This is the free cities AU that I kept putting off writing. It will be multi-chapter, I'm not sure how many chapters maybe 7 or 8? This can be read as a continuation of my fic "A Lannister always pays his debts". If you don't want to read that one I'll sum it up here. Tyrion brought Jaime and Cersei back to life and sent them on their way to Pentos, giving them new names of Janus and Anna so that they would not be found out. Tyrion and Cersei had a heartfelt moment before they got on the boat. She apologized for the way she had been treating him their whole life. Then Jaime and Cersei sailed off to their new life.

There is only one pair of paddles in the dinghy. Cersei looks at Jaime expectantly. He holds his stump up, as his golden hand had been unfortunately sold by Tyrion to bring them back. Cersei sighs and grabs the paddles and begins rowing. The sun is setting, but they are in luck for once. The moon is full tonight and it lights the way. The path to Pentos is a straight forward one, they need only have enough light to be able to make sure they hit no rocks on the way.

Hours passed with only the sound of waves to break the silence. Neither knew what to say. Jaime was happy that she and Tyrion finally had come to peace, but there were a million other thoughts swirling in his mind. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her knowing that she had ordered his death.

Cersei was wondering if Jaime knew that she had ordered his death. No, surely he didn't know or he would never have come back for her. There must be another reason for his silence. He was probably tired, in spite of their almost eternal slumber. Did being dead even count as sleeping? She supposed it must, for she had felt quite exhausted before her death, yet now she felt more awake than ever. She wasn't sure however how long this feeling would last, perhaps it was all the excitement and she would soon again feel exhausted. Still, no matter how awake she now felt she would need to sleep eventually. Didn't it take a day or perhaps two to make it to Pentos? How would they manage?

"Jaime, doesn't it take about a day or two to make it from Kings Landing to Pentos? How will I sleep if I have to row this whole time?"

"Actually, it takes about three to five days."

"Three to five days! Are you certain? I cannot row for that long! How in seven hells did Tyrion think we could make it to Pentos? I would say he sent us off to our deaths, but he surely wouldn't have brought us back just for us to die. Or would he have? Perhaps I was too quick to forgive him!"

Jaime sighed, "Don't go acting that way again. There are small islands along the way. I'm sure he intends for us to stop and rest at them before making it to Pentos."

"Small islands? Why do I know nothing of these islands?" she asked suspiciously.

"Tyrion knows of these Islands I'm sure. You know how much he's studied maps."

"Studied maps?"

"Yes. Maps. You know, the things with landscapes drawn on them?"

"That is rather funny. I've done plenty of my own studying of maps. You know how father was. Never would let me see the world no. But determined he was that I know all of it. There are no such islands on the map."

Jaime sighed. He'd messed up claiming the islands had been on maps. Now they had barely begun on their journey and were already arguing and it wasn't even about anything important. This was going to be a long trip.

Annoyed at her brother's silence she continued, "So why have I not heard of such islands? They are certainly not on any maps. So please dear brother do tell me if there are such islands, why are they not on any map?"

"Perhaps because they are small and uninhabited. They are more patches of land than islands, to be honest. But they will allow us to rest for the night."

"Small patches of land. How quaint. And how do you know of these little patches of land?"

"I just know." He didn't want to admit that after her marriage to Robert he still had hoped she would run away with him. He didn't want to admit that the times he had asked for permission to go to Pentos hadn't been for leisure. It had been to study the route. To learn just how two people alone could make it to Pentos. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing it hadn't been a spur of the moment thing when he had asked her to run away with him all those years ago.

"You just know eh? Well great for you. I suppose you'll direct me which direction I should head then?"

"Of course. Just head straight for now. Then you will see a patch of land. But It should be a long while until then."

"How long of a while?"

"About fifteen to eighteen hours. Depends how fast you can row."

"Eighteen hours?!" she sighed in frustration before another thought occurred to her. "What of food?" she asked concerned.

"It's already been four or more I'm sure." It had been barely two, but they had no way of knowing that. "And It looks as if Tyrion gave us a fishing net and some water jugs. Perhaps there is more food in this here," he said gesturing to a small bag in the boat.

"I certainly hope so."

It was some time before Cersei spoke again. "It seems risky to stop at any land no matter how small."

"We don't have a choice. I'll hide the boat well as I can. I'm going to get you to safety. You, me, the baby."

"The baby...I still haven't felt the baby kick since..." her voice broke.

Jaime placed a reassuring hand on her knee. He wished he could take her in his arms and wipe away the tears that had started to flow down her beautiful face. "We will get you to a maester as soon as we get to Pentos."

"It may be too late then."

"You haven't bled, have you?"

"No. But the baby could be dead inside me. The witch said..."

Jaime stopped her there. "The witch said? Fuck that old hag she probably made it all up."

"How? She couldn't have known I'd have three children. Couldn't have known they would be mine, not Roberts. That they would all die. Though she was wrong about one thing..."

She trailed off leaving Jaime to wonder what she meant. He had never wanted to hear the prophecy and could never understand her obsession with it. Nonetheless, It would certainly be easier to talk about than the other things they needed to discuss. "What was the witch wrong about?"

"He said that the valonqar would kill me."

"Valonqar?"

"It's High Valyrian. It means little brother."

"Little brother...wait...is that why you've always hated Tyrion so?" Talking about Tyrion might be a good thing. Her tears had stopped flowing at least and he was curious just how sincere her apology to their little brother had been. Did she really regret how she had treated him all these years? He'd always thought even as cruel as Cersei could be that even she couldn't have hated Tyrion just for killing their mother. He had been just an infant after all. Her embarrassment over him being a dwarf didn't seem enough of reason either for her hatred of him. He'd long ago suspected there had been more to her hatred but could never quite figure out what. Over time he had come to wonder if maybe Tyrion was right about her. Maybe she was even more hateful then he thought and he was just blind to it because of his love for her.

"In part yes. I mean I still hated that he killed our mother and I hated that he was a disgusting little imp. I don't mean just his size, I mean how lecherous he always was. And greedy. Always so greedy. Even as a child, he used to try to take my toys always. My stuffed lion especially! Yours too of course but you never seemed to mind."

Jaime smiled at her sadly. "I never minded because I knew why he did it."

"Why?"

"Father. Father never gave him any toys of his own. Never paid him any mind. I was all he had and those toys put a smile on his face for however brief."

"Father. I think the longer he is dead the more I grow to hate him."

He was surprised at this revelation. "Hate father? You hated our father?"

"Not while he lived. But after he died. I thought a lot about everything he had done. Everything more he would have done. He never cared about me. I was a broodmare to him. Used for securing House Lannister's bloodline into the Throne."

"Well, so much for that."

To his surprise, Cersei actually smiled at that. "If only father could see us now."

"He would be rolling over in his grave if he could," Jaime agreed.

"My last words to him were when I told him about us. I nearly thought he would die right then from the shock. Perhaps he would have later succumbed if Tyrion hadn't..."

"Well, I'm glad he found out before he died. I always wanted to tell him."

"But you never did," she replied accusatorily.

"No. I didn't." Why was she angry? She never had wanted him to tell their father. Had she?

Some more time passed, the two both silent and lost in their own thoughts. A low rumbling was heard. "Was that me?" Jaime asked.

"I think it was me. I didn't realize until now how hungry I was. Also...I have to make water. How am I to do that here?" She had never wished more then she did in that moment that she was a man.

"Hold it?"

She looked at him as if he truly was the stupidest Lannister, "Hold it?! Hold it! For twelve or more hours? Really Jaime even you should..."

He cut in before she could finish her probably rude comment, "I'll find something for you to go in." He looked at what was on the boat. One of their three water jugs has only a third of the water left. It may have been foolish but they agreed that they would quickly finish it and she would use that.

Once Cersei relieved herself and they got the boat back on course Jaime more closely looked at the food in the bag. Tyrion had provided, but it wasn't much. He would have to catch some fish when they made it to land. "There isn't much in the way of food. Just some day-old bread, dried apples, and carrots. You should have it all. You need your strength to row."

"You need yours too. You were bleeding before..."

"It's all healed now. Though I seem to have quite the scar."

"Well, how do you propose I eat? Should I just let us drift again?"

"Or I could feed you."

"I suppose that would work better. As tired as my arms are getting I'd rather make it to shore sooner rather than later."

"Alright then. What would you like first?"

"I suppose some apples."

He fed her some of the apples. As he did he couldn't help but remember the last time he had fed her. They had been in bed. and he had fed her strawberries dipped in honey and the night had ended in pure bliss. There would be no such antics now, in this dinghy he could barely reach in front of her mouth to feed her. Not that he planned to do anything if they had more room. He was still conflicted about things. Besides that, they needed to get to safety. Still, he couldn't hide his happiness as he thought of that night. He had spent much time licking the honey off of her.

His happiness didn't go unnoticed by Cersei. "What are you smiling about?"

He wasn't going to let her know that he was reminiscing about them. Not yet. Not until she explained why in seven hells she had ordered his death. "I was just thinking of when we get to the free cities. Of how we will be able to have any food we want. They say the free cities have even more of a selection then Westeros."

"Really? I've not heard that. I suppose we will have to see."

Before long she had enough of the apples and asked for some bread. He broke that apart too and fed it to her. When she had her fill of that he offered her some of the carrots. She declined. She had never been fond of those so he figured he would eat some of them. There was still some left as well as some bread and apples if she got hungry before they made it to land.

A bit more time passed before Cersei broke the silence. It wasn't like Jaime to be so quiet, especially after any amount of time spent away from her. He should be full of words right now. They had just died after all! Perhaps he did know about her order to have him killed, but then why hadn't he mentioned it?

"You're rather quiet," she commented.

"I've nothing to say."

"You normally have a lot to say."

"Well if you hadn't noticed there is nothing at all normal about this situation."

"No I suppose there isn't," she replied dryly.

More time passed. Cersei was starting to get tired. She wondered just how much time had passed and asked Jaime. He did not know either but expects it is long enough that the sun should be rising soon. The silence is driving her mad. She desperately wishes Jaime would say something, anything at all.

Yet more time passed before Cersei once again broke the silence. "Tell me of the war."

"There isn't much to tell."

"Isn't much to tell? You fought a war against undead creatures. With a mad Targaryen and a dragon. Surely there is something."

"What do you want to know?"

"I suppose everything. How was the Night King defeated? Who fought? Who died? I'm bored Jaime. Think of it as your debt to pay."

"My debt to pay?"

"For being useless right now. For me being pregnant yet having to do all the work."

He wanted to protest. He had come back for her after all. She would still be dead under the Red Keep if it hadn't have been for him. Tyrion cared enough to bring him back, but her he had only brought back for him. However, telling her all of this would just cause an argument and he was tired of that. Besides that, she was right in a way. It was she, not he who would ensure they got to Pentos. He would be lucky if he could even manage to catch fish for them to eat. "Fair enough. Where should I begin?"

"I guess at the beginning. Tell me of your journey first. We have plenty of time after all." Did you consider riding back was what she really wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

With that, he began to tell her all about his journey north. As he talked Cersei would occasionally interrupt to ask something. At some point very shortly after he begins his story, the sun comes up, but by then the two are so engrossed in talking that they barely notice. He tells her a lot of mundane things, like about the terrible meals most of the inns served and she seems interested in hearing it all. He also made sure to tell her the bits she would find amusing, such as the time two cats made it into his room at the inn. He had come back from supper that evening and found them mating on his bed. He wasn't sure if it was because of that, or because the weather had gotten colder with winter coming, but he had not left a window open since.

It wasn't long until he progressed to telling her about the battle and his time in the North. He leaves out one minor, or perhaps not so minor detail in all his stories, his relationship with Brienne of Tarth. It wasn't that he feared her reaction, though he certainly did, but he couldn't risk upsetting her now. For the sake of their baby he vowed to refrain from any upsetting topics until they made it to Pentos and she saw a maester. Regardless of that telling her while she was rowing a tiny boat would not be wise. If she tried to hit him with one of the paddles, which he thought fairly likely, then the boat might tip and they would be in quite a huge mess.

He was rather enjoying telling her of his time in the North. Talking to her like this he was happy, truly happy for the first time in a long time. He knew he had her full attention and he wasn't going to lie it felt damn nice. He was almost disappointed when he spotted the small patch of land in the distance.

Probably you can't row a dingy across the sea but the boat Jaime was looking at before fighting Euron was definitely a dingy and looked to have oars in it. Nonetheless, I have a plan for future chapters so they won't be rowing all the way to Essos. Please review!