Teaser
"Brienne Tarth speaking."
"I call you every night before I go to sleep, Brienne, and you still don't recognize my number?"
"...Jaime?"
"Do you have somebody else who calls you every night before they go to sleep?"
"Of course not, you idiot! But why are you calling now?"
"Maybe I missed the sound of your voice."
"You're right next door!"
"And I'm bored—oh. Hello."
Jaime looks impossibly handsome sitting behind his desk and his smile is teasingly charming in response to her glare. His smile only widens as they both lower their phones.
"You could have just walked to my office!"
"Where's the fun in that?" He tosses the phone on the desk and leans back in his chair. "Entertain me."
Brienne rolls her eyes, turns on her heels and stomps back to her office, ignoring Bronna and Sam's amused and interested stares. She also ignores Jaime following close behind.
"We definitely need to work on your ability to recognize a double entendre," Jaime says cheerfully.
"You are so annoying," she mutters.
"And yet so endearing."
She grits her teeth and forcibly stops herself from growling. "I am actually working, Jaime!"
"Really?" he says brightly and throws himself into one of the chairs facing her desk. "And you're not sharing? What are you working on?"
"One of those insurance fraud cases you find so boring," she snaps.
"Oh," he says, disappointed. He frowns then sighs. "Never let it be said I'm not a team player." He leans forward. "Is there something I can do to help?"
Brienne raises an eyebrow. "You really are bored."
He smirks. "At least at the moment, and if an insurance fraud case is all we have, well—"
They hear a discreet chime as the main door to their offices opens. They straighten, listening to the low murmur of voices as Bronna greets their visitor.
Their eyes meet, and Brienne knows the gleam she sees in Jaime's eyes is reflected in her own.
"Saved by the bell," Jaime murmurs.
They stare at each other for another suspended moment, then both explode into motion as they race for her office door.
*/*/*/*/*
They manage to revert to a dignified pace by the time they come into view of the front desk, and their eyes widen when they recognize their visitor.
"Dany," Jaime says as he shakes her hand, "this is a surprise!"
"Jaime, it's good to see you," Daenerys Targaryen says with a strained smile as she turns and shakes Brienne's hand. "And you as well, Brienne."
"I didn't expect to see you again so soon," Brienne says.
"Well, the work you did a couple of weeks ago on that case in Lannisport impressed me a great deal, and it got me thinking."
"Oh?" Brienne says with a frown. "About what?"
Daenerys glances at Bronna and an obviously star-struck Sam and Brienne quickly says, "These are our most trusted associates, Bronna Stokeworth and Sam Tarly. You can speak freely in front of them but if you'd like, we can go into the boardroom."
Dany gives Sam and Bronna a distracted smile then frowns. "Bronna Stokeworth? Weren't you engaged to Joffrey Baratheon?"
Bronna rolls her eyes. "Unfortunately."
A smile flits across Dany's face. "Well, I see he's engaged himself to that Stark girl who was with him in Lannisport—"
"What?" Brienne sputters. "When?"
Daenerys shrugs. "I saw a raven about it on my Rookery feed while I was on the way here."
"Oh, gods," Bronna groans.
"Well," Jaime says briskly, "be that as it may, I somehow doubt you came here to tell us about their engagement, as ill-conceived as it may be."
"True," Dany says.
"So, why are you here?" Brienne says.
"I want you to solve a murder."
Brienne and Jaime exchange a startled look, memories of Jon Arryn flitting through their minds.
"Yours?" Jaime asks.
Dany's eyes widen. "What? Of course not! I'm talking about my brother's wife, Elia."
*/*/*/*/*
Daenerys looks grimly determined as Jaime places a cup of coffee in front of her before he sits beside Brienne across the boardroom table.
Dany thanks him and says, "I suspect you both already know the general details of Elia's death."
Jaime and Brienne exchange glances and Brienne slowly says, "I believe I do, yes."
Dany's smile is fleeting. "Of course," she murmurs. "You're the one who found Rhaegar's son."
Brienne's smile is just as fleeting. "Technically, I found Jon's father."
Jaime raises an eyebrow. "Would either of you care to enlighten me?"
Dany smiles and Brienne thinks she truly is incredibly beautiful.
Dany says, "I'm sorry, Jaime. This is a subject that is very painful in my family and is held very close to our hearts. Not that I know much, of course." She takes a deep breath. "You know of my brother, Rhaegar?"
"Of course. Star of stage and screen, largely considered to be the best actor of his generation, on the verge of superstardom until—oh."
Dany nods. "'Oh' is right. I believe his career would have survived the scandal of his affair with the Stark girl, but not poor Elia…" She pauses for a moment, lifting her cup to her lips with a trembling hand. She takes a sip of coffee then gives them a determined smile. "I don't really know why it bothers me so much; I was only about a year old when she was killed. Mayhaps it's because I've only ever known my brother as the ruined man he became beneath the weight of grief and suspicion. I think I weep more for what might have been than out of any true grief for a woman I never knew." She shakes her head then she lifts her chin with a determined air and continues.
"Twenty-six years ago, my brother's wife, Elia, was murdered in an incredibly brutal way. Suspicion, naturally, fell upon Rhaegar: he was Elia's husband; he was having an affair with Lyanna Stark, the younger sister of Eddard Stark, the current Chief of Police; Rhaegar's only alibi for the time of the murder was Lyanna's word, and not long after, Lyanna herself disappeared…and, of course, there's our father's history." She grimaces. "There was also a substantial life insurance policy. The Gold Cloaks' theory was Rhaegar wanted to marry Lyanna but knew he would end up paying Elia a large amount of alimony. He wanted a new wife, a new life, and all of his money, so he simply decided murder was easier than divorce."
Jaime frowns. "And you want us to prove your brother innocent?"
"I want you to discover the truth. I believe my brother is innocent…but Rhaegar didn't want me to come here and Viserys is even more adamant that I shouldn't reopen old wounds. They say it's been twenty-five years and we should let Elia sleep in peace in the arms of the Stranger." She sighs. "And with our father's history…I simply can't help but have doubts. While I would love if you proved Rhaegar innocent…what I truly want is to finally know."
*/*/*/*/*
A/N: I don't think I'm the first one to use ravens/Rookery as a stand-in for tweets/Twitter…but I can't remember if or where I saw it. So generic shout-out to whoever came up with it first and I hope you don't mind that I've borrowed it. :)