FIRE AND BLOOD (CHAPTER FOURTEEN) "NOWHERE TO HIDE FROM ALL OF THIS MADNESS"
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291, THE RED KEEP
JAIME LANNISTER WAS SHAKING AND HE COULDN'T THINK STRAIGHT. Everything had happened so fast--or maybe it hadn't, maybe it had been going on all night and he just wasn't paying attention close enough. Someone had poisoned Aerea--poisoned her--and Jaime couldn't do anything about it. How was he supposed to fight off poison? How was he supposed to protect her against that? He should have noticed something was wrong, he shouldn't have let his feelings get in the way of his duty--he should have been with her because if he hadn't been across the room, he would have noticed something was wrong; he would have been able to get her help faster.
Around him, chaos reigned supreme and people were running around yelling and panicking but Jaime couldn't bring himself to look away from Aerea because she looked dead. Jaime would have thought she truly was were it not for the shallow rising and falling of her chest. Her skin was so pale and stained with blood that Astara was desperately trying to wipe away while a hysterical Theon Greyjoy clung to her legs.
"It's all my fault!" he wailed, "I saw the dark spot, I thought it was dirt! I thought it was dirt"
Jaime's eyes focused on Aerea's now visible neck. Where her hair had previously been covering now revealed sickeningly black veins, prominent against the chalky pallor of her skin. Theon must have noticed it when it was still a dot, there was no way he could have known what it truly was but in his nine-year-old mind, Theon clearly placed all of the blame on himself.
Maester Pycelle had stuttered out that he believed it was some type of mixture of Manticore Venom and the Strangler and it made Jaime want to start crying because while he had never seen either of the poisons in person, he knew damn well there was no known cure, all Pycelle could do was keep her alive until Brienne came back the sorcerers from Qohor that Aerea had called for before she fell unconscious.
Jaime didn't know what the fuck she was thinking though because sorcerers aren't to be trusted especially with the life of a queen. Only Astara, Theodor and Draqo seemed to be okay with calling the sorcerers from Qohor for help and Jaime supposed he should listen to them because they probably knew this situation better than him but he couldn't help being hesitant.
Theodor Bywater kneeled next to Aerea, face pale and eyes wide, and Jaime wondered if he even realized what was going on, Theodor and Astara had basically raised Aerea, to see her in this state... Theodor finally stood up and the expression on his face chilled Jaime's bones, "Gather up every single servant in the Keep and lock down the city," Theodor ordered, "We're finding who did this. Now."
Theodor spared Jaime a rather dismissive glance, "Stay with Astara and Aerea. If any harm comes to them, I'll kill you," he said so coldly that Jaime had no doubt that he would follow through with his threat. "Oberyn, grab your men and come with me. Draqo, begin the searches of the servants' chambers."
