The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Sixty One

Rayna

I walk towards Jon's room and find a Dothraki guard outside. He opens the door for me without question and I enter.
"Jon, what the hell were you thinking?" I ask as I storm in not caring that he's in a state of half dress after just having a bath.
"I don't care about politics, we need to deal with the real enemy", he says and I want to slap him.
"Jon, yes we will deal with the dead but right now we have a conqueror on our doorstep and I am trying to make peace, so please keep your temper under check"
"I don't like her Rayna, I'm not going to pretend to be nice", he says. Gods all he cares about is the fucking dead and he doesn't see how important this is.
"We aren't fucking children Jon, I don't trust her but we need her as an ally so please let me handle the talking"
"Well she thinks we are the enemy to the North so you did a good job at that", he comments and I really have to restrain myself.
"Jon, let me make an alliance with her before going on about the dead, she doesn't give a shit about that. She cares about the Iron Throne. Let me take care of it then once we have her on our side we will talk about it"
"And how long will that take, a week, a month?"
"However long it takes", I snap "I nearly got through to her twice until you went on about the dead and threw her off. I know how to deal with people like her so let me take care of it"
"You mean manipulate", he says looking down upon me.
"Yes manipulate", I say knowing what's necessary "To save the North from her I need to, to save it from Cersei I need to. Let me create an alliance please instead of throwing a tantrum and wanting to go back to the North to fight the dead"
He shakes his head at me "You've never understood"
"And neither have you", I reply "You have never understood politics and that is why I am alive, Father and Robb both died because they didn't understand politics and they let their honour get in the way"
"At least they died honourable, meanwhile you are becoming just as good as Cersei is so don't act so high and mighty", he snaps and I slap him hard across the face.
"I learned a great deal from her, to survive so if you want to go home leave, I am staying to sort out an alliance", I growl.
Neither of heard the door open and we turn to see Tyrion clearing his throat.
"Well now I'm even more afraid to tell you that they took your boat so you are stuck here for a while", he says and I curse under my breath.
"So we are prisoners", I mutter.
"No, you aren't. Not while I'm here you aren't", he promises. "Rayna we need to talk"
I walk out without looking at Jon with hot tears of rage blinding me. I don't want to fight with Jon but gods this is difficult.
Tyrion touches the back of my arm as we stand outside and I turn to look at him.
"Just give it some time and go talk to him later", he says gently and I nod.

He leads me to my room where a Dothraki is guarding it as well. We enter and I lock the door behind us and walk over and sit beside the window. Away from the door and away from the earshot if anyone outside.
"I'm sorry about earlier in the throne room, she has a habit of seeing everyone who doesn't bend the knee as an enemy", he admits and I laugh darkly still pissed from my encounter with Jon.
"You could have warned me"
He sits down across from me and pours us both some wine. I take the glass and skull it all and go to refill it but he stops me.
"Tyrion Lannister trying to stop someone from drinking, you have changed", I laugh just wanting to forget the fight with Jon. Just wanting to talk to Tyrion.
"We both have", he says then he looks down as he says "I heard what you said in the throne room about the Bolton bastard"
I can see the genuine pity and pain in his eyes as he says "I'm so sorry that happened to you"
"How did you know it was Rooses bastard?" I ask, I never mentioned the family.
"Varys has his little birds everywhere but well we only know what the people are saying"
The fact there's spies in the North should bother me but I'm not surprised.
"Well I fed the bastard to his own dogs", I tell him and he looks proud, a little surprised but not shocked. He's always known what I'm capable of but hearing what I've done is another thing.
"I'm surprised Jaime didn't go and kill him himself", he says and I know he wants to know how Jaime is.
"He would have killed him if I let him, he let me do it", I say with a dark smile. Nothing has ever given me more pleasure than watching the dogs rip him apart, well aside from Jaime.
"Is it true that Jaimes in the North?" he asks and I figure that Varys must have told him.
"He is", I smile and Tyrion's eyes widen.
"Are you two-?" He asks
"We are married", I smile and he pours us both a drink.
"One to celebrate", he says and we both happily drink. "You two finally married after all these years"
"We did", I smile touching the ring on my finger. The ring Jaime gave me when he promised to marry me. When he said I would be the Lady Of Casterly Rock and perhaps one day I will be. Queen in the North, Lady Of Winterfell and Lady Of Casterly Rock.
It all depends on this alliance with Daenerys.
"I've never seen you this happy", he says seeing the smile I can't suppress when I think of Jaime. Of my husband.
"I've never been this happy", I say knowing it's the truth then I remember "Tyrion can I send ravens to Winterfell, I promised Jaime"
"Of course but they'll have to go through myself and Varys", he warns and I read between the lines.
"Daenerys, does she know about Jaime and I?" I ask, she mustn't know yet but Varys must.
"Not yet, and it should stay that way until you reach an alliance", he cautions "Varys and I have made sure she won't know"
Varys never has been very loyal. He serves the realm. He will betray those he is sworn to for it. He will lie to his Queen, he is lying for me.
"Do you think we will reach an alliance?" I ask wanting the honest truth "Do you think she will let the North be independent?".
"I don't know", he answers honestly "Daenerys believes all of the kingdoms are hers, including the North"
"I meant it when I said that I will die before bending the knee"
He swallows hard as he takes another drink.
"Well, you might be the only person that's more stubborn than she is when it comes to these things", he says uncomfortably.
"Tyrion I am your sister by law, promise me that I will leave this island alive"
When he hesitates I know my answer.
"Promise me that you will do whatever you can to get my brother and I off this island if you think she will harm us" I rephrase.
"I promise", he says without hesitating then he looks curious "What did your husband have to say about you coming here?"
I laugh a little "It was our first fight as a married couple"
"I assume that raven is mostly to tell him you're alright?" he asks and I nod.
"Yes, he was more terrified than anyone else of me coming here but after the Mad King I can understand that"
He nods silently. We both know why Jaime killed the man King, and I know he's afraid because he loves me.
"She is different isn't she?" I ask. As much as I dismissed Jaimes concerns back in Winterfell the voyage here gave me plenty of time to consider them. She has the same madness I had, the madness that some call determination. The madness I experienced for so long, wanting vengeance, wanting Winterfell and somehow I survived it. I learned long ago that when you play the game of thrones you win or you die.
I'm winning and I intend on staying that way.
"She is, she freed the slaves and killed the masters, she is unlike any king or queen Westeros has ever seen", he says and his faith in his Queen in clear. However I can still hear the small amount of doubt in his voice. He isn't the type of man to have blind faith in someone, he is smart and he will question her decisions.
"When this is over I want to be in Winterfell with Jaime and my family, alive", I say knowing that's all that matters to me now. I got my home back, that battle is over. Now I will fight to keep it. "It's all I want, my home, my husband and my family"
"Speak with her, I think you may actually like her", he suggests but I can tell something else is on his mind.
"You want to know more about Jaime don't you?" I ask and he nods.
"Is he angry?" he asks weakly and I don't have the heart to lie to him.
"Yes, he was furious", I confess and I see his face just drop "He swore that if he ever saw you again that he would kill you"
"Well", he stutters pouring himself another drink "I suppose he has every right to, I did kill our father"
"Yes you did, and rightly so but I know Jaime and as angry as he is, he would never harm you", I say truthfully, trying to ease his heart.
Jaime may be angry but he would never kill his brother.
"Is he happy?" He asks and my heart aches a little for them both.
"He is", I answer "He hated the North when he first came but it grew on him, and then we married and we are both very happy. However he's starting to look more like a wolf than a lion"
He smiles a little at that "Does he still have the golden hand?"
"Yes but I've been considering having the maester make him something more practical as a gift. I suppose him and the maester are going to become very well acquainted", I comment knowing Jaime will hate having to spend more time with the maester but I know that he wanted a hand a bit more practical than the one Cersei gave him.
He nods then horror briefly crosses his eyes as he remembers something "Rayna, you said Cersei sent an assassin?"
He doesn't know.
"Jaime barely survived, but he did and I sent the assassins head to Cersei", I tell him.
He looks more shocked than I expected "I can't believe Cersei actually tried to have Jaime killed"
"I can which is why I'm trying to make an alliance with Daenerys and not Cersei", I say then I ask "Will Daenerys want to kill Jaime?"
"Yes", he answers "I suggest having them meet when she's feeling merciful"
We talk long into the night and I write a letter to Jaime. Tyrion's assured me that while Varys will read the contents he won't reveal my relationship with Jaime to Daenerys.