ASOS re read Jaime VII
The chapter starts with Jaime riding towards Kings Landing with a group of Roose Boltons men and Brienne. At an inn he learns that Joffrey is dead and that Tyrion is accused of his murder. An archer adds that it was the imps wife who killed the king and now her bloody Direwolf ghost haunts the red keep. Does Jaime know at this point that Tyrion married Sansa? Jaime immediately thinks of how upset Cersei will be and orders that they ride hard to return to Kings Landing as quickly as possible.
When he sees the city he goes to speak to Brienne, despite thinking he does not enjoy her company. Protesting a bit too much I think! Brienne has been crushed since they heard of the red wedding, even calling her wench does not rouse a response. He tries to engage her in conversation offering her a position and when she knocks him back he thinks of her as pig headed but keeps his snarky comments to himself.
On their arrival several of the men talk of how the city smells and when Jaime tells them that is how towns smell they tell him White Harbour does not. I think that this can be taken as both a literal and figurative swipe at the regime in Kings Landing.
Jaime realises that he should be more upset about learning the death of his son. He reflects that if the gods offered him the return of his hand or Joffrey he would choose his hand. He also thinks of him and Cersei making a new son and that this time he would hold him, that he would insist on this son being acknowledged as his.
When they arrive at the city gates they are let in by the gold cloaks who mistake them for a lord and his men coming to bend the knee. Jaime observes that nobody in the city is mourning for Joffrey, a preacher offering prayers for Joffrey is being steadfastly ignored and also that nobody recognises him.
When he arrives at the red keep Meryn Trant recognises him and introduces him to the knight of flowers, looking magnificent. Jaime rebukes them for losing two kings in his absence and when they notice he has lost his hand, he cockily dismisses it as that he fights with his left hand now. Loras Tyrell tries to duel Brienne when he recognises her. Jaime orders him to back down but it is only when Trant intervenes that he does so. When Loras insists that Brienne is arrested Jaime orders the gold cloaks to take her to a tower room and guard the door. When she gives him a hurt look he wonders why people always misinterpret his actions and realises that it all comes back to Aerys. "Always Aerys."
Jaime goes to the sept to see Cersei and is barred by Osmund Kettleblack who does not recognise him. First he threatens to cut off his other hand if he does not leave and then laughs when he says he is the queens brother, saying that he has "grown a bit." Osmund seems genuinely taken aback that it is Jaime, his appearance being so altered against the legend.
When he joins Cersei in the sept, he notes that he always has to go to her and when he embraces her she says that he should have come sooner to keep Joffrey safe. Would the assassination have worked if Jaime was there? He seems to hold the Kingsguard responsible for the kings death, but was it?
He shows her his stump and Cersei asks who was responsible but doesn't seem to react any more than that. Cersei tells Jaime that Tyrion was responsible for Joffreys death and that he should kill him. Jaime replies that Tyrion is still his brother and that he is not capable of killing anyone, she says that Tyrion would be easy to kill in his cell. The thought of which make Jaime's stomach turn.
They begin to kiss and have sex on the mother alter, he ignores her monblood and her protestations that they might get caught and that having sex in the sept will incur the wrath of the gods. When they finish Jaime wipes the moonblood off the alter with his sleeve. I just do not know where to start with this....dead sons body, church, incest. Too much!
Jaime tells Cersei that he wants them to marry and have another son and it frightens her. She asks if he lost his wits and tells him to leave. Jaime pleads with her, but she recoils from his stump and turns away from him. Not the reunion he was hoping for.
Jaime goes to see Tywin who greets him "as if they last saw each other at breakfast". Like Cersei, when Jaime shows his stump Tywin asks who was responsible and after explaining the delight Gregor Clegane is taking over removing pieces of Vargo Hoat, asks if he can still hold a sword. Again Jaime is quite flippant about it, despite thinking to himself that he can hardly dress himself in the morning, let alone fight with a sword.
They discuss Joffrey's death, Tywin gives little away apart from to say that if Tyrion is innocent he has nothing to fear. Tywin says that since he cannot serve the Kingsguard without a hand he must leave them and become his heir and take Tommen away from Cersei to Casterly Rock "where he will learn to become a Lannister." Tywin also wants Jaime to marry Margery and Cersei to marry Oberyn Martell. I think this shows how arrogant Tywin is, why would either family accept these proposals? The Tyrells fought alongside the Lannisters to make Margery a queen, not a high lords wife and we already know Oberyn's opinion of Cersei.
Jaime angrily refuses to leave the Kingsguard saying it is his duty, at which Tywin coldly replies he is not his son and to "go do your duty."
With a family like this who needs enemies!