The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Intents And Purposes

They arrived in King's Landing a month after leaving Winterfell. Ren had always both welcomed and resented the return to the city. The imposing walls of the Red Keep atop Aegon's High Hill came into view first, a vague shadow on the horizon over the trees, followed by the rest of the city, a sprawling mass covering the three hillsides and spilling down to the Blackwater river. It looked impressive from here, and intimidating; both of which it was built to be, of course. Though the Targaryen sigils had been replaced with stags, though the dragon skulls had been moved to below the castle, gold banners replacing red and black, the spirit of the dragons who had ruled there for hundreds of years was never truly erased, worked into the red walls of the castle itself.

Ren fell back into routine of being in the city easily. He woke early, did any squiring duties that were required, then sparred in the practice yard until past midday, Jaime often coming down to join him, whether that was to spar with him or other Kingsguard knights. Then it tended to be lunch with Loreon and several of the other boys their age, sometimes Tommen too, depending whether his mother was looking for him or not. Ren's afternoons were his to do with as he pleased - half the time that involved another hour or two of practice - which now included the added presence of his family there. And Lizzie, of course.

Arya, Sansa and Morganna were staying in the Tower of the Hand along with his uncle. He didn't see Lord Stark much in those first few days, as if the man wasn't in small council meetings, then the king demanded his presence, or he was meeting privately with certain characters like Littlefinger or Varys. About what, Ren wasn't certain, but he had his suspicions, and it could be nothing good.

A letter from his mother had arrived three days after they reached the city. All letters from his mother came through Jaime - apparently the Grand Maester read through all letters that were not addressed to a Lannister - so it was no surprise when the knight handed him two envelopes one morning, one for him and one for his uncle.

"I'd deliver that now, if I were you," Jaime said casually, sharpening the blade of his own sword for once. "It's not exactly good news,"

"You read it?" Ren raised an eyebrow, more amused than annoyed.

"Only yours,"

"I didn't know you had so much respect for Lord Stark," Jaime snorted at his flat response, and Ren smiled as he took the letters and left, reopening his own as he walked. His walk soon quickened, eyes narrowed in anger, heart racing as he read his letter then opened his uncle's too for good measure. Both said largely the same thing. His mother's tone was clipped and cold as she recounted the events that had taken place at Winterfell shortly after they left.

A fire in the library tower. Aileen barely got out unharmed. An assassin tried to kill Bran, succeeding in crippling his hand so that he'd never be a proper knight. Lady Catelyn gone, tearing off to accuse the queen's family and start a war, and was probably already in the city given the date the letter was sent. His mother told him to make sure his uncle saw sense where his wife was concerned, and not to assume that the incident was anything to do with the Lannisters. It all felt too convenient, she said, like someone was deliberately trying to lead them down a certain path. Ren agreed, though who that might be he did not know. He didn't know what he was supposed to do about all this, though. He was barely sixteen, and still a bastard, no matter how highborn his mother was, and though his uncle showed no less respect to him than he did towards Ren's true born half-siblings, there was definitely a line he shouldn't cross. Telling off Lord Stark's lady wife on behalf of his mother seemed to be a step too far.

When he entered the Tower of the Hand, Ren found his uncle had just got in himself, taking off his cloak. Wordlessly, Ren handed him his sister's letter, which Lord Stark read with narrowed eyes. There was a long silence.