakbubbles]

Tyrion: Just be yourself

Jaime: 'Be myself'? Tyrion, I have one day to win Brienne over. How long did it take before you guys started liking me?

Podrick: Couple weeks

Bronn: Six months

Tormund: Jury's still out

Jaime: See?

Jaime: 'Be myself'. What kind of garbage advice is that?

[agent-whiskeys-sweetheart]

Yay your requests are open again!! :) if you are still doing game of thrones requests. Could you possibly right about some of the characters defending you against any disrespect or question of your character?

I love this request! Thanks so much for sending it in! 

Jaime - Jaime would fight to defend your honor. Not necessarily to the death but he would make a huge show of fighting in your place to make sure that no one ever disrespects you again. He knows you’d be scared to defend yourself so he’s happy to do it for you.

Sandor - Sandor would kill any man that dares disrespect you. He wouldn’t bother to talk or negotiate with them. The moment that a disrespectful word about you comes out of their mouth he’s slicing their throat. He would make sure you’re never disrespected again. 

Petyr - Petyr would engage in a battle of wits with whoever is stupid enough to talk badly about his girl. He would always wins as his opponent is woefully underprepared in terms of intelligence. Petyr would end the fight with a grin, knowing he’s defended you well. 

Jon - Jon wouldn’t want to start a fight over it. He would know that it’s for the best to be the better people and walk away rather than fighting about it. Of course he’d want to fight for you but he thinks it’s best to leave the whole situation alone and be with you instead.

Robb - Robb would start a fight with anyone that disrespects you. He wouldn’t want to do permanent damage to your verbal assailant but he would definitely prove that he’ll come to your aid every time. He would be sure to give you lots of praise and love when he’s done.

Tywin - Tywin wouldn’t personally kill whoever it is but he’d make sure that they disappear for good. He’d never want you to have to face them ever again. Anything that brings you discomfort or unhappiness has no place in your world. So he makes them go away. 

Bronn - Bronn wouldn’t give a shit about the person that disrespects you. That’s not to say he doesn’t care. He just doesn’t care about their opinion. He’d much rather spend time making sure that you feel loved and taken care of than fighting someone he doesn’t care about.

Jorah - Jorah would immediately usher you away from whoever it was that disrespected you and shower you with love and affection. He would want you to completely forget about that person so that all you can remember is his undying adoration and love for you. 

Ramsay - Ramsay would happily torture the person that disrespected you. He would make you sit and watch as he tears them limb from limb so that you know that he’ll always defend and take care of you. It’s his sick twisted way of showing you that he adores you.

Stannis - Stannis is a king. No one disrespects his girl and gets away with it. However he is also a just king. He would throw them in a dungeon to spend the rest of their days rotting away, thinking about the way that they disrespected you and facing the consequences.

Oberyn - Oberyn would get so pissed. You’d have to hold him back to keep him from stabbing the person that disrespected you. However, he wouldn’t because he knows it would displease you. No matter what he wants to make sure that you’re happy and taken care of.

Dany - Dany would be completely enraged. She would bring the guilty party before her and she would have her dragons burn them to death. She would never want to have to look on that piece of garbage again and she wouldn’t want you to have to either. 

Brienne - Brienne wants to be the bigger person. She would end up giving the person one swift punch, knocking them out with a single hit. That would be the extent of her rage and then she would lead you away by the hand, giving you a kiss and telling you she loves you.

[countrymusiclover]

8 - We're Family Now and Always

Picture Aemma in the gif as Rhaella Targaryen

Part 9

The Lion Knight and Dragon Princess

Tags- just send an ask to be added @cdragons @kmc1989 @starkleila @noirrose21-blog @lover-of-books-and-tea

The two guards posted outside my mothers bed chamber door opened it allowing me and Jaime to walk inside the room before they were shut quickly behind us. Sitting at the foot of her bed my mother was laid upright against the pillows after the Maester had put her on strict bed rest for the last few months of her pregnancy. “How are you doing this morning, mother?”

“I’ve been better - ohh. Ser Jaime come and sit with us. You don’t have to guard the door while there’s two outside the door.” My mother groaned, lifting her hand waving the golden knight over.

He lightly shook his head no. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t be right, my queen.”

“Are you defying an order from your queen?” I turned around slightly to face him, sending him a glare.

Jaime bent his head down eyeing his boots crossing the room and sitting across from me looking at my mother when he spoke to her. “My apologies, my queen. What do you need me to do for you?”

“Give me your hand.” She commands him and when he does she opens her right fist dropping a small object into his palm.

He closed his palm and opened it when he had his hand near his chest allowing me to see whatever it was. “My queen, what is this?”

“The wedding ring Ser Hasty gave to me. We were never allowed to wed as you both know but that doesn't mean you two cannot be.”

Hanging my mouth opened I was almost out of words. “Mother, I - I don't know what to say.”

“My queen, that is very generous of you but there's one big problem. I'm a Kingsguard forbidden from marriage or inherent.” Jaime eyed the ring that had one simple jewel in the center and some lines engraved on the sides but it was still a very simple ring, the object in question wasn't the problem for us.

Rhaella eyed the knight beside me. “Don’t tell me you two haven't thought about it. I know you two love one another.”

“Mother, it's just - we're not allowed to by law.”

She cut me off shortly. “Do you think that your brother cared about the law when he told me he was going to marry Lyanna Stark?”

“He told you about that. I - I thought he only told me out of fear that anyone else would inform our father.” I gasped realizing that of course he would tell her after all she was our mother.

She nodded her head slowly yes with a smile playing on her lips. “He’s getting married to her in a fortnight. You and Jaime should join them in Dorne. I may not be able to watch you marry but at least I can have a part in making it happen.”

I grinned in her direction when Jaime slipped the ring on my left finger, greatly that his mother’s friend approved of the relationship he had built with her daughter. “Thank you, my queen. I will do the best I can to be the husband your daughter deserves when we do get married.”

“Call me Rhaella please. We’ll be family someday.” My mother grasped his freehand on her own and we allowed for that comfortable silence between our family just enjoying the moment.

“Have you thought of the baby's name yet?”

She lowered her gaze. “I've been very occupied with simply carrying the infant in my womb. You'll understand one day when you have children.”

I lightly threw my hands up in disbelief that she hadn't settled on a name yet. “I can't believe this right now.”

She asked me clicking her tongue throwing out a name. “Daenys, perhaps?”

Shaking my head no in disagreement I knew that name didn’t seem right for my baby sister. “Nah, that’s not right.”

“What would you name the baby if I allowed you to?” Rhaella laughed at my response.

I clicked my tongue and got a better name to come to mind. “Daenerys.” My mother kindly smile back at me agreeing how the name sounded from my mouth settling on that would be her name.

Silently staring at Tyrion while he slept it had been weeks since he had woken up from the battle against Stannis. Sitting in a chair at his bedside I flipped through pages of one of his books until I had heard him groan as he blinked his eyes responding with a groggy voice. “Vae - is there any wine?”

“How about we get some water in you first before you get any alcohol.”

He grumbled some noises in complaint but drank the cup I had given him nonetheless shifting his body so he was laying up against the pillows more. “Please give me wine now?”

“In a while. The Maester said you need more water. You're dehydrated and that cut needs to heal.”

Tyrion’s green eyes scanned over me, noticing a chain necklace hanging down on the inside of my dress that he hadn’t seen before or had just forgotten about. “What's that necklace for? I - I don't remember you wearing one.”

“Oh right.” I realized that he wouldn't know considering I only wore it when I was asleep alone in my chamber but forgot to take it off this morning. “It’s from my mother. She gave it to your brother when she told us to follow my brother Rhaegar and get married as well.”

Tyrion weakly smiles. “So you’re my sister in law now?”

“Only around you and Jaime. The rest of the world doesn’t even know I exist, remember, the only Targaryen to walk the seven Kingdoms alive.”

He corrected my words instantly. “You're not the only Targaryen, Vaella.”

“Yes I am. My brother's and sister were slaughtered on the battlefield or on the orders of Tywin Lannister.”

The dwarf before me that I sometimes couldn't look at when he joined me and Jaime for drinks spoke the secret he had been keeping from me. “That’s what the world was told to believe. But it's not true. There have been whispers from across the Narrow Sea that a Targaryen girl still lives, along with three baby dragons.” He could never imagine what it must be like for me. Yet he knew that I didn't like him very much because he and Cersei were Jaime’s siblings, they were still alive while mine weren't.

“Daenys alive.”

He nodded his head slowly yes. “It's not for certain. But it is very much possible.”

“What about my other brother Viserys?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I'll have to find out at the next small council meeting.”

“I can't believe this. I'm not - I thought I was alone and now I'm not.” Getting up from my chair I paced around the room feeling so many emotions running through me. Not all my siblings were dead and maybe one day I wouldn't be the only Targaryen in this city. Throwing my hands up in the air I cheered until my stomach felt queasy and I called towards the door. “Sansa!”

“Sansa?” Tyrion knitted his brows together.

The chamber door got bursted open and the auburn hair flew across the room holding my hair back when I bent over puking into Tyrion’s chamber pot. “I’m coming!” She had basically been following me since the night I had told her who I truly was.

“Lady Stark, do you know why she’s puking?” He asked her.

She shook her head no before I lifted my head up wiping my hand across my mouth sitting at the foot of his bed feeling exhausted from what had just occurred. “She knows I’m a Targaryen. The reason I’m throwing up I don’t know.”

“Vaella, I’m going to ask this one time. Do you still have your maiden hood?” He softly asked me, seeing my response as a head shake of no. “Podrick! Bring me Maester Pycelle.”

Pycelle, the old Maester that had served under my father’s command and many other Targaryens entered the room being escorted in by Bronn. “You wished to see me, my lord.”

“I need you to examine Clarrise here to see if she’s pregnant.” Bronn stood guard at the door, sword already in hand when Tyrion delivered his very serious threat. “And if you tell anyone about this I will have Bronn take your cock.”

Maester Pycelle had me do quite a few different exams before he found the answer asking me a simple question. “When was the last time you’ve bled?”

“It’s been a few weeks. Why?”

He corrected me. “Try about three months, my lady.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“You’re pregnant.” The Maester focuses his attention directly onto me with Tyrion and Sansa sitting on either side of me waiting for the news.

[uluthrek]

making up wild asoiaf ships and posting them with a tag just to see if i’m the first weirdo who thought of them

[samieree]

Born in Flames || Game of Thrones

OC x ?😏

-> Chapter XXXV ''Advices''

Chapter XXXVI ''We can't win''

The storm was still going on and there was no sign that it would end anytime soon. It was raging all night and Visenya couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned and stood up to pace around the room until she finally gave up. She never had trouble falling asleep during a storm. Maybe today was different... She had the impression that she managed to fall asleep for a short while and then woke up because she saw something terrible.

Past? Future? She had no idea, no memory of the images that cut through her mind like a sword's blade. She didn't remember fragments of the screams of burning people or her own screams, she didn't remember feeling like she was dying.

It should be dawn in about two hours, and the storm wasn't letting up. Visenya, on the other hand, had already given up trying to sleep, got dressed and left her room. The castle wasn't noisy even during the day, but now the silence was almost deafening, especially combined with the unexpected booms of thunder. She went to the dungeons because she knew no one would look for her there. She leaned against the wall and slumped down, finally sitting on the ground. The rain and thunder were even fainter here...

It was perhaps the only place in the castle where the weight on her shoulders seemed to become lighter. She occupied the chambers where her father and all the other heirs had once lived, and thoughts of them haunted her there almost all the time. In the throne room she also thought about them, even when she walked through the corridors they did not leave her alone.

But here? In the dungeons? She didn't think anyone in her family before her just came to sit here, looking like a rebuked child. Here she did not feel the burden of the name, 'the greatest dynasty this world has ever seen'. She didn't have to be strong, she didn't have to think, she could just close her eyes and relax from everything. After all, who would look for the Queen in the dungeons? If someone was even looking for her at this hour...

Only now did she feel the weight of what she had committed to and wanted someone to take the burden off her shoulders. To wake her up when it's all over, when the war is over and this whole chapter is closed. In Essos it was simpler, she wasn't connected with those lands, they didn't know her there, the people were different.

She didn't know how long she sat by that wall, but when she got out and looked out the window, the sun was shining through the storm clouds. It looked like the rain would soon end and the beautiful weather would return. May the clouds disappear from her thoughts at the same time...

"Your Grace?" walking through the corridor leading to her chambers, she came across Tyrion. "It's very early for you."

"The thunder woke me up, I needed to take a walk." she replied quickly, partly lying. He could see it, her coat not fully buttoned, her hair pulled back in a lazier way, more of a Meereen style, where most of it was down. "I don't associate you with being a morning person either."

"It happens to me sometimes, especially when things require it." she nodded and there was silence for a moment as they walked confidently towards her room. "Do you want to continue meeting in the morning, or would you rather wait until breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry." she replied immediately, entering the room. Tyrion entered right behind her and closed the door.

He was worried if she was okay. He didn't miss the fact that she had slightly dark circles under her eyes - as if she hadn't slept at all - and, of course, her clothes were sloppier than usual, which she was now fixing. She stood in front of the mirror and buttoned the buttons up to her neck, then reached into her hair to gather the loose strands into one four-strand braid.

"You know we can trust each other?" he addressed her directly. Her hands near her hair stopped for a moment, but she quickly continued her work. "We only exchanged a few words, but I see you're acting different. What is it?"

She didn't say anything, but it wasn't because she didn't want to, it was just... She didn't know how. She reached for a piece of string and tied the end of the braid, wondering how to put into words what and why she felt that way.

Was she really overwhelmed by the weight of her family's history? Maybe it was a responsibility for every person who followed her? For decisions that will affect the lives of thousands? Or maybe she was afraid for the future?

Or maybe all at once?

"Is it about your conversation with Stark last night?"

She almost froze at the suggestion. Almost. She reached for her coat and buttoned it around her shoulders, immediately adjusting the way the slit sleeves lay along her arms.

"Where did you get this idea from?" she muttered, slowly running her hand over the clasp that now held her coat.

This couldn't be it. She may have felt strange in his presence or when their hands briefly touched, but he wasn't on her mind. All she could think about was what their next step should be, that's all. But this suggestive question made her start asking herself the same question.

"You left Daario in Meereen."

Was he implying that she... No. He can't be serious. I won't discuss this with him any longer.

"Are there any news from him?" she asked, already turning away from the mirror. Now she looked much more like the version of her that had boarded the ship to Westeros in Meereen. With her hair tied up, in full costume in her new style, only she looked tired, although she tried her hardest not to let it show.

"You're changing the subject. I know from experience that this means I'm right."

"I know from experience that people who are too curious don't get answers." she replied in a slightly malicious tone because she didn't manage to stop herself. "Why are you so interested in this?" she had already mastered her tone when she asked this question.

"I am your Hand, I am here to advise you. How can I do this without knowing everything?" she sighed. She couldn't deny he was right, but on the other hand she knew he wasn't entirely right about what was bothering her. "You asked me for honesty, and now I'm asking for the same."

"I don't know." she finally said, or rather, she almost shouted it. "The entire dynasty and the fate of thousands of people rest on my shoulders, but there's nothing to worry about, after all, I already ruled the city once, right?"

With a heavy sigh, she walked to the window. The rain had stopped now and the clouds were slowly thinning out, soon they should completely reveal the blue sky. At least the weather wouldn't make her terrible mood worse.

She guessed that was what she was most afraid of in her life: That she would fail. And after tonight, she had a feeling somewhere in her heart that this how it all will turn out. She couldn't come to terms with it.

"If you think things will get better someday: They won't." you really can't console. "A lot has fallen on you, and even more will fall once you take the throne. But you are not alone." she wasn't looking at him, but she felt him approach her and gently grab her hand. For a moment she wanted to tell him not to do such things, but she changed her mind. "You have to finally share this burden with someone, otherwise it will crush you." he let go of her hand and started walking away.

Well, she wanted honesty, and she got it. How could she share this with anyone when the decisions were hers?

"Tyrion." she stopped him with her voice when he was already at the door. "Let's all meet in the map chamber in an hour. We will finish yesterday's discussion." he nodded, smiling gently - as if comforting - which she reciprocated and he left.

She didn't spend that hour in her chamber, but in the one where they were supposed to meet. Everything still looked the same as in the evening, the figurines stood the same, there was even some wine left. She sat down in her seat at the head of the table and waited, and everyone showed up even earlier than she asked.

I wonder if it is the chair Stannis sat on when he planned attack on the capital.

"I know what we'll do." she raised an eyebrow when Tyrion spoke first. She was about to say the exact same thing, but now she was intrigued by his idea. "My previous plan didn't turn out to be the best, I know, we didn't anticipate the attack of the Iron Fleet..."

"The Iron Fleet, which has reached the shores of King's Landing." Varys interjected. "Apparently Euron doesn't care that much about meeting you when he can't dictate the terms."

Getting there from Blackwater Bay when the Iron Fleet is stationed there will not be an easy task if she chooses to do so. It seems that this is the end of the negotiations for the return of the prisoners... It was a bit painful that nothing came of her attempts.

"Well, that's his problem. I intend to carry out my threat." she rested her elbow on the armrest and rested her chin on hand. "What did you come up with this time?" she said to her Hand.

"Attack." he surprised her a little, she didn't expect that he would propose an attack on 'his' people - even though he swore to serve her. "The army that Cersei sent to Riverrun to help the Freys - according to the information we know - is to stop near King's Landing, probably in case of a siege of the city. My brother, Jaime, leads them."

She felt sad for a moment at the mention of Jaime. She didn't like him, but she didn't wish him dead - but if that was the price for the Iron Throne... She was willing to pay it.

"I suggest we show them that this is not a war they can win." he continued. "We will let Jaime escape from the battlefield, he will definitely go to the capital. He has a golden hand, your army will easily recognize who not to kill. He's intelligent, even if he doesn't convince Cersei to surrender, the army won't stand behind her anymore."

"I would argue with this 'intelligence'." what he proposed didn't sound bad, but she wasn't convinced. She had a feeling that what she and Stark had discussed yesterday would have been easier and faster, even with the Iron Fleet, there would have been a place for a few people to slip through unnoticed. "We can just kill Cersei herself." she straightened up in her chair, resting her clasped hands on the table. "Varys knows the secret passages under the keep. No one in the city likes her, the Lords barely tolerate her, if at all. No one will think I did wrong."

"My advice is not to stab someone in the back if you don't want to be treated that way." he said it in a calm tone. He really wanted her to be well-regarded among people. However, he could not hide the fact that he also wanted to protect his brother from death... Although they did not even discuss killing him.

He knew Cersei was evil. He felt bad for her several times throughout his life because she loved her children, and he himself loved his niece and nephew. Now they are just cold bodies. And Tommen... For all he knows, he committed suicide the same day Cersei blew up the sept. It couldn't have been an accident, it was his mother's fault that he killed himself...

There seemed to be nothing he wanted to say to his sister. The only thing they had in common was their surname.

"And if your plan fails... Will you take responsibility?" she asked. After her last failure, she was more sensitive to what she agreed to.

There was silence - or more precisely - the unbearable kind of silence. It reigned until Varys decided to speak up.

"It's not a bad idea, Your Grace." he agreed with his friend. "I can tell my birds to whisper a few good words about you in the city, and it will open itself to you when the army that would be able to stop them surrenders."

Of course he would support his plan.

There were two ideas to end the war in her head. She knew that everyone was waiting for her final decision now, not in the future - near or far. One way or another, people will die. She remembered her conversation with Hizdahr: 'Has anyone ever achieved anything great without killing and cruelty?'

"Alright." she said finally. "We'll send the Dothraki, they'll do best in an open field. I'll be there too." she added the last sentence even though she knew perfectly well that no one would like it.

"What? I'm sorry, my Queen, but you can't risk your life. The Dothraki will be enough." this was exactly the reaction she expected from Tyrion. She could even see, by looking at ser Arthur, that he was thinking exactly the same thing, even though he hadn't said a word.

"You said to show them they can't win." she calmly quoted his own words. "So that's what I'm going to do. I won't be alone, I'll fly on Maelia. Nobody will do anything to her."

"Dragons are not immortal."

"One well-aimed arrow is enough to kill you, you don't have to get rid of the dragon to do so."  All in all, but she didn't expect Varys to express fear for her life.

Perhaps I shouldn't have doubted his intentions...

"I appreciate that you're worried about me, but I don't need it." she stood up from her chair and everyone else who was sitting did the same. "I've been through a lot and no arrow will destroy my future. I try to trust you, so trust me also."

"This is not a matter of trust, but of your safety. Why take the risk?"

"Because I am the Queen and I must be willing to risk my life for the good of my people."

* * *

"The Dothraki should have reached the shores of the Crownlands yesterday. I should be getting off soon." she and Missandei descended the stairs to the beach. Apparently she should see something in the caves before they start mining dragonglass.

"Are you sure? I'm sure they'd be fine on their own, and you sent Tyrion with them to keep an eye on everything just in case. You shouldn't take the risk."

"You should find someone else to worry about besides me." she said it lightly, even though she knew perfectly well that something was going on between Missandei and Grey Worm. She just didn't realize that their relationship had already moved on to the next stage... She started to suspect it only when she saw her smile and the way she looked away. "Something happened?" she asked gently, smiling herself.

"A lot of things." this answer was enough to make everything clear between them. She squeezed her hand briefly.

She was very happy for her friend, that she had found someone in her life whom she truly loved. She herself dreamed of such a feeling, although perhaps her dream was slowly coming true...

"Issa mirre pactot, kostā umbagon." she said to the four Unsullied who were following them in case something happened. She descended the remaining stairs - Missandei behind her - and spoke to Robb. "What should I see?"

*"It's okay, you can stay."*

For some reason, he barely heard the question because he was focused on how she pronounced the words in Valyrian. It reminded him of Talisa writing a letter to her mother in this language. Maybe it was about three years ago, but he still remembered her voice and her accent sounded slightly different. She didn't emphasize the 'r' as much as Visenya, but either way they both sounded beautiful when they spoke this language.

It is said it's the only language suitable for poetry.

"Something that might convince you."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. They walked most of the beach, in silence, before reaching the entrance to the cave, where someone was waiting with a torch so they could see where they were going inside. Fortunately, the passages were wide enough so that they didn't have to squeeze through, but you had to watch your step all the time so as not to accidentally trip over something.

When they reached the first larger space, where a fireplace had already been set up and lit...

"It is beautiful." she said, walking to one of the walls and gently running her fingers along the obsidian. The glow of the flames was reflected in it, which was pure delight to the eyes of everyone who saw it.

"I want to show you something else." she looked from the wall to him. Well, she should have known that he wouldn't drag her here just to show her something pretty...

"So lead the way." they slowly moved on, but Visenya discreetly gestured to Missandei not to follow them any further. They slowly walked through the narrow passages, the road leading slightly downhill. "What do you think makes a home?"

Firstly, she couldn't stand the silence between them because it then filled her mind with thoughts she couldn't stop, and secondly, she had been curious about his response since the moment he had mistakenly stated that she considered Dragonstone her home. She stopped looking at her feet and instead looked at him, and he glanced at her every now and then as he answered her question.

"They say that people make a home, not places... But for me, personally, there is no home without both." she thought exactly the same, although she didn't say it.

A place without people is empty walls without a soul, and people without a place are a soul without a body, without the possibility of rest and a sense of safety.

"So where is your home?" she asked another question, squeezing sideways through the narrow passage.

"At Winterfell, when my sister is there, my half-brother... The ones I have left." she felt a twinge in her heart at the words 'the ones I have left', but it wasn't visible on her face in the limited light. Although a part of her still envied him any family. "And yours?"

It's a pity that she couldn't accept her closest friends as family, no matter how much love she treated them with, her soul was drawn to what she couldn't possess. Neither now nor ever, because it has not existed for a long time.

"I don't know." she had had a similar conversation with Tyrion once, now just as then she liked to think of King's Landing as her home. Although now she was beginning to have doubts as to whether she would feel comfortable in the Red Keep, since she already felt overwhelmed by the past here. "Maybe I don't have it at all."

"Everyone has their own place in the world. And you can create a home, you don't have to be born with it." he tried to comfort her, because he could hear the emotions in her voice. In fact, he began to feel sad as they talked about home for a longer time. First he was hurt that he would never cuddle up to his mother like he used to and that he would never hear her scolding Bran for climbing, and he would never be scolded by his father for fooling around with Theon. The times before his father left for King's Landing will never return. Just like the missed opportunity to create a home with the woman he loved.

By the way, Theon... He still felt hurt by his betrayal. He didn't even know what happened to him, was he still alive? If so, where is he now? What is he doing? Does he regret it? He doesn't even know if he would be able to talk to him, what emotions would gather in him if such a meeting took place... Would he be ready to accept his apology? Or would he still demand his head? After all, apologies cannot fix the past.

"Can you create something when you don't even know how it looks like?"

Her words deepened the depressed atmosphere even more, but there wasn't much time to think about them, because she wasn't looking at her feet and finally tripped and fell forward, cursing.

She had already accepted that she would either hit the walls or the ground and closed her eyes, expecting to fall, but she heard something fall to the ground, and then hands grabbed her tightly under her arms, and her own hands rested on Robb's torso, before she caught her balance, braking on him. He helped her stand on her feet, still holding her, and then her hands were on the sides of his face, and with just a small gesture she could cup his cheeks.

She didn't want to be so close to him, because in such a position it was easy to get lost in those blue, like the cloudless sky, eyes. Besides, her own irises were wonderful, it was impossible not to look at such an exotic purple, especially when surrounded by fair skin and silver hair.

For the first time in a long time, she was concerned about the fact that she might not look good appearance-wise in someone else's eyes.

If the soul can speak, it does not do so with tongue, but through eyes, because they cannot lie.

"Sorry." she muttered, flustered, quickly moving away and passing him, picking up a torch from the ground.

She felt herself trembling inside, but she didn't let it show. It had been some time since she last saw Daario and she was no longer used to the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. However, she wasn't going to pay too much attention to it, there was no time for such thoughts, she had other things on her mind. In fact, they were already in the place they were supposed to reach from the beginning. This space was smaller, but because of that single torch lit it quite well.

"What is this?" turning her attention away, she ran her finger along one of the grooves in the rock, wiping the dust from it. It looked like nothing she had seen before and she didn't know how to interpret the strange paintings before her.

"The Children of the Forest made them." either he wasn't bothered at all, or he's faking it as well as I am. I don't know what would be better.

"They're just a legend." she replied, but her voice was not convinced. And she didn't say a word as he gently grabbed the wrist of her hand in which she held the torch and led her to the wall on the other side. The glow of the flames also illuminated the dusty carvings, but these were of figures: the Children of the Forest and the First Men, together. They fought together against a common enemy.

The White Walkers were carved into the rock in a rather primitive way, but among them she recognized one figure from her dream, before she was kidnapped by the Dothraki. She remembered his gaze, his cold breath. The anger in his eyes, how he wanted to touch her cheek, but decided against it at the last moment.

Morghon isado kessa obūljagon zȳha ybon - Death itself will bend its knee. This was the prophecy Melisandre told her. She hadn't paid much attention to her words at the time, but now it made sense to her... If she knew so many things about her father, her friend, and herself, maybe that was why she took her for the one who was promised.

Prophecies are a dangerous thing, especially when they predict greatness to you.

"Humans have fought the Undead before and won because they fought together." he felt the uncertainty in her voice, so he knew Visenya didn't mean what she said. He finally let go of her wrist too, while saying this.

"Dārilaros bona iksin kivio kessa maghagon se ñāqes." she said before remembering that Robb doesn't speak Valyrian. "The one who was promised will bring the dawn." she translated it this way because she didn't want to give the word 'Dārilaros' any gender. Besides, this sentence was even written in Valyrian, lower down, it also looked better than the other pictures, it must have been written later.

"Dārilos..." he tried to repeat the word after her, just as he had once repeated after Talisa, but he could hear that it didn't work. The girl's smile only confirmed it.

"Dārilaros." she said it again, slower, pointing to the letters on the wall that spelled the word. "You need to emphasize the 'r' more." she added when he repeated her again. "They would understand you." she giggled after the boy's next attempt.

To think that she used to be so afraid of saying something wrong in this language, and now the way she speaks it is a wonderful sound to his ears.

"How did you learn this language? Tywin let you, brought in a teacher?" she hadn't yet heard him ask about her past, or more specifically the part she didn't want to mention. She could have lied and evaded the answer, but she didn't. If they were to be allies, they had to trust each other, and that means honesty.

"I learned on my own, my maid - who was my mother's friend before her death - brought me books in secret. But I heard the pronunciation for the first time only in Essos, before that I only guessed what the words should sound like." she explained.

"Where did the idea to learn it come from?"

"It's my legacy, my mother tongue." she looked again at the word carved on the wall. "Now I think it was also a form of rebellion." she felt pleasure in doing something she certainly wouldn't be allowed to do.

"Maybe I don't know it, but you speak it very nicely." he couldn't bite his tongue, he couldn't hold back the compliment, just like it was with Talisa.

A part of him, that he tried to keep quiet, was glad to have her alone with him. At a moment like this, they were both ordinary people, not someone important. They talked more freely, they didn't analyze their words so much and how they could be interpreted in different ways.

He brought her here so that she could see these drawings and see that he was telling the truth, while he himself went completely off topic and asked about her past and complimented her. But was it worth it? Was it worth it for the smile on this usually serious face?

"Kirimvose. Thank you." she didn't know why she said it in Valyrian first, she hoped he would try to repeat it after her? She looked at the drawings and then back at him. “They've already been defeated once, and now they'll be again. I will finish the war here and then I will take army to the North. We'll do it together, you have my word."

She could have used the opportunity and told him to bend the knee and that only then she would agree to fight. It would be cruel, but effective. But she wasn't cruel, she didn't play with the lives of people across the continent, because after all, it was at stake in the coming war. They could discuss political matters later, perhaps in the meantime there would be some solution, she would have to be consult about it.

It was obvious that Robb wanted to answer her, he even started to speak, but then she cut him off:

"Do you believe in destiny?" she asked a question that suddenly came to her lips and she couldn't hold it. The more she thought about the prophecy she had heard, about all her dreams and what had happened to her, the more she was sure that she had a big role to play, that Melisandre was not wrong and that she was the Princess that was promised. At the same time, there was also fear. Fear that she is over-interpreting everything, that it will soon turn into an obsession and drag her down, like her father.

That's why she asked. And she got the answer.

* * *

Jaime, Bronn and the army were already well on their way to King's Landing, if all went smoothly they should be there in less than a week with what they had managed to grab from Riverrun and on the way. Things were looking good for them, no upcoming battle, it looked like the girl aspiring to become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms was afraid to send people into battle. It's good for them, they will have time to prepare - as much as they can...

Jaime still felt the bitterness of what happened that evening in the gardens. One moment he was kissing her, and the next his body collided with the cold water of the bay. An unpleasant experience. It made him question if he ever knew her at all, for real. A woman he had more affection for than Cersei, and she was toying with him to get what she wanted. Anyway, as it happened before, with that septa...

Right after she escaped, he thought that she had decided to start a new life somewhere else, far from the past and politics, to stay somewhere and decide for herself. But Maegelle - or rather Visenya - had gone much further, she had tried her luck and now she commanded possibly the largest army these lands had ever seen, and she had four dragons. A force that should not be ignored.

Their only chance was that she was not as cruel as they had told the Lords when seeking their support, and would want to keep casualties to a minimum. Because if she throws everything she has into the fight, or even only the dragons... They don't stand a chance. Yeah... It would be shitty to be in their place. But despite this, Cersei refused to give up.

He and Bronn were talking to Dickon when his friend suddenly noticed the sound of hooves in the distance, but still getting closer to them. Something was wrong... Something, or rather someone, was coming over the hill.

"Take shields and spears!" he hurried his horse and started shouting orders to the soldiers. There is no time to rest when danger is approaching them.

"Form a line!" Bronn rode behind him and gave further commands.

The people were surprised at what was happening, but they quickly came to their senses, put on their helmets, took their spears and shields in their hands, and positioned themselves as they were instructed. Archers stood at the back, prepared to support the front-line soldiers if necessary. They had to defend the wagons, the contents of which were increasingly needed in the capital.

From this distance, the approaching attackers were still small dots, but it was already easy to determine who these warriors were. Dothraki.

Only a fool would face the Dothraki in an open field.

"Go back to King's Landing." Bronn told Jaime as he rode up to him on his horse.

"I'm not abandoning my army." replied the Lannister without any hesitation in his voice. After all, she dared to attack openly... Well, yes, she has Varys, and he has spies everywhere, of course she knew where they were and what they were carrying.

"You are a commander, not a damn infantry. Those bastards are about to swamp us!"

"We can hold them off."

They cannot hold them off.

They both looked ahead at the same moment when they heard an inhuman roar for the first time in their lives. They squinted to see what was making the sound, even though they had already guessed what it was.

Dragon. Snow-white, shimmering blue in the sun constantly hiding behind the clouds. It was much faster than the Dothraki, approaching them inexorably, overtaking the ranks of riders. The atmosphere among Jaime's soldiers became even worse and morale was already low, but it was about to get even worse. From time to time you could see someone sitting on the beast's back.

Well, there was only one person called the Dragon Queen in this world.

"Dracarys!" even this one word she said with a valyrian accent, which was immediately preceded by fire that poured over the soldiers like a flood, creating a hole in the formation, perfect for the approaching Dothraki.

The fire slowly consumed the soldiers in their metal armor, causing real agony and panic among those watching it. The burning ones tried to save themselves, but there was no way, they were already doomed to die in torture, rolling on the ground and trying to throw off their armor.

The Dothraki ran over their bodies, attacking those who stood further away. In another place, horses impaled themselves on spears while trying to break the formation in another point. Jaime's shouts to hold formation were in vain as the dragon circled and made another attack, this time flying down the line, burning dozens of men before flying back higher. More screaming in pain, more reduced to dust, another hole in the line.

The horses, which had previously been watered at the stopover, were now running around in panic, fleeing as far as possible from the slaughter. Because it wasn't a battle. There was no hesitation as to who would win and who would fall. Everything was clear to everyone.

Of course, there were losses on both sides, among the Dothraki, for example among those charging in the first line, but these losses were incomparably smaller than Lannister's. Several people attempted to take a few wagons and escape with them, and they were actually on quite a good path. The Dothraki could have chased them, of course, but the dragon did it much faster, punishing them for trying to desert.

First of all, Visenya held tightly to the spikes on the dragon's back and squeezed it with her legs so as not to fall when it flew quickly or when she leaned out. She mainly assessed the situation, only occasionally directing the dragon to break the formation of soldiers. She didn't even know how it was that Maelia knew exactly what she wanted to do, it was always some inexplicable connection, as if they were communicating telepathically. She didn't even have to shout 'Dracarys' all the time.

"Archers!" Jaime exclaimed, trying to improve their situation in any way he could. "Archers, line up!"

One arrow, one well-aimed arrow would be enough to kill her. Of course, it wouldn't end the war, but it would be a big blow to the enemy. Did he want to kill her? He didn't know, he had very mixed feelings about her.

The archers formed a formation and, as ordered. First drew their arrows, then bent their bows and aimed at the dragon that was turning in the sky and heading towards them. Jaime waited for the moment when the beast would be low enough for the arrows to reach Visenya, but not so close that they would be attacked.

"Loose!"

Arrows flew, forcing Maelia to swerve sharply to protect her mother. The arrows bounced off the scales on the dragon's chest, harming it in no way. Fortunately, none of them flew any further and didn't even have a chance to scratch Visenya. Although she had to hold harder with her legs so as not to fall off the back when it suddenly turned. Fortunately, her tightly tied hair was still in place, and only her clothes flapped in the wind.

She flew on, taking care of the other soldiers. She couldn't see much from this distance, but it seemed to her that Jaime was down there, and the plan was for him to survive and escape.

"There's Qyburn's scorpion over there." Jaime said to Bronn, nodding towards the wagon.

It wasn't a good time to test new things, but there won't be a better time if they don't survive. Maybe it will prove effective and they will be able to knock the beast out of the sky. If they could at least ground it... It all would be just a little bit easier.

"So go." his friend replied.

"I can't shoot with one hand." he waved his golden hand at him.

Bronn really didn't like it, but he had no choice but to take care of it himself. The only consolation is that if he manages to kill the dragon, he will probably go down in history.

In the sky, Visenya performed very well. She saw that there was not much left to do. She couldn't hear anyone giving up, but there must have been voices down there. She's about to stop it all. Just one moment more...

It felt comparable to the moment she watched one of the former Masters burn in the catacombs of the Great Pyramid. It was the same strange fascination, something that wouldn't let her stop. She knew she was killing people, and in a rather cruel way. But they also killed her people. This is what war is all about, fighting, killing enemies, completely dominating your opponent, beating him so badly that he won't get up again. The price she must pay to gain a position from which she can change the world.

She made a large circle in the sky, high up, so she could take in the entire situation. Chaos, flames, but there were no screams or the smell of burning skin from up there. Suddenly something whistled dangerously close to her. She looked behind her for a moment and saw something that looked like a crossbow arrow magnified many times over. It almost hit her in the arm and ripped it apart, or even straight in the chest or head.

That was the moment she first felt threatened during all this carnage. Ordinary arrows didn't impress her, she knew they wouldn't penetrate the dragon's thick skin and scales, so she was safe on its back. But this thing... It was much bigger. She immediately started looking around to see where the shot came from. She saw what looked like an enlarged version of a crossbow and that's where she headed at Maelia, they had to destroy it.

At the same time, Tyrion watched everything from the hill. He saw how close Visenya was to dying. It was hard for him to choose sides at the moment. When defending the capital against Stannis it was easier, he was also fighting for his survival, he knew that the chances were equal or even they were in a worse position. Deep down, he also hoped that he would prove himself and gain in his father's eyes. But above all, it was about the fate of the city and all its inhabitants.

Now he was experiencing carnage. Almost everything was burning, the Dothraki were moving around the battlefield on their horses and finishing off the soldiers, especially those who tried to escape. It was his idea, but he didn't say anything about using a dragon. If one could do so much... What could all four of them do...?

"Come on, you son of a bitch..." Bronn muttered to himself after loading another arrow. The dragon was flying straight at him, this was his opportunity to hit accurately, he fired.

Visenya saw this huge arrow, but she was sure it would miss them this time too. She felt that this was not the case when the dragon jerked violently and she had to press even harder on its back to avoid falling. Luckily, she didn't see Bronn's smug expression, as that would only enraged her more, and she needed to focus on holding herself together.

They spun several times in the air as they fell, the dragon roaring in unexpected pain. She couldn't see where the arrow had hit, but even that thought didn't cross her mind as she focused all her strength on clenching her hands and legs. For a moment she wanted to close her eyes, just waiting for the collision with the ground, but she forced herself to look at the situation - fortunately, they did not hit the ground. Despite the pain, the dragon began to flap its wings again, settling low to the ground in front of the scorpion, which Bronn was no longer nearby. He managed to escape before the flames consumed the weapon.

There was no other choice and Maelia landed. Out of fear, no one approached her anyway, but it was always safer in the air. Visenya slid off her back with a little help and stood on the ground, checking where the arrow had embedded.

"My poor girl..." she said quietly, placing her hand right next to the injured spot. She had to pull it out, she hoped she had the strength to do so. "It's going to hurt a bit." she warned, grabbing the wood. From here it looked more like a spear than an arrow, but even spears weren't that thick and strong.

While Vis tried to pull the arrow from near the dragon's shoulder, Jaime watched from not far away. A few steps away from him, a soldier was lying dead with a spear stuck in his back, he rode up to him and pulled it out. He wanted to throw it first, it was safer, it would give Visenya less time to react, she was facing the dragon anyway and couldn't see him. But he never threw with his left hand, the chance of him hitting her was small, very small...

Especially since he was about to throw it at her. It was complicated how he felt about her, seeing her for the first time in several years. She's grown up, that's for sure. She was twenty-one, a grown woman. He even saw that she wore black and red, the colors of her house. Until today, he had thought that she had the courage to declare war, but would not provoke a battle, and now he witnessed that she had even taken part in it herself.

He had to do it. If he succeeds, even if he dies, it will still be a big step for them. He must make an attempt - a very stupid one - but perhaps this time he will be lucky. He confidently grabbed the spear and urged his horse to move towards her.

"You idiot... You fucking idiot, flee...!"

Bronn had the same thought as Tyrion. He managed to grab a bow lying on the ground and take an arrow from the fallen soldier's quiver. All he had to do was take aim and shoot, but if he did that, this idiot would die immediately, and he couldn't die until he gave him the promised castle. So he cursed fiercely again and ran to the nearest stray horse to ride to save Jaime.

Can't this retard see the huge dragon between him and her?

Visenya used all her strength to pull the arrow and didn't worry about anyone attacking her, she treated the sounds around her as normal sounds of battle. Nothing she should worry about. It was only when she heard the sound of hooves approaching her that the thought occurred to her that this someone might be heading towards her with evil intentions. She released the arrow and turned, reflexively backing away as she saw Jaime charging at her.

So this is how he greets her. Well, maybe his feelings were never real after all.

Literally a second later she couldn't see him anymore because the dragon's head covered her. All she saw was an avalanche of fire and someone jumping at Jaime. He must have made it just in time and they fell into the river - at least that's what she could tell from the loud splash. She didn't want to check if they were alive. According to the plan, Jaime was to escape...

Without further deliberation, she went back to pulling out the arrow, and after a few tugs she finally managed to pull it out completely. Immediately after that, the dragon moved its head and licked the wound a few times.

At least she learned that they had some weapons against her dragons and that she has to be careful in the future...

"Khalessi, kisha haronn firrado." she turned to one of the two riders who had ridden up to her.

*"My Queen, we have gathered the survivors."*

She moved her gaze to where he was nodding, at the group led by her warriors. The lucky ones, who managed to survive the battle, escaping the dragon fire and the Dothraki until the end of the fight.

The fire slowly died out, and a large part of the meadow was destroyed, covered with bodies or their ashes, parts of the wagons that also did not survive, burned as a result of the fight.

"Anha zin tikh jadat."  she replied. "Ker anna jin hrazef."

*"I'm coming. Give me a horse."*

She could have flown there on Maelia, but she could clearly see that she was injured. She didn't want to strain her any more than she had to, and they still had to return to Dragonstone. She might not weigh enough to make any difference for her, but she didn't want to risk it.

The survivors were gathered at the hill. There were several trees and a few stones on it - including the one on which she stood, and Tyrion took a place on her right. A dragon sat at the very top, consciously choosing this place to intimidate enemy soldiers - as if the mere presence of the Dragon Queen, of whom they had heard so much, on the battlefield was not enough.

All of them had dirty armors and had abandoned their long ago helmets. She saw both young and old among them. There were a lot of them, but compared to everyone she had seen before the battle began... It really was a slaughter.

She had to speak. In such a way as to at least try to improve her image in their eyes after what happened here. They were afraid of her, it was visible in their eyes. The same fear she had seen many times before. She can't count to gain their love anytime in the future, not after what they witnessed. She didn't want them to think she was cruel, but did she have any choice at the moment? Victims are everywhere. Olenna told her that no one in Westeros will listen to her unless they are afraid of her. And Tyrion talked about how no monarch can ever count on the love of all his people.

But she won't give up so easily, she will still have the opportunity to show them the better side of herself. The way she wants to be, not the way she has to be, as a means to achieve the ultimate goal.

"I am Visenya Targaryen." she started, raising her voice. Eventually everyone should hear it. "I know what the Lannisters told the Lords, and they passed it on to their people. That I have come here to destroy your cities, burn your homes and kill you, making orphans of your children and widows of your wives. That I'm a mad woman who came to get what she thinks is hers." she paused for a moment to make her next words come out louder. "Only one thing of all this is true: I will take what is rightfully mine, with fire and blood if necessary." another break. "But I don't want it to end like this. I don't want to murder and destroy, that's Cersei Lannister, not me. It was she who destroyed the Sept of Baelor, killing Queen Margaery, and thus contributing to the death of Tommen Baratheon." she used the name everyone knew him by, even though she knew he was a bastard. "This is all she has to offer: starvation, suffering and death. What some of you have known for forever. I propose something else: Bend the knee and swear to me, and I will make the Lannisters pay for all the wrongs they have ever done to anyone. I will end poverty and hunger, I will give not only your children, but also orphans, a better tomorrow. The cities across the sea are proof that I can do this, because the only thing I want to destroy is the wheel that the Great Houses spin, which destroys everyone it comes across." she finished her monologue.

For a moment, no one even moved, some looked at each other and wondered what to do. They were probably counting their chances of survival, after all, she hadn't told them what would happen if they didn't join her. Only when the first person broke down and knelt, the others followed. But still not everyone, just a small part of the crowd.

Well, the next part was convinced by the dragon's roar. A significant part.

But that still wasn't everyone. Some stood, someone even with his heads raised. Apparently he had too much pride or he believed in another queen and said he wouldn't break his word to her. Some of those still standing seemed unfazed by the dragon's roar.

"Please, step forward my Lord." she said to the one standing in front. "What is your name?"

"Lord Randyll Tarly."

"You won't bend the knee?"

"I already have a Queen to whom I swore an oath."

Wrong Queen.

"You also swore an oath to House Tyrell, didn't you? And you broke your word when your Liege Lady allied with me." she noticed.

"Do you really think it's worth fighting and dying for my sister?" Tyrion supported her. "The same one who killed the previous queen? The one that was ridiculed in front of the whole city? Which destroyed the sept? Or are you just saying that because you have ambitions to take the Tyrells' place?"

To her, these arguments seemed enough to change his mind, to avoid the worst. But they didn't seem to appeal to him.

"You can say what you want about her, but at least she knows the country and plays by its cruel rules. You, on the other hand, are a young idealist who thinks she can teach an old dog new tricks. You can not. You'll find out sooner or later." she absolutely didn't like the tone in which he spoke to her, but she didn't show it. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her and just watched, her eyes showing no signs of stress. "I won't fight for a person whose father and grandfather almost destroyed Seven Kingdoms. Everyone remembers them and they don't want a Targaryen here. Especially with a foreign army of savages."

She hated it when someone judged her through the prism of her family. Just as she hated the saying: 'Every time a Targaryen is born, the Gods flip a coin.' What are these stupid words and who came up with them? As if most of her family was mad... As if they were implying that she was crazy too.

"You don't know me, yet you judge me, my Lord." she finally said, quite calmly, although she was already starting to boil inside.

"I just saw what you did."

There was silence. She stared at him, silently considering her options. She can kill him, she even should kill him, after all, everyone is watching. If they see that they can oppose her and not suffer any consequences, they will start doing so too.

She couldn't argue with that, she didn't make good impression. But at least they didn't see her now as a girl to play with as they pleased. They learned that he was someone to be considered, someone dangerous. She should have learned by now that people accustomed to this world learn not through kindness, but cruelty...

"He could take the black, Your Grace." Tyrion said to her, gaining her attention. "No matter what he believes in, he is a true soldier, and such soldiers are worth their weight in gold in the Night's Watch."

It seemed to make sense. She was about to agree to it, but then Randyll spoke again:

"You can't send me to the Wall, you're not my Queen."

"All right. I can send you somewhere else then." there was a threat in those words, and it was clear to everyone.

"Then you have to kill me too." suddenly someone else came out of the crowd, he was probably standing next to Lord Tarly earlier, she didn't remember. He was much younger, it was probably one of his first battles.

"Step back and shut your mouth!" Randyll shouted at him.

"Who are you?" she has already guessed that they must be close to each other, so they are probably family, and considering the age difference, they are probably father and son, or the man may be his uncle.

"A stupid boy." Randyll muttered.

"I'm Dickon Tarly, he's my father."

"You are the future of your house. This war has already destroyed one Great House, it doesn't have to destroy another. Bend the knee." Tyrion intervened. There was no need, she wasn't going to kill a boy who wanted his father to be proud of him in some twisted way.

"No." this was exactly the answer she expected from him...

"Your Grace, Visenya-" she raised her hand and silenced Tyrion before he could suggest anything to her.

'When the people began to oppose him, he destroyed their towns and castles. He murdered sons in front of their fathers. He burned people alive using wild fire and laughed when they screamed. He was so eager to extinguish resistance that he led to a rebellion that killed almost all the Targaryens.'

'Thank the Gods, you have your father's character.'

She remembered that conversation with ser Barristan about the Mad King. She also recalled every conversation she had with Arthur when she had doubts about the righteousness of her actions.

She had to impose punishment, but she couldn't be cruel. People need to get an example, but not in a cruel way, because sooner or later they will start to rebel. She is not a monster and will not make the mistakes of the past. She swore to herself that she would fulfill her destiny and fix the world.

"Todo disse foz ato. Mae rizh akka ei fin tat vo kssoro tikh tihk arda." she gave an order to the Dothraki commanders.

*"Take just the elder one. His son and the others who did not kneel chain and they will be thrown into the dungeons."*

Tyrion was just starting to pick up a few words in this language, so he didn't know what was going on. Only after what had happened could he draw any conclusions.

Visenya glanced over her shoulder at Maelia, but then her thoughts took a different turn. No, he didn't deserve to die like that, despite what he told her. She won't burn him alive, it's better to have his head cut off. Fast and smooth.

"Lord Randyll Tarly, I, Visenya of House Targaryen, First of My Name, Rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Khaleesi of the Dothraki, Queen of the Dragon's Bay, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, sentence you to die. Do you have any last words?"

She expected her voice to shake, but it didn't. She stood there as if completely unmoved by the fact that she was about to witness another person die on her orders.

"In my last moment I pray that all of Westeros will not end up like Harrenhal."

In that moment she wanted to change her mind and burn him, but she just nodded at the Dothraki soldier. He had previously suggested that she was mad like her grandfather, reckless like her father, and now he was also saying that her great ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, was no better after what he did to Harrenhal.

During the execution in Meereen, in the square, she could not watch Mossador die. She even flinched when she heard the blade decapitating the boy. Now... She only twitched slightly.

It made her think... Has she changed? Is she changing all the time? Is she slowly becoming cruel or is she still only making necessary decisions? After all, it was her idea to come here on a dragon and take part in the battle. What is a necessary evil and what is her whim? Should she feel bad after how many people died today on her orders? How many was burned alive, screaming and begging for help?

On the one hand, she becomes indifferent to suffering, and on the other, her heart cries that she does not want to cause so much pain.

Kill or be killed, you either get used to it or your own emotions will eat you up from the inside.

~

-> Chapter XXXVII ''Nightmares of the past'' -> general masterlist -> Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon masterlist

[lumillsie]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ game of thrones masterlist. ੈ✩‧₊˚

╰┈➤ robb stark, sansa stark, jon snow, daenerys targaryen, jaime lannister, margaery tyrell, cersei lannister, ramsay bolton, tywin lannister, tyrion lannister, joffrey baratheon, theon greyjoy, viserys targaryen, oberyn martell, bronn of the blackwater, edmure tully, ygritte

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ robb stark. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ sansa stark. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ jon snow. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ daenerys targaryen. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ jaime lannister. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ margaery tyrell. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ cersei lannister. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ramsay bolton. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ tywin lannister. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ tyrion lannister. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ theon greyjoy. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ viserys targaryen. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ oberyn martell. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ bronn of the blackwater. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ edmure tully. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ygritte. ੈ✩‧₊˚

tba.

[all-about-that-rec]

Chapters: 49/49 Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Sandor Clegane/Original Character(s) Characters: Bronn (ASoIaF), Podrick Payne, Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, Sandor Clegane, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, Qyburn (ASoIaF), Gregor Clegane, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Edmure Tully, Varys (ASoIaF), Vargo Hoat, Roslin Frey, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Euron Greyjoy, Melisandre of Asshai Summary:

Jaime Lannister has defected from the Crown and left his sister in order to fulfill his pledge to join the war against the undead. But the journey will not be as simple as it sounds. Jaime finds that the road north is paved with choices - and he will not be traveling alone. This story picks up right where season 7 left off.

Completed work. Post-season 7 canon divergence, written before season 8 aired.

[norringtondeservestheworld]

This is exactly why Bronn has 0 haters.

+

[wonderful-world-of-midget-mcgee]

This football manager dude be looking like some R'hllor cursed lovechild between Jaime Lannister and Bronn

[chloe-skywalker]

Protection - Jaime Lannister

Jaime x fem!reader Stark

Warnings: GOT

Word count: 2,033

Summary: Reader is a Stark stuck in King's Landing after everything and including her fathers death. The only one that seems to care about her is shockingly Jaime Lannister.

Authors Note: I think after the changes Jaime’s character made from being held captive by the Stark’s and losing his hand plus his time with Brienne that he would be protective of the Stark girls. The oath he made to Catelyn he didn’t want to break, so I think that means something. Just like he couldn’t himself but he helped himself and Breinne by sending her to go look after and find Arya and Sansa. - I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to be romantic or him protecting her because she resembled what he thought a daughter of his own would be like or if he was honoring his promise to Catelyn. I tried to leave it open.

Masterlist

Game Of Thrones Masterlist

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Y/n didn’t understand what she had done in life to deserve this treatment. To have the recent events happen in her life. To watch her little brother almost die from a horrible fall, to then having to watch her father be executed, she didn’t know where her youngest sister was, she had to watch her other younger sister be tormented by a brat that was only going to become a awful king, and her older brother by a year had started a war to get them back with their mother by his side.

But how she had managed to have the Queen’s rath bestowed upon her in physical abuse. Y/n didn’t know how that happened and she knew for fact she hadn’t done anything to deserve it.

But Y/n had been in Kings Landing long enough to know that Cersei and Joffery didn’t need reasons to be cruel. It just seemed to be part of their personality.

Tyrion was the only kind one to Y/n and Sansa. Along with his friend Bronn and man servant Podrick. Y/n didn’t trust anyone else in the Red Keep.

Lately Y/n noticed Jaime, ever since he got back he had been trying to get close to her and Sansa. But neither Stark knew what to make of it. He really was trying to get closer to Y/n, but Y/n was worried that it was some kind of plan from Cersei.

It was a normal sunny day, Y/n actually thought it’d be a good day to go out and walk or ride but leaving her room? That didn’t feel like a good idea, given her appearance.

Suddenly in the incredibly quiet room there were sounds of knocking on her chamber doors. Y/n gave a soft ‘come in’, just loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear.

Upon seeing Jaime Lannister Y/n nervously started ringing her hands at what they might have planned for her now. “Ser Jaime. To what do I owe this visit to?”

Jaime shook his head. “I’m not here on any business.”

“Oh?” Y/n was curious but she still wanted to be cautious. So she kept her head down. For more than just that reason though.

Jaime noticed the way she was holding herself and it reminded him of a scared animal. So he raised his arms to show he didn’t mean her any harm. Her behavior made his eyes fill with concern. “Y/n, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Y/n realized that this could be very bad so she needed to back track. “Ser Jaime, I-I meant no o-offense.” She stuttered shaking her head but still keeping it down with her hair framing her face to cover her face from his view.

“You made none. No reason to apologize.” He quickly reassured.

As they stood there Jaime took more notice of things. Things that were making him more concerned by the second. So he took enough steps to be standing right in front of her.

“Y/n, look at me. Please.” Jaime asked, but when he noticed how she was so hesitant to do as he asked. Jaime slowly raised his hand to lift her chin, as gently as possible to not spook her. When she was finally looking him in the eye, face to face is when Jaime noticed. She has a bruised cheek bone which to him looked almost like it belonged to a fading black eye, and she had a cut on her eyebrow and her lip. No wonder she was hiding her face, he thought. “Who did this?”

“No one, Ser Jaime. I fell that’s all.” Y/n quickly tried to dismiss, hoping he’d let it go. If she said something and he was sent by Cersei, then it’d get worse. If he was genuinely concerned for her and she told him, he might not believe her. His twin sister did it after all.

“Please don’t lie to me, Lady Y/n.” He pleaded with her. His concern was growing more and more. But he also had his suspicions. “Who did this?”

Y/n cast her sight back down to the floor, not wanting to lie to his face. With how much genuine concern was in his eyes and actions, she felt bad lying to him. “No one, Ser.”

Jaime let out a sigh, he could clearly see she wasn’t going to verbalize her answer. Which inwardly gave him his answer anyway and he could feel anger bubbling up inside of him. He knew in his gut who did this, and he wasn’t going to let it go. “Can I see you later Milady?”

Y/n nodded, stepping back still not lifting her gaze. Of course she said he could. He seemed to be one of the only people who cared as of late, but also she didn’t really have a choice. Not in her situation. “If you so wish to, Ser Jaime.”

Her behavior honestly scared Jaime slightly. She didn’t seem like the same girl he met in Winterfell or the same one that was in Kings Landing when he lft and was captured.

Ever since that encounter Jaime had been visiting and spending a lot more time with Y/n Stark. No one would bother her with him at his side.

But Jaime had yet to have that talk with his sister. But today was the day, he had heard some concerning things from the handmaidens assigned to Y/n and he was fuming.

“Ah, brother. What is so urgent that you came barging into my chambers without knocking.” Cersei spoke sarcastically as he barged into her room.

“What did you do to Y/n Stark?” He asked, getting straight to the point, face red with anger.

“The little bitch. Well, what did she say?” Cersei scoffed at even turning to look at her brother.

“Nothing. She said nothing. I came here to you on my own.” Jaime wanted to yell, how could she be so cold.

“How do you know it was me? The girl is quite clumsy.” Cersei smirked, and Jaime wondered if Y/n’s excuse of falling was something she was told to say.

“Oh, I know your handy work when I see it.” He scoffed stating a fact that not even Cersei could argue with.

Cersei could tell he wasn’t gonna drop it once she looked at him, so she sighed and said. “I assure you she deserved it.”

“I can guarantee that she didn’t.” He countered. Jaime knew how petty his sister could be and revenge was something she enjoyed. She wasn’t going to fool him.

“You weren’t here.” She shook her head and growled out her words. Why was he even bringing this up?

“Doesn’t matter.” Jaime didn’t need to be there to know Y/n didn’t deserve his sister's warth.

“Why do you care for this girl?” Cersei asked with a furrowed brow.

“Cersei-”

“No. Why? Why do you care for her so much? After everything her family’s done to ours?!” She yelled at him getting up from her vanity table and stormed over to where he stood.

“She had no part in that!” He yelled back, done with trying to be social.

“Why do you protect her?!” Cersei spat with clear jealousy. Of course she noticed him protecting her but why was what she couldn’t figure out and that angered her more and more. Someone having her twin's attention other than her never sits well with the golden haired Queen.

“Don’t touch her again, Cersei. I mean it.” Jaime stated in a low voice. His expression and tone shocked Cersei. He’s never used either on her and deep down it did shake her a bit. He’s never been this mad at her, or this deeply apparently.

Jaime was going to make sure that Y/n was taken care of. No one would harm her ever again. That he’d promise her. Not even his sister. If Cersei did she’d regret it because he was done with her cruelness.

“And what will you do if I do decide to touch her again?” She questioned as he looked at her so seriously she honestly was starting to feel uncomfortable.

“You don’t want to find out.” He stated before turning to leave, as he opened the door Jaime felt pride in himself. He stood up to his sister for something he believed in.

“Is that a threat?” Cersei asked with narrowed eyes trained on her brother's back.

“Its a promise.” Jaime said before slamming her door behind him. He felt good and now he felt a weight lifted off of himself and Y/n. Sure he still had to watch their backs but Cersei wouldn’t do anything to go against him if she was as smart as she acts.

^     ^     ^

It had been a pretty normal day but Y/n just felt that they all blended together since so much had happened. Things had shockingly gotten better since Jaime and her had become close. But nothing good ever lasts is what she had learned being in King's Landing.

“Come in.” Y/n said upon hearing knocking at her room doors. She turned to face the door after hearing it open, seeing Jaime enter with caution. “Ser Jaime.”

“Lady Y/n.” He bowed his head with a soft smile on his lips, but as he looked around the room and noticed the uneaten food sitting on the table. Jaime’s concern came bubbling back up 10 fold. The handmaidens had told him she was skipping some meals and it worried him. But seeing it was worse. “The handmaidens said you haven’t eaten today.”

Y/n shrugged looking away from him. “Not very hungry.”

Jaime knew that part of it could be the stress of what's happened. It could also be her injuries that made it painful to chew, or it could be something Jaime really hoped it wasn’t. He didn’t even want to think about that idea.

Jaime stepped over to her, brushing her hair away from her face with his hand. Uncovering the still recovering injuries to her face. “Does it hurt?”

Of course it hurt still but he had been so kind to her she didn’t want to worry him. So she shook her head softly. “Not much anymore, Ser.”

“You don’t have to keep up the formalites with me, Y/n.” He smiled softly hoping to make her more comfortable around him. Show her he meant no harm.

“I shouldn’t-” She looked at him with wide scared eyes.

“I’m telling you you can. So you can.” Jaime stopped her calmly, looking her in the eyes. He could see how scared she was to do anything that might cause her to be harmed. Anything that might make it so she could be punished. “I won’t hurt you like my sister.”

“I-” Y/n’s eyes widened, just when he made her a little more comfortable again he say’s that. Y/n shook her head at him in fear. She didn’t tell him who did it so how did he know? Now that he knew what would happen to her? What would the Queen do to her now? Y/n was panicking on the inside.

“You didn’t have to tell me, and don’t worry I’ll protect you from Cersei.” Jaime told her, she had to know. But seeing her so panicked made his heart clench, so he started running his hand through her hair to comfort her and calm her nerves and mind. Jaime grimaced at her reaction for a second. This poor girl was terrified and it was all because of his family.

“How?” Y/n asked him while looking at him like he’s crazy. How could he, a knight, protect her from the Queen? Nobody could control Cersei.

“In any way I can, and I will. She will never harm you again. No one will. Not on my watch.” Jaime vowed to the poor girl that was stuck in this predicament. Not by her own choosing had any of this happened to her. And he was going to stop it and make her life better.

Taglist: @gruffle1 @padawancat97 @misspendragonsworld

@starkleila

[norakbubbles]

I just finished the final episode of Game of Thrones about two hours ago and....*sighs*

I have many feelings and I'm going to list them:

1. Braime and Theonsa could have been endgame couples if the writers weren't COWARDS-

2. "Bran the Broken" makes me giggle bc they literally couldn't find any other nickname for him

3. I still low-key think Gendry should have been king in the end, given he technically was supposed to have the iron throne after Robert died in the first place

3. Yaayyy Jon, Tormund and Ghost are together again (if s8 ended with me not being able to see Tormund for one last time I would've thrown hands)

4. Literally poor tyrion being made another hand of someone he barely knows when he doesn't want to

5. Bronn wanting to prioritize rebuilding brothels over ships makes me laugh

6. Robin Arryn's glow-up shocked me bc he actually doesn't look like an iPad kid anymore 👏👏

7. Sandor being one of the casualties in the final fight saddened me more than Jaime I'm sorry but it did

8. Ngl I forgot who Edmure Tully was for a hot minute when he showed up

9. Dany's death did not make me upset but Drogon's reaction to her death did idk why

10. Did anyone else go "Now what?" during the last few minutes? Like Sansa being crowned queen of the North and Jon and Tormund going off with the wildlings and Ghost? Like what are they gonna do now? There really aren't any more threats. If anyone does know of any still existing threats by the end of the series let me know

Anyway, I'm pretty sure my mom is tired of hearing me yap about Braime all the time and my sis and I both agree that Theon should have been there with Sansa as she was crowned. I loved the series, and will most likely be moving on to HotD next bc I've heard it's good. Yes season 8 could have been better but in the end, we just have to accept that that's how the series ended and there's nothing we can do about it....

that's what fanfiction is for... 😗

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

ASoIaF/Game of Thrones x Gotham Headcanons: 🤗

@fandomofhappiness You're so right, these works have lots of interesting similarities

🚔        👮‍♂️       🚓       👮‍♀️       🚨       🐲       🌅

Jim Gordon and Jaime Lannister would have such a funny relationship. One one side, they understand that being a police officer and a knight respectively isn't easy, that sometimes you're left with no choice but to take a route that causes hurt. On the other side: "What the hell, you killed an innocent child?! How can you sleep at night?" It would lead to similar conversations to the ones Jaime and Catelyn Stark have.

"Do you really believe in the Gods-"

"-one God."

"Right. If this one God exists, why is the world so full of injustice?"

"Because of men like you."

"There are no men like me. Only me."

"Oh, come on! You're nothing special. I arrest guys like you all the time."

"Is that so?"

"Well...they often escape."

"Ooh, I'm looking forward to it.

Also, Jim is very similar to Ned Stark in that he doesn't always think that strict punishment is best. He's also similar in that he's, for lack of a better word, naive, shown amongst other instances when he tries to calm someone down who could easily kill him. Picture this: Jim knows about Daenerys' sad backstory, knows that she's capable of sympathy, and approaches her when she's on a literal dragon. Doesn't seem realistic to you? In season two he literally approached a woman with a flame thrower with his hands raised, so it could happen 😂.

Now, while these two would disagree on lots of things, Bronn would fit right in with the people of Gotham who just want to live and possibly earn money. I can imagine him taking a case that gets progressively more personal though, for example the case of the Wayne's murder.

I might make a part two of this😁 Let me know if you want to know about certain character(dynamics) 😄

The Gotham’s criminal throne, in terms of its popularity for conquest, loses only to the Iron Throne. I wish we write some headcanon/crossover with Game of Thrones/ASOIAF.

[agent-whiskeys-sweetheart]

ahh im so excited your requests are open!! if you’re okay with it, could i please request something about how some of the game of thrones characters comfort their s/o when they find out she’s upset/had a bad day? thank you!!

Of course! I hope you enjoy lovely!

Jaime - When you’re having a bad day, Jaime would put on his most dashing smile and try to cheer you up with the cheesiest pick up lines. He would pretend like the two of you don’t know each other and he would lay it on thick with the schmoozing. It wouldn’t fail to make you laugh as he charms you just like he did the first time.

Sandor - When you’re having a bad day, Sandor would have no idea what to do. When you tell him that you’re upset he would freeze for a moment before patting you on the head and continuing about the day as usual. If you wanted something specific from him like cuddles or a bath, you’d have to be very clear about that with him. 

Petyr -  When you’re having a bad day, Petyr would take you out on a shopping spree. He’d take you to the nicest marketplace in King’s Landing and tell you to pick out anything that made you happy before gladly buying it for you. He would spoil you rotten and then take you home to enjoy whatever it was that he bought for you. 

Jon -  When you’re having a bad day, Jon would let you be in that state of mind as long as you needed. Sometimes it feels good to be sad and Jon knows this. He would simply sit with you and hold your hand for a while as you cry or vent or yell. Then once you’re good and spent he’d curl up in bed with you before falling asleep.

Robb -  When you’re having a bad day, Robb would do anything in his power to cheer you up. He’d tell stupid jokes and tickle you and share stories and kiss you from head to toe, all just to see you smile again. He’s incredibly cheesy but he just wants to see you happy at all times. It absolutely breaks his heart when you’re upset.

Tywin -  When you’re having a bad day, Tywin would clear his schedule to spend the day with you. He knows that with how little you get to see him that giving you quality time with him will cheer you up. He would take you for a walk around the grounds, simply occupying your mind with stimulating conversation for hours. 

Bronn -  When you’re having a bad day, Bronn would sit with you and point out all the things that are good about life. He would hold your hand and point out the trees and the sunshine and the birds chirping and the beautiful castle you two live in. He would want to show you that your life is beautiful in order to help cheer you up.

Jorah -  When you’re having a bad day, Jorah would absolutely shower you with love and affection. He would forget about all of his responsibilities, making you his top priority. He would cuddle you in bed for hours, tenderly kissing you and telling you how much he adores you. He would compliment you endlessly as he loves on you.

Ramsay -  When you’re having a bad day, Ramsay would ask you who hurt you, offering to kill them in order to cheer you up. When you tell him that it’s no one’s fault, you’re just having a bad day he would jump into caregiver mode. He’d warm up a bath for you, get you a glass of wine, and massage you as he takes care of you.

Stannis -  When you’re having a bad day, Stannis would be very attentive. He’d sit you down and ask what he could do to make you feel better. He would want to hear in your own words exactly what would cheer you up. And he’d give it to you. He’s a king, he can get things done. All you have to do is name it and it is yours. 

Oberyn -  When you’re having a bad day, Oberyn would make a gigantic spectacle of cheering you up. He’d throw a three day long party and invite all of your friends and family. He’d hold a huge feast in your honor and make you the special guest of the whole thing. He’d want you to feel like the most special princess ever because you are.

Dany -  When you’re having a bad day, Dany would take you for a ride on one of her dragons. She would want you to see the big wide beautiful world from a view that only you are deserving of. No one else would ever be able to say they’ve ridden a dragon but her and you. She’d want you to feel like the powerful queen you are. 

Brienne -  When you’re having a bad day, Brienne would do the simplest but most meaningful things for you. She would clean up the house because she knows you like it clean. She’d pick flowers for you on the way home. She would cook you dinner so you don’t have to do it yourself. Small acts of service like that to show she cares.

[b-does-the-write-thing]

general incivility, chapter six

- a brienne x jaime pride & prejudice retelling -

chapter one l chapter two  l chapter three l chapter four l chapter five l chapter six l now on AO3

At the end of their first month in the Stormlands, a letter appeared from King’s Landing. Bronn, no doubt curious, brought it to the breakfast table, where he might be able to linger and ascertain its contents. A savvy move that Tyrion could applaud if it were not for the fact Cersei and Jaime could not help but notice the royal seal.

At its appearance, Cersei fell uncharacteristically silent. Though at the rate she was straining her neck, she’d be out of commission for the upcoming week’s assemblies. His dear brother pretended he had gone blind, deaf, and dumb, but Jaime was not leaving either, showcasing his interest in the missive. Tyrion would have preferred to retire to read it in peace; he already guessed at its contents, but there was nothing to be done other than to face the music. Cracking the seal, Tyrion’s suspicions were confirmed within the first few words, and the following ones compounded his headache.

Outside, the evening clouds had not departed, and the trees were whispering to each other in the breeze. A storm was imminent, not one of the gentle spring rains that had come and gone in their few weeks here, but a proper tempest, the true namesake of the region. Judging the entire thing to be more trouble than it was worth, Tyrion tossed the letter away. It landed on top of the porridge and, under the weight of the royal seal, began to sink. Cersei shot her cousin a filthy look before ordering one of the footmen to fish it out for her. Receiving it with the utmost care, Cersei devoured the soggy paper’s contents. A smile bloomed across her face until her smile was the only bright spot in the breakfast parlor.

When Cersei finally deigned to lower the letter, a footman rushed forward to offer her a serviette. “But this is wonderful,” Cersei said, seemingly unaware she was daintily wiping her hands on the footman’s jacket and not the offered napkin. To think, the king—here of all places!”

Jaime stirred to life. “What fortuitous reason do we have to thank for such an honor?”

Tyrion rubbed his forehead, running his stubby fingers across the odd ridges of his skull, letting the familiar sensation soothe his threatening headache. “He claims to visit Lord Stannis, but no doubt he has heard father’s succeeded in running me off finally.”

Jaime did not argue. Everyone knew there was little love lost between King Robert Baratheon, first of his name, and Tywin Lannister. The vaults of King’s Landing were rumored to have long since run dry, but perhaps with a son of Casterly Rock at his side…

Cersei stood, pressing her skirt down, her eyes staring past both her cousins, fixated on something far in the distance that only she could see. “I’ll have to send word home at once. I barely brought anything suitable for court-”

“Were you not still planning to depart within the next fortnight?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Cersei snapped, this time directing her glare at Jaime. “The King is coming to Storm’s End, and he will, of course, call here.” Her eyes darted to Tyrion. “You’ll need a lady to lead the house, plan the ball-”

“Ball?”

“Host His Highness, and well he mentions his Kingsguard will be attending. No mention of any courtiers, but of course, the usual toadies will be in attendance- “

“Cersei, if you would like to play lady of the hall, by all means, my home is at your disposal, but do me the very great courtesy of not looking like the cat who caught the canary. It’s very disconcerting.”

“Only you would have the king send him a personal letter and look as if the world was coming to an end.” Tyrion did not think his brother looked any happier about this development, but Cersei seemed determined to ignore Jaime. “If you will excuse me-” and with that, she swanned out of the breakfast parlor, looking all the world as if she already had a crown upon her brow.

“She’ll be insufferable,” Tyrion lamented. “Robert’s no tactician, but he’s not going to ignore a lioness laying down on her back for him-”

“Tyrion,” Jaime hissed. “Have a care for how you talk about our cousin.”

“You should be glad she’s not eyeing your neck for the noose at the moment,” Tyrion continued, tearing into the pastry to find it still warm and steaming. The manor might be considerably smaller than the Rock, but he quite enjoyed the new proximity to his kitchens, even if his belt protested. “Perhaps Robert's visit will allow you more time to pursue your interests without hindrance?”

Jaime’s eyes darkened in displeasure. “There is nothing of interest in this desolate corner of Westeros. I am only here because of you.”

“Interesting,” Tyrion continued, “I, for one, have thought you rather intrigued by our resident beauty.”

Tyrion had not seen it at first. He had been so taken with the odd Miss Tarth, finding her to be one of the truly most unfortunate people he had ever seen besides himself, that he had almost missed the way his brother’s eyes tracked her around the room, how Jaime moved after her when she passed by as if caught in her wake and drawn after her despite himself. He was not sure if his brother was even aware of his interest, if not for the odd way his lips quirked whenever Miss Tarth was mentioned.

“You are referring to which renowned Stormland beauty, Tyrion? Miss Tarth or Miss Baratheon?”

Tyrion chuckled. “Cersei has had your ear again, I fear. Miss Baratheon is not yet eight and ten. Her brush with death has added to her character, but I am not one for unaged wine.”

Jaime considered him across the table. ”And Miss Tarth?”

Tyrion grinned. “You know I am a great lover of beauty.”

His brother’s lips thinned, face darkening into a pensive glower until he looked just like their father. “Surely you of all people would think to look past appearances-”

“Have you?”

Jaime’s eyes shuttered, and he looked pointedly away to the storm gathering outside. “I have barely spoken a word to the party in question.”

“On the contrary, I believe you’ve spoken more to her than anyone else in the Stormlands.”

“If I happen to stand by the only other person who has less desire to speak than myself-”

“Happen? Jaime, you followed her around the length of the ballroom last week.”

Jaime shot up from his seat. “I should make haste if I want to get a ride in before the storm-”

“Jaime-” But his brother was already gone, leaving him alone with the great feast. Tyrion looked over at the footman nearest to the table, his cravat still smeared with oatmeal. “Do we have any blackberry jam?”