Carliene Stark

Chapter 26

Jamie

I yawned loudly on my way back to my chambers. The wine had made itself known, as it blurred my vision and made my movements more clumsy. I never had been one for drinking. Sure I enjoyed a glass now and then, but it did't use to belong into my life. As a knight and a member of the kingsguard I needed to always have my wits about me. Besides, I saw what it did to Robert and now Cercei, and I despised it. 

But apparently it was part of politics. And trying to convince the cousin of Lord Ambrose of the reach to trade his southern fruits against our silver and wheat involved quite a bit of drinking. Leaving me swaying back to my chambers, desperate for the comfort of sleep. 

If it hadn't been for the two guards I doubted that I would have found the entrance to my room in the darkness. I stepped into the room fumbling with my belt, cursing as it refused to come off. Finally I just ripped my breeches off and slipped out of my tunic. Sinking into the soft covers tiredly. 

The moonlight was dimly falling through the windows, lighting the room just enough for my tired eyes to be able to make out the basic shape of my wife laying next to me. In truth she was just an elevation in the blanket beside me, the thick fabric not revealing much of her shape. 

I sighed, Cercei is what I needed right now. I could imagine nothing sweeter than her next to me. Her voice inn my ear and her lips against mine. I love my brother, I love my lover. I had been away from her for far too long. 

I found myself almost understanding that bastard King Robert for a moment. Why he had always been drunk whenever he climbed into my sister's bed, when he had loved another. With the wine in my veins even I could imagine taking the Stark girl and managing to have a good time with it while imagining she was Cercei. 

I stretched out my good hand awkwardly beneath the blanket, while my phantom hand twitched. She was warm, very warm as my hand reached her back, carefully touching the fabric of her night gown. Cercei was warm, but not this warm. I supposed it was because she was from the north. Carliene did not move, she seemed to be fast asleep. If I had had my right hand I could have tried to wrap my arm about her waist. The wine had made me bold enough to try. But as I was lying on my left shoulder to face her, it was all I could do to carefully trace my fingers along her back. I could feel the small rise of her spine through the fabric. 

I'm going to kill the little bitch, Cerceis words caused me to turn away. We had parted on bad terms, I did not intent to give her any reason to hat me more. She's been fucking Meryn Trant and the Kettlebacks, Tyrions word caused a knot to form in my stomach. I need to get back to her, before I lost her for good.