As Jaime rode through the Lion's Mouth, he was greeted with the sight of his family waiting for him. Tommen stood just behind Tyrion, both wearing red and black clothing that bore the rampant golden lion. Tommen had grown a little taller and had lost more weight since Jaime had last seen him. His hair now reached his shoulders and almost resembled Jaime's when he was younger.
Tyrion didn't look much different. His mismatched eyes twinkled with pride as he led the applause that welcomed Jaime and his men home.
Jaime waved to the assembled servants and guards before finally dismounting and handing his mount off to a waiting stablehand. As the rest of his knights entered the courtyard, Jaime hugged Tyrion before embracing Tommen next, happy to finally be home.
"You don't look as if you got a scratch on you, brother," Tyrion said. "Was there ever a war?"
"You know there was, Tyrion," Jaime said with a slight smile. "I got a little banged up, but nothing I can't heal from. Others are coming back looking a lot better and some aren't coming back at all."
"The nature of war," Tyrion commented, turning to Tommen. "Let that be a lesson, Nephew."
"Why aren't you in King's Landing?" Jaime asked as the three Lannisters moved their conversation inside.
"The Queen allowed me some time to come and see you home," Tyrion explained. "Besides, Willas has joined the queen and is acting Hand in my place along with his grandmother."
"Did anything happen while the king was away?" Jaime asked curiously.
Tyrion made a vague gesture with his hand as the trio entered the lord's solar and Tyrion poured them all drinks. When they had all found their seats, Tyrion answered Jaime's question.
"Some lords that were associated with the High Sparrow tried to make a move on the queen, disguising themselves as members of the King's Company. I guess they wanted to take the queen prisoner," Tyrion shrugged. "I'm still not totally what they were planning, but Alec Reed discovered it and together, with a small group of individuals that excluded the queen, prepared our own trap for the traitors."
"The queen couldn't have liked being kept in the dark," Jaime said.
Tyrion gave his brother a rueful smile. "No, she wasn't. I got an earful from her after the traitors had been captured and put to the sword."
"How were the men connected to the High Sparrow?" Jaime asked, intrigued.
"Apparently, the man had a whole group of men, all of whom had an axe to grind with King Robb, ready to be called upon," Tyrion explained. "But, when the High Sparrow died, the group broke up. The few in the Riverlands stepped out of the deal completely, you helped kill the men in the Reach, and the remainder were killed in King's Landing."
"Who were they?"
"Jon Lynderly, one of Baelish's cronies. Marit Trant, Meryn's younger brother. Hugh Blount, Boros's cousin. Finally, Osney Kettleblack, the youngest brother of Osmund and Osfryd," Tyrion answered.
"All men who had lost power when the Starks had taken over," Tommen added.
"Quite right, Tommen," Tyrion said. "They were caught and punished and that was the end of the High Sparrow's plot. The only other excitement came when the queen had her second child."
"She gave birth?" Jaime said. "Boy or girl?"
"Girl," Tyrion said. "Princess Cira Stark."
"Cira?" Jaime said. "Sounds northern."
"She looks northern," Tyrion agreed. "Now, enough about me. How was the Wall?"
"Did you fight, Uncle?" Tommen asked.
"Aye, I fought, but not at first," Jaime said. "The wights first needed to break through the first of three gates, meaning that we were safe to fire on them from the top of the Wall. We lost no men in the first three months. When they broke through the first gate, we realized that they couldn't cross under the Wall. The Others needed to break the magic that kept them entering the tunnel, so they sent two of their brothers and thousands of wights around the Wall who then attacked only us from the south." Jaime shook his head. "Took a few scratches there, but the Others got what they wanted and things only continued to go downhill."
"Oh?" Tyrion asked. "We heard about Lord Stark. Jon sent a raven not long after the battle."
"The Green Man died defeating the Other who broke the magic of the Wall, meaning that the wights were now free to enter under the Wall," Jaime explained. "Daenerys Targaryen was the next to fall. She was killed by an Other and her dragon, the black one, was injured in the process."
"She may not have lived as long, but she certainly proved herself to be better than her father," Tyrion, raising his cup in salute to the late Lady of Dragonstone.
"We were in a bind," Jaime said grimly. "One dragon was injured and had no rider. We had one gate that was barely holding. The king knew that it was him that the Others wanted, so he took a risk. He opened the gate and used himself as bait to lure the Others into the castle where we fought them. Lyonel Corbray, Harras Harlaw, and Eddard Stark all fell during the battle. I was injured and knocked unconscious. The king was injured too after he saved his brother Jon from being cut in half by the leader of the Others."
"So Lord Stark died while protecting his sons, I presume," Tyrion said.
Jaime nodded. "When Stark fell, Jon continued the fight and eventually slew the Night King, destroying all the other White Walkers and the wights. The boy won the war for us, but it came with a cost."
"What about the other castles?" Tommen asked quietly.
"None lost any men," Jaime answered. "The Others wanted to cut the head off the snake, but we did it first. Their forces along the Wall never made it past the last gate."
"What agreement was reached at the Wall?" Tommen asked, looking between his uncles. "After all, wasn't the point of the Wall and the Night's Watch to guard against the Others?"
"The lad knows his history," Jaime said, nodding to Tommen. "You're right. What's the point of the Watch when there are no Others and the wildlings are south of the Wall?"
"The free folk now control the Wall, don't they," Tyrion said, getting to the point.
"You take all the fun out of storytelling, brother," Jaime sighed. Tyrion merely shrugged. "Yes, they get the Wall. The Night's Watch has been disbanded and the wildlings are now a part of the North."
"That gives them considerable strength, does it not?" Tommen asked. "There were reports that the wildlings numbered over one hundred thousand."
"Aye, that's the total number, but perhaps half of those are warriors. The other half are women, children, and old folk," Jaime nodded.
"That means that both the North and the Reach can field possibly the single biggest hosts," Tyrion mused. "The king's enemies will use this against him."
"Does the king still have enemies?" Tommen asked.
"Oh, indeed," Tyrion scowled. "The man has power, and with that power always comes a certainty that there's someone else out there who wants it."
"But the king has friends!" Tommen countered. "His wife's family commands the Reach, his family controls the North, his mother's family controls the Riverlands, and his sister is set to marry the man who rules the Vale."
"Not to mention that he commands some of the best warriors in the realm and Tarly," Jaime grunted. "The boy has a point, brother."
"Jaime, I thought that you more than anyone would know that a snake does not strike a wolf when he is among his pack," Tyrion said grimly. "It gives the wolf a friendly hug and keeps increasing the pressure until the wolf is dead."
"But the wolf is still a part of the pack," Jaime said. "One of the other wolves will see what is happening and will intervene. The king's brother has dragons. It will take a brave man to try Robb Stark."
Tyrion raised a finger to argue, and when he couldn't find a suitable point to make, he took a deep drink of wine while Jaime and Tommen shared a smile. It was rare that they ever beat Tyrion in a verbal debate.
"If the other wolves don't notice the snake, we know that the lion who prowls the throne will certainly notice it," Jaime said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "I told Jon Stark that naming you Hand of the King was the smartest thing Robb Stark ever did."
Tyrion grinned. "Aye, it was. I would have had to find another wine supplier."
The three Lannisters had a good laugh, experiencing for the first time in a long time happiness, contentment, and peace of mind knowing that things could only go upward with the Wolf King and his Rose Queen on the throne.
Margaery Stark
Margaery leaned against the doors that led to the balcony, silently watching her husband as he cradled his new daughter in his arms. The sight would have made Margaery smile, but there was too much worry in her mind for her to be happy. Robb was different, and although she had expected a different man to come back to her, she was still shocked by what she saw when he finally arrived in the city.
He still looked the same, with a neatly trimmed beard and auburn curls that partially hid his crown. He wore a light gray cape over his armor and rode tall and strong on his mount as he was flanked by his kingsguard and the rest of his allies. He had returned looking like the man Margaery had said goodbye to over a year ago, but there was a new look in his eye that sent Margaery's soaring heart plummeting to her stomach.
She hadn't been the only one to notice either.
"He's not the same," her grandmother had muttered as Robb approached, welcomed home by raucous applause from the people of King's Landing. "Hopefully he's still in there."
Margaery and Robb had embraced each other passionately, as man and wife should, but there was a certain warmth missing in his hug that chilled Margaery. It was like a part of his love had died up at the Wall along with his father.
Besides Margaery and Robb, there had been other reunions that made up for the uneasiness that the queen felt. Both Willas and Garlan's wife, Leonette, had traveled to the city to welcome their brother home. The latter was teary-eyed as she lovingly embraced Garlan, who looked ready to shed tears of his own.
Sansa and Harry were a bit more restrained, but only just. There was something new about Harry, some sort of maturity that hadn't been with him before. It was good to see and Sansa obviously enjoyed it herself.
"My lady," Mira said quietly, careful not to scare the queen or to interrupt the moment the king was having with his daughter.
"Yes, Mira?" Margaery asked, leading her friend away from the balcony.
"Commander Brienne has asked that you meet her at the training yard," Mira answered.
Margaery nodded. "Thank you. Will you stay here in case the king is called away?"
Mira bowed her head. "Of course."
Margaery gave her friend a brief smile before leaving the room, instantly being followed by Ser Robar.
"How is your arm, Ser Robar?" Margaery asked as they walked.
The Vale knight regarded the roughly-made hook that had been mounted on just below his elbow. If he held out his arms, then the hook would just about reach as far as his hand.
"It'll suffice, my lady," Ser Robar answered. "I plan to put in a request for a new one soon. Lord Forrester suggested using ironwood."
"The crown will pay for it, I assure you," Margaery promised. "We can not grow you a new arm, but we shall try to replace it as best we can."
"A very generous gift, my lady," Ser Robar said kindly. "I would lose a thousand hands if it meant that we won and the king came home safe to you and your children."
"One hand is more than enough, ser," Margaery said, glancing at the warrior.
The two continued the walk in comfortable silence before they emerged on the wall overlooking the field where several men were sparring with each other with blunted steel. Brienne and Lady Anya were speaking quietly to each other, but both bowed when Margaery approached.
"Commander Brienne," Margaery said while also nodding to Lady Anya. "Lady Anya. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
The Lady of Ironoaks shook her head. "No, your grace. The commander and I were merely going over the expected expenses for a future tournament."
"Tournament?" Margaery asked. "So soon?"
Brienne nodded. "Ser Garth was slain at the Wall, your grace. His spot must be filled."
Margaery nodded. "How do you suggest we make such a selection?"
Brienne crossed her arms. "I was thinking duels, my lady. Single combat and the first to yield is disqualified."
"Not the traditional joust?" Margaery asked curiously.
Brienne shook her head. "We won't be on horseback and holding lances if a cutthroat makes an attempt on the royal family in the castle, your grace," she explained. "I'd rather have a warrior who is skilled with a blade than someone who can balance a lance correctly."
"May I make a suggestion?" Ser Robar asked.
"Go on," Brienne said.
"What if we do teams of ten?" Ser Robar said. "Say a red team and a blue team, marked by tabards worn over their armor. We can see not only who is a good fighter, but who keeps their head in the heat of combat, who is a leader, who can work with a team."
"Good idea," Brienne nodded. "Lady Anya, I will speak more about this with Ser Bryden before the next council meeting. We will present it to the king then."
"I will see if we can afford such an event," Lady Anya promised. "Will there be any money for those who lose?"
Brienne shook her head. "Personally, I don't think they should be. I believe a place among our ranks should provide a suitable reward."
"A single winner means that all participants will work harder to achieve it and not settle for a consolation prize," Ser Robar added.
"Very well," Lady Anya said. "I will go consult the books."
As the Mistress of Coin left, Brienne looked over at her sworn brother. "Ser Robar, would you give the queen and I a moment of privacy."
Ser Robar nodded and made his way back to the entrance into the castle, standing just outside the doorway and out of earshot.
"It's not like you to summon me, Brienne," Margaery said. "Is this a conversation that cannot be had with the king?"
"It can not because it is about the king," Brienne sighed, leaning on the battlements. "I'm sure you've noticed his new mood."
"I wouldn't call it a mood," Margaery said, feeling a need to defend her husband. "But I do agree that something is…off."
Brienne nodded. "Aye, something is off and whatever tear he has in his heart must be fixed."
"I am a little lost, Brienne," Margaery admitted. "Speak plainly. I know that whatever you have to say, you say because you care for the king."
"I do, my lady," Brienne said, standing up. "He allowed me to rise, despite my gender, and I will forever be in his debt for that. When Lord Stark fell in battle, the king blamed himself for it. I saw the man die, your grace. He defended his sons against a great enemy and died valiantly. There was no nobler a death."
"And yet the king blamed himself," Margaery said.
Brienne nodded. "He had given himself up to protect Jon, but in doing so, both were put in compromising positions. If Lord Stark had not done what he did, then the king and his brother would have been killed. There's no denying that."
Margaery nodded. "I see. Does my husband still blame himself?"
"Perhaps not to the extent that he once did, but he still feels the loss and it is impacting him more than he seems to notice or he simply doesn't care," Brienne said. "He has tried to hide it by being there for others. He's the one who gave me the assignment to find someone to fill in for Ser Garth upon our return to the city. He's trying to run from his feelings, but the demons already have a tight grip on his mind and his heart."
Margaery frowned. "I have noticed the same," she said quietly. "He is different, but I already knew that. I received a message from Jon saying such. Maybe I was too optimistic, but I was hoping that I would be able to fill the hole in his heart with his family, but I do not think that it would work. He needs more help than I can provide, but I fear that if I prod, he will push me away."
Brienne gripped the hilt of her sword and looked out at the horizon, thinking. Margaery knew that the warrior woman wanted to help, but it was clear that trying to think of ways to heal the king's heart was far outside of her realm of expertise. If Robb had lost a battle, then Brienne's blunt honesty would be perfect, but this was a much more delicate situation.
The one silver lining to this is that Brienne seemed to finally be over her obsession with Renly. If given the option, then Margaery believed that Brienne would choose Robb.
"Do not worry yourself about this, Commander," Margaery said finally. "I will deal with this myself. Thank you for telling me, I appreciate the care you have for your king."
"I owe him much, my lady," Brienne replied. "He saw past my gender and discarded tradition when he named me commander of his kingsguard. That is a debt that I wish to spend the rest of my life repaying."
"Your skill is undeniable, Brienne," Margaery said with a gentle smile. "Besides, I believe he owes you as much as you do him."
Brienne merely bowed her head. Margaery turned and left, believing for the first time that she needed to go to a higher power than her grandmother for this problem.