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LChris24

Whatever He Chose: Jaime Lannister's Entry in the White Book (Spoilers Extended)

EXTENDED

After becoming returning to King's Landing, Jaime continues his entry in the White Book aka the Book of Brothers. His entry was started by Gerold Hightower and then continued by Barristan Selmy.

I thought it would be interesting to look at a few things surrounding Jaime's entry in the book such as what was excluded, what could be added later and some of the events surrounding it.

#The Entry

Gerold Hightower's section on Jaime

Jaime's own page was scant by comparison.

Ser Jaime of House Lannister. Firstborn son of Lord Tywin and Lady Joanna of Casterly Rock. Served against the Kingswood Brotherhood as squire to Lord Summer Crakehall. Knighted in his 15th year by Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard, for valor in the field. Chosen for the Kingsguard in his 15th year by King Aerys II Targaryen.

As Gerold was not around for the sack, I assume that Gerold's portion stops there. Jaime thinks Gerold could have included some more things such as his feats against the Kingswood Brotherhood and the Smiling Knight

And Ser Gerold might have written a few more words about the deeds he'd performed when Ser Arthur Dayne broke the Kingswood Brotherhood. He had saved Lord Sumner's life as Big Belly Ben was about to smash his head in, though the outlaw had escaped him. And he'd held his own against the Smiling Knight, though it was Ser Arthur who slew him. What a fight that was, and what a foe. The Smiling Knight was a madman, cruelty and chivalry all jumbled up together, but he did not know the meaning of fear. And Dayne, with Dawn in hand . . . The outlaw's longsword had so many notches by the end that Ser Arthur had stopped to let him fetch a new one. "It's that white sword of yours I want," the robber knight told him as they resumed, though he was bleeding from a dozen wounds by then. "Then you shall have it, ser," the Sword of the Morning replied, and made an end of it. -ASOS, Jaime VIII

Gerold also fails to mention that Jaime won his first tourney melee at 13:

A gift you want desperately, wench, and can never have. "I earned my knighthood. Nothing was given to me. I won a tourney mêlée at thirteen, when I was yet a squire. At fifteen, I rode with Ser Arthur Dayne against the Kingswood Brotherhood, and he knighted me on the battlefield. It was that white cloak that soiled me, not the other way around. So spare me your envy. It was the gods who neglected to give you a cock, not me." -ASOS, Jaime II

Barristan's Section

Barristan's section probably begins with the end of Robert's Rebellion:

During the Sack of King's Landing, slew King Aerys II at the foot of the Iron Throne. Thereafter known as the "Kingslayer." Pardoned for his crime by King Robert I Baratheon. Served in the honor guard that brought his sister the Lady Cersei Lannister to King's Landing to wed King Robert. Champion in the tourney held at King's Landing on the occasion of their wedding.

While it seems Barristan left out some events as well:

Summed up like that, his life seemed a rather scant and mingy thing. Ser Barristan could have recorded a few of his other tourney victories, at least. -ASOS, Jaime VIII

And while its possible he stayed back and guarded Joffrey/Cersei, I would assume that Jaime took part in defeating the Ironborn during Balon Greyjoy's First Rebellion. He was at the Tourney of Lannisport to celebrate the victory (broke 9 lances against Jorah) which could indicate he was there as well.

Jaime's Entry

Jaime sat alone at the table while the shadows crept across the room. As dusk began to settle, he lit a candle and opened the White Book to his own page. Quill and ink he found in a drawer. Beneath the last line Ser Barristan had entered, he wrote in an awkward hand that might have done credit to a six-year-old being taught his first letters by a maester:

Defeated in the Whispering Wood by the Young Wolf Robb Stark during the War of the Five Kings. Held captive at Riverrun and ransomed for a promise unfulfilled. Captured again by the Brave Companions, and maimed at the word of Vargo Hoat their captain, losing his sword hand to the blade of Zollo the Fat. Returned safely to King's Landing by Brienne, the Maid of Tarth.

When he was done, more than three-quarters of his page still remained to be filled between the gold lion on the crimson shield on top and the blank white shield at the bottom. Ser Gerold Hightower had begun his history, and Ser Barristan Selmy had continued it, but the rest Jaime Lannister would need to write for himself. He could write whatever he chose, henceforth.

Whatever he chose . . . -ASOS, Jaime IX

Jamie also left out some of his own feats as well.

He smashed the River lords pretty good in the Battle in the Hills below the Gold Tooth and took Edmure captive in the Battle Under the Walls of Riverrun

"Your brother has been covering himself with glory," his father said. "He smashed the Lords Vance and Piper at the Golden Tooth, and met the massed power of the Tullys under the walls of Riverrun. The lords of the Trident have been put to rout. Ser Edmure Tully was taken captive, with many of his knights and bannermen. Lord Blackwood led a few survivors back to Riverrun, where Jaime has them under siege. The rest fled to their own strongholds." -AGOT, Tyrion VII

He also stands vigil for Lord Tywin/attends the honor guard as they leave the city:

Under the Great Sept's lofty dome of glass and gold and crystal, Lord Tywin Lannister's body rested upon a stepped marble bier. At its head Jaime stood at vigil, his one good hand curled about the hilt of a tall golden greatsword whose point rested on the floor. -AFFC, Cersei II

#"Whatever he chose"

While he is standing vigil Jaime thinks this about the White Book:

The White Book would be waiting when this vigil was done, his page open in dumb reproach. I'll hack the bloody book to pieces before I'll fill it full of lies. Yet if he would not lie, what could he write but truth?

A woman stood before him. -AFFC, Jaime I

Which leads to one of the more interesting "dreams" in the entire series.

But since that time Jaime has been involved in a few more things that can be added to the White Book:

Siege of Riverrun

Something like this (obviously there are more details but I am attempting to make it concise enough for an entry in the book:

Bloodlessly took Riverrun and its lord Edmure Tully captive, while allowing Brynden Tully to escape.

Siege of Raventree Hall

Resolves the Bracken siege of Raventree Hall and took wards for the crown

Searching for the Hound

According to anyone who last saw him, Jaime disappeared with Brienne looking for the Hound/Sansa, so Im assuming as of now it would be something like this:

Disappeared with Brienne, the Maid of Tarth searching for the outlaw Sandor Clegane

As most characters do not know that the "Hound" is now a legacy character.

That is the furthest I think we can get from a "confirmed" basis. Obviously once you start to speculate there are a few things that could end up in the book for Jaime (some are much more likely than others):

TLDR: Thoughts on exclusions, things that need to be added and some things that could be added to Jaime Lannister's entry in the White Book.

Posted Aug 13, 2020, 1:10 PM UTC

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