𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 || 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 14

Jaime stopped us then and I looked away as he relieved himself.

"How did you come into Lady Stark's service? There's something we can talk about," he pressed Brienne.

"Not your concern, Kingslayer,"

I huffed at the back-and-forth between them. It was tiring to have to walk with these two. Couldn't they just get along? It wasn't that far to King's Landing now, I'm sure.

"It had to be recently. You weren't with her at Winterfell,"

Brienne nodded to me then and I turned back around to face Jaime who brushed a strand of dirty blond hair out of his eyes.

"How would you know?" I questioned him.

A hint of surprise crossed his face but it was quickly replaced by that smirk he had become so famous for.

"Because I visited Winterfell. I would have noticed her head smacking into the archways," he grinned and I rolled my eyes.

"Move!" Brienne commanded him, pulling on the chain again.

We walked in silence for several minutes before he spoke once more.

"Were you pledged to Stannis?"

"No!"

"Ah, Renly. Really? He wasn't fit to rule over anything more important than a 12-course meal," he joked and I bit back a smile.

"Shut your mouth!" Brienne shot back.

With another roll of my eyes, I sighed and looked up at the sun-drenched leaves of the trees above us. Dappled green blades drifted down onto the grass as a breeze blew through the branches. Winterfell was a beautiful place and now that I wasn't there, it was the only place I longed to be. I'd never taken the time to appreciate the simple beauty of the forest or a summer day like this. Suddenly, Brienne grabbed Jaime by the hair and I let out a gasp.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at her, trying to pull her off of him, "Let him go!"

"I don't blame him. And I don't blame you, either," he told her.

His dark green eyes flicked to mine then and I gazed right back.

"We don't get to choose who we love..." he said, his voice soft and quiet.

His words hung in the air and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Was...was he talking about me? No, no, impossible. It wasn't, it couldn't be. He loved...Cersei....right? Didn't he?

She was the woman he loved and had children with. I-I was just a Stark girl. I was nothing to him... A horse's whinny made us break eye-contact and we both turned to see a farmer with a horse coming up through the trees. He stopped and smiled slightly before speaking.

"Where are you headed then?" he asked.

"South," Jaime answered for all of us, "You?"

"River-run," the man replied simply, "Staying off the kings  road, are you? They get you no matter where you go. You can't win,"

"No, you really can't,"

"Looks like you're safe enough, though," he said, shooting a glance Brienne's way, "Meaning no offense, my lady, but I wouldn't tangle with you,"

Jaime and the farmer both chuckled but I just scowled. What was so funny about a strong independent woman? Maybe the fact that she could beat both men here with her eyes closed? I thought to myself with a smile.

"Seven blessings to you!" the farmer bid us before walking off with his horse.

"And to you!" Brienne nodded.

We watched him go before Jaime spoke up from beside me. I almost jumped. I hadn't realized he was so close.

"He knows who I am," Jaime whispered in my ear, his warm breath tingling the back of my neck.

A shiver went up my spine.

"He doesn't," I whispered back.

"Maybe you're right. But what if you're not? What if he tells someone?" he asked, glancing down at me.

My eyes connected with his once more and I sucked in a breath involuntarily. Every time he glanced at me, it felt like my world was spinning. Yes, he was much older than me. I knew that. I knew it, of course. But...there was something about him I was just...drawn to.

"We're not doing it," Brienne said then, interrupting the two of us, "He's an innocent man..."

My cheeks blushed scarlet when she arched an eyebrow at our closeness.

"More innocent than Lady Stark's daughters?" he pressed her, looking at me briefly before turning back to her.

My heart caught in my throat. Jaime wanted us to kill that man? Brienne was silent a second before shoving Jaime forward again. Thank goodness she was here. If it was just him and me...I don't know what I'd do. This man was changing me. For better or worse, I knew not. But he was... He really was...