The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Eighty Seven

Rayna

For the first time in a long time there is peace. We all savour it while it lasts. Within a few weeks everything as we know it shall change.
Everyone who came to fight in the Long Night has returned back to their homes. Gendry to Storms End, I decided it was best not to ask Arya what happened there, Bronn to the Dreadfort which he is lord of, and Dickon Tarly after making amends with Sam has returned to the Reach.
With everyone gone Winterfell almost seems normal again, blissful even.
I often find myself in the Godswood, after what happened in the crypts I find it hard to go down there so this is the closest place I can go.
"I still feel like an outsider coming here", Jaime says as he walks up behind me and wraps his arm around my waist, placing his hand flat on my stomach.
"You're about to have two Northern children, and you might as well be a Northerner with that beard of yours", I tease as he kisses my neck.
"I wonder if the old gods agree", he says as we look up at the weirwood tree.
"It's your gods with all the rules", I remind him as I reach back to stroke his cheek.
"I never was one for the gods", he says "I once threatened to kill the High Sparrow in the Sept of Baelor"
"Of course you did", I laugh knowing that Jaime really has little respect for those things, yet he still respects the godswood.
We stand there for a moment and then I guide his hand to a certain spot on my stomach "There, can you feel it"
I look back at him and see a look of awe and adoration on his face as he feels the babies kicking. It's soft and gentle as they are still growing but it's there. He turns me around gently to face him and gives me a long kiss that expresses his love in a way that words can't.
We stand there just holding each other not needing to say any words with such pure joy running through us. For a moment I forget about Daenerys, about Cersei and Varys and the war and all the rest. For a moment it's just us again and the world outside doesn't exist.
I savour the moment until Sansa comes holding a letter.
"I thought you might be here", she says and I can already tell it's serious.
"Is it Varys?", I ask praying it's good news.
"Yes but it's not what you think"
She hands it to me and nervously I read it.

Daenerys and her fleet were ambushed on the way to Dragonstone. Rhaegal is dead and Missandei captured. Once she names her heir then it will be time.

"Is Tyrion all right?" Jaime asks and Sansa also looks concerned for him.
"He must be", I assure Jaime "Otherwise Varys would have said something"
"She only has one dragon left and her closest friend is in Cersei's hands", Sansa says.
"She will be dead soon then, Cersei won't let her go", Jaime says with certainty "This won't end well"
Grief drives people to madness faster than anything else, I would know. I recovered from that grief induced madness and that is a path I shall never go down again. However when I wanted to take revenge I didn't have a dragon at my disposal, Daenerys does.
Brans words echo in my head 'fire and blood'.
"No it won't", I agree "But Varys will take care of it, until then we carry on"
"Carry on with what?" Sansa asks "The dead are defeated and now we just have to wait"
"No", I correct her "Now we finally get to do more than fight, we get to live"

That night Jaime, Sansa, Arya, Bran and I all sit together for dinner and I think it might just be the most at peace I've ever been.
Jaime and Sansa share stories about Tyrion with drinks in hand while I laugh at the look on Arya's face when she can feel the babies kicking in my stomach. Bran sits and watches with a warm smile on his face, little by little he is slowly becoming the boy I remembered.
"Rayna, sweetheart", Jaime says tapping me on the arm mid conversation with Sansa "Do you remember the look on Tyrion's face that time he found us together sword fighting in my room when I first came to Winterfell?"
"I was mortified", I laugh slapping him on the arm lightly "I was a stuttering mess like 'Oh lord Tyrion it's nice to meet you' while you were standing there shirtless and smirking like a cocky bastard, gods know what he thought we were doing when he walked in"
Arya starts making loud noises while blocking her ears and when I poke my tongue out at her we both burst out laughing.
"Don't you act innocent", Sansa teases her and she ducks as Arya throws a spoonful of potato her way.
"Come on", I laugh as I try to discipline them but I can't because they're both adults acting like children. However after all the shit we've endured we deserve to act like it for a night.
"I remember when Tyrion brought me a design for a saddle so I could ride", Bran says abruptly as he finally joins the conversation and his voice holds a warmth I haven't heard in a long time from him "Tyrion's a good man"
Colour comes to Sansa's cheeks and I wonder if circumstances were different if Tyrion might be sitting beside Sansa at the table.
"You know Bran I'm sure I could have Sam design you a new saddle if you'd like to go riding", I offer knowing all Bran does is sit indoors all day.
"Perhaps", he says actually smiling a little "Would someone be able to take me to my room?"
"I'll call a guard over", I begin but Jaime's already standing.
"It's alright I'll take him", he says giving me a quick kiss on the top of my head before wheeling Bran upstairs. Ever since Jaime's come here he's been trying to right his wrongs, especially with Bran. Seeing them together like this warms my heart in a way I never thought it would.
"It's nice how he's always looking out for Bran", Arya comments and Sansa and I share a look as we remember that Arya doesn't know. We will definitely keep it that way.
"Definitely", I say as Sansa stuffs her mouth with a lemon cake.
"I didn't want to say this with Jaime here", Arya begins and I start to worry "But tomorrow I'm leaving for Kings Landing to kill the queen"
Sansa and I share a confused look "Which one?"
"Cersei", Arya answers "But like we agreed on, if Varys can't get the job done with Daenerys I will, however first I'll take out Cersei"
I want to ask her if she's sure, that it's risky but Arya has faced far worse odds and lived.
"Just come home", I ask her and she takes my hand and gives me a warm smile.
"Always"

We talk and laugh late into the night until I decide it's time to head to bed, Jaime hasn't come back so I assume he's waiting for me.
Ghost follows me through the halls as I head to my room.
"Jon will be back soon okay", I say bending over to pet him. Poor boy has been miserable ever since Jon left and usually spends his time with one of us Starks.
"Arya come say goodbye to Ghost", I call down the hall and I can hear her shout out a muffled reply from her bedroom. Ghost heads to Arya's room and I head to mine where Jaime's waiting for me.
"I would have come back down but Bran stopped to talk for a little while", he says as he stokes the fire.
"It's sweet you know, being so good with Bran", I say as I take my cloak off ready for bed.
"I do owe it to him"
"I know but still it's really good to see you getting along so well with everyone", I say wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Well they are my family now", he says kissing me softly.
"You, me, Sansa, Tyrion, Arya, Bran", I smile as I guide his hands to my stomach "And little Robb and Joanna"
"Robb Stark and Joanna Lannister", he suggests as I take his hand off for him and press a kiss to his stump.
"Perfect", I smile as I kiss his lips and go to help him with his shirt until the sound of a howl interrupts us, then we hear yelling from outside.
Jaime and I go run over to the window and look down below to the courtyard to see one of the storehouses on fire.
"What the hell", I murmer as Jaime shoves his hand back on his stump.
"Stay here I'll take care of it", he says and like that he's gone. Something about this isn't right, things don't just catch on fire like that in the middle of winter.
I try to take a better look below and in the windows reflection I glimpse a figure standing mere feet behind me.
"Cersei Lannister sends her regards"

Jaime

I'm on my way down to the courtyard when I hear a voice call out to me.
"Jaime" I turn to see Bran sitting in his room with the door open when his head jerks to the roof and his eyes widen in fear "Rayna, go now!"
From above a bloodcurdling scream rings out and I'm stumbling back up the stairs to our room not daring to think of what awaits me.
"Rayna!", I roar, drawing my sword as I run down the hall that quickly I nearly trip.
"Jaime!", she screams as I hear Ghost let out a fearsome growl.
When I burst in I'm stopped in my tracks by the scene before me which is worse than anything I could have imagined. My wife lays on the ground clutching her stomach and sobbing hysterically as she bleeds out and Ghost is there covered in blood beside a man dead on the ground with his throat ripped open.
"Jaime", she chokes and I fall to her side in complete and utter shock. With a trembling hand I touch her stomach and when I pull my hand away it's covered in blood. Tears fall from her eyes as she sobs "I don't want to die like Talisa, not like Talisa"
"Someone help", I scream praying someone will hear as I clutch her hands tightly "You aren't going to die, I won't let you die"
I should have been here. I should have fucking been here.
"I want our babies to live", she cries as Ghost howls to get someone's attention while I rip the sheet off the bed and press it to her stomach to try and stop the bleeding.
She grasps my face with a bloodied hand as she cries "I don't want to die like this, I don't want our babies to die"
"Look at me", I say roughly as the blood soaks through the sheets "Sweetheart just look at me don't look at anything else"
She nods her head as she keeps her eyes on me but I can see them beginning to flutter shut.
"Look at me, you and I are the only people in this world the only ones who matter", I tell her as I press my forehead against hers trying to keep her awake.
"I love you", she breathes almost inaudible as she begins to go limp in my arms as I sit there helpless, all I can do is hold her.
"Hold on, people are coming just hold on a little longer", I beg her as she grows cold. I take her bloody hand and kiss it as I beg her to hold on.
"Jaime", she breathes as her eyes begin to close.
"Rayna", I tremble "Rayna!"
Ghost barks as people fill the room and hands grab me by the arms.
"Oh gods!", Sansa cries out.
"No, no!", I protest as I'm being pull off of her as the maester and others run to her side "She needs me!"
Not again. Not again. I can't lose her.
"You can't save her Jaime", Brienne says as she holds me back "Let the maester do his work, he can save her"
As Brienne pulls me out I take one last look at my wife and see her head fall to the side, a single tear falls from her glassy eyes as her lips soundlessly form a name.
Cersei.