Chapter 18: Keys To The Kingdom

4th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing

Ser Jaime Lannister

They were back in King's Landing, after being away for some time, and Jaime was glad of that. He could not explain why, but for some reason or the other, being in Winterfell haunted him it worried him as well. Old ghosts would not sit easy whilst he was there it seemed, and so he was all the more happy that they had left. It had taken them a month of get to Winterfell, and it had taken a month to get back to King's Landing, and during the journey back home, Jaime had noted some odd things. First of all, his nephew's betrothed Lady Sansa seemed oddly sad, not what one would expect for someone who was betrothed to whom she believed to be the future king, whether that was because of her sense of missing home or something else Jaime did not know, but it was a concern. And then there was the boy, Brandon Stark, who Jaime swore he had known from somewhere else before, but the man he was thinking of was long dead, still that ghost was there haunting him. There had been a risk of something happening on the King's Road when one of the direwolves had knocked over Tommen and gotten him crying, Cersei never paid any attention to the boy, but that was just the excuse she needed. And yet Robert had stood up to Cersei for a change and told her no. Still, there was a feeling Jaime got that something was wrong between those two, more than usual.

Winterfell itself had been an interesting experience. The castle where once he had thought he might need to go to, when King Aerys had been sane before it had all gone wrong. The castle where she had come from, where his king was. The Starks were good people, even if they were bit too quick to judge, that was something he would never understand, how someone like Eddard Stark, who'd had to do things that would send most people running to the hills, could be so judgemental. It angered him somewhat, that Stark would think to judge him for an act that had saved the lives of many people. Stark was a prat that much Jaime knew, but there was something more there, what it was he was not sure, but he wondered if Stark knew just how close he had come to death before the rebellion had even begun. As for the king, he was a good man, he was growing into a fine young man, he was confident, and charming, that much Jaime knew, and he was glad of it. He had a job to do for the king and he intended to do it, but he would not think of it now, not around Cersei.

Cersei, she had become somewhat strange after returning from Winterfell. She seemed more paranoid than before, as if someone was watching her, he did not know how to explain it and it worried him. He did love his sister, he truly did. Looking at her now though, he did not know how he could help her. "Cersei, please, sit down, otherwise we won't be able to talk properly."

His sister looks at him then and snarls. "I cannot sit down Jaime, if I sit down I might not be able to get back up again."

"Why, what has caused you so much distress?" Jaime asks.

"The Starks, they are doing something, plotting something I can sense it. I do not know what it is they are plotting but I know they are plotting something." Cersei responds.

"What? What makes you think that Cersei?" Jaime asks cautiously.

His sister is silent a moment and then she says. "I've seen the looks Stark and his daughter share when they think no one is looking. It is the same look father and I would share when Aerys the mad ruled here. It is the look of two people plotting something, and I do not like it."

Jaime looks at his sister, unsure of just what to say. "What does this look, look like?"

His sister pulls a face. "They look too smug, as if they are far too happy with themselves, and I do not know why."

"It could just be some family joke Cersei. It does not have to be something serious." Jaime responds, though even as he says the words he knows they hold no weight.

His sister snorts. "Do you truly think the Starks have a sense of humour? They are cold and barren, just like that land they come from. No, I am telling you Jaime they are planning something."

Stark I know what he is planning, but what is the girl planning? Jaime thinks to himself, but he does not say this aloud, instead he asks. "Okay, so let us say that they are planning something, what could it be?"

Cersei looks at him a moment, and he fears that she might say the thing he is thinking, but instead she says. "I think they want to have their claws into Joffrey alone. They do not want anyone else having any influence over him. It seems that the more time the girl spends with him, the less time Joffrey is willing to give to me. He does not listen to me, he does nothing unless the Stark girl wants to do it."

Now that does surprise Jaime, he knows his nephew, and he knows that Joffrey is not one to do something unless he really wants to do it. "Perhaps he just wants to make her happy? After all that is not such a bad thing, surely? He is trying to make sure he and his betrothed get off to a good start, which considering how you and Robert started is not a bad thing."

His sister sighs then. "I do not think so. There is something else going on here, and it is too sinister. Joffrey knows what he has to do, but I do not think he was expecting the girl to be good."

"How good is she?" Jaime asks tentatively.

His sister thinks for a moment and then says. "I think she is quite good, which is surprising when you consider who her father is, but is not too surprising when one thinks on who her mother is. But there is something there within her, a frailty, and if Joffrey can find the way to it, I think he might make her his."

Jaime looks at his sister, really looks at her and then responds. "But you do not think he will be able to. Why?"

His sister looks at him, and in her eyes, he sees an expression of pain so sincere that he does not think that he could bear to see it there any longer. "Because, I think he might be falling in love with her. Oh he does not know it yet, but I have seen it in the way he looks at her, in the way he talks to her and about her. He is falling for her, and he will die because of it."

Jaime feels his heart break a little at that. "Why do you think he will die because of it?"

"Because, the Starks have a habit of seeing their kings die. They did it to Rhaegar, and they're doing it to Robert. Just look at how he has fallen." his sister says.

Jaime tenses then, he has never been sure what to make of Robert Baratheon, the man who killed Rhaegar Targaryen, and the drunken lech that he has become. "Robert chose his own path. You know that, you said it yourself." he reminds his sister.

"Yes, but Lyanna Stark prevented him from ever having another way to go. And I think the same is happening here." Cersei says.

Jaime looks at his sister, really looks at her, he sees the lines on her forehead that tell of worry, he sees the look of desperation in her eyes, sighing he says. "I do not know if that is the case, what I do know though is that we are succeeding in one other way."

"What other way?" his sister asks.

"Myrcella and her work on that boy Bran. I think it is paying off more than we thought it would. She came to me the other day, and told me that Bran wishes to join the Kingsguard, he wants to become a knight." Jaime says.

"And are you thinking of making that happen?" Cersei asks.

"I think it would most certainly be something worth considering. After all, the boy is the second in line to Winterfell until his brother has a child, and so if we were to take him on as a squire, then he might become more attuned to our own needs." Jaime responds.

His sister smiles then. "You always know what to say when I am feeling down Jaime, I do not know what I would do without you."

Die most likely. Jaime thinks to himself, aloud he merely says. "You are me, and I am you, of course I would do anything to help you. Now what other news is there?"

"Stannis Baratheon fled to Dragonstone following Jon Arryn's death, he has not answered any of the letters that were sent off to ask him to return so far. Robert thinks he has gone to sulk because he was not named hand, but he is not sure whether or not to remove the position of master of ships from him. Considering the royal fleet is stationed partly here and partly in Dragonstone that might be something to worry over." Cersei says.

Jaime looks at his sister, he knows something of Stannis Baratheon and the illicit things he has done during his time in King's Landing, and he knows that he was exploring something with Jon Arryn, what it was he was exploring he does not know, but whatever it was it has spooked him into running. "Removing Stannis from the small council might be a good idea, but then there is the issue of the ships, and whether or not they would be brought back here safely. If one can make the Florents on Dragonstone see why they would be better served working with us than with Stannis, then we might get access to those ships. The question is how to do that."

"Well the Florents have always wanted Highgarden, they have talked about it for years, ever since the conquest really. If we can guarantee that they will get it, then I think they might well be more interested in siding with us." Cersei says.

"The Tyrell girl, she is coming to King's Landing is she not?" Jaime asks.

"She is." His sister says.

"Then that is when we begin making our moves, we must ensure that she is willing to listen to reason, and the Florents are alert to this. If we can separate the Florents as well that makes things more interesting as well." Jaime responds.

His sister smiles. "How very devious of you Jaime, I did not know you had this side to you."

He grins then. "Oh there are many things I can do when I really wish to."

His sister smiles cat like then as she leans over and kisses him full on the lips. "Well then, why don't you show me?"

Jaime's grin widens then as he responds to his sister's kiss. "Gladly. As my queen commands." he moves toward her and begins kissing her good and proper, and as they fall into their old habit, his thoughts begin drifting away from King's Landing to the think he needs to do, the think he said he would do for his king. He does not know how he will go about it, but he knows he will do it. He let the father down, he will not let the son down.

Much later, when he and Cersei have finished their little meeting for the day, Jaime finds himself walking toward the tower of the hand, having done all he could to avoid the spies his sister has everywhere, he meets with Lord Stark and says. "What are you planning Lord Stark?"

"What do you mean?" Stark asks sounding surprised.

"With my nephew, whatever it is you have asked your daughter to do, make sure she does it discreetly, my sister is getting suspicious." Jaime whispers.

Stark looks at him a moment and then merely nods. A pause follows this, and as they both look at one another, Jaime sees the old age that is creeping into Stark slowly but surely. Eventually the man speaks. "I have found out a few things since we came back here. It seems that there are spies everywhere, more than I had thought there would be, and there is something else."

Jaime cocks his eyebrow up at that. "What else is there?"

"One of the men who serves as your sister's spy, is also working for Littlefinger. It seems the man is giving incorrect information to both parties." Stark responds.

Jaime looks at the man surprised. "How do you know this?"

"Because that man told me when I questioned him. It seems he is doing it for someone else, who that person is I do not know, but it seems that there is something going on here." Stark says.

Jaime nods and then asks. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know you will tell your sister, and then perhaps that will convince her to lay low for a time. I do not want her getting in the way." Stark says.

Jaime nods. "I shall let her know." he pauses a moment and then says. "It seems things are going reasonably well for you here then. Your daughter is doing that which my own sister wished she could do, and the king himself seems to be listening to you more than he ever did to Jon Arryn. What more could you want?"

"Stannis Baratheon back in King's Landing. I do not know why the man had fled from King's Landing but there is something he is hiding and I want to know what." Stark says.

Jaime thinks on this for a moment, and then remembering something he had overheard the usurper and Stannis speaking about once he says. "I would look at Tobho Mott's armoury, there was something there that Stannis was looking into quite fervently."

Stark looks surprised then. "Stannis was looking into armour? Why would he be doing that?"

Jaime thinks on it and then says. "I think it was more who he was looking into. I do not know the full details but there is something there. I would see to it if I were you my lord."

Stark merely nods and then says. "You are still committed to the cause, I trust, I do not want to have to deal with you as well."

Jaime nods. "I am. I have made my peace with everything, and now merely wish to serve the king."

"Good, I shall leave you to it." Stark says before turning and walking back to his own rooms.

Jaime stands there a moment, before turning and leaving. He walks through the tower of the hand and then walks over the bridge back toward to the main keep itself. His thoughts are working in overtime, there is most definitely something going on with Stannis Baratheon, what it is though, he does not know, nor is he sure that he truly wants to know. He keeps walking, trying desperately to keep his mind blank, he knows there are things within this world that are not as they seem, and yet he has done his best to ensure that they do not come before him too much. He does not know how he would deal with knowing that there was something beyond his control directly affecting him.

He thinks of Tyrion at the wall, exploring, his brother has had an insatiable appetite for knowledge, has always had such an appetite for as long as Jaime can remember. He wonders what his brother will discover at the wall, what new thing he will come back with, what new piece of knowledge he will dazzle them all with. Or will he discover the thing that Jaime has tried to keep secret for a long time, the matter that had caused Tyrion's greatest humiliation and now he thinks that perhaps he would be happier if he did not know.

Jaime walks down a flight of steps, checking to make sure no one is around looking at him, spying. When he is sure that there is no one, he continues walking, walking past paintings of Robert and the man's father, and the children, he continues walking, and then he comes to the room that has many things within it. The door is locked, but he has the key, has done since Rhaegar gave it to him. He pulls his necklace up and out and puts the key in the lock, twists and opens the door, he walks through the doorway, and then turns and closes the door. That done, he takes the torch billowing on the wall, and walks and walks, he remembers what Rhaegar said to him about the place he is going, and the need to only go there when the time was right, well soon enough the time would be right, he needed to make sure everything was in order. He continues walking and then stops when he comes before another door, and there standing before it is a man with a dragon's head. He looks at the figure as it looks at him and whispers. "I have come for it. I swear by fire and blood, I have come for it."

The figure merely nods and opens the door allowing Jaime to walk through, as he enters the second room he takes a deep breath, puts the torch into the holding in the wall, and walks towards the thing he has come for. There before him is it, it is old and it looks ragged, but it is there, still there. He looks at the book, and then opens it, turning to one page, and one page in particular and there he whispers. "By the light of the moon, the wolf shall howl, and the lion shall roar, the darkness will fall, and the dragon shall roar once more. Long Live the King." Flames dance before his eyes then, and he hears the roar of the beast, calling to him.