This chapter has been edited due to content. I made minor edits in the chapter. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
"How did Daenerys die?" Jaime asked.
Everyone of importance had all gathered in Jon's tent. Jon was sitting behind a table with Tyrion on his left and Davos on his right. On the table was a map with a wine glass on top and uneaten food to the side of it. It was somewhat concerning that Jon wasn't eating as much as he should. I don't know why I was as worried about that as I was.
"There was a small skirmish." Jon replied. "The people who attacked us weren't well trained and in very few numbers. Some men merely joined in the fight to let off excess energy. You can't have men traveling without some getting more aggressive than usual."
Yes, that was battle. That was war. Many thoughts had been going on through my head and the skirmish had allowed me to do something. It had allowed me to fight and feel a sense of victory. Though that feeling of euphoria had been brief both because reality took over me and Daenerys had died. If only I had been by her side I could've saved her. It was all my fault that she was dead.
"If it was such a small skirmish, how did Daenerys manage to die?" Jaime asked.
"It was a stray arrow." Jon answered. "It only took one arrow to take down the queen."
"And why was no one guarding her?"
"Because it was barely a battle." I answered sternly. "There seemed to be nothing to protect her from. Why would we fear a few men?"
"And where were you, Ser Jorah?" Jaime drawled.
"He was doing his duty to fight off the attackers." Jon replied both quickly and with some anger in his voice. "Since Daenerys did not seem to need to require protection, he helped end the skirmish. Even if he had been beside her, there is no certainty that he could've saved her. One wrong move would be all it took."
I was surprised that Jon had been so quick to defend me. There had been no time for me to respond. And why had he been so angry that Jaime had pointed out my dishonorable action? The bastard had always been more than noble and yet his reaction did not seem like him. Of course I was glad to have his support but it confused me. Maybe it was because the part of me that hated him was being challenged.
There was silence in the tent as Jaime considered what had been said. My hand stayed on Longclaw's hilt even though I knew the older Lannister wouldn't attack. If Jaime was dangerous Tyrion would've recommended Grey Worm and some Dothraki to be at this meeting. As was, there were only two Unsullied outside the tent. Their main purpose was to keep any eavesdroppers out. And if anyone tried to force their entry...blood would be spilt.
"Daenerys Targaryen has dragons." Jaime said. "It seems to me that all of this trouble could've been avoided if they had been used. If she had stayed high enough no arrow could reach her."
He had seen how dangerous one dragon could be. His men had been slaughtered when Daenerys had attacked with Drogon and the Dothraki. From Tyrion's account it was more of a massacre than a battle. There had been no chance for Jaime to properly defend himself. That hadn't meant the man just gave up, though. No, he had decided to try to kill Daenerys while Drogon was right beside her.
Tyrion glared at me. He knew that I wanted to bring up that Khaleesi's death had been Jon's fault. He knew that blaming Jon now could have devastating political consequences. It would tell Jaime that the queen's death had left only instability in its place. With a small nod the Imp was reassured about my silence. It was the bastard's turn to frame the Targaryen's death as he would.
"I suggested to Daenerys that we should come to Winterfell together on the Kingsroad." Jon said with a slight glance to me. "I knew that the Northerners wouldn't take me bending the knee kindly and so I needed a way to soothe their worries. Once we made it to Winterfell there would need to be a clear sign that we were united. I wanted to stop any rumors that Daenerys was using me. I wanted to reassure everyone that bending the knee was my choice."
Suddenly Jaime began to laugh loudly. I could guess why he was doing so. It would've been made clear to him in the Dragonpit that Jon had told Cersei about bending the knee merely to please Daenerys. Jaime would know how much Jon loved the Targaryen. He would then go to conclude that Jon was, again, thinking with his **** when he made the suggestion. The calm way Jon had given the explanation had helped Jaime laugh. At least so I assumed.
"I know it was a stupid idea to give her that suggestion." Jon said once Jaime stopped laughing. "If I had remained silent and agreed with her about riding Drogon she'd still be here."
"It's not your fault." I said before I understood what my mouth was doing. "Daenerys Targaryen is a force of nature that we will not soon see the likes of again. She obeys her advisors or goes against them upon her choosing. It is just as easy to control her as it is to tame a dragon. You didn't make her do anything, Jon, she made her decision. And while going on the Kingsroad is where the arrow pierced her neck, it isn't anyone's fault for her dying. Things happen that are outside anyone's control. Daenerys' death is not her fault or yours."
Why had I said that? I hadn't meant to comfort the boy so. Bile had started to come up my throat and I did my best to push it back down. It would be more than rude to vomit now. I looked at the confused looks of Jon, Tyrion, and Davos. They were as surprised as I was. They might have expected me to hold back my anger at Jon for this meeting. But I don't think anyone had suspected that I would defend Jon so vehemently. Hopefully they would think I was returning the favor to Jon. If they asked why I had defended him, I would have no answer.
"Why did you come here, Jaime?" I asked to break the silence. "Did Cersei Lannister send you to help us?"
Cersei Lannister was more than untrustworthy. She had had her husband, King Robert Baratheon murdered, all to take control of the Iron Throne. It had taken her some time to achieve the rank of queen, though. Her hands had become more than bloodied by the time she had become queen. When I had gone to the Dragonpit, the ruins of the Sept of Baelor hadn't escaped my notice. It wouldn't have surprised me if she had found some way to destroy it.
"I don't serve my sister anymore." Jaime said. "She has become mad as of late. She has decided to risk the fate of Westeros just so she can kill her enemies."
"And we're supposed to believe you've had a chance of heart?" Davos asked. "We're supposed to believe her betraying Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow has changed your mind? Why hasn't anything else Cersei has done not moved you to part from her?"
While Davos seemed to disbelieve Jaime, I trusted him. How he had come to the camp didn't seem like a spy would. He had been apologetic and not sure of himself. Like him, I knew what it was like to love the wrong woman. I was aware of how deep into sin you would go before you understood how tainted you were. If not for Daenerys, I would still be wallowing in punishment.
There was silence as the older Lannister decided how to word his reply. Tyrion wasn't looking at his brother as if he were an enemy. If there was anyone to know if the Kingslayer was lying, it would be the dwarf. Jon's face was unreadable as he waited for a reply. It was a good way for a king to act. If you lead you shouldn't give too much of your feelings away. There was always the chance that your heart could be used against you.
"It was because of a lot of things." Jaime replied. "Her recent betrayal is what helped me break my chain to her. Before that, the Sept of Baelor started to weaken my ties to her. Tommen was manipulated into telling me to go away. Each day I was away I yearned to be back at my sister's side. But when I came back everything had changed. Tommen, my last child, was dead. Cersei...Cersei had used wildfire on the Sept of Baelor. She finally told me one night that she had used that foul substance. She had used wildfire inside the city!"
The Lannister paused and looked around. He hadn't meant to get so agitated. I knew the man only by besting him in a tournament once and his reputation. Nothing I knew of him told me why using wildfire in King's Landing was such a sin to him. It was probably a story he only told a few people. It took awhile for him to finally calm down enough to speak.
"I am no longer in love with Cersei." Jaime said. "I do not care to love or serve someone who is so callous."
Davos gave a slight nod of his head to Jon. The former king looked at Jaime. I could understand that he would want to distrust the Lannister. He, along with his family, had caused chaos for House Stark. It was Cersei and Joffrey who had caused Sansa much pain in King's Landing. According to Tyrion, it was Tywin who had helped cause the Red Wedding. Jon's mother and older brother would still be alive if not for the Lannisters.
The only thing that gave me or anyone else in the tent any hope was that Jon was noble. He would be able to see that acting like Jaime was a foe would be bad for Westeros. The true enemy was the Night King and nothing else mattered. I had seen the horror of the dead and understood clearly why Jon was obsessed with them.
"It's no surprise that Cersei backed out of the deal." Tyrion said with a shrug. "If she hadn't tried to backstab us I'd be worried."
"Even after she saw the true enemy she wants to war with us?" Jon asked.
"Cersei doesn't care about Westeros." Jaime said and shook his head. "She is pregnant again and thinks that she is invincible."
I hardly doubted that Cersei had ever cared about Westeros. A woman with her reputation wasn't expected to be kind. I knew there had always been the possibility that she would lie to us and not care about a temporary ceasefire. Yet it still hurt me as I had risked my life to get a wight. I had nearly seen Jon die. I had seen Viserion die. All for nothing. All the fear and death was all for naught.
No, that wasn't true. Because I had risked my life Jaime was now an ally. While he couldn't fight as well as before due to the loss of one of his hands, he was still valuable. The mind that had won battles still worked just as well. Also his arrival could mean there'd be some distance from Tyrion. The dwarf had a good heart, but sometimes I missed my solitude.
"How does Cersei plan to betray us?" Jon asked. "I'm assuming Euron Greyjoy is involved with her plans. A man who is so cruel wouldn't run away from a fight. He'd see it as a challenge. He would consider running from such a fight a sign of cowardice."
Euron had made a reputation for himself over the years. It was one of endless cruelty and deceit. He was a man that cared only for himself. It had made some sense for him to hide away in the Iron Islands during the War for the Dawn. It was not his fight and he needn't risk his life for others. Unlike Jon, I didn't think Euron would fight for the sheer joy of it. No, he would fight because he had to. He wanted the Iron Throne and was playing a long game in order to usurp Cersei. It was only coincidence that Euron's ploy happened when the dead were arriving.
I wouldn't say my disagreement aloud due to how rude it would seem. We had to show Jaime we were a united front and such a minor disagreement wouldn't benefit anyone. Jon and I had defended each other which showed unity. It was odd that at times I could forget Daenerys' bloody corpse when I looked at him. Maybe I could one day forgive him, but it would be a hard fight for me to do so.
"Euron left the Dragonpit to go get the Golden Company." Jaime replied.
"I know them." I said to Jon. "I counted myself as one of their members for a time. They have never gone back on a contract. 'Our word is as good as gold.' They were formed by a legitimized bastard of King Aegon IV Targaryen. While they are sellswords, they prefer to call themselves a brotherhood of exiles."
"So there would be no way to convince them that they're working for the wrong side?" Jon asked.
"They are men of their word, they won't dare break a contract."
"And what will their word mean if everyone is dead?"
The Golden Company would not worry about who lived and died. What they cared about was their reputation and the ability to be paid. Jon was thinking too much about morals instead of cold logic. Of course he would want to believe, at least in some way, that others weren't so callous. That if someone was showed proof of the world ending that the person would change their ways. But, truth be told, everyone wasn't like that. Some were selfish until the end.
Then again Jon might have a point. The Golden Company depended on others to pay them. If there was no one alive to pay them, what good would their honor do them? The only problem with that would be convincing them that the threat of the dead could come to Essos. For now there was no indication that the dead could cross the Narrow Sea. The Golden Company would lose their business in Westeros but still be able to keep it in Essos.
"Not all men are as honorable as you are, Jon." Davos said. "We don't have the option of paying them more than Cersei as they don't break a contract."
"And even if we could convince them that the dead will destroy any prospects in Westeros, it won't matter." I added. "The dead can't cross the sea which means they'll be safe in Essos."
"Why is everyone focused on the wrong enemy?" Jon asked. "The dead are coming and yet everyone is still concerned with their petty squabbles. Who sits on the Iron Throne doesn't matter if the Night King wins. After the war with the dead is won we can go back to our old ways. For now we need to focus on the one true enemy."
"It is much easier to understand old hatred." Jaime replied. "Even though I've seen a wight, it's hard to comprehend the threat. I wouldn't expect most to actually believe stories about the Night King until it's too late."
Already Jaime had taken to being one of us. I would say one of Jon's men, but I wasn't ready to give the bastard the title of leader. I followed him now merely because he gave me the best chance of survival. If someone else could fight the dead better, I'd quickly change sides. Or maybe I was just fooling myself. Why wouldn't my mind give me a clear answer on whether or not I should loathe Jon?
Jaime turned around as Rhaegal and Drogon roared. The sound shook the tent slightly. Jon gave Davos a look and soon the older man went to check. If the dragons were causing chaos then the meeting would continue at another time. The dragons hadn't scared me as during the day they had been close to me. Much closer than any other time.
"Thank you for your support, Ser Jaime Lannister." Jon said once Davos had returned. "We will need every man to help win this fight."
"I am loyal to Westeros." Jaime said and Davos barely held back a snicker. "I don't care if you believe that statement or not. While my actions aren't always those of someone like Lord Eddard Stark, I have damned myself for the Seven Kingdoms at times."
I could tell that everyone in the tent wanted to ask the same question: what was Jaime talking about? When had he risked everything for Westeros?
But everyone in the tent knew that an alliance with Jaime would be more than useful. If he betrayed us then the living might be a mere memory and the only season would be Winter. The cold of the dead would be the only thing anyone would know about Westeros. Nothing warm would last here anymore.
"Since Daenerys Targaryen is dead, which king or queen am I supposed to pledge fidelity to?" Jaime asked.
Jon looked at me. He must be trying to gather strength to say he was king. I knew that he had never wanted power and did not care for it. He would serve the people of Westeros and yet he didn't care about sitting on the Iron Throne at all.
"Until we reach Winterfell and there is an official decision that says otherwise," Davos said before Jon could reply. "Jon Snow is our king. Before he was Warden of the North, he was King of the North. Before Daenerys Targaryen died, he shared her bed."
"Then I swear my undying allegiance to you, King Jon Snow." Jaime said.
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