Winter's Fire → Game of Thrones

xxix. On The Loose

Everything had been going smoothly since Robb left to take The Crag. Even Lord Karstark kept his tongue to himself. The only issue I had so far was Alton Lannister, a new captive of ours, complaining about being kept with his cousin.

Ser Alton had been sent by Cersei to deny Robb's peace terms. Robb locked him up as a political hostage, although he is not Tywin Lannister's own son so he may not be very valuable. We have no hostage as valuable as The Kingslayer. He is the only one that Lord Tywin will risk something for.

I was going to see Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Alton now. They have been bickering for the past hour or so and one of the guards was becoming concerned they were secretly working on a plan to escape. I doubt Ser Jaime could do anything without his sword and you just look at Ser Alton and can tell he could not come up with such a plan.

When I went to King's Landing I found Jaime Lannister to be an absolute prick. He was arrogant and thought because he could fight that he could solve any problem. It was also incredibly clear that he thought the sun shone from his golden Lannister ass. He did not even wear the traditional king's guard armour - instead opting for plated gold. The biggest disappointment is that I thought of him as someone I could look up to until I met him.

He is a handsome man, despite his less than pleasing personality. He looks how a king should - tall, handsome, muscular. His golden hair was cut short when I last saw him, and his green eyes gleamed with confidence. He was radiant and carried himself with such confidence that it was easy to forget he earned the title Kingslayer for a reason.

As I reached the cage the two Lannisters were held in, I felt a slight tinge of happiness at Ser Jaime's new state. He was covered in mud and most likely shit and piss. He was clearly exhausted and was not used to these conditions. He also had an unruly beard that slightly hid how handsome he truly is.

Next to Ser Jaime sat Ser Alton, who does not look related to the main branch of the Lannister family. He has brown hair, blue eyes and lacks the radiance of a true Lannister. The fact that he is covered in mud and piss and shit is the only thing that tells me is another Lannister captive.

The guards of the cage let me in and stood watch with two of the men Robb assigned to be my escorts. Alios had asked to come with me, but I was not in the mood to deal with the clash of egos. That, and I wanted to speak to Ser Jaime myself. I wanted to taunt him more than anything.

"It has been a long time, Ser Jaime," I said.

"You could only be Alessia Stark," he muttered. He looked up at me with a rather confusing amount of arrogance in his eyes. "Perhaps you are here to set me free? I could get your sisters back for you and perhaps fuck you better than your dragon prince ever could."

He knew that mentioning Viserys would get under my skin, so I did my best not to react. I was angry he would dare bring up my ex-lover, but that was the point. He wanted me angry so that I would slip up. Everyone slips up in their anger or they are not truly angry about what they claim to be angry about.

"If I set you free the only thing you will do is kill my men and then flee back to your castle of incest and lies," I pointed out. "After all, your father will not be pleased with you for getting captured. Not his golden boy."

"I cannot be more of a disappointment than an exile who returns home just to become a traitor to the crown," the Kingslayer countered. "You started killing even younger than I did."

His words did not get to me this time because they just were not true. I did not kill those guards and even if no one else believes me, I know the truth. I know I did not deserve to be exiled. 

That Dothraki man was the first man I ever killed and I feel no remorse for my actions. I did what I felt was right and it made me feel powerful. It also made me feel safer. I was finally sure that I could defend myself, no matter what.