Secret Meetings

Catelyn and Robb met up after her meeting with the Kingslayer. She knew that Robb would probably let Jaime see Arabella. Maybe she could get some information out of him. Even if it was a small amount. If anything they could use her for leverage against him. That's what Catelyn had hoped for. Arabella was about 5 months pregnant with his children. He would be foolish to risk anything for her sake.

Robb, after much thought, decided that they could meet for a few moments in his tent. But they will not be alone. Robb will have Brienne in the tent with them. He is to be chained to the center post, and though he trusts Arabella, she will be searched prior to her leaving her tent. Catelyn and Robb decided they were not telling Arabella who she was seeing or that he was there prior to their meeting. Robb was telling his guards he wanted to interrogate the Lannister Lion to see if he knew anything about where his sisters or father were being kept, and if he knew how they could get them back. Along with any battle plans Jaime may know or remember.

When night came Robb called Jaime to his tent. Jaime had a feeling he was going to be in for a rough night.

"If you are going to hit me, or cut parts off. May I just give a small request and leave my face out of it," Jaime questioned with some indifference.

"I have something much worse for you planned Kingslayer. Guards tie him to the post. Make sure the binders are extra tight. I do not want him getting loose," Robb told the room. When Jaime was all done being tied to the post, Robb checked his bindings to make sure he was not able to get loose. When Robb was satisfied he requested the guards to leave.

"So what do you have planned for me then. I can't think of anything worse than being cut on or hit," Jaime said looking around the tent.

"How about information about your wife? Or being able to see her? Will you talk for that information? Or is it your sister you care more for? I could tell you all the things I have planned for her, would that make you talk more, I wonder," Robb questioned. Jaime tried to keep his face neutral, but when Arabella was mentioned his eyes betrayed him.

"I won't talk about anything because you love your sister and would not harm her or see any harm come to her, even if she is married to me," Jaime states, a slight anger to his tone.

"No, but the Queen wants her head. Which will you choose, your sister the Queen and your former lover or my sister the woman time and time again has given you a chance to change," Robb asked, he wanted to know if this was the best idea before he gave word to his mother.

He had doubts that Jaime was loyal to Arabella. When he asked Amelia about this she could not confirm or deny anything. However she did tell him that he would do anything, even go against Cersei to protect Arabella. She told him of a time right before the wedding when Cersei was making Arabella's life hell and the young girl was helpless with fighting back against her due to her status. When Jaime found out, he helped calm Arabella down, gave her words of encouragement and hunted his sister down to have a word with her. Or that is what she had heard through the rumor web strings.

Robb and Amelia had grown close during her stay and he could see why his sister adored her. He trusted her as well, and knew that she would have spoken against this meeting if she believed it was wrong. In fact she encouraged this meeting, between the pair. She told Robb that Jaime will tell Arabella what he knows, because he truly cares for her and her safety.

"I let my sister harm her once, I refuse to let it happen again. Cersei, my father, and I will have some words with her once we get to the capital again. I promise you that. I was a stupid, prideful, man who thought Arabella would be safe there. I can admit that I was wrong in that case, and I am forever grateful that you found her instead of the crown or my family," Jaime said honestly.

"Alright, Amelia let her in," Robb states, as Amelia and a cloaked person walks in. Jaime starts at Amelia and the person behind her. Hoping to get a small glimpse of her face. Arabella lifts the hood off her head and stares at the man before her. Even with the cloak covering her body Jaime could see how hollow her cheeks were from lack of food. He could tell she had been through some traumas as well. Her hair was now black instead of its normal brownish color. Her eyes were definitely more purple than he has seen in the past.

"Amelia, thank you for keeping her safe," Jaime says looking at the young woman.

"I didn't do it for you," Amelia says with sass. She crossed her hands across her chest and leaned on her left leg.

"I know, but thank you all the same," Jaime says looking at Amelia with an honest look of sincerity.

"Arabella, I will leave you and Brienne in here with the kingslayer. I am trusting you little sister, do not make me regret it," Robb tells her before walking out with Amelia. Arabella let out a breath she was not aware she was even holding in.

"You look like you've been to hell and back. I am truly sorry that I was not there to keep you safe. I knew better, but I blindly trusted the people there to keep you safe. I should have taken you with me when I left, just like you had asked of me," Jaime says looking down at the ground. He looked as if he had been defeated, and felt like there was no hope of gaining ground back.

"You should be sorry. I should be angry at you, furious even, but I just don't have the energy to be. It may be from the lack of food or sleep I got during my travels or the news I received right when I got to camp. I feel like everything around me is closing in and I am drowning in everything. I need one thing to stay the same, but I believe even that is not going to happen," Arabella states her arms moving around as she talks, making the cloaks sway with each movement.

"If I could change things I would. However, I can't do that from here, and I do not want to risk your life more than I already have," Jaime starts, "You know (he pauses) I liked your hair better brown, black is not a good color on you".

Jaime smiles at her as he looks up. He can see that while the rest of her body showed lack of nutrients, her abdomen appeared swollen. Had it always been that way? He pondered. No, he would remember that. He remembered nearly everything about body, mind, and soul. He wondered if this was the news Catelyn Stark was telling him about. Was she pregnant? While he would be over the moon happy with this news, he could feel his guilt eating away at him more. Damn he thought I really screwed up this time.

"My husband, always the charmer," Arabella jokes. She could see Brienne's eyes rolling at the comment.

"I was a lot more than a charmer when we first met. In fact I was a gentleman," Jaime says, his smile growing.

"Jaime, I missed you, and I want to talk more about other things, but I have news for you, and I also have questions," Arabella states she looks down as if wanting the ground to swallow her whole.

"What's wrong? Whatever it is, I may be able to help," Jaime questions. He was truly worried for her now, as she never looked as defeated as she did now.

"It's nothing, in fact it can be really good news. But I am not sure how good it is with everything else going on," Arabella said her eyes still focused on the ground. She walked closer to Jaime until she was within arms length of him. Robb had been kind enough to let Jaime have some use of his arms while he was tied up. Jaime did what he could and reached out to the woman before him. He was able to grab her arm and pull him into himself and wrap his arms around her.

"No matter what it is, I am sure it is great news if it is coming from you, little wolf," he whispered in her ear. His arms still wrapped around her, as if protecting her from everything around her.

"I'm," She started, "I'm with child. Well my mother believes I am with twins. She states it is because of how much I am showing, but not appearing to be that far along in the pregnancy," Arabella tells him, she had wished she could have told him prior to the war. Prior to the fighting and the issues. Maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Jaime would have stayed with her and there would not be a war going on around them.

"That is wonderful news, Arabella. I just wished this could have happened prior," he tells her. It was as if he read her mind, and could tell she was thinking how it could have saved a lot of bloodshed. As Jaime nestled his head more into Arabella's hair he could see strands of silver-blonde mixed in with the black. He knew now why her hair was black instead of the normal brown, because she had tried to color it to hide the white streaks in her hair. He knew now that she was who he thought she was, he just didn't know how it was possible. He wondered if she knew. She had to, right? She turned her hair black.

"Arabella, is there something else you aren't telling me," he questioned, "Whatever it is, I swear to you that I will help you. I will keep you safe, and I will not let you out of my range of sight again. Even if it means going against my family and the crown".

"You don't mean that," Arabella states, shaking her head and walking backwards away from him.

"But I do. Arabella I promise you. I'll tell you about your sisters. Sansa is still in the capital and Arya got away. I do not know where, but I have some keeping an eye out on her. I have someone keeping an eye on Sansa as well. I don't want to get free from here, not without taking you with me, but I will help you get them back if that's what it takes," Jaime tells Arabella, "I know I never told you how I really felt about you, but I hope that I have shown you countless times. I care about you Bella. I care more about you than I can for myself. Finding out that you are pregnant with my children has made me the happiest man around. Because of you I know what love really is and what it means. Please know that I may screw up a lot, but because of you I am trying to be the man I know you think I am. Please trust me," he tells Arabella, pleading that she confirms his suspicions. He doesn't know what he will do if they are confirmed, but he knows he will not leave her. Not again.

"Ned wrote me a letter when we were married. I didn't read it until I got to camp and saw my hair for the first time in years. It was silvery white in color, and I was so afraid of what was going on. I read the letter and everything started making sense. All the times you joked with me about seeing fire from my mouth and smoke from my ears, made perfect sense, because that is who I am. I am a dragon, and one of the last ones in the world," Arabella said looking down.

"I still wouldn't change a thing about you, and I will never leave you again. Even if you are someone being hunted by the crown. I'll be right beside you protecting you until my last breath. You are my life now, you always have been. I was just too foolish back then to see it," Jaime tells Arabella pulling her back into him and wrapping her arms around her. He held her there and she cried in his arms. When she stopped, Robb had come in and insisted she go back into her tent to rest. After Arabella left, Robb had Jaime brought back to his cell almost immediately.

When Arabella got back to her tent Catelyn Stark was there waiting to hear if Jaime told her anything about her sisters. Arabella told her what Jaime had told her knew and even that he had people looking out for the two girls. Sadly he knew he could not get Sansa out of the Capital without him being there to sneak her out himself. Arabella did not tell Catelyn that Jaime knew who she really was, but she did tell her that Jaime knew she was pregnant. Catelyn's eyes glassed over with happiness in knowing that he was happy, and vowed to keep her safe no matter the cost. If only they knew what tomorrow was bringing.

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