Chapter 5: Jon VI

Jon was surprised when he walked over to the training yard after breakfast to find Jaime waiting for him, only this time he was actually dressed in his armor rather than the light leathers he had been wearing yesterday. His smirk became mocking as soon as he caught sight of him.

"Bastard, you're going to spar with me again and I will give you additional pointers," he said, tossing him a wooden sword.

"I have a name," Jon growled, catching the sword. He didn't hesitate to step into the ring, but when he looked back, Robb's eyes were the size of gold dragons. Even as he stood there, people around Winterfell were dropping what they were doing to come over and watch.

Jon sighed inwardly. Trust Jaime to make this a spectacle. "Why are you wearing your armor?"

"A handicap. I will be slower, easier to fight against," Jaime replied.

Jon huffed. The next hour was spent fighting Jaime, who did not let a single opportunity to sneak in a hit pass him by. Jon was well rested this time and he put up a stronger front. He never did get more than a few jabs at Jaime that actually landed, but the lion always came roaring back and put him in the dirt no fewer than three times. After Jon staggered off the field, Robb challenged Jaime to a sparring session. Jaime humored him and disarmed him three times accompanied with two rolls in the dirt as well. Theon then asked if he could try his luck and Jaime obliged. He seemed somehow even harder on Greyjoy and nearly broke his hand when disarming him.

"Son of a bitch," Theon screamed, holding his hand to his chest.

Jaime gave him no leeway and jabbed him in the chest. "No fight is ever over until it's over. Never drop your guard."

"You broke my hand!"

"And in a real battle, I would have immediately beheaded you," Jaime replied.

He went over to put his sword away when a voice called out, "I think you've had enough fun beating up these boys. Care to give them a real fight, Ser Jaime?" The crowd parted as Ser Barristan strode forward in his own armor.

"Very well, Ser Barristan. Choose your weapon," Jaime said, striding back out into the ring.

A murmur of excitement filtered through the crowd. Bran looked about ready to faint from excitement and Jon put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. He himself felt his heart pounding just as hard now as when he had been training. They hadn't had the privilege of seeing the Kingsguard practice against each other before, so even he was excited to see what two Kingsguard could do to each other.

Ser Barristan took his time and finally made his selection and they squared off. The entire crowd seemed to hold their breath. Jaime was no longer smiling now. The Lion of Lannister was preparing to pounce.

Jaime started the attack, but Ser Barristan blocked his sword and countered. It was clear the two had been sparring against each other for some time because they were constantly countering the other. For a man of such considerable age, Ser Barristan was quick on his feet and with his sword, but Jaime was still quicker. Jon couldn't keep the smile from his face as he watched the battle. He knew the Jaime from his old life had been a shadow of his former self, but it was quite startling to see just how small of a shadow he had become. If this Jaime had been fighting the Night King, he would have been able to behead him in three moves, without getting mortally wounded. He didn't care if the whole point of becoming Jaime's squire was a charade to get him the throne, he would relish every minute of training he could get from him if it might mean he would fight like that someday.

Jaime and Ser Barristan were fighting in close quarters. Barristan made to jab Jaime in his right side, but Jaime merely shifted his body so the sword went right past him and then behind his back he changed his sword from his right hand to his left. Barristan saw the change a moment too late and got smacked in the ribs. He staggered back trying to keep his sword up, but Jaime was already swooping in for the kill. With his left hand he artfully pushed Barristan's sword to the side and brought his sword up to the old knight's neck.

"I yield," Barristan said.

And just like that, Jaime nodded, pulled his sword away and smirked at his commander. "You still don't see the left hand coming, even after all these years."

"I suspected you would pull it out at some point," Barristan said.

Jaime deposited his sword and started walking off, when he turned and said, "Bastard, same time tomorrow."

"Does this mean you're taking me on as a squire?" Jon asked.

But Jaime continued walking as if he hadn't heard him. Jon sighed.

"You should be flattered," Ser Barristan said, coming up to stand beside him. "I haven't seen him take an interest in anything or anyone in years."

"What do you mean?" Jon asked.

"Never mind that. You were even more impressive today than the day before. I noticed you already incorporated some of the things I taught you."

"I like to think that you don't need to tell me twice," Jon replied.

"It's certainly a useful skill. I'll be sure to talk with your father about options for you." Ser Barristan patted him on the back and walked back to the training ring.

As promised, Jaime was waiting in his full Kingsguard armor for Jon the next day after breakfast. Just as before, a crowd gathered to watch and just as before Jon ate dirt more than once. He wasn't entirely certain that Jaime got a single speck of dirt on him. The Lannister Lion stood pristine in his white cloak like he was the Warrior made flesh.

The King had been present for the training session that day and Jon had seen him stare at him and nod pensively, though he also barked with laughter when Jaime threw him down. He even caught the queen staring down at them from on high where Lord and Lady Stark usually watched the proceedings. If Jon wasn't mistaken, he could see jealousy in her stony face, and when she caught him looking at her, she stalked off with her nose up in the air.

Breakfast had somehow become a rather tense affair. Jaime didn't acknowledge him at all while eating and continued to sit with Tyrion, but the queen herself bore such a frosty attitude that she seemed to be generating an actual chill in the room, suppressing conversation if not muting it altogether.

Dany will be a real queen, not given to bouts of ridiculous jealousy, Jon thought and felt his heart ache at the thought of her bright smile. He longed to see her again, but his heart filled with despair. It had been late in his other life when they had first encountered each other. If it was at all possible, he was going to seek her out long before that, but he was nervous about his reception. She had already been his lover when they had discovered their familial relation. It had made things tense for a while and Dany seemed loath to give up her goal of taking the throne, the one thing that had kept her going for so long. In the end, she had acquiesced to his claim. He had insisted that they could rule side-by-side when the Night King was defeated, that he would take her as his queen.

She was hesitant at first, but eventually warmed to the idea. Once they were back on warmer terms, she confessed that the idea had initially unsettled her because her brother Viserys had intended to marry her himself against her will. He talked about raping her every night for a pure heir, like her father had done to their mother, but in the end had preferred to sell her for an army which he had never received.

I know you… Aemon. I know you're not that kind of person, who would take me and rape me, but… it scared me. I had to be sure, she whispered to him while they lay entangled in bed, holding on tightly to each other as though keeping her close would be enough to banish the cold.

" I would never do that to you. You will be my queen and I shall lay gifts at your feet every day, as long as you'll let me," he had whispered back into her ear, which had caused her to shiver.

" Just love me," she replied. He had happily rolled over and buried himself inside her once more.

He used their memories of his time together to get him through the lonely nights here at Winterfell. Though thinking of her before sleep only seemed to inspire his nightmares featuring her death in graphic detail. It had been enough to make him hurl. His family had thought him sick whenever he was discovered weak and shivery in his bed.

A few days later Jon had to return the book about noble families to the library and get a new one. He first went to go replace the book and almost knocked over Tyrion.

"Oh, my apologies, my lord! I wasn't paying attention. You're not hurt are you?"

"No need to be so fussy, bastard. I won't call for your head, though my father might," Tyrion replied with a wry grin. Jon looked around and saw that the dwarf had found himself a cozy little nook in the library with cushioned seats, several books at hand, and as always wine.

Jon frowned down at him. "You too? My name is Jon."

"You've got fire, I'll give you that, Jon," Tyrion replied, putting extra emphasis on his name. "That's good. In the world you might enter, it's important to stick up for yourself. No good knight was ever known for being a doormat after all."

"Are you referring to your brother accepting me as a squire?"

"What else? I must say, I'm quite fascinated with you. Anyone who can knock my brother out of his decades-long stupor must be something special. You certainly fight like Jaime did when he was young. It wouldn't be so difficult to see you as my brother's protege."

"Decades-long stupor?"

"Oh yes, it turns out being a Kingsguard is an awfully dull life. He just stands around and makes sure no harm comes to the king and queen. That's hardly what any boy who dreams of being a knight ever imagines himself doing. If there ever is any excitement, it's either a tournament or the king's life is truly at stake and that's never a situation anyone wants to be in. His Grace is rather fond of tournaments, so Jaime's cut his chops unseating other men in the joust or beating them up in the melee. Next time there's a tournament, you should fight in the melee. You held out long enough against my brother that you must be a top three contender."

"Uhh… thank you, my lord."

"Tyrion. My father is still the lord," Tyrion raised a cup of wine to him in a mocking toast. "Long may he reign. So tell me, Jon, what's so special about you that my brother actually noticed?"

I am the last true son of Rhaegar Targaryen and your brother and I go a long way back. I am the last person that sees him for who he is, Jon thought, but naturally he couldn't answer that. "I don't know, my lo-Tyrion. It must be because of how good I am with a sword."

"That's not that special. My brother has had hundreds of boys begging to be his squire every year, including Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers. It's speculated that at the next tourney he might even be able to best my brother in combat and yet he still refused him for a squire."

"The Knight of Flowers doesn't sound like something Ser Jaime would want to associate with."

Tyrion grinned. "True enough. Once you get past the name though, you see the family. The Tyrells are exceedingly important and exceedingly rich. It would make a great ally to House Lannister and still my brother refused."

"I thought only marriages counted for alliances."

"Any relationship can be counted on for alliances. Granted, some are stronger than others, but to be the squire of the greatest sword in Westeros is a title that many have tried to pay my brother for, not that he needs it since he has access to all the gold of Casterly Rock. So why you?"

Jon opened his mouth, finding he had no words, when a knock came at the door and they both looked up to find Robb staring earnestly at him.

"What is it?"

"Father wants to see you in his solar."

"Any idea why?"

Robb's eyebrows shot up into his hair. "I think you know why. Everyone in the castle knows why."

"Sounds like you have a squireship to discuss. It was nice talking to you, Jon Snow. I'll take your book. Interesting that you'd be reading up on the houses."

"I might be squiring in the South. It'd be good to know more about it," Jon replied, though he didn't quite understand why he was explaining himself to Tyrion. He liked Tyrion and he hoped he could count him among his friends again, but at the moment, the dwarf's opinion was superfluous. Jon nodded at him and headed for the door. His brother fell into step beside him.

"I am so proud of you, brother," Robb started. "I thought it was a foregone conclusion that you'd be going to the Wall-which is not bad. We can always use more good men on the Wall-but… a future knight and possible member of the Kingsguard? You'll be in King's Landing guarding Sansa. I will feel better about her heading to that vipers' nest knowing you're there to watch over her."

Just the mention of King's Landing made the blood run cold in his veins and his voice caught in his throat. He had no experience navigating the political waters of the Red Keep and he and Jaime were going to attempt to overthrow either Robert or Joffrey. They could very well end up dead in the attempt and then the whole world would fall to the Night King. He shivered as the weight of the world once more came to bear down on his shoulders.

"Look, I know Sansa has never been kind to you, but she does love you. You are her brother. I know it will please her to have family so close."

Jon nodded. "I know. I hope I get there."

"With Jaime Lannister as your knight? He may be a kingslayer, but he has been remarkable. I hope you prosper under his tutelage."

"I'll certainly work hard," Jon replied. They reached the door of his uncle's solar. Jon gave Robb one last look like he was heading to the executioner's block, knocked, and entered when given the summons. To his surprise, not only was his uncle Eddard there, but so were Benjen, Maester Luwin, and Lady Catelyn, all seated in a circle.

"My lords, my lady, maester," Jon said.

"Ah, Jon, come sit."

He looked around at them all and asked, "Has someone asked to take me as a squire?"

"Indeed, Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan as well," Ned replied. "I can't tell you how proud I am that you have garnered the attention of two knights of the realm."

A warmth filled Jon's belly and he sat up straighter if that was at all possible. Even though he was actually older than the child he currently was, it still pleased him to know that he made his uncle proud.

"What do you think of Jaime Lannister?"

"He's incredible. I have never seen a fighter move so quickly. It really does feel like I'm facing off against a lion. I think I could learn a lot from him. I just wish he'd stop calling me bastard," Jon said. His heart was pounding in his chest. He had to somehow win over his uncle and convince him to let him squire with Ser Jaime. If the worst should happen, Jon would declare that he was a man grown and could make his own choices, but he'd rather not leave the room on such a sour note.

"He may never refer to you by name, at least not until you become a knight and choose your own name. He is certainly impressive, but is he really the best example of a knight?"

Jon hesitated a moment to see if anyone else said anything and asked, "You're referring to the kingslaying?"

"He swore an oath to protect his king and he broke it."

"I was under the impression that the war was essentially done by the time he killed Mad King Aerys. He just made it a little shorter," Jon said, affecting a pleasantly confused tone.

"Indeed, Jon, the war was done. Ser Jaime's father Lord Tywin was already sacking the city by the time he killed the king. Speculation suggests he was doing his father's bidding, but… as I said, it's just speculation," Maester Luwin replied.

"More like he was trying to save his own skin," Uncle Benjen chimed in. "He was the only one of his brothers left in the Red Keep. His death was all but assured."

"He was young. It's a lot harder for the young to accept death, no matter what they say," Ned said, with an earnest expression. "One could argue that he gave the Mad King a kinder death than the one King Robert had in store for him, but when I found him, he did not appear in the least bit remorseful. He was sitting on the throne! He mocked me, but ultimately laid his sword at my feet. He is not an honorable man."

Jon had heard all this before from Jaime himself. Jaime had been just a few years older than he himself was at that point and from the way he talked about it, Jon was certain that moment haunted Jaime even to this life. The Lannister papered over his insecurities with a mask of arrogance and bravado, but as he grew older the mask became ill-fitting.

"Do you think it's possible that he knew something you don't?" Jon asked. He was very careful about articulating the question. He wasn't supposed to really know Jaime yet, so why would he defend someone he didn't know?

"What do you mean?"

"A Kingsguard is sworn to keep his liege's secrets. Maybe he hasn't said everything about what happened? I don't know. I just know that if I had been him, I don't think I'd know what to do. What if it wasn't you coming to kill the king, what if it was his father? You think he would've been able to kill his father? Do you think I could kill you in a moment like that?"

Everyone shifted uneasily. Ned looked troubled, Benjen and Maester Luwin seemed thoughtful, and Lady Catelyn was stunned.

"It would be your duty to face me."

"You would kill me?" Jon asked, leaning away from Lord Stark with an uneasy expression. "You think I would deserve to die for serving a king for life, a king that came to be hated?" He prepared to bolt. How could he live under Winterfell's roof knowing that his uncle thought he deserved death in such an instance?

Ned stroked his beard. "I… I must admit, I hadn't given it that much thought. I took him at his word…." He thought about it for another second and then dismissed it and said to him, "No, I would not expect you to kill me, nor would I be able to kill you. Blood trumps any number of oaths."

Jon relaxed back into his seat. "You said both Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime asked to take me on as a squire?"

"Yes. Ser Jaime asked first. Ser Barristan asked, but I politely informed him about that and he said he would understand if you took Ser Jaime's offer instead."

"I presume it would be insulting to take Ser Barristan's offer over Ser Jaime's since he asked first?"

"Yes," Lady Catelyn replied curtly and gave a warning look to Ned, suggesting that this ground was one they had already tread upon. "Lord Tywin still has a vested interest in how House Lannister is viewed and if you pass over Ser Jaime for a knight even as celebrated as Ser Barristan, he would take offense. Just because Ser Jaime is no longer the heir does not mean he doesn't still represent his house."

"I don't even have a choice then."

"Son, I'm not going to make you squire for someone you don't like. If you insisted, I would pass him over for Ser Barristan."

"Hmm," Jon said, his chin perched on his hands as he stared at the ground. "I would hate to strain House Stark's relationship with House Lannister any more than it already is." At the quizzical look on his father's face, he said, "I've been reading up on the histories of the houses. The Starks haven't married the Lannisters in two hundred years, so there isn't much tying the two together."

"Lord Tywin makes every house's relationship with his house contentious," Lady Catelyn muttered.

Everyone chuckled in their circle and this time Maester Luwin leaned in to speak. "As Ser Jaime's squire, you are very likely to meet Lord Tywin. Tread very carefully around him. He probably won't even notice you, but you will be a reflection on his son and thus a reflection on House Lannister. Dress properly, always be neat. You have been taught your protocol, so keep them at the forefront of your mind."

Jon nodded and his excitement dampened a little. Everything he had heard about Tywin Lannister had been spoken in hushed tones. Even Jaime had nothing glowing to say about his father and Tyrion had given him a number of stories about how even being of Lannister blood didn't save one from scorn. The prospect of meeting Lord Tywin made his stomach churn-the man who orchestrated the deaths of his cousin Robb, his wife Queen Talisa, Lady Catelyn, and countless other lords of the North and the Riverlands. He knew very well that Lord Tywin was just as capable of committing that gross breach of guest right now as he had been in the other life.

"I think the only thing left that needs to be decided is, is this what you want?"

Jon cocked his head. "I get to train with the best sword in the Seven Kingdoms, with the chance of earning a knighthood and my own name. You know how much I've wanted a name!"

Ned laughed and nodded. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lady Catelyn seemed to breathe easier and the tension she had carried all his life seemed to ease from her shoulders. He could no longer threaten her trueborn son Robb, not that he ever wanted to.

"Very well, let's go and inform Ser Jaime. I believe he is currently stationed by the queen."

Jon winced behind Ned's back. He really didn't want an encounter with the queen, however he imagined that being Jaime's squire meant a meeting was inevitable.

They found Jaime standing on the inside of the glass garden overlooking the women holding their sewing lessons. Septa Mordane, Sansa, Jeyne, Myrcella, Julianna and, yes, the queen were all sitting in the circle chattering like birds over a fountain. Jon felt Cersei's eyes fall on him almost instantly and he thought for a moment that she was trying to light him afire.

"Ser Jaime," Ned said to him.

Jaime turned to him almost lazily. "Lord Stark," he said blandly and then turned back to surveying the scene around him.

Jon stepped out from behind his uncle so that he was visible to the knight.

When Jaime saw him, he then said, "Ah, bastard. Good show in the training yard today."

"If I'm going to be your squire, you will call me Jon," he said, glaring at Jaime.

"Son," Ned hissed at him.

But Jaime's mouth quirked into a smile and he said, "Now that's the spirit. Training begins at dawn."

"Brother, is this your new squire?" Cersei floated over wearing a frilly crimson gown showing a generous amount of cleavage. She was sporting an amused smile with her nose in the air so that she was looking down at them. Her wavy golden hair hung free and floated as softly as she herself.

"Your Grace," Jaime acknowledged politely, but Jon saw the way his hand clenched.

Jon turned to the queen and bowed. "Your Grace." He was surprised when she held her hand out to let him kiss it, and when he did, he expected her to wipe the kiss off like it was the piece of dirt she thought he was. "You look so much like a Stark; I'm sure your father must be proud."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Jon replied. His heart was pounding and he could feel himself sweating in his clothes, trying not to back down, while also remaining polite. Squire though he may be, he was still a bastard and she would take every opportunity to demand satisfaction from imagined offenses.

His uncle Ned muttered similar gratitude and he was watching their exchange very closely.

"I'm sure you will do your utmost to honor my brother's commitment to you. You are not just representing House Stark now, but also House Lannister."

"Of course, Your Grace," Jon replied, ducking his head again in a bow.

"Mother, come see my flower," Julianna called out to her.

Cersei lingered for a moment and then turned to heed her daughter's beckon. Jon could swear that he heard his uncle and Jaime breathe sighs of relief, but when he turned, Jaime was as placid as he ever was. To think, Jaime has had to stand here and guard her for years. He could imagine no greater hell.

"Thank you, Ser Jaime, for presenting this opportunity to my son. I know it means a great deal to him and to House Stark. He will honor you and I hope you will honor him," Ned said.

Jaime regarded him for a moment before nodding and returning once more to watching the women giggle and chatter over their sewing.