The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Forty Two

Rayna

It's time to see Littlefinger. The last time I saw him was in the crypts, when I begged him not to go. Not to leave me alone with the Bolton's. When I threw myself at him trying to get those letters.
For so long I played my little games with him, thinking I was winning. Now he's only growing in power and I'm fighting a losing battle.
It's time to change that.
He stands in the middle of the room as I enter unsmiling with my head held high.
"Rayna", he exclaims moving as if he's going to embrace me than stops "Lady Brienne"
"Littlefinger", I greet, knowing how he hates when I call him that, how he always asked me to call him Petyr.
"When I heard you had escaped Winterfell, I feared the worst, you have no idea how happy I am to see you unharmed"
As I walk closer to him I stare him down 
"Unharmed?", I laugh darkly "Why are you here"
"I rode north with the Knights of the Vale to come to your aid, they're encamped at Moat Cailin as we speak"
"To come to my aid, did you know about Ramsay?", I ask then I shake my head and laugh "Of course you did"
"Rayna, I promise I didn't"
There are very few times I've ever seen him look afraid but right now, he is afraid and rightly so.
"If you didn't know, you're an idiot. If you did know, you're my enemy" I tell him "Either way you betrayed me"
"Rayna", he begins but I cut him off.
"Would you like to hear about our wedding night?", I ask stepping closer, wanting him to know what he did to me "He never hurt my face, he needed my face, the face of Ned Stark's daughter. But the rest of me, he did what he liked with the rest of me as long as I could still give him an heir, what do you think he did?"
"I can't begin to contemplate -"
"What do you think he did to me?", I growl.
He is silent as Brienne draws her sword "Lady Rayna asked you a question"
"He beat you", he says reluctantly, not wanting to contemplate, to admit that he knows he gave me to a monster
"Yes, he enjoyed that, what else do you think he did?"
"Rayna, I-"
"What else?", I demand. He is not being let off easy for this. He may survive this encounter but he will suffer first.
"Did he cut you?"
"So you did know", I say bitterly. He really did give me to the hounds "Did you know that he likes the hunt, the fight, when I fought him he only enjoyed it more"
"I didn't know", he insists actually seeming somewhat guilty.
"I thought you knew everyone's secrets, you always seemed like such a clever man, I can't imagine that Ramsay's hobbies slipped past your notice"
"I made a mistake, a horrible mistake, I underestimated a stranger", he says, almost pleading at this point.
"The other things he did, ladies aren't supposed to talk about those things, but I imagine brothel keepers talk about them all the time. I can still feel it, I don't mean in my tender heart it still pains me so. I can still feel what he did in my body standing here right now", I confess to him "I begged you not to leave me there with the Bolton's but you sold me like one of your whores. He raped me, beat me, tortured me"
"I'm so sorry", he apologises, I know it is a genuine apology but it changes nothing. He still wanted me to be his bride but I don't think he realises the extent to which Ramsay would ruin me.
"You said you would protect me" I growl "I always told myself to never trust a man who desires power, but I trusted you despite my gut telling me not to and you betrayed me, you promised to protect me"
"I will, you must believe me when I tell you that I will"
No one can protect me. Not him, not Jon, not even Jaime. Only I can protect myself.
"I used to believe that, you told me you loved me and that you would protect me but I don't believe you anymore", I say my genuine pain at the betrayal he caused me showing in the strain of my voice "I don't need you anymore, I have my brother who would lay down his life for mine before ever betraying me, you can't protect me"
I look to Brienne and she steps forward.
"You won't even be able to protect yourself if I tell Brienne to cut you down", I say knowing I have the power, and he will see that "So tell me, why shouldn't I?
"Do you want me to beg for my life?", he asks daring to step closer to me "If that's what you want, I will"
"Beg", I say and he looks taken aback.
"Rayna"
"Beg", I yell and he gets onto his knees.
"Rayna, I love you, please forgive me for my mistakes, for leaving and not coming back sooner, whatever you ask that is in my power, I will do"
"What if I want you to die here and now?
"Then I will die"
Then so be it. I bend down in front of him and touch his face, he winces as I touch his bruised cheek and press a light kiss on his lips.
"Rayna", he breathes and I smile sweetly at him.
"Oh Petyr", I murmur "You fucking fool"
He begins to panic as I stand and walk away from him.
"Rayna?"
"Brienne, kill him"
"What, Rayna, please please!", he pleads as Brienne fully draws her sword, looking at me with uncertainty.
"I'm sorry I'm so sorry", he cries.
She approaches him with her sword raised.
"Brienne wait", I laugh raising a hand to halt her "I almost forgot"
I pull out the letter from 'Jaime' that he forged and he can't hide the look on his face.
"You lied to me, you forged the last letter I received from Jaime, it took me a while to piece it together but I did"
"I would never-", he begins
"Brienne"
She steps forward and he holds his hands up
"Yes I forged it, please have mercy"
I draw my own dagger "What did the real letter say"
With shaking hands he pulls two letters out of his pouch and hands them to me.
"Don't let him get up", I order Brienne as I turn to read them.