lover's mercy - jaime lannister

FORTY-TWO

It was the morning and Jaime stared at his golden hand. Elya sat across from him at the table. He had a forlorn look on his face and Elya sighed, "What is it?"

           Jaime glanced up at her before sitting back in his chair in defeat and uttering quietly, "I can't protect you."

             She shook her head, "You're not your swordhand, Jaime."

               "I need to protect you," he confessed because what good was he if he couldn't even protect his own wife?

              "As Lord of Casterly Rock, you'll have a whole army to protect me if it bothers you that much," she said. "But if you'd like to fight again, train your left hand."

            "It's not that easy," Jaime argued. "Who would I even train with that wouldn't tell every soul that I'm useless in a fight? I'm the Kingslayer; I need to be able to fight."

                Elya thought about Brienne but she didn't want to take their one loyal guard away from Sansa. So another idea came to her. "If you want someone discreet, you should talk to your brother. I'm sure he knows plenty."

              "And one day," Elya smiled as she leaned forward, placing her hand atop his left. "I'm sure you'll be just as good with your left."

               Jaime looked up at her hopeful eyes and that adorable, dimpled smile. His heart skipped a beat as he smiled a bit and played with her fingers before shaking his head, "Elya..."

              "What?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

             It was like her smile made him stop thinking completely about anything but her. Jaime stared at her with intense green eyes that were perplexed about the insanity of his love for her. "I'm starting to wonder where my affection for you starts and ends...and I don't think it ends."

            Her smile widened as she teased, "Are you implying you want it to?"

             "Never," his answer was automatic.

             "Promise?"

              He tilted his head at her, "I already gave you my vows. What more do you want from me?"

               "Everything."

                Jaime stared at her and that wonderful smile before he leaned forward halfway and pressed his forehead against hers. Then he promised, "Now and forever, Elya."

_____

Elya visited Sansa. Her sister had returned from a walk in the Godswood. She noticed a new necklace adorned her neck.

"Where did you get that?" Elya asked.

"Oh," Sansa looked down at the necklace. "A knight I saved from Joffrey awhile ago gave it to me."

Elya didn't think much of it; after all, if Sansa saved the man, why wouldn't he want to bestow a small kindness upon her?

Elya just merely nodded with a small smile, "You still spend so much time in the Godswood...just like at home."

Sansa sat down next to Elya and frowned as she confessed, "I don't pray anymore."

"I used to pray like a silly girl that thought my prayers would be answered and our family would be reunited," Sansa said as a small tear made its way down her cheek.

"It wasn't silly, Sansa," Elya pulled her into a side hug. "It's never silly to have faith."

"But Gods don't listen to prayers," Sansa said, surprisingly wise.