Streaks Of Silver (Game of Thrones)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: One's Place...

After giving his father the good news, Jaime would go to meet with her brother and Litha. Finding Brienne with them at lunch, along with Sansa, Podrick and Bronn...

"I am a Lord again," he announced the moment he entered the room, coming to sit beside Litha who had Sansa at her side, "And I felt it best I should ask this formally, given the agreement was a little less than grand last night," he declared, taking a knee before Litha as everyone stood.

"What? What is happening...?" Tyrion swelled in shock as his brother pulled a ring from his pocket. A marriage of gold and silver with a moon stone in its setting, "That's mother's ring! Jaime!" he huffed his older brother grinned up at Litha.

"Visenya Litha Targaryen, Queen of Dragonstone... will you take me as your husband and Consort? To serve and love you, as I will those that come after us, to the end of my days?" he asked as she giggled at him, doing her very best not to cry as she honestly never expected to find her person. Certainly not that it would be a Lannister either, for that matter...but she loved Jaime and more importantly, trusted him to stand at her back above all else.

And while Tyrion stood short-circuiting at what was happening, she gave him her answer, "I will," she agreed and Jaime's little brother would scream as the knight slipped their mother's ring on her finger. Riding to his feet and kissing her there in front of all of them while they clapped and Tyrion ran to them, hugging the both of them around the waist.

An embrace they returned with laughter as Tyrion had to joke or he'd combust, "My brother marrying my best friend and I didn't even have to plan it myself...!" he exclaimed while Litha looked to Sansa who couldn't help her little smile at seeing her older sister happy.

"And you said you'd never get married," Sansa called her out with an impish little look that reminded Litha so much of how her little sister used to be in Winterfell.

"Not unless it came without a cage...and this does, Sansa," she reassured her little sister of her choice as Jaime stood at her side.

"It's true," he confirmed, "According to law, a Consort can be dismissed at any time with no right to their ruling spouse's resources. Litha will maintain complete control over any and all Lannister connection to House Targaryen," Jaime explained it to her and Sansa looked visibly relieved.

"You're a much better man than you used to be, Lord Jaime," she offered her blessing the Lannister Lord was genuinely touched.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he chuckled then, knowing the sort of man he was before meeting Litha. Before Winterfell...

***

A few days following this, the whole of the Seven Kingdoms would know of the engagement. The union-to-come receiving mixed reviews, of course. Though, what royal entanglement didn't have a few naysayers against them...?

And not a week later...? Roose Bolton would make a play for the title of Warden of the North at the wedding of Edmure Tully and one of Walder Frey's many daughters. Attempting to assassinate Robb Stark, Catelyn and Robb's pregnant wife, Talisa.

Thankfully, Litha's agents in place were able to intervene just as the Rains of Castamere began to play. Dornish mercenaries hurling smoke bombs into the room while they retrieved Litha's family members, and upon Litha's orders, slit the throats of half of Walder Frey's sons and severed Roose Bolton's right hand amidst the confusion to be brought to her.

Then, the very next day? Rickon Stark and his direwolf would go missing from Winterfell in the night just before Ramsay Bolton could move in to take the castle. Collected by more mercenaries, but Bran was nowhere to be found at all. Having fled from the sounds of men screaming with Hodor to the north.