"Lord Jaime," The Prince of Scrolls greeted. Jaime looked him up and down. If the rumors were true, then last night he had faced five assassins and won. Everyone thought he was nothing but ink and books. Everyone was wrong.
"Prince Jaehaerys," he said, bowing his head slightly to show respect, not submission. He was a lion of the Rock.
"I hear your wife is pregnant again. Congratulations," he said. Lysa had become pregnant in King's Landing, which surprised the blond man. It seemed that the capital acted as an aphrodisiac for her. "I hope she gives you the heir you desire." Up to that point, the Lannister had not had a son, only two beautiful daughters.
"I appreciate your wishes," the blond man said with a smile.
"I was on my way to the dungeons. I wanted to see the people who tried to kidnap my wife yesterday. They dropped a name: Meryn Trant." His purple eyes flashed. "Would you accompany me, my lord? I would feel safer with a former king's guard at my side."
Jaime tensed. He wasn't stupid enough to think the prince didn't know who Ser Meryn answered to.
Still, the prince seemed to be offering him a way out, which would make everything easier.
"I'd love to. I've heard you wouldn't have any trouble."
They both began to walk, exchanging compliments.
The conversation was pleasant. Few would have expected it from a scholar and a swordsman. But they understood each other well.
Jaime would always prefer a sword, but he knew it wouldn't solve all his problems. Jaehaerys preferred to solve problems with his mind, but he knew that sometimes steel was needed to fulfill his duty.
"Ser Meryn Trant. I should have brought bread. I forgot," the prince said, the man was looking up at the prince from the ground. He was in terrible condition, bleeding from everywhere.
One of his eyes was closed, surrounded by a purple stain.
"Your Grace, there was a misunderstanding," he began.
"Torrhen. Cover his mouth," he ordered one of his men.
The former royal guard tried to protest through his tears. No one heard him.
"Did he say something?" Despite the pleasant conversation, Jaime remained uneasy.
"Perhaps, but I can't quite remember," the prince began. "My mind has been preoccupied with developing my new lands. The king will give me gold, but I fear it won't be enough." His eyes never left the man on the floor.
"Gold, eh?" Jaime asked. "The Lannister house has a little," he said with false humility.
"I couldn't ask you..." He tried to refuse halfheartedly. Jaime had to admit that the prince was a bad actor. At least he was on this occasion. Jaime could read his desires easily. 'Maybe he knows I can't refuse,' he thought.
"My daughter will marry your nephew," he said, alluding to family. "As long as you maintain a strong castle, my grandchildren's reign will be more stable." Jaime wanted to negotiate and leave. He wanted to spend more time with his eldest daughter, but he would soon have to return to the Rock.
"That would certainly ease my fiancée's concerns. She has trouble sleeping, fearing that they will come for her again," he said. It was true; Daenerys had woken him before sunrise. She hadn't slept a wink all night. Only after chatting for a while did she manage to fall asleep in his room. "She'll be glad to know that the castle where she sleeps is safe," he said calmly.
"May I ask what fiefdom you will get?" Jaime didn't think this would come cheap.
"Harrenhal," said the prince.
Jaime held back the "shit" that wanted to come to his lips.
"I will send half a million gold dragons in the hope that it will ease the princess's concerns." He wasn't going to offer too little. No matter how upset he was with Cersei, she was his sister, and he loved her. Besides, his daughter's crown could be affected. "You'll need craftsmen, carpenters, and blacksmiths. I will send a few," he added.
"That's quite generous." Jaehaerys had hoped to get two hundred thousand gold dragons. 'The Lannisters shit gold,' as they usually said. The fact that Jaime was willing to hand over that amount in one go spoke volumes. The men were also a surprise, but he would have to keep an eye on them. He didn't want spies on his land. He could have negotiated a higher price, but he didn't want to sour relations with the Lannisters.
"I remember now... Ser Meryn confessed to desiring the princess and ordering her kidnapping. It was a repugnant crime, don't you think, Lord Jaime?" he asked.
"A horrible crime," Jaime replied. He had no love for the man in front of him. Losing a Lannister in the capital would be annoying, but this one was more loyal to his sister than to anyone else.
'She probably bewitched him, letting him taste the sweetness between her legs,' Jaime thought with disdain. His sister had been more wild since marrying Oberyn.
"What do you think would be an appropriate punishment? I was thinking about the wall." The knight's eyes sparkled with hope. Jaime understood; the prince was giving him the opportunity to save the man's life.
"That's quite kind," said the blond man. The man seemed ready to throw himself at his feet and kiss them. "But attempting to harm the royal family is a crime punishable by death." He watched hope leave Trant's eyes. 'I wouldn't spend a gold dragon on an idiot.'
"Torrhen," the lord and the prince said, turning to leave the dungeons. They heard muffled moans and the familiar sound of steel being drawn from a sheath. Then, a thud like a deer falling to the ground.
"I have a visit to make. I'm sorry I can't accompany you, my lord," the prince said.
"I know the way, my prince. I hope that you can visit my family's castle in the future." He extended his hand, and the white-haired man took it. Jaime noticed ink stains on his fingers.
"I hope I have the opportunity. When I transform Harrenhal into a castle worthy of its name, I will extend an invitation to you."
"I'll be waiting," he said. With that, they both left for different places.
-----
Jaehaerys walked to a cell where he found a man with hair as dark as coal and a silver streak. He was of Valyrian descent. He was an attractive man, almost on par with the royal family.
"Prince," he said, sounding anything but worried. "I heard you almost died."
"Unfounded rumors," he replied gracefully. "Your men didn't come close to touching me," he continued.
"They weren't my men. They weren't following my orders." He wasn't defending himself or begging for forgiveness or mercy.
"You don't seem worried."
"I trust my sword."
"So did the five men," the prince replied.
"Five men together don't make a Darkstar." He was an arrogant man.
"A title you give yourself doesn't make you a warrior." The man's smile faltered. "A trial by combat, then?" he asked.
"Yes. I will challenge Arthur. I will bring the sunset to the Sword of the Morning," he said devotedly.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. You won't fight him. It will be my hands that take your life." He turned to leave.
"Make sure you don't die at the hands of Daemon. I'd have no choice but to comfort little Daenerys." Jaehaerys gritted his teeth, but didn't stop walking, even with the laughter that followed that comment. He was a patient man.
"Could you ask them to send Rhaenys? It would be good to have her motivate me before a battle. It wouldn't be the first time." Jaehaerys raised an eyebrow, but continued walking. Most of King's Landing believed that there was a forbidden romance between him and his niece. This was just because they used to play together when they were children.
'I have enough funding,' he thought, ignoring the man. He would kill him later. Perhaps it was arrogant of him, but he wasn't worried about duels at all. He was faster and stronger than anyone he had ever met. Maybe only the mountain could match his strength, given that he was said to wield a broadsword with one hand and split men in two with a single blow.
He didn't like fighting. Had Gerold attacked any other member of the royal family, he would have let Ser Barristan or Arthur deal with him. Still, Gerold had allegedly attacked him. Allegedly. He looked more like a peacemaker. Viserys was the real culprit, but even that didn't feel quite right. He didn't want to believe that his brother would stoop so low.
His head began to ache as usual. He wanted to find some good wine and sleep with Ros. But he didn't want to disrespect his future wife. She already had enough on her plate with being forced to marry a man she didn't love, so she shouldn't have to worry about him cheating on her before the wedding.
'Just wine will suffice for now.'