The Caged Lion and the Leaping Trout (Jaime Lannister)

[Edmure Tully]

Edmure Tully strode down the halls of the jail, heading toward the Kingslayer's quarters, the only light coming from the torches hung upon the wall. He didn't know why, but something led him to the cell. Perhaps it was the alcohol in his system. The moon was high in the night sky when the other Riverlords had departed for their chambers after a hearty night of drinking. Though the thought of sleep didn't entice the young heir of Riverrun. He was still living in shame after his crushing failure in the Riverlands. If not for Robb and his northmen Riverrun would have fallen into the dirty paws of the Lannisters. The thought made him shudder. None of the other lords said it to him, but he could feel it in their stares. His commands had led to the deaths of too many men of the Riverlands, including Lord Vance, and the near loss of Riverrun. The other men had assured him that he had done the best he could do, but still the dark pit of guilt made itself known in Edmure's stomach. 

Though now the tables had turned. The twice-damned Kingslayer had destroyed the scattered forces of the Riverlords, but he stood no chance against Robb and his army of northmen at the Whispering Wood. Now he sat in a cell in Riverrun awaiting his fate. Edmure reached the thick wooden doorway that held back the Kingslayer, and opened it using the key the jailer had given him. He pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside the cell. He grinned at the sight that met his eyes. Jaime Lannister lying upon his bed, staring at the ceiling, a sullen look upon his brow. He was covered in filth and the scars of battle. Edmure suddenly wondered why he had come again and couldn't come up with an answer. The dull feeling of drunkenness is all he could think of. Better than the sense of defeat this sorry excuse for a knight must be feeling.

Edmure laughed aloud. "Ah, Kingslayer," he greeted him, "Lovely night isn't it? Tell me, is the room to your liking? I'm sure I could organize a nice little cell in the dungeons for you if you'd prefer. This room may be too nice for scum like you." 

Ser Jaime Lannister

[Ser Jaime Lannister]

Jaime had been going over the battle, step by step, blow by blow. He needed to see what it was that the Stark boy used to defeat him. To capture him. It wouldn't even have been so bad if the boy had killed him. But, capturing him was worse. It only proved to further the boy's campaign. The great King in the North, capturing the Kingslayer. If they knew how long the Kingslayer held his own, they wouldn't be so impressed. Now, he was subject to every drunken Riverlord or Northman that wanted to prove their superiority over him, but were too scared to do so when he wasn't in chains.

Jaime didn't look at the man that entered his room. He didn't need to, as Edmure Tully wasn't capable of going a minute without saying something. A faint smirk crossed the Kingslayer's cracked, bloody lips, although he still didn't dignify the Lord of Riverrun with a glance. "I wouldn't want to spit on the King in the North's hospitality. The room is lovely. It is his castle, is is not? Or is it the Blackfish? I mean, they are the ones who are ruling, aren't they? No, that still doesn't seem right... mayhaps it's even Catelyn Tully. She seems a strong enough woman. Stronger than her brother, at least. Although, I suspect most everyone in Westeros is stronger than you."

Jaime didn't let himself get angry. He knew his love would send someone to save him. It was what they did, they saved each other. The thought of Cersei made his pain fade away. He couldn't remember the sun, he had to think to remember the halls of the Red Keep, but Cersei's beautiful face, more brilliant than anything on this earth, was ever fresh in his mind. He could live the rest of his life happy if only he could see his sister once more.

Regardless, Jaime finally sat up, brilliant emerald eyes locking with the drunk lord of Riverrun's gaze. "And, what is it you want? If you want me to soundly defeat you a second time, you needn't give me a sword. I could destroy you half-starved, tired, and unarmed a hundred and ten times over, and we wouldn't want the Kingslayer to get a shot at another king, now would we?" Jaime said the words with a mock concern.

[Edmure Tully]

Edmure's smile turned to scowl at the Kingslayer's comment. He glared at the Lannister knight, still so cocksure and sardonic even as he sat in a cell. Edmure thought he ought to show him the wrath of a Tully man. No, he thought to himself, This is what these Lannisters do. They try to get into your head by picking at your weaknesses. Don't let this evil scum get to you. You're the one in control here. Still, the comments about who truly ruled the Riverlands and Edmure's strength stung. He knew they shouldn't have, but he couldn't help it. "Watch your tongue, Kingslayer," Edmure weakly scolded him, as Lannister sat up on his bed.

Edmure couldn't help but laugh at the gall of the Kingslayer. His laughter rung around the small cell. "Can't you see when you're beaten, Lannister? You got lucky when you bested me before. You, your father, and that dog of yours, Clegane, were playing dirty. I wanted to protect my people and you ravaged my lands. I thought the Lannisters had at least a shred of honour, though I was sorely mistaken. Next time, if there's ever a next time for you, I'll be ready, and I'll show you the true wroth of the men of the Riverlands." Edmure hiccuped as he finished, and stared at Jaime Lannister with all the steel and sternness he could muster in his semi-intoxicated state. 

Ser Jaime Lannister

[Ser Jaime Lannister]

Jaime rolled his eyes at Edmure. Could he really be this much of a fool? He knew the man was foolish, but he thought he would at least have some of his sense about him. "Fighting dirty. Are you a child? This is war. In a war, this is what happens, lands are ravaged, innocents are slaughtered. Your King in the North knows that, yet he started this war anyway. Or, is every man that follows the old gods and has ice in his blood noble, innocent, and kind?" Jaime glared at the drunken man standing in front of him. This was what a high ranking lord in Robb Stark's army looked like. A drunken mess with a red fish plastered across his chest. The Kingslayer could have slaughtered a hundred Edmure Tullys, yet here he was, gloating as though he'd captured him.

Jaime laid back down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling of his cell. He considered trying to use the man's drunkenness as a means to escape, but even if he killed him, there were a hundred guards and just as many lords wanting to prove themselves. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of capturing him again. "You're all the same. You let others do your dirty work for you, and then turn your nose up at them, telling tales of how evil they are. You'd best scurry along now, Floppy Fish. You're drunk, and we wouldn't want your lords to have another tale of you failing to perform, now would we?"

[Edmure Tully]

Edmure's brow furrowed at the Kingslayer's retort. He raised his voice in reply, fury beginning to overtake him. Arcs of spittle flew from his mouth as he continued to rant. "You mean to say that Robb started this bloody war? You imprison his father, wrongfully accuse him of treason and regicide, publicly execute him, and then you accuse Robb of starting the war? That's the sort of twisted logic you'd only hear from a Lannister. If having a sense of honour makes me a child, then I will gladly accept the title. The King in the North is noble and just, but not innocent to the ways of the world. Don't begin to think that he wouldn't hesitate to lob your pretty, little head off."

Edmure was breathing heavily, as he watched the unfazed Lannister lie down on his bed. His expression gave away nothing. Does nothing bother the Kingslayer? If there was something, Edmure couldn't think of it. Then the Kingslayer mentioned that horrific incident - that damned singer and his Floppy Fish. "How do you...? But..." Will that ever be forgotten? How had the tale gotten all the way to King's Landing? Edmure inhaled deeply and tried to regain composure. Don't let him get to you. "That was a cheap shot, Lannister. That happened a long time ago. And I am not drunk. You should watch that lion's tongue of yours, before I have to rip it out for you." A small part of Edmure knew that Jaime Lannister would rip him limp from limp, yet in his inebriated state he thought he could take him on. Speaking the threat to him almost made it feel real. 

A sly grin spread across Edmure's face as something came to his mind. "You know, the difference between Eddard Stark and you is that when Ned was imprisoned, his son came south to save him. I don't suspect your son will bother to move his kingly bottom from his pointy chair to help his daddy." Edmure almost felt guilty after saying that, and braced himself for his reaction. No one insults the lord of Riverrun and gets away with it. 

Ser Jaime Lannister


 

[Ser Jaime Lannister]

Jaime glared at Edmure Tully. "I took no part in that. I won't deny that what happened to Stark was a catastrophe, but it didn't have to lead to war, that was your King in the North. A child can lop any man's head off from a high enough seat, that doesn't make him any less of a child." His mind went to Joff. He hadn't been there when his King, his son, had killed the Lord Stark. He'd done it in a mockery of justice that made him uncomfortable. Everytime he tried to picture it, Joff's eyes weren't his own brilliant green ones. They were a maddening shade of violet.

Jaime didn't respond to Edmure's threats, instead simply listening to the drunk man fumble with his words. Jaime had dealt with hundreds of drunk fools boasting about how they could best the Kingslayer because they'd won a tourney. But, Edmure was different, there was a hint of sadness to the man. Jaime knew the shame of failing in battle, otherwise he wouldn't be wearing his chains right now. He also knew the feeling of having singers tell tales of your shame. Jaime almost felt bad for his cruel jape. Until Edmure said something else.

It shouldn't have bothered him like it had. Joff was no son of his, Cersei had made sure of that. Yet, it brought something to mind. It had been so long, but he'd heard no word of an attempted rescue, no word from his father, his brother, not even from his sister. "The differences between me and Eddard Stark are far too many to count. I, for example, have a head. Our Lord Stark, doesn't. Don't think I won't get out of this cell. I'll get out eventually, and when I do, I'll remember this, Tully. Don't forget, a Lannister always repays his debts."

[Edmure Tully]

Edmure wanted to laugh at his threat, but there was poison in Jaime Lannister's voice that made him stop. It frightened Edmure. Though he couldn't let the evil knight see that. "Eddard Stark was a greater man then you'll ever be Kingslayer," Edmure said. "Though perhaps he wasn't as bold. Locked up in the heart of enemy territory and you think you're a position to make threats." He let out a bark of laughter.

"As much as I've enjoyed our chat, I have a lot of important business to attend to. I don't have time to be talking to the likes of you." The heir to Riverrun hiccuped and took a step toward the door. He turned back to Jaime Lannister in his leaving. "You still think you're going to be escaping here, don't you? You believe that your family is going send an army here to save you, or that your sister is going to ride up to the city and break the garrison with her sewing needles. If you want my opinion Lannister, you're going to die here. The men are getting rowdier everyday as your father and his dogs continue to ravage our lands and kill their families, friends and subjects. The King in the North is the only one standing between you and their wroth. Remember that, Lannister. It's a kindness that your family never granted Ned Stark."

Before Jaime Lannister could reply, the drunken lord stumbled from the room and closed shut the door behind him. He fumbled with the key for a time as he locked it before making his way over to his bedchamber, the war, Lannisters, and the feelings of drunkenness weighing heavy on his mind. 

Ser Jaime Lannister

(If you want to continue, I could change it so that he doesn't leave. If not, you can finish up.)