"Stay with me. Please."
Brienne's hands cradled his face as Jaime's heart broke into a million pieces. Jaime knew it was the right decision to leave Winterfell, but for the first time began to feel doubt. As he rode off into the night he forced himself to put her out of his mind and focus on the task ahead of him. He had been cagey to Brienne about his reasons for leaving, but he knew in his heart that once he saw his sister again he would be repulsed. After spending several nights in bed with the only woman who ever knew the real him, he knew he could never go back to Cersei. His sister knew him as she wanted him to be, but Brienne saw the Jaime he really was, the man he could have been if he had not been born into this cursed family. He only hoped Brienne could forgive him for what he had just done.
As he rode into King's Landing, saddlesore and covered in road dust, Jaime gave himself a pep talk. "Don't listen to her. Don't let her convince you of her lies. And for gods sake don't let her take off your pants." While Jaime was fairly certain he wouldn't be convinced to come back to her, he knew his behavior with Cersei was one of an addict's. He was risking a relapse and he knew it.
Opening her chamber door, he saw Cersei silhouetted against the sky as she looked out the window. Glass of wine in hand, she looked over her shoulder and greeted him. "Hello, brother."
"You don't seem surprised to see me," Jaime replied.
"I knew you couldn't stay away," she said. "But how did you get past Ser Gregor?"
Jaime shook his head. "I saw him running down the stairwell, grumbling something about 'Cleganebowl'. He seemed to be in quite a hurry and barely registered my presence."
"Clegane-what?" Cersei asked. Jaime shrugged."Right then. I suppose you're here to kill me." Cersei set her wine glass on a table as she moved toward her brother. "I had hoped to spend many more days looking out my window, but alas. The prophecy must be fulfilled."
Jaime swallowed. This was too easy. Where was the trickery? The ambush? He slowly pulled his dagger from its scabbard, looking around for hidden dangers.
"I have come to terms with this, dear brother," Cersei said. "I knew as soon as you left that you were the one who was to kill me." Still, Jaime hesitated.
"What about the baby?" He asked.
"Not real, never was," she replied. "A ploy, to get you to stay with me, which clearly didn't work." She paused, and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him in a smirk he'd seen many times over. "Do you still need motivation? Must I do everything in this family?" She sighed. "Fine. Cousin Lancel was a better lover than you ever were. Easily."
And with that, Jaime felt a fiery jealousy that his incestual addiction brought forth. With a grimace and cry of emotional pain he drove his dagger into his sister's heart, killing her instantly. Before he could register what he had just done Jaime fled the Queen's chambers, mounted his horse, and rode back to Winterfell faster than he thought possible.
As Jaime neared Winterfell's gates, a series of emotions clamored for his attention. He had just killed his sister and lover, the Queen. He was now a Queenslayer. Yes it was for the greater good, but was he still an honorable man? Could Brienne forgive him for leaving, and could she still see him as worthy of redemption? His doubts threatened to overtake him but he remained steadfast knowing that if he didn't pursue this, he could lose the only woman who he truly ever loved.
Jaime dismounted his horse and strode through the castle, looking for his lady love. He was exhausted from riding but knew he could not rest until he knew he had Brienne back on his side. He found her in the halls arguing with Podrick about whether armor can be wildfyre-proofed. Brienne was mid sentence when Podrick spotted Jaime and stared. ". . . And I want to see about more flexible armor while we're at it. Pod, are you listening?" She turned to see what he was staring at and gave a little "oh" when she noticed Jaime. "Podrick, leave us."
"Yes, Ser Brienne," Podrick scurried down the hall faster than was considered polite. Jaime opened his mouth to speak but Brienne rounded on him. "How DARE you. How dare you come back here after what you did. I trusted you!"
She scowled and clenched her fists as if to punch him, but Jaime could see tears in her eyes and knew he had hurt her deeply.
"Brienne."
"Not here!" She grabbed him by the shirt collar and practically threw him into an adjacent room. He should have known— Brienne was an intensely private person and wouldn't want to have this conversation in front of all of Winterfell. With the door now shut, Jaime tried again.
With his head hung, Jaime pleaded, "Brienne, I don't know what to say. I am deeply sorry for ever having betrayed your trust. You deserve better than that." He snuck a look up at her. She frowned, but said nothing. He continued, "I knew I had to leave to stop Cersei, but wasn't sure if I would make it back alive. I thought it would be better to pull a Harry and the Hendersons on you and push you away."
Brienne cocked her head to the side. "A Harry and the what?"
Jaime shrugged, then continued, "I killed my sister. King's Landing is safe from her tyranny now. I came back hoping that you'll take me back and -maybe- still find me to be an honorable man."
Brienne's frown softened and she unclenched her fists.
"Brienne, I think so highly of you. No, more than that. I love you and I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world. I have such a deep respect for you that I need to know— am I redeemed?"
"You're a fool," Brienne said flatly. "Of course you're redeemed. We haven't spent 8 seasons on a redemption arc for you for nothing." "
"A redemption what?" Jaime asked. Brienne shrugged.
Confused, Jaime decided the best thing to do would be to kiss her. He looked into her sapphire eyes and still saw tears but hoped they were tears of joy. He leaned in for a kiss but stopped. There was one more thing that needed to be done. He pulled off his golden hand and let it clatter to ground. Brienne cupped his face in her hands and went in for the kiss. He felt the passion in her kiss and knew he was forgiven everything. He returned her kiss with enthusiasm, suddenly finding that all his weariness had fled his body. She ran her fingers through his hair and gave a small groan that incited a telltale stirring in his breeches.
"Brienne," he breathed.
"Ungh?" She pulled back but her eyes were unfocused.
He missed her lips on his and compensated by sprinkling kisses down her neck, feeling her pulse race beneath his mouth. He gave a little nip where neck meets shoulder and she cried out in pleasure. The sound made his knees go weak and his left hand begin to roam from her waist up the small of her back. She began to untie his tunic while simultaneously tugging her own over her head.
"Brienne" Jaime breathed again, more insistently this time. She paused to look in his eyes, questioning. "Brienne, I want to shag you senseless, over and over until you see stars, but I think I'm supposed to say something about lemons at this point." Brienne sighed, frustrated. "Lemons, Jaime? What are you on about!" Jaime shrugged and returned to the important work of getting them both naked so they could hurry up and live happily ever after.
The End
