lover's mercy - jaime lannister

FORTY-FOUR

       She couldn't breathe.

       Water rushed into her lungs as she was held down under the blue. She could see the sun bright in the sky and she reached for it.

          That's when the scenery changed and she could breathe. She was kneeling in the snow and she reached her hand out into the black night.

           A pale, bluish hand grabbed it and for once, she felt the cold. It was like a block of ice had become the center of her chest and she felt a terrible fear. She looked up into startling blue eyes.

             Elya gasped awake and she heard Jaime calling her name. But she could only focus on the nausea she felt.

             She quickly leapt from the bed and into the bathing room. She puked into the chamber pot as she shivered like her body was trying to expel the ice that plagued her.

             "Elya!" Jaime held her hair away from her face. "What happened? You became so cold that I couldn't touch you."

               Elya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she looked up at him, "I was?"

                 Jaime held up his red burning hand from touching the ice that became her skin. She grabbed it gently as she inspected it with a frown, "I'm sorry. I just...had a dream."

               "A dream?" Jaime asked. "What kind of dream does that?"

               "I don't know," she said quietly in fear.

               Jaime noticed she was still shivering, "I'll get you a blanket."

            As soon as Jaime stepped outside the room, she got violently ill again and she puked. She pressed a hand to her stomach as she did so but when she was done, she started to think as she clutched it.

Sickness. No bleeding in a fortnight. Her eyes widened before she felt Jaime wrap a blanket around her shivering form.

She pulled it around her as she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "Jaime, I'm scared..."

Jaime quickly pulled her into his arms before he placed his hands on the side of her head, smoothing her hair down, as he gave her a small smirk, "I am your brave knight, remember? I'll always protect you...even from dreams."

She hugged him and clung to him tightly as the tears stung her eyes and some even fell out. She was scared about her dream but she was more scared about what he didn't know. She was scared of the life growing inside her and losing it. Again.

She hardly wanted to acknowledge it. She didn't want to get her hopes up and have them crushed. She didn't want trauma and she wanted to spare Jaime that as well. It was too early to tell him; so she wouldn't until she was further along and she was sure she wouldn't lose it. (She no longer wanted to think of a boy or a girl and the life they would live; she didn't want to get attached anymore as it was too painful).

_____

          When the day came, Jaime went to train with Bronn. Elya, on the other hand, found Podrick Payne, the loyal squire.

             "Podrick, is it?"

                Podrick gulped as he stared at the beautiful lady, "Yes, my lady, it is."

             She gave him a kind smile, "I heard you were visiting Tyrion and I'd like you to smuggle these items to him."

              "That'd be breaking the law, my lady," Podrick said carefully.