83The Chronicles of Valyria,
Book 1 Resurrection
Chapter 38
City of New Ghis, capital of the Ghiscari Empire.
It had taken them days to get to New Ghis, even on the back of the Wyvern, which Jaime still thought only to be a weak imitation of the real dragons he had seen. When they had arrived, guards had immediately brought him, Cersei, and their father, to the Emperor.
They were brought to a grand hall of sand-colored marble. The Emperor was seated on a throne made of solid gold, placed on a raised dais of white marble, and shaped like a Harpy. The wings were the armrests and the seat was formed by the lap, leaving the Harpy's torso as the backrest while the head looked down intimidating on all who stood before the throne.
The emperor, who was only to be addressed as, His Imperial Majesty, had taken one look at Cersei in her dirty and torn dress and had given a single command in Ghiscari, a language Jaime himself did not speak. Two men armored in brown leather and wearing spiked caps stepped forward and grabbed Cersei by her arms, while a third stepped forward with a knife.
Jamie's first instinct was to protect his sister, but Tywin grabbed his shoulders and pinned him in place as he hissed. "Don't interfere." Jamie was forced to watch helplessly as the third guard cut open Cersei's dress and smallclothes, leaving her as naked as the day they had been born.
The Emperor looked down with obvious lust in his eyes as Cersei's flawless body was revealed to him, the body Jamie knew so well. Her long golden silky tresses, the emerald eyes he could drown in, her fair skin, her slender and graceful figure, her perfect breasts with their perky pink nipples, and the soft golden hair crowning her womanhood.
The Emperor nodded in approval and snapped his fingers. A young woman stepped forward and Jaime looked his eyes out as he saw her. She was obviously a slave as was evident by the thick leather collar she wore, but what stood out most to Jaime was her appearance. She was bare chested, with her upper body being oiled to a gleam and her black hair was combed thusly that it covered the cloth-of-gold blindfold that covered her eyes. A two foot long golden chain had been attached to the large golden ring that had been placed in the middle of her nose. The other end of the chain was attached to a second golden ring that had been pierced through the upper side of her navel, causing it to swing enticingly between her small breasts.
Jaime would later learn that the chain and blindfold were the common attire of all those who were the personal property of the Emperor. The chain symbolized their servitude and could be used to inflict horrible pain on them if the Emperor commanded it. And finally the blindfold was worn because a mere slave was unworthy to look upon the Emperor's face. They were specially woven making them loose enough to allow the slave to see the general surroundings, but close enough to prevent them from seeing anyone's face.
The lack of upper-body clothing was a general rule in all of Ghiscar for all slaves both men and women. Only freemen were allowed to cover their upper bodies, as it was held as a privilege to cover the entire body from the eyes of others.
When the Emperor spoke again the woman began translating his words for Jaime and his father.
"His Imperial Majesty says that he is pleased with the beauty of your daughter Lord Tywin. She is all you have promised and the wedding will take place in five moons time, after there is no doubt about your daughter possibly being pregnant with another man's child."
Before either Tywin or Jaime could say anything, the three guards around Cersei escorted her out of the hall, ignoring her attempts to break free and her screams for her father and brother to help her. Tywin's hand still held Jaime in place so he was unable to help his twin as she was pulled out of his life for good.
The Emperor spoke again and the slave began her translations again. "Chambers have been prepared for you and your heir, Lord Tywin, while your daughter will be taken to the Emperor's harem at once. there she will be bathed and dressed before being introduced to the other women of the Emperor's harem.
The Emperor will give you the day of tomorrow to settle in, but the day after tomorrow the Emperor will expect you to present yourself in this hall at exactly two hours after dawn to be officially appointed as the Emperor's Right Hand. That day you shall also be introduced to the members of the court, and receive the emblems of your office."
The Emperor then waved his hand as a way of dismissal and Tywin bowed deeply, forcing Jaime to do the same. The woman spoke again saying, "If you follow this unworthy servant, she will show you to your rooms and will answer any questions you might have." She then walked forward until she stood next to Tywin, bowed, and then said softly, "Please follow this one's example to prevent any unintentional insult from being given."
She bowed deeply in the direction of the Emperor before walking backwards three steps and then bowing again before turning around and leading them out of the hall. Jaime's thoughts were dark as he thought about how his sister had been treated and he decided then and there that the Emperor was an utterly dislikeable person.
Tywin was brought to his rooms first, a lavish apartment next to the office he would be using as the Emperor's Right Hand. The double doors were made of Goldenheart wood from the Summer Islands and laid in with ivory and onyx. As Tywin went to open the doors, he turned around and said to Jaime, "I expect you to behave as befits my son and heir. Until the rest of our family arrives you'll be on your own, so stay out of trouble. You can do as you wish but remember that you are a Lannister." His father then marched into the rooms and closed the doors behind him without a second glance at Jaime.
The slave woman turned to Jaime then and said, "If you would follow this one, she will show you to your rooms my Lord." Jaime motioned for her to go on and he followed after her. They walked a fair while, going to an entirely different wing of the palace and up several stairs until she stopped at the top of a tower, at a door of red painted wood decorated with a freshly painted golden lion.
"These rooms are yours My Lord, the door can be locked and keys are hung on the inside of the door. Two slaves are waiting for you inside, they have been assigned to your personal use. The male will teach you the Ghiscari tongue, culture and history, and help you find your way around the palace and city. The female will keep your rooms clean, bring you your meals and anything else you might require. She will also warm your bed, wash you, and provide any and all sexual services if you should wish them." With that the woman bowed and left, leaving behind a bewildered and confused Jaime.
After a minute Jaime just shook his head and entered the room, closing the door behind him. When he looked around the room, he immediately noticed the two figures kneeling on the floor between the door and the simple wooden table.
Both were darker skinned than he himself, the man was bald with copper skin, and the woman was black haired with a smooth olive skin. Both looked about the same age as Jaime but it was difficult to see with their faces pressed against the rug covering the floor.
Feeling a bit awkward about how to address slaves, Jamie just decided to treat them as he did the servants at Casterly rock. "Get up and tell me your names."
Both immediately stood up and he could see that the man looked, like Jaime had been told the dothraki looked, with almond-shaped eyes that were almost black, and a sharp nose. The woman was probably from somewhere on the Rhoyne with her olive skin tone, black hair and dark eyes.
As all the slaves he had seen so far, both were bare chested and Rogo had a crescent shaped scar that ran from his left collarbone to his right armpit. Mara's skin was unblemished and her modest teardrop-shaped breasts looked very enticing as he realized he could order her to do anything he wanted. When Mara answered his question though, he quickly averted his eyes and mentally scolded himself for allowing his mind to think of the poor woman as nothing but an object for his lust.
"This one's name is Mara, my Lord." The woman said with her head lowered, which was fortunate for Jaime as it gave him the time to get rid of the blush he felt on his cheeks.
The man added with his head in a similar position, "This one's name is Rogo, my Lord."
Already feeling a gloomy mood in the room, Jamie sighed before addressing the two before him. "Okay, ground rule, when you speak to me, I want you to look at me, none of this head-hanging, understood?"
When they both looked him in the eyes and said in Unison, "Yes My Lord." He nodded in satisfaction and went on,
"Good, now tell me, where do I sleep, where do I eat, and where can I get a bath as I haven't washed in almost six weeks."
It was Rogo who replied whilst pointing at one of the doors, "Your bedroom is through that door My Lord, these two sleep here, on the floor." He pointed to two thin mats of woven grass that lay before the hearth in what Jaime now realized was the dining room of his multi-room apartment.
Mara took over then and said, "My Lord can take his meals wherever he pleases, this one will bring your meals wherever you wish. These two will eat in the kitchen after you are done."
Jaime nodded silently and left them where they stood as he went to look around his new rooms. First was the bedroom, a bright room with two glass-paneled doors that led to a balcony with a view of the city. The large bed had a canopy of red velvet and golden filigree decorated the wooden headboard. Clearly someone had gone overboard with decorating this room in his House colors.
Next was a small study with a desk and several bookcases filled with books and scrolls. A pair of large windows supplied light and a candelabra filled with candles hung from the ceiling.
The last door led to a small bathroom with a wooden tub, a privy and a small table with a washing basin.
Turning back to the two people before him he ordered. "Fill me up a bath and have some clean clothes ready for when I'm done." As they did as he said, Jaime sank down in a chair and muttered softly to himself, "I fucking hate this city."
XXX
Jamie was having a really, really, really bad day. They had arrived in Ghiscar a few weeks before, and so far he had seen his father exactly once, and his sister not at all since they were parted on arrival. He missed her, he missed her so much he couldn't find the words to describe it. They were one, just as she had always said, they were one soul in two bodies, and now she was gone.
Everything was just so fucked up all of a sudden, first with the war, then his father lied to him leading to him betraying almost everything that meant something to him. Then his capture and introduction to the dragon, followed by their imprisonment. When they were broken out he had thought that everything would soon be better, that he and Cersei could be together again, just like she had always said they should be.
But it was not to be. When he had tried to visit his sister he had been denied entrance to the harem and he was told in no unclear words, that if he was ever caught inside the building, he would be killed on sight.
So here he was, dressed in a simple red tunic with small wine stains on one of the sleeves, wandering aimlessly through the palace halls with Rogo following him as an ever present shadow. Jaime held a wineskin and Rogo was carrying a back-up, as he had taken to drinking heavily to try to drown the sorrows he had since arriving in this place.
They were currently walking through a hallway Jaime had never been to before, not that that was saying anything as the palace was immense. It was not so much a palace, as a separate city within a city consisting of nearly a dozen buildings within a large walled-off area. So far he had counted no less than 300 different rooms, not including bedrooms.
When they came to a large double door of light brown wood, Jaime looked up and inspected it, finding each door decorated with a large figure of a dancing buxom woman made out of sheet-gold. "What is this place Rogo?" Jaime asked his faithful shadow.
"This is the palace's Hall of Pleasures, my Lord. The palace's pleasure slaves live and work here. Perhaps my lord would like to visit, if it is not too forward of this one, but my Lord looks like he could use some distraction."
Jaime let out a low chuckle at that, as he had been trying to get both Rogo and Mara to be a bit less downtrodden and depressing all the time. "Very well Rogo, you have convinced me, let us go in then." Pushing open the doors, Jaime entered the hall and was immediately struck by the beauty all around him.
The hall was made of a soft, reddish-brown marble and beautifully decorated with carpets, tapestries and statues. Large vases from Yi Ti filled with fragrant plants and flowers where scattered around the hall and stood beside each of the many doors leading to small side rooms. Upon closer inspection, Jaime blushed when he realized that all of the decorations had to do with nude, or scantily clad men and women engaged in various carnal activities.
So engrossed was he with the hall itself, that he at first failed to notice its occupants. Dozens of naked or topless women were dancing, singing, making music or seducing the few richly dressed men that wandered through the hall. Now noticing a soft pressure in his pants, Jaime tried to hide his embarrassment at first, until he realized that there was no need for it. His father was the Emperor's Right Hand, and he could do as he liked.
Starting to walk through the hall, they were soon intercepted by a tall and rather fat, man, dressed in a richly decorated pink tokar. His bald head was oiled and his nose and ears were richly decorated by bejeweled golden rings. His neck, arms and fingers were likewise decorated with gold and jewels.
The man was almost a head taller than Jaime and looked down on him with a look of disdain on his face before saying something in Ghiscari in his curiously high-pitched voice. Turning to Rogo, Jaime waited for the man to translate.
"The honorable Master says that he is the overseer of the Hall of Pleasures and asks whether we are lost, since he thinks we are not supposed to be here."
Getting a little vindictive sneer on his face Jaime replied to Rogo, "Tel the 'honorable Master' that I am the son and heir of Tywin Lannister, Right Hand to His Imperial Majesty, and that I would like to see what pleasures he has to offer to someone of my standing."
Rogo immediately did as ordered and Jaime enjoyed seeing the overseer's face fall from haughty disdain to groveling subservience. Talking again, but this time in a heavily accented variant of the common tongue the man said, "Please forgive this humble eunuch my Lord, it would be my honor to show you around and provide you with every pleasure we can provide here."
"Good," Jaime said with a small smirk on his face and the eunuch proceeded to show him around. It was obvious to Jaime that the eunuch tried to impress him with the many forms of pleasure they could provide for him, so Jaime made it a game for himself to show as little reaction as he could. Unconsciously he measured all of the women he saw against Cersei, and with satisfaction he noticed that none of them came even close to the divine beauty that was his twin.
Growing a bit desperate at Jaime's outward lack of reaction, the eunuch asked, "Perhaps if my Lord could tell me what his tastes are, then I could be of better service to him, this humble servant would be more than happy to go the markets and procure one or more slaves of his preference."
Just as Jaime was about to begin his description of the ideal woman, who just so happened to be his sister, he was struck speechless by the vision that approached them. She was a bit older than him, but shorter, with light golden hair that hung in soft waves to her knees. Her face was pretty with beautiful blue eyes, a cute small nose and rosy cheeks. Her lips were painted dark red and she carried a self-assured, if careful, smile that showed a hint of ivory white, perfect teeth.
A skirt of near translucent red silk was draped over her shapely hips and a series of fine golden chains where draped across her chest and belly. One hung over her hips, attached to a simple golden ring in her bellybutton. A second chain went through the ring and up to below her large breasts, where they split to surround both breasts and finally over her shoulders and disappearing beneath her hair. Attached to each upper part of the chain were seven smaller chains with small pieces of translucent red silk between them which covered her breasts.
Unable to utter a single word, Jaime had suddenly forgotten all longing for his sister, only to have them replaced by a longing for the vision of perfection that had appeared out of nowhere.
The eunuch had not noticed his reaction at first, instead turning to the young woman and saying in common, "Ahh Adrianna, what brings you here? Is there a problem?"
The now named Adrianna shook her head and replied, "No my Lord, not a problem, but I noticed a small discrepancy in the books, it would seem that several of our noble visitors are behind on their payments, including the honorable Vordaq, one of the younger brothers of His Imperial Majesty."
"I will look into it my dear," the eunuch replied with a concerned look on his face before turning to Jaime. Upon seeing his look, which was still focused of Adrianna, the overseer's expression turned to one that was both overjoyed and a bit hesitant.
Clearing his throat, the eunuch said softly to Jaime, "My Lord, I am overjoyed to see that you have found one you like, but I must warn you, Adrianna is one of the favorite servants of His Imperial Majesty, and touching her is forbidden to any other man. You may walk and talk with her, but not more, if you should want to though, you will have to ask His Imperial Majesty for permission."
XXX
Jaime would never forget the following weeks he spent with Adrianna, despite not being allowed to touch her, he spent almost every hour he could in her company. She was smart, funny, and very charming. But most of all, she was someone he could tell his troubles to and not having them ignored or dismissed.
To Jaime's utter joy, Adrianna slowly opened up to him as well and told him about her life before she had become a slave.
She had been born in Saltpans, a small harbor town in the Bay of Crabs in the Riverlands. Her father was a salt merchant with a ship of his own, so she was raised by her mother and her mother's brother, until her mother had died of a sickness when she was 7. After that, her father had sold their house in Saltpans and his old cog and used that money and his savings to buy a new carrack from the shipwrights of Braavos. Ever since that day, both Adrianna and her uncle had traveled with her father on his journeys.
Her father and uncle had taught her to read and write, and how to do numbers, and eventually she had become her father's right hand, keeping the business ledgers for him and writing down the cargo manifests after loading.
For years they had been happy, sailing from Lannisport to Qarth and every port in between, until that fateful day in the Stepstones, now almost eighteen months ago. They had been sailing to King's Landing from Volantis with a cargo of silk and spices from the Jade Sea when their ship was beset by pirates in the middle of the night.
Her father had been killed in the fight, along with a good part of the crew. She and her uncle had been taken captive, her because of her beauty, and her uncle because he was an anointed knight and the pirates thought that he might fetch a ransom.
She had been sold to a passing Ghiscari galley a few weeks later and had never seen her uncle again. She had been brought to New Ghis and given to the emperor's palace as a tribute by the captain of the galley. She had been made one of the palace's pleasure slaves, but thanks to her beauty, and the fact that she was still a virgin, she had been spared the common men and saved for an important someone.
Once the overseer of the pleasure slaves had learned about her talents with numbers and ledgers, he had put her onto keeping the books for him. So fortunately for her, she had been kept apart from the other pleasure slaves and not yet been touched by a man when he met her.
After two months of friendship, Jaime admitted to Adrianna that he felt something for her, which he had never felt before, not even when he was with his sister. Upon hearing this Adrianna was shocked at first, but instead of being disgusted with him, she asked what he meant and listened as he explained.
In hindsight it now seemed so obvious to Jaime. Cersei had used him all those years, ever since they were children still sleeping in the same bed. All those things she had made him do to her, telling him that they were normal for twins, as they were one soul in two bodies.
It had been Adrianna who told him that what Cersei had made him do was no less than rape and emotional blackmailing. Cersei had used his brotherly love for her and twisted it into something foul and evil. Jaime had felt sick and had even thrown up when he realized that he had given his virginity to someone who had done nothing but rape and abuse him emotionally and mentally since she was old enough to feel the pleasure that he could give her.
When he had thrown up everything he had in his stomach, he had begun to rage, drawing his sword and hacking into the nearest table, turning the expensive ebony into splinters. When his rage was gone he had dropped his sword and started hitting a wall with his bare hands and cried, he had cried every tear he had in him until he felt a pair of soft arms encircle him from behind and the voice of Adrianna who had said, "Shhhs, it's all right Jaime, it is not your fault. She used and deceived you with lies and manipulations, but she can't hurt you anymore. She is locked up in the Harem and you are save now."
Acting purely on instinct, Jaime had turned around in her arms and pressed his lips against hers. After a split second of shock, Adrianna had given in and kissed him back. It was not in the possessive way Cersei had always done, instead Adrianna's kiss had been gentle, tender almost and filled with mutual affection. It had lasted for almost a minute until Rogo had entered the room and cried in shock, "My Lord! No. She belongs to the Emperor, it is forbidden." They quickly released the other then, both blushing and unable to see the other in the eye.
Rogo quickly made sure that no one else had seen them and afterwards he had removed the ruined table and burned the pieces in a nearby fireplace, saying that none would miss the table if there were no remains of it. Adrianna left shortly after and Jaime didn't see her for a week.
When he next saw her, she came to his room and they talked for a long while. She admitted to him that she had feelings for him as well but that she would not risk his live by allowing herself to fall in love with him. She left shortly after, telling Jaime that he should try to forget her as they could not be together.
XXX
For the next few weeks Jaime fell back into the darkness of depression that Adrianna had pulled him out of and he and Rogo spend a lot of time in the training yard. One morning he noticed a significant increase in the number of men that gathered there for training, all of whom were speaking excitedly with each other and he asked, "Rogo, do you know why there are suddenly so many of them?"
Rogo shook his head at that and said, "No my Lord, but I shall go ask the servants." He immediately did as he said, and approached some of the other slaves that were trailing the newly arrived. After a few minutes he returned and said, "Last night the Emperor announced the main event of the upcoming Founding Festival, which is a week of celebration in honor of Grazdan the Great and his founding of Old Ghis.
The main event of the festival will be a tournament in the Great Pit, with the victor getting 25.000 golden marks in addition to being allowed to request any favor from the Emperor, and if it is reasonable, the Emperor will grant it."
Upon hearing this, Jaime got a gleam in his eyes as a plan began taking form in his mind, nearly missing Rogo's last sentence.
"The tournament will be duels until one submits, and the final match of the tournament will be a melee between the four best of the tournament, but that match is to the death."
"Good," growled Jaime, as a grim determination began to set in as his plan took final shape and he had a hope for him and Adrianna to be together.
XXX
That afternoon he and Rogo went into the city to find an armorer, where Jaime ordered a new suit of armor for himself, to be ready before the tournament began.
The next month he spent nearly every waking hour in the training yard, fighting against anyone stupid enough to even look at him the wrong way.
A week before the beginning of the festival, which would end with the wedding of the Emperor and Cersei, the rest of the Lannister family arrived on New Ghis. Jaime's reunion with them was not as heartily as they had expected, with him being focused solely on the tournament.
Two days before the start of the tournament, Jaime took Rogo back to the armorer to pick up his new armor and find a new sword, as his own sword had not survived the many hours of training he had put it through during the last month.
His armor was already waiting for him and he was impressed with the work that the man had done. The armor was simple in ornamentation, but superb in quality, as he had requested when he ordered it. It was a simple grey steel design with full mail, covered by plate and a simple shield. The shield was the only thing that stood out as it was decorated by a bleeding heart pierced with a sword. He planned to enter the tournament as a mystery knight named, The Knight of the Bleeding Heart.
Everything fit well and Jaime was pleased with the result. Paying the man, he asked if he knew where he could find a good sword, but not having to answer any unwanted questions, and the man nodded. The armorer gave them directions to a shop near the slave market, which was next to the fish market at the docks.
As they walked towards the docks, his armor was packed up and hung on the back of a donkey that Rogo led behind them. As they slowly walked down the docks, Rogo suddenly pointed towards a stall two score yards away. There at the stall stood Adrianna, dressed in a long skirt of flowing blue silk with a large piece of sheer silk of the same color draped around her shoulders. She was looking out over the harbor and towards the horizon with a longing look on her face as the overseer was a few yards away, haggling with a merchant.
He silently went to stand besides her, and softly said, "Hey Adri." She didn't look at him, but smiled softly.
"Jaime, you shouldn't have stopped to talk, but I'm glad you're here."
"I can't stop thinking about you Adri, and I don't want to. You are the only person who has ever truly cared about me as a person, and not as simply an heir to carry on a legacy or an incestuous fuck-toy to be used and abused as my family has."
"Oh Jaime," Adrianna sighed as she still looked at the horizon with a smile. "You will always have a place in my heart, but you know as well as I that it cannot be. I belong to the Emperor himself, we can't be together, no matter how much we want to."
"But there is a way, Adri, just wait and see. I'll never stop till I can have you besides me for the rest of my life." He couldn't bring himself to tell her of his plan, as he knew she would try to talk him out of it, and likely succeed.
They stayed standing there for a few more minutes in silence until the overseer was done with his business and called for her. Adrianne turned and finally looked at Jaime for the first time in weeks, "It was good to see you Jaime, but you have to be careful, the emperor has eyes and ears everywhere." After looking around quickly to see if anyone was looking at hem, she quickly brought her right hand up and cupped his face, giving him a soft smile. "Be safe Jaime, till next we meet."
Before Jaime could bring his own hand up to touch hers, she pulled it back and walked away. "Till next we meet Adri," Jaime sighed before he set his face in steely determination and led Rogo away to the slave market to find the blacksmith shop they had been told about.
After half an hour they finally found the shop, a small building hidden away in a back-corner of the slave market. When they entered the dimly lit shop, Jaime noticed he was not the only customer, as several shady individuals were talking softly in a corner around a shelf of daggers.
Jaime moved to a wall of the shop where several barrels stood with an assortment of swords, spears, halberds and other weapons he was familiar with. Taking a hold of the nearest broadsword, he swung it around a few times but quickly put it back as the balance was all wrong. Taking the next he had she same problem, as with the next after that.
Glancing at a barrel to the side, he saw a strange weapon that looked like a sword blade strapped to a pole to form a sort of spear / glaive like weapon. Picking it up out of a sort of curiosity, he gave it a few twirls but didn't like it that much, though the blade felt about the right shape and weight for him. The blade itself was not much to look at, just a crude piece of heavily corroded metal that looked like it had been fished up out of the sea, but when he pulled the blade past the edge of the barrel he saw it was still wickedly sharp.
Acting on a hunch, as it could be a good practice weapon, he grasped the wooden pole and broke it over the edge of a barrel at about the length of a hand-and-a-halve handle. "You're gonne buy that." A gruff voice snarled from a few yards away. Looking up, Jaime saw a man with a scarred face and a razor-sharp axe stuck in his belt.
"That was my plan," Jaime said simply as he dropped the broken-off pole and grasped the blade in his right hand. As he swung it around he felt the balance was perfect for his hand as it fit effortlessly in his style. Deciding to keep it as a training weapon, as it lacked both proper handle, cross guard and pummel, he stuck it in his belt and continued his search for a proper sword.
After nearly half an hour of fruitless searching, Jaime walked towards the owner of the shop and asked, "Do you have any better swords than what is shown here in the shop?"
"I might have a few, but do you have any money to pay with?" The man asked after spitting on the floor near Jaime's feet.
Jaime ignored his instinct to hit the man, pulled his money pouch from his belt, and showed the man the glimmer of the gold within. "Will this do?"
The man grinned, showing a mouth full of broken brown teeth and motioning to door behind him he answered, "Right this way sir."
Jaime followed the man in to the back room and he immediately saw that the weapons shown in this room where of a different quality and probably not all acquired through completely legal means.
The man led him to a wall of swords and Jaime took the first and simplest broadsword he saw. Taking a firm grip he swung it around a few times and immediately felt that these swords were way better than the scrap shown in the front of the shop. Placing the sword back he took another and tested it before moving on to another. Eventually he found one that felt good in his hands and turned back to the shopkeeper holding it and the blade he had picked in the other room. "These two, how much?"
The man gave him a greedy sneer and said, "Two-hundred golden marks." Jaime simply nodded and handed over the coins before marching out of the room, not feeling like haggling about the exorbitant price.
As he joined Rogo, he handed him the broken-pole blade and said, "When we return to the palace, take this to have the edges rounded and wrap it in leather."
"Yes my Lord," Rogo nodded and took the blade, careful to avoid touching the edge. Making their way back to the palace, Jaime noticed the many preparations for the festival that were already underway. His mind turned to his own list of preparations that had to be done before the tournament began.
In a bid to gain some spending money, and to further inconvenience his father should he lose, he had ordered Rogo to bet all of his coin on himself winning, in addition to borrowing a hefty sum from the local bank. If he won he would not only win Adrianna's freedom, he would gain financial independence from his father, as Jaime knew that Tywin would not like the idea of his son and heir being with a slave, freed or not. If he lost, his father would have to repay some 5.000 golden marks, if he won, he had gotten good enough odds to walk away with 250.000 golden marks, more than enough to buy a nice house and life comfortably with Adrianna for the rest of their lives.
XXX
When the tournament finally began, Jaime was no longer, 'the son of Tywin', but merely one unknown contestant amongst some five-hundred who were eager to gain the price money and the favor from the emperor himself.
That first day Jaime was unstoppable, beating one contestant after the other into the red sand of the Great Pit. His desire for Adrianna and his utter determination to win her freedom and her heart gave him the strength of ten ordinary men.
The second day he defeated five opponents in a row, two dothraki, a Summer Islander, a pirate from the Basilisk Isles and a particularly quick and nimble man from Yi Ti, who managed to pierce the armor on his left knee, giving him a limp for the rest of the tournament.
On the third and final day, Jaime had first faced off against a junior officer from the Sons of the Harpy. He had recognized the man from the training yard where he had always felt himself too good to face Jaime in a spar. Despite his slight limp, Jaimie had giving the man a humiliating thrashing, to the roaring applause of the spectators. When he had finally knocked the man unconscious with a bash from his shield, the arena shook with thunderous applause and stamping feet.
The finale began two hours after noon, and more than halve of the Emperor's court was in attendance, including the Emperor himself and the entire Lannister family. Jaime couldn't give two coppers about them though, as his eyes roamed the crowds searching for her.
He had asked Mara to finally tell the plan to Adrianna and to ask her to wear the red silks and gold chains he had first seen her in if she agreed to the plan and to bring him luck. When he finally found Adrianna, she was seated four rows behind the Emperor's box and to his joy he saw her dressed in the red and gold and with Mara sitting next to her. Rogo had taken upon himself the role of squire and along with others who shared this function for the other finalists, he was waiting at the side of the arena with a spare shield and his training sword in case he damaged or broke either of the ones he now used.
Setting his face to a grim determination and letting the euphoric feeling of Adrianna's acceptance of his plan fill his body with strength, Jaime turned to study his three opponents.
On his left was the commander of the Sons of the Harpy, a man dressed in gilded mail and wielding a solid steel spear and gilded wooden shield. To his right was a massive eunuch clad head to toe in rough leather and wielding a huge two handed sword that he swung as if it was made of paper instead of black steel. Directly ahead of him was a man that Rogo had called a, Sothoryi. The man was more monster than human, having a thick hairy skin, two protruding tusks in his lower jaw, and was dressed in nothing but a loincloth. In his hands he held a pair of large wooden clubs, each studded with razor-sharp pieces of dragon glass.
When the signal to begin was given, which was a blast of a bronze horn, Jaime immediately went for the opponent on his left, leaving the two brutes to tire themselves out against each other.
Facing off against the commander of the Sons of the Harpy was something Jaime had been looking forward to. The man was held as one of the finest fighters of the Ghiscari Empire and Jaime was eager to find out if that was true.
His opponent did not disappoint, he struck with lighting speed and managed to score several dents in Jaime's breastplate, but he was obviously used to fighting unarmored opponents. His attacks lacked the strength to drive his spear through the steel plate protecting Jaime's chest, and so he went for the joints at his shoulders, hips and knees.
Jaime withered the storm of his attacks, focusing on his defense and sparing his strength for the harder fight which he knew was yet to come. After several minutes of dodging and blocking blows, Jaime finally saw the opening he was waiting for. Forgetting all the lessons about honor and chivalry he had been taught as a squire, he kicked the man directly on his right knee and felt the joint giving way beneath his foot. When the gilded shield went down, Jaime stabbed his sword between the gilded helmet and mail shirt, straight through the mail collar, deep into his neck and out the back, severing the spine and killing him instantly.
The man coughed up blood as the public went wild when Jaime pulled back his sword and he fell down in the sand. Turning his back on the dying man Jaime saw that the other two were still fighting, but with the Sothoryi slowly gaining the upper hand, thanks to his immense strength and animalistic ferocity.
Deciding not to wait for the stronger opponent to win, Jaime ran towards the two and dropping his shield, he grabbed his sword in both hands and using all his strength, brought it down on the right upper leg of the Sothoryi, cutting all the way to the bone. Quickly withdrawing his sword, Jaime blocked the club coming his way as the monster went down, a massive gaping wound crippling him.
Before the Sothoryi could strike again, the eunuch stepped forward and nearly beheaded him with a single blow, the thick leathery neck being cut for two/thirds through. Jaime used the temporary brake to quickly strap his shield back on again and he was just in time to bring it up as the eunuch turned on him as soon as the Sothoryi was down and delivered an overhead strike towards his head. The shield held, but only just, as Jaime could hear the wood groan and splinter.
Quickly stabbing his sword forward beneath the shield, he caught the eunuch in the thigh, cutting through the rough leather and drawing first blood. Enraged by the wound, the eunuch kicked Jaime in the chest and sent him flying, causing him to lose his sword.
As Jaime scrambled to get back up, the eunuch came thundering towards him with his sword raised for an overhand strike. As the massive sword was brought down, Jaime ducked to the side, avoiding being hit by a hairsbreadth. Drawing his dagger Jaime stabbed it in the eunuch's right foot, and quickly withdrew again before the two-handed sword cut him in half.
For the next few minutes, Jaime kept dodging and dealing small wounds, being unable to deliver a finishing blow with only a dagger. Slowly though, the eunuch began to tire from the many small wounds in his lower body and legs. The two-handed blows were coming in slower and with less strength behind them than before.
After another few minutes of dodging and striking, the eunuch surprised Jaime with a sudden blow to his thigh, cutting through the plate and opening a gash on his left upper leg. Crying out in pain, Jaime instinctively rolled away, pulling the sword out of the eunuch's hands, and allowing him to grab his own sword again.
The new wound slowed Jaime down and being unable to dodge, the eunuch's next attack left him no other option than to block. Grabbing the point of his blade with his left hand, he caught the eunuch's blade overhead, halting the punishing blow, but only for a moment. His sword broke in two and the blow smashed on into his helmet, causing Jaime to black out for a few seconds. When he cleared his head, he saw the eunuch's hand reaching for his neck and he felt him grab a hold.
As he was lifted by the neck, Jaime began to choke and dropped his sword out of instinct in favor of clawing at the hand that was squeezing the life out of him. The eunuch ignored his clawing and brought his other hand to his helmet, pulling it off. When his face was revealed, he could hear his father, uncles and aunt gasp in surprise at recognizing him.
Turning his eyes towards Adrianna he could see that she had jumped up from her seat and was being held by Mara. Oddly enough, her face was the only thing that was clear as the rest of his vision began to darken.
"For you," Jaime whispered as he thought of Adrianna, and reached out with his hands. With his last strength he managed to slam his palms on the eunuch's ears. With a roar of pain the eunuch let him go and Jaime fell to the ground hard, feeling a sharp pain in his knee when his right leg was caught under him. Trying to ignore the pain, Jaime sucked in large breaths of air as his chest rose and fell rapidly beneath the heavily dented breastplate.
Opening his eyes after a few seconds, he saw the eunuch struggling to focus through the pain and disorientation brought on by the blows. "O no you don't," Jaime snarled as he forced himself to stand up. Stumbling to the side of the arena, he accepted his training sword from Rogo and stumbled back to where the eunuch was till trying to focus again, and Jaime saw blood streaming from his ears.
Walking slowly towards the eunuch, Jaime grabbed the wooden handle of his blade with both hands. With a roar he brought the blade up and swung at the eunuch, who just barely managed to get his sword between his neck and Jaime's sword. Sparks flew from the contact but both swords held under the blow, though the layer of corrosion on Jaime's sword began to crack. Bringing his sword down again, the eunuch managed to block once more, causing more cracks on Jaime's sword. Five more times the eunuch managed to just barely block Jaime's titanic blows each time cracking his blade more and more.
Finally, with the eight, and final titanic blow, Jaime roared as the corroded layer of his sword shattered and a bright silvery blade with a distinct ripple pattern appeared, and cut straight through the eunuch's battered blade, into the side of his head and clean through. With a dull THUD, the man fell on the ground and for the first time, Jaime noticed the deadly silence that hung in the great arena.
Seeing the man was finally dead, Jaime let out a sigh of relief and looked up towards Adrianna. The relief and joy he saw on her face made him forget every ach, scrape and cut in his battered body. Taking a step forward towards the Emperor's box, his right leg suddenly gave way beneath him and he fell down hard. Groaning he suddenly felt the lancing pain coming from his knee and now that the haze of battle was leaving him, he could feel that the joint had been badly damaged, perhaps even broken.
"Rogo," Jaime cried out, now that the match was over, he could call for his assistance without repercussions. The faithful servant came running, having already seen his master's plight and helped him get back on his feet. Draping his master's right arm over his shoulder Rogo took most of his weight and helped him stumble forward until they stood directly before the Emperor's balcony.
Jaime ignored the face of his father and the aunt and uncles, instead going between the Emperor and Adrianna who had moved from her original seat to stand at the edge of the balcony with the other palace servants who had been permitted to watch the final match.
It was one of the Emperor's brothers who had been given the honor of organizing the whole tournament, that now acted as spokesperson. In a haughty voice that was only slightly accented by his Ghiscari heritage, the man spoke in the common Bastard Valyrian of Essos.
"Congratulations Ser Jaime, on your spectacular victory in this, the final match of the tournament to honor Grazdan the Great and his founding of our great empire. The prize money of 25.000 golden marks will be delivered to a place of your choice, as for the favor, ask your wish and His Imperial Majesty shall judge if it is fitting and equal to your achievement."
Jaime nodded and signaling Rogo to let him go, he grabbed the handle of the sword he still held and using it as a cane he took a step forward. Making a deep bow before the emperor, Jaime slowly rose again and with a voice that was still clear despite the pain he was in, he said, "Your Imperial Majesty, there is but one gift I would request from one as great as You." Jaime had learned at the mad King's court, that when speaking to royalty, it was good to use as much flattery as possible.
The emperor was obviously not unaffected by his words, as he smiled and stood up to wave to the cheering crowds that were applauding Jaime's words. When the cheering stopped somewhat, the emperor raised his hands and calmed the crowd down so Jaime could be heard again.
"Your Majesty, I would request the freedom of one of your personal slaves. A woman I have met and fallen in love with from afar, Adrianna." A soft murmur filled the arena at these words, as many women began swooning over the fact that Jaime had risked all this for love. Jaime though ignored it all and was looking straight at the emperor when he asked his request and he could see only a small hint of irritation on his face at having to give up someone he owned personally, but after a few words from two of his brothers, he got a smile on his face and nodded.
Standing up, the Emperor proclaimed, "Your humble request warms my heart and I gladly grant your request. Looking around him, the emperor spotted Adrianna standing on the side with the other slaves and motioned her to come towards him. She hurried to comply and fell on her knees before him. Looking down on her the emperor asked, "Adrianna, is it your wish to be with this man, who has risked his all for this favor from me?"
Adrianna nodded with teary eyes and answered, "Yes Your Imperial Majesty, as Ser Jaime has fallen in love with me, so have I fallen in love with him from a distance. "
With a magnanimous smile, which Adrianna saw did not fully reach his eyes, the emperor nodded and proclaimed again, "Then so be it." Turning to Jaime he went on, "Ser Jaime, your request has been heard and granted. Adrianna is now a free woman and it shall fall to you to provide and care for her."
Turning back to Adrianna, the Emperor added, "Go to your room my dear, and pack everything in there, all of the clothes and jewels in your room are my gift to you. I wish you good luck and great fortune in your future with Ser Jaime."
Adrianna knelt deeper and kissed the Emperor's feet before standing back up and saying, "Thank you Your Majesty, from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget your generosity."
Nodding in acceptance, the Emperor sat back down and Jaime spoke again. "Your Majesty, my gratitude for your kindness is more than I could ever bring to words, you have given me my hearts greatest desire and I shall be grateful to you for the rest of my life." Making a final bow, Jaime walked out of the arena with Rogo's help, under the thunderous applause and cheers of the spectators, with the exception of the few who had betted heavily with Jaime and would now have to pay some substantial sums.
Just outside the arena they were met by Adrianna and Mara, with the former immediately embracing Jaime and kissing him full on the lips with weeks of repressed feelings. When they parted again Adrianna took a step back and slapped Jaime full in the face, before kissing him again and muttering softly, "Never scare me like that again. Never. I thought he'd kill you when he broke your sword."
"So did I Adri, but you gave me the strength, to go on. The thought of you gave me the strength to go on and kill him."
Adriana nestled herself in his side and helped support his weight whilst she grabbed his sword and gave it to Rogo. "Come, let's go to the palace and have a healer check on you, that leg looks broken." Jaime nodded and looked her lovingly in the eyes.
"Let's go then, we can finally start our live together." Adrianna laughed and sobbed at the same time as she hugged Jaime and followed by Rogo and Mara, they walked out of the arena where Rogo stopped a carriage to take them back to the palace.
XXX
Jaime ended up spending a part of his prize money on commissioning a ship build after his own specifications. It was 160 foot long, 30 foot wide and had 15 oars on each side, in addition to two masts with triangular sails. She was built for speed and comfort, rather than carrying capacity or strength, and he named her, The Laughing Lion, after the ship his favorite uncle Gerion left on never to be heard from again.
The ship had two cabins on the foredeck for Rogo and Mara, and a large stateroom for him and Adrianna on the aft deck. Below deck were the crew quarters and storage rooms that could hold enough provisions for a long sea journey if necessary.
He had went against his own instincts and following the urging of Adrianna, Rogo and Mara, he bought slaves to crew the ship. Twenty rowers who could also act as sailors and twenty Unsullied to act as guards and additional rowers if needed. To Adrianna's protest, he had also bought six unsullied with the sole task of ensuring her safety from any threats that may or may not be send by Tywin. He had resolved himself to treat them the same as he did Rogo and Mara and to ensure they would always be well taken care off.
He and Adrianna had waited impatiently for seven weeks until the ship was done as they had decided to make the ship their primary residence, docking it in a private harbor, away from prying eyes and surrounded by the pleasure barges of the high and mighty of Ghiscar. This had an additional advantage that the harbor was guarded by soldiers owned by the owner of the harbor, and not by the city guard, so it would be harder for Tywin to do anything should he try to harm Adrianna.
The rest of his winnings, Jaime had invested by buying a small shipping business with half-a-dozen trading galleys and given it to Adrianna, to give her something to do as he was still recovering from the injurie he had sustained in the tournament. Besides his knee, which had been badly broken as it had bend the wrong way when the eunuch had dropped him, all his injuries were superficial and already healed.
The brake had been properly treated by a healer and was secured by a splint covered with cloth and plaster. So he had trouble with moving around, but Rogo was always near and helpful when he needed him.
The money Jaime had won by betting so heavily, he had deposited in the local bank and using his name, and Tywin's position he had managed to get a very decent rate of interest.
Talking about his father, he hadn't seen Tywin since he had gathered his possessions in the palace and Tywin had berated him for risking his life for such a stupid reason, as Jaime would never be allowed to marry Adrianna.
XXX
As he sat at the large desk of goldenheart wood in his spacious new office, Tywin looked out through the open doors at the view of the harbor in the distance. Lately he had spent more and more time just staring at the ships coming into the harbor, waiting for the return of the Golden Lion. The great galley with its 300 oars and sails of cloth-of-gold was a gift from the Emperor of Ghis, his new son-in-law, and he had lent it to Kevan for his journey to Meereen.
Kevan was late in returning, he had left a month after he and the rest of the family had arrived at New Ghis, which had been during Tywin's fourth in the city. It was now the ninth month since his arrival in Ghiscar so he should have been back at least two months ago. What's more, several days after he should have sailed past Astapor, any word from slaver's bay had stopped coming in. It was as if the three slaver cities had simply vanished from the world, but most likely a pirate fleet or something had set up camp there, if it would last one week more, he would have to send a fleet to clear them out.
As he stared into nothing, he thought of his children, both of whom where sorely unhappy with their fate in life. Cersei had expected to rule as empress, to have a whole court of ladies-in-waiting and servants to boss round. She had not got what she expected.
She was Empress all right, and she had servants a plenty, but she was merely the first amongst many. The emperor had a harem with some twenty other women, all rivaling his daughter in terms of beauty and charm. Furthermore, the harem was a separate building amongst those that formed the palace, and it was surrounded by high walls and guarded by Unsullied. The only men inside were eunuchs and every woman was a rival for the Emperor's favor.
The only one with unlimited access was the emperor himself and even Tywin had to request an audience to see his daughter, which then took place in a separate room next to the entrance and watched by no less than four Unsullied.
Her dreams of having a loving husband had likewise vanished. After they were married the emperor had spent every night in her bed until she was pregnant, after which he had not even been by to visit her, preferring instead to spent his nights with the other women, those who were not with child.
Jaime on the other hand had become a stranger to him. Ever since the tournament in which Jaime had fought for, and won the freedom of that slave whore, he had moved out of the palace and was now living on some barge in a private part of the harbor, with that woman at his side and presumably in his bed as well.
Tywin felt a cold hand clamp his heart every time he thought of the influence she had on his son. Ever since the tournament, Jaime had barely said a word to him if they met by chance when Tywin visited the city. Tywin grudgingly had to admit that Jaime did look happier than he had ever seen him before he met the woman, but the way in which he idolized her made him feel sick as such behavior was unworthy for the heir of House Lannister.
He had been to pre-occupied for the first few months to really take an interest in what Jaime was doing, and only since the rest of their family had arrived had he been told about his son's activities. It had been Genna who informed him about the whore's influence on his son, as she and Kevan were the only ones Jaime allowed in his presence these days. When Tywin had finally tried to intervene and set him straight, he had been shocked by his son's reaction.
Jaime had simply refused to answer his summons and when Tywin had finally had enough and went to look for him himself, he had been refused access to the private harbor and been forced to wait at the gates as someone went to Jaime and tell him that his father was wanting to visit him.
Jaime had come to the gate, but he was flanked by half a dozen Unsullied soldiers and had calmly and coldly told Tywin that he was no longer welcome in his home. He had thrown a sack of gold at his fee and said, "Here is the gold back you gave me since we came to this shit-hole of a city. I no longer want, nor need your gold or presence near me or mine."
"Why," was all Tywin had asked before Jaime had yelled at him on a tone unlike anything Tywin had ever heard from his son.
"WHY?!" Jaime had roared, "YOU HAVE THE GALL TO ASK WHY. IF YOU ARE TO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND THE REASON THEN I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY TO YOU." After that Jaime had turned around and walked back towards the ships, leaving Tywin gob smacked at his sons words and behavior.
Over the following weeks, Jaime had ignored any and all messages Tywin had sent to him, until the week before last when Tywin had sent three men to get the whore away from his son and into his custody, in order to force Jaime to come to him.
After that, Jaime had indeed finally deigned to come to his office, but only to throw the heads of the three men at his feet. He had said, "It's your fault that we had to come to this shithole of a city. If you hadn't been so blinded by your desire to see Cersei become a queen, then we would still be in Westeros. Has it ever occurred to you that I could have been happy in Kings Landing. Rhaegar was always good to me, I considered him a friend and I hoped that he felt the same of me.
When you wrote to me that he was dead, my world fell apart. Rhaegar had asked me to protect his mother, his wife, and his children in his absence. He had hoped that you would come to your senses and join him at the trident, it never even came up to him that you had planned the whole thing from the start.
When I saw Rhaegar again, after I had stabbed his father in the back, he looked at me. The look on his face was nothing but disgust, and when he told me that Elia, and Aegon, and Viserys where dead, murdered by Lorch and the Mountain I… I…." He had shook his head then and when he had next looked at his father again, his green eyes seemed to be blazing with a glow as from wildfire.
"I was ashamed, I felt so ashamed, and I was disgusted with myself, for believing you. I had one thing that made me proud whilst serving in the Kingsguard, the fact that Rhaegar trusted me, to look after those he loved, and you took that away from me. I will not let you take Adrianna away from me as well."
"So the whore has a name," Tywin had scoffed while he reached for a piece of bread that lay on a golden platter. "You are a Lannister, and Lannisters don't fuck whores."
"Don't call her a whore." Jaime had snarled at him, "Never call her that again. She is mine now, and if you have to call her anything, you'll call her my paramour."
"You know I can have her killed with a mere snap of my fingers right?" Tywin had said as he placed the bread back on the golden platter. "KLANG" There suddenly was a dagger stabbed between his fingers, nailing the platter to the table below it. As he looked up furiously, Tywin was met by an equally furious look on his son's face. "HOW DARE YOU!" he roared, "I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL…." but Jaime interrupted him with a voice that he had never heard from his son before, it was calm but as cold as ice.
"You are not my father, you are my sire, but nothing more, you lost your claim to anything more the day you made me betray everything I was. So listen to me now, I am your son, your only son in your words, so if I die, your line will end. If you lift a finger to Adrianna, if she is hurt in whatever way, I'll make you pay, I will end your line forever, one way or another."
Jaime had turned around to leave then, but he had stopped at the door and said over his shoulder, "And after all, you wouldn't want to harm the mother of your son's firstborn would you?"
Tywin could still feel the dark pit in his stomach as he thought back to it. He had hoped it was a lie, but unfortunately it wasn't. The physician he had sent, had confirmed that she was pregnant, but not more than six to eight weeks. And because she had spent the last few months exclusively in Jaime's presence, there was unfortunately no denying that the child was Jaime's.
Tywin carefully touched the mark that Jaime's dagger had left in his desk as he wondered where it had all gone wrong. When he looked out towards the harbor again, something caught his eye, a small shimmer in the distance. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a Myrish far-eye and focused it on the shimmer.
He could just make out a trio of ships, two were large swan ships from the Summer Islands, while the middle one was a great galley with golden sails. Finally, Kevan was back.
XXX
Tywin mounted his white horse in the courtyard and surrounded by two dozen of his knights, which Amory Lorch had brought from Casterly Rock, he left for the harbor.
During the ride he thought of how his plans were coming to fruition, with Meereen in alliance, Astapor and Yunkai would surely follow soon, and with their legions and the Unsullied they would be able to crush those upstarts from Westeros. His spies had kept them informed about how Tyrosh had been taken, Myr had been destroyed and Lys was left to anarchy and chaos.
The massive fleet they had sailed east with had last been seen off the coast of Valyria, but had vanished since. They had probably drowned while trying to pass the storms that surrounded the heart of the old Freehold. And even if they hadn't, with his new allies he could crush them in a matter of weeks.
When they arrived at the harbor he ordered the harbor master to clear the dockside that was reserved for the Golden Lion. Reaching out a hand, one of his guards handed him the far-eye he had brought and Tywin focused it on the approaching ships… or ship. To his surprise the two swan ships had turned around and where sailing westwards with all the speed they could muster with the wind blowing from the north-west. The Golden Lion was still sailing at full speed, with the wind blowing straight towards the docks so they didn't have to use their oars.
They were still a few miles out so Tywin rode on to a stable and dismounted there, walking the few hundred yards back to the dock. Waiting impatiently for his brother's return he cursed the sun that still shone hot here, despite winter having arrived several months ago in Westeros.
As the Golden Lion sailed into the harbor, Tywin began to think that something was wrong. The mighty galley wasn't slowing down or even reefing it's sails. Shortly after he thought that, panic erupted as a small pleasure barge that couldn't get away quick enough was rammed by the bronze clad ram and crushed beneath the bow of the galley. Not slowed down by much, the galley sailed on and rammed itself into one of the wooden piers a few hundred yards from where Tywin stood with horror in his eyes. Rushing into action he sped towards the galley with his guards hot on his heels.
Upon arrival, all the others around him recoiled in shock, and he too had to suppress a gag. The deck was filled with bones, skulls and stinking bodies. Horribly mutilated and rotting corpses hung from the masts and torn and bloody banners fluttered sadly from the rigging. Holding his sleeve before his mouth against the stench, he searched the bodies, fearing to recognize his brother.
"My Lord," one of his guards suddenly said, "There at the helm." He pointed towards the aft of the galley where a blonde man was bound to the wheel.
"Kevan!" Tywin yelled and suppressing his urge to vomit, he climbed on board suppressing a shiver as he landed on the blood-soaked deck. Carefully making his way over the slippery deck, Tywin reached the wheel and his brother. Kevan was barely conscious, he didn't look underfed or maltreated, but he was obviously exhausted and dehydrated. "Give me water." He yelled as he drew his sword and hacked at the ropes holding his brother.
Two of his knights caught Kevan as the binds where cut and a third held a water skin to his lips. As Kevan drank greedily from the water Tywin looked at the ship, looking for things that might tell him what had happened, as clearly something had gone terribly wrong. The closest body was mauled and hacked to pieces, but he still recognized part of the face of Amory Lorch. Further away was a body that had been cut open from groin to neck. Several others had their throats cut and two had been crucified on the masts.
Turning to the banners he began to recognize them, the banners of Tyrosh, Myr and Lys hung on one side with the Black Goat of the Brave Companions and the grey Lance on green of the Long Lances. On the other side hung the harpies of the cities of Slaver's Bay, Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen. Two other banners hung along them, both from sellswords who's services he had hoped to secure as well, the Harpy's Bastards and the Sons of Ghiscar.
Suddenly his eye fell on a scroll of parchment that was attached to one of the bodies by a dagger stabbed into the chest. Motioning to one of his knights and pointing at the body he said, "You there, bring me that letter."
The knight nodded and carefully made his way over while Tywin turned back to his brother. "Ty… Tywin." Kevan muttered as he seemed to recognize his brother shortly before his head slumped sideways and he fell unconscious, he was exhausted.
"My Lord," a voice said from behind him and when he turned he saw the knight who held the letter and dagger out to him. The first thing he saw was that the dagger was a beautiful piece, Valyrian steel with a red leather handle. Turning to the scroll he unrolled it, trying to keep the blood that covered it from touching his hands.
Tywin Lannister.
Here is your brother back, I suggest you listen to his tale.
Slaver's Bay has been wiped from the face of the world, and you're next.
Do the smart thing and learn, to Fear the Dragon's Wrath.
Aurora Valaris, Queen of Valyria
XXX
It took Kevan two days to get strong enough to be able to talk and surprisingly enough to Tywin, it was Jaime who spend the most time at Kevan's bedside, with that woman of his at his side though. As loath as Tywin was to admit it, it would appear that both of their feelings were genuine, as she was seated close to him, holding his hands and comforting him as they sat at Kevan's bedside.
"Jaime," Tywin said as he entered Kevan's room.
"Lord Tywin," Jaime responded coldly without lifting his eyes from his uncle's body.
"Jaime look at me, I have something to say that you will want to hear." Jaime reluctantly turned around and rested his cold eyes on his father's face.
"I already told you, I'm not giving Adrianna up."
"I know," Tywin sighed, "but you will let me finish." Jaime nodded curtly and so Tywin went on. "I need you to put yourself back together and be the man you were born to be, my only son and heir. You will do your duty to our House and begin acting solely for the betterment of our House, and not just for your own interest.
If you do that, then I'll…. then I will allow you to keep that… woman by your side, if that is what it takes for you to get your head straight and to do your duty to our House.
"Do the wise thing Jaime," came the unexpected soft voice of Kevan from the bed. "Listen to your father. If we want to survive what is coming, we need to stand together, we cannot be divided."
"Uncle Kevan!" Jaime exclaimed as he turned to his uncle. Kevan coughed harshly and Jaime hurriedly took the cup Adrianna handed him and held it against his uncle's lips. Kevan drank greedily and after a minute he sat up against the pillows.
Turning to his brother Kevan said, "Gather Tygett, and Genna. I have news, and you're not going to like it. We need the whole family to face this."
Tywin nodded and opening the door he ordered one of the guards that stood outside, "Go get Tygett and Genna, and bring them here. Now."
"Yes My Lord." The knight bowed and hurried off to fulfil his orders.
It took a few minutes but because their rooms were all in the same wing of the palace, Tygett and Genna came quickly.
"Kevan," Genna said relieved as she saw their brother sitting up in his bed, "What happened to you?"
"I think that is something we would all like to know." Tygett deadpanned as he sat himself down in a chair that he dragged from around the table.
"Then sit down," Kevan coughed again as his siblings all took a seat around his bed, with Jaime and Adrianna relocating to the table, almost as if they wanted to be forgotten by the others.
After taking another drink of water, Kevan began his tale.
"Everything went well at first, we passed many ships going to and from the cities in Slaver's Bay, but once we passed into the bay itself, the number of ships coming out suddenly lessened with each passing day. I thought nothing off it at first, but after a few days it became worrisome. We reached Meereen without seeing anything else, but once we got there, we heard the news.
Half a year before we got there, a messenger had come to Astapor. He bore a message that said his masters would buy every Unsullied they had to sell, and the more they had to sell, the more they would pay for every Unsullied. So the Good Masters of Astapor in all their wisdom began buying back as much Unsullied as they could get their hands on. Gathering an army of some 22.000 Unsullied from all over Slaver's Bay and beyond."
"And thereby removing the most efficient and powerful defenders of all three slaver cities," Tywin muttered and Kevan nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, brother. And when the buyers finally showed up, they brought the gold, they paid for the army, and whilst the sale took place, the Valyrian army entered the harbor unopposed. Astapor was sacked and drowned in blood, and all the while, the mighty Unsullied did just as their new masters ordered them, absolutely nothing. They just stood there and watched as the city burned around them.
When they were done in the city, they put everyone on ships and sent them back to Valyria. The city was abandoned, emptied of everything of value and then burned to the ground by dragonfire, until nothing but ashes and molten stone were left."
"Why destroy it?" Genna asked confused, "Wouldn't it make more sense to occupy it."
"They destroyed it to send a message," Tywin grumbled softly, "Like I did with Castamere and Tarbeck hall. They destroyed it to show all the world that they don't need to take a city, that they can just destroy them when it pleases them."
"But why?" Genna asked again. "Why would they need to send such a signal, what is the need for it?"
"Because they are a new power Genna," Tygett replied. "Because they need to establish a reputation fast or they will not be taken seriously by anyone. They need to show that they are capable and ruthless to make their new subjects behave and to make sure the other powers in the region won't try to just walk over them."
"I see," Genna sighed and Kevan went on with his story.
"Next they marched to Yunkai, they sent a messenger ahead with letters for the Wise Masters and the commanders of the Harpy's Bastards and the Sons of Ghiscar. If the mercenaries left the city before they attacked, they would be allowed to leave.
When the Valyrians reached the city and deployed their army, all 40,000 of them, the sellswords took the offer and fled with their tails between their legs… they didn't get far. On the other side of the city, on the way to Meereen, they walked right into an ambush and were slaughtered to the last by a second Valyrian army.
The Yunkish tried to buy the Valyrians off with gold and pleasure slaves, but the envoys they sent where taken, tied up, placed on catapults, poured over with oil and set aflame before being launched at the city walls.
Next the dragons appeared. They came from behind the hills, flew up very high and cleared the walls with dragonfire in a single pass. One of the dragons landed on the gatehouse, crushing it beneath it and clearing the way for the army to enter the city. Just as with Astapor, Yunkai was emptied of valuables and all living beings. The city was burned to ashes with dragonfire and the people were send to Valyria.
And then they marched on Meereen."
"How do you know all this uncle?" Jaime spoke for the first time in a while, reminding the others that he was still there.
"I know this, Jaime, because they told me. You have seen them as well, I know you have. Two women, clad from head to toe in heavy armor, wielding battle axes and wearing spiked crowns on their helmets. The Ladies of House Valaris, Aurora and Gabrielle, they'll have been crowned by now I guess, so that'll make them Queens."
"Women on a battlefield?" Genna asked with disgust and shock. "What blasphemy is that, the Faith has forbidden it. War is to be left to the men and women should…"
"Yes Genna," Kevan interrupted her, "But they do not follow the Seven, they follow the Old Gods of the First Men. And besides, they are not the only ones, they have released thousands from slavery, warrior-women from the fallen fortress city of Kayakayanaya, and they can fight, sister, that I can guarantee you. But if I can get back to my story?"
They all quickly nodded for him to go on and so he did.
"By the time they began their march to Meereen, I had arrived in the city. The Great Masters of Meereen welcomed me with open arms. They were eager for an alliance because by then word had reached them of the fall of Astapor and shortly after they received word that Yunkai had fallen as well. They were eager to fight, they truly were, but they faced an enemy they were not prepared for.
Two weeks after my arrival, the khalasar of Khal Mengo arrived before the gates of Meereen. The Great Masters were eager to include him in our talks, hoping that he would fight for them against the Valyrians. But before they could come to an agreement, word came that the enemy had arrived.
In the dark of night, a sudden series of explosions shook the city awake. Panic had gripped the horses of the dothraki and many were fleeing from the canyon. When I made it to the city walls I could just see the last of them running into the canyon road. When the dothraki gathered their remaining horses and mounted up, to go after the escaped ones, they were momentarily stopped by a ring of burning arrows, but not for long. 15.000 dothraki screamers rode off into the night, and not a single one came back.
At dawn the Great Masters and khal Mengo agreed to go after them in force and they began gathering their men. A few hours later, Ironborn attacked the harbor, but they were beaten off by the Meereenese navy, convincing the Great Masters that the danger from there had been dealt with.
After they gathered their forces, dothraki and Meereenese militia alike, they marched out at noon. The pride of Meereen, sixteen legions, and the horror of a dothraki khalasar, 120.000 men total, all on foot. The free people of the city cheered them on as they marched, so proud and fearsome, but I could see something else in the eyes of the slaves. They burned with a fire I had not seen before, they didn't cheer for the legions of Meereen, no, they prayed for their downfall and for the victory of the Valyrians.
And their prayers were answered soon after. Barely an hour after the legions marched, the fighting pits were opened from within, their fighters freed by men that had been smuggled into the city a week earlier. In less than half an hour the pit fighters had secured the harbor gates and shortly after the real Ironborn invasion arrived. More than 20.000 reavers streamed into the city and mercilessly cut down what little resistance there was. They were led by Dagmer Cleftjaw and Oberyn Martell, and each and every one of them wore the golden dragon skull on black of House Valaris.
I managed to hide, along with the Master in who's pyramid I stayed, but I send out Ser Amory with the men we had left. He was to ambush a group of Ironborn and get their armor and weapons, as there was something about it I didn't like. Ironborn are known for their lack of fear of drowning and to always wear plate when on their ships. But they moved to easily for it to be full plate, and if they had a secret new metal or something I wanted to know about it. He failed to get some Ironborn apart though as they were too alert to be caught off guard, so he waited for an opportunity.
At night fall an army came to the city, but not the victorious Meereenese as the Great Masters had hoped. It was the Valyrians who marched back to the city. As soon as the dragon banners were visible, the slaves took of their collars and left the city. The Valyrians marched into one of the greatest cities in the world, and they marched over a road covered with the discarded collars of freed slaves.
In the night, Ser Amory and his men managed to kill the soldiers that were defending a warehouse used as an improvised hospital. They killed the wounded soldiers there and took their equipment to a safe house next to the wall. At that safe house there was the beginnings of a tunnel leading under the walls to escape from.
They found him soon enough though, the leaders of the Valyrian army I mean."
"Do you know who they are exactly?" Tywin asked as Kevan took another drink. "Their commanders I mean."
"I do," Kevan nodded with a sigh, "I have spent more than enough time with them to get to know them all, but I'm almost at the end of my story, let me finish it and I'll tell you at the end of it." The others nodded and Kevan went on with his tale.
"Ser Amory was captured, along with a few others and from the looks of it when I arrived, one of them had told them where I was hiding as they knew exactly where to find us when they came for me. Shortly after I was brought before them, Ser Amory was handed over to Oberyn Martell, for him to have his vengeance for the death of his sister and nephew. I don't think I have to tell you how that ended.
That afternoon I was taken to the battlefield and they told me about the battle. You can't imagine the carnage I have seen there. Of the 135.000 total that had marched against the Valyrians, only 47.000 had been captured. Nearly one-hundred-thousand men had been killed on both sides, with nine out of every ten being a Meereenese or dothraki. The whole battle was one gigantic trap laid by the Valyrians, and both the Meereenese and khal Mengo walked right into it."
After this he took a short break to catch his breath and take another sip of water before he looked at Tywin and continued.
"This is not an enemy you can just sent a minstrel to and have him sing the Rains of Castamere to force their compliance, Tywin. The reputation of House Lannister means nothing to them, as the only time they met us on the battlefield, our army was incinerated by dragonfire.
You can't bribe their forces either, as the Unsullied know nothing but obedience, and the rest is paid well for their services. Their own forces, known as the Forlorn, are like a better version of the Unsullied, utterly fearless and loyal to the death. They never show their faces and are dressed in full heavy armor, plate over mail. The sellswords and the Ironborn are loyal because they were promised riches beyond imagining, and they received them."
"Sellswords?" Tygett asked curiously, "Which companies?"
"They enlisted a number of sellsword companies at Tyrosh after the majority of their commanders were murdered during that battle. The ones I know of are, the Second Sons, the Windblown, the Company of the Cat, the Stormcrows and worst of all, the Golden Company. After the heavy losses the sellswords took at Tyrosh, they have some 10.000 seasoned men left."
"Hmm, that is disturbing," Tywin muttered. "I had hoped to be able to convince the Golden Company to join us as they have always fought against the Targaryens."
"They have," Kevan nodded, "but Rhaegar offered them something more valuable than anything we could ever offer them, a royal pardon in exchange for them aiding the Valyrians to destroy Ghiscar."
"That is unfortunate," Tygett stated, "At least there are not so much as there could have been. So I guess we're lucky at that."
"Their numbers will grow quickly once the news of Slaver's Bay spreads. They have offered steady pay and a safe place for the families of sellswords." Kevan crushed his brother's attempt at optimism. "Sellswords and sellsails alike will flock to their banner once they hear of it."
"You mentioned something about them giving rich rewards to the sellswords and the Ironborn." Genna asked next. "What did they give them, and where did they get the money to pay for the Unsullied at Astapor, because such an army must have cost an immense fortune."
Kevan let out a deep sigh before he delivered possibly the most devastating news of all. "They have the full and unconditional support of the city of Braavos, and of the Iron Bank. They have more money than they could possibly need. But all of that is of no consequence when you take into account what they found in Valyria."
As Kevan took a drink of water, Genna questioned on, "The iron Bank is bad, their funds could drag out this conflict for years to come, but what did you mean by that last. What have they found in Valyria?"
"I expect you found the dagger with their message?" When Tywin nodded Kevan continued, "They have more, much more. They have found the armories of the Freehold, tens-of-thousands of suits of armor, and weapons beyond counting, all of it made from Valyrian Steel. Their entire army is equipped with Valyrian steel. Every Ironborn and sellsword has been given armor and weapons of their choosing, each set worth more than all the riches many a Lord gets to see in their entire lifetime."
"That can't be. Tygett whispered. "There isn't that much Valyrian Steel in the entire world."
"There is, Tygett, and they have it, and they're using it. Tens-of-thousands of soldiers with weapons and armor far superior to anything that we could create. I'm not one to start a panic, but they cut apart a significant army whilst being outnumbered near three to one, because the Meereenese underestimated their enemy." Now turning his eyes at Tywin, Kevan added, "Don't make the same mistake as they did. If we are to beat them, we are going to need allies, and a lot of them to."
"Well, at least we have Qarth," Genna tried to cheer up the mood.
Tywin shook his head whilst saying, "Qarth won't be enough." Turning back to Kevan, he asked. "How much did they force you to tell them?"
"Everything." Kevan said a bit apologetically." I tried to dilute it, make us seem weaker than we are, but they didn't fall for it. I couldn't lie to them, somehow they managed to pick out every untruth I tried to tell them."
"Well there is nothing we can do about it now." Tywin said with a sigh. "So what about their commanders, or is there more you need to tell us?"
"Just two things," Kevan said after a short while, "First, do you remember what the dragons did to our army at Kings Landing?" When Tywin nodded he went on, "They didn't use the dragons during the battle for Meereen. And if they can do that with just their army, imagine what they can do if they start to really use the dragons as well. We had better make sure we have something to counter the dragons, or at least to lessen their threat."
"I'll get someone to start researching how the Ghiscari fought them before the Doom and maybe that'll turn up something useful." Kevan nodded to his older brother and went on,
"Lastly there is one small bright spot for us," this made them all look just a tad bit less depressed as he added, "it is going to be years until they feel they are ready to take us on directly. They didn't say it outright, but I could see it in almost everything they did, they are not happy with the army they currently have.
It was very obvious to me that there are two very distinct groups within the Valyrian army. On the one side you have the ones they are actually happy with, the Unsullied and their elite forces, the Forlorn. Both groups are superbly disciplined, merciless and obedient to the death, they will face a Dothraki horde on an open field or slit their own throats with but a single command.
The other group includes everyone else, Ironborn, Dornish, former sellswords, pit fighters, female warriors from Kayakayanaya, volunteers from Westeros, and I have even heard that there are remnants of our army from Kings Landing. All of these have at least some aspects that the High command isn't happy with.
It will take them years to retrain and re-equip those parts they are not happy with and restructure it into what they want it to be. Tywin, it took you nearly 2 decades to get the Lannister army up to what it was at the gates of Kings Landing, so I'm pretty sure it'll take them at the least four to five years, six if we're lucky. This is not counting the time they will need to rebuild what is left of Valyria. Rebuilding the continent, raising crops, and creating the supplies needed to wage a large scale war takes a lot of time, maybe as much as a decade, which is time that we can use for our own preparations."
No one said a word after he finished, all of them being occupied with this sliver of good news and how best to use the time Kevan thought they had. After a few minutes of silent deliberation, Kevan began with the last part of his story.
"At the head of all Valyrian forces are the Queens, Aurora and Gabrielle of House Valaris. Both women are fearsome fighters but the most dangerous about them is that they are both dragonriders. I managed to get a good look at both dragons during my captivity and they are gigantic, bigger than Balerion the Black Dread was when he died, which means that they must be at least three- to four hundred years old. And they are not the dragons we know, as they have four limbs in addition to their wings, not just hind legs and wings as the Valyrian dragons did.
The next one is someone they call the Lord Marshal of Valyria, a man named Ivan, but also known as the Demon of Valyria. He spent several months in the fighting pits of Meereen and made many friends there, friends that were instrumental in taking over the city from within. He is not just an intelligent and very capable commander, but he is also a truly fearsome warrior, second only maybe to the Queens, and not afraid to stand on the frontlines with his men."
Tygett scratched his short beard before he said, "Ser Gregor will have to see to him then, when we eventually face them in battle."
"I don't think even Ser Gregor can take him one-on-one in a fight," Kevan said while he shook his head. "The Lord Marshal stands maybe one or two inches shorter than Ser Gregor, but he is at least twice Ser Gregor's weight, in pure muscle and bone. Clad in inch thick Valyrian steel plate armor he wields a great sword in one hand and a spiked mace in the other. He rides a rhinoceros into battle and if the rumors are true, he singlehandedly broke the resistance of the sellswords outside Yunkai."
This effectively shut Tygett up, but it put Tywin to thinking on a way to deal with someone that could potentially humiliate the Mountain.
"The Lord Marshal stands above all others except the Queens. Beneath him the army is divided. His wife, the Lady Francine commands the amazons, which is the name they have given to the warrior women. She is the smallest of the four, and possibly the least dangerous, but do not underestimate her either. She fights with a glaive and with knifes, but her greatest skill lies with the bow. I have seen her shoot an arrow through the neck of a bottle, thrice in a row, at a distance of 400 yards. Her bow is of a design I have never seen before, and I couldn't tell you how it worked, but it is made of metal and has enough strength to penetrate plate at 200 yards.
The sellswords are under the joined command of Harry Strickland and the Tattered Prince. Both are experienced and competent commanders with many years of hands-on experience with dealing with sellswords, running armies and commanding men.
The Ironborn are under the command of Dagmer Cleftjaw, an experienced and ruthless reaver captain from Pyke who has been named Lord Captain of the Iron Fleet by Victarion Greyjoy. In his youth, Dagmer was one of the most dreaded warriors from all the Iron islands and he has spent decades reaving from the Far North to Asshai. About three decades ago he stole the niece of the Greatjon Umber, she eventually fell in love with him and they got married. Now she is his right hand and supports him in everything.
There are also a few thousand Dornish under the command of Prince Oberyn, but you all know him already and his motives are obvious, he wants to avenge his family.
A modest khalasar led by khal Drogo, son of khal Bharbo, has also joined them, but those are only a few thousand and most are either too old or too young to be fearsome warriors. They are the remnants of the khalasar of khal Bharbo, which was crushed by Mengo and where intended for slavery before they were freed by the Valyrians.
The last one is an odd one, but he commands the Unsullied, so he is not a man to underestimate. His name is Ser Argyll Rivers, a bastard hedge knight from the Riverlands."
Unknown to everyone around the bed, Jaime suddenly felt a gasp go through Adrianna and he felt her squeeze the hand she was holding. When he looked at her curiously she quickly shook her head and whispered, "Not now, later." Jaime nodded and then turned back to his uncle's story.
"I don't know much about him, he came out of nowhere to a place of import as one of the most influential people in the Valyrian army. As far as I could find out, he first appeared after the taking of the Stepstones, rumor has it that he was the one who led the forlorn vanguard to Grey Gallows from wherever it is that they came from. He was the envoy that was sent to Astapor to negotiate the purchase of the Unsullied, and after the fall of the city he was put in command of them.
He holds the rank of Lord General, placing him directly below the Lord Marshal, as the commander of all land forces besides the forlorn and amazons. He appears to be the least dangerous of them all in a one-on-one fight, as he is the only one who prefers to command from behind the front lines, but he is a capable swordsman nonetheless."
When Kevan reached for the cup of water on the table next to the bed, Genna leaned over and handed it to him while the other two thought deep about what Kevan had said.
"I think we all have a lot to think about." Tywin finally said after it had been quiet for nearly ten minutes. "Kevan, we shall leave you for now. I expect you back at my side in three days."
"Yes brother." Kevan nodded with a pained but dutiful look.
Tywin nodded curtly before addressing the others. "Tygett, Genna, Jaime, we'll meet again tomorrow. I'll have to go inform The Emperor about what we have just learned, he is not going to be happy to learn that it is going to be at least ten years before we are ready to confront the Valyrians in open war." And with that he stood up and left the room, letting the door slam shut behind him.
"Well that was characteristically Tywin," Genna muttered as soon as the door was closed. "Not even a get well soon brother. Ah well, we know how he gets when things don't go his way." Standing up as well she put a hand on Kevan's shoulder and squeezed it a bit. "You get some rest and regain your strength okay, we can't have you disobeying our Lord Brother now can we. Come Tygett, we had better start thinking up some ideas for Tywin, he's going to need all the help we can give him if he is to succeed." Turning to Jaime and Adrianna she added, "You two should leave as well. Kevan needs to rest."
All did as she said and as they left the room they all wished Kevan a speedy recovery.
XXX
"What was wrong Adri?" Jaime asked as soon as they had returned to their luxurious cabin aboard The Laughing Lion. "You seem a bit off since we left my uncle's room."
"I… I don't know where to start Jaime." She walked towards their bed and sat down on it with her head in her hands.
As she sat there, Jaime studied her for the thousandth time, drowning in her beauty once again. She was twenty-two, so four years his senior, but that age difference meant little to him. She had a pretty face with blue eyes, a cute small nose and rosy cheeks. She stood 5 foot 7 with wide hips and moderately large breasts. Her knee-length hair was a beautiful golden-blond, which she wore in a thick braid when they left the room, as Jaime liked to play with it when they were alone.
She was wearing a beautiful dress of blue silk and several golden bracelets and rings, making her look like the Lady of a wealthy Noble House, or a Rich merchant's wife which, in a way she was. The small hands that were moved to now lay on her belly, which did not yet show signs of the life growing there, were trembling. As Jaime looked closer, he saw her entire body begin to shake and he could hear soft sobs come from her lips.
Jaime rushed to her side and sat down next to her on their bed, taking her in his arms and began softly caressing her hair. "Shhs my love, don't be afraid of the Valyrians, even as strong as they are, they can't harm us here."
A soft huff came from Adrianna before she looked at Jaime and he was surprised to see not the fear or anguish he had assumed caused her tears, but a smile and eyes filled with hope and love. "Oh Jaime," she sniffed before kissing him lovingly on the lips, "I am not afraid my love, I am surprised yes, and shocked, but I am not afraid, I am overjoyed."
"But why?" Jamie couldn't help but ask.
"Because I just heard that my uncle is still alive." As Jaime looked confused at her, Adrianna's eyes sparkled before she planted a quick kiss on the tip of his nose and added, "I never told you my uncle's name did I?"
Jaime racked his brain to find anything but he came up blank. "His name, Jaime my love, is Ser Argyll Rivers."
Jaime's mouth fell open at hearing this until he managed to say, "Do you mean to say that your uncle is now one of the most powerful men in Valyria?"
Adrianna nodded, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks and replied, "Yes, Jaime. Yes. Do you understand what this means? If there would ever come a moment your father or anyone else threatens our security, all we have to do is flee. We flee and head to Valyria, and my uncle will ensure our safety, yours just as much as mine or our children."
"He can't protect me Adri," Jaime sighed, taking her hands in his own. "Not from the Queens, not after what I have done in King's Landing. I killed the Targaryen king Adri, the father of Rhaegar, who is their greatest ally."
"That doesn't matter Jaime," Adrianna insisted, "My uncle will protect you out of his love for me. And that will give you a chance to explain why you killed the Mad King, once you explain to them that you only did it to protect the people of King's Landing, they will understand. And even if they don't forgive you, my uncle will ensure that the worst they do is keep us as prisoners in Valyria. Which will be the safest place for us in the entire world."
Jaime was silent for nearly ten minutes as he thought over what she said until he reached a decision. "All right my love, should it ever come to that, we will flee to your uncle and I will beg his protection. I will withdraw a fifth of our money from the bank and store it here in the ship to ensure that even should we have to flee suddenly, we shall not be wanting for funds to pay for food and essentials."
"Thank you, Jaime." Adrianna sighed with a relieved expression on her face. "knowing we have a place of safety to flee to, fills my heart with joy and relief."