The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Thirty

Rayna

The journey to the Eyrie takes longer than expected, as I travelled the men who tried to stop me and any who might have recognised me fell victim to my sword.
Not that I care anymore. Along the way if I saw one of the soldiers that belonged to the Bolton's or the Frey's I slaughtered them. I never thought I would become a killer but I have. I feel no shame or remorse for what I've become. For what Cersei and many others helped create. I am easily the most wanted woman in the seven kingdoms so what do I have to lose by killing those who would see me burn, those who slaughtered my family and my people.
Upon reaching the Eyrie I tell the guards that I am Petyr Baelish's niece and that I've come to see my soon to be Aunt Lysa and from them I find out that he should be arriving here soon by ship, he will be leaving Kings Landing soon. I pray to the Gods Sansa will be on that ship. I'm not sure exactly how long it's been since the massacre that they have begun to call the Red Wedding but I know that Jaime should be nearing Kings Landing. If he's kept a steady pace he should arrive shortly after Joffreys wedding which is soon but I suspect that he would have nearly broken his horse to return as soon as possible. I liked Margaery but it was clear to me she had a plan and this was it. She wants to be Queen, why else would she marry that monster. Another player in this game. If all goes to plan I will be the Lady of Casterly Rock and be in power of the west. The idea of such power once scared me, but now it intrigues me.
By law I am Robbs heir, the heir to the North and to Winterfell. However the Northern army is no more, the Bolton's have taken my home and with no army I have no power. I feel as helpless as I did in Kings Landing.
I've had small tastes of power here and there, only small ones but the power that truly intrigues me is power over my enemies. That is why I have arrived at the Eyrie, to see Littlefinger. He wants power and he is one of the smartest, most cunning men I know, if he believes I share his desires he will help me as long as I can be of use to him. I am the heir to Winterfell now and that gives me power. The Bolton's have Winterfell and I intend on taking it back. Whatever it takes I will do it.
I'm escorted to the main room in the castle and I'm greeted by Lysa breastfeeding her son who looks to be around ten or so. I remember Tyrion telling me of his trial by combat and that my aunt is unhinged. I suppose I'm about to find out just how much.
"Leave us", she says to the men who escorted me in "Who are you, Petyr doesn't have a niece named Jayne"
She doesn't even recognise me. The last time I saw her was several years ago but how doesn't she recognise me?
"I am Rayna Stark, your niece", I say praying that I'm not making a mistake by coming here. But until Jaime makes it safe for me to go to Casterly Rock I have no where else to go.
She removes the boy from her breast and stands to approach me with open arms "My own flesh and blood", she says as she embraces me "It is truly devastating what happened to your family, you poor girl"
"I know", I simply say. I want to say that I was there, that it wasn't just devastating it was disgusting but I can't bare to open that wound. However I don't miss how she says your family, they were Lysa's family too. However I understand that her and my mother were somewhat strained. Particularly after the Tyrion incident.
"Is it true, did you stab the Queen?" She asks excitedly and the look in her eye unnerves me somewhat b
"Yes when I was escaping Kings Landing", I admit carefully.
"Well I always believed she had something to do with my husbands murder", she says almost seeming proud of me "But now I get to marry my beloved Petyr when he arrives"
"It will be a truly lovely occasion he's been very kind to me", I smile courteously but I'm caught off guard by the sudden change in her manner.
"Has he now?" She asks, jealousy spiking in her voice. Mother once said that Lysa is not the woman she once was, that after Jon Arryns death she became unstable. It appears the rumours are true.
"When I came here I told the guards that he was my uncle and he truly looked after Sansa and I like an uncle. Soon soon he shall be my uncle by marriage, I am very happy for you", I smile not letting my discomfort show and trying to rid her of any suspicions. However her suspicions are correct, Littlefinger did fancy me in Kings Landing.
"Thank you dear", she beams, her jealousy subsiding. She introduces me formally to my cousin Robyn and I'm shown to my room.
As I sit there the dread sits in. Now to sit here and wait. Wait for Littlefinger to come and see what I can coerce him into doing for me. To see how I can get revenge. He loved my Mother surely he will want vengeance as well.
Then to wait for Jaime. We planned on marrying in Winterfell, in a sort of mixture between the marriage customs of the old gods and the new. In front of a weirwood tree, Robb giving me away and my family actually there.
Now they are gone. It was a foolish fantasy anyways. Faith is all I have now. When I was a child I prayed to both the old Gods and the new but then I would see the men my Father beheaded, those who would die from sickness and all the injustice in the world. The only times I prayed was for Arya when she went missing, for my Father before his execution, for Jaime when he was captured by Robb and then for Sansa when I had to leave her behind in Kings Landing. It's always been for other people, I've never prayed for myself. The one thing I have learned is that if I'm going to survive I need to have faith in myself not in any Gods. Now I need to have faith in Jaime. He loves me, he would do anything for love and that is a promise I have faith in. I have faith in him, but deep down I know it's an impossible situation. When I left Jaime I wasn't thinking clearly and neither was he, we were both in a state of shock and could not fully comprehend what had happened. My family had been slaughtered but I didn't realise the impact that would have on the North until afterwards. I'm the heir to Winterfell and I intend on taking it back and keeping it safe, it is by duty as a Stark. However if I do that I can never live with Jaime at Casterly Rock. Tywin will never allow him to come North and to be with me. The Northerners would never allow the Lord Of Winterfell to be a Lannister and the people of the Westerlands would never allow a Stark, the woman who stabbed the Lioness of the Rock to be its Lady. I'm sure that he has come to the same realisations. We both have a duty to our house and our kingdom, I don't know how our love can survive that duty. However we made a plan and I will wait for him.