I own nothing...but I, like so many of us, need something to make that scene better. How dare he make her cry. HOW DARE HE! So, I give you an alternative.

The Letter

The letter arrived three hours after the news that Daenerys was dead, and that Jaime had killed Cersei in the crypts under the Red Keep. News had not reached them yet of Jon or the armies nor of Jaime's fate.

The rider who launched himself off the old cart horse was young and short, but quick, as he ran to Brienne.

"Ser Brienne?"

She frowned down at the youth, trying to work out if she knew him or not. "Yes."

"He said that I was to find the tallest woman at Winterfell. Said I was to come and find you as soon as news came through about Queen Cersei," the youth touched his hair, "and I heard about it but I couldn't leave straight away. Me dad wouldn't 'ave let me go until I was done with me work. I am sorry, Ser Brienne."

She smiled at him. "Who asked this of you?"

"Ser Jaime." The smile fell of Brienne's face. "He said to tell you, you was a…" Brienne couldn't catch that last word.

"What?"

"Apologies, Ser, me mum would clip me 'round the ear if she heard me say that to a lady…even one who's really a Ser."

"You may say it to me...what is your name?"

The youth dropped his head. "Robert, Ser."

"Hello Robert, you may give me the message without any retribution."

"He said to tell you, you was a w-wench."

Brienne smiled even though she wanted to cry. "Yes, that is Ser Jaime."

"He gave me this," he pulled out a cloth, mostly clean and obviously having been kept safe and out of the way. "He gave me this and told me I was to ride to Winterfell as soon as a rider arrived with news from King's Landing."

"Yes."

"He told me to give it only to you."

Brienne reached out and took the cloth, she could feel something wrapped inside and gently undid the material. A fold of parchment was inside with something bulky hidden within. She took it and held out the material to the youth. He shook his head.

"That was his."

She nodded and wrapped the parchment back up. She reached into her purse and pulled out two coins for the youth.

"Ser Jaime already paid me."

"And I am paying you as well for getting it to me safely. Can I also offer you a meal or some food to take back to your family?" Robert's eyes lit up. "Yes, I will get someone to take you to the food stores."

"Ser, first, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, Robert."

"Can girls…ladies really by knights?"

"Yes, I was knighted before the Hand of Queen Daenerys."

"By Ser Jaime?"

"Yes."

"Is he really the Kingslayer?"

"Yes, but he is much more than that. He saved me and protected me. He fought the Night King's army of the dead."

Robert nodded. "And you're really a knight, I'll have to tell Bonnie, me sister, she likes to play with me old wooden sword."

"I look forward to meeting another lady knight one day."

Robert smiled and dropped his head again. Brienne caught the eye of one of the people going past and asked them to take Robert to collect some food from the stores to take home. He thanked her again and rushed off behind the girl.

Brienne felt the weight of the material in her hand and pulled it close to her stomach as she walked towards her chamber. She hoped that no one would appear to delay her and prayed that she wouldn't have to open the parchment. Jaime must have left it at the farm before he set off South…after their confrontation in the yards…after he chose to leave her. She found herself desperate to know what he had said and afraid to read the words. She sat before her fire and set her shoulders before she opened the parchment. A pendant, a heavy gold lion's head on a gold chain, fell into her lap and she picked it up, surprised when the eyes glinted green in the firelight.

She put the heavy pendant down into her lap and smoothed out the parchment.

Ser Brienne of Tarth,
For you to have received this I have hopefully achieved my goal.
I left this morning because I am not the good man that you believe I am but I would like to be. For you. For myself. So that I could hopefully come back to Winterfell and you knowing that I have stopped a tyrant. When I killed the Mad King I did it to protect people. When I helped my sister take the throne, when I did all of things I told you about, I did them for her. When I left to come to the North, I did it for you and for me and to protect people but I left Cersei behind knowing what she is. I am the only person who really knows what she is capable of because I helped her get to the throne and I have helped her do so many terrible things. Just as she helped me do terrible things.
I left this morning to try and help them stop Cersei because I helped her be where she is right now and I can't live with that.
I hope to come back to you but if I do not this Lannister pendant will provide you with assistance and safe passage in any Lannister land.
Goodbye.

Brienne picked the pendant back up and looked at it in the firelight again before slipping it over her head and under her mail. Then she stood and returned to her duties, the letter tucked under her pillow.

The End