Jaime Lannister

Rhelle
Landed Knight
(01-23-02):

A compilation of notes from boarders attending cons where GRRM read chapters from AFFC. If there was more than one post from the note-taker I numbered them to try to avoid confusion.


ScipioAfricanus4:

(1) The chapter opens with Jaime at the Great Sept of Baelor, holding vigil over Tywin's body. He apparently promised to hold vigil the whole 7 days and 7 nights Tywin was to be put out. Balon Swann and Loras Tyrell are there with him. He reflects that they are the two finest the KG has. They offer to hold vigil while Jaime sleeps. He hasn't slept since he freed Tyrion. Jaime sends them away.

He then remembers the night he freed Tyrion. He broke into Vary's chamber and threatened him with a knife. Varys agreed to help Jaime and promised to take Tyrion to a ship and get him away from King's Landing as quickly as possible. Jaime blames Varys for Tywin's death, believing that Varys shouldn't have let Tyrion go through the tunnels in the Keep's walls. Apparently Jaime inspected the tunnels searching for Varys and Tyrion. He didn't find them, but he did find dragon bones in a deep chamber.

He hears Rhaegar's voice in his head. He remembers the last time he saw Rhaegar, right before Rhaegar went to fight at the Trident. He begged to go with Rhaegar, but Jon Darry (sp?) told him that he belonged with the King Aerys. Rhaegar was softer. He explained that someone had to remain with Aerys. Jaime said that Barristan could guard the King just as well as Jaime. No, Rhaegar said, Aerys felt safer with Jaime around. Aerys believed the bigger threat was from Tywin Lannister, not Robert, Jon Arryn, and Ned, and Aerys thought Tywin wouldn't attack if his son were close to Aerys.

Rhaegar realizes that his father was crazy. He promised Jaime that he would hold a council and change things after the war. Rhaegar said that he should have done it earlier.

Jaime claims he wasn't grieving for Tywin. He believed that the Sack of KL was unnecessary. Tywin had just looked at him when Jaime told him so. Pycelle appears. Jaime reflects that Pycelle looks a fool without his beard. His beard was the greatest in the Seven Kingdoms. Pycelle's attempt to grow it back failed miserably, and Tyrion should have just killed him.

Numerous monks and sisters come in to look after Tywin's corpse. The honor all the aspects of the Seven. Jaime feels that he is only the Warrior. Others are multiple aspects, Mothers and Crones, Fathers and Smiths. He was just a Warrior. He remembers when Arthur Dayne knighted him. He was bleeding. "All knights must bleed." Dayne said. He then thinks on Loras. Loras though hot headed and such, could be a truly great knight, and Jaime wouldn't deny that. He vowed that he would never lie in the White Book. Well, he supposes that means he must tell the truth.

A woman Jaime thinks is a silent sister approaches him. She speaks, asking him if he recognizes her. He says he doesn't, and she comments on how Tywin looks. She then disappears.

In the morning, nobles file in to pay their respects. Tywin's corpse begins to smell even worse. The Tyrells come in first. Margaery lays a bouquet at Tywin's corpse. She keeps one flower and holds it to her nose to battle the stench. Jaime muses that she's quite clever. And a leader, as all the other ladies follow suit.

Cersei and Tommen come in. Jaime remembers Tyrion telling him how Cersei had been sleeping with Lancel, Kettleblack, and others. He grows angry, but he refuses to believe Cersei would do that. Tommen cries at Tywin's feet. Cersei yells at him, but Tommen runs away. Jaime runs after him. They get away from the crowd and he sends the guards away. He talks with Tommen, tells him he must be brave.

Cersei finds them and yells at Tommen, saying he can't cry in front of his lords and other subjects. Tommen blames it on the smell from the corpse. Jaime admonishes Cersei for yelling at Tommen, but she starts yelling at Jaime. She stops when Mace Tyrell appears. He again expresses his condolences and Jaime makes Cersei promise to have dinner with Mace and his family that night. Mace leaves.

This angers Cersei. She asks him why he would do that. Make Mace Hand, Jaime says. They need the Tyrells to finish off Stannis's men in the South. They still hold Storm's End and Dragonstone. Jaime says that she should promise to give Mace the Handship after he takes Storm's End. Plus, with Mace being as big a fool as he is, there's a good chance he'll get himself killed. Cersei seems to like this idea. She says it reminds her of something their father might do.

(2) [In reference to a question from Ran about the usage of monks] I don't believe that they were called monks. GRRM read this chapter right after he read the Cersei chapter, which I believe, was her 2nd, with what was essentially Tywin's funeral. The lady approached Jaime in a heavy cloak and hood, and he said something to her. She didn't respond for a little while, so he cursed himself for not recognizing her as a silent sister. She then pulled her hood back. All I remember of her description was she had green eyes. I don't remember what she said.

(3) Ah yes, Pl Secundus, your summary was good. There were several mentions of crows and particularly feasting crows in Jaime's chapter. He wonders if the crows feasted on Rhaegar at the Trident, then says that crows didn't discriminate between kings and commoners. One is also mentioned as shitting on a statue of Baelor outside his sept.

Toryx:

When the mysterious woman appeared before Jaime during his vigil, she asks him: "Did you forget me?" Shortly after that while Jaime is trying to figure out what's going on and who she is, the woman says to him, the true question is who are you.

One of the things that Jaime also muses on, over and over throughout the night is how Tyrion had said; "Yes I killed your vile son". Jaime remembers those exact words several time during his vigils.

PI Secundus:

(I use quotation marks when I attempt to be as close to the original as I can, but I am probably messing it up).

At the Great Sept of Baelor:

Jaime is exhausted and angry at the same time. He clearly blames himself for his father's death. "Tyrion released the crossbow arrow but I released Tyrion". He thinks of wanting to kill someone, perhaps Varys, but then bitterly tells himself to admit that he was the one who forced Varys to organize Tyrion's escape. Apparently he even drew Varys's blood while "persuading" him. He thinks it was wise of Varys to disappear and wonders where Varys might be. He guesses that at this very moment Varys is probably drinking the Red Arbor wine on board of a ship with Tyrion. Jaime berates himself for giving that mad order to Ser Addam Marbrand to search for Tyrion in all the brothels of the city of King's Landing. He reflects bitterly on how many women will be raped and how many bastards will be born because of this. Jaime's thoughts return constantly to what Tyrion said ("I killed your vile son" and "she's been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack"), "and now you killed our vile father" he adds.

Memories of Rhaegar:

Apparently the chamber with the dragon skulls has a mosaic floor (?). Jaime thinks that the dragon shown on this mosaic is Rhaegar. Then he begins hearing Rhaegar's voice as Scipio has indicated. Three knights of the Kingsguard will follow prince Rhaegar to the Trident and one will stay with the king Aerys, it is self-evident for the participants of the conversation that the rest of the Kingsguard are needed elsewhere. Rhaegar tells Jaime that him being in King's Landing is "a crutch my father needs". Jaime implores-"I am not a crutch, I am a knight of the Kingsguard!", but Darry interjects "you were given your orders, Ser!". Then Rhaegar talks about changes he has always wanted to make.

Thoughts of Tywin:

Jaime reflects that he is not grieving enough. Corners of Tywin's mouth are turned up which gives an appearance of a sardonic smile. "He never smiled". Jaime remembers confronting Pycelle about that and Pycelle's reply that it was caused by drying of the body. A pang of sympathy for Pycelle, he knows what it is like to loose part of oneself. Shaving his beard was the cruelest thing Tyrion could have done to him. Pycelle was in awe of Tywin; he told Jaime that Tywin always did what was needed. In that regard Pycelle likened Tywin to Quentin Hightower. Apparently there once was a terrible plague in the city of Oldtown and said Quentin Hightower gave an order to keep the gates locked until the last infected died. He is the most hated person in the history of Oldtown however "he did what was needed". 
Jaime remembers his anger at Tywin after the sack of King's Landing then muses about his own victories and defeats. In the morning they all look the same - a feast for crows. Jaime's thoughts wonder to Brienne. First he curses her, and then he realizes that he is praying for her. To his greater astonishment he is praying to Father; he has always prayed only to Warrior.

Should he have told Cersei the truth about freeing Tyrion? He will not write lies into the White Book!

The apparition:

All the septons and silent sisters are gone. Jaime thinks he is alone, but suddenly there is a woman in a hooded cloak behind him. He addresses her and then laughs at himself for expecting an answer from a silent sister. She lifts her hood and he can see her Lannister golden hair and green eyes. Jaime thinks he must have fallen asleep and asks if he is dreaming.

Then she tells him to look how many hands he has. He sees only one whereas in a dream he always has two. "We dream of what we cannot have", she says looking at Tywin body. Jaime realizes that she is very young, probably fifteen.

In the morning:

When Cersei appears Jaime remembers thick black hair he glimpsed on the chest of Osmund Kettleblack, he tries to picture Kettleblack lying on top of her his chest pressed against her breasts.

When Tommen runs out of the sept crying he drops the crown. Jaime tells Kettleblack to pick it up. When he catches up with Tommen, the boy explains to "My uncle Ser" that he could not stand the stench. Jaime reflects (without saying it) that a man can smell everything. He remembers the smell of his own rotting hand that Vargo Hoat put on him as a pendant. He remembers the smell of Lord Rickard Stark burning in his armor.

When Cersei begins to scold Tommen, Jaime yells "Cersei enough!". Cersei asks him why he left his vigil, which was supposed to be seven days. "You do know how to count to seven, don't you? Just number your fingers and then add two!"

Tyrell appears and inquires about Tommen's health. Cersei is angry but Jaime interjects suddenly extending an invitation on her behalf for Tyrell and his wife to sup with the queen tonight.

Cersei asks, "why am I having a supper?". Jaime explains that she needs the Tyrells. He suggests that Mace be sent to take the Storm's End and Lord Redwyne - the Dragonstone. He says Mace Tyrell considers himself a great battle commander, he will jump to such opportunity. Cersei insists that the Tyrells will not leave King's Landing until Margaery is married to Tommen. Jaime says then "have Tommen marry Margaery tomorrow!". It will be long before the marriage is consummated and therefore it can be dissolved.

Fayleigh:

(1) I was also at Confusion at the reading and have more light to shed on the woman who "visited" Jaime. I wrote in my notes that Jaime looked at her golden hair and green eyes and wondered if she was "15..or 50"? It implied an ageless look. The woman asked, "Have you forgotten me?"

Jamie kept thinking he was dreaming, then the woman asked him how many hands he had. He confirmed he still had one hand, where in his dreams he has two. She then went on to examine Tywin, and she seemed almost tender as she said something like "We all dream of what we can't have. Tywin dreamed his son would be a knight, and his daughter a Queen." I STRONGLY got the impression this woman was an apparition of Jamie's mother.

(2) Another thing from my notes...when Tommen retches and runs from his grandfather's body, Jamie goes after him. Jamie is trying to tell him to be strong, and advises Tommen to just "go away inside" your head.

Tommen nods and says."Yes, I used to go away inside whenever Joffey..."

At that point Cersie arrives on the scene and interrupts with sharp correction JOFFREY.

Trebla
Lord of House Mata:

I'm fully in the camp that thinks the woman Jaime saw was Joanna. The comment about Tywin wanting "his son to be a knight and his daughter a Queen" sounds like a slight to me. Jaime has become the most infamous knight in Westeros and Cersei was not a true Queen to Robert. Makes you wonder how things would have turned out if Joanna had survived. And I don't buy the A + J = T and Tywin knowing of it. I don't see Tywin just taking that. In AGoT he tells Tyrion "No man spills the blood of Lannister with impunity". He also tells Tyrion in a ASoS "since I can't prove you are not mine." If it is true, Tywin did not know about it. Suspected, perhaps, but not know for sure.

I think that Kevan did threaten Cersei. He tells her that while he only has 200 men, he has gold. He tells her that Tytos Lannister took care of all his children when he died and Tywin Lannister always rewarded loyal service.

Dolorous Edd
Noble:

Tywin's guards discovered the body in the middle of the night; everyone in the chapter is tired from being awoken; and everyone is shocked. The biggest shock -- discovering that Tywin was screwing Shae (this makes for some funny dialogue). Cersei orders Shae's body removed and threatens to cut out the tongue/kill anyone whoever mentions it again.

Jaime doesn't seem to upset about the death although we only see him for a few moments. He spurns Cersei's offer to be Hand - "a Hand without a hand is a cruel jape indeed" -- and when she says that she will rule until Tommen comes of age, he says "I don't know who I pity more, Tommen or the realm" and she slaps him. Things are definitely different between them. She decides to make Kevan Hand; he also seems to be genuinely crushed that Tywin is dead.

There are worse ways to die than warm and drunk."