The Prince of Thorns

⚔Oath keeper⚔

King's Landing.

Alester and Jaime spar by the sea. Jaime attacks and Alester parries. Jaime pauses, panting and spins his sword. His skills have improved. They exchange attacks. Alester presses Jaime, and they deadlock. Alester kicks Jaime's knee and hits him across the face. Jaime falls to the ground.

JAIME: "What the hell was that?"

ALESTER: "Not everybody's going to fight fair Jaime, most don't. Especially not now a days."

Alester pulls Jaime back to his feet.

JAIME: "You're a rare talent. When you're fighting cripples, anyway."

ALESTER: "You wanna live? Always expect the unexpected."

JAIME: "I'll keep that in mind."

ALESTER: "Good."

They sit together on a low wall. Jaime drinks.

JAIME: "Do you think he did it?"

ALESTER: "No. Oh, he hated the boy, sure. But who didn't? You want to know for sure, why don't you ask him?"

Jaime doesn't answer.

ALESTER: "You haven't been to see him yet?"

JAIME: "No."

He tosses the water skin to Alester and starts to walk away

ALESTER: "Your brother ever tell you how Bronn came into his service?"

JAIME: "He stood for him in his trial by combat at the Eyrie."

ALESTER: "Aye. But only when Lady Arryn demanded the trial take place that day. You were his first choice. He named you for his champion because he knew you would ride day and night to come fight for him. You gonna fight for him now?"

Jaime exits.

Tyrion's cell

Jaime and Tyrion sit in the cell.

JAIME: "To tell you the truth, this isn't so bad. Four walls. A pot to piss in. I was chained to a wooden post covered in my own shit for months."

TYRION: "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

JAIME: "Maybe a bit. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

TYRION: "It's complicated, yes. So how is our sister?"

JAIME: "How do you think? Her son died in her arms."

TYRION: "Her son?"

JAIME: "Don't. You know what's coming?"

TYRION: "My trial for regicide. Yes, I know. I know the whole bloody country thinks I'm guilty. I know that one of my three judges has wished me dead more times than I can count. And that judge is my father. As for Cersei, well, she's probably working on a way to avoid a trial altogether by having me killed."

JAIME: "Now that you mention it, she did ask."

TYRION: "So, should I turn around and close my eyes?"

JAIME: "Depends. Did you do it?"

TYRION: "The Kingslayer brothers. You like it? I like it. You're really asking if I killed your son?"

JAIME: "Are you really asking if I'd kill my brother? How can I help you?"

TYRION: "Well, you could set me free."

JAIME: "You know I can't."

TYRION: "Then there's really nothing else to say."

JAIME: "What do you want me to do? Kill the guards? Sneak you out of the city in the back of a cart? I'm the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard."

TYRION: "Sorry, I'd forgotten. I'd hate for you to do something inappropriate."

JAIME: "Inappropriate? You're accused of killing the king. Freeing you is treason."

TYRION: "Except I didn't do it."

JAIME: "Which is why we're having a trial. "

TYRION: "A trial. If the killer threw himself before the Iron Throne, confessed to his crimes, and gave irrefutable evidence of his guilt, it wouldn't matter to Cersei. She won't rest until my heads on a spike."

JAIME: "Not just yours. She's offering a knighthood to whomever finds Sansa Stark."

TYRION: "Sansa couldn't have done this. "

JAIME: "She had more reason than anyone in the Seven Kingdoms. Do you think it's a coincidence she disappeared the same night Joffrey died?"

TYRION: "No, but... Sansa's not a killer. Not yet anyway."

Littlefinger's ship.

Sansa looks out on the ocean. Littlefinger enters.

SANSA: "Where are you taking me?"

LITTLEFINGER: "I'm getting married to your Aunt Lysa. She's waiting for us at the Eyrie. You'll be safe there."

SANSA: "Did you kill Joffrey?"

LITTLEFINGER: "Did I kill Joffrey? I've been in the Vale for weeks."

SANSA: "I know it was you."

LITTLEFINGER: "And who helped me with this conspiracy?"

SANSA: "Well, there was Ser Dontos. You used him to get me out of King's Landing, but you would never trust him to kill the king."

LITTLEFINGER: "Why not?"

SANSA: "Because you're too smart to trust a drunk."

LITTLEFINGER: "Then perhaps it was your husband."

SANSA: "No."

LITTLEFINGER: "How do you know?"

SANSA: "I just do."

LITTLEFINGER: "You're right. He wasn't involvedi n Joffrey's death. But you were. Do you remember that lovely necklace Dontos gave you? I don't suppose you noticed that a stone was missing after the feast."

SANSA: "The poison. I don't understand. The Lannisters gave you wealth, power. Joffrey made you the Lord of Harrenhal."

LITTLEFINGER: "A man with no motive is a man no one suspects. Always keep your foes confused. If they don't know who you are or what you want, they can't know what you plan to do next."

SANSA: "I don't believe you. If they catch you, they'll put your head on a spike just like my father's. You'd risk that just to confuse them?"

LITTLEFINGER: "So many men they risk so little. They spend their lives avoiding danger. And then they die. I'd risk everything to get what I want."

SANSA: "And what do you want?"

LITTLEFINGER: "Everything. My friendship with the Lannisters was productive. But Joffrey, a vicious boy with a crown on his head, is not a reliable ally. And who could trust a friend like that?"

SANSA: "Who could trust you?"

LITTLEFINGER: "I don't want friends like me. My new friends are predictable. Very reasonable people. As for what happened to Joffrey, well, that was something my new friends wanted very badly. Nothing like a thoughtful gift to make a new friendship grow strong."