Chapter Text
He somehow smells it before he sees it. Whether that’s impossible and simply him sensing something wrong in the air, or as real as what he now sees he doesn’t know. What he does know is that the city is on fire, and the smoke carries the faint trace of green flame.
The others nearby are shouting. Shocked by what they’re seeing. He hears Bronn next to him saying something, Jaime can’t hear him. Wildfire. The city’s been blown apart by wildfire. And there’s only one person in the whole realm with the power to do that.
He rides a few feet in front of Bronn, left hand clenching the reins so hard he feels it through the glove, it still isn’t enough to really steady himself.
“We’ve come back to a proper shit show.” Bronn declares as he walks his brown mare back up to his side. “Who’d ya think did it?”
“Who do you think?” Who else could? Jaime replies with a scowl. Who else but Cersei would have both the power and the nerve to do something this drastic? Talent for the dramatic always ran so well in his family.
Thinking of his family- “Tommen!” He nearly shouts as he jolts upright in the saddle, startling Bronn.
“The city's on fire, and if the smoke is near the Red Keep, if somethings happened to Tommen-”
“Hey!” Bronn grabs his arm, getting his attention.
“If something’s happened to Tommen then there’s nothing we can do, and if nothing happened then we’ve got nothing to worry about, so no use stressing.”
Jaime locks eyes with Bronn before kicking his white gelding into a canter turning gallop and racing for the city gates.
He soars through Kings Landing, almost tripping his horse on the steps as Bronn falls behind him. He should go see Cersei first. He should. But as much as the thought of her being hurt is killing him, he has to find Tommen.
He makes it through The Keep, running straight to Tommen’s quarters, and almost trips himself when he sees the door left open allowing the panicked voices inside to be heard.
“Where’s Tommen?” He shouts as he enters, halting all conversation and pushing past the guard standing at the door.
“Jaime!” Addam calls, moving aside slightly so he can see Tommen. Tommen, who looks pale as a ghost, and has blood on his forehead.
Jaime’s down on his knees hugging him before even realising he’s moved.
“Tommen, what happened? Are you hurt?”
Tommen for his part, just leans into the hug not saying anything.
Jaime looks to Addam for an answer, and after a glance out the window towards the still burning Sept, he gets it. “Well, let’s say I’m happy you sent for me to take a vacation from The Rock to keep an eye on him, or he might not be here.” He takes a moment then, to let Jaime understand what he’s just said. Thank all the gods he sent for Addam. He wasn’t sure he’d made the right choice asking his childhood friend to come to Kings Landing while he was away, now he’s doing everything he can not to think of what would have happened if he didn’t.
“She… Cersei, well you know what the High Sparrow did to her and she- Jaime there were at least a hundred people inside, innocent people, not just inside but anyone else hit with falling rubble or fire. Killing the Tyrells as a move of power or the Sparrow as revenge I can understand but…”
He shakes his head, and waits for Jaime to meet his eyes again before continuing. “I heard the explosion so I ran here to make sure Tommen was safe and I- He was at the window, he hit his head as I grabbed his legs to keep him from falling.”
Jaime just holds Tommen closer to his chest, not daring to let go. How could she? Not only did she kill countless innocents but she left Tommen alone for the explosion? As she killed his wife who he clearly adored?
“Where is Cersei?”
“Revenge I can understand, the Tyrells I can understand! But the innocents? How many people died and Tommen-”
“It had to be done.” Cersei replies, cold almost empty eyes not meeting his gaze.
“Are you hearing me? Do you know what our son almost did?” He waves his golden hand in exasperation, a desperate attempt for attention towards what’s happened and a movement still too instinctive for his left.
“What would you have had me do? The Tyrells were ready to tear our whole family apart from the sems something had to be done.” She walks as she says this, her shorn hair turning gold as it catches the sun, red gown trailing after her.
“Send assassins, cut throats, poison, anything but wildfire. Kill the High Sparrow alone, anything to make sure our son, our family stays safe.” He sounds as if he's pleading, pleading the past for it not to have happened.
“Cut throats. Don’t make me laugh, father might not have been kind but he was right about a lot of things. We can’t trust anyone but us.” She turns away from him again, looking past the window to the clearing smoke.
“Then why not have me kill the Sparrow? I might only have one hand but surely I can handle an old man.”
She looks at him again, a sharpness in her eyes. “You weren’t here.”
“You sent me away!”
“For all the good that did, the Tully’s will simply take Riverrun back from the Frey's the second all your soldiers are gone.”
Jaime doesn’t even bother arguing the point.
“What happens now, have you thought of that?”
She smiles, one so cold Jaime doesn’t think he recognizes it.
“Now, now I’m going to be queen.”
“I think you’ll find Tommen is still going to be king unless I’ve misunderstood the order of succession.”
“No.”
“No?” There’s a question on Jaime’s tongue then, he doesn’t dare ask, not knowing if he could stomach the answer, not after seeing how far his sister would go for power. What’s the life of their son compared to that ambition?
“No, he will declare that he was too young and inexperienced to be king, he’ll stand down until whenever he may be ready and leave the throne in the hands of the queen regent. I’ll be crowned tomorrow, do make sure you look presentable.”
There was nothingness when she spoke, but with the unmistakable stench of pride at being queen. Not knowing what to say Jaime stays silent, letting her words settle.
He’s about to speak when she cuts him off.
“One more thing, now that you’re no longer in the Kingsguard, you’re free to take on titles. You should be my hand.”
Jaime has a million refusals building in his head, she must see this because she moves closer, putting a hand on his cheek before continuing.
“And I’ll be Queen. No one will care what I do, what we do. And if they do care they’ll die. You’ll have everything you wanted, starting with me.”
Jaime feels his breath leave him, for once not with arousal as she moves her lips closer to his. Everything he wanted? He wanted her, yes, but not at the cost of this. Not when he doesn’t see the women he loves in her eyes, when he’s not sure he ever saw what he believed was love in them. Not when the power to be with her nearly kills their son.
“I should go.” He quickly gets out, using her temporary shock to take a step backward. “I told Tommen I’d be back soon, he looked terrified.”
Jaime doesn’t think he’s ever seen such hate on his twin's face as this moment before she speaks. “Then get out.”
Still feeling the warmth of her hand on his face, he does.
He stands in Lannister crimson and gold at the coronation. He watches his son denounce the crown, something he’d be glad for if it wasn’t for the replacement.
He feels the room grow cold as Cersei kneels before the throne to accept her crown. He’s not sure if it’s the clouds covering the sun or his own discontent to thank for the chill along his skin.
“Long may she reign!” The crowd chants in unison as she takes her seat on the iron throne.
For nothing longer than second, as Jaime watches the assembled audience leave the throne room he thinks something that terrifies him. Right here, he’d killed Aerys Targaryen for less.
He turns to leave the room then, not glancing back to see if Cersei wants anything from him.
He can’t stay here.
“Abandoning the crown to be a fancy Lannister lord is one thing sure, but taking as much of the Lannister army as you can with you and smuggling out the crown prince is another. You’ll be branded a traitor and if the queen didn’t like ya so much I’d worry for your head.” Bronn replies with a few pointed looks after he tells him some of what he means to do next.
Jaime almost laughs. “Then I’d start worrying.”
Addam interjects then, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose. “Have you at least thought through what you’re going to say to the queen?”
“Have some faith.” He smiles back, teeth full of fake Lannister confidence.
“So that’s a no then. Well, as long as you’ll pay me well for this treason I guess it doesn’t matter.” Bronn pours himself a glass of wine as he answers, taking a seat and downing the glass promptly after. It’s much too early for wine, Jaime thinks. However he can’t help but feel it would help his nerves, even if the sun isn’t up yet.
The truth is he does know what he’s planning on saying. Nothing. Some would call it cowardice but Jaime’s inclined to call it strategy. If he tells Cersei what he’s doing he’ll never make it out of The Red Keep let alone Kings Landing. No, he’ll leave a letter telling her what he’s doing, and if he wrote it correctly there will be no room for treason to even be mentioned.
“Addam, I need you to gather however many soldiers are willing to follow us back to Casterly Rock and start the march there as soon as you’re able.”
“Anything for you my friend, just don’t get yourself killed.” He gives a small smile and a nod before leaving the room.
“What’s my task then?” Bronn asks, standing from his chair and tilting his head in front of Jaime’s.
“You are coming with me to get Tommen ready, and are staying with him outside the city walls until I join you both to catch up to Addam and ride west for the rock.”
“And what exactly are you doing while I get Tommen outside?”
“Leaving a goodbye.” He grabs a letter as he answers, not giving Bronn’s raised eyebrow a reply as he holds the door open, following him out the room.
He hears it fall shut from down the corridor as they walk towards Tommen’s quarters.
Her room is blissfully empty as he slips inside to leave the letter on her desk. He hesitates then. Perhaps it would have been better to say something to her, and Tommen didn’t look too happy to leave. Maybe he’s a fool, it’s better to stay, isn't it? Leaving Cersei, his other half-
He looks out the window then. Seeing the blue sky blanketing Kings Landing still marred by wisps of gray ash from the fires that burned longer than they should’ve.
No. Leaving is right. Honestly he should have left a year ago, maybe more. The moment he came back with Brienne something was off, whether it was him who changed or Cersei he’s not sure. He is sure he cannot stand behind the person she’s become now. He can be of more use as heir to Casterly Rock, and maybe, just maybe, be of more use for something good too.
Gods Brienne. Seeing her at Riverrun was the one good thing to come out of this at least. He hadn’t realised how much he missed her. Her blue eyes and her steady stance, even her stubbornness.
The thought of trying to find her instead of going to Casterly Rock crosses his mind, but no, that would surely be treason and he doubts the Starks would be pleased to see him, even if he would like to see how Sansa is doing at least.
He almost laughs, that thought alone is technically treason. Gods Tywin would be rolling in his grave, a Lannister praying for the safety of Starks.
He spares one last look at the letter, the room, a room he’s spent so many nights in, before closing the door. He squares his shoulders as he walks down the corridor towards the nearest exit.