Winter's Promise

7th Month of 298 A.C. Riverrun

Ser Jaime Lannister

It felt odd not being in King's Landing, but at the same time he was glad that he was not at King's Landing. News of Eddard Stark's death had reached them eventually, and Jaime had had to wonder at the stupidity of his sister, killing Stark was not a smart move, and it had made things even harder. He found himself wondering, not for the first time, what it was exactly that had so drawn him to her in the first place, and as it was, he could not find a suitable answer. Things between himself and Tyrion were still tense, and he did not think they were likely to improve that much anytime soon. Tysha still kept the peace between them, though Jaime was half convinced that she was doing that for her own reasons, reasons that he was not sure of. He did not trust her, but he dared not say anything to Tyrion, he did not want to antagonise his brother after all, and so he remained quiet on the matter, all the while the drums of war were coming ever closer. Father was coming with some thirty thousand men into the Riverlands, and that in itself was an act of war, Jaime knew that the Riverlords who had answered Ser Edmure's call to arms were suspicious of him and his brother, and he did not blame them, still he knew his father, and he would help anyway he could.

"I still do not know why they have to be here my lord." Lord Blackwood says, pointing to Jaime and Tyrion derisively.

"Because we are the ones who know Lord Tywin the best out of all of you, and can say with some certainty over what he will do." Tyrion replies his voice biting.

"For all we know, you could be spies working for the man, and deliberately trying to mislead us." Blackwood replies.

Jaime feels his anger grow then, but Tyrion merely laughs. "Why would our father use us as spies? Come now my lord, I thought you were smarter than this. Lord Tywin keeps his plans to his chest, that is true, and yet he has an air of predictability about him that will make it easier for us to gauge what he will do and when he will do it."

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Lord Vypren asks.

His impatience growing, Jaime speaks. "Because, our father follows a set plan whenever he goes off to war. He used it during the Reyne rebellion, he used it during the rebellion and he used it against the Greyjoys. Whenever he needs to go into enemy territory he always sends scouts out ahead. Ser Edmure, who was leading the scouts?"

The heir to Riverrun seems completely surprised that he has been asked a question-that is not something that bodes well for them- "Ser Gregor Clegane Ser. Why?"

"And where have these scouts been seen?" Jaime asks.

"Near the Tumblestone." Edmure replies.

"Exactly my point, he is planning for a diversion there, the Mountain and the men he has with him are the diversion, most likely they came by way of Castamere, and then hit Tumblestone, tell me Ser Edmure what was the result of the scuffles between the scouts?" Jaime responds.

The heir to Riverrun seems to hesitate for a moment, and Jaime gets the distinct impression that he might well be drunk, or near enough to drunk for his words to start getting slurred. "The scouts on our side did not engage they retreated back here. That is how I know of where the Mountain is."

"Exactly, now we all know that the Mountain is not the most forward thinking man, he is a warrior, who thinks with his sword. He will be coming here toward Riverrun with great haste before my father does. And my father will bring his strength with him, no doubt he will try to open discussions first, before beginning the siege." Jaime says.

"All of this is happening because he believes Ser Edmure is holding you and your brother hostage?" Lord Blackwood enquires.

"Yes." Tyrion says.

"Then why do we not simply hand the both of you over, and have done with it?" Blackwood asks.

Sighing, Jaime looks at the Lord of Raventree Hall and says. "Because my father will not accept that. He will need to make an example out of you, otherwise his own lords will begin questioning him. That is how my father has maintained his power all these years, through acts of fear."

There is a lot of grumbling then, and Lord Vypren speaks. "So, because Ser Edmure thought to play host to you both, we are now bringing a war onto our people?" A look of absolute disgust crosses the man's face then as he looks at Ser Edmure.

"I did not think that the man would misinterpret what I was doing." The man replies defensively.

The smell of alcohol is getting stronger, and Jaime really wonders if Ser Edmure is drunk or not, given the earliness of the hour, he would be deeply surprised if the man was, or should that be unsurprised? The man is not his father, is nowhere near as strong or as capable as his father was, and that worries Jaime, the King will need strong lords to deal with father and Cersei. "Lord Tywin has a way of interpreting things that suit him best." Tyrion says simply. "The fact that he has managed to summon thirty thousand men relatively quickly and easily, suggests that he has been planning something like this for some time."

"So then, what do you suggest we do?" Ser Edmure asks.

Jaime looks at the map before them and says softly. "We must make use of the river, and the way Riverrun was built. We need to force Lord Tywin into dividing his army, and then we can break each piece as we go. Otherwise we shall be outmanned and defeated."

"So you would not advise speaking with the man?" Ser Edmure asks sounding slightly hopeful, something that only increases Jaime's ire toward the man.

Before he can respond however, the sound of drums reaches them, as well as the sound of hooves, and Jaime does not even need to look at his brother to know who that would be. Sighing he looks at Ser Edmure and says. "You might want to go and see who that is my lord."

Jaime feels his anger grow further, when he sees the look of absolute despair on Ser Edmure's face as he stands and summons his lords to attend him, the man is nothing like his father, and that will only bring about bad things for the King when the time comes. Jaime wonders about the King, wonders if he will be marching south to avenge the death of his uncle, and to free Riverrun from the hold of a weakling. Lord Hoster's illness seems to be growing worse with every passing day, the Riverlords are aware of it, and Jaime personally believes that the moment the man dies, there will be rebellions against Riverrun, for Ser Edmure is already demonstrating just how weak he truly is. His thoughts are interrupted when the door opens once more and Lord Vypren stands looking at him, his face filled with contempt. "Your father is demanding to speak with you."

The shock of knowing that his father is already outside the gates of Riverrun makes him mute for a moment, before he eventually gathers his thoughts together and stands. "Both of us?" he asks.

Vypren shakes his head. "No, just you. The dwarf stays here."

Jaime does not fail to note the amusement in Vypren's voice and that angers him, still he will not say anything just now, maybe when this is all done he will, he nods to Tyrion who ignores him, and walks out of the room to where he knows Ser Edmure will be. Sure enough, standing on top of the western wall Ser Edmure looks beleaguered and terrified, Jaime himself feels as if he has been hit in the stomach, there is a mountain of men outside the walls, more than thirty thousand surely. He takes a moment to compose himself, then he looks down to see his father mounted on a war horse. "You wanted to speak to me?" he calls down.

"Get on a horse and come down, then we shall talk." His father replies, his voice loud, though he is not shouting.

"Whatever for? Can we not speak like this? I am sure Ser Edmure has told you that he means myself and Tyrion no harm, why then have you brought this host before Riverrun?" Jaime calls back.

Jaime cannot see his father's face clearly, but he imagines that there is a strong look of disapproval on his face. "You were sent here by a traitor. Now come down from there and assume your rightful place by my side Jaime."

Jaime looks down at his father, and then he looks around at the vast pools of men that are around the castle, he thinks that his father might have brought near enough the full strength of the west to bear here. "I am a member of the Kingsguard father, Lord Stark acted in the name of the King, now tell me why you are threatening a subject of the King?"

Jaime hides a grin by turning his face to the side for a moment before turning back to look at his father, he can see his father's anger writ plain, though he cannot really see the man. It echoes in his voice. "I have come here to demand for your return, and for you to come with me as we ride for the capital. Should there be no trouble in achieving this, then there is no need for fighting, however, should they resist then I will destroy them."

The words are said calmly without any anger in them, though Jaime knows his father well enough now to know that his father is truly quite angry. He thinks for a moment before responding, and when he does, he fights to keep his voice soft and calm. "And if I refuse to come with you? What then?"

"You are not as great a fool as to refuse Jaime. You have no reason to refuse, you are, as you say a member of the Kingsguard, and the King is in King's Landing. Come with me and assume your rightful place." His father replies.

"You are right father," Jaime says, and he can hear the inhale of breath that Ser Edmure does, he keeps his voice calm though and continues. "I am a member of the Kingsguard, but the King does not sit in King's Landing. Joffrey is not the rightful King, just as his father was not the rightful King before him. The rightful King is coming from the north, and he bears the name of the Conqueror. King Aegon is coming father, and I suggest you make your peace with that."

A long silence follows his declaration, and he can tell that Ser Edmure thinks he has gone mad, hells, perhaps he has gone mad, but he knows one thing for sure, he will not abdicate his duty again, he did it once before, and the realm suffered for it, he will not allow the Kingdoms to fall to ruin again, and they will under Joffrey and Cersei. Eventually his father speaks. "Ser Edmure, what have you done to my son? What trickery is this?"

Before the heir to Riverrun can speak, Jaime speaks. "This is no trickery father; this is the truth."

"Then you are every bit as mad as I feared you would be when you were born." His father snarls, Jaime wonders at that but says nothing, his father continues. "If that is your choice, then prepare to die. Archers fire at will."