Finding Hope - Jaime Lannister fanfic

A Change In Winds

A/n: Wow where at 5.5k views and over 280 votes, gosh I love you all so much, I had never expected this to happen, but it did! So here's another chapter, read it till the end, you'll not regret it!!! (And de gif, it's from a later episode, so just imagine him dirty XD ) 

Chapter sixteen

~ A Change In Wind~

It was early in the evening when Catelyn Stark sat together with her two oldest children. A letter had arrived carrying grave news with it. Robb read it out loud, only for the three of them to hear. Liya had already teared up halfway knowing where the letter leading into. Her mother held her hand tightly, while she still could keep the tears at bay. Robb remained stoic, but the both of them could see the turmoil in his eyes.  He leaned his head on one of his hands not wanting them to see him like this but continued reading to them. 

The Cersei had proclaimed him a traitor of a crime he didn't commit. But it was the boy-king Joffrey that saw it fit to have him beheaded, degrading her father even more by using the greatsword of his own House. 

Liya held her mother's hand even tighter as the tears filled the brim of her eyes and finally the first rolled down with many more following. Catelyn choked as she sobbed and the first cracks showed in her face until in crumbled into sadness and utter grief. Slowly mother and daughter turned to one another and held each other in comfort, Robb faced the other way to battle his emotions alone.

Liya didn't know how long she was held by her mother, but slowly both of them ran out of tears. They both let go and Liya's mother affectionately caressed Liya's cheeks, taking the watery streaks away with her fingers.

"They've done it now" Robb suddenly growled "If it's a war that they want, they'll get one" abruptly he stood up, mumbling something about getting some men to gather, and left the tent

"I can't believe it mother" Liya almost whispered to her voice cracking halfway

"I can't either my dear, but we must continue to fight, especially now," her voice growing fiercer with each word

Liya could only nod, the Lannisters would pay for his death and the capture of her sisters. The North will strike back hard and strong, winter was coming for the Lions. 

~

The morning was quiet, the entire army still mourning the death of their guardian of the North Eddard Stark. In the distance, the new lord of Winterfell was furiously slashing his sword into the bark of a tree with sounds of rage coming out of his mouth. Catelyn knew her son wasn't aiming for the iron throne, instead, he was out for the entire Lannister family.

"You're ruining your sword," Catelyn tells her son

His head immediately twists around as his sword drops to the ground. Robb's arms immediately evolve around his mother, speaking words of revenge for the death of his father into her ear. Catelyn could see why, but her youngest daughters were still left defenceless in Kings Landing. They needed to be rescued first before they would unleash their northern fury on Kings Landing. Together they returned to camp to decide what would be their next plan of attack. The following days seemed to carry the grief with them, but with that, similar feelings of revenge and the need for justice started stirring between the men. 

In the nights Liya lay awake in bed, the familiar peace in the quietness of the was nowhere to be found. Anger and loss were playing a vicious fight in her head. She had lost the man that had always protected her from the big bad world. The loss of this shield created a vulnerability to everything around her as if only the slightest thing could crumble her very foundations. 

Liya knew this wasn't the way for a Stark, she wasn't alone, her mother and Robb were near. Together they were a force to be reckoned with and war was coming. A war that had to be fought, Liya wouldn't give up, even if she felt so frail against the harsh and cold outside world. 

Liya lifted herself off the bed and reached for her fur coat hoping that a walk would calm her mind. The muddy ground tainted her shoes, the cold forming clouds after every breath, but without a destination, her feet were taking her further and further. Liya stopped once she'd reached an area she had never been to before. A few soldiers were walking around, who she guessed were the nightguards, but otherwise, the area seemed deserted or so it seemed.

"Here for another beating are you!" a voice suddenly filled the air and Liya froze in place

Only a few steps away from her, a man sat on the ground with his back against a tall and thick wooden pole. She cursed at herself, her stray mind had led her to the only prisoner in Robb's camp.

"Come on then you coward!" he yelled again, ending it with an unsettling chuckle

Liya regained her step, now standing directly behind him while looking through the cell bars that were made out of wood. The smell that arose was overwhelmingly foul, but still, she stepped around the cage to let her presence be known.

Only the light of two nearby torches illuminated the area around them. His dirt-smudged face flickered with the light of the fire as his eyes followed hers. Liya returned his gaze, but most odd was that Ser Jaime didn't utter a word to her. Odd since from the first time they'd met, Jaime was always the first to speak. Liya thought it good to break this pattern. 

"I'm not here to beat you Ser Jaime" Liya softly spoke to him, trying to avoid the attention from the guards that were around "and a coward I'm most certainly not" she added.

Liya looked at him as he slowly averted his eyes and lowered his head as though in shame, the sight made her beat herself up for coming in the first place. So much had changed, but somehow both had landed in a familiar situation, unable to say a word while they sneaked glances at one another. And all Liya saw was a broken man, a lion caged, but with no will to escape in his once-wild heart. A vision flashed before her eyes, she saw her father instead of Ser Jaime before her, locked up and alone, his fate resting in the hands of another. She hated the similarity, but the fact that she was guilty of the same crime was still there, she had even been adamant about it in the first place. 

"Then what are you here for Lady Liya, if not lashing out your hatred towards me," Ser Jaime said to her

His question went through Liya's mind, but it did not seem to have a definitive answer. Why had she walked towards this place, she knew where Robb kept Ser Jaime, but still, her feet had carried her here. Why was she standing here in the middle of the night, why was she with someone resented so? 

In these times the world is much simpler when it's ruled by an eye for an eye, taking Ser Jaime was retribution for taking her father. But should they continue down this road, they would cut each other down until there would be nothing left. Liya hated her own reasoning but knew that in order to prevent this one should give instead of taking. 

She looked towards her right and saw a bucket of water standing next to a tent, a white rag was floating in the water. Liya quickly eyed for anyone watching, but all looked occupied. Taking her chance she grasped the bucket,  opened and walked into the cage. Not fearing the man in shackles, she knelt beside him in the mud. She wrung out the rag and immediately grabbed Ser Jaime's chin and held it up. 

Jaime first felt her cold fingers grab his jaw before the water hit the side of his face. The rag was dragged over his cheek firmly, it was rough, but he was nothing but numb. 

Instead, Jaime remembered the day of the tournament in Kings Landing, how he'd looked at himself twice in the mirror for any flaws. How he was over the words he would say to her, how he'd felt when he saw that white ribbon on the young knight. He'd never doubted his appearance or his charms with the women before. Never had he ever felt jealousy towards any other men, but he did that day. It was all coming to him like a sudden change in winds and Jaime could only hope that this wouldn't be a sign for an approaching storm.

~

As always, thank you for reading

love,

Ann