Exile // Jory Cassel (1)

21. Kill him

Caro couldn't breathe, she spent the next two days inconsolable. She wept and wept. Jory was her first love, her first everything and now he was gone. Jaime Lannister had killed him and her heart felt like it was in a million little pieces. Then her eyes ran dry and her anger grew. She couldn't let this stand, Jaime had attacked the hand of the king in broad daylight, murdered her husband without consequence. All she saw was red. It clouded her judgment and her vision but she wasn't thinking straight she needed to stop and make a plan. But her heart was too broken, and her head too crowded with conflict.

+

'Pardon your grace I would rise but-' ned adjusted in bed

'Do you know what your wife has done?' Cersei questioned incredulously. Ned remained silent

'I didn't think she had it in her.' robert laughed.

'How dare she lay hands on my blood!' cersei spat.

'I am the kings hand I was keeping the peace.' ned reminded her

'You were the kings hand.' cersei corrected. 'You will be held accountable-'

'Will both of shut your mouths!' Robert shouted. 'Catelyn will release tyrion and you will make your peace with Jaime.'

'he butchered my men.' Ned reminded him defensively.

'Lord stark was returning drunk from a brothel when he attacked Jaime.' Cersei told Robert.

'Quiet woman,' Robert sneered.

'Jaime has fled the city.' Ned remarked. 'Give me leave to bring him back to justice.'

'Justice, how dare you talk to the king-' cersei spat.

'Hold your tongue.' Robert demanded.

'He attacked one brother and taken the other I should wear the armor and you the gown.' Cersei told Robert and he slapped her across the face. 'I shall wear this like a badge of honor.'

'wear it in silence or I will honor you again.' Robert threatened as cersei stormed out.

'see what she does to me my loving wife... I should not have hit her, that was not... that was not kingly.'

''if we don't act, there will be a war.' Ned told Robert.

'So tell your wife to return that little shit of an imp to kings landing. You hear me send a raven and put an end to it!' Robert demanded.

'what of Jaime Lannister?' ned questioned his leg throbbing.

'What about Jaime?' Robert said. 'I'm half a kingdom in debt to his father. I don't know what happened between you and those yellow haired shits and I don't want to know. This is what matters. I can't rule the kingdoms if the starks and lannisters are at each other's throats.'

'Robert we need to talk,' ned said.

'No I am sick of talk, I am going on a hunt tomorrow; whatever you have to tell me can wait until I return.' Robert assured him.

'What are you doing about Daenerys Targaryen?' ned questioned softly.

"Don't worry about that, it is done.' robert informed him. 'the last of the targaryens will be dead.' He spat and Ned swallowed the lump in his throat.

'of course... as you wish your grace. With your permission I will take my leave and return to winterfell.'

'piss on that.' Robert told him. 'send a raven, I want you to stay. I am the king I get what I want. I never loved my brothers,' he admitted 'sad thing for a man to admit but it's true. You were the brother I chose.'

'why Robert? Why do you want me as Hand if you do not listen to my advice?' ned questioned

'Somebody has to run the kingdom.' Robert said honestly. 'you're the hand again, you take this off again and I pin it to Jaime fucking Lannister.' Robert told him throwing the hand pin down onto the bed.

+

'I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill Jaime Lannister.' Carolina told Ned as he shifted in bed.

'Caro no!' Ned begged

'He killed Jory, he impaled you. He needs to be stopped.' Carolina shouted.

'Caro listen to me dont do anything stupid.' Ned begged.

'I'm not.' Carolina assured. 'I'm getting justice for my husband, for you. For the north. Im going to kill Jaime Lannister.'

+

Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted. And while it is true that literature and history contain heroic, romantic, glorious, even triumphant episodes in an exile's life, these are no more than efforts meant to overcome the crippling sorrow of estrangement.

Book 2 Carolina// Tywin Lannister out now!