The Love We Never Had

Chapter Six

Once Jaime had finally led Arya through the crowd of people, out of the sept and onto the streets of Casterly Rock, he began leading the parade of people to the great hall where the feast had been set up for their breakfast. Jaime felt a squeeze on his hand, which was holding Arya's while it was wrapped around his arm. He looked down at her, still beaming like it was the happiest day of his life, which it most definitely was.

"Yes my love?" He asked her, as she was looking up at him with a confused face.

"Where are we going?" He chuckled, oh she was adorable, surely she knew that you feast after a wedding?

"To the great hall of course, for the feast." She still looked very confused.

"But, it's not dinner time yet." He furrowed his eyebrows at her in confusion as they continued to walk through the streets, amidst crowds of peasant people cheering for them.

"What are you talking about?"

"Feasts are only to be had at dinner time, no matter the time of day of the wedding." Arya said, seemingly very sure of herself. Jaime couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Maybe that is how it is done in the North, but in the South, you feast all day following a wedding, and then the bedding follows dinner, so since we had our wedding at dawn, we will have three feasts today, one for breakfast, lunch, then dinner, and in between we can do whatever we want besides bed each other." He shot a quick wink down at her as she blushed at his bedding comment. She still looked unsure, but seemed to let it go as she let the smile to reemerge on her face and began to walk confidently once again.

"So what are we having for breakfast then?" Arya asked, trying to come up with something to talk about, as it was very silent between the two, and all she could think about was his bedding comment from earlier, and how she wished that rule wasn't a rule, and she desperately needed a distraction.

"Well, I believe father has ordered forty roast pigs, and a couple hundred eggs, and I asked for him to find that pomegranate juice you like so much." Jaime had found himself falling into a daydream about what would occur in their bedding later that night as well, and was relieved Arya had distracted him or there would have been a very visible issue. A few moments later, Jaime and Arya led the group of what had to be at least a thousand people into the great hall where tables were set up in a very similar manner to the welcome feast the Lannister's had thrown for Arya and her host on the day of her arrival, the only difference was, on the raised floor, there was a much smaller table, which looked to only fit two people, and instead of Stark and Lannister banners adorning the walls, there was only the crimson and gold Lannister Lion.

Jaime led Arya over to the small table on the platform, and pulled her chair out for her, once she sat down, he pushed her chair in, and then moved toward his. Before he sat down however he looked around at the people who had not moved beyond the aisle and realized he was supposed to tell them to do so.

"Everyone please take your seats!" With that said Jaime sat down, and held Arya's hand in his left as they watched their guests find their seats, it took a long while as most people were in no hurry and instead chose to talk with one another as they found their seats. Which was fine with the newly married couple, as they had eaten breakfast shortly before the wedding had begun, and the nerves of the day were causing their appetite to wane. During the wait, Jaime motioned for the server, who happened to be the same one who served them at the welcoming feast, to bring Arya a glass of pomegranate juice, and Jaime a glass of wine. When it was delivered they sipped their drinks slowly, still holding hands, and casting glances at each other every so often, which never failed to cause a blush to rise. When everyone was seated Jaime rose again, and cleared his throat so that the guests would stop talking. It took a moment, but as people saw him standing, they shushed their neighbors and eventually everyone was quiet.

"In just a moment I will give the order for the servants to bring out the food, but before I do, I want to take a moment to say a few words. Arya, you are a gift I never thought I would receive. And because of all of the things you give me everyday, I will give you my respect, attention and affection. I'll give you my heart and my mind. I will provide for all of your wants and desires, I will be your best friend. I will be there for you whenever you need me. I will make my arms your safe haven. I will protect and love you. You are my love, my life, my future and my queen." Jaime took a moment to look into the slate grey eyes of the woman who had just declared his queen, and could find no regret in that he had just spilled all of this out in front of over a thousand strangers, who he had hoped to never show weakness to. But this woman was not his weakness, she was his strength, and as she pulled him down to kiss her, he knew that he would never take it back. When they finally broke apart Jaime registered the cheering that was going on behind him, and he could help but blush a tiny fraction, but that went away too when Arya stroked his cheeks with her hands and mouthed 'I love you'. He grinned, and kissed her again, with a tad more force this time, before finally pulling away to look back at the crowd behind him. He chuckled slightly and took a sip from his wine.

"Let the feast begin!"

The rest of their day continued on in a similar fashion, full of food, and drinks, and loud men getting even louder, as everyone who attended the first feast was required to stay throughout the day, and the men were drinking more than their fair share of the wine and ale provided for the occasion. Both Lord Tywin and Lord Tyrion had approached the couple to wish them the best in their lives together, along with all of the other highborn lords and ladies who had attended. Arya's brother had not shown his face, much to the disappointment of Arya, who assumed he had slipped away during the parade from the sept to the great hall.

By the time the final feast of the day was over, most of the servant girls were situated on the laps of some of the more rambunctious men, and in one of the far corners some soldiers were singing "The Rains of Castamere" and the newly married couple had found themselves closer and closer as the night went on, and Arya had finally found herself situated on her husband's lap while he fed her by his own hand. It was when the candles were dimming, and the last plate had been served that Arya and Jaime heard the call.

"Bed her! Bed her!" Jaime looked down at his new wife and saw her stricken face. They had never talked about this part of the wedding ceremonies before, and at that moment Jaime realized that they probably should have. He wasn't sure if her hesitation had to do with bedding in general, or the bedding ceremony, but as he had only ever seen her blush when he mentioned bedding her, he assumed that it had to do with the bedding ceremony. So he decided to take things away from tradition.

"There will be no bedding ceremony!" He called out over the crowd. Some of the men in the back, who had more to drink than the others, booed loudly, but the ones closer to the front nodded their head at their new Lord of Lannister in agreement. Jaime looked down at his little wife who had relaxed in his arms. She smiled up at him in relief, and he chuckled before placing a gentle kiss to her temple.

"I think we should start heading off to bed now though, don't you agree love?" Jaime asked her softly in her ear. Arya felt a shiver roll down her spine, and couldn't help the flush that spread from her face all the way down her chest. Jaime felt his eyes follow the flush down the top of her dress, and couldn't stop himself from wondering how far down it went. Instead of answering her new husband, Arya instead disentangled herself from his arms and rose to her feet in front of him.

"Let's go." She said softly, grabbing his hand and she began to lead him to the doors situated close to their seats. It would take them longer to reach their rooms this way, but at least they wouldn't have to walk down the aisle between all of the drunk men. Jaime caught his brother's eye on his way out the door, and Tyrion had a smirk on his face, and before Jaime left, Tyrion raised his glass and gave Jaime a quick wink, and then Jaime was through the door, and Arya was pulling him so quickly he was having the jog to keep up with her. She shot him a look over her shoulder and Jaime felt his pants tighten uncomfortably.

When they finally reached Jaime's room, it only took a few second for them to be completely intertwined with one another. After a few moments of kissing, more ferociously then they ever had, teeth bumping, lips almost sore due to the pressure, Arya started to undo the clasps that had held together Jaime's tunic the entire day, once undone, Jaime allowed it to slide from his shoulders onto the floor.