lover's mercy - jaime lannister

TWENTY-SEVEN

Guilt.

             It was a strange thing but it had plagued her for a week. Her nightmares had returned like they were punishing her for her crime. (But the truth was, Jaime made her better with his jokes and teasing). Now he was like a hollow shell and she heard he was refusing to eat which is why she paid him a visit.

               She stared at him through the bars and it was like he wasn't even there. He just stared at the hand that was no longer there.

                She swallowed, "I heard you weren't eating."

                  Her voice pulled him from his reverie and he looked up at her with so much hopelessness, "Why should I?"

                    She stared at him as tears welled in her eyes. At the thought of Jaime Lannister and his amused smirk perishing, her heart sunk. It was unbearable.

                   "Please," she begged. "For me."

                 Jaime blinked at her desperation but he remembered that single word. No. It haunted him all the time.

                He ignored her plea as he spoke, "I heard you were getting married."

                His green eyes pierced her and she looked away. Her betrothal was well known as she was getting married tomorrow.

                "Do you only listen to gossip about me?"

                  "Is it true? You're marrying Steffon Baratheon?"

                  "Yes," she uttered honestly.

                 It was funny how single words seemed to destroy him when it came to her. He replied bitterly, "You move on quite quickly, don't you?"

               Her eyes hardened as he referenced Damion and she glared at him, "Say anything like that again and I'll consider you an enemy."

               "But we are enemies. A Lannister and a Stark. We just don't go together. We don't fit," he attempted to push her away and get her to stop caring.

             "Says the man who kissed me," she remarked.

             He was silenced for a moment as they stared at each other through the bars, "Elya...I'll remember your lips 'till the day I die. But it still doesn't change the fact that I'm no good for you."

            "It doesn't even matter, Jaime. I'm getting married. Then I'll be no good for anybody but my husband."

             "You're right," he said cruelly. "It doesn't matter...because you're not Cersei."

             Or at least that's what he wanted to believe: that nothing could compare to Cersei when it couldn't be farther from the truth.

              Hurt shone in her eyes but she held her head high, "Then eat something for her, at least."

               And she walked away.

              He watched her go before he clenched his jaw in anger at himself. Later, he did eat something but it wasn't for Cersei.

                _____

              Elya wore a white dress.

              She was getting married. It was decided that the men could use a celebration so her wedding wasn't going to be some private affair. Her mother finished her hair and she stood up before turning to face her.