LION TRAP, game of thrones

𝐕𝐈. bread

"You're a miserable liar!"

Sansorr tilted his head back as he laughed, allowing himself to grin shamelessly at the Lannister's annoyed, contorted face.

"That's the game, Blondie!"

"Then the game is crap, Sansorr- wait!"

Jaime then leaned over and took Sansorr's face in one hand, pushing his mouth open and snorting indignantly when he saw the token Sansorr had hidden in his mouth a few turns ago for his benefit.

They were sitting by the window again, as they had been all day. It was probably to signal to them that they were prisoners, but Dorne was not merciless either. They were given food and the room was well equipped. However, they had had to share the bed, which Jaime hadn't really liked. Sansorr was still trying not to take it to heart. After all, they had woken up close to each other in the morning.

Now they had been playing a Dornish game for hours, and Sansorr was undoubtedly better at it. Well, he cheated too. Of course he was cheating.

Grinning, he spat the token aside, leaned back and repositioned his leg, which he had propped up on a stool on cushions.

Jaime had taken off his golden hand and placed it next to Sansorr's leg on the stool, where it now gleamed in the sunlight.

"Having to play against you is the worst thing about this prison," Jaime muttered, moving the engraved wooden board aside.

"Don't be like that. I am a delight to any captivity. You should know that by now. It's just not as dirty here as it was in that stable where Catelyn kept us," Sansorr grinned and massaged his tense thigh.

"She was a real wolf. A real strong one," Jaime snorted and then looked up, concern briefly showing on his face, "Excuse me..."

"You're excused. It's easier if we just avoid this."

"That?"

"Just everything that stands between us. I mean... this room is full of angry ghosts. Can't you see them?"

Jaime frowned. "No."

Sansorr sighed at that and shrugged. Then maybe not. Maybe Jaime wasn't haunted like he was. Good for him.

"I can see him."

"Huh?"

"I see him sometimes. Aerys. Not directly... Like he's standing behind me, casting a shadow, hiding behind me in the mirror."

"Jaime..."

"No. I know that's what you and everyone sees in me. Kingslayer, oathbreaker... But I didn't do it lightly, did I? No one will understand, ever. And now Aerys is haunting me. Yet I haven't actually wronged anyone. I protected... everyone by killing the one I was supposed to protect above all." Jaime's gaze went past Sansorr out the window. "But that's not between us. He's standing behind me. Looking over my shoulder."

"Then... get him between us,"Sansorr said cautiously, continuing despite Jaime's doubtful look, "I have enough people who haunt me and are terribly disappointed in me. My father is one of them. If you send Aerys along, they can work out their anger among the dead and let us living ones live."

"How is that-"

"It may sound like I'm retarded, but it's true. It's not fair that we have to carry the burden of the dead too. It's hard enough for us with our troubles."

"You say that so lightly."

"No, I don't. Because I've been living with seeing my sister everywhere day after day for years now. Imagining the life she could have had. And I want to carry her burden. I want to make up for somehow being here in her place. But... but she's dead. I can't bring her back, there's nothing I can do." Sansorr rubbed his eyes. "She marked me. I am the survivor, the great misfortune. But... I'm also something without her. Just as you are something without Aerys. It's just that not everyone sees that. Not even ourselves. And... She's been gone longer than she was with me. Maybe I don't want to be anything without her. Because I don't know what that might look like. Who I am at all. So no, I may never understand you. But I know those feelings."