Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun

Chapter One-Hundred and Four.

The air held a note of uncertainty, which was not an uncommon occurrence in King's Landing, but Jaime knew that there had been an unspoken hope within the court that such an air would be dispelled when Aerys was dead and they finally had a new king but it seemed that Eddard Stark had no intentions being conventional, but so long as he didn't start burning people alive Jaime was certain he would be able to cope with that.

Half of the lords and ladies in the sept were looking at him, he was certain of that. It was not something that he was unused to as of the past few months but he had been used to being looked at like that because of the fact that he was a kingsguard who had killed his own king, kingslayer and oathbreaker all wrapped into one package. But now, he wasn't even a kingsguard anymore.

He was something now that had never been seen before in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, what man had ever allowed his wife to have her own guards that were loyal to her before anyone else? Eddard Stark was that man, apparently.

It seemed that Elia was as surprised as the rest of them, at least. When she had been told that she was to have her own guard, separate from the Kingsguard, her own Queensguard well...she had looked at her husband like he had grown a second head, Jaime and Lewyn had both been in the room when she had been told about it and it had almost been a funny sight.

Almost.

Indeed, the new would-be Queen had tried to convince her husband that it was a bad idea but nothing that she could say would dissuade him from it. Not that she did not want her own guard. not that it would make him look weak or that in the eyes of the nobles it would make her look like she had far too much influence over him, none of her words had been able to make him see reason and so Elia Martell would be the first Queen Consort to have her own guard.

And yet, despite how it was it's own sort of madness, Jaime couldn't help but approve of the decision deep down. He had enough guilts to keep him awake at night but the ones involving those nights at Queen Rhaella's door when he was forbidden by his vows to do anything to help her as Aerys beat and raped her, the vows to protect her were less important than the vows to obey him.

Rhaella was on Dragonstone, so everyone said and she was there with the little prince. Still being called a King by those loyal to him, even though he had lost the vote at the grand council. Both Eddard and Elia had apparently sent ravens to Dragonstone, entreating the Queen to return to the capital where she would be given a pardon and her son would be disinherited but allowed to live.

Jaime imagined that the both of them meant those words, but considering what Rhaella had spent almost her entire life living with Jaime would not be surprised if the Queen smelt a trap and continued to remain at Dragonstone. But Jaime knew that she would not be tolerated there much longer, she had the remains of Aerys's fleet at her command as well as the Lords of the Narrow Sea sworn to her son, it was a knife at the new reign's throat.

Jaime sighed roughly and reached up to adjust his cloak, he had been stripped of the white one already and it had been replaced by a brown one, it seemed to all a neutral colour until the final decision of what colour cloaks the men of the Queensguard were to wear, the armour he wore was plain steel plate and Prince Lewyn who stood next to him wore much the same.

The doors to the sept opened and it looked they were finally nearing the end of standing around, as Eddard Stark and his lady wife Elia Martell walked down the aisle towards the High Septon, the Most Devout had only just named a new one a week before. They really did make quite a match to look at, a man who looked like all the worst ideas of a Northern barbarian, brutish and bearded and dour and dark, and a woman who among the shortest that Jaime had ever seen, a delicate thing.

They both reached the end of the aisle and both knelt before the High Septon who began to drone, on and on he went to the point that Jaime stopped listening to him. He refocused his attention on to them when it came time to the actual crowning of the new King and Queen.

Eddard was crowned first, of course. It was hardly an inspiring crown for a King, a bronze circlet with black iron that had been shaped into longswords with runes that apparently were from the language of the First Men, though Jaime doubted that any man alive actually knew what it said. It was a grim crown for a grim man, so it suited at least.

Elia had also chosen a circlet, but hers was of red gold with a band of jewels ground all the way around it. With barely a half inch of space between them, amethysts, rubies, pearls, emeralds and fire opals. Something about the crown seemed quite familiar to Jaime but he could not put his finger on what it actually was, not that it actually mattered of course.

They had knelt as just a Lord and Lady, but as they rose they rose in the eyes of gods and men as a King and his Queen as the High Septon proclaimed them as such the Sept was filled with thunderous applause from Lords and Ladies who were more than likely already planning how to get all they could from them or plotting how to put a knife into their backs.

The King and the Queen walked back down the aisle and Jaime and Lewyn folded in behind them, as did Ser Barristan. Jaime had not spoken to the man since he had been in King's Landing and he was fairly certain that Lewyn had not either. It was odd, not all that long ago they had been sworn brothers, all seven of them. Bound together by their oath that bound them to a mad man, they understood what it meant as they all stood back and watched as Aerys did horrible things in the heat of his madness.

He imagined that the difference was that Ser Barristan had stood with his vows while Jaime and Lewyn had not, Lewyn had turned his blade and cloak on his own men in the middle of a battle which had probably been the end of the war for the King's side and Jaime had shoved his own blade into the back of the King while Ser Barristan had stayed loyal to the last moment.

It was odd, that many would see himself and Lewyn as the monsters for that and not Ser Barristan simply because he had stood back and did nothing when the old king had brought fire and death and ruin on to so many. But let all of them think whatever they wanted about him, they would be nothing but charred bones and cooked meat if not for him.

The King climbed atop his horse as did the Queen and together they began to ride down the hill into the city proper with the lords and ladies following them on their own horses or in litters, the men and women of King's Landing had come out dressed in their best to see their new rulers. The city was recovering well, at least it seemed to be to Jaime's eye.

As they rode there was cheering, calling out there names and begging of course. Elia was far more quick to throw alms to the people than her husband did but when he did do so he seemed to aim to throw his coins at either women or children. Not that it mattered overly much of course, as soon as the coins hit the ground it was like blood in the water and the people became sharks.

As soon as they had arrived back at the Red Keep, Elia dismounted her horse first and said she was going to cheek on their daughter and Jaime and Lewyn followed after her, once they had arrived at the nursery the new Queen ordered Jaime to remain at the door while she invited her uncle inside to speak. Once the door had shut Jaime turned his back on it and began to wait.

He had grown used to this by now, he should be grateful of that if he had to be grateful of anything of his time serving under Aerys it was that he had become well accustomed to simply standing and waiting while matters of important were being discussed by the people he was guarding while not being allowed to hear what it was even when one of those people were his own sworn brother.

All though, it occurred to him that neither he nor Lewyn had actually sworn any vows to Elia as of yet. He knew that there would be an official ceremony at some point where they would both swear vows to her but Jaime had not sworn any vows yet and he had been released from the vows of a Kingsguard. In truth, at this moment, there was nothing keeping him in the capital. He could just make his way to the stables and saddle a horse and ride away to freedom, whatever that looked like.

Of course, he wouldn't get that far. Eddard Stark would have him be dragged back and more likely trying to flee would end up coasting him his head.

So, it seemed that this was to be his fate then. He imagined that his vows, when he took them, would basically be the same as the ones he took when he became a member of the Kingsguard. Which would mean that he was still not the heir to Casterly Rock, Father would not be pleased with that of course as Jaime had to imagine that his Father thought he could get him back when Aerys had died.

Of course, Father had not been happy with anything as of late. He had lost his chance to become the Hand of the King and his chance to have a King with Lannister blood on the throne, and he had lost all of that because of Cersei.

Cersei.

She had been dancing atop of rotten ice when she had tried to get Rhaenys on to the throne, and when it was clear that her plotting had cost both of her children the throne she had plunged beneath it. Jaime knew his sister well enough to know that the reason she wanted Rhaenys on the throne was because she thought her daughter would be more easy to control than her son would be when he finally came of age.

Maybe she would have been right when it came to that but in the end it didn't matter, she had lost. Father was never going to forgive her, never. If she was lucky then she would perhaps find herself wed to a landed knight in the Westerlands and live the rest of her life in obscurity, if she was not lucky then...well, arranging a fall from a horse was not beyond what Lord Tywin was capable of.

Jaime sighed and rubbed a hand over his face as his eyes burned, there was nothing he could do to protect her now. Why could she have not listened to him, they could have run by now. They could be across the Narrow Sea, with nothing to hold them back and no-one telling them what to do. But now the both of them were lost, his chains binding him to this life while she was bound by chains of her own making.

The door opening behind him made him stand up straighter as Elia and her uncle walked out of the Nursery, the Queen's mood seemed lighter and while Jaime hadn't seen Ser Lewyn look anything close to happy since Aerys had made him a butcher he did look a little lighter than he had done. Jaime fell in next to Lewyn as they made their way through the castle and to the Throne Room.

What was a coronation without a feast? Trestle tables had been set up through out the hall and one on the dais in front of the Iron Throne, it's long shadow falling atop all those who would eat in front of it. Eddard Stark was already sat in the high seat, looking as miserable as normal all though his mood did seem to brighten somewhat when his wife sat down next to him.

The lords and ladies at the court all took their seats, Jaime tried to catch sight of Cersei but he could not see her. Hoster Tully and Jon Arryn both had places of honour at the high table, sitting to the right of the King while Prince Oberyn sat to the left of his sister. The throne room began to fill with the sound of hundreds of voices, like a great swarm of wasps.

The first course of the feast was brought out, there would be fourteen courses in all, a soup of peppers and carrots and heavily seasoned with garlic. Jaime only managed to have one spoonful and the spice of it had him coughing, as it did most of the lords and ladies in the hall, but it seemed that most of the Dornishmen all seemed to finish their bowls.

Before the second course was brought out, the assembled nobles began to approach the dais to pay their respects. First was Lord Mace Tyrell of Highgarden and his Lady Wife, they had been placed high up near the dais in recognition of their status but as they had been on the other side they were not granted a place on the dais itself.

Lord Mace bowed and Lady Alerie, who was heavy with child, also bowed and they bore swore their loyalty and leal service to which the new king accepted. "You must come to Highgarden, during the next moon turn perhaps. It will be the harvest festival then, we shall have a thousand dishes for your visit and of course there shall be the masked ball as well." Mace said with a smile.

"Assuming we have any food from the harvest, of course." Jaime hadn't noticed the Lord of Highgarden's mother coming up behind her son and his wife, the old woman was tiny but there was something in her eyes that reminded Jaime of Cersei, and Elia. "A great number of our fields were burned, and the crops were carried away as well. Oh, hello Queen Elia."

If Elia Martell felt any shame in that moment, then she hide it well. She straightened her spine and looked the Queen of Thorns straight in the eyes. "It is wonderful to see you as always, Lady Olenna. And we understand the difficulties that the Reach may have when it comes to producing food in the days to come, there are many scars that will need to heal as we go forward. I hope that we can do all that we are able."

"Considering you caused most of them, perhaps it is not you we should be listening to when it comes to how to heal them." The Queen of Thorns was as tart as ever and Queen Elia did not even blink, all though neither her brother nor her husband looked amused in that moment. Lady Alerie, face flushed red with embarrassment, tried to pull her goodmother away but the old woman would not be moved.

"Take your hand off of me Alerie, I shall not be dictated to by you." What had been tartness was now pure venom and the sheer bile in the woman's voice had the lady of Highgarden pull her hands back, though she did not dip her head.

"Mother!" Lord Mace snapped back, the Fat Flower for once looking like a man in Jaime's eyes. "Enough, now is not the time for this. Please, go and sit back down." Lady Olenna glared at her son and her son glared back at her, in the end Olenna backed down first and turned to walk back to the table where the Tyrells were sitting with her gooddaughter following after her.

"I apologise for my Mother, your graces." Mace said as he turned back to face the high table. "The losses in the Reach did affect her more badly than she would ever care to admit, my Mother has a maiden's tender heart still underneath all of her bitterness and it shows itself in the strangest of ways at times. I hope you will find it in yourselves to forgive her."

"It is already forgiven, Lord Mace." Eddard Stark said and The Lord of Highgarden bowed his head once again before he withdrew once again to join his family and more voices joined the buzzing all ready about the hall.

"Her tender heart, bah!" Hoster Tully growled as he brought up his goblet, all ready on his third cup of wine, to his lips. The man had the golden chain of his office around his neck and he wore it well, but despite being the second most powerful man in the kingdoms he did not look happy at all to Jaime's eyes. "I know Olenna Tyrell of old, her heart is many things but tender is not one of them."

"Her son either does not see that, which considering it is Mace is possible, or they are plotting something." Jon Arryn hummed to himself, twisting one of the rings on his fingers. "Regardless, it is important that we win Highgarden and the Reach to our side as quickly as possible, we need him as a check against Lord Tywin. I would suggest giving him a position on the Small Council, Master of Laws perhaps, and arranging a match between his heir Willas to Rohanne."

"Rohanne is only a babe, still in her swaddling." Eddard frowned, which was not so different to his normal expression but this seemed heavier. "I would not have her given away so soon."

"A betrothal, my love. Not even that, a promise of a promise. I have no desire to lose her so soon, but plans need to be made for the future." Elia then took a sip of her own wine. "And Highgarden is not so very far away, we can see her when we wish to."

"Perhaps Master of Laws would suit Mace Tyrell?" Hoster suggested.

"No, I have someone else in mind for that post." Eddard said in a tone that would broke no arguments.

"Who?" Jon Arryn asked.

"You." The King replied.

The high table fell into silence then as the second course was brought to them, this time a trout wrapped in bacon. Jon Arryn cleared his throat and Hoster Tully tapped his fingers against the table. "All right, Master of Ships."

"May I remind my Lord that the position of Master of Ships is spoken for?" Queen Elia spoke.

"May I remind the Queen that having an Ironborn, any Ironborn, as a Master of Ships is an idea that no-one will be happy with."

"May I remind my Lord that if we did not have Lord Greyjoy's aid then we might have lost this war, and if we cheat him now we might lose everything."

"Master of Coin then?" Jon Arryn suggested, trying to ease the tension somewhat clearly. "Highgarden may not be sitting on top of a gold mine, but it has certainly never lacked for coin."

"We will see, we can discuss all of this and more in council. For now, let us leave it. All of this can wait." Eddard spoke, looking deeply tired and the rest of the table turned their attention to their meals.

More and more lords came, more and more ladies as well and more and more courses which were placed in front of them but as the night wore on, they ended up only taking a bite out of each that came and the meals were taken away to feed the starving wretches in Flea Bottom. "Ser Jaime." The Queen's voice brought Jaime out of his thought and also allowed him to shift, easing the ache in his bones. "I think I spy your sister, down there."

Jaime moved his eyes to where Elia was point, and she was right. Cersei was there, dressed all in black as befit her widow status and Jaime did not think he had ever seen Cersei so miserable than she looked in that moment. He could tell that she had been crying, even from where he stood as the red skin under her eyes stood out from her pale face. "Go and speak with her, would you? And tell her to come up here."

Jaime could not disobey and so he tilted his head towards Elia and stepped down from the dais and began to walk down the length of the hall towards Cersei, she was sitting next to Aunt Genna who noticed him approaching first and did not look pleased and when Cersei saw him...the look of hope and desperation in her eyes broke his heart and rose it at the same time.

"Jaime." She breath, capable of always making his name sound like it was a prayer. Like he could save her from anything, like he could protect her from anything even from their own Father. But Jaime knew, of course, that it wasn't true at all. He couldn't save her now.

"The Queen wants to talk to you." Jaime offered her his hand, and he hated the way her eyes filled with rage when he said the Queen, though why he could not say. Cersei took the hand and rose from the table, Aunt Genna watched them both as they moved and as he brought her back across the hall and up to the dais where Elia was waiting.

"Princess Cersei." The Queen began as they stopped in front of the table, her voice was as gentle as ever and there was kindness in her dark eyes as ever. Cersei, of course, would not allow herself to appear weak in front of her and so tried to straighten herself but it did not seem to matter to the Queen. "I wanted to ask how you were, have you seen your children? I did say that you should be allowed to."

"I have." Cersei admitted in a hiss, her hands gripping fistfuls of her skirts. Perhaps she was imaging throttling the Queen, perhaps clutching her skirts was the only thing that was preventing her from doing such a thing. "I suppose you should think that I should thank you for that, that I should fall on to my knees and weep for all the kindnesses you've been showing me before I am never allowed to see them again."

"As always, I have never expected anything from you. Princess." Elia said, keeping the same small smile on her face all the time. "Regardless, I did not bring you up here to simply talk of little kindnesses. I came here to offer you something, I am going to need ladies to keep my company here at Court. I would like to offer you a place here as well, you can see your children when you wish to and your Father will be away at Casterly Rock."

Jaime honestly couldn't believe, Elia had thrown Cersei a rope to pull herself out of the hole and he knew that if Cersei was in her position that she would not do the same. Cersei seemed shocked as well, she had let go of her skirts and her mouth was opening and shutting as she tried to find the words to say, or maybe just the will to say them at all.

Because it would mean Cersei was throwing herself on to Elia's protection, utterly at her mercy. The Queen would be the only thing protecting her from Lord Tywin, she was the only person that could save her now. "I...yes, thank you. Y-your Grace, I accept your offer." Somehow, Cersei looked paler than she had done moments ago and as if she would about to lose control of her stomach.

"Wonderful, I am so very glad to hear it." The Queen smiled them, somehow brighter than the sun and yet at the same time something in it sent a chill down Jaime's spine. "You may leave now, Princess Cersei. I will make sure that your Father knows of the arrangement." Cersei nodded quickly and withdrew even quicker, it felt odd not to be following her.

But that was not his place anymore and so he walked back behind the dais and stood behind the Queen. "That was kind of you Love." The king whispered to his wife, Jaime barely able to hear it.

"Was it?" Elia asked, looking very tired all of a sudden as she reached for her goblet. "We will see."

End of Chapter One-Hundred and Four

Another Chapter done and dusted, next time we go to Ned's P.O.V and we see some characters we haven't seen in awhile.

With a ton of love,

DiscordantSymphony