Carliene Stark

Chapter 11

Jamie

As soon as we stopped in the yard before the castle Carliene jumped off the horse, taking a few steps out onto the yard absentmindedly. I dismounted clumsily, missing the support of my right hand. 

"Are you alright, have you been hurt?" I asked as a stable boy lead my horse away. 

She looked at me her hands still shaking and what I presumed to be mud clinging to her right cheek and her dress where it covered her chest. "Thank you" she said softly, causing a small spark of hope in me. All this commotion seemed have made her forget about last night. "They hated me" she realised and it looked like tears were forming in her eyes. 

"So you've retrieved her" I was cut off before being able to respond. "Were you honestly trying to escape" father said almost mockingly as he defended the steps to us. 

Carliene glared at him, the shock wiped from her face. 

"I suppose locking her back up is the wisest choice" he muttered to me. "And find someone capable to watch her" there was a commanding tone in his voice. One that annoyed me and made me wish for him to leave sooner rather than later. 

"Even the people despise this union" Carliene hissed at him. "How much did you drink to come up with such a plan" she spat, causing my father to turn to her with a sour look. 

"Your mother must have given up completely on teaching you any proper manners" he said calmly, looking down on the enraged girl. 

"Don't you dare talk about my mother" she threatened. 

"Yes I suppose it is your father who is to blame, after all that other sister of yours was just as wild a beast and she also had more of the north in her" 

I could almost hear the Stark girls blood boiling and it actually surprised me that sh wasn't at fathers throat yet. 

"At least my father didn't wed his own cousin, spawning a disfigured imp and incestuous twins tha-"

The sound rant across the court yard, echoing like a single clap from the high walls and causing everyone to stop for a moment and stare. The girl staggered but managed to stand on her feet, pressing her hands to her already inflaming cheek, a tear leaking from one eye as she stared at the floor her breathing quickening. 

"Disiplin her or lock her up" Lord Tywin said turning to me, before he headed back into the castle. 

"Bring her to her room and place to guard at the door" I muttered to one of the guards as my father was out of sight. I did not wish to deal with this, the situation was too uncomfortable. 

"Not your new quarters?" the guard asked confused. 

I though for a moment before shaking my head. "The old room should do" 

The girl did not protest as the guard took her arm and lead her into the castle. I flexed my phantom hand as I watched them leave. My attention turned to the wicker of horses and I noticed that Euron had returned with his men. Clenching my yaw in anger I strode towards them to meet him. He dismounted swiftly with his back to me. Just as he turned my good fist met with his face, causing him to loose his balance and fall to the floor, his horse snorting and stepping away nervously. 

"Lord Jamie" he recognised me sitting up blinking and rubbing his cheek. 

"Are you completely incapable of a simple task?" I asked him in disappointment. 

He rose with a small groan, I noticed the side of his head was bleeding. A stone from the crown had probably found its mark there. Standing right before me I noticed he had a few inches on me, and title really as the only thing making him inferior to me. There once was a time when size was but a number to me, more flesh meant more space to stick my sword, but now all I could do was rely on my men.

"I'm sorry my Lord, I tried but she persisted, she wanted to see the city and the people" he tried to explain himself. 

"And you oaf just let her wander out there?" I snapped. "The people would have torn you apart, did you ever think to remember that she is a Stark and the people have learned to hat that name?"

"Of course my Lord and I told her too, but she wouldn't listen" he assured. "Forgive me my Lord, I will do better next time" he assured bowing in respect. 

"There won't be a next time" I disagreed, causing to look up in surprise. "I'm having someone else assigned to the task, go back to drinking and whoring or whatever it is you did before" with those words I left him. I needed allies I realised. Not just servants but proper friends, people I could trust. Gloomily I realised that I did not have many of those. When did it all become so difficult? I used to be content with just Cercei and me, there was no one else I needed. It used to be so simple. 

"Get me ink an some parchment and have the maester prepare a raven" I ordered my squire as I returned to the lord's chambers. There was only one person that came to mind to help me, even as I wrote the letter I doubted my plan.

He's not going to like this, I thought as I pressed the seal to the parchment and gave the letter to the squire to have the maester send it.