"Go with them, Jamie."
"What?" he had asked. "Why?"
"Because the sorcerer is using this as a play for power," his sister hissed, even in anger still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "Pycelle was loyal to our family. And Trant had his uses to us. In one move, he's eroded some of our House's power and now he's seeking to supplant us."
Jamie shook his head, politics being his brother's strong point and not his own. "I doubt that, Cersei. If so, then why has he stayed in the North all these years?"
"Because he was biding his time!" Cersei hissed, casting a glance around for any prying ears. "What better place to hide than under the watchful eye of the wolves? Robert won't do anything about the man and the threat he possesses because he takes Stark's word as law. But I know better. He's playing the game. And I won't let him wander around my city unwatched. Go with him and keep an eye on him at all times."
Jamie wanted to deny the request, marching around Flea Bottom and hunting down foreign slavers wasn't his idea of a pleasant night. But it was hopeless. He could never deny his sister anything. "The things I do for love," he said, taking her hand and pressing his lips to her porcelain skin.
"There's one more thing," Cersei said, now smiling. "This girl. The one who is said to resemble Myrcella. If she truly exists, and if she's still alive amongst those slavers, kill her. I won't stand for a peasant girl, a slave whore child at that, being passed off as Myrcella. Her very existence is an insult to us and our family. And a Lannister always repays those who insult them."
And now, here he was, following the sorcerer through the dimly lit streets of Flea Bottom with shit, piss and the gods only knew what else splashing against his boots. The consolation, it wasn't much of one, was that he wasn't the only one going through this. The frilled rose and Renly's 'squire' Loras Tyrell had come as well on Renly's recommendation, though by the look on his face he was enjoying this about as much as Jamie was, perhaps less so. Even the half dozen or so northerners who were accompanying them did not look pleased with what they were walking into and through. The two who seemed completely at ease were the sorcerer and Stannis's own lacky, Davos Seaworth. The latter was understandable, as the former smuggler was said to have been raised in this shit hole. The sorcerer though, well Jamie was never one to wish to go without eyes, but in this instance, he could see the advantages of not being able to see the shit one was walking through. Though it would be nice if the two weren't talking like a couple of fishwives out for an evening stroll.
"And young Shireen? Has she been keeping up on the exercises that I gave her before I left Dragonstone?"
"Aye, she has at that. Damn near made Lady Baratheon's heart give out when she went into the little Lady's room one morning and found her floatin in the air above her bed. She's here in King's Landing as well. No doubt hopin that ya'll be takin her back North with ya when ya work here is done. And I do believe Lord Stannis will give his consent now."
The fact that Stannis's daughter had the same magic as the sorcerer had caused no shortage of tongue wagging ever since the news came to the court. Cersei had been, well, livid. The fact that Stannis's child had this gift when her – their – children apparently did not was a fact that had not sat well with his beautiful twin. She'd even begun musing about the idea of summoning the sorcerer to the court to train the royal children. In part because their children were certainly not inferior in any way in comparison to Stannis's child. But to also keep a better eye on the sorcerer.
"Her powers are progressing well then," the sorcerer hummed. "I wasn't expecting her to actually have reached the level to be able to perform a floating meditation… But if she has progressed to this point then – Oh, well…here we are."
Looking around, Jamie was certain the sorcerer was losing his mind as he'd pulled them to a stop just before they could enter a small square in Flea Bottom. Whatever it was the sorcerer saw, or thought he saw, Jamie couldn't see it. All he could see was a square filled with shit and piss and a few ragged smallfolk milling around despite the sun having set some time ago. In short, it was just like every other square they'd come across since descending from the Red Keep.
"How can you be certain…Lord Sorcerer?" Renly's greenboy squire asked, his hand gripping the hilt of his longsword tightly and his voice shaking. Gods…the things he did for love.
"There are two guards keeping watch from the windows on the second level of the… Let's call it a house on the far side of the square from us," the sorcerer stated, making Jamie immediately look up to the windows in question to try and see whatever the hell it was the sorcerer was seeing. "Then there are also the two men guarding the streets. One by the entrance and the other stumbling around the square."
Squinting in the light, Jamie finally spotted the two men in the windows and the two that were supposedly on guard on the street. Though how in the hells the sorcerer could tell that without eyesight was beyond him.
"How can you tell, Lord Sorcerer?" Loras again asked, getting far too close to Jamie for his liking. He swore he could still smell Renly on him. And it was not a pleasant smell. "They're not carrying weapons…and they could just be out for a walk."
"Ya don't walk around Flea Bottom for fun after the sun sets, milord," Davos responded before the sorcerer could. "And look at the one walkin around. He's followin the same path each pass. And he keeps his right hand near his waist. If I was a bettin man, he has a dagger tucked in his pants right under his hand." Loras grumbled more than slightly at the telling off by Davos, but a sharp look from the sorcerer, even though it was nothing more than a turn of his head, was enough to shut the fool up finally.
"Davos is correct in his assessment," the sorcerer stated. "You lot will stay here and wait for my signal. Then move in and take out the two guards on the ground before securing the entrance. Make sure no one gets out of there free. I don't give a damn if they're a lord or a lady. Anyone who tries to come out of there will be spending what little is left of their short lives in the black cells."
"And what's your signal, sorcerer?" Jamie asked, surveying the yard and already writing the two 'guards' off as little more than flies to be swatted away.
"When people start dying," the sorcerer answered before jumping straight upwards to the room of the building they were standing next to with no warning at all.
"By the Seven," Loras gulped, staring at where the sorcerer had disappeared to. "How…How is such a thing possible?"
"That? That wasn't nothin," one of the northern brutes laughed at the Tyrell's shocked expression. "The sorcerer won't be needin us for this ramble. We're only here to clean up the mess and make sure nobody gets away. So get ready southern boy. This ain't no tourney you about to be fightin in."
It took all his willpower not to snap at the uncouth brutes from the North, but mercifully he was saved from their presence as the silence of the square was shattered with screams of death. Grasping his sword, Jamie could only watch with wide eyes as part of a wall burst outwards, a body flying through the rubble being what caused the destruction. The man, at least he assumed it was a man, landed in a heap on the ground with the rubble of the house. But before the fool could even so much as let out a groan, he was suddenly flying back into the house were a blood-red blade was waiting to cut the man's head clean from his shoulders.
The attack was so sudden and unexpected that Jamie did something he hadn't done since he was but a boy. He froze. His body unwilling to move as his mind tried to come to grips with what he'd just seen. Davos and Loras were both equally as shocked by what they'd just seen. To his shame though, he wasn't the first to shake himself free of his stupor.
"For Highgarden!"
"Fookin idiot," Davos growled as Loras, his sword clear of its scabbard, charged headlong towards the building the sorcerer had apparently gone into. "He's gonna get himself killed, young fool."
Jamie had a much stronger word for the idiot, especially seeing as how he charged right past the two men who'd been standing guard outside the building. Both of whom drew their daggers as the young Tyrell passed them by, aiming to trim the roses as it were. But House Tyrell would not be losing a son this night as Davos, in a surprising burst of movement, caught up to the first man who was poised to strike Loras in the back and ran said man through with a short dagger. "I'm getting too fookin old for this," he could hear Davos grumble as Loras, finally realizing what an idiot he was being, stopped and stared with wide eyes at the newly made corpse and the man who saved his life.
The second man that'd been standing outside the building quickly met his end at the end of Jamie's sword. "Hardly worth the effort," Jamie said, lamenting the fact that the man posed no challenge. "So…now what?"
"Now you lot actually start doing something."
Jamie gave a start, his sword coming around in a quick arc, only to stop midair as if he'd struck a tree. Standing just behind him, his hand raised in the path of Jamie's sword, was the sorcerer. 'Fuck…How the hell…? I didn't even hear him approach me! How did he get so close?!'
"That didn't take you long, milord," one of the northerners said, his sword out but held with the point towards the ground.
"Wasn't much here," the sorcerer shrugged, whatever had been holding onto Jamie's sword releasing as a body was dragged out from the house and coming to a stop beside the sorcerer. "Only this idiot slaver and a few perverted fucks getting their rocks off raping and brutalizing the children inside. This was nothing more than a sampling post. We'll need to question this one about where the slavers have set up their true operations. You, the dumb fuck who charged in like an idiot while screaming at the top of your lungs."
Loras's face turned an interesting shade of red and purple as he sputtered at the sorcerer. "H-How dare you! I—Do you know who I am!? I am Loras Tyrell! Squire to Lord Renly Baratheon! Son of Lord Mace Tyrell, the Warden of the South, Lord of Highgarden, and–!"
"And from the tales, the Fat Flower," the sorcerer said, cutting Loras off and making Jamie nearly lose it at the look on the young boy's face. "Make yourself useful and go and find some members of the City Watch who aren't corrupt and oversee the transporting of these fools to the black cells."
Loras was nearly shaking with rage. "H–How dare…I am not an errand, boy!"
A chill settled upon Jamie's shoulders as the sorcerer turned and faced Loras. 'Gods, how can he do this? He doesn't even have eyes…yet with but a single turn of his head, you can feel eyes upon you. Eyes of the Stranger.' "You are what I say you are until you prove that you actually have something resembling brains between your ears. Now shoo. The rest of you, get to work getting the sick fucks inside out here and ready to send up to the keep. And make sure not to kill them. I have more than a few questions for this lot that need answering."
Finally showing some semblance that he had a mind, Loras kept his mouth shut and made a hasty retreat to go and do as the sorcerer commanded him. "Davos," the sorcerer called out, already heading back towards the ruined building. "With me. Lannister… Do as you will." Jamie wasn't quite sure just what to make of the sorcerer's dismissal of him, but he didn't dwell on it. It would be far easier to do what he came here to do without the man looking over his shoulder anyway.
The building was just as bad on the inside as it was on the outside. But, after having visited multiple establishments with the king so the fat oaf could satisfy his urges early in his reign, Jamie had come to recognize a brothel when he saw one. And this place was certainly that. Making his way through the place, he peeked behind the curtains that were hung up as walls, trying to find the one his sister had sent him to find.
'Perhaps the child isn't here,' he thought as he came upon the last of the curtain partitions in the far back corner of the house and pushing it aside.
Inside was a small bundle curled into a ball with messy yellow-gold hair. Frowning, he looked down at the bundle as a pit started forming in his gut. It was a child, a girl, perhaps only ten or so. Though, he was a terrible judge of age with children. What few clothes she was wearing did little to hide her bruised and battered state as the girl laid curled in on herself, the small sniffles coming from under the blankets the only clue that she was even still alive. 'It's a mercy,' he thought, casting a look back down the length of the hall to make sure that he was alone while gripping his dagger. 'Freedom from the shit life she'd been given.'
But the moment he went to draw his dagger, the child moved. Her head lifted and turned towards him. Immediately, the grip he had on the dagger loosened as his hand fell away. The girl was…despite her disheveled and battered state…she was almost a mirror image of Myrcella. Save for one detail, her eyes. One was the bright Lannister green. And the other… The other was a dark almost black color. It was a set of eyes he'd only seen on one other in his entire life. "Are…Are the bad men…gone?"
Even the voice… Gods, it was the same voice as one that plagued his mind whenever he thought about what had happened. "Yes," Jamie nodded, to which the girl broke down and lunged forward at him, her small little arms trying their best to wrap around him as she cried.
Feeling more than slightly uncomfortable, Jamie awkwardly patted the girl on her head while his sister's voice rang in his ears. 'Her very existence is an insult to us and our family. And a Lannister always repays those who insult them.' Again, his love to his sister made his hand twitch towards the dagger at his waist, but the love he had for another stilled his hand. He…He couldn't. Not yet. Not until he knew for certain. "What's your name girl?"
"Anna," came the muffled reply, making Jamie wince once more as another memory came to him.
"Anna."
"What?"
"My daughter? Should any woman ever be able to look past…well what I am…and bare my child. I want her to be named Anna. Father would never allow my child to be named Joanna… But Anna…? That is close enough to honor our mother."
Pulling back from the girl, Jamie felt his heart sink even lower as his suspicions were fully confirmed by the cheap bronze pendant he could see hanging from around her neck. An ill-made and obviously poorly repaired piece in the shape of a lion.
"I can't believe you actually paid for that piece of junk, brother."
"What? I have a soft spot for broken things, Jamie. And it can't be too hard to repair it. Besides…I'm sure that my wife will love it!"
"Where did you get that?" he asked, doing everything in his power to try and remain calm as what he was just about to do raced through his mind.
"My mother," the girl answered quietly, her tiny fist closing around the pendant protectively. "She – She gave this to me just before she died of fever a few moons ago. Said…Said it reminded her of the happiest time in her life. Even if it did not end well."
Heart thundering in his chest, Jamie cursed himself to the hells and back. "So, your mother is dead… What of your father?"
Tears still running down her bruised cheeks, the little girl shook her head sadly. "Mommy never spoke of him. Said he was some lord in the west but…but he betrayed Mommy and hurt her. Said we were better off without him."
There was no doubt in Jamie's mind now. He knew exactly who this young girl was. She was Tyrion's daughter by way of the crofter's daughter, Tysha, his brother's first wife. The same wife their father had gang-raped and paid off like a common whore before forcing Tyrion to rape her as well one last time and then tossing the girl out of the Westerlands. The only question now was: what to do with her? He couldn't just leave her on the streets to fend on her own. Not given who she was. But he couldn't keep her in the city. If he did…then Cersei would find out. And as much as he loved his sister, he knew that her hatred of their brother knew no bounds. If she discovered that their brother's daughter was in the city, and that she looked so much like Myrcella…? But he couldn't exactly send her to be with Tyrion either. Considering what their father did to the girl's mother…he doubted their father would ever accept the girl as Tyrion's and a Lannister by blood. Even if she was a Hill. Giving her coin and sending her on her way was an option…but she was still just a girl and would end up dead in a week should he do that. He needed to send her somewhere she would be safe. Somewhere she could grow up without having to fend for her life day in and day out. And, most importantly, he needed to send her somewhere his brother could meet her. After he had a long—and painful—conversation with him that is.
"Stay here a moment," he said, disentangling himself gently from her small arms. "I – I need to talk to someone."
Turning, Jamie suddenly found his path blocked by a figure in black. "Hells," he gasped, taking a half-step back as he instantly grasped ahold of the hilt of his sword, only to pause as he realized the object blocking his path was none other than the sorcerer himself. 'By the gods…How long has he been standing there?' "Sorcerer…Anyone ever tell you it's not polite to sneak up on people like that? Especially when they are capable of running you through?"
Even though he couldn't see the man's eyes beyond the cloth covering his face, he could feel his eyes upon him. "If it was so simple to end me, Ser Jamie, then I would've died a long time ago." Leaving him with that cryptic comment, the sorcerer's head turned from Jamie and down towards the little girl, who was staring up at the sorcerer with unabashed awe. "Hello, little lady."
The look on the young girl's face was one of one who'd just had their dreams come true. "A–Are you real–really the sorcerer from the North?"
A smile broke out on the sorcerer's face as he squatted down in front of Anna. "That I am, young one. And what is your name?"
"Anna," the young girl beamed, still staring at the sorcerer in adoration. "Did – Did you make all the bad men go away? They – They won't hurt me again…will they?"
"Yes, I made them all go away. And don't worry, little one, I will not let anyone else harm you while I am near." 'He knows,' Jamie thought as he could practically feel the sorcerer's attention shift off the girl and back to him. 'Somehow, he knows… But then…Why let me get this close to her? What – What was the point of this if he knew what I was about to do?'
"Sorcerer, I would have a word with you…in private."
The sorcerer didn't say anything in response as he rose back to his full height. "Wait outside a moment, little lady. There is an old man named Davos, he'll take care of you for now. I believe he might even have some sweets that you can have. I can't promise you what your future will hold, little lady. But I can promise you that you will not suffer this place for another moment."
Anna didn't look like she wanted to leave them, but whether it was because she could sense the tension between Jamie and the sorcerer, or more likely the temptation of having something sweet, she pulled a blanket around her shoulders and made a quick exit, leaving Jamie alone with Nox.
"Sorcerer," Jamie began, unsure of just how to word it without giving too much away. His brother was so much better at this. "I need you to take that girl back with you to the North."
Honestly, it was the last thing Jamie wanted to do, sending his…his niece off with the bloody wolves of all families. But he really didn't have much of an option. And it wasn't like it would be a permanent placement either. Just until he could talk to Tyrion and let him know the truth, both of his wife's true nature and his daughter's existence. Then his brother would be able to figure out what to do with her. And as much as he loathed to admit it, the Starks were perhaps one of the few families who wouldn't hold the girl over House Lannister's heads should they discover her true parentage before Tyrion figured out what to do with her.
"Is that so?" the sorcerer asked, his head tilted slightly to the side as if he were studying him.
"Yes," Jamie nodded, gritting his teeth and despising what he was about to say. "Name your price, sorcerer. A Lannister always pays his debts. And I would have this paid before you leave King's Landing with her."
The sorcerer didn't say anything, instead the blasted man just stood there, staring at him without staring. "There's desperation in you, Ser Jamie. Anxiety. Fear. Unc-"
"Enough," Jamie growled, hand going to his hilt, though in truth he doubted his chances against the man in these tight corridors. "Will you take her, or no?"
"I will," the sorcerer replied, the corners of his lips turning slightly upwards.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Jamie let his hand fall away from his sword. "And the price?"
"A trifle thing," Nox said, making Jamie wince. It was his experience that whenever someone said a price was 'trifle', it was anything but. "You were appointed to the Kingsguard under the rule of the Mad King, sworn to defend the king. Yet you stabbed him in the back."
Huffing, Jamie shook his head as he could begin predicting the insults that man was more than likely to hurl at him. "What of it? Would it have been more honorable if I'd stabbed him in the front?"
Smirking, the sorcerer shook his head. "I don't care about how you killed him, or even that you did. What I care about is the why? Why did you kill not only the Mad King that day, but the often overlooked pyromancer as well? And why then? The battle was over. Your father's army had breached the city walls and the Stark forces were less than a day's ride out. So, why kill him? His fate was already sealed. Answer the question, Ser Jamie Lannister. And I will accept the debt for Anna's life in the North paid in full."
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