Chapter 7 ~ Oathkeeper part 2 ~

Third Person Point of View: 

Jaime:

Jaime was seething, Anaris had come into their chambers with a look on concern etched on her face, Oberyn Martell was close behind but stayed by the door to make sure she'd be safe. 

Jaime wasn't angry at the Viper for keeping his wife safe he was angry because his twin sister, the woman he had once loved more than anyone else in the world had thought about killing his unborn child, his redemption and now she summoned him to her chambers like he was a dog, he clenched his fist and steadied his breath, Anaris had already scared Cersei away from her this afternoon but Jaime was not going to let this moment slide, he'd see his sister and then his father, he had to make sure that Ris had all the protection he could get her. 

He raised his hand and knocked on Cersei's door and waited, she didn't call him to enter but he did anyway not caring what she was doing in the privacy of her room, "You sent for me, Your Grace?" He asked as he closed the door, he watched as his sister sipped her wine slowly, she didn't look at him and it was a slap in the face. 

"Your Grace," she chuckled hollowly, she sat her cup on her writing desk and looked at him, there was no emotion in her face "How formal of you. How many Kingsguards are posted outside Tommen's door?" She asked and he straightened, watching her like she was about to attack at any moment. 

"Ser Boros is on duty tonight. Tomorrow I believe..." Jaime was cut off from speaking. 

"So one? You have one man guarding the future king?" She scoffed at him and looked back at her wine glass. 

"I promise you Tommen's safe. We're protecting him" Jaime said with gritted teeth, his patience was wearing thin, he didn't want to be in the room alone with his sister, he didn't trust her anymore. 

"The way you protected Joffrey?" She laughed bitterly before she stood and walked towards him, her eyes held such cold anger Jaime barely recognised her "Why did Catelyn Stark set you free?" She spat the name out through her teeth like it was a curse. 

"What?"

"I've been wondering for months. Ever since that great cow brought you and your precious little wife back to the capital" she spat the word out again and Jaime tensed, "Why did she set you free?"

"You know why, She'd hoped Anaris and I would send her daughters back to her" he thought of the last time he'd seen Catelyn, alone in the darkness of the Stark camp surrounded by men who would've killed her for releasing him and Anaris, she was crying, terrified that it would be the last time she'd see her eldest daughter, he mentality flinched at the image. 

"She hoped or did you promise?" 

"I swore by all the gods that if her daughters were alive, I'd return them to her" Jaime said after a moment, he composed himself, thinking of Anaris, in their chamber curled up with Storm on their bed. 

"So you made a sacred vow to the enemy" she scoffed and Jaime stepped to her but stopped short. 

"I wanted to get my wife and myself to safety" he glared at her as he said the words and she shrunk away for a moment but she was not a woman to back down from an argument "Should I have told her to fuck off?"

"You didn't mean it, then? You have no loyalty to Catelyn Stark?" She tried to stand taller then him but fell short by inches, he glared down at her. 

"Catelyn Stark's dead" 

"So if I told you to leave the capital right now and find Sansa, if I told you to find that murderous little bitch and bring me her head, would you do it?" She growled out, her hatred was seeping from her pores, her eyes as cold as a winters storm, but Jaime couldn't answer, after they'd come back to the Capital Sansa had spent the vast majority of her time with Anaris, he'd come to like the girl, she was intelligent enough and she was very happy to just sit with his wife and enjoy the sunshine, he couldn't bring Sansa back to his sister, he couldn't even imagine Sansa had been the one to kill Joffery. 

"I know you went to see Tyrion" Cersei was still talking "I know that little wife of yours went to see him before you did" she glared at him "That creature who murdered our son" 

"I had to see him, I had to know for myself, Anaris was the same, she had to know" he defended his actions but she wasn't buying his reasons. 

"And?" She prompted him to continue and he knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. 

"He didn't do it, Cersei" 

“You've always pitied him" she shouted, her rage boiling over "Our poor little brother. Abused by the world. Despised by his father and sister" she scoffed and turned her back on Jaime, "He'd kill us all if he could. I want four men at Tommen's door day and night. That will be all, Lord Commander" she dismissed him and he left without another word, that woman who was in that chamber wasn't his sister, that was someone completely different, a stranger with madness in her eyes. 

— — — — —

Jaime stopped at the door, his father was still in the room, he could hear the older man muttering curses at whatever he was concerned about, taking a breath he knocked on the door and waited.

"Enter" Tywin called, the man didn't have to speak loudly for his voice to travel, the power he had was enough to make any man jump into action so jaime wasn't surprised that when he entered his fathers rooms that the older Lannister didn't so much as look up when he entered and closed the door. 

"Father, I have news" Tywin looked up as Jaime neared but it was only a moment before he was back to writing whatever had captivated his attention "Anaris is with child" he said his voice was clear but he felt like the small child he'd been when he'd struggled to learn to read and write, his words gave Tywin pause but the man didn't look up. 

"Hmm" he grumbled as if it was not the thing he'd been thinking about for years, the continuation of their family name so it could go on in history "and when did you and your wife find this out?" Tywin asked finally looking up from what he was doing. 

"The day Joffery died" Jaime tried not to shuffle his feet uncontrollably, "we thought it better to wait than to take away the importance of Joffery's life"

"Hmm, how thoughtful of you both" his father said in a monotone voice that spoke of him being done with the conversation. 

"That's all, I just thought you'd want to hear it from me than anyone else" he went to turn but stopped "Cersei threatened Anaris' life and the life of our child this afternoon," he looked at his father over his shoulder and witnessed the surprise on the man's face "I'm going to put more Lannister guards on Anaris, ones that will not let Cersei order them out of the way" Tywin nodded. 

"Fine idea" Jaime nodded in response and left his father, he didn't care about what Cersei would be whispering into his fathers ear now, Tywin knew what had happened and he wouldn't let Anaris die because that meant the death of their family line. 

~~

Anaris' POV:

I stood back and watched as Brienne thumbed through the History of the Kingsguard book, she read a few entries but stopped when she found Jaime's entry, "Ser Jaime Lannister. Knighted and named to the Kingsguard in his 16th year. At the sack of King's Landing, murdered his king Aerys II. Pardoned by Robert Baratheon. Thereafter known as the Kingslayer. The only Kingsguard to ever take a wife" Brienne looked up and I winked at her my hand on my belly. 

"It's the duty of the Lord Commander to fill those pages" Jaime told her making me smile, he hated that there wasn't much on his page "And there's still room left on mine" he gestured to me, I picked up the sword that was on display and handed it carefully to Brienne who's eyes went wide when she realised what she was holding. 

"Valyrian steel" she mumbled as the blade gleamed at her, I had polished the sword to a perfect lustre, for a moment I could imagine the original blade and how it felt in my hands as I tried to wield it. 

"Mmm" Jaime mumbled, he came past me and pressed a kiss to my lips as he looked to our friend who was standing stockstill with a look of pure astonishment on her face "It's yours"

"I can't accept this" she thrust the sword back at us, her eyes wide and her head shaking, the look she gave me caused me to laugh loudly. 

"It was reforged from my family's sword" I told her holding my own dagger out to show her that I also had a piece of Ice "You'll use it to defend my sister, You swore an oath to return the my sisters to our mother" I told her gently and I put my dagger away. 

"Lady Stark's dead. Arya's probably dead, too," I shot jaime a look at his words making him shrug, hope for the youngest of my sisters was dwindling but I still had a feeling that she was alive, she wasn't close but she was alive "but there's still a chance to find Sansa and get her somewhere safe," Jaime stepped away from me and to the amour stand that was covered by a thin cloth "we've got something else for you" he removed the cloth to reveal a suit of armour made specifically for Brienne. 

"I hope I got your measurements right" I said to her as she slowly walked to the amour and touched the shoulder, she didn't let go of the sword, she looked at Jaime and then i with tears in her eyes. 

"I'll find her. For Lady Catelyn. And for you, M'lady" she looked to Jaime who just smiled at her "and for you Ser Jaime"

"I almost forgot," Jaime grinned "I have one more gift, get dressed" he took my hand and his Squire Llewyn stepped into the room to help Brienne into her armour. 

— — — — —

Podrick beamed next to Jaime as Brienne paced in front of me, I suppressed a laugh as she seethed, she didn't want Podrick but with him grinning like a small child it was hard to say no, Bronn stood with the horses just behind Jaime and Pod, he was looking about as amused as I was at what was happening.

"I don't need a squire," she told me making me laugh a little bit louder, I stepped to her and put my hands on her hulking shoulders to stop her from pacing.

"Of course you do" Jaime told her and she turned to glare at him making me chuckle. 

"He'll slow me down" she said through gritted teeth. 

"My good brother owes him a debt," I told her bringing her attention back to me once more "He's not safe here. You're keeping him from harm. It's chivalry"

"I won't slow you down, ser..." he gulped loudly when she sent him a look that was not friendly "my lady. I promise I'll serve you well," 

"See? He's a good lad. You'll get along" I let go of her shoulders and walked over to Bronn and Podrick as the sellsword gave Podrick a wrapped gift. 

"Compliments of Lord Tyrion. His axe from the Blackwater" Pod's eyes teared up as Bronn thrust the axe into his hand and the younger man looked up at him sadly. 

"What are you waiting for, a kiss?" Bronn joked making Podrick jump and shake his head. 

"Well certainly not one from your ugly mug" I said as I gently tapped Bronn's scraggly face with a grin before turning my attention to Podrick, "remember, what I told you in my chambers this morning" he nodded. 

"If anyone causes trouble show them your seal and a letter" I nodded and kissed Podrick's cheek gently, as I hugged him tightly "I won't fail you M'lady" 

"I know you won't" I let go of the squire and nodded to the horses that were standing behind him "Ready the lady's horse" Bronn followed Pod as I went back to Jaime who wrapped his arm around my shoulder. 

"They say the best swords have names," Jaime said to Brienne who was still looking uncomfortable in her armour, it fitted her well but she wasn't used to the extravagance of it. 

"Any ideas?" I asked her as she touched the pommel of the sword where a lions head with rubies sat and rubbed the gold gently. 

"Oathkeeper" she said quietly, I smiled and stepped close to her and hugged her large form to mine. 

"Don't look back" I told her echoing the words Rob said when I left Winterfell for the last time "it'll make it harder to leave" she nodded stiffly and turned to Jaime. 

"Good-bye, Brienne" he kissed her cheek and she left without another word, Jaime, Bronn and I stood together in silence as they rode away from the hell that was the Capital and hopefully they'd find my sisters.