Title: Disengagement
Author: turtle_paced
Rating: R / Mature
Genre: Drama
Status: Complete
Library Category: ASOIAF
Pairings: N/A
Summary: The killing of Mad King Aerys Targaryen by person or persons unknown worked out well for virtually everyone, including Jaime Lannister. Disgraced for failing his king (if only they knew) and tasked with protecting no-longer-a-Princess Rhaenys Targaryen until she can be wed to Robert’s eldest legitimate son (whenever Robert gets around to producing one), Jaime must go north with the Starks (a prickly, judgmental lot) to look after her. Cold, bored, and guarding a five-year-old, Jaime might yet learn to be a truly honourable knight – but even far from King's Landing and Cersei, his dangerous secrets might catch up with him. Worse, his aren't the only dangerous secrets in the North…
Link: AO3

This is a Jaime Lannister-centric AU which diverges with 1) Princess Rhaenys' survival, and 2) Jaime being exiled to the North after the Sack of King's Landing. The story follows their (not-romantic) relationship, with a backdrop of the Starks and Cersei occasionally getting the spotlight.

As stories go, it's a tightly knit narrative focused more on the relationships and how it's tested by the scenario the author has chosen rather than some massive world-shattering change to canon---but it works extremely well for what it tries to accomplish.

5/5

 

It's 16 out of 17 chapters, and honestly, by how things have ended, I'm left to believe all that hasn't been posted is an Epilogue summarizing everything that happens afterwards OR a scene showing how the beginning of canon might have changed. None of those would add all that much value I don't think, so I'm happy to call this complete. It doesn't really leave much in terms of loose ends with respect to Jaime and Rhaenys' relationship.