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“Well, this certainly is a mess you’ve gotten yourself into, dear brother. Tell me, was it not so recently that our roles were reversed?” Raising a stubby finger, Tyrion Lannister gestured to himself as he stepped towards Jaime’s cell. “Of course, I’d been in your place; rotting in the Black Cells at our sweet sister’s command . . . whereas now you’re here, wasting away in the Mad King’s daughter’s dungeon. Funny how circumstances can change so quickly.”At the sound of Tyrion’s voice, Jaime looked up from his place strewn about the filthy dungeon floor. His little brother had always known how to make an entrance. Jaime, however, could not boast of his latest upon entering the city of Meereen. After Daenerys Targaryen’s soldiers had discovered him lurking near the Great Pyramid he’d been captured, beaten, and taken straight to the dungeons where he’d spent the past several days awaiting whatever punishment the Mother of Dragons decided to bestow upon him. He couldn’t have been more down on his luck, spending every moment awaiting his impending death, and yet even now Tyrion still possessed the gift of rousing a smile out of him.Jaime had left King’s Landing behind months ago in his attempt to find his younger brother. Of late Cersei had become bitter, cold, and distant. Day in and day out, enduring rejection after constant rejection, Jaime had finally decided that if he couldn’t have the love of the sibling he desired, he would do everything in his power to be with the sibling who loved him back. Varys’s little birds had passed messages to Jaime along the way to help aid him during his passage, and after a great many weeks of seemingly endless travel he had arrived in the city of Meereen where it was rumored that the youngest Lannister had sought out Daenerys Targaryen to support her claim to the Iron Throne.“Yes, and quite an exit you made, little brother.” Jaime began softly, his voice hoarse from not having spoken a word in several days. “Though I think that I, too should have received some credit for our father’s death. After all, I was the one who taught you how to locate the heart in all our tiltyard trainings as children.”“Indeed,” Tyrion agreed, raising his small, childlike hands. “A bit rusty, I’m afraid. It took me two shots to get the job done . . . though the end result took full effect all the same.”The Lannister brothers shared a brief, sad smile before lowering their gazes to the ground. Tyrion had not spoken to anyone of the night he’d murdered their father, not even to Varys during their long travels throughout the slave cities. The eunuch had already known of course; he knew everything, but still he hadn’t pried. Now that Tyrion had spoken of it to Jaime however, he had breathed life into it. It was real. Tyrion had murdered their father.Tywin Lannister had been a ruthless man and even more, a ruthless father. Unlike Cersei, Jaime had not shed a single tear for their father’s untimely death. Tywin was a great leader, not even his children could deny him that, but a horrible parent. His death would be a harsh blow to Tommen’s reign over the Seven Kingdoms, but Jaime knew better than anyone that his son was not the rightful heir, no matter his surname, and he’d grown tired of supporting kings who held no claim to the Iron Throne. The boy was kind, yes, and much less of a threat to the realm than Joffrey had been, but kindness didn’t win wars. Now that Tywin was gone, Tommen wouldn’t stand a chance. Not against King’s Landing or Stannis Baratheon — not even against this Dragon Queen half a world over.“How did you know it was me?”“Our father was shot in his privy exactly ten minutes after I released you from your cell. I may not be quite as brilliant as you are, Tyrion, but it wasn’t that difficult to figure out.”“And you’re not angry with me?” Tyrion whispered, narrowing his eyes at his older brother in disbelief.For a long moment, Jaime said nothing. He’d seen how the death of their father had torn Cersei apart, yet here he was, strangely unaffected.“I would’ve done the same thing, had he condemned me to such a fate.”“Ah, but he would never have done such a thing! You’re the golden child, remember?”A bitter smile quirked the edge of Jaime’s lips, yet he said nothing in return.From the beginning, Tyrion knew that his father had every intention of sentencing him to death. Tywin had known that Tyrion was innocent, yet that didn’t matter. Why should the truth ruin his opportunity to finally rid himself of his last born? Jaime had fought against this notion through the beginning of his little brother’s trial, but reluctantly came to realize that their father was going to allow Tyrion to be executed near the end. It was no secret that Tywin despised Tyrion, but Jaime was shocked to find that his father’s hatred ran that deep. That was where the deal came in; the deal in which Jaime had promised to leave the Kingsguard, marry a suitable woman, and finally give Tywin the legacy he so greatly desired. If — and only if — he spared Tyrion.Jaime had never told Tyrion of his sacrifice. There had been no reason to after the youngest Lannister opened his mouth and fucked over the entire deal by demanding a trial by combat instead of pleading to be sent to the Wall. In the end, Jaime’s acceptance over the fact that Tywin had truly wanted Tyrion dead was likely what made him numb to the news that Tyrion had murdered their father.“Why are you here, Jaime? It can’t be the million gold dragons Cersei is no doubt offering for my capture.”“Three million.”“Pardon me?”“Our sister has tripled the price for your head since you added our father to your body count, as well as offered a lordship to whomever captures you — highborn or low.”“Have you become so desperate to rid yourself of your position of Captain of the Kingsguard that you would go to such lengths?”Tyrion eyed his older brother closely. There was something broken in Jaime, no matter how hard he tried to hide it behind his clever quips. Tyrion could smell it on his brother just as distinctly as he could smell the blood, sweat and filth that he’d been stewing in for the past several days while he’d been Daenerys’s prisoner.“Gods, Jaime, what has Cersei done to you now?”A loaded question, Jaime thought with a wry chuckle. What hadn’t their sister done to him in all their years together? While Jaime was well aware that Tyrion had suffered the worst of Cersei, she had never been kind to either brother.“As of late, she taunted me over my choice to join the Kingsguard, made her comments on how father never wanted that for me; how in doing so I’d shamed him as well as the Lannister name. She had the bloody nerve to do so, even when she knew . . . ”“Knew what?”“That I had done it all for her! To be with her!” Pulling himself into a sitting position, Jaime cursed, his anger rising to the surface with each word. “I tried to convince her not to let the people of King’s Landing pull us apart, but she kept insisting that it was you who had done the damage.”Of course, Tyrion knew of Jaime and Cersei’s incestuous affair that had begun when they were teenagers. Unlike their father, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to such antics. But Jaime had never confessed the truth to him in all these years. Not once. And the fact that he was choosing now to do so truly had Tyrion worried for his older brother’s mental state.“Did I ever tell you how Cersei used to torment you, long before you were even old enough to realize it?” Capturing a handful of hay between his fingers, Jaime continued. “She treated you like a bloody circus act, inviting the neighborhood children into your nursery to see you — 'The Demon Child who killed our dear, sweet mother.'"Feeling a muscle in his jaw twitch, Tyrion looked away. He’d heard this tale from Oberyn Martell when the Red Viper had come to visit him in the Black Cells after he’d been arrested for Joffrey’s assassination. “I’ve already heard this story.”“Yes, well, what you may not have heard is that I let her. Even then, I was terrified of our sister’s wrath . . . and even more, of her rejection.” Tossing the hay aside, Jaime swallowed down the lump that had begun to form in his throat. Even now, thinking of the way he’d allowed Cersei to treat their baby brother had a way of reducing him to tears. “So, day in and day out, I accompanied Cersei as she escorted more children into the nursery to poke fun at you, and each night I cried myself to sleep for what I had done.”Staring at Jaime in awe, Tyrion found himself completely at a loss for words, a rare trait for the dwarf indeed. But if anything could silence him, it was the sight of his older brother in his current state.“Why are you here, Jaime?” Tyrion asked desperately, his fear betraying him by the sudden hitch of his voice. “You’re a fool to have come, no matter the reason. Daenerys is not known for showing mercy to her enemies.”“I’ve always enjoyed a violent woman.”Tyrion frowned at his brother’s gross attempt at wit. The Lannister brothers were known for their sharp tongues, and Tyrion had often enjoyed partaking in various scraps with his older brother, but this was not one of those times.“So, you’re telling me that this is you, finally seeking forgiveness for your crimes?”Chuckling, Jaime shook his head. “I think we both know that my crimes are past forgiveness.”“What then?!” Tyrion exclaimed, quickly growing tired of this game.For so long Tyrion had cherished his time spent with Jaime, the only member of the entire Lannister clan who treated him like a person rather than the monster that had ripped itself out of their mother. Despite now supporting Daenerys Targaryen’s claim to the Iron Throne, Tyrion could not bear the thought of the Dragon Queen’s first act of revenge being the execution of his older brother.“I missed you,” Jaime admitted, a desperate ache sounding at the back of his throat.In all the years Tyrion had known Jaime, he’d never seen his brother like this. Never in his life would he have expected Jaime to leave Cersei, even more he’d never expected the idea to frighten him as much as it did. Surely removing Cersei from his life was a good thing; much like extracting a festering cancer that was sure to kill him. It had to be . . . and yet Jaime’s actions were truly terrifying to behold once they'd finally been put into motion.“Jaime, you must get control of yourself. Your chances of surviving this are already dire, but perhaps if you plead for mercy — perhaps Daenerys will let you live out the rest of your days at the Wall.”“I have no desire to return to the North and spend the rest of my years freezing my arse off, surrounded by Jon Snow and that miserable cock fest.”“Do you think so little of your life now?”“I’ve never been afraid to die.”“That doesn’t answer my question.”Glancing down at the stump where his swordhand had once been, Jaime ran his fingers over it. One of the first things that Daenerys’s men had done upon capturing him had been to take the golden hand that Cersei had Qyburn make for him. Truthfully, Jaime almost preferred being without it. It felt like a lie, and after living a life full of them he was growing tired of the deception.“What did you think, Jaime? Did you think that you could charm Daenerys into forgetting that you murdered her father?”“I wanted to be with my brother. I had hoped the rumor that you were supporting Daenerys was just that.”“Well, it isn’t. I do support her, as should you. Don’t you finally want to be remembered for something good? To be on the right side of history?”“Dear brother, do you forget who you’re talking to?” Jaime scoffed. “When have I ever cared what others think of me?”“Do it for me then!” Tyrion shouted impatiently.From the moment Jaime had sliced the Mad King’s throat open, he knew this would become his fate. Of course, he’d imagined to be at the mercy of Viserys Targaryen rather than his younger sister, but truly it made no difference. One way or another the gods had seen fit to make him pay for his crimes. Years had passed in between the sentence whilst Daenerys grew into the woman that she was today, and soon she would receive the justice she had no doubt craved since childhood. Jaime couldn’t blame her for this desire, but he had to wonder if his execution would be the catalyst to sending her down the same doomed path as her father.“Why did you decide to follow her, Tyrion? What makes you think that this Targaryen will be any better than the last?”“Because she has to be.” Tyrion responded without missing a beat, and in these words, Jaime saw his little brother truly believed them to be true. He believed in her. “Daenerys is the start of a new world, Jaime — a better world — and I want you to live to see it.”“And what do you think your Dragon Queen will have to say about that?”Tyrion swallowed. While he had spent the past several weeks getting to know Daenerys, he could hardly anticipate what her reaction would be when finally meeting father’s killer. Truthfully, Tyrion hadn’t a clue what to expect — not from Daenerys, nor from Jaime — but he would be damned if he didn’t do everything in his power to save his brother from the foolish situation he'd brought upon himself.“Listen to me carefully, you fucking idiot. You may not give a damn about your life, but I do, and this is what you’re going to have to say to Daenerys in order to keep it.”

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For years Daenerys Targaryen had wondered what she would do if she ever came in contact with the man who had murdered her father. Jaime Lannister. He’d been barely more than a boy at the time; a young man of seven-and-ten — only two years younger than Dany was now — yet he’d still been capable of killing a king. How many men and women had Dany had put to their deaths since beginning her reign? Her brother Viserys made the first, Mirri Maz Durr the second, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Doreah the third and fourth. Though only the second had been done by her own hand, she’d given the orders that took all the rest of their lives. Since then, countless more had been added to that list; people whose names she would never know.Were they really so different, she and the Kingslayer?“Your Grace,” Missandei spoke softly, gently lifting Dany from her thoughts of fire and blood. “It is time.”Wringing her hands, Daenerys took a deep breath in order to calm herself, but still her fingers shook. Although she had felt many emotions during the years she’d spent imagining the day she’d meet her father’s killer, she’d never thought that fear could become one of them.Dany rose and made her way to the throne room. Upon entering, she met Daario Naharis’ piercing gaze as he stood behind Jaime Lannister. On his knees, the Kingslayer hung his head. The blood from the wounds her men had given him had soaked through the chest of his tunic, leaving a dried brown crust of remembrance. His golden hair hung down his face, reaching just to his cheek bones; a dark beard covering the edge of his angular jaw from weeks spent without a proper shave. But beneath the blood, dirt and hair Dany could see that the man before her was beautiful. He was still the man all the ballads had been written for; the most dangerous and most handsome man in all of Westeros. Hair as blonde as wheat, eyes as green as emeralds . . . and yet all Dany could see was the man who had stolen her childhood.“Ser Jaime Lannister, you have the honor of Daenerys Targaryen, Queen of the Anadals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, Queen of Meereen and the Mother of Dragons.”Quite the mouthful for such a small girl, Jaime mused, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking these words aloud.Slowly raising his head, the Kingslayer caught a glimpse of the legendary Dragon Queen from the light of the candles that burnt amongst the marble pillars surrounding them. She was just as beautiful as the rumors stated; a woman to start wars for. Where Aerys' features had been hard, Daenerys’ were soft, yet they still had the same eyes — a mesmerizing blue with golden flecks, and the same silver-gold hair that the Targaryens were known for. No, Jaime thought once more. There was kindness there. She has her mother’s eyes. There was no denying it, this was no impostor; Daenerys was a Targaryen through and through. But Jaime had to wonder for the second time that day; did the same madness her father possessed run in her veins as well?“You may approach.”Shaking the guards off at his sides, Jaime staggered forward on weak, cramped legs. After spending so much time trapped in the dungeons he’d been forced to curl his long limbs up into a variety of uncomfortable positions that he was now paying dearly for. From the corner of his eye he glimpsed Tyrion looking away, clearly embarrassed for his brother. The words his younger brother had shared with him the previous day still rung in his ears all too clearly.

“Funny how circumstances can change so quickly.”

Jaime had spent his entire life pitying his baby brother, watching as he waddled throughout the castle on stunted legs. Now it seemed it was his turn to be pitied.“Your Grace,” Jaime began, stretching out his arms as far as the shackles would allow. “My travels were long, I thank you for treating me with such kind hospitality.”Remaining by Daenerys’ side, Tyrion winced at his brother’s insolence as the halls of the throne room grew still and quiet.“Why is it you’ve come here?” Daenerys questioned, ignoring the brazen Kingslayer’s slight.“I mean to travel.”“This is not a game, ser. I demand to know the truth.”The truth, Jaime smirked. Well, there’s a first time for everything.“As you wish, my lady.”“She is not your lady,” Ser Barristan Selmy broke in suddenly from his place beside the queen. Even from where he stood beneath the dozen steps in front of him, Jaime could see the steel in the old man’s eyes as clear as day. “She is your queen.”The last Jaime had heard of the old knight, he'd been sent away on Joffrey’s command so that Jaime could take his place as Captain of the Kingsguard. For that reason, he knew Selmy’s hatred towards him was more personal than anything else. Barristan the Bold. Even way back when, Selmy had never approved of Jaime’s presence in his precious Kingsguard. Before Robert’s Rebellion, the old knight thought Jaime too young and inexperienced — afterward, he had often been heard to say that the Kingslayer should exchange his white cloak for a black one.“Silence,” Dany chided. After a brief exchange with Ser Barristan, she brought her attention back to Jaime. “Do you deny killing my father?”“No.”“Do you regret killing my father?”“No.”“You swore an oath to protect him, yet you betrayed him by breaking that solemn vow.”“I swore a great many oaths the day I took the White. Protecting your father was merely one of them.”“And you felt there was an oath of more importance?” Dany demanded, her voice shaking as the suggestion had her anger mounting.“Protecting the innocent.” Jaime replied swiftly.Daenerys shot Jaime a measured look, unsure of just what to make of his words. She’d heard tales of her father’s madness near the end of his reign certainly, but had never known the truth of what went on during that time. Viserys had never been a reliable source and her counselors had tip-toed around the subject here and there, but deep down Dany knew there was much they had left unsaid.“After all,” Jaime shrugged his filthy shoulders. “They didn’t call him the Mad King for nothing—”Before another word could be said, strong arms swung through the air as Daario Naharis delivered a heavy backhand to the side of Jaime’s face, causing the Kingslayer to fall to his knees once more. Both chuckling and coughing from the impact of the blow, Jaime spit out a mouthful of blood onto the marble floor, his teeth stained red as he looked to Daenerys once more, his smile cutting like a knife. “Was it something I said?”With a brief shake of her head, Dany discouraged Daario from continuing with violence. Although she could not find much sympathy within her to offer the Kingslayer, it had never been her idea of justice to have a man beaten while he was already down.“Tommen, the one they call ‘the Boy King;’ the one who currently sits the Iron Throne. Is he the true heir of Robert Baratheon, or your bastard son?”Jaime eyed Daenerys closely. Well, she certainly wasn’t wasting any time. In fact, her words reminded him of an encounter that had taken place nearly a year ago when he’d been held prisoner in the Stark’s camp. Catelyn Stark had approached him the night she’d learned of her husband’s execution; an execution that Joffrey had ordered to be seen through. He could recall how exhausted she looked; how destroyed, and yet the poor woman had only two questions for him. Why? Why had Jaime seen fit to push her son Bran out of that window? How? How could he have done such a thing?Of course, the reason was Cersei. One way or another, Jaime’s reasoning always led back to Cersei. He had spent his entire life devoted to doing anything to protect her, and in doing so, anything to protect their secret. He couldn’t tell Lady Stark the truth that night, but times had since changed. The truth was his secrets were no longer his secrets; no longer of value, at least not to him. He knew that what he said next would likely condemn both he and Cersei to their deaths, yet he also knew their fates had long since been sealed. Joffrey was dead, Myrcella was just as good as dead, and Tommen . . . Tommen could never rule. Perhaps it was best to put an end to his family’s so-called legacy once and for all.The thought nearly made him choke with laughter. To think what had happened to Tywin Lannister’s legacy, a legacy that his children had successfully shat all over.“Tommen is my son, Joffrey was as well. Myrcella is my daughter. They are all of mine and Cersei’s kin.”
See you in the Seven Hells, sweet sister.
“And how is it that you can so easily betray your sister — your lover — by providing me with this information?”“I’m merely speaking the truth; a truth that you and many others came to realize quite some time ago.”“So you admit to siring these illegitimate heirs in defiance of all the laws of gods and men?”Jaime hesitated, a clever retort dancing on his tongue. Had the Targaryens not wed brothers and sisters for centuries past? Had it not been rumored that Viserys would have taken Daenerys as a wife had it not been for his last minute decision to wed her to Khal Drogo in his failed attempt to gain an army? Jaime knew that one of the many things a knight of the Kingsguard must learn was the guarding of his tongue. Among all the skills he had mastered however, that had never been one of them.Until now, it seemed.“I do.”“Do you think you will be rewarded for your truth — pardoned for your countless other crimes?”“If it please, Your Grace.”“And what makes you think you’re worth anything to me?” Dany exclaimed, her patience quickly diminishing with each one of this man's arrogant retorts.And there it was. His bargaining chip. Although no one would ever believe him after being named the Kingslayer, there had been a time when Jaime had been closer to Aerys Targaryen than his own father. Loyalty meant everything to him and despite what everyone liked to think, Jaime had remained loyal to the Mad King throughout the majority of his service. He had warned Aerys of Tywin’s plans; warned him not to trust his father. His position in the Kingsguard had all begun as a way to be closer to Cersei, but Jaime had also taken his duty seriously. He even enjoyed the company of the Mad King’s son, Rhaegar Targaryen; even thought of him as an older brother at times. More than that, Jaime had depended on Rhaegar; believed in him when he’d said he would see to it that things would change when he returned from the Trident. But Rhaegar had been murdered by Robert Baratheon and never returned, which left Jaime to do the only thing left to be done: Kill King Aerys before he slaughtered thousands of men, women and children.Looking to Tyrion, Jaime did not miss the desperate look in his baby brother’s eyes as he glared at him from his place beside the Dragon Queen. Jaime couldn't care less what happened to him, but he didn’t want to put Tyrion through anymore than he'd already suffered. Nodding slowly, he recalled the words that Tyrion had recited to him earlier when he’d told him this was the only way Daenerys would let him live.“I spent years by your father’s side and lived to tell the tale. I can educate you on how he ruled — I can help make you better."“How dare you even think to suggest—” Daario began harshly, but was quickly cut off once more by his queen.Raising a small, delicate hand, Daenerys silenced the leader of the Second Sons with a deadly look in her eyes. Jaime watched as a silent, albeit heated exchange passed between Daenerys and the member of her Queensguard. There was anger there, disagreement certainly, but there was also a look of lust that could not be mistaken.“Ser Barristen Selmy stands on my council. He was Captain of my father’s Kingsguard for many years. What makes you think you could offer me anything more than he could?”“Because while Selmy was out fighting your father’s war for him, I was the one Aerys kept close. I was the one who saw . . . who heard . . . everything.”Jaime could recall the years he’d spent on her father’s Kingsguard as if they had merely taken place a fortnight ago. The horrors he’d witnessed, standing outside King Aerys’ bed chambers while the man raped his wife Rhaella over and over again. Those were horrors he would never forget; shameful memories he would relive until the day he died. The only way Jaime had been able to live through it was to go into himself. He’d disappear, attempting to ignore his reality in order to continue with his day to day; serving the king. It was one of his largest regrets, and yet another reason why he was beginning to think that perhaps he might owe something to this young queen after all.Daenerys’ advisors were quick to offer their counsel.“Your Grace, surely you can’t be entertaining the idea of allowing the Kingslayer to walk away from such a wicked offense,” Ser Barristan muttered in her ear.“His death would be the perfect example to show the people of Meereen what the Mother of Dragons does to those who betray her,” Daario declared loudly as he mounted the steps to stand beside his queen.Dany felt an intense wave of heat and pressure building up behind her eyes as she contemplated each man’s advice. Jaime Lannister was her father’s murderer, but that did not make his words any less true. He was the only living person who was like to know whom her father had truly been, perhaps even what had caused his descent into madness. This made her have a connection to the Kingslayer, whether she wanted one or not.“And why would you willingly do that? How do you profit?”An honest question; a just question. Perhaps it was the guilt that had stayed with him over the years when he’d learned his father had been the one to give the order that left Elia Martell raped and murdered; her young children’s heads dashed across the marble floor. Perhaps it was an attempt at penance for throwing Brandon Stark out of that window in Winterfell. Or perhaps it was only because he didn't want to disappoint his little brother the way the rest of their family had. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t help but notice that there was a slight longing that hadn't been there before.“I will have peace of mind.”Those were easily six of the most unlikely words that Daenerys had ever expected to hear from her enemy’s lips. Truly at a loss to find her own, Dany looked to Tyrion for guidance but found that her new advisor was just as much at a loss for words as she was. She did not, however, miss the desperate look in his eyes as he pleaded with her not to be rash; to not kill his brother. Since Tyrion had joined her council, Dany had found a great many things to admire the man for, but holding his tongue in her presence while his own brother’s life swayed in the balance had to top them all.Her decision was made.“Ser Barristan, please escort Ser Jaime back to his cell. See that he has fresh food and water.”

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“I spent years by your father’s side and lived to tell the tale. I can educate you on how he ruled — I can help make you better.”

As the Kingslayer’s words echoed throughout her mind, Daenerys stood with her back to her council room, gazing at the view of the sun setting from the top of the Pyramid of Meereen. Under previous circumstances it would have been a sight to take her breath away. As it was, she barely noticed its beauty as the afternoon’s events replayed in her mind. How many sunsets had she taken for granted over the past few years? The thought alone made her long for a simpler time; a time when she’d led the Dothraki by Drogo’s side. In the Dothraki’s eyes, everything of importance took place under a setting sun. It was a troubling thought; how far she'd come from indulging in life's simplest pleasures.

"Your Grace, surely you can’t be entertaining the idea of allowing the Kingslayer to walk away from such a wicked offense.”

Moving on from Jaime’s words, Dany closed her eyes against the setting sun as she contemplated Ser Barristan’s advice next. Honestly, how could she entertain the idea of allowing the Kingslayer to live — much less join her council? It was true, Dany had grown to rather like Jaime’s brother Tyrion. He was kind, just and intelligent. She needed Tyrion and other wise men to offer her counsel just as she needed men of power to help her take back Westeros. But did she need his brother? How could she possibly need the man who had murdered her father?
Tyrion.
Daenerys thought back to how the youngest Lannister’s eyes had pleaded with her to spare his brother’s life during their exchange in the throne room. While that vision had plagued her, it was not the sole reason for her decision to send Jaime back to his cell. The truth of the matter was, it was the Kingslayer’s offer of guidance that appealed to her over all else. To finally be able to converse with someone who had not only known her father, but her mother and brother as well . . . the thought was simply too enticing. It was true, Ser Barristan had also spent years by her father’s side, but the older knight seemed to grow uncomfortable even at the slightest mention of her father. He was loyal, and an exquisite soldier, but there were secrets that she knew he would take to his grave.Which brought her thoughts back, once again, to Jaime. Although his arrogance was indeed frustrating, he had an air about him that suggested truth. In fact, the man seemed entirely tactless. It wasn’t an admirable trait, nowhere near, yet Daenerys was certain that it was what she would have to endure if it meant she could learn the truth about her family.Surprisingly enough, Jaime Lannister had more than willingly admitted to the crimes of his past, and while Dany was sure he had committed far more sins than could be shared in the short amount of time they’d spent together, he had seen fit to admit to the ones that were most important to her reign. While he had proposed an offer of keeping his life by exchanging information with her, he had no way of knowing what her decision would be. What was more, the Kingslayer hadn’t even flinched at the mention of his execution. What kind of man didn’t fear death? What had happened to him to make him think so little of his life? Most importantly, why would she welcome someone so reckless into her circle of advisors?“Your Grace,” Tyrion announced himself, rousing Daenerys from her thoughts as he carefully approached her from the doorway.Briefly shaking away all thoughts of Jaime, Daenerys instead brought her attention to the youngest Lannister. “Thank you for joining me, Tyrion.” She gestured toward the table, inviting him to have a seat. “Please.”Stepping forward, Tyrion did as instructed, his hazel eyes going straight to the decanter of fine vintage arbor sitting beside two empty glasses on the table. Sensing her advisor’s interest in the refreshments she’d had Missandei put out just moments before his arrival, Daenerys could not resist allowing the tiniest of smiles to grace her features. She knew that among his vices Tyrion was overly fond of wine, but his manners kept him from being the first to partake. Deciding that he had suffered enough for one day, Dany lifted the carafe and poured a generous amount of wine into his glass.“Thank you, Your Grace.” Tyrion sighed in relief, wasting no time as he lifted the glass to his lips and drank heavily.“I know it’s been a difficult day for you,” Dany reasoned.“No more difficult than for you, I’d imagine.”With a small nod of her head, Dany cast her gaze back towards the terrace as thoughts of Jaime’s taunting words returned to her.

“After all, they didn’t call him the Mad King for nothing.”

Tyrion’s words, however, were kind. In fact, he’d always been respectable when it came to honoring the memory of her father, which was one of no doubt countless differences he shared with his older brother. But was that respect based on anything other than the concern that she may treat him harshly had he acted differently? Were his motives based on truth . . . or fear?Breaking away from her thoughts once more, Dany continued. “Yes, but my father is dead and has been for nearly two decades. Your brother is still alive.”Still alive, Tyrion repeated the words in his head, taking another large swallow of wine. But for how long? How long would Daenerys permit Jaime to live after they’d discussed his intentions? While Tyrion had heard stories of the Mad King’s cruelty from his brother, he’d never seen Daenerys commit any act of similarity.Perching herself on a seat across from Tyrion, Dany poured herself a glass of wine as she contemplated how to approach her next question. From the moment she’d met Tyrion Lannister he had gone out of his way to shower her with his counsel. While this could be an irritating trait from many, Tyrion had a gift. Thus far, every matter Dany had consulted him on had been rewarded by his efforts. Would he offer her the same wise counsel that he had for everything else, or would he instead twist the situation to his own benefit? What were the lengths he was willing to go to ensure his brother’s safety? Despite being a Lannister, Tyrion had never given her any reason not to trust him, and she sincerely hoped that he wasn’t about to start now.“If I’m to be a better ruler than my father, I need to be properly educated on his faults. Tyrion, I need your honest counsel. Can I trust Jaime?”The youngest Lannister could feel his fist seizing around his wine glass as he considered Daenerys’ question. Could she trust Jaime? Of course, Tyrion trusted Jaime; he trusted his brother with his life . . . but could he be trusted with Daenerys’? To say that Jaime’s arrival in Meereen had shocked him would have been the very definition of an understatement. In truth, Tyrion would have never thought Jaime capable of betraying Cersei in a million years. But times had since changed and if anything had taught him that, it was his own recent decision to murder their father.“There is no man that I trust in this world more than my brother. I admit, I was unaware of his intentions when we first spoke, but I can assure you that he means you no harm. He has lost much over the past few years, even more so recently, and I think that he’s attempting to seek redemption for his past . . . whether he’s willing to admit to it or not.”Mindlessly tapping his chin, Tyrion watched as the young queen contemplated his words. While Tyrion was very gifted at reading people, Daenerys was a puzzle that he had not yet conquered. In addition, Tyrion had spent the past several weeks trying to convince the Dragon Queen of his own devotion to her. What would it take to convince her the same of Jaime? More importantly, how could Tyrion convince Daenerys of something he wasn't even sure of himself? Glancing back in the direction of the decanter of wine, Tyrion resisted the urge to groan. However long it was going to take, they would certainly need more wine than this.Silence ensued as Daenerys continued to mull over Tyrion’s words, and so he decided it best to use this time to think of more things to say in Jaime’s favor.“Jaime has a keen military mind, he would be helpful to you on the battlefield.”“Ser Barristan has a keen military mind, and he’s been on the battlefield far longer than your brother.”“Ser Barristan isn’t getting any younger—”“Nor is your brother growing back any hands.”Truly surprised by her quick response, Tyrion grew silent as he tangled his fingers in his unruly beard. Well, she certainly had him there. Finally something he couldn’t argue. If anything, the young queen was reminding him more and more of Jaime himself with her sharp tongue. Indeed, the thought of the two of them alone in a room together was equal parts amusing, and equal parts terrifying.“This information that Jaime has regarding my father, do you think it will prove useful during my reign?”“I’ve heard many stories of import from Jaime regarding King Aerys over the years.”“Then why shouldn’t I simply request to hear these stories from you?”“You could . . . ”“Yes?”“You could, but I wasn’t there, Your Grace. I didn’t see what he saw. Jaime has told me stories of his time serving your father, yes, but I’ve spent enough time with him over the years to know that there’s still much more he’s left unsaid.”“If this is simply a ploy to save your brother—”“Of course it’s a ploy to save my brother!” Tyrion raised his voice, startling them both. Taking a deep breath, he stared into Daenerys’ eyes for one eerie, silent moment, wondering if he had finally gone too far. “Forgive me. I only meant—”“You only meant that you love your brother and will do whatever it takes to save him.” She finished softly.Tyrion nodded. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be of far more value to you alive than dead. I truly mean that, brother or not.”A few more moments passed between them as both queen and advisor took small sips from their wine glasses. Finally, Tyrion summoned the courage to defend his brother in the best way he knew how.“He did the right thing, Daenerys. Jaime. He did the right thing. Your father . . . ”“What of my father?”What he said next would likely damn him, but he could not very well leave it unspoken. If Jaime was going to be put to death by the Mad King’s daughter, Tyrion would not be able to live with himself until he knew that he’d done everything within his power to save his brother. The truth, no matter how horrible, was something that she deserved to know.“You need to speak to Jaime about the night the war ended. Please. At least give him that.”Dany hesitated. She felt irritated by Tyrion’s words but with it, an intense curiosity. “I appreciate your honesty, Tyrion. I’ve always appreciated your honesty. That will be all for now.”At the sound of his dismissal, Tyrion felt nerves tearing through his belly like a swarm of wildfire. He didn’t want to leave, not until he was certain that Daenerys would heed his advice, but he wouldn’t dare offend her by doing anything other than what she had requested of him. Standing, Tyrion bowed his head before departing and leaving Daenerys to her thoughts once more.

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“You’re amazing,” Daario Naharis whispered huskily against Dany's skin.Closing her eyes, Dany smiled as she felt the warmth of Daario’s breath heating the shell of her ear as he whispered these same words over and over. Every night he came to her, and every night he told her the same thing — both before, during and after. You’re amazing. Lips followed the trail that his breath had left as he made his way down her neck and collarbone, planting kiss after kiss onto her perspired flesh.While Dany had spent weeks fighting her attraction to the leader of the Second Sons, she had finally succumbed to it not long after the Sack of Meereen. Of course she knew that what she had with Daario could hardly constitute a relationship. The man was so far beneath her in rank, nothing would ever come of it. Here and there he spoke of their arrangement as if there was a future involved, but she could never allow it. In truth, he was simply there to provide her with some much needed release after her long days spent trying to improve the state of Slaver’s Bay. She would call on him two, sometimes three times a day to provide her with what she needed, and then she would send him on his way. Dany knew that her council was aware. Some didn’t mind, and others quietly disapproved, yet she couldn’t be bothered. It was completely normal for kings to keep mistresses. Why not queens? Why not her?Taking one of her taut nipples between his teeth, Daario grinned up at her. “Have I mentioned that before?”Arching herself closer to his lips, Dany tilted her head to the side as she gazed down at him, stroking his jaw. “Perhaps once or twice.”Chuckling against her full breasts, he made his way lower, pressing his lips to her ribcage before sliding down between her shapely legs. Planting a kiss to the back her thigh, Daario gave it a playful smack before sitting up. “Thirsty?”Biting down on her lip, Dany smiled as she nodded in the direction of a small tray of refreshments she kept near her wardrobe.Stepping down from the bed, Daario remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly began to change the subject. “You aren’t honestly considering sparing the traitor, are you?”Lounging back against her large feather bed, Daenerys watched as Daario padded across the room, his beautifully bare backside visible as he poured some of the same wine she and Tyrion had sampled earlier that day. Of course once her advisor had left her chambers, she’d summoned Daario to join her for entirely different reasons. She wasn’t seeking his counsel regarding Jaime Lannister, rather she desired a distraction that only he could provide. As always, he had performed to her satisfaction, but she was rather disappointed to find that his thoughts had returned to the Kingslayer once they’d finished their lovemaking.“Come back to bed,” she murmured, stretching herself across the mattress like a cat.“You know as much as I adore your enthusiasm, we mere mortals require a few moments rest in between sessions.”Rolling her eyes up to the ceiling, Dany grinned.“And as much as I know you adore me, I also know you’re avoiding my question.”One thing Daenerys had always lacked was patience, and with Daario’s charm diminishing by the second, she felt her anger rising.“I didn’t ask you here to discuss Ser Jaime’s fate.”“No, you asked me here to fuck. Now we’ve fucked, and now I’m bringing up the topic that we both know you’re trying — and failing — to distract yourself from.”Reaching out to take Daario’s offered glass of wine, Dany frowned when he pulled it away. “What would you have me do? March him out to the front of the city and have him executed now that there’s finally peace in Meereen?”“Don’t make this about what you’ve fought so hard for. Don’t make this about Meereen. This man stabbed your father in the back—”“Yes, I’d forgotten, thank you.” Dany snapped sarcastically, snatching the wine glass from him.As if she could forget what Jaime Lannister had done to her father; what he had done to her family; what he had done to her. Although she had barely been the size of a speck in her mother’s womb when he’d shoved his sword through her father’s back, his actions had turned her childhood into a constant horror. Day after day, never knowing when would be her next meal, or where she’d sleep that night. Never knowing if she or her brother Viserys would ever have a place to call home again, or if they’d even live to see another day.“You spent your entire childhood running away from hired swords sent to kill you.”“Jaime Lannister didn’t make those orders.”“No, you’re right about that, but without him the man who did wouldn’t have sat on the Iron Throne for all those years.”Pressing her glass to her lips, Dany tilted her head back to devour its contents. She knew that the wine would do nothing to offer her a clear head, and yet in that moment, she didn’t care. For years she’d had to be the leader; the person to take care of others while doing nothing for herself. She’d never complained, and she wasn’t about to start now, but she was finally going to take some time for herself. This was a decision that couldn’t be rushed, no matter how many people seemed to want her to.“He did horrible things, yes, but he didn’t—”“My gods, you’re defending him!”“I am not defending the man who murdered my father!”“What are you doing then?“I’m weighing my options the way a ruler should. I’m not being rash; I’m doing the opposite of what my father would have done.”“Yes, well, here’s to weighing your options then.” Daario scoffed, tossing his head back to swallow the remaining contents of his own glass.Dany studied the man in front of her. Similarly to herself, Daario Naharis had never had much patience, and the small amount that he did manage to possess seemed to be dwindling away at a dangerous pace. She didn’t want their night to end on a sour note, and yet she would not spend so much as a moment’s time coddling a grown man over a disagreement. What gave him the right to hold such hatred for Jaime Lannister when that hatred so rightly belonged to her?“Why are you so concerned with my decision? You’ve never shown nearly this amount of interest in the politics I’ve dealt with since you began serving me.”“Are you really asking me that?”“I am.”Cradling his wine glass in his hands, Daario gave a harsh laugh. No longer was his voice filled with the playfulness he’d spoken with just moments before as they had laid tangled in her bed. Instead, it was replaced by a bitterness that she had never heard from him before.Quickly growing annoyed at his indifference, Dany sat up. “You swore yourself to me; swore to obey my every order; follow my every command. Are you going to break that oath if my decision regarding Jaime Lannister isn’t to your liking?”“No, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with you either.” Avoiding Dany’s gaze, Daario stepped forward, pulling on his clothes and strapping on his sword belt. “But don’t worry, my queen, I’m not going to betray you. I’ll leave that to the Kingslayer.”Without so much as another word or look in her direction, Daario crossed the room and left Daenerys’ chambers. Breathing heavily, Dany ran a hand through her tangled locks, shaking her head as she tried to fathom what could have possibly gotten into Daario. Before she could put much more thought into it however, a sudden figure appeared, disturbing her from her thoughts.Instantly thinking that Daario had returned, she lifted her head. “Yes?”A brief pause, then the figure stepped forward to reveal Missandei. Dany frowned, somewhat disappointed to find her translator rather than her groveling soldier, but deep down she knew that wasn’t his taste. It would take much longer for the stubborn man to realize the error of his ways and make his apologies to her, if he managed to do so at all.“Forgive me, Your Grace. I heard arguing and wanted to make sure you weren’t upset.”Standing from the bed, Dany crossed the room as naked as her name day, not even thinking twice as Missandei had seen her nude countless times before. Truly, she was like the sister that Dany had never had. From the moment she’d met Missandei in Yunkai she had respected the intelligent young woman, and after months upon months of travel and time spent together, she had grown to care for her as well.“It takes much more than a few petty words from an even pettier man to upset me.” Lifting her robe, she shrugged herself into it.Gently bowing her head, Missandei made to depart, but Dany waved her forward instead.“Did you hear what we were discussing?”“Oh, I . . . ” Pressing her lips together, the young woman began to wring her hands, clearly uncomfortable with admitting that she had overheard their heated conversation, yet also too devoted to her queen to lie.“I won’t hold it against you. We’re just as passionate when arguing as we are in bed. It’s no wonder you heard.”Nodding slowly, Missandei’s cheeks colored as she looked down to the floor.Tying the belt of her robe closed, Dany crossed the room to raise Missandei’s chin so that she was looking at her. “Tell me, why do you think Daario Naharis grew so angry with me?”“I-I can’t be sure, Your Grace, but he appeared to be . . . well, he appeared to be jealous.”“Jealous?” Dany questioned, clearly appalled by the thought now that it had been spoken aloud.“Forgive me—”Waving away her apologies, Dany shook her head. “It’s not that. I also thought he seemed jealous, but I can’t even begin to imagine why.”“Ser Jaime is . . . ” Missandei hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the topic but dutiful as ever to her queen. “Well, he’s rather attractive, isn’t he?”“Attractive?” Dany raised her brows, shocked at the young woman’s candor.“He is an awful man of course, but . . . ”“I hadn’t thought of it. Not really.”Of course, that wasn’t entirely true. In fact, the very first thing that Dany had noted upon seeing the Kingslayer for the first time was how handsome he was. She’d even taken notice to the fact that his bloody and beaten state had barely done anything to diminish his golden features. But that didn’t mean that his insides weren’t hideous enough to ruin his outward beauty.“Men are easily intimidated. I myself am not from Westeros, yet even I’ve heard stories of Jaime Lannister. I have a feeling that Daario Naharis has heard those same stories.”“That’s ridiculous."“It is. Men often are.” Missandei smiled gently, to which her queen quickly returned.Shrugging her deeply tanned shoulders, Missandei moved forward to refill Daenerys’ glass of wine. The young translator was soft spoken and very often quiet when she wasn’t performing her duties, but Dany had also noticed that she seemed eerily wise beyond her years.“Perhaps he’s threatened that you might replace him with a more skilled fighter.”Dany scoffed. “I haven’t even decided whether or not I’m going to have Ser Jaime executed, much less allow him to serve me.” Politely waving the wine away, Dany eyed the young woman curiously. “Every one of my advisors has flaunted their opinion on what I should do with Ser Jaime, and yet you’ve kept quiet.”“Oh, I don’t . . . I am not worthy of such an opinion, Your Grace.”“Nonsense. Tell me what you think I should do — what you would do if the decision was yours.”A full moment of silence passed between the two women as they each contemplated the fate of Jaime Lannister. Finally, Missandei lifted her gaze to Daenerys’. “I cannot say why, Your Grace — I wish that I could — but I do believe you should keep Ser Jaime close to your side.”Surprised by her translator’s words, yet somehow not disappointed, Daenerys crossed her bedroom floor and moved out to the terrace to look upon the city. Closing her eyes against the wind, she took a deep breath as she nodded. “Thank you, Missandei.”

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“The Sons of the Harpy,” Dany breathed, staring down at the horrible golden mask that Ser Barristan held in his hand.The Sons of the Harpy were a group of insurgents that had rebelled against Daenerys not long after she became the ruler of Meereen. They had started out their revolution with petty vandalism, but had quickly graduated to more serious offenses such as murder. It was unfortunate that the first life they’d taken had been one of her Unsullied soldiers who had been found with his throat slit in a nearby brothel. Unfortunate, but she also knew it was deliberate. The Sons of the Harpy were desperate to send a message, and now they’d finally succeeded in receiving her attention. No matter how many things Daenerys currently had on her mind, the murder of one of her own would not go unpunished.“Yes, Your Grace.” Ser Barristan confirmed, setting the mask down on the table in front of the queen and her council. “They left it on the body.”“They’ve never killed before.”“It was only a matter of time, Your Grace. Conquerers always meet with resistance.”“I didn’t conquer them, their own people did.” Careful to make that distinction, Dany held Ser Barristan’s gaze with her own.“They do not see us as people, Your Grace.” Mossador, one of the very Meereenese people of whom she spoke announced in his native tongue.“Then they will have to learn to see things differently, Mossador.” Dany insisted, her voice easily switching to Valyrian then back once more to the common tongue as she addressed her council. “This man did not risk his life fighting for his freedom so cowards in masks could take it away, and I did not take residence in this pyramid so I could watch the city below decline into chaos.”Clearly troubled, she moved past Missandei and turned to Grey Worm. “What was the name of the man you lost?”“White Rat, Your Grace.” Grey Worm responded quietly.“I want him buried, with honor. Publicly, in the Temple of the Graces.” She ordered.“The Sons of the Harpy will hear that message,” Ser Barristan warned.“Make them very angry,” Mossador insisted.“Good. Angry snakes lash out. Makes chopping off their heads that much easier.” Dany replied easily before taking another step towards Grey Worm and Ser Barristan. “Find the men who did this and bring them to me.”Wasting no time, Grey Worm crossed the room and exited her chambers, obediently tending to his queen’s orders.“Your Grace.” Ser Barristan bowed his head before hurrying after the leader of the Unsullied.With a strained sigh escaping through her lips, Dany took a seat at the council table and placed her head in her hands. Though she was still considered a girl by most people’s standards, she had seen much more than people three times her age since taking Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen. Nevertheless, it still grieved her when even just one of her men was murdered out of spite. That was one less man to live freely for himself; one less man to fight in her army when she returned home.“How am I suppose to take back Westeros if I can’t even control an inferior group of rebels in one city?”While she had mostly been thinking aloud, Dany shifted in her seat to find that Missandei had not yet followed the others out of the room.Bowing her head, the young woman began to busy her hands by clearing the table. “It is like Ser Barristan said, Your Grace. All rulers meet with resistance.”Touching her hand to the gilded horns that topped the mask, Dany resisted the intense urge to shudder as she stared into its lifeless eyes. She had learned enough about the history of Meereen to know that the harpy; the figure the rebels modeled their group after, was based on the traditional heraldic symbol that the slave-masters in the Ghiscari cities of Slaver’s Bay had idolized for centuries. This was no coincidence. Whomever hid behind these traitorous masks were obviously outraged that she’d helped free the slaves of Meereen, and who other than the slave-masters should take such offense to her actions?“Your Grace?”Disturbed by this realization, Dany looked to Missandei, quickly realizing that she had been so consumed with her own thoughts that she had not heard her translator.“Yes?”“I know that you have much to think over, but there’s still Ser Jaime to consider.”“I’d nearly forgotten,” Dany admitted.“Have you decided what you’ll do with him?”While Daenerys had indeed become distracted by the attack of the Sons of the Harpy, her thoughts quickly came rushing back to Jaime Lannister and the decision that she needed to make. What was she to do with her father’s killer? Should she have him executed and made an example of, or let him keep his life so that he could serve her? While she had already formed a strong team of advisors which she admired greatly, an aching gap had been left with Ser Jorah’s dismissal; and though she knew there was no replacing Jorah Mormont, she longed for the possibility. Almost as much as she longed to learn more about her past.After another moment spent in thought, Dany leaned forward and began to give Missandei her instructions.“I have. This is what I’ll need you to do.”Hours passed since Jaime had met with Daenerys in the throne room. Exactly how many, he couldn’t be sure. Down in the dark dungeons there was no way of knowing the exact passing of time. He had, however, received three meals since returning to his cell, which led him to believe that it was nearing the end of another day.The food the Dragon Queen’s servants brought to him had certainly been an improvement from the stale bread and foul tasting water he’d received during his first few days spent beneath the Pyramid of Meereen. Regardless, Jaime had not traveled halfway across the world simply to experience Daenerys Targaryen’s idea of fine dining. He’d heard tales of men that had driven themselves mad while imprisoned because the idea of the world going on without them was too much to bear. It never seemed a possibility before, but the more time Jaime spent below; the more the thought became entirely plausible.“For fuck’s sake if you’re going to kill me, bloody well get it over with!” He cursed at the stone ceiling above.How many godsdamned hours would this little queen make him wait? He’d been honest; told her everything she had wanted to know, and still she kept him waiting. The Mad King had enjoyed murdering his enemies with fire, Jaime had witnessed that firsthand, but apparently his daughter preferred a much more subtle approach to torture. Truthfully, after wasting away for the past several days, he was beginning to consider the far quicker death presented by fire.“Ser Jaime?” A soft voice called to him from behind.Suddenly looking up from where he sat; as if wondering if his vulgar prayers had finally been answered, Jaime hesitated then shrugged nonchalantly when he saw the young, dark skinned woman standing outside his cell door.“Well, considering I’m the only one of Queen Daenerys’ prisoners down here — that is, unless they’ve all died of boredom — I’d say yes, that’s a safe assumption.”The queen’s translator stared at her hands. She was obviously a timid young woman, perhaps made even more so by his presence. If he hadn’t grown so frustrated in the past day he’d spent waiting to hear what the queen’s decision would be, Jaime may have been kinder to the girl. As it was, his voice remained hardened with anger and sarcasm.“My apologies for your wait, ser. I am here on Queen Daenerys’ orders to escort you to your chambers.”Cocking an eyebrow, Jaime leaned his head back against the wall behind him as he eyed the young woman suspiciously. “Is that right?”“You will be removed from the dungeons and have the opportunity to bathe and change into fresh clothes. In addition, all of your personal effects will be returned to you. That is, of course, apart from your weapons.”“Bathed, clothed, my things returned to me . . . Well, I’m assuming that means I won’t be walking to my death then?”“Yes, I’d say that’s a safe assumption.” Missandei replied smartly, the barest hint of a smile playing on her lips as she repeated Jaime’s earlier statement with much more confidence than she’d ever shown before.Jaime grinned, pleased by the girl’s cheek. Perhaps he had underestimated her after all. “Then by all means, my lady, lead the way.”With a swift nod of her chin, Missandei took a step back to allow an Unsullied soldier forward to unlock Jaime’s cell. Once the door swung open, Jaime stood on stiff legs to find that another soldier stood just beside Missandei. Growing up, Jaime had heard stories of the Unsullied; elite warrior-eunuchs bred and trained in the city of Astapor. He’d always heard that the Unsullied were not men because they held no desires, felt no pain, and feared absolutely nothing. The thought had always seemed impossible to Jaime.Raising his eyes to the soldier that stood before him, Jaime grinned. “Ah, a royal escort. I’m honored.”The first place Missandei led Jaime was to a large bathing chamber. It was there that she left him alone to wash away the many days he’d spent in the dungeons below. Once clean, Jaime moved onto the sharp instruments they’d allowed him for grooming purposes. Cutting away weeks worth of filthy, matted beard, he then used the edge of the blade to shave away the hair covering his cheek bones, leaving a mere stubble in its place.Finally proclaiming himself finished, Jaime watched as Missandei and the Unsullied soldiers re-entered the room; the girl quickly glancing over his shoulder to make sure that the shears provided were left in their proper place. Raising his arms as if to further prove his innocence, Jaime reached his hand down to the hem of the tunic that had been provided for him.“I could undress again, if you’d prefer to search me.” He offered.“That won’t be necessary,” Missandei replied, a deep blush rising in her cheeks.Pleased by her reaction, Jaime smirked as he followed the queen’s translator further down the long row of corridors. After passing what seemed to be hundreds of rooms, they came to a stop outside an area of the pyramid that couldn’t have been further away from the dungeons.“These are your chambers,” Missandei announced before leading him inside.Stepping forth into the great room that was now apparently his, Jaime had all of three seconds to appreciate its grandeur before his eyes caught sight of his little brother sitting at a table set off to the side, cradling a full glass of wine in his tiny hands.“Thank you, Missandei.” Tyrion smiled to the young woman, clearly seizing every opportunity he could to attempt to make up for Jaime’s assumed rudeness. Jaime had been rude to the girl, of course, but the fact that his brother made such assumptions based on absolutely no solid evidence annoyed him to no end.“I was getting to that,” Jaime stated defensively before bowing his head toward the girl. “Thank you, Missandei.”Mirroring Jaime’s gesture with a bow of her own, Missandei offered both men a timid smile before taking her leave.“Well, I must admit, you certainly smell better than when we last met.” Tyrion began.“That would be the perfumed bath salts. It’s lovely living like a queen.” Jaime sighed dramatically.Moving throughout his spacious new chambers, Jaime began to take full advantage of his newfound freedom. To his left there was a large bed, and on it laid his golden hand. Remaining where he was, Jaime clenched his jaw in thought, but then stepped forward to pick it up. As much as he’d always cursed the wretched thing, he’d begun to realize how incredibly insecure he felt without it.“Speaking of the queen, when you meet with her Jaime, you need to — well, just don’t be so . . . ”“Yes?”“. . . you.”Chuckling at his little brother’s advice, Jaime slid his golden hand back into place over his right stump before working the buckles with his left hand. Once satisfied, he joined Tyrion at the table and poured himself a glass of wine. While he had never enjoyed the taste nearly as much as his brother and sister, he was happy to partake in every bit of luxury that he was allowed after spending so much time as the Dragon Queen’s prisoner.“She didn’t have to pardon you, Jaime. I’m not even technically sure she is pardoning you, but the odds are far more in your favor than they ever were before.”“I’m not going to kiss her arse like the rest of you fools. The girl obviously needs someone to be honest with her. Why else would she have taken me up on my offer?”“Again, we don’t know what she has planned for you.”“Well, I wouldn’t have very well gotten my own bloody suite if she was going to kill me, now would I?”“Nevertheless, it would be wise of you to tread carefully.” Tyrion admonished, irritation rising in his voice.Considering Tyrion words, Jaime took a large swallow of wine. While he remained confident on the outside, beneath it all he had no idea what Daenerys had planned for him. Thus far she had proven herself to be incredibly unpredictable, which was indeed a change from her father. Aerys had been mad, certainly, but Jaime had spent enough time with him to grow accustomed to his cruelty. However, not knowing what the Mad King’s daughter was capable of was equally, if not more terrifying.“This queen isn’t Cersei, Jaime. You can’t very well spread her legs and fuck her into oblivion every time you do something stupid.” Tyrion warned.“That’s for Daenerys to decide, isn’t it?” Jaime quipped.“Don’t be an idiot,” Tyrion growled.Before further words could be said between the two brothers, Missandei had reappeared, directing her attention to the Kingslayer.“Queen Daenerys has requested your presence.”“Has she now? Well, far be it for me to keep the queen waiting.”Looking back to Tyrion as he followed the queen’s translator, Jaime caught his eye with a slight grin as his brother continued to scowl at him disapprovingly.After leaving his chambers and Tyrion behind, Jaime followed Missandei through the throne room and continued further down from the top of the great pyramid. By now they surely had to have been reaching the end as they descended story after story. Behind them, the two Unsullied soldiers from earlier walked close by with their weapons clutched tightly to their sides, but rather than feeling uneasy by the attention, Jaime couldn’t help but be flattered. Even after he’d lost his own sword hand; the hand that was responsible for taking hundreds of lives — the life of the father of the queen they served — these men had been advised not to underestimate him.Unfortunately, just as soon as Jaime had begun to feel a surge of confidence, it came to an abrupt end as he exited the Pyramid of Meereen; a sudden bout of queasiness hitting him when he saw that they’d reached their destination.Nodding towards the large boulder that had been pushed aside to reveal what appeared to be another set of dungeons, Jaime hesitated. “What the fuck is that?”“This is where the queen has requested to meet you.”Clenching his jaw, Jaime glanced over at the Unsullied once more before returning his attention to Missandei. Neither soldier spoke a word, and yet he couldn't help but feel their eyes laughing at him. He’d only been her prisoner for a little over a week, and already Jaime was growing tired of the Targaryen girl’s little games. Even so, he would not let her think that he was intimidated by denying her request.“Yes, I can see that . . . but why?”“Queen Daenerys is merciful, as you well know, but she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Extending her arm towards the catcombs, Missandei kept her eyes on Jaime as she ignored his question in what was quite possibly the most polite way he’d ever been ignored.Something we have in common, Jaime thought bitterly.With one last look in Missandei’s direction, Jaime strode forward. Fuck it. Fuck the little dragon bitch for toying with him. Fuck the girl’s deceptive translator. Fuck them all. Behind him, the Unsullied soldiers marched forward as he made his way through the opening. Before him, a long row of steep steps had been carved from stone. Cautiously taking them one at a time, Jaime gradually made his way to the lower level of the catacombs, but came to a sudden stop when he heard the sound of the boulder being moved back into place over the opening.“What in seven . . . fucking . . . hells . . . ” he muttered.Jaime’s steps stilled as the tomb’s opening closed, leaving almost no light to see by. He was sealed in, and quickly beginning to feel even more claustrophobic than he had in his much smaller cell located in the dungeons. Narrowing his eyes, Jaime took another step forward as he walked closer towards what appeared to be a flame remaining stagnant about thirty paces away."Stop," A strong female voice commanded him before he could move any further.“Hello?” Jaime called out, but received no response. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his left fist to his side, but his steps did indeed falter as the smell of burnt flesh greeted his nostrils.“Why have you brought me here, my queen?” His voice was edged with sarcasm as he recalled how Barristan Selmy had demanded that he use that title to address Daenerys by in the future. “Am I to be trading one cell for another? If so, I’d like to reject your generous offer and kindly request that you kill me instead.”“You’re in no position to make any sort of requests, kindly or otherwise.” Dany replied sharply.Jaime had come to know that voice well, even after only a brief meeting where few words had been exchanged. He’d had nothing but that voice to keep him company as he sat alone in the dungeons for the past day and a half, replaying their meeting over and over again. While he could imagine that it had once been soft and meek, it now exuded power and confidence.“Funny, I thought the Breaker of Chains had outlawed slavery.”“You’re not a slave.”“What am I then?”“That’s for me to decide.”Before he could think to argue any further, a sudden flame burst forth from the depths of the tomb. Jumping out of the way to avoid it, Jaime tucked his head under his arm, rolling a few feet on his side before looking up to find two of the most dangerous creatures he’d ever seen approaching him.“This is Rhaegal and Viserion,” Daenerys introduced Jaime to her dragons as she stood between them, acting as though this were an entirely normal occurrence.She's fucking mad, Jaime seethed.“I wanted you to know what you’re up against. If your offer turns out to be some sort of scheme for you to gain information and scurry back to your sister—”“It’s not.” He insisted.“Well, that’s very good to hear,” she continued without breaking stride. “Nonetheless, if you ever think to betray me or make me regret my decision of allowing you to keep your life, I’ll have them burn you alive.”“If you’re already plotting my death, why even give me the chance to disappoint you?” He shouted angrily from where he laid hunched on the floor. His temper and his frustration were on the rise, and with it, his tactlessness.“I have more important things to occupy my time with than plotting your death . . . but it never hurts to be prepared.”Jaime hesitated as he considered her answer, then begrudgingly muttered. “Fair enough.”“Good. Now, come.” Gesturing towards the entrance, Dany raised the skirts of her cream colored gown as she moved past him. “That is, of course, unless you’d rather stay and keep my dragons company?”Glancing back to the dragons as if seeking their permission, Jaime hesitated as he noticed the beasts had turned away to begin feasting on the corpse of whatever they’d just set flames to. Standing, he quickly scampered after Daenerys as she made her way to the exit, feeling ever the fool and hating himself more by the second for doing her bidding just as every other man on her council did. Just as he had told Tyrion he wouldn't.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The silence between them was quite literally deafening. Did she truly expect him to be the one to strike up a conversation after she’d just threatened to have her dragons burn him alive if he ever so much as thought to betray her? It didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Regardless, Jaime Lannister had never excelled at keeping quiet, nor being told what to do — no matter who did the telling.“What are you—” he began, but stopped short when Daenerys cut him off with her fierce gaze.“Do not ask me what I’m going to do with you. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you; I only know that I’m not going to kill you.”“Good enough for me.”“Yet.”With a heated look in Jaime’s direction, Dany pursed her lips as she watched him simply shrug her decision off as if he could care less. How could he be so nonchalant? Most men would have fallen to their knees with grateful tears running down their cheeks as they thanked her for such mercy. Not Jaime Lannister. He was so incredibly frustrating.As soon as they exited the catacombs, the two Unsullied soldiers from before joined the pair. At least, Jaime assumed it was the same two from before. It was a bit difficult to be sure considering they appeared to be an army of eunuch clones. Thinking back to his recent brush with death, he cleared his throat as he began to approach the colossal fortress by Daenerys’ side.“I thought you had three dragons.”“What?”“Dragons. Three of them.”“I do.”“Numbers haven’t always been my strong suit, but I believe I counted two.”“Drogon. He . . . disappeared a few weeks ago.”Jaime kept quiet at this revelation, but Daenerys could see his hesitation from the corner of her eye.What am I doing? Dany thought desperately, clenching her small fists to her sides.Already she was providing the Kingslayer with valuable information that he could be collecting for his sister. Of course, from now on he would be watched so closely that he would not be able to so much as draw a single breath without her knowing. Still, the thought left her deeply unsettled.“I’m surprised your soldier isn’t here with you,” Jaime commented after another moment spent in silence.Whether he could feel her discomfort on the former topic and had decided to change the subject, Dany couldn’t be sure. It seemed a gesture entirely too kind for him to make. Either way, she was almost grateful. Almost.“Ser Barristan?”“No, not Barristan; the one who beat me to a bloody pulp. Didn’t catch his name in between the various blows to my face. Strong fellow, dark hair,” Touching his left hand to his chin, Jaime raised his eyebrows in a mocking imitation of whom he spoke. “Beard.”“Daario Naharis.”“Ah, right. Daario Naharis.”Dany arched a full eyebrow. “Was there a point to your question?”“Just surprised he left your side. He seemed very . . . attached in the throne room.”“He felt his queen was threatened and protected her. He did his duty.”“Of course! A shackled, starved man who hadn’t seen the sun in nearly a week. I certainly must have been a terrifying threat to behold!”“Is this all you’re going to offer me? Petty arguments? Because if this is it, I’ll have these men return you to your cell where you can rot.”Jaime tried but failed at hiding the smirk that greeted her words. He could see that Queen Daenerys’ patience with him was growing thin, and yet he couldn’t resist the temptation of paying her back after the gruesome little stunt she’d just pulled with her dragons.“All right then,” Opening his arms wide, he gestured wildly, signaling that he was an open book ready for the taking. “What would you like to know, Your Grace?”Dany watched him with careful eyes. How had this man survived serving kings as long as he had, talking the way he did? He was absurdly arrogant, and she had a feeling that he didn’t just act this way when he was around her.“Your brother told me to ask you about the night Robert Baratheon’s rebellion came to an end. The night you murdered my father.”
As if I needed a bloody reminder.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes up to the gods, Jaime nodded. “Is that where you’d like for me to start?”Of course Dany wanted to know what Tyrion meant when he’d told her that Jaime had done the right thing in killing her father, but she didn’t think that was a story she was quite ready for.“No, I want you to start from the beginning.”Over the next several minutes, the unlikely pair entered the great pyramid and climbed story after story until they settled in her council chambers. Although her Unsullied usually guarded the outside of her quarters, they made an exception due to the Kingslayer’s presence and instead stood at the entrance with their spears clutched tightly.Smoothing out her skirts, Dany took a seat at the council table.“How did you come to be a member of my father’s Kingsguard?”Following Daenerys’ lead, Jaime sat down across from her.“I squired for Lord Sumner Crakehall for a time. When I was thirteen I won my first tourney melee and was quickly thrust into my first battle; the battle against the Kingswood Brotherhood. That same day, I was knighted on the battlefield by Ser Arthur Dayne. After that, people began to take more notice of me. One of those people happened to be your father.”“And why would you choose to devote your life to the Kingsguard at such a young age? You had your whole life to live.”“Curious, aren’t you?”Jaime couldn’t help but feel a bit flattered by her interest. Daenerys, however, did not look too pleased with this assumption.The truth, Jaime had to remind himself often that this was what was required of him now. Nothing more, nothing less.“Well, it seemed simple at the time. I was in love, and that’s what I thought I had to do to be with the woman I loved.”Dany understood that he meant Cersei. Truthfully, she didn’t even begrudge him the fact that he was referring to his sister. How could she when she herself was the product of incest? However, she did not understand his declaration considering the fact that once a person became a member of the Kingsguard, they renounced all rights to titles and marriage.“You joined the Kingsguard to be with Cersei?”“Yes, you could say that. You see, on my way back from the battle I returned to Casterly Rock where my dear sister informed me that my father was planning to wed me to Lysa Tully. Neither of us could allow that, so Cersei suggested that I vie for a position in your father’s Kingsguard. That way, I could stay with her in King’s Landing.”“My father was enraged, of course. After all, I’d destroyed his legacy and title all in one fell swoop. He feigned illness and resigned from his position as your father’s Hand. Seemed Cersei hadn’t foreseen this hitch in her brilliant plan.”“But my father, he was impressed enough with you that he anointed you as the youngest member of the Kingsguard?”Jaime scoffed. “Your father didn’t give two shits about me. Your father wanted to rob my father of his heir, and that’s exactly what he did.”Dany froze, frowning as she processed his bitter accusation. “And you know this to be fact?”Jaime thought on that, a slow albeit cold smile crossing his features as he did.“I didn’t know for sure in the beginning, but by the end . . . by the end your father often bragged about it. He found it a great achievement; stealing Tywin Lannister’s firstborn son. The only son he infamously cared for. Still, I suppose we both got off easy compared to the countless other sons and fathers Aerys burned alive when disobeyed.”Dany’s large eyes widened despite her wish to look indifferent. Turning her head away, she took a deep breath and gripped the edge of the table.Jaime watched her reaction with interest. He could see that he had given her a lot to process. Poor girl. They were only getting started. Sensing her unease, he frowned as he saw the tiny crease in her brow begin to worry, strangely finding that he did not enjoy seeing her so troubled. Of course his intention had never been to harm her, but nor did he think he would care if she was disturbed by his words. Hoping to perhaps ease the tension, he cleared his throat.“I much preferred spending time with your brother.”“My brother?” Dany inquired. The only brother Dany had known was Viserys; a brother that had been cruel to her since the day she was born. Of course, he couldn’t mean Viserys. He had to have meant . . .
Rhaegar.
“Rhaegar was a good man. He was a good leader. Smart, determined, strong-minded and just.”“They say he took Lyanna Stark against her will; locked her away in a castle and raped her.”“I cannot speak for the dead, Your Grace, but those rumors do not reflect the man that I knew.”Jaime kept quiet as he let Dany take his words in. After a few seconds, he gently continued to tell her more about her brother.“The last night I saw Rhaegar, I begged him to let me join him at the Trident; to face Robert, but he insisted that I stay back to guard Elia and his children. I nearly defied his orders, but he promised me that things would be different upon his return.”“What do you think he meant by that?”Jaime hesitated, remembering the deadly serious look in Rhaegar’s eyes that night all too well. Eyes that haunted him; eyes that he saw in the young woman currently sitting across from him.“I think he meant to overthrow your father. He knew better than anyone that Aerys had truly lost all sanity.”Dany kept quiet. She was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Ser Jaime about his past; almost as if he hadn’t been the one to change her entire future.“You said you spent time with him?”“Yes. As a matter of fact, I was with Rhaegar the first time I got well and truly shit-faced.”Dany raised an eyebrow at his vulgarity, but did not chide him, instead urging him to elaborate with a tilt of her head.Jaime grinned at the memory. “One day, I was part of the guard that walked through the city with Rhaegar. Of course, he hated having a royal escort wherever he went. He liked blending in among the common people; he even liked to sing to them.”“He sang?”“He loved it.” Jaime smiled at the memory. “In fact, Rhaegar would walk up and down King’s Landing, singing to the people just like all the other minstrels.”“What did you do?”“I made sure no one killed him, and I collected the money.”“He was good?”“Quite good. Ask Selmy if you don’t believe me. I’m sure that’s one memory under your father’s reign that he’d be willing to share.”“And what did he do with the money?”“One time he gave it to the next minstrel down the street. He’d taken over the man’s usual perch, so it was only fair.” Counting off his fingers, Jaime continued. “Another time he gave it to an orphanage in Flea Bottom. And another time, well . . . as I said, we visited a tavern and got well and truly pissed.”They shared a laugh.“And did you sing with him, Ser Jaime?” Glancing into the direction of his missing hand, Dany nodded. She’d nearly forgotten that he was without his sword hand, as the golden prop had become a very good substitute. “Perhaps play an instrument?”Lowering his gaze, Jaime chuckled. “Can’t say that I did. Even before I became a cripple, I was never particularly musical.”“What happened?” Dany finally asked, her gaze lifting from his arm to his face.Jaime wavered, surprised that she had not already heard his gruesome tale. Nevertheless, he continued as if unabashed.“After escaping Robb Stark’s camp, I was held prisoner by one of his bannermen, and . . . got a bit cheeky, I suppose.”“No — you? Cheeky?” She feigned surprise.They shared a smile. Jaime found that it was a pleasant sight and certainly an improvement over the near constant scowl he’d only seen her wear since they’d met. Indeed, she wore that smile as beautifully as the silk gown that clung to her figure.“I suppose there is a sense of irony; loosing the hand that I used to kill your father.” He admitted.“Yes, there certainly is.” She agreed.Before another word could be said, the sound of nearly a dozen footsteps interrupted their unusually pleasant moment of silence.“Pardon, Your Grace,” Tyrion began as he burst through the entry way. “I apologize for the intrusion, but it’s about the Sons of the Harpy.”Coming to a full stop as he realized just what he’d interrupted, Tyrion’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Jaime seated at the other end of the table.“What news?” Dany asked.Behind Tyrion, Ser Barristan, Darrio Naharis, Mossodor and Hizdahr zo Loraq filed in and quickly took their seats surrounding the table where Daenerys and Jaime currently sat.“We’ve captured one, Your Grace.” Ser Barristan announced.“Sons of the Harpy, they want to put a collar back on my neck — on all of our necks! Your Grace, you must kill him!” Mossodor pleaded.“It would send a message.” Dany agreed, glancing to Ser Barristan.“I think you should exercise restraint, Your Grace.” Tyrion suggested.“Why?” Dany inquired.“For one thing, he may have valuable information.”“The Son of the Harpy has no more valuable information.” Daario Naharis interjected, his eyes flashing from Tyrion to Jaime as they sat side by side.Whatever sort of camaraderie the sellsword may have felt towards the youngest Lannister clearly no longer mattered now that Jaime was here. In fact, the man’s dark eyes were full of hatred as he glared at them both.Jaime stifled the urge to laugh.“How do you know that?” Tyrion demanded.“Because I questioned him.” Daario replied simply.“And the information you did get? He is young and—” Hizdahr cut in.“He is born free!” Mossodor insisted.“Why should he want to bring back slavery? What did it do for him?” Hizdahr exclaimed.“Perhaps the only thing that gave him pride was knowing that there was someone lower than he was.” Dany intervened. “They pay him; great families afraid to kill. They pay poor men to do it for them.” Mossodor hissed.“And how do you know this?” Hizdahr demanded.“Everyone know this.” Mossador replied, matter-of-factly.“I don’t know it, and I myself am the head of a great family.”“Here, in Meereen, before Daenerys Stormborn, the slave-masters own us; so we learn much about them, or we do not live long. They teach me what they are. All they understand is blood!”“Thank you all for your counsel.” Dany said, not unkindly as she dismissed them.Jaime watched as everyone around him stood, following their queen’s command; albeit Daario doing so begrudgingly. Making to do the same, Jaime rose from the table but stopped when Daenerys abruptly stood from her own chair, moving towards him.“Not you. Now it’s your turn to counsel me.”“Pardon?”“You’ve been awfully quiet, just when I thought you couldn’t possibly be capable of such a trait. Was it not you who claimed you could make me a better ruler than my father? Talk is cheap, Ser Jaime. I require action. Now.”Jaime stared at Daenerys in awe. Perhaps there was true fire in the girl yet. Perhaps she didn’t even need her dragons to back her. More and more she was beginning to remind Jaime of her older brother in ways he never would have expected. How proud Rhaegar would have been.Proud and fearful, Jaime mused.Tapping his golden hand over the edge of the table, Jaime pressed his lips together as he reflected on what little he had heard of the city’s recent bout of insurgents.“We don’t know what this man did or didn’t do,” he began slowly. “Give him a trial, at least. A fair trial. Show the citizens of Meereen that you’re better than those who would depose you. Teach them a better way.”“You wish for me to give a murderer a fair trial? The man isn’t even denying his crime—”“You asked my advice, Daenerys.” Jaime interrupted her, his green eyes flashing. They stared at each other, the air between them thickening as they both took notice to his sudden use of her name rather than her title. “You want to be different from your father? Here’s your chance.”Dany’s eyes did not waver from Jaime’s as she slowly nodded her agreement.
I am not my father.
“I will not have the Son of the Harpy executed without a fair trial.”Jaime stared, taking a moment to admire her leadership, as well as her ability to take advice from the man whom she’d known as the enemy her entire life. “Would you like to continue from before?”“No, I think that’s enough for tonight.” With a nod in the direction of the two Unsullied soldiers, Dany looked to Jaime once more. “Please escort Ser Jaime back to his chambers.”Pausing briefly, Jaime started but then lowered his head towards her in a slight bow, his voice surprisingly genuine as he made his departure. “Your Grace.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What did you say to her?” Tyrion demanded, bursting into Jaime’s chambers with his tiny fists clutched at his sides.At the combined sound of a sudden voice and quick footsteps to follow, Jaime shot up from his bed in alarm. After spending the past week in an empty dungeon with no company but his own, he had become accustomed to the silence. Once seeing that the intruder was only his little brother however, he sighed, visibly relaxing as he leaned back against the headboard.“What are you going on about now?” Jaime grumbled, very much annoyed over the fact that he’d just been woken from the first decent night’s sleep he’d had in months.“I’ve just been to a small council meeting; a small council meeting where Daenerys announced that she’s decided to give the Son of the Harpy a trial. She made this decision after speaking with you, alone in her chambers.”“Wait, you mean I wasn’t invited to the small council meeting?” The eldest Lannister feigned offense by this sudden realization as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.“Jaime . . . ” Tyrion warned, his already thin patience waning. “Are you complaining?” Jaime scoffed in disbelief, the sheet that had been covering his bare chest dropping down to his waist as he leaned forward. “I thought you’d be elated.”“Did you tell Daenerys to give the Harpy a fair trial because you knew it was what I would advise, or what you thought was right?”Stifling a groan, Jaime tossed his blankets aside and stood up from the bed. He knew his brother well enough to know that this topic was not going to be easily resolved. “It was good advice, Tyrion. Why the fuck does it matter what I think?”“It matters to me.”“Dear brother, you’re brilliant! If the girl knows what’s good for her she’ll name you Hand of the Queen.”“Only if she heeds my advice.”“It was your advice,” Jaime assured him, raising his discarded trousers from the floor and pulling them up over his hips. “Why should it matter who spoke it to her?”“Because if she’s only going to listen to my advice after it comes from you, why should I go through the trouble? Why not offer yourself as Hand of the Queen instead?”Once he had finished his pitiful attempt at tying the laces of his pants with one hand, Jaime paused as if he were actually considering Tyrion’s suggestion. Raising his arm after a moment of silence, he eyed the stump that had been his right hand, indicating that he was quite literally handless.Tyrion rolled his eyes. “That bit’s getting stale.”“Not to me.”Ignoring his older brother’s display, Tyrion’s feet fell heavily onto the stone floor as he stormed over to a table sat beside a large window overlooking Slaver’s Bay.“What is this, Tyrion?” Jaime questioned. “Are you jealous?”While Tyrion did not verbalize his reply, Jaime watched as his younger brother busied himself by pouring a glass of wine, a satisfying clink sounding as he touched the neck of the decanter to the rim of his glass.“My gods, you are!”“Do you realize how long I had to work to gain Daenerys’ trust when I first arrived in Meereen? You’re the man who murdered her father, yet you waltz in here, say a few words . . . and she listens.”“I don’t waltz. I’ve never waltzed.”“JAIME!” Tyrion roared.Pulling on the tunic he’d been given the day before, Jaime bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling at Tyrion’s reaction. Following his little brother to the table, he sat down, a defeated sigh leaving his lips as he stretched his long legs out beneath the table.“She asked my advice, alright? Had I just listened to you tell her to practice restraint? Yes. I had your words in mind when I fed them to her, but I also had my bloody nightmare of a son in mind.”Tyrion frowned.“Joffrey and his terrible reign,” Jaime elaborated. “His cruelty when it came to showing mercy. What he did to Ned Stark; how he treated the man’s daughters. His rashness. All things that Daenerys must caution herself against if she doesn’t want to end up like her mad fucking father.”“Well, I can’t very well disagree with that.” Tyrion admitted.Jaime cocked an eyebrow. “Finally, something you can’t disagree with.”Ignoring Jaime’s observation, Tyrion took a lengthy sip from his glass. After another moment spent in silence, he cocked his overlarge head to the side as he brought his gaze back to his older brother.“Do you really think I’m brilliant?”Jaime smirked. “I was wondering when you’d circle back around to that.”The two Lannister brothers grinned at each other, allowing themselves a tiny moment of enjoyment as the difficulty of the last few months momentarily drifted away.“What happens next, Jaime?”“Next?”“Assuming you don’t enrage Daenerys; that she doesn’t have your tongue cut off and shoved down your throat after spending more time with you.”The corners of Jaime’s lips quirked at Tyrion’s suggestion. “I’m being realistic, if you’re to be continuing your private conversations with the queen.” Tyrion reasoned.Jaime nodded. “Go on.”Tyrion sighed. “Assuming she doesn’t change her mind about having you executed once she gets to know you . . . what then?”“What do you mean?”“When she crosses the Narrow Sea and conquers King’s Landing. When she takes the throne that so rightfully belongs to her; the throne that your youngest son currently sits on and Cersei stands beside. What then?”“I can’t—” Jaime’s voice caught in his throat. “I can’t think about that right now, Tyrion.” Jaime swallowed hard, remaining silent as he processed his words and the guilt that set heavily behind them. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”Tyrion shrugged, swallowing the remainder of his wine as he gestured for Jaime to continue.“Are you in love with her?The youngest Lannister spat out his wine, coughing loudly and quickly moving his hand to massage his throat. “Are you mad?”“Are you?”Tyrion sighed. “As lovely as she is, no, I am not in love with the queen. Despite my very truthful reputation of being a lady charmer, I’m still recovering from discovering that my father was fucking the actual woman I love . . . loved.”Of course Jaime knew that Tyrion was referring to Shae, the whore who had stood trial against him and lied about overhearing Tyrion and Sansa scheming to murder Joffrey. The night that Lord Tywin had been found, Shae’s body had been discovered strangled in his bed just a few feet away. Jaime had never thought Tyrion capable of murder but as always, his little brother was determined to prove him wrong.“Besides, not that it matters, but she’s involved with her sellsword.”Ignoring his brother’s steady gaze, Jaime shrugged this news off as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Is that right?”“It’s not unheard of. Kings have their mistresses, Daenerys has her sellsword. The ways in which she chooses to wind down after a long day of ruling shouldn’t matter to anyone.”Jaime clenched his jaw at the thought of Daenerys curling up with that brute of a sellsword, the one who had beat the hell out of him with ease. If only he had been at his best, he could’ve taken the bastard on; showed Daenerys and her entire council just how he’d earned the name Kingslayer.
Fuck. Why do I care?
I don’t.“Have I said something to upset you?” Tyrion cocked an eyebrow as he took care to watch his brother’s reaction to this new piece of information.“No, of course not.”“You’re certain?” Tyrion questioned, his voice taunting him in the way that only a little brother’s could.“I’m positive,” Jaime assured him, moving to grab the decanter of wine from Tyrion to pour himself a glass. “But nothing can become of it. She’s a smart girl, she knows that. The man’s a sellsword, he’s not fit to marry her; to stand by her side as she rules the Seven Kingdoms—”“I don’t think Daenerys has been inviting Daario Naharis to her chambers to discuss wedding arrangements.”Tyrion watched as Jaime chose not to respond to his comment and instead downed an entire cup of wine before pouring another. Never in his life had he been able to convince his older brother to join him for a drink as early as breakfast.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After partaking in a walk around the grounds tailed by a group of Unsullied soldiers, the Lannister brothers were beginning their ascent to Jaime’s chambers when Ser Barristan hurriedly approached them from around a corridor.“Queen Daenerys has requested that you join her in the throne room. Both of you.” Barristan grunted the last part with what seemed to be great difficulty as he glared in Jaime’s direction.Raising a curious eyebrow, Jaime stretched his left arm out in a gesture indicating that Barristan should lead the way.“I don’t think he’s very fond of me,” Jaime muttered to Tyrion from the side of his mouth.“Whatever gave you that idea?” Tyrion replied sarcastically as he increased the pace of his stunted stride, wondering what on earth would greet them in the throne room this time. Another sibling, perhaps?
Gods, please no.
Trailing Ser Barristan, the Lannister brothers stepped into the throne room and were instantly greeted by Daenerys and an eerie silence.Oh, what the fuck did I do now? Jaime wondered silently as he remained by Tyrion’s side.He'd not been absent from his chambers for an hour if that; even he couldn’t have caused this much turmoil in such a short length of time. Opening his mouth, he was about to say just that when two Unsullied hauled in the small Meereenese man that he recognized from Dany’s small council.“Why?” Dany demanded breathlessly, her other-worldly eyes wide with hurt as she stared down at the man on his knees before her.“For you, Mhysa. You wanted the Harpy dead, but your hands were tied. I set you free, as you did all of us!” Mossodor explained.“He was our prisoner, awaiting trial.” Dany’s voice shook. “You had no right.”“He would rather rip your city apart than see slaves lifted from the dirt!” Mossodor argued.“There are no more slaves. There are no more Masters.” Dany breathed.“Then who lives in the pyramids? Who wears gold masks and murders your children? When Grey Worm came to us, I was the first to take up the knife for you!” He beat his chest in declaration. “I remember the look on my father’s face as I struck down his master, who had traded his infant son for a dog. My father died in the fighting. If we allow the Sons of the Harpy to return us to chains, it will be as if he never lived!”“The Harpy’s life was not yours to take. Once, the Masters were the law—”“—and now you are the law.”“The law is the law.” Dany replied with a firm note of finality in her voice, then more quietly to her guards. “Take him.”Quickly moving forward, Tyrion appeared by Dany’s side. “Your Grace, are you certain—”Dany cut him off with a fierce look, causing the youngest Lannister to wisely hold his tongue for once in his life.The chants of Mhysa rang in the air as Daenerys and her guard stepped out in front of the large crowd.While Jaime had followed along with his brother, feeling that at any moment he would be stopped, the Unsullied soldiers seemed much too preoccupied with their current prisoner to take much notice of his presence.“You opened your gates to me because I promised you freedom and justice,” Dany began, addressing the crowd, her voice strong and powerful. “One cannot exist without the other.”Jaime watched Daenerys. Her voice and stature were strong, but there was a sadness in her green-blue eyes that could not be overlooked as the Unsullied marched Mossodor out in their clutches. She didn’t want to do this. He could see the agony ripping through her with each word.I am not my father. Her words from the previous night echoed in his head.And yet even as he watched her men place Mossodor on his knees for what was sure to be his execution, Jaime could not find it within himself to fault her. This wasn’t some lewd show put on display like the Mad King had been prone to do. This was the last thing in the world that Daenerys desired, that was obvious, but this was justice. This was her duty.“Brother! Brother!” The desperate chants sang out around them all.“Mhysa, please! Forgive me!” Mossodor cried.Dany stared out at the people, a glazed look taking over her features. Jaime continued to watch only her as she stepped forward to continue.“A citizen of Meereen was awaiting trial and this man murdered him. The punishment is death.”“Mercy! Mercy!” The cries from the crowd grew louder and more desperate.Dany looked to Daario, held his gaze for a second, then nodded just once.Daario extended his ahkrah and moved behind Mossodor.“Mhysa,” Mossodor breathed, his dark eyes full of tears. But he did not beg, only said her name one last time.Dany continued to stare out at the crowd. Beside her, she could hear Mossodor beginning to pray in High Valyrian.
If I look back I am lost.
Looking to Daario, she gave one final nod.The crowd responded instantly as Daario thrust his weapon down in one swift motion, the air around them exploding into angry hisses and shouts as Mossodor’s head rolled across the deck. Remaining where she was, Dany stared on at the crowd with a hard expression, though inside a quiet ache bloomed in her chest; waves of agony coursing through her body as the chaos ensued around her.Jaime’s eyes widened as he quickly anticipated what was to come and moved to shield Daenerys without a second thought, his good hand moving to grip her upper arm before pulling her close. Feeling his sudden but firm grip, Dany looked up to meet Jaime’s eyes, her breath catching in her throat as the scene around them erupted into violence.Nodding into the direction before them, he pulled her small body against him, shielding her as the Unsullied followed suit, raising their shields above, beside and in front of her to block any further blows. Long ago Jaime had sworn to protect the Targaryens, and even though Daenerys had not yet been born at the time he’d taken that oath, a ridiculous sense of honor apparently still clung to him. He would not let her be harmed.Once returning to the Great Pyramid, Daenerys sat around her table with her council with a hand placed beneath her breast, as if desperately trying to quell the ache she felt inside. The room was eerily silent as the day’s events wore heavily on them all. As usual, Tyrion was the first to speak.“A ruler who kills those that are devoted to her is not a ruler that inspires devotion. You’re going to need to inspire devotion, and lots of it, if you’re ever going to rule across the Narrow Sea.”“It’s easier to rule happy subjects than angry ones. Perhaps if you were to reopen the fighting pits…” Hizdahr suggested.“I will hear no more of the fighting pits, Hizdahr. Did I not make myself clear before?”“The fighting pits?” Jaime asked from his seat at the table.“Where slaves fought slaves to the death,” Dany explained.“In the new world that you’ve brought to us, free men would fight free men.” Hizdahr explained. “The pit fighters you liberated plead for this opportunity. Bring some here and ask them yourself.”“How many times must I say no before you understand?” Dany demanded with cold eyes.“The fighting pits seem to be tradition, like the jousts we have in King’s Landing.” Jaime observed, earning the room’s attention.“I have not been to what you call a ‘joust’ but yes, it is Meereen’s greatest tradition.” Hizdahr agreed.“I will not support the tradition of human cock-fighting. The fighting pits aren’t some festival for entertainment, men are put to their deaths!” Dany seethed.“Clearly you’ve never been to a Westerosi tourney before.” Jaime reasoned.“So you approve of this?” Dany demanded of Jaime, anger flashing through her eyes like the storm she was named for.“It doesn’t matter what I approve of, what matters is what your people want, and you’ve upset them . . . to put it mildly.”“I don’t need a lecture on your disapproval of my choices—”“I think what you did was incredibly brave.”Dany hesitated, surprised by Jaime’s response. The two stared at each other as the room around them grew tense.“But as you have seen,” Jaime continued. “There will be repercussions. Reopening the fighting pits might lessen the blow of those repercussions.” Opening and closing his left hand, he gave a shrug of his shoulders. “It is of course your choice, Your Grace.”“Leave us,” Dany ordered her council.Tyrion hesitated, narrowing his eyes at his older brother in a silent warning before turning and exiting the room.“Tell me of these tourneys that are celebrated in your homeland.”“Westeros is your homeland, too, Your Grace. Best to start acting like it.”“Thank you for your advice,” Dany replied icily as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “But this is different, this is barbaric—”“It is and it isn’t.”Dany stared, waiting for Jaime’s words to start making sense.“It’s bloody death, but it’s a show to the people of Meereen the way jousting is a show to the people of King’s Landing.”“And you think I should do this to win their favor? That I should grant them this obscene wish?”“I think if you want to avoid a rebellion like the one your father faced, you’ll want to consider it.”Turning away from Jaime, Daenerys shook her head slowly as she began to move outside to the terrace, her long skirts swirling after her. “Enough of this talk for tonight.”Jaime hesitated, but then stood to leave.“Where are you going?”“Your Grace—”“Enough talk of the fighting pits. I’d like to hear more of your stories. It’s been a long day, and I could use the distraction.”Nodding his understanding, Jaime moved forward, and within a few steps he stood directly beside the Dragon Queen on the terrace.“Perhaps you’d like to call for your sellsword?” Jaime quipped before he could stop himself, Tyrion’s words regarding Daario Naharis from earlier still fresh in his mind. “I’ve heard he’s been very good at providing distractions for you.”“Careful, ser.” Dany warned.The two continued to stare each other down for a heated moment. Finally, Dany continued, her voice high with amusement. “You disapprove?”When Jaime said nothing, she tossed her head back with a laugh. It was a sound that he thought he could have delighted in, had it not been made to spite him.“You had a sexual relationship with the queen — your sister — for decades behind the king’s back. You are the last person that should be giving me advice about whom I should invite into my bed.”Jaime’s anger began to flare at the mention of Cersei. “Perhaps you should have tried it, Your Grace. After all, you yourself are the product of incest, and you know what they say—”“The only way my brother ever touched me was in anger, and the last time he did so I gave the order that ended his life.” Jaime stilled. He had heard of Viserys’ death, though not in great detail. He had hoped that the rumors he’d heard of her brother’s madness rivaling that of her father’s had been false.“He deserved it then.” Jaime replied simply, his voice softening as he felt a pang of pity as well as something he couldn’t quite identify at the thought of Daenerys spending all those years at the mercy of her older brother. It seemed far too cruel that she could have had a brother as kind and brave as Rhaegar, yet as mad and vicious as Viserys.“He did, didn’t he?” Dany smiled sadly. “Murdered by the man he sold me to.”Lowering her gaze, she pressed her lips together.“What is it like to hold a sword with your left hand?” Dany inquired suddenly, wanting quite desperately to change the subject. This conversation had taken an unexpected steering into a territory she had never discussed with anyone, and the idea of Jaime Lannister being the first to explore it with her seemed completely absurd.Jaime turned his left hand over, palm out as he considered her question. “I can hold a sword, but my instincts are all wrong.”“We can’t very well have that, now can we?”“What would you suggest, Your Grace? Do you happen to have a potion that grows back hands?”Dany smirked. “I happen to have the greatest swordsman in Westeros as Captain of my Queensguard.”Jaime opened his mouth to protest, but was promptly cut off as the young queen continued.“You’ll begin training with Ser Barristan tomorrow.”“Your Grace--" Jaime protested.“Do you have some other way you’d prefer to spend your time?”“Well, I thought I might see the sights . . . " He offered lamely.Dany glared at him with that near pout he was becoming more and more accustomed to seeing, and perhaps even enjoying.Sighing in defeat, he somehow found himself bowing his head in consent, his voice only slightly sarcastic as he continued. “Thank you, Your Grace. I would be honored.”“You can thank me later, Jaime Lannister. Perhaps by serving me on the battlefield.”