"After wandering for so long, this is the 'good place' you chose?"
"My dear elder sister, we've explored the entirety of Winterfell, and this is the only place with no one."
"But there's someone downstairs, he saw us, and you even spoke to him! Are we really just going to come in, look around, and leave?"
"Don't be afraid, if he dares to come in, I'll wring his neck." Jaime snorted, "Besides, don't you think it's safer with a Night's Watch 'watching over' us?"
"It's so dirty here!"
"Just take off your leather coat and spread it on the ground... Hurry up, stop hesitating."
"Damn it, let go of me!"
...
The woman struggled, but ultimately couldn't overpower the man.
"You're always so reckless, one day you'll die because of your willfulness!"
"Perhaps, who told my good sister to be so charming." Jaime said carelessly, "People die sooner or later, before that, you have to enjoy life properly."
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Since you're worried about the one in black downstairs, let's go take a look at him."
"What are you trying to do?" Cersei was pushed towards the window, greatly startled, "Are you mad!"
"Don't be nervous, he can't see us."
The two of them jostled their way to the window. In the Old Inner Courtyard below, the Night's Watch member was still practicing archery, shooting arrow after arrow at the target, with no intention of looking up or entering the Keep.
In fact, because the Keep was built before the two walls of Winterfell and primarily served a military function, the windows were extremely small. Even if Aegon looked up from below, he would only be able to see the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms standing by the window looking down at him, with the Kingsguard Jaime Lannister standing behind her... As for what the two of them said or did, it was completely obscured by the windowsill and impossible to discern.
"Feeling relieved now?"
"You're simply a bastard." Cersei cursed angrily. She hadn't called him out just to mess around with Jaime today. "Stop thinking about this garbage all day. I'm asking you, do you know if Stark agreed to Robert's request?"
"Does that even need asking? With our King's temperament, if he were refused, would he have the face to stay in Winterfell for over ten days and even go out hunting with such enthusiasm?" Jaime's hands didn't stop moving. "Soon, a true Northerner will appear on the Small Council."
"I don't like this," a hint of worry appeared on Cersei's face. "You should be the Hand of the King."
"Spare me. I don't want to take on this thankless job. There are plenty of other things I want to do."
"Can't you see the hidden danger behind this?" Cersei turned around and pushed him angrily, though of course, he didn't budge. "Robert treats that fellow like a brother."
"'Treats' him like a brother? If I recall correctly, Robert doesn't even get along with his actual brothers." Jaime smiled contemptuously, "But I don't blame him, having a brother like Stannis would make anyone sick."
"Don't be foolish. Stannis and Renly are one thing, Eddard Stark is another. Robert will hang on his every word! Both of them should go to hell. If I had known, I would have insisted he choose you as Hand of the King... I always thought Stark would refuse him."
"Why do you hate Stark so much? Although I don't like these wolves either, this is already considered lucky," Jaime began to unbutton his trench coat. For convenience, he had deliberately not worn his Kingsguard armor today. "Gods above, if Stark had refused, who knows if the King would have asked his brother or Littlefinger to be Hand of the King. Compared to ambitious and unscrupulous opponents, I'd rather face an enemy who values honor."
"We need to keep a close eye on him."
"Suit yourself, but I'd rather take a good look at you," Jaime had no interest in that. "Come here, let me..."
"There's a sound downstairs!" Cersei suddenly pushed her brother's shoulder, stopping his next move, and moved closer to the window again.
"What is it?"
Jaime also leaned closer: In the Old Inner Courtyard below, the Night's Watch member in black was still in the same spot, but a child was sitting on the wall beside him, looking like someone from the Stark family, but he had forgotten the name.
The Night's Watch member was loudly shouting something at the child, seemingly trying to persuade the child to come down. However, the boy not only didn't leave the top of the wall but instead stood up, straightened his arms, and walked on his two legs towards the southeast direction like a tightrope walker. Before long, the Night's Watch member, likely worried, also left the Old Inner Courtyard, probably to go around to the other side to chase after him.
"They're all gone, are you relieved now?"
"Relieved?" Cersei's gaze left the window, her face still serious. "How can I be relieved? Lord Eddard has never interfered with matters in the South, never. I'm telling you, he definitely intends to come after us, otherwise why would he leave his center of power?"
"You're purely overthinking because you have a guilty conscience. There are plenty of reasons for him to leave the North: a sense of responsibility, a sense of honor, being unable to refuse his good brother Robert, or wanting to become a wise Hand of the King whose name goes down in history, or perhaps he and his wife don't get along, or even a combination of several reasons. Perhaps he just wants to find a warm place to stay for a while to recuperate, who knows."
"His wife is Catelyn's sister. It's already quite something that Lysa didn't come running here to greet us with her accusations."
"You're thinking too much. Catelyn is just a frightened cow."
Cersei turned her head and glared at Jaime. "This cow sleeps with Jon Arryn."
A cow is a cow no matter who she sleeps with, Jaime thought, not hiding his disdain. "If she knew, she would have gone to Robert to complain long before leaving King's Landing."
"When he had just decided to send her useless son to Casterly Rock as a ward? I don't think so. She herself understood that her son would become a hostage, threatening her not to reveal the truth. Now that she's back at the Eyrie, I'm afraid her courage might grow."
"Mothers are all the same. I always think giving birth burns out their brains, you're all mad." Jaime had almost forgotten what his own mother looked like. He smiled bitterly, saying the word as if it were a curse. "Whatever she actually knows, or thinks she knows, she has no proof anyway." He paused for a moment, "Does she?"
"Tell me, what kind of proof do you think the King would need?" Even though the hypothetical enemy wasn't present, Cersei couldn't hide her anger. "He doesn't love me at all!"
"Good sister, whose fault is that?"
"You and Robert are both blind!"
"If you mean I agree with him, you're not wrong,"
"In my eyes, Eddard Stark is a man who would rather die than betray his King."
"He has already betrayed one King, have you forgotten? I don't deny his loyalty to Robert, but what if Robert dies and Joffrey inherits the throne? And the sooner Robert dies, the safer we will be. My husband has become increasingly restless lately, and having Stark by his side will only make things worse. He still loves that dead sixteen-year-old sister of his. Who knows when he might cast me aside for a new Lyanna?"
"Stop worrying about the future all the time, think more about what's in front of you."
"Don't say things like that!" the woman scolded.
The room fell silent, and then the Night's Watch shouts came from outside the window again.
...
"Good sister, saying such discouraging things, I'm tired of hearing it."
"Damn it, it's cold on the wall—"
"What's happening now, Jaime, stop, go see what's going on!" Cersei pushed her brother away in a panic, commanding nervously.
"Damn." The Kingslayer walked to the window angrily, vowing to make this Night's Watch member pay when he got the chance.
He leaned his head out and looked below the Keep, seeing the man in black who had been training below was back in the same spot, looking up and waving at him, "Come down quickly, it's too dangerous!"
What the hell? A mere soldier, daring to tell him what to do?
The Kingslayer was baffled by this inexplicable remark, hesitated for a moment unsure how to respond, then quickly realized: This wasn't directed at him, that brat from before was climbing the Keep!
He stuck his head out the window and scanned the wall beside the window, finally spotting his target—the boy who had been on top of the Old Inner Courtyard wall below moments ago was now on the gargoyles outside the wall of the floor he was on, swinging from one to another, approaching his window!
Jaime was greatly startled. Cersei was still inside. The two of them couldn't be seen!
"What are you doing up there? Get down quickly!"
The boy was just about to perform a few tricks for the talkative Night's Watch member below who kept urging him to come down, to make him shut up. He had no way of knowing, nor did he expect, that there would be anyone inside the long-abandoned Keep. When Jaime's face suddenly appeared from the window opening and met his gaze, their eyes locked. Startled, his movements became chaotic, he lost his balance, his flailing hands failed to grab onto anything, and he fell screaming from the outer wall of the Keep.
"Hey—"
Jaime had completely failed to anticipate things developing this way. Reaching out to grab him was too late. He stood by the window, gaping blankly. Looking at the small figure of the boy falling towards the ground, the man suddenly remembered his name.