lover's mercy - jaime lannister

THIRTY

After visiting Jaime, she ran into Steffon. He smiled tightly, "There you are."

             He knew where she came from. It was usually where he found her. He started to chuckle at the thought.

               "What?"

              "When I think to look for you, I often begin by looking for the Kingslayer."

            "Yes, and?"

           "You spend a lot of time with him. You treat him as if a friend."

            She shook her head in irritation, "No. I treat him with the honor and respect that he treated me with. The Gods know that I could've been in a far worse situation without him. So, yes, I treat him kindly and I will continue to do so. If you have a problem with that, you can tell it to someone else."

            "No, no problem," he chuckled lightly. "I just thought that maybe you had a certain affection for the Kingslayer."

          Elya grasped what he was saying. Affection. He thought she was in love with him.

          "For Jaime Lannister?" she questioned in horror. "I can assure you that I do not nor will I ever."

            "It's alright if you do, Elya. I wouldn't be mad..." he wouldn't blame her for having feelings for someone else; after all, they weren't in love.

              "I do not!" she denied before she huffed and walked away.

               In love with Jaime? The thought alone made her the most frustrated she'd ever been as her chest tightened into knots, wearing itself out trying to make its feelings known.

               But Elya did not listen to her heart. In love with Jaime? She went over the thought again. No. She couldn't be. Ever.

                ____

           Robb had told her the news.

            Now they were telling Mother but Elya sat with her knees pressed to her chest. She could not believe it. What Theon had done. Killing...no. Her little brothers were safe; they had to be.

            "I hadn't seen him in years. I don't even know how many," Cat lamented.

              There had been more bad news that came. Her grandfather, Hoster Tully, had passed away.

            "We'll travel to the funeral together," Robb stated. "Lord Bolton will garrison here until we return..."

              Robb had forlorn look on his face that Cat noticed and asked, "Something else?"

               "By the time Bolton's bastard got to Winterfell, the ironborn were gone," Robb said before looking down. "They massacred everyone and put the castle to the torch. And Bran and Rickon have not been found."

               Elya felt a tear fall down her cheek as she heard the news over again. She wiped it away.

           "They may have escaped," Robb hoped. "Or Theon may have taken them back to the Iron Islands as hostages."

           "Have you received any demands? Have you heard anything from Theon at all?" Cat asked.

               Robb shook his head slowly and Elya answered, "No."

                Elya gained a stormy look in her eyes, "Either way, Theon will pay for this."

_____

Later that night, she laid with Steffon in their room. He held her as she cried.

"My little brothers cannot be dead," she lamented. "Theon is a traitor."

"If he was as close to your family as you say, I don't think he could've done it," Steffon attempted to reassure.

"Stannis killed his own flesh and blood," Elya argued and Steffon winced. "If anything, that proves the bonds of family don't always matter..."

"Stannis is entirely different," Steffon clenched his jaw.

"Perhaps."

Elya calmed somewhat and it was a silent for a moment before Elya sniffled, "I feel as though by the end of this, Robb and I will be all that remains of my family."

Robb and I. She could live with that. It wouldn't be easy but she could get by on that fact alone. She prayed and hoped for at least the two of them to survive. Robb and I.

Elya removed herself from her revery and lifted her head up from his chest. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your brother. I know it troubles you."

"It's alright."

She looked down at his shirt in horror as she found that it was soaked with tears, "I ruined your shirt."

Steffon chuckled and smiled softly, "I will gladly sacrifice an eternity of shirts in your honor."

She giggled a bit before kissing him softly. She was grateful for Steffon. He made her laugh and smile more; she got through all of her nightmares (of drowning) because of him. She didn't have any strong feelings but she didn't need it; she could be content with him.

_____

They were now riding to Riverrun. Jaime was being carted there as well. His one hand was chained as he was sitting backwards on a horse.

She rode up next to him with careful, worried eyes. His face was caked with dirt but those green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. And they were acutely aware of Elyanna Stark.

He noticed how she rode so freely (with a smile) and he was glad that hadn't changed. That something could lift her spirits since her father passed. And now he was acutely aware of her eyes on him and how his breath stopped at the mere glance in his direction.

She wanted to make sure the stump was healing properly. She wanted him to be survive. The thought of something being wrong made her chest ache.

"Let me see your hand," she said softly.

And that soft voice was like music to his ears. But he couldn't allow it to be. Elyanna Baratheon was not his to love. Ever.

"Why?" he said bitterly. "Are you going to suggest taking this one as well?"

She gave him a short glare before riding away from him. Jaime looked down, upset with himself. The truth was: they were so bitter over each other that they became bitter to each other.

Elya just had more patience than he did; she could take the sting of his words without throwing any back (or, at least, until she reached her breaking point). She was kind but he was more hateful than she was. But they were both equally stubborn; they'd call it bitterness before they ever called it love.