The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Seventy Six

Rayna

The walls of the castle are in sight as we march through streets lined with Northerners cheering 'The Winter Wolf', 'The She Wolf' and 'The Queen in the North'.
Snow falls as I smile broadly and wave to the children as I pass by them, the little heartbeat in my stomach filling me with joy. I'll have to visit the orphanage I asked Jaime and Sansa organise before I left for Dragon Stone. The child inside my belly has made me feel like a mother, not just to my own child but to my people. The children of the North are my children as well. Gods it's been months since I left and now I'm home.
Varys has informed me that Bronn survived the kingsguards attack and was seen sneaking into the Red Keep but he's heard nothing of Jaime still. Varys isn't as good as he used to be but I imagine that Cersei would have had any of his little birds that she knew about put to death. The fact Bronn is alive gives me hope as I know that if Jaime was dead I would have received a raven from Bronn by now and why else would Bronn be sneaking into the Red Keep. Jaime must be alive. I refuse to be fooled by ravens again, Littlefingers deceit and forgery broke me and I will not allow Cersei to do the same.
Seeing the children crowded together and pushing their way to the front of the crowd reminds me so much of the excitement when Robert came to Winterfell. I see a young mother holding her child and feel a special kind of warmth in my heart. My stomach has started to firm and swell and the most risky time of a woman's pregnancy is about to pass. Soon my pregnancy will become noticeable, in a few weeks I imagine I'll have some explaining to do to the seamstress who does my gowns.
"The Queen in the North", they cheer and this is a love I don't think I will ever get used to. The love of the people. I am Ned Starks daughter and for that I have always been respected and admired in the North but the love in the people's eyes as I pass them is one I've fought for, one I've earned.
However the crowd grows quiet when they notice Daenerys riding behind me by Jon's side. I hear him tell her "I warned you, the Northerners don't much trust outsiders".
Everywhere she has gone she has liberated people and they have loved her for it, however my people don't need liberating. They have been freed from the crown, from Cersei.
As I grow closer to the gate my heart sinks as I know what awaits me. A person I hoped to never have to ever confront.
Brienne rides ahead of me with a Lannister and a Stark soldier. I grow anxious as she turns back to look at me knowingly.
It's time to see my little brother.
We enter through the gates and a crowd of the lords and ladies of the North kneels to greet me just as they did for Robert when he came north. Sansa stands there tall and proud and by her side sits a young dark haired man in a chair.
Bran.
I come to a halt and before I can even get off my horse Jon has leapt from his and is embracing Bran. Brienne takes my hand as I climb from my horse and Daenerys comes to my side oblivious to the truth of the situation.
My stomach turns as I force a smile and embrace Bran trying not to be stiff but my body betrays me.
"It's been such a long time", I say feeling a sharp pain as I remember "The last time I saw you you were in bed with mother by your side"
"It has been a long time", he says and I can't read his face or his voice, both are utterly blank and void of any emotion. I look to Sansa and she wears a pained expression as she looks at him but I know that she will explain what she knows as soon as we are alone.
I turn my attention to her "You've taken care of the North I see", I smile as I look around.
"Winterfell is yours, your Grace", she smiles and we both step forward half throwing ourselves at each other as we cling to each other tightly.
"Gods I've missed you", I whisper as I pull away and out of the corner of my eye I see Daenerys patiently waiting to be formally introduced.
I turn to the crowd "Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen has graciously agreed to assist us with the Northern threat-" I begin but Bran cuts me off.
"We don't have time for this", he interrupts and then he looks at Daenerys "The Night King has your dragon, he's one of them now"
An undead dragon fighting for the army of the dead. Our odds at survival just dropped drastically but what he says next is far more alarming "The wall has fallen, the dead march south"
By the Gods the wall has stood for thousands of years and now it's fallen. Jon and I share a look and we both know that we need to prepare.
I turn to my Lords knowing I don't have time to waste "Meet in the great hall to discuss the preparations for the coming battle", I instruct and they disassemble and begin heading inside.
"The wall is down?" Jon asks Bran in disbelief and my youngest brother nods.
"Where is Arya?" I ask noticing that she wasn't here to greet us.
"Lurking somewhere", Sansa replies seeming unworried and I take her word for it. The Arya I knew was always lurking in places she shouldn't have been. Some things never change.
"How do you know the walls fallen?" I ask Bran knowing that Sansa's letters said that he has visions but I want to hear it from him. When Sansa wrote to me of it I was completely bewildered and I still am.
"I'm the Three Eyed Raven", he replies with no further explanation. I vaguely recognise the name from stories old nan used to tell us but I don't know much.
"So you can see things that have happened?" I ask realising just how valuable that insight could be in this war. But does he know? Does he remember what Jaime did?
He gives me a long look and it only takes me a moment to realise. If he can see things that have happened in the past then oh gods he must know.
"Bran", I begin as I try to keep my voice strong but I fail "You remember don't you?"
He nods and Sansa and Jon silently leave us alone together. I try to find the words to explain myself, to explain Jaime and I. I've done it so many times but this time words fail me.
"You knew what he did and you loved him still"
I force myself to look at him as I nod my head. It's time to face my betrayal. By my honour as a Stark I shouldn't have loved him, I still shouldn't love him but I do. Jaime is the only man I have ever loved and I will love him until the day I die.
"I didn't want to", I say knowing it's the truth, knowing the conflict I suffered for years "But I did and I love him still"
He doesn't look angry or sad or even offended. He looks utterly emotionless.
"If Jaime comes back then he will explain everything", I say then feel a sharp pain in my heart at the word 'if'. My faith is slipping. My faith that he will come home. Even if he managed to escape Cersei she would have sent men after him. For all I know he could be dead on the Kingsroad.
"He's alive", he tells me and I can hardly breathe as relief racks my body so hard I'm shaking. I subconsciously clutch my swollen stomach thanking the gods "Your children will know their father"
Of course he knows I'm pregnant. I search his eyes for any hint of emotion and I can't find any anger or hostility in them. Perhaps that's enough.
"Thank you Bran", I say squeezing his hand then I remember what I was most worried about "Will you tell anyone?"
"Jon and Sansa already know, he's lucky Jon didn't kill him so no I won't", he answers and I follow his gaze as his looks up at the wall.
The place where I stood clutching Theons hand as we were prepared to die to escape Ramsay.
"He loves you, he's a better husband than the last one was", he says and with disgust I realise what he's seen "I'm sorry that happened to you, that it happened in our home"
Images come flashing back to me and all I see is him. How he would hurt me in ways I couldn't have even imagined, everything he did was to try to break me, to do what he did to Theon to me. I force myself to open my eyes but still all I can see is him.
I look at Brienne whose eyes ask if I'm alright and I simply shake my head and turn back to Bran.
"I need to go inside now", I stutter and he nods in understanding.
Brienne follows me as I walk through the snow and I look towards the entrance to the cells. He is dead. Ramsay is dead and I made sure that he suffered. This is my home and he cannot frighten me anymore, no one can.
"Rayna, are you okay?" Brienne asks and I force myself to nod my head.
"What Ramsay did to me will haunt me until the day I die", I say finally acknowledging it, acknowledging that it still effects me "I have told myself since the day I escaped that he can't hurt me but the damage he has done can never be undone, it happened and there is nothing I can do to change that. I have spent every moment since I retook my home healing from the loss of my family and the scars Ramsay has left on me but sometimes I can't shake the memories that haunt me"
She steps closer to me and rests a hand on my shoulder and tears fill my eyes as I remember my Father and Robb doing the same.
"But he is dead and I am alive, every breath I take is an act of defiance against him and Cersei and everyone else who has tried to ruin me"
Proudly she says "You survived them all and now you are standing in your home as a Queen with a husband who loves you. Jaime is alive and he is coming home to you"
"He is", I smile as I wipe the tears from my eyes "Gods pregnancy's making me all emotional"
"You love Jaime and now you know for sure that he is alive of course you're emotional"
Before I can reply a short man comes running out of the hall holding a letter and I quickly compose myself
"Your Grace", he says with an awkward bow.
"I don't believe we've met", I say unable to place his face but noticing his maesters attire.
"Oh yes", he realises "I'm Samwell, Samwell Tarly"
Now the stories Jon told me about him make sense. He certainly looks more like a maester than a ranger.
"You're Jon's friend, I've heard so much about you", I smile and he looks flattered.
"Really?" He asks looking surprised and I can't help but laugh a little.
"Of course, he's told me many stories", I recall remembering all the stories Jon would tell when I was at the Wall with him, when we were plotting to retake our home "You were the first man to kill a white walker"
"Yes I was", he says proudly and I can't help but smile. He truly is how Jon described him.
"What do you have there?" I ask looking at his hand and he extends the scroll to me.
"Came by raven this morning", he tells me.
It has just a regular wax seal. No house sigils.
I open it and immediately recognise the writing.