Robert, Tywin and Jaime all looked on as Gregor Perk complained about his altercation with The Hood and their men, and all three of them were trying their best not to laugh. Everyone had heard of the merchants unfortunate, and highly embarrassing return to the city. About how Gregor had come stumbling back into Kings Landing with his tail stuck firmly between his legs, and his other, not so impressive appendage out for everyone to see. But as Gregor continued to snivel and whine about how something should be done, about how a scourge such as the Hood should not be allowed to live, and how the fact that this outlaw was hiding in the King's own wood meant that Robert should make it his business to hunt the bandit down, Robert decided that he could take the upstart merchants complaints no longer.

"ENOUGH!" Robert bellowed, looking down at Gregor who was shocked by the monarch's sudden outburst.

"I will not be told by you what I should or should not be doing in my own kingdom. Last time I looked, I was the King of the Iron Throne, not you." Robert growled, rising from his throne and walking down the stairs to where Gregor had now dropped to his knees.

"Forgive me Sire, I did not mean to say anything out of turn, I have merely come to beseech you for your help in this matter." Gregor grovelled, as Robert circled the kneeling man.

"You have come for revenge, nothing more; this Hood made a fool of you and you want to see their head on a spike so that you can claim back some of your pitiful excuse of a manhood." Robert mussed, as he came to a stop, standing in front of Gregor.

"But Kingswood is mine, and I cannot be seen to do nothing. And even though the last men I sent to flush out this bandit came back empty handed, this time I will send someone that may actually get the job done." Robert told the merchant as he made his way back up the steps to sit on the Iron Throne.

"Ser Jaime, you will take a contingent of bannermen into Kingswood and clear out this bandit and their men. I want the Hood brought before me to answer for their crimes." Robert said, turning to look at Jaime, who nodded graciously and left the Great Hall, his men following behind him.

"If anyone can hunt down this outlaw, then it is a Lion." Robert chuckled, looking over at Tywin, who watched his son leave the room, hoping that for once, Jaime would give him something to be proud of.

                                                                >>------------------------------<<

"HOOD!" Marak shouted out as he rushed into the clearing where the outlaw sat talking to some of their men.

"Bannermen are on their way from the city." The big man said, as the Hood got to their feet pulling the guise back over their head to conceal their features.

"Is the Kingslayer at their head?" The bandit asked, as the outlaw and the assembled men sprung to their feet, grabbing their weapons and making their way to an area that they had used in the past for ambushes.

"Aye and dressed in his finest armour; looks like he means business." Marak told the outlaw, as the other men scurried around the pair.

"Good, that is just what I wanted. Follow the plan as outlined, Marak; I will lead the Golden Lion away from the main group, and you and the others take care of the bannermen. I don't want any harmed if you can help it; but let them know that we mean business. Let them know that the Kingswood is ours and we will not surrender it to anyone." The Hood instructed, as their men climbed into the trees, readying the traps that they had set up.

"Today is a good day to humiliate a lion." The Hood chuckled to themselves as they too concealed themselves in the vast canopy of the great wood.

                                                          >>-------------------------------<<

Jaime and his men wound their way through the forest, alert to any sound or movement that may come from the deep green foliage that surrounded them. All the information they had about the techniques of the Hood and their followers, came from the garbled rants of upset merchants, and disgruntled lords that had been foolish enough to believe that they could make their way through the Kingswood without drawing the attentions of the resident bandit. So, as the lion wound his way further into the trees, all he knew to expect, was the unexpected.

"Ho Kingslayer!" A voice called out from the leafy canopy, as Jaime and his men drew up to the clearing. The Kingsguard and the bannermen all reaching for their blades, as they frantically scanned for any movement in the trees.

"You know that coming into a forest dressed in all that fancy armour is going to make you stand out a little." The voice chuckled, as Jaime and his men dismounted their horses and stood their ground ready to fight.

"Now, how much should I charge the Golden Lion for coming into my woods? Maybe I should take extra as he was sent by the King himself. Did Robert actually think that I would be scared of you. Did he think that your reputation would intimidate me enough to give up my life of crime and surrender to a Lannister?" The voice called out. The Hood watching the Kingsguard from the dense foliage.

"If you are not scared, then why are you hiding?" Jaime hollered in reply, as he watched for even the slightest movement.

"There is only one of me, and twenty of you, it is not fear, but self-preservation that keeps me hidden. Although just to prove that I am not scared of a lion and his pack of dogs.........." The Hood responded, slowly emerging from the trees and leaning against the large staff in their hand.

"So, now what, Kingslayer? Are you here to take me in. To stop me from liberating that poor gold from the clutches of its evil masters? Or are you here to get yourself another moniker as the man that caught the Hood and put their head on a spike? Whichever one it is, I can assure you that I will not make it easy." The Hood chuckled, their eyes watching nothing but the Lannister. Confident in the knowledge that their men had the bannermen in their sights.

"I have come to take you before the king and answer for your crimes; we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The choice is yours, outlaw." Jaime called out, readying his sword.

"I choose the hard way!" The Hood declared, quickly grabbing for a bow and firing off a succession of arrows into the ground around Jaime before fleeing into the woods.

Without a second thought, Jaime ran after the outlaw. Ignoring the sounds of clashing swords and cries from behind him. Knowing that his men were now in hand to hand combat with those of the bandits. Jaime forging through the overgrown branches and gnarled roots of the trees as he raced after the Hood. The outlaw obviously more adept at making their way through the forest than he was, seeming to gracefully duck and dodge every obstacle that the Kingswood had to offer. As if they knew every feature like the back of their hand.

The Hood ducked behind one of the large trees, quickly changing the hooded cloak that they wore to one that they had secreted in the hiding place only a short time before; the outlaw unable to stop themselves from smiling, as they watched Jaime look around desperately trying to find his quarry. He had only lost sight of the outlaw for a moment, but it was long enough for the Hood to put their plan into action. A plan of making the overly confident and arrogant Lannister, look like a bumbling fool.

Suddenly, Jaime caught sight of a figure moving slowly through the forest and sprang into action. Leaping over jutting stumps as he grabbed for the figure, bundling it up onto the ground as he saw two of his men come up to his side and help bind the now seemingly helpless bandit.

As Jaime heaved the limp body over his shoulders, he ignored the fact that the frame was light, and not the strong muscular physique that he was expecting. Choosing not to investigate further, instead throwing the seemingly unconscious criminal into the back of the caged wagon.

"Where are the rest of the men?" Jaime asked, as he took the reins of his horse from one of the bannermen. The two soldiers looking uncomfortable under the gaze of the Kingsguard.

"They....well er, the Hood's men came out of nowhere, my lord; we were......well they were chased off." One of the bannermen explained, not daring to look up at the Kingslayer.

"Never mind, I will deal with them later. For now, we need to get this outlaw to the king." Jaime huffed as he mounted his steed and signalled for the men to mount the wagon and make their way back to the city.

                                                        >>------------------------------<<

As the bannermen and Jaime led the figure to the Great Hall, their eyes fell on the assembled men that had come to see the feared bandit. As the Hood was brought to a stop in front of a seated King Robert with Tywin standing by his side and Tyrion watching from the corner, interested in who the outlaw could be, Jaime bowed before the King.

"Sire, I bring you The Hood!" Jaime declared, pulling back the hood roughly from the figures head to reveal something that none of the men had expected to see; for from under the cowl came a cascade of lush long hair, a pair of breathtaking eyes, and elegant, delicate and beautiful features. Jaime unable to stop himself from looking at the woman next to him, who just glared back. Robert laughing as he looked at the pair in front of him.

"Well, Lady (Y/n), I presume that you have a good explanation for why Ser Jaime would think that you are The Hood." Robert continued to chuckle, as (Y/n) ripped her arm away from that of Jaime.

"Sire, Lord Tywin, Lord Tyrion." (Y/n) greeted, curtsying politely to all three men that apparently knew the woman before them.

"I have a perfect explanation, and that is that Ser Jaime is an oaf!"