A Lions Flower |J.Lannister|

• Chapter 13 •

                                       *advisory for mentions and attempted sexual assault* 

Rose knew what was going to happen. Jaime didn't need to tell her that these men were rapists and didn't care if she had been a highborn lady, it was perhaps even worse that she was one, especially one so recognizable. He didn't need to tell her that if either Brienne or herself tried to fight them off the situation would get worse. 

Once night fell, the men stopped the horses and drew camp for the night. They had tied Brienne and Rose to one tree and Jaime to another across from them as if already indicating the two women were to be treated differently than Jaime. Locke, their leader had been watching the women with a careful eye, especially Brienne. He liked women who would give a fight and he didn't think Rose Tyrell has the power in her to fight back but the entire sentiment of his behavior was repulsive. The three travelers were tired, bruised, and simply wanted to rest but there would be no rest in the hands of Locke and his men. 

Rose took in the sight around her. Locke and his men were sitting around a fire, eating and drinking like they had not a worry in the world. Their horses were chained and seemed a bit drained themselves as if they had been riding for days on end with no break. Brienne, to Rose, looked almost defeated but kept her head held high even in those intense moments. Rose respected her deeply. She never stopped fighting any battle. But she was dirty, full of mud and her hair was stringy, screaming to be washed. But Rose was no better. Her dress was tattered, her cape too. Her jewelry was long gone and her hair was not much worse than Brienne's. Rose's feet hurt like hell but nothing compared to how Jaime looked. Not only were Brienne and Rose a bit malnourished, Jaime was too and he looked like he crawled out of whatever hell Rose thought her feet felt like. The once strapping knight was battered and bruised with dark circles apparent underneath his eyes. His hair was long and greasy and the beard that grew was covering his face. He was dirty and Rose couldn't place the last time that any of them bathed. All she could do was pity him, but he didn't want anyone's pity. 

Rose was taken out of her thoughts when she heard a herd of men making their way toward Brienne and herself. Her heart beat quickened and she tried to avoid any eye contact with them, hoping she would disappear from the world in that moment. 

"I'll take the big bitch first." One of the men said. They untied the chain from the tree and took Brienne away. Brienne struggled, trying to fight them off before they had taken her behind a wooded area. The men untied Rose's chain and grabbed her by the arms. Rose dragged her feet, making it harder for them to carry her. The men yanked on her arms and lifted her off the ground. Rose kicked and pleaded with the men before she had been taken out of the sight of Jaime. 

Jaime sat helplessly. Inside, he felt an ongoing battle between saving them and protecting himself, but he couldn't let them go through that. Locke was standing next to him. 

"You know who they are don't you?" Locke shrugged at him. He didn't care who they were. 

 "A big dumb bitch from who knows where and a pretty whore from I don't give a fuck." 

"She's Brienne of Tarth, her father is Lord Selwyn Tarth. And that pretty whore is Rose Tyrell, daughter of Mace Tyrell. Heard of Tarth or Highgarden?" Jaime questioned Locke but nothing indicated that he was going to listen and let them go. 

"I'm gonna cut your throat." Locke threatened Jaime with a snare.

"They call Tarth the Sapphire Isle. Do you know why? Every sapphire in Westeros was mined on Tarth. sapphire's are gemstones. The blue ones." 

"I know what they are." Locked defended himself. 

"Lord Selwyn would pay his daughter's weight in sapphires if she's returned to him. But only if she's alive. And her honor unbesmirched." 

"And what of the Tyrell?" 

"Lord Tyrell, the Lord of the second richest house in all of Westeros would be willing to pay double what Lord Selwyn would offer in sapphires. Not to mention a generous reward in food as well." Locke pondered a moment and Jaime was more than right by saying these men would much rather have all the wealth in the world. 

"Bring them back here!" He shouted to his men. 

The men brought back Brienne and Rose, both a little bloody in the face even though Jaime had told them not to fight them off before they were tied to the trees when they first arrived. From the looks of it, the men didn't have enough time to hurt them any worse than a few scratches. The men chained them both back to the tree. Neither of them would look Jaime in the eye. Locke lingered by the three. 

Rose felt disgusted and horrified. They hadn't done more than hit her but she was a bit shell shocked about what happened. She could hear Jaime trying to strike a deal with Locke. Her father would never pay these men for what they have done and what he had said about Tarth was a lie. 

"Your father, he'd pay your weight in gold to get you back?" Rose heard Locke ask Jaime and he  nodded in return. "You'd be a rich man till the end of your days. And your sons will be rich men and their sons after them. Lands, titles, you'll have them all. The North can't win this war. You're a smart man, you understand that. We have the numbers, we have the gold." 

Locked nodded and agreed. "Aye, you have both." 

"Fighting bravely for a lost cause is admirable. Fighting for a winning cause is far more rewarding." Jaime comments. 

"Hard to argue with that." 

"Now that we're speaking man to man, I wonder if you need to keep me chained to this tree. I'm not asking to be freed from my constraints, but if I could sleep lying down, my back would thank you for it. I'm not as young as resilient as I once was." 

None of them are really. 

Locked also pondered this request. The agreed quickly. "Unchain Ser Jaime from the tree."
Rose and Brienne watched as Jaime was unchained from the tree, freed from his constraints based on a faulty promise and the fact that Jaime was a male. Brienne's blood boiled. Rose felt a bit broken inside. 

"I suppose you'll be wanting something to eat?" Locked asked him. 

"I'm famished, actually." The women watched as Jaime was given a confusing welcome. They were famished too. 

"I think we've got spare partridge on the fire." 

"Well I do like partridge." Jaime commented hungrily. The Lannister thought he finally had his way in the world again.   

"Bring the bird over and the carving knife. Will this work as a table my Lord."   

Rose knew something was gravely wrong. Locke was mocking Jaime and he was falling right into the trap. 

"Yes this will do-" Jaime was cut off as his arms were grabbed by Locke's men. His legs were kicked in and he was dragged onto a tree stump. Jaime's face was held down on the stump and Locke moved around, holding the carving knife to Jaime's face. 

"You think you're the smartest man here?" Locke spit at him. 

"That everyone alive has to bow and scrape and lick your boots?" 

"My father-" 

"And if you get in any trouble, all you've got to say is my father and that's it. All your troubles go away." 

"Don't." Jaime begged him. Jaime pleaded with him with his life. 

"Have you got something to say? Careful. You don't want to say the wrong thing. You're nothing without your daddy, and your daddy ain't here. Never forget that." 

Locke began walking away but stopped, turned back around and held up the carving knife. Everyone sat in silence and Rose felt as if there was a pit in her stomach. 

"Here. This should help you remember." 

Locke raised his hand high and brought it down on Jaime's right hand. Slicing it clean off of the arm. It was so silent for a moment they could have heard a pin drop. Until a moment later when Jaime's blood curdling scream filled the air.