Of Captive Hearts

Chapter 2

Jaime stared ahead of him, unable to take his eyes from Brienne, as she struggled and fought as much as her large babe-filled belly would allow. It was not enough to free herself from the guards who held her bound. Her angry, terrified wails filled the vast room, and tore Jaime's heart apart. This had been the reason Brienne had not been found. She had not even been in the North. She had been brought to Kings Landing, and held captive in a cell beneath his feet this entire time. Jaime's mind relived the time they had shared at Winterfell. He knew the babe that burgeoned in Brienne's womb was his. Cersei had kept Brienne imprisoned here in the dungeon as she carried his child. He would not have imagined even Cersei could be that cruel. Yet the proof was in front of him. Unable to breathe, his jaw hanging in shock, he turned questioning eyes to his sister and realized that was exactly what she had done.

Cersei turned her head coolly to regard him, and the vengeful glare on her face chilled the blood in his veins. "Did you think I did not know?" She asked him rhetorically. "I have spies everywhere. I had spies even at Winterfell, Jaime." She confessed. "Nothing happens in Westeros that I do not know about, Darling Brother." Cersei scoffed.

Jamie knew then that Cersei meant to complete that which he had feared, the threat that had driven him from the side of the woman he loved in the first place. Cersei's plan was to kill Brienne and the babe and leave him as witness. He had no time to feel his heart sore at the sight of his beloved, nor to feel it warm at the thought that she carried his child. His sorrowful eyes fell mournfully upon Brienne's face, as she was marched the last few steps to the floor below Cersei's scowl. Unable to fight any longer, her expression held the same dread that Jaime's did. It was as if she knew what was about to happen, as if she had been waiting for it.

Still held forcibly by the guards, Brienne was escorted the final distance to stand before Cersei. Upon reaching the Queen's gaze, the burley beast who squeezed her beneath her right arm, jerked Brienne off her feet and threw her to the ground in order to show the proper reverence to their ruler. Brienne landed on her swollen belly with a painful yelp. Looking up through her suffering, her eyes caught Jamie's as he lurched forward, hand on his sword hilt, ready to spring. Before he could reach Brienne, two more guards rushed ahead, and halted Jaime's progress with the points of their swords. He stopped breathlessly, knowing he would be of no help to her if they ran him through. He noted the face of the man who had just harmed Brienne. The guard would not live to see another sunset. With great effort, Brienne finally managed to push herself up to her knees.

Anxiously, Brienne knelt beneath the Iron Throne, her hand tense as it lay on the side of her abdomen trying to calm the excited movement that the rush of her exertion and the pain of her fall had cause in her babe. Her stare held Cersei fearfully, for the power she knew the woman had over herself and her child. Yet, Brienne's eyes also held a contempt at Cersei's hatefulness and cruelty. For a moment, Jaime's pride burst in his chest. Despite the months living in captivity, and existing at a abominable level of pain and abuse that he did not even want to imagine, there was still a prideful fire in Brienne's soul. He knew she would fight to the end for her child's life. So would he. It was then, that he realized that Brienne would not bring her gaze to him.

"Ser Brienne." Cersei grinned mockingly. "How good of you to join us." She said with a wicked flourish. Brienne said nothing. She merely sat, staring in silence.

Moments later, viciously poked in the shoulder by the point of another guard's sword, Brienne answered flatly. "Your Grace." Jaime heard a haunting dread in her voice.

"I trust your time as our guest has been," Cersei paused, looking condescendingly at Brienne. "...adequate." She smirked. Again, Brienne said nothing.

"Cersei. Stop this!" Jaime begged. She simply raised her hand to quiet him. His concern for Brienne was so great, that he obeyed.

"Let's get on with this." Cersei announced to the guards, rhetorically.