Lannister Camp - Somewhere in the borders between RiverLands & WesterLands
The Kingslayer had fled King's Landing after his 'battle' with Ned and had chosen to go find his family or at least the ones he hadn't seen in a while. He had heard of the news, about Lannister forces on the move and he followed that path; knowing fully that his father was not going to sit this one out after what happened to Tyrion.
When he arrived at the camp late at night, he could not say his parents were the proudest to see him; most specifically his father. After messing up their plan and injuring Ned, he knew he had fucked it up but he awaited the usual punishment; the cold shoulder from his father.
Surprisingly or not, his good-mother was not that hostile with him, although if Visenya hated one thing was having her plans ruined. So, the following day of his arrival; he did not expect to find her in his father's tent alone.
She was sitting behind his desk, eyes focused on the map spread across it while different pawns and tokens were used to mark their and the enemy's forces.
"Good-mother" he greeted from the opening of the big tent, looking down for a moment.
"Jaime, if you are looking for your father; we went to hunt. He shall be back soon" she said, her eyes not once leaving the map.
"Of course he did..." he commented, leaving silence to spread across the tent and between them. Should I apologise? At least she will forgive me, right? He thought mentally and cleared his throat, shifting the weight from one leg to the other.
"Yes, Jaime?" she asked him, clearly noticing him even though she never took her attention off the map.
Taking a deep breath, he walked inside the tent and headed her way. He had changed from his Kingsguard armour to the Lannister one. It was in the colours of black with the main chest plate being Lannister red while Lions were engraved across from it. The number of lions, designs and the lion-shaped shoulder plates were a sign of his rank in the Lannister Army; being the 4th most high-ranking Lannister.
First, of course, was Tywin, followed by Visenya and third came his uncle; Kevan. Then, he was ranked number 4 and if Trystan were ever to join; he would be right beneath him.
"About the incident with Ned Stark..." he started, standing in front of the desk.
Visenya leaned back on the chair and tilted her head just a few inches as she stared at him, both hands on the sides of the chair as if she were sitting on the Iron Throne itself. She was dressed in leather red and blackjack with a high collar, currently to hide the marks Tywin left her the night before.
"Yes?" she asked, clearly knowing what he wanted to say.
Do I have to say it? He asked her mentally with his eyes.Yes, you do, her reply would be.
"l know I messed it up and for that, I apologise. I did not know you had a plan and I only wanted to ensure my brother's safe return" he confessed.
Jaime usually was not one to apologise, mostly he never found how. His apologies would always fall on deaf ears when it came to his father since he already was disappointed and that would not change because of some heart-felt words.
The same, though, could not truly be said for Visenya. Unlike her husband, she did expect the apology and often softened after hearing it. There was not much of a difference, since it would depend on what shit you had managed to pull. Yet, the fact that your words were taken into consideration and were believed; meant something.
Where Tywin was cold and only saw Jaime as his heir, before he became a Kingsguard; Visenya saw him as a young man, who enjoyed certain things in life. Ever since he was young, he could remember her presence even before she married his father and he did have her in a higher regard.
There was silence from her side for a moment.
"Who told you it was my plan?" she asked him but then lifted her hand to stop him, already having an answer. "It was Kevan, wasn't it?"
"He does have a soft spot for me, sometimes" Jaime confessed.
Another silence, her face hard to read but then; she exhaled.
"l will accept your apology, for running a plan you did not know of" she started, her tone softer than before. "However, I do find the attack rather reckless. You know that Lions are never let their emotions control them" she reminded him, although even she felt wrong quoting those words.
She let her emotions control her more than once and they still did. She could expect nothing else from Jaime, who had obtained his mother's kindness and had a soft spot for Tyrion; compared to his twin.
Her words seemed to ease him, some tension at the base of his neck disappearing.
"l know and I do expect Father will tell me the same thing once he chooses to speak to me"
She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, lifting one knee slightly higher as she turned a little sideways on the chair.
"Your father is dramatic when he wants to be." She confessed, making him crack the faintest of smiles. "Do not wait for him to come to you, for we both know he will not. When he is back from the hunt, go find him. Hear what you have to hear, say your part and then tell him you are ready for your mission"
This made him raise an eyebrow.
"What mission?" he asked, clearly not knowing.
She motioned for him to sit and then used her hands to point at the map.
"Your next mission that your father and I discussed earlier this morning. Or better say, I persuaded him to allow you to make up for King's Landing through this mission" she corrected herself and sat on the chair properly. She picked up a token. "You are to lead your own army against the river lords, Lord Vance and Lord Clement Piper"
She placed the token on the map.
"They have placed their army in the hills below the Golden Tooth. You take them down and head for the Riverrun"
Jaime was silent for a moment, thinking it through before he nodded.
"How many?" he finally asked.
"30.000 men will be at your disposal" she started, shocking him by the sheer number of men they had ready to give him. "Make good use of your numbers and soldier variety Jaime. You are to have multiple battles and besiege Riverrun in the long run. Be smart about it and use what I taught you"
"What about you and my father?"
Another token was moved across the map.
"30.000 men will remain under our command and we will hold the crossings over the Green Fork to deny the movements of Stark reinforcements into the Riverlands."
She explained, giving him a quick detail of the plan.
After she finished explaining, Jaime understood just how far and big the couple had thought. How Tyrion's capture sealed the fate of their neighbours for now they were up against two of the brightest military minds in the recent Westerosi history.
"There are times such as these that I am thankful I am at your side, good-mother" Jaime finally said, choosing to joke as the mood around them changed to a less serious one.
Visenya smirked, leaning back on the chair once again.
"My side or mine and your father's side?" she questioned him, making him chuckle since he saw through the game.
"You know my answer too well, I will not give you that satisfaction" or boost you ego some more, he continued in his mind.
"Of course, you won't," she said, a small smile on her rosy lips. "Go prepare your men and yourself. It will help you pass the time until your father is back"
Jaime stood up, feeling slightly better than before. She simply had a way, an aura one could say that made things easier around her. It was easier to talk to her, easier to confess and there was always more understanding compared to Tywin.
It was something the young male lion had learned to appreciate, for it was rare in their strict family. There was strictness from her and certain things were expected but she was always softer, she was always more open and willing to listen; making both Jaime and Tyrion go to her when growing up.
"As you order, good-mother" he said and gave a small bow before he left the tent, more determined now to prove himself to his father and make up for his mistake.
Eventually, Tywin did return from the hunting party with a huge stag.
Placed in an empty tent with only a big and tall table, the Old Lion had wasted no time to start with the skin of the animal.
He was an expert in hunting and fishing, knowing how to remove the guts from the animal and separate the fur from the meat without harming the edible part of the animal. He always preferred to do it himself, offering him a chance to be with his thoughts and let out some steam without murdering someone.
He also did not trust the job of many of the squires and cooks, who had little experience in how to handle such a corpse without damaging it.
As Tywin was busy opening the stomach of the stag and throwing the organs one by one into a bucket, the flaps of the tent were pushed open as Jaime entered. He held his head high, his hand remained on the handle of his sword.
"Father" he greeted, seeing him with his sleeves up and his hands not covered as he put his whole hand through the bloody guts of the animal.
Surprisingly, Tywin Lannister had many ways to intimidate someone and not all of them required any eye contact.
"About King's Landing-I'"
"Attacking him was stupid" he interrupted his son as he focused on the carcass. "Lannisters...do not act like fools" he commented, throwing the intestines into the bucket. He glanced at Jaime, seeing him opening his mouth to say something but chose not to. "Are you going to say something clever?" he asked him next. "Go on, say something clever"
Jaime watched him as he changed his knife and started to sharpen it, waiting for him to speak. Remembering what Visenya had told him, he chose to approach the subject and say what he had to say; facing his hard stare and disappointment later.
"Caitlyn Stark took my brother" he finally said, trying to excuse his actions and showing he was not feeling that bad for trying to defend his sibling.
"Why is he still alive?" Tywin asked him, focusing on cutting the thin muscle threads that connected the fur to the muscle to remove it.
"Tyrion?"
"Ned Stark"
"One of our men interfered, speared him through the leg before I could finish him" he explained.
Yet, it was not the answer his father was expecting.
"Why is he still alive?" he asked him one more time, hoping he could see where this was leading.
It was times like this that Tywin missed Trystan, for he truly felt he was the only one from his children that he could communicate with him.
"It wouldn't have been clean" was his son's reply and for a moment, Tywin truly questioned the parentage of the knight behind him.
"Clean?" the Old Lion repeated and shook his head, not believing he was hearing such things from his son. He focused on lifting and folding back more of the deer skin. "You spend too much time worrying about what other people think of you"
Jaime scoffed silently. It was clear that his father was already disappointed but Visenya had advised him often not to let him rush into wrong conclusions and stand up to himself; because that was what Tywin wanted to see.
His son being strong to stand up on his own and not be pushed around by anyone; including his own father. Of course, when Visenya was advising him that; she meant for situations where he truly had something to argue and defend.
In that case, even he deep down knew what his father said was true but he was not going to just sit there and accept it.
"l could care less what anyone thinks of me"
Yet, his attempt was futile because his father saw right through him as if having access to his own thoughts for a moment.
"That's what you want people to think of you"
"It's the truth" Did I really get persuaded to stand here and listen to him? Feels like I am a child all over again, he thought as he kept facing his father's back since the carcass was far more important than his own son.
"When you hear them whispering 'kingslayer' behind your back, doesn't it bother you?" Tywin asked as he kept working on removing the skin.
Suddenly, Jaime was speechless but not because he had nothing to say. No, he was speechless because he saw no point in that discussion. His father was not even looking at him in the eyes and yet he kept talking and scolding him, as if Jaime was but a mere boy.
He parted his lips to speak but took him a moment longer, not even sure what kind of answer his father was expecting to hear and which he would consider to be true.
"Of course, it bothers me" he finally admitted, not hiding his annoyance as he just chose to go with it and save himself the time and the incoming migraine.
Sometimes, like those, Jaime was glad he was in King's Landing. Sure, Robert was a big fat idiot but at least he had Cersei. He had Trystan and even Tyrion, the freedom to speak without having to lower their heads at the sight of their mighty and invisible father of theirs.
He was just himself, no one to second question and judge every single word he said or clearly antagonize him until he admitted defeat.
"The lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep." Tywin reminded him and caused his son to look away in frustration. How many times had he heard that phrase? Honestly, he had lost count and it was one of the few that his father truly favoured repeating.
"l suppose I should be grateful that your vanity got in the way of your recklessness."
This made Jaime look at him again but before he could ask him, he interrupted him.
"l believe you talked with your good-mother"
"l did"
He seemed somehow pleased with that, perhaps because he wouldn't have to truly deal with explaining it to him.
"Good. You take half our forces, bring them to Catelyn Stark's girlhood home and remind her that Lannisters pay their debts"
Jaime already knew that and yet a part of him had to ask, or the question would haunt him and he knew he wouldn't get the chance anytime soon.
"l didn't realize you placed such a high value on my brother's life. My good-mother, I understand but not you"
To his surprise, his father laughed although there was more mockery than amusement in his voice.
"He's a Lannister. He might be the lowest of the Lannisters, but he's one of us. And every day that he remains a prisoner, the less our name commands respect."
This seemed like an opportunity and the young Lion chose to grab it.
"So the lion does concern himself with the opinions of -"
He never managed to continue, because he crossed the line too fast to even realise it.
Tywin slammed the knife on the wooden table, inches away from the almost fully-skinned carcass.
"No, it's not an opinion, it's a fact!" he corrected him, his voice louder and suddenly with far more authority; forcing Jaime to glance at the ground for a moment due to the intensity of his father's sharp green gaze.
"If another House can seize one of our own and hold him captive with impunity, we are no longer a House to be red"
No other word was said as the message was passed and Jaime was reminded of the harsh truth. His father would never care for Tyrion; just use him to excuse his conquests. In his eyes, only Trystan seemed to be his dream heir.
Sometimes, Jaime disliked the younger Lion but only out of pure jealousy because Trystan had what one thing his older siblings could never truly obtain; their father's favour. Tywin did have his latest son higher than the rest of his children and did not often hide it.
The boy was not to be blamed, for he simply tried his best to be what his father wanted him to be. After all, in King's Landing Jaime truly saw the more childish and less serious nature that he only showed around his family; especially when their father was not around.
One could say that he even felt bad for the boy but yet again, it was the Lannister curse. Every child of Tywin had to pass through that pressure, face the disappointed look and listen to the same lecture for the 100th time.
In Jaime's eyes, even his good-mother did not seem to be fully free from that. There would always be times in family suppers where she remained quiet despite what was going on and it was clear, known even, that Tywin was the one in control of the marriage and of their relationship most of the time; if not all. In the end, one would come to accept that there was no true freedom of choice in the Lannister family and that everyone bowed their heads to the one ruling it.
The knight did not realize that his father had returned to skinning the dear or that he had focused too much on his thoughts until he heard his father speak again.
"Your mother's dead. Before long, I'll be dead and your good-mother will follow not long after...and you, and your brothers, and your sister and all of their children...all of us dead, all of us rotting in the ground. It's the family name that lives on. It's all that lives on. Not your personal glory, not your honour, but family. Do you understand?"
The young Lion tried to erase that morbid idea from his mind and only replied with a gentle nod. His actions or his silence did not seem to please his father once again and he did not hide it.
Yet, the Old Lion wiped the animal blood off his hands with a rag as he fully turned to face his son after all this time. "You're blessed with abilities that few men possess. You are blessed to belong to the most powerful family in the kingdoms. And you are still blessed with youth. And what have you done with these blessings, huh? You've served as a glorified bodyguard for two kings - one a madman, the other a drunk." He reminded him and walked up to him. "The future of our family will be determined in these next few months. We could establish a dynasty that will last a thousand years....or we could collapse into nothing, as the Targaryens did"
Jaime tried not to look at him as he read between the lines of his father's words. From that last phrase, the knight got a lot of hidden meanings that his father maybe or may not have put them there intentionally.
When he talked of the Targaryens that way, he made it clear that in his eyes, Visenya was a Lion and not a Dragon; not anymore at least. He also meant not to do anything stupid and endanger one another for selfish reasons like they did.
The Mad King justified the rebellion with his sadistic tendencies to burn people while Rhaegar caused it by kidnapping the woman he loved.
Even Visenya was not innocent, since she joined the battle with her nephew and when she got captured; risked fully destroying any chances for the Lannisters to get on the good side of Robert. It did not even have to be mentioned that her selfish feelings that had sent her into that war, made her return injured and eventually become incapable of producing more heirs.
That was perhaps the lowest blow and sometimes Jaime wondered if his father lied when he said he did not care about it.
He was snapped by his thoughts and stiffened for a moment when he gently felt a hand on his cheek. He relaxed, faintly upon realizing it was his father's, but the action was foreign to him. Usually, it was Visenya, who was a little more physical with them when she expressed her emotions.
"I need you to become the man you were always meant to be. Not next year. Not tomorrow. Now" Tywin said, suddenly his words sounding so certain that Jaime could not help but believe them.
This was his chance, his last chance to make up for his mistake and make his father proud. He could do this...no...he had to do this.
This was his chance, his last chance to make up for his mistake and make his father proud. He could do this...no...he had to do this.
As Tywin lowered his hand, a third person entered their tent. The woman of the hour took a step inside and caught glimpses of the small moment, evident by the faint ghost smirk on her lips.
"Good mother, father" Jaime bid them goodbye and left, to get the last things ready for his travel.
Visenya watched him go before she walked deeper into the tent, approaching her husband; who had turned his focus back on the stag.
"You do know that he just wants to make you proud, don't you?" she asked him, watching him from a small distance as he cleaned and sharpened his hunting knife.
"He could have made me proud already if he did not care about his injured pride and vanity" he corrected her and returned to the deer.
She walked to be by his side but kept a two-foot distance, clearly not preferring getting animal blood on her at the moment. "He is content to make up for it and you know he will not fail"
She knew the relationship Tywin had with his children was...complicated, to put it mildly. Even with Trystan, Tywin was not the father many would expect a man to be but the Old Lion was not like any other man.
Yet, it did not mean that the Dragoness was not trying to ease the situation and somehow close that huge gap. For in the end, no matter their flaws, they were family and she refused to lose one more because of a stupid gap.
I let it happen once, not again, she would say to herself as motivation to handle the already complicated situation and try to fix it.
"He is my son, after all, but I will not put my full faith in him; not until he has proven me otherwise" She rolled her eyes at his drama, something that he took notice of. He stopped skinning the deer and turned to face her, his hands and knife covered in less blood than when he first degutted the animal but they were not clean. "You persuaded him to come talk to me, didn't you?"
"What makes you say I did?" she questioned, arching one eyebrow.
Tywin took a few steps closer. "One of his flaws is that he is too silent, too obedient. He doesn't dare to stand up to himself and the few times he does; he can't even defend himself properly"
"Perhaps he is changing. He is maturing and maybe all those lessons of yours are finally catching up with him" she suggested and used one finger to gently move his hand and knife away from her, clearly not pleased with the smell or the blood.
This amused him. "It is odd how you disapprove of my free time being spent skinning a game when you spent hours daily at the stables to train your latest horse"
The amusement was shared with a small smirk on her lips. "Horses over animal carcasses any day, dear husband," she told him and took a step back. "I will let you two have the room and ensure we are ready to move in a few hours" she said and turned to leave.
He did not say anything but did roll his eyes at her choice of joke, sometimes wondering if Tyrion had gotten that bad habit from her and simply mastered it.