𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 || 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 19

"Now that we're speaking together man to man, I wonder if you need to keep me chained to this tree? I'm not asking to be freed from my constraints, but if I could sleep lying down, my back would thank you for it. I'm not as young and resilient as I was once," Jaime said, his voice sounding weary and tired.

I almost rolled my eyes at his snobbish complaints.

"None of us are," the man said somberly, "Unchain Ser Jaime from the tree,"

Jaime smirked at me and I held his gaze. His expression was unreadable in the darkness.

"Suppose you'll be wanting something to eat?" the man asked him.

"Ah, I'm famished actually," Jaime admitted.

"I think we've got a spare partridge on the fire,"

"Well, I do like partridge,"

Men gathered around him and unchained him. The chains fell loosely to the ground with a resounding clank.

"Bring the bird over here and the carving knife," the man ordered his men.

Jaime was led away from us and my eyes followed him.

"Will this work as a table, my lord?" the man asked Jaime.

"Oh, yes. Yes, this will do nicely-" he started before one of the men behind him kicked him in the back of the knee, making him fall to his feet.

"Jaime!" I shouted, my eyes wide as I struggled to break free from the chains that bound me.

They pushed him towards a stump and pressed him down on top of it. The man walked up to Jaime and lifted his head up to meet his gaze.

"You think you're the smartest man there is. That everyone alive has to bow and scrape and lick your boots," he spat, pointing the tip of his sword to Jaime's eye.

"My father-" Jaime started.

"And if you get in any trouble, all you've got to do is say "my father" and that's it, all your troubles are gone," he interrupted him.

"I know! Why don't we just take the other lady you're traveling with? I think she'd make a good wife, don't you?" the man continued to mock him, making my blood run cold.

"Don't-" Jaime said venomously.

"Have you got something to say?"

The man dug the tip of the sword closer to Jaime's eye and I squrimed in my seat. My heart sped up as I watchd them, terrified of what he'd to him.

"Careful. You don't want to say the wrong thing. Don't want to lose your lady friend. But she's not yours anyway...," he trailed off before continuing, "Oh, you're nothing without your daddy, and your daddy ain't here.

"Never forget that," he whisperd, removing the sword.

I let out a sigh of relief and leaned my head back against the base of the tree, strands of dark hair spilling onto my forehead.

"Here, this should help you remember."

Suddenly, the man brought his sword down across Jaime's wrist. Blood splattered everywhere as he cut through the bone, severing his hand from his body. He let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain hit him with full-force.

"JAIME!" I shrieked.