Oaths and Vows {Jaime Lannister}

Chapter 12

Jaime Lannister

It took extreme dedication, Jaime felt, to be drunk and a bastard before the sun had even risen on any given day. However, it seemed that whenever Jaime was on duty, he managed to do it without fail, every single time. The sun was barely peeking over the edge of the sea, and Robert was already disgracing his wife, queen Cersei, with an entire flock of whores.

It was completely disgusting listening to it, every other member of the King's Guard agreed. No one liked being on duty when Robert was enjoying half the girls in the Seven Kingdoms, Jaime just hated it a little more because of course, every girl the fat-bastard of a king was balls deep into, was a total disgrace to his sister.

Cersei never let it show, but he knew how much she hated it. She revealed more during their sexual escapades than she'd like to admit. However, despite how much he enjoyed all of it at the time, the more time he spent with Megara the more he started to distance himself from his sister.

At first, upon Megara's arrival, nothing had changed. Both Jaime and Cersei agreed that the girl would be of no influence to their relations, before she had even arrived in fact. However, on the first day when he'd met her, he was intrigued by the clothing she wore. It was entirely different from anything he'd seen before across the entirety of Westeros. On their walk, he realized that she was nothing like what he had expected, but when he said as much to Cersei she seemed unconcerned.

When he let her read the letter, she gave no comment and the two proceeded with what they always did together. The next day, he spent to majority of the afternoon with Cersei, from the moment his guard-duty ended, until later in the day, when he decided to look for Megara – nothing between he and Cersei had changed, perfectly as they had planned.

And then the sparing started, and the late night lessons and full blown conversations started, and the more time he spent with Megara and the more he learned about her the worse he felt whenever he was with Cersei, even just looking at his sister gave him an unpleasant feeling in his chest. However, Jaime knew Cersei, and he knew what would happen if he told her that he wanted to end their sexual escapades and he refused to put Megara in that danger.

So, instead of braving his sister, he began to avoid her as much as possible, and when he failed to do so and Cersei got him into a place where she could have her way with him, then he let her. Until that day, until he got back from his day at the Waterfall with Megara to find Barristan Selmy on his duty for him, baring a message from Robert and Cersei.

"Ser Barristan," Jaime grinned when he arrived. "I see I'm late, but I can take over my Duty, you can go ahead and take a nap if you'd like." However, Barristan didn't find it as funny as Jaime hoped, in fact, he barely cracked a smile. "It seems you have prior engagements. Cersei requested you be off duty tonight because she needs to talk to you – it seems your special treatment isn't over, Lannister."

"Did she say why?" Jaime asked, ignoring the insult that flavored Selmy's statement. "No, but she said where. In her bedchambers, and I'd hurry if I were you, she seemed quite annoyed when she found out you weren't already here." Jaime, already knowing exactly what was going to happen, made his way to his sister's chambers as slowly as he could.

The day he spent with Megara was replaying in his mind, the joy in the young girl's face as they splashed about in the water. It was so pure, so real... something he had never seen in a girl before, not even in Cersei when they were younger. Cersei always had some ulterior motive, even when they were kids, she was never just in the moment unless it was sexual, and even then she was elsewhere at times.

He was still thinking about Megara when he opened Cersei's chamber door. It was still Megara on his mind when he made eye-contact with Cersei as she sat at her table, sipping on her wine.

"Where've you been?" She asked with false calm, her anger was obvious though – he knew her too well for it not to be. "I was with Megara, what is this about, Cersei?" He asked, even though he knew the answer, hoping to shift everything in a different direction. "Ah," she scoffed, "Of course you were. You're always with your little, child-bride, aren't you? What were you doing, playing hide-and-seek?"

Jaime rolled his eyes. "For someone calling Megara young, you sound awfully like a grumpy child." Cersei locked her jaw, before flinging her goblet of wine at him, spilling half the content on the floor. Jaime easily dodged the flying gold container, watching as it hit the closed door. "I am not a child, Jaime, if anyone is a child it is you – avoiding me for a month like a bitchy little girl."

"Ah, so that's it," Jaime muttered. "Well, I assure you that I have not been avoiding you, simply spending time with our brother and Megara. Or, you know, guarding your husband."

"Come on Jaime, you know you've never been able to lie to me," She got up and walked over to where he was standing. "And you know you've never cared about protecting Robert before." Cersei placed her hands on his chest, and he was glad that he had changed into his armor before intending to guard the king. "Well, perhaps it's time I start."

"Jaime, you swore nothing would change when that – that child arrived, but you seem intent on breaking that oath." Cersei said. "I am not breaking any oaths, Cersei," Jaime told her, even though he knew that he was. "Then prove it," She got up on her tippy toes, and tried to kiss him.

However, as her lips got close, an image of Megara flashed before him. Her sparkling blue eyes replaced Cersei's emerald green pupils. Bright red curls where there were straight blonde strands. He pictured her that day, in her skimpy white outfit that had become borderline see though after their swimming, and he couldn't do it. He pushed Cersei away before her lips touched his.

There was a very tense silence for a moment, before Cersei, shaking in rage, said: "Get out." Her voice was quiet, and she sounded terrifying. She was looking down at the wine goblet on the floor. He was starting to take a step back, but clearly not fast enough for her grace's liking. "GET OUT!" She screamed, looking at him with tears running down her face and pure hatred and anger in her eyes.

Jaime rushed out of the woman's chamber as fast as he could, knowing he should feel bad about what he'd just done, knowing that he should want Cersei more than anything – yet only feeling better now that knew it was over with Cersei. He'd be surprised if she ever spoke to him again, yet alone tried to engage in sexual activity with him.

He was on his way to his own chambers, when he saw Tyrion in passing. The dwarf had his typical spring in his step, whistling a random jovial tune as he went. Tyrion paused when he saw his brother. "Ah, Jaime, there you are. Cersei was looking for you, but I assume you were with Megara?" The little-man's smirk caused Jaime to laugh despite himself.

"What were you two doing all day?" Tyrion asked. "We went swimming," Jaime said, and Tyrion laughed, obviously finding something dirty in the innocent venture. "Nothing like that, Tyrion."

"Like what brother?" The Dwarf laughed, as he turned to go on his way again. Jaime, despite what had happened with Cersei, found himself smiling when he entered his chambers, thinking of sparring with Megara in the morning. He had a feeling he would be able to win.

That night, as he laid in bed, he heard a strange bird screeching, and turned to look. He saw a bird with metallic, colorful wings with golden eyes in the open window. He studied it for a moment, before deciding that he didn't like the thing and the way it was watching him, but still ignored it before falling asleep.