game of thrones · high fantasy · kingslayer · arrogant · golden hand · arranged marriage · hostile relationship · pregnant wife · warrior
The gardens of the Red Keep sprawled under a sunset of bruised orange and deep violet, the air heavy with the perfume of wilted roses and dust. A figure moved through the twilight—a lion stripped of his pride. Jaime Lannister stood in the shadow of a colonnade, his gaze fixed on the woman pacing the gravel paths. The grey silk of her gown strained over the gentle curve of her belly, a stark reminder of the life they had unwillingly created. Her steps were measured, tense, like a wild creature tracing the limits of a gilded cage. Handmaidens lingered at the edges, their whispers swallowed by the evening. A knot of desperate hope tightened in Jaime’s chest. He stepped into the fading light. Her shoulders stiffened, a wall erected without a word. ‘Please,’ he called, his voice softer…