𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 || 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 23

I woke up alone, my back resting against the tree. For a brief moment, the memory of our kiss and falling asleep in Jaime's arms flitted through my mind. He must have woken up before me though. When the men loaded us up onto the horses, I noticed Jaime on a separate one from my own. I sent a smile his way when I saw him. I thought he'd say something...anything.

But he didn't. He just gazed back at me wordlessly before casting his eyes down. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as we rode on in silence. Why was he blocking me out like this? What had I done to him to deserve it? He-he kissed me back last night, for crying out loud!

I thought he enjoyed the kiss as much as I had. But apparently he hadn't because he didn't talk to me all morning. I saw Brienne shooting us glances but I didn't tell her what was wrong. She had no idea what had transpired between Jaime and myself and she didn't need to either. She'd just tell mother when we got back. It was a long way to our destination but after several hours, we had made it there.

It was a middling castle, bigger than Winterfell but not near as big as King's Landing had been. The horses hooves clip-clopped on the cobbled street as the gates opened, letting us in. Once inside, we were thrown off our horses onto our knees before a balding man whose air demanded authority.

"Lord Bolton," the lead kidnapper said in fake sincerity, "I give you the Kingslayer,"

With a foot on his back, he pushed Jaime into the mud before him. He groaned and I bit back a snarky remark. I'd meddled too much as it was. And...I didn't know this new leader. For all I knew, he could be worse than the group before had been. After all, he was a Bolton.

And the Boltons, I'd heard from father, flayed people alive.

"Pick him up, Locke," Lord Bolton ordered one of his men.

They helped Jaime to his feet and the lord's eyes rested on him.

"You've lost a hand," he remarked.

"No, my lord, he has it here," the leader told him, gesturing to Jaime's rotting severed hand hung around his neck.

Lord Bolton's eyes hardened and he ripped the hand off, shoving it at the leader.

"Take this away!" he ordered.

"Send it to his father?" the leader asked, smirking.

"You'll hold your tongue unless you want to lose it!" the lord snarled at him.

The leader went quiet and a smirk formed on my face. Finally, someone got him to shut up. A man untied Brienne and Lord Bolton's eyes found me then, still knelt in the mud.

"Cut her free," he barked at his men before looking down at me sympathetically, "Apologies, my lady. You're under my protection now,"

I almost scoffed but bit it back. He didn't mean that at all. He just didn't want to get in trouble with the Starks or worse, the Lannisters over what his men had done to us.

"Thank you, my lord." I smiled up at him, pouring on the fake charm as I got up off the ground.

His eyes went to Jaime again.

"Find suitable rooms for our guests. We'll speak later," he said before turning to walk off.

"Lord Bolton," Jaime spoke up suddenly, surprising us all.

He turned back around, awaiting the rest of what Jaime had to say.

"Is there word from the capital?" he asked softly.

I felt like someone was digging a knife into my heart as those words left his lips. He still had feelings for Cersei.... How...how could I have been so stupid?! I should've known...I should've known that the time we'd spent together and one kiss would change everything. How could I have been so blind?

"You haven't heard? Stannis Baratheon laid siege to King's Landing. Sailed into Blackwater Bay. Stormed the gates with thousands of men. And your sister..." Lord Bolton said, trailing off at the end.

Jaime looked stricken as he awaited the lord's next words.

"How can I put this? Your sister..." he sighed.

Jaime's mouth fell open slightly and I could sense the fear and pain emanating from him.

"...is alive and well. Your father's forces prevailed." Lord Bolton told him.

He fell on his knees then, relief flooding his features. I briefly closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt Brienne's eyes on me just then and I glanced up at her towering frame. But I wasn't met with the usual hostility and seriousness I'd expected. No, instead there was an emotion there that was even worse somehow - pity. So she knew.

Maybe she'd just sensed it or noticed the banter between us... Either way, it didn't matter much anymore.

"Ser Jaime isn't well," Lord Bolton told his men, "Take him to Qyburn."

We were all led off then, Brienne and I one way and Jaime another. My eyes were glued to him until we rounded the corner and he was out of sight. I squeezed my eyes shut. What now?