The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Sixty Two

Rayna

Taking Tyrion's suggestion to get to know Daenerys I go to find her.
When I find her she is standing on one of the cliffs watching her dragons.
"They are beautiful", I say as I approach her.
"I named them for my brothers Viserys and Rhaegar. They are both gone now", she says then she turns and looks at me "You lost two brothers as well?"
"I did", I say as I stand beside her "My brother Robb and I were so close we used to tell people we were twins even though he was a year younger than me"
"He was the last King in the North?"
"He was, he was murdered in cold blood"
"What happened?" She asks, I'm sure she has some idea but how would she know the whole truth.
"The Red Wedding", I answer "had only just been reunited with him after escaping Kings Landing, we were at the wedding of Walder Freys daughter. He was with his pregnant wife and our mother. I went outside to check on a friend of mine and then they closed the doors to the hall. I hid under a carriage while the Bolton's turned on our family and slaughtered them. I barely made it out of there alive. Then I stood watching, waiting for my brother to walk out. They called him the Young Wolf, they said he couldn't be killed. He was somewhat of a legend in Westeros. Then I heard them chanting the King in the North. They were parading his headless body around with his direwolfs head stuck onto it"
"Some men are truly disgusting", she says honestly disgusted by it.
"They are, then my younger brother Rickon, he was only a young boy when I last saw him. My husband kidnapped him and used him to lure Jon out onto the battlefield in the Battle of the Bastards. He was shot dead with an arrow before Jon could reach him"
"I heard that you killed your husband", she says with respect.
"I did, he was the most sadistic man I have ever met. There was no love in his heart for anything. Theon Greyjoy risked his life to help me escape. Eventually Jon and I went to war and we won. He beat Ramsay bloody and that night I fed him to his hounds", I say with a dark smile. Whenever I think of Ramsay I don't remember him beating or raping me. I remember his screams as he died.
"Good", she replies "I never knew my brother Rhaegar, he died before I was born but I'm sure you know his story well"
I do. He kidnapped and raped my aunt Lyanna.
"I do, it's strange the people who knew him say that he was a good man, that he liked music and that he gave money to the poor. The man I love respected him greatly", I say remembering Jaime telling me stories of him.
"The man you love?" She asks curiously. As if we were two girls and not two Queens trying to come to an alliance.
"He is the most charming man I had ever met, my father didn't approve but I loved him. He saved my life in Kingslanding and abandoned his house and his family for me", I say being careful to avoid names. "I have loved him since I was seventeen, he is at home, waiting for me in Winterfell"
"He sounds like an honourable man", she says and I know I am getting somewhere with her. Perhaps if we can't be allies first, we can be friends first.
"What of your brother, Viserys?" I ask trying to continue the conversation. Remembering how Margaery would get close to people. She would show a genuine interest and care for people but she always had her motives behind it.
"He was a cruel man, he wanted a crown and let's just say he got it, my husband killed him when he threatened to cut my unborn child out of my stomach", she says and I know she has no child or husband.
"What happened?" I ask quietly and I see her beginning to open up emotionally.
"I lost my child and my husband at once, a witch said that I'll only have a child when the sun rises in the west and sets in the east", she says and I see it pains her.
"I lost a child as well, I miscarried when they cut my fathers head off", I sympathise.
She looks to me then to the dragons.
"My dragons are the only children I will ever have", she says looking at them with pure love and I know that she isn't like Cersei or anyone else. She is good "People thought dragons were gone forever but here they are. Perhaps we should all be examining what we think we know"
I realise she's been speaking with Tyrion, hopefully he's been whispering in her ear.
"You've been talking to Tyrion?"
"He is my Hand"
"Tyrion enjoys talking", I say with a small smile.
"We all enjoy what we're good at"
"Indeed"
She looks somewhat hesitant as she says "You know I'm not going to let Cersei stay on the Iron Throne"
"I know, and I support your claim to it", I say honestly. I'd rather have her on it than Cersei.
"And I haven't changed my mind about which kingdoms belong to the throne", she says but not as harshly as she did in the throne room.
"I haven't either", I reply and she is quiet for a moment before saying.
"I will allow you to mine the dragonglass and forge weapons from it. Any resources or men you need I will provide for you", she says and I'm surprised. I can tell this is a gesture of goodwill from her.
"Thank you", I say genuinely "My brother will be thrilled"
"Do you believe him about the army of the dead?" She asks curiously and I can tell she wants to hear my rational thought about it.
"At first I didn't but now I do. I've never seen them with my own eyes but for my brother to be driven this mad over it they must be real"
"Then your brother will be pleased", she smiles.
She is kind and genuine but I cannot ignore the coldness I've already seen from her. However I do like her and I can be her friend first before her ally if needs be.