lover's mercy - jaime lannister

THIRTEEN

They traveled along the Blackwater Rush and off of the Kingsroad. It was nightfall and they were huddled around a fire.

                  "It'll be alright," the young boy, Elden as she had learned, smiled at her. He had long brown hair that very nearly covered his eyes; it needed to be cut. He had soft blue eyes. "My brother and I are the greatest swordsmen in the Realm."

                   That got her to chuckle (if only for a moment) as Geremy rolled his eyes, "My little brother lacks any humility."

                 Then she sighed, "Do you think my father is dead?"

                "Unlikely," he stated as he stood, keeping watch over the small camp they made. "It's smarter to keep him prisoner but then again the boy prince isn't very smart."

                 "He'd be a king now," she said solemnly. "Robert is no doubt dead..."

               She guessed there was a coup for power by design of the Queen, Cersei Lannister. She assumed her father got caught in the middle of it which meant the rest of her family became hostages.

             She had tears in her eyes as she looked up at Geremy, "They'll name you a traitor."

              "Let them," he said. "I'd rather pledge my sword to you..."

                In his head, he'd never met a highborn as good as she was. He would be honored to serve her and return her home.

                 Her eyes widened as he knelt before her and laid his sword in front of her as he vowed, "My lady, I am yours to command. I will shield your back, and keep your counsel, and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new."

             She swallowed as she remembered the words, "And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table. I pledge to ask no service of you that may bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. Arise."

              Ser Geremy stood, now as her knight, and she smiled slightly. Elden had a bright smile as he watched, "Can I pledge to be her sword, too?"

                "I'd be the better sword," Elden smirked.

             "No," Geremy pushed him away as he rolled his eyes. She chuckled a bit. She was glad for the company on the road; she would have been losing her mind without their brotherly banter.

              ______

            News didn't travel very quickly through Westeros. The Lannister army that had just been raised and now made camp only just received word from the now former Hand of the King.

           "Summoned to court to answer for the crimes of your bannerman Gregor Clegane, the Mountain...." Jaime read. "...uh, arrive within the fortnight or be branded an enemy of the Crown."

          "Poor Ned Stark...Brave man, terrible judgment," Jaime noted.

            Tywin skinned a deer, "A bird was shot down this morning carrying another letter...from the Stark girl."

               Jaime felt his lips part in surprise. Elya. The name that reminded him of the princess he failed to protect, Elia Martell. The princess his family butchered.

               Tywin analyzed him, "I did not realize my son was close with one of the wolves."

                    Jaime swallowed and hid his emotions away under the scrutiny, "I'm not."