What IF

Chapter 7

The One Handed Lion

It had been two weeks since Jaimie had arrived in Dorne. He had been going through a free fall of complicated emotions. A lot had happen in the past few weeks that put Jaimie in deep contemplation as to how he felt; he had to mourn the loss of his son Tommen and he also had to mourn the fact that he never really was a father to the boy, not in the way that counted at least. He got to see his daughter again at least but only briefly on the crossroads as she made her way to Kings Landing. Lastly he had to leave the women he loved again even though they had started taking each other to bed again.

He remembered the day he left Kings Landing; he had made love to her in the White Sword tower with reckless abandon. She had screamed so loudly that the entire Kingsguard must have heard her moans but he didn't care. He remembered how she kissed him and held him.

'I love you Jaimie' she said. She had never told him that she loved him. He knew he loved her and he told her so but he never expected her to reciprocate his feelings but she actually had.

'We will be together again my love and when this is done we will ride off to Casterly Rock and stay there for the rest of our days. Hold out as long as you can, bed the Dornish whore if you have to. Even if she has your sons, I will tolerate them. Just make sure you come back to me. Make sure you come back to me Jaimie. Promise me?'

'I promise' he said.

And it was a promise Jaimie was definitely going to keep. He had to win this war for her.

When he arrived with his forces, Jaimie expected to be killed on sight or at the very least be spat upon by House Martell but to his surprise he was welcomed warmly and Doran had treated him courteously.

When he had presented the mountain to answer for his crimes to Doran, the prince shocked him by pardoning the beast. Not everyone was in favor of that decision. Oberyn screamed and yelled profanities at his brother and charged at Clegane but was promptly held back by the Dornish guards.

A part of Jaimie was shocked and angered at Doran's passiveness when it came to the situation at hand. If he was being honest with himself, Jaimie never truly forgave his father for what he did to Elia and Rhaegar's children or child. When he saw their lifeless bodies, Jaimie wanted to slay the mountain himself. Cersei had convinced him to hold back his anger and told him not to pity the dragon spawn. Being the lovesick fool that he was, to his shame he actually heeded her words but to this day he still felt guilty.

Now Rhaenys was alive and would strike them soon enough. She would come with her brother, the man Jaimie looked down upon in Winterfell.

Jaimie questioned Doran's graciousness and why he was being extremely forgiving considering the history and animosity between their two houses but the prince simply responded.

'Your daughter has stolen a lot of our hearts.' To his dismay they knew the real truth about Myrcella.

Jaimie had not comprehended what he meant but only after speaking to his betrothed did he fully grasp the situation, the princesses were quite close.

Arianne was an alluring girl and she had become close friends with Myrcella. Arianne told him that Myrcella and her had come to an agreement, one were they protect Cersei, her brothers and him.

He wondered what the gain was for Arianne but she just remarked that Myrcella's friendship was enough. A lie that Jaimie didn't buy for even a second.

Speaking of Arianne, Jaimie had noticed the girl's openness for lack of a better word. On his first night in Dorne Jaimie had seen her frolicking and flirting with his bannermen. It would be easy to generalize her seduction as her being a typical Dornish whore but she purposefully used her sexual prowess to gather information on people.