The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Forty Three

Rayna

When Brienne and I arrive at Riverrun at nightfall, we are taken aback to see the Frey's attempting to lay siege. And even more shocked to see the Lannister army helping them.
"Rayna, what now?" Brienne asks "The Frey's will kill you and the Lannister army will take you to Cersei"
"Unless", I begin knowing just who would be commanding the Lannister men.
"Jaime is the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, he wouldn't be here", Brienne dismisses but I remember the witches prophecy. He will ride north for duty.
I pull on my horses reigns and ride through the camp and stop before the raised bridge.
"Who the fuck are you?", one of the Frey's yell.
My eyes dart around looking for Jaime, praying he is here and Gods this is a shit excuse for a siege. If Jaime isn't here I am fucked but if he is...
"I am Rayna Stark, Lady Of Winterfell and Wardeness of the North, House Tully is under my protection and I demand to speak to your commander"
The men mutter amongst themselves in confusion. Bronn steps forward and I close my eyes in relief. I knew him briefly as Tyrion's sellsword buddy and if things go south he will give me some protection. Hopefully.
"Oi you one handed fuck someones here to see you", he yells into a tent and I can't help the sharp gasp that escapes me as Jaime walks out.
He looks at Bronn offended who raised his eyebrows and slaps Jaime on the back. Jaime looks up at me and his eyes widen in awe as he recognises me. His hair is short and he looks older than when I last saw him, a golden hand adorns his stump.
Everyone stares at us with their weapons still drawn, they all know the tragic tale of the wolf and the lion.
"Lay down your weapons", he orders and once they do I eagerly off my horse. My footing almost disappears from underneath me as I approach him, a man I thought I may never see again.
"Jaime", I breathe still in disbelief but gods my heart wrenches seeing him.
"Rayna", he says in as much shock as I am.
He glances around at the watching eyes and brings me into a vacant tent and we stare at each other not knowing what quite to say, almost three years have passed since we last saw each other. So much time has passed the Red Wedding.
"What are you doing here?" He stutters still looking stunned. I'm sure I am the last person he expected to see tonight. When I see my ring that he still wears around my neck I know that it isn't too late.
"It doesn't matter" I murmur as I grasp his face and pull his lips to mine. He doesn't resist as I pull him as close as I can, kissing him as deeply as possible. In that moment I know my love for him hasn't faded, I would have waited years more for him.
"The last letter you sent", he begins as we break apart.
"Littlefinger forged the second letter you sent, I never received the real one and the third until a few weeks ago", I cry as he wipes away my tears, unable to fight them anymore, the emotion overwhelming me "I didn't know he accepted our marriage, if I did I would have gone to you"
"I know", he says taking my face in his hands and kissing me gently "I know"
"I wish I went to Casterly Rock, I wish I stayed with you", I cry wishing I did more than anything.
With a trembling hand he pulls out a letter and hands it too me and I realise that it's anger he's trembling with. The letter Ramsay wrote him, I never saw it but I can guess what it says.
"I'm so sorry Rayna", he says and I've never seen him look so furious or so disgusted, not just in Ramsay but in himself "I was in Dorne and when I returned Cersei hid it and-"
"It's okay", I say kissing him softly "It's alright"
"If I knew I would have come, I would have slaughtered every Bolton for you"
He would have, despite he warning he would have come. He's always loved recklessly just as I have.
"Jaime", I say shaking slightly from the overwhelming emotions "I am going to war with him, the battle will be soon and we need all the men we can get, I need the Tully's"
He hangs his head "I was sent here to take the castle back"
I almost forgot our houses never stopped being at war.
"Why are we always on the sides opposing each other", I sigh holding onto him.
"I can't just let them go Rayna", he says reluctantly, at one point he would have betrayed his house for me. Perhaps things have changed.
"Jaime you can, end the siege, let them go, let them help me kill the Bolton's, we have less than half as many men as they do and if we lose that battle", I flinch at the thought "I will die before I let him touch me again"
He cringes at the thought but he says almost emotionlessly "I have a duty, I was dismissed from the Kingsguard and I am the head of the Lannister armies"
I haven't been the only one who was manipulated. It's clear that Cersei has gotten inside his head as Littlefinger got into mine.
"Are you the lord of Casterly Rock?", I ask, if he is then he has power. He can defy Cersei if he is.
"No", he says "I haven't been formally made Lord but I could claim it"
"It is either you or Cersei, I don't know what's happened these past few years but I still love you", I tell him as I grasp his face "If you still love me please do this for me"
"What your asking is treason", he says "To betray the Kings orders, Cersei will have us both killed"
"Then don't go back to Kings Landing, when I retake Winterfell be with me, you are free from your vows"
Ride north for duty and stay for love. That's what the prophecy said. Fate has brought us back together and I can't lose him again.
"Rayna Stark, Lady Of Winterfell", he says running his thumb over my cheek "Are you asking me to abandon my duty and marry you?
"Yes", I say knowing that it isn't the first time "So let me use the Tully forces to kill my husband and marry you"
He considers it, and I see him struggling between love and duty. As I have for so long.
"I can't abandon my King, I can't abandon my house", he says reluctantly.
"You mean you can't abandon your family", I say "I'm so sorry for everyone you've lost, Myrcella was lovely and your Father, I'm so sorry"
He steps away from me, out of my grasp and I immediately realise it was a mistake to mention them.
"I lost you", he says and I can see his distress and frustration "You let Littlefinger manipulate you and then you ran into his arms and fucked him"
I gape at him "I don't know what that bastard told you but I never fucked him, yes I kissed him, not willingly until I thought he was going to have me marry him and that was long after he forged those letters. He violated me, no where near as badly as Ramsay did but if I refused him he would have turned to Sansa"
He turns away from me in shame and I know he is my only chance of saving the Tully's, and this is my last chance of saving my relationship with Jaime "Jaime you swore to never take up arms against a Stark or a Tully, honour your oath"
"I am loyal to the crown, to my sister and to my son, I can't just order the Frey and the Lannister troops to stand down"
"Yes you can", I plead wrapping my arms around him from behind "I am asking the man I have loved for years, the only man I have ever loved to let me take back my home that was stolen from me. He has my brother Jaime he has Rickon and he will kill him if we don't win"
Taking my home back now isn't a matter of revenge, it's a matter of survival. Ramsay will hunt us down and kill us if we don't. Every last Stark will die by his hand.
"Alright", he says finally giving in "The things I do for love" he turns to face me "I will tell my men to stand down and retreat south, not because of any oaths or any of that but because I love you"
"Thank you", I go to kiss him but he turns his head. No, I can't lose him again.
"Rayna we can't", he says painfully "Cersei will kill us both if I come with you"
I take his hand and kiss it firmly then I touch my ring he still wears around his neck.
"If I got your letter I would be your wife, we would be together", I remind him "We still love each other, it's not too late Jaime"
"How can this possibly work", he says and I feel my heart break all over again as I know what is coming "We have always been on opposite sides of this war, you do know that if you win the battle you will be in open rebellion against the crown, and it will be me Cersei sends to kill your armies"
"Then come with me", I beg as I hold his face and I let him feel my lannister ring against his cheek "Be with me, you don't want to be a Lord Jaime, you want to be a soldier"
"I can't even be that anymore", he mutters holding up his golden hand.
"You are still one of the best commanders alive, I will be Wardeness of the North, you can be by my side, head of my army, we will never have to answer to Cersei again"
He smiles a little "Rayna, you won't be the Wardeness if you are in open rebellion, you will be the Queen in the North, like your brother was King but you don't have the men to defend the North"
The reality of it only hits me then. I can't be a Wardeness if the King doesn't appoint me it, and there is no way in hell Cersei would let it happen. I will be following in Robbs steps. If I win this battle the Northern Lords will have to make a decision. To either name me or Jon Queen or King in the North. Robb had an army of twenty thousand men in his prime, I have maybe a few hundred Northmen and two thousand wildlings. He is right I don't have the numbers but I can't answer to Cersei.
"Jaime, I don't want it if you aren't with me", I plead "For so long I struggled between love and duty, I know my choice, now you need to make yours"
He doesn't speak. He simply takes my hand and kisses it firmly.
"You have my word that I will stand down and make the Frey's and my men retreat while the Tully's go North, I can't promise I won't have to come back, that I won't be leading an enemy army when I do"
Cersei may make him face me on the battlefield in time. I know that he would never hurt me.
"Thank you Jaime", I say and he kisses my hand before stepping out.