CHAPTER 5 | QUICK DEATHS

CERSEI listened to the war shake the outside of her castle, like rain falling on a roof. The ground moved and the ceiling crumbled, but she paid no mind. She swirled around the wine in her glass, allowing her mind to revert to memories of Jaime. She missed him so.

She looked to little Sansa, who sat beside her, terrified of their future. The battle raging outside wouldn't be much longer, but surely the girl could stop being such a worry wart. It was becoming annoying.

Cersei sighed, remembering her days of youth. "You know," she said, looking to Sansa, "When we were young, Jaime and I, we looked so much alike. Even our father couldn't tell us apart. I could never understand why they treated us differently."

She stared at the fire growing in the room's hearth. She bit her lip at the memories, feeling odd under Sansa's gaze. "Jaime was taught to fight with sword and lance and mace, and I was taught to smile and sing and please." Cersei laughed, taking a sip of wine. "He was heir to Casterly Rock and I was sold to some stranger, like a horse to be ridden whenever he desired."

Sansa's brow furrowed. "You were Robert's Queen."

"And you will be Joffrey's," Cersei added. "Enjoy, because we all want things that will hurt us."

Another strike caused the roof to shake. Cersei sighed. Jaime couldn't return soon enough.

•••

The first time Laila had seen the King's Court was when they visited Winterfell. She remembered standing in the back, watching their horses ride in from afar. She watched the Starks' faces twist and churn at the sight of Robert Baratheon and his family. Laila remembered being confused, because she was amazed at the wealth and distinct clothing they wore. They were all ... beautiful. Well, for the exception of Robert. He had certainly aged and added a couple pounds. But all the Lannisters – they had a diverse quality about them that made them lovelier than most.

Laila had stood on the battlements of Winterfell, hiding herself behind a structure as she watched the King's Court ride in. She had duties to attend to, but she wanted to watch. She remembered the way Jaime Lannister had rode in, looking like the prince you read about in bedtime stories. He took off his helmet with such grace, shaking his hair out. Laila had thought he was beautiful too.

But, at this moment, as Brienne docked their small boat on the rocky shores of an unknown land, Laila thought Jaime Lannister was far from beautiful. She had to hoist his body out of the boat while Brienne brought it onto shore, but Laila ended up tripping on a large rock, and then there was Jaime, falling from her arms and into the mud. He groaned as his face hit the wet dirt, and all Laila could do was chuckle.

"Oops," she mumbled, lifting him up again by his shackles.

Once he stood, she tried wiping away the mud from his face, but he pushed her away. "'Oops?' You throw me to the ground, and all you can say is, 'Oops?'"

Laila shrugged. "I thought it was funny," she joked before beginning her trek across the shore. She didn't mind the ends of her dress getting wet one bit, but Jaime seemed to be complaining about his rags.

Brienne attached the chain to his shackles once again, but not before Jaime could ask, "You're a virgin, I take it?"

"Walk," Brienne ordered, shoving him ahead to follow Laila.

Jaime grinned, turning to look at his front. "What about you, Lady Laila? No boys partook in fucking a Ryswell?"

Laila rolled her eyes and decided not to answer.

"Childhood must have been awful for you two." Jaime observed with a sigh. "What with you – a Ryswell – losing all your fortune because your father probably married a whore. And you –" he glanced to Brienne "– were you a foot taller than all the boys? They laughed at you, called you names? Some boys like a challenge. One or two must have tried to get inside big Brienne."

Laila looked over her shoulder at the Lannister. "Do you – perhaps – ever stop talking?"

Jaime frowned while Brienne replied, "One or two tried."

"Ah, but you fought them off." The Kingslayer predicted with a hint of a smile. "But maybe you wished one of them could overpower you, fling you down, tear off your clothes. But none of them were strong enough. I'm strong enough."

"Not interested."

Laila sighed. "You know," she stated, "when I agreed to this, I didn't know I'd have to listen to some cunt spew shit from his mouth."

"Of course, you'd be interested, Laila." Jaime said, lifting a hand as far as he could. "You know you'd love the feel of a man running his hands through your hair. Have you even been touched –" he looked her down thoroughly "– down there?"

Laila finally turned, putting her hands on her hips. "As if I'd ever lie with you, Kingslayer. I'd rather starve."

"Oh, come on. You'd love to know what it feels like to be a woman."

"With you?" She lofted a brow, walking backwards. "I'll pass. You Lannister lions are nothing but sinners."

Walking backwards was probably a mistake, because as Laila ranted to the grueling Lannister in front of her, she suddenly felt the back of her head hit something hard. She yelped, and began to rub the back of her head. "What was –?"

Laila looked up, immediately sprinting away at the sight of three female corpses hung up in a tree. She screamed, but it was soon stopped by Brienne's hand over her mouth. The lady knight was glaring at her, muttering, "Be quiet."

She nodded, and Brienne slowly removed her hand. Laila glanced back at the corpses, noticing a sign was hung from one of their chests. It was a wooden board with letters carved into it.

"Ah," Jaime nodded, "'They lay with lions.' Tavern girls, I'd say. Probably served my father's soldiers. Maybe one of them gave up a kiss and a feel. That's how they earned this." He commented sinisterly as Laila led them forward. "The glorious work of the Northern freedom fighters. Must make you both proud to serve the Starks."

"I don't serve the Starks." Brienne argued back. "I serve Lady Catelyn."

Jaime laughed softly. "Tell yourself that tonight when they swing in your dreams."

Laila rolled her eyes. "I serve the Starks, and I have no problem in admitting that." She lifted her head, viewing at the bodies again. "They don't mean to do things like this. I've served the Starks for more than ten years of my life. They're good people."

Jaime only laughed again, causing Laila to scowl his way. Brienne handed Laila his chain, and shoved them both to the side. Laila opened her mouth to speak, but she was struck with confusion. Jaime balanced between both of his legs and she yanked his chain again. "What are you doing?" Laila asked.

"Burying them."

Jaime shook his head. "We shouldn't stay here. We should get back on the river. I think these women would understand if –"

"I don't care what you think."

Just as Brienne was going to climb the tree to remove the corpses, they started to hear men up ahead. Laila's eyes went wide, and she looked to Jaime, who was fidgeting. "Let me go," he whispered loudly. "I can fight."

But then, the men were there, staring at Brienne in the middle of the clearing, and then at Laila, holding Jaime Lannister by a heavy chain. They were dressed in Stark armor, she realized. Although, that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. She gulped hard.

"Whoa!" The man leading his group yelled. "What's your business here?"

Brienne narrowed her eyes. "Traveling a prisoner with my ... squire." Laila's teeth grit at the lie. She certainly did not look like a squire.

The men broke out into a laughter, so loud that they couldn't control themselves. "You're a woman!" They chortled, and then glanced to Laila. "Another woman!"

Laila frowned, but Jaime stood motionless. "Excuse me –"

Brienne exhaled angrily. "If you've quite finished up –"

They didn't stop. In fact, their laughter got even louder.

"Alright, we'll be going."

"Whoa, whoa," the leader shouted again, halting Brienne's words. "Who do you fight for?"

Brienne took Jaime's chain away from Laila, who now instinctively pulled out her dagger from inside her cloak. "The Starks," Brienne answered.

"What did he do?"

Jaime went along with the lie. "Apparently, eating is now a crime. Who knew?"

"No," Laila replied, her voice feeling choked up, "stealing is your crime."

"But it's not a crime to starve!" Jaime spat. "That's justice for you."

The group of men looked at each other. "Where are you taking him?"

"To Riverrun," Laila lied, not thinking before she spoke.

"Why Riverrun?"

Brienne's hand holding the chain fell limp. "Steal from the Tullys, it's their dungeons you rot in."

"Why not kill him?"

"For stealing a pig?" Jaime scoffed.

Brienne shrugged. "I don't give the orders. He must be important to someone."

"Sending him with you? How important could he be?" The leader asked, but Brienne had no answer. "Alright, have it your way, m'lady."

One of the men, a blonde, approached Jaime with a confused expression. "Do I know you?"

Laila felt her hands grow sweaty, causing the dagger to almost slip away.

Jaime lifted his head. "Have you ever been to Ashemark?"

"No."

"Then you don't know me."

The blonde was still skeptical. "Do you ever go to the river market at Salt Rock?"

"Is it near Ashemark?"

"No."

Jaime shook his head. "I've never been there."

Brienne nodded her head curtly, trying to pass the men, but they wouldn't move. They casted their eyes on Laila. "You've got quite a beauty for a ... squire, m'lady." The leader tried reaching out to touch Laila's cheek, but she moved away quickly. He then gestured to the bodies hanging up in the tree. "What do you think of these beauties?"

Laila's vision went upward to the corpses. She swallowed hard. "Did you give them quick deaths?"

"Two of them we did, yeah."

Brienne moved past the men, with Laila tagging behind. She noticed one of the men was staring, and she thought they were out of the clear. Until he shouted, "Wait!" They turned; it was the blonde who spoke. "I do know you."

Laila had the dagger gripped tightly in her fingers. She had never used it before. She never thought she'd have to.

"That's Jaime Lannister!" The blonde confirmed, his hair blowing along with the leaves in the wind.

Jaime chuckled. "I wish someone had told me. I wouldn't have had to steal that pig."

Brienne scoffed. "If this is the Kingslayer, I think I'd know about it."

"How do you know what the Kingslayer looks like?" The leader asked.

"I was at Whispering Wood!" The blonde pointed. "I saw him. They dragged him out of the woods and threw him down before the King."

"He's not the Kingslayer. Sorry to disappoint you." Brienne frowned, trying to move forward. "If he was, I'd only be traveling his head."

The leader thrust his hand out. "I have a question for you three, and I want you to answer it at the same time. I count to three, you all answer." He ordered, to which the three looked at each other. "What's his name? One. Two. Three –"

Brienne pushed Jaime to the ground, unsheathing her sword and knocking one of the men right in the face. Her sword went through his gut seconds later. The blonde man then grabbed Laila, holding her in a choke-hold. Laila flailed her arms as Brienne fought against their leader. Her dagger was going to slip from her hands. She just needed to –

She felt the man's breath of her ear. She shivered. "I'm going to be inside you tonight," he whispered hungrily.

Laila's eyes went wide. She tried wiggling out, but he had her secure. Her arms were free, though. She needed to use the dagger, but how? She flapped her arms again and lifted them up, and before she knew it, her instinct told her what to do.

She stabbed the blonde man in the eye five times.

He immediately let go of her, and began to flail her arms the same way she did. He fell to the dirt as blood pour out of one eye. He grabbed for her skirt, yanking on it to bring her back as she tried to run. Laila stomped her foot into his face until he eventually stopped moving.

She felt sweat coat her brow. After a long while, Laila plucked her dirty dagger from the man's eye. She held it in between her two fingers, and then screamed. "Gods!" She breathed heavily. "I just –"

"Killed a man," Brienne sighed. "Nothing new."

As Laila cleaned off her dagger on her skirt, she looked to the lady knight, who was placing her sword in her sheath once again. They then viewed to Jaime, who walked up to the blonde man's corpse and kicked it. He grinned, feeling impressed.

"Those were Stark men," he mumbled.

"I don't serve the Starks." Brienne muttered through heavy breaths. "I serve Lady Catelyn. I told her I'd take you to King's Landing, and that's what I'm going to do."

Jaime glanced to Laila, who's hands still shook with worry. She tried to hide them in her cloak. "He threatened to rape me," she whispered, her voice staggering. "I've never done that before."

Brienne handed Laila the chain again, despite her anxiety. "Now, you two stay," she ordered. "I'm going to bury the bodies."

END OF BOOK I