Fire and Blood

Chapter seven

"What on earth were you thinking Roslyn!" Jamie says following me out of the great hall.
"I blame you for this!" I yell back at him, trying to run away from him.
"Me? I gave you options!" He yells back, catching up to me as I turn to go down a stairwell.
"I will never marry you Jamie Lannister." I say, looking directly in his eyes, where I can see the anger boiling up.
"Correct, you shall never be marrying him, as you are marrying my son." A voice says from behind us. The voice of Cersei Lannister.
"My queen." I say bowing down, using that as an opportunity to break free from Jamie's grasp.
"How have you convinced my son to marry you." The queen says bitterly, Jamie's face has gone pale.
"I am unsure my lady. I assure you I would never dream of taking that place away from Sansa, I was unaware he would have chosen to marry me." I say apologetically, the queen is ruthless, she would kill me if I said anything that offended her.
"I don't care about the stark bitch, I care about how you convinced Joffrey to marry you." She spits, her words hit like venom.
"Sorry my lady? What do you mean by that? What is so wrong with me?" I say, putting on a wide smile.
"Nothing my child." She says, putting on a huge smile too.
"Jamie, we have business to discuss." Cersei says, beckoning Jamie along.

That afternoon I decide to take some time for myself, I can't be around anyone. Joffrey and Sansa are out to kill me, Jamie and Cersei are enraged with me. Arya is still bitter about Nymeria. I have to be alone. Thankfully, this castle is full of places to be alone. I find myself in a deserted stairwell, no guards, no maids. Nobody. Nobody was willing to teach me to fight, I shall learn myself. I grab the closest thing I could find what resembles a sword. A broom would do.

"What the fuck are you doing?" A voice says from behind me as I begin to practise my swings.
"Learning to fight." I say turning around, it's the hound.
"Your doing it all wrong girl." He says coming over to me.
"This is barely a sword." I say when he raises an eyebrow at my choice of weapon. He pulls out one of his swords and hands it to me.
"Be careful girl, The king would have my head if you get as much as a scratch on you," he says taking a swig from his flask.
"It's heavy." I say trying to lift it up.
"Its not going to be light." He says helping me hold it up.
"Why do you want to fight anyways girl." He says guiding my hands with the swinging.
"Why not?" I say, really focusing on the swinging, he's one of the best fighters ever. Who else is better to learn from.
"I hope you don't expect to be fighting in battles or anything." He says dropping his hands, leaving me to swing myself.
"Never, i just want to know I can do it. I'm no use if I can't swing a sword." I say trying to swing it but end up falling over, gaining a laugh from the hound.
"You need more work girl." He says taking the sword from me and putting it back in his belt.
"Would you teach me?" I say and he laughs again.
"Would I fuck. I would rather cut my eye out." He says taking another swig of wine from his flask.
"Oh come on, your the hound! The best swordsman in kings landing!" I beg, getting an eye roll.
"Fuck off." He says before walking away.
"At least consider it!" I yell as he turns the corner.

I gather my things and turn to leave the hallway when I run straight into someone's chest.
"Fancy seeing you here." The voice says, a hint of smug in his tone.
"Your majesty". I say bowing down quickly.
"What are you doing here?" He says impatiently. "Nothing your grace." I say, fixing my skirt.
"What's this?" He says picking up the broom.
"Doesn't matter." I say putting it back against the wall.
"You we're trying to fight". He says, an amused look on his face.
"It didn't go very well." I reply, trying to hide the embarrassment on my face.
"Go to the Hand's tournament. It starts soon." He says walking away briskly. I had completely forgotten about the tournament!

I was sat next to Arya, Sansa refused to sit with me. Rightfully so.
"Lover's quarrel?" Petyr Baelish says coming over to us.
"I'm sorry. Do I...?" Sansa asks, looking confused as he sits next to me.
"Sansa dear, this is Lord Baelish. He's known..." Septa starts but it cut off.
"An old friend of the family. I've known your mother a long long time." Petyr interrupts.
"Why do they call you Littlefinger?" Arya asks, I was interested too.
"Arya!" Sansa yells at her.
"Don't be rude!" Septa yells aswel.
"No, it's quite all right. When I was a child I was very small and I come from a little spit of land called The Fingers, so you see, it's an exceedingly clever nickname." Petyr says, I thought he grew up in riverrun.
"I thought you grew up in Riverrun, with my mother." I ask and he nods.
"Yes for a time I did. I was good friends with your Mother lady Roslyn. With your mother too Lady Sansa. I loved them like they were sisters." He says, he looked pained by that question. Before I could question anymore, the games started. Firstly the Hound's brother, the mountain arrived. He was a scary beast. If you thought the hound was scary, you haven't met the mountain.
"Good god, is it true what they say? Did he truly do that to the hound's face?" I whisper to Petyr who nods at me.
"Lovely little tale of brotherly love. The Hound was just a pup, six years old maybe. Gregor a few years older, already a big lad, already getting a bit of a reputation. Some lucky boys just born with a talent for violence. One evening... Gregor found his little brother playing with a toy by the fire... Gregor's toy, a wooden knight. Gregor never said a word, he just grabbed his brother by the scruff of his neck and shoved his face into the burning coals. Held him there while the boy screamed, while his face melted. There aren't very many people who know that story."  He whispers back to me, looking back at the hound.
"I won't tell anyone." I whisper, dreading to look back.
"No, please don't. If the Hound so much as heard you mention it, I'm afraid all the knights in King's Landing would not be able to save you." He whispers back, before the next competitor comes out.
"Look Ros! That's your fathers squire!" Arya says, pointing at Sir Hugh. I knew him well.
"He's going to die." I say to Arya, gaining a stern look from Septa.
I was right, it was brutal. He was beaten quickly. It looked painful. The guards had to scoop his intestines back into his body and carry it away.
"I should have bet on it." I whisper to Petyr, who nodded inquisitively.

We took an hour break after that. They had to clean the field. Arya went to her sword lessons during that time. I decided to take a walk around the tournament grounds, it was beautifully decorated. "Enjoy the show?" Jamie says from behind me. He was leaning on one of the pillars surrounding the grounds.
"I watched one of my men get killed, really enjoyable." I say sarcastically, he laughs and walks with me.
"The thrill of the game." He says, earning an eye roll from me.
"Did you know him well?" I asked him and he looked at me like I was stupid.
"He was a squire, he wasn't any good either. I have no idea how he got knighted. A whore could probably beat him in a battle unarmed." He says and I laugh.
"That's no way to talk about the dead." I say rolling my eyes again.
"You roll your eyes an awful lot." He says facing me
"I only roll them when I have a reason too." I reply, looking up at his face.
"Roslyn." He says grabbing hold of my chin.
"Jamie." I reply, looking in his eyes.
"Don't marry him." He whispers into my ear, I could feel his breath on my neck.
"I have no choice." I whisper back, I never thought I would feel like this, vulnerable.
"Run away with me. We could go anywhere." He says, suddenly enthusiastic.
"Jamie no." I say and he stops.
"Why not?" He says angrily.
"I'm betrothed, your head of the kings guard. Your family is here. My family is here. I will be queen." I say and he just looks at me and walks away.