Notes: Hello Braime fandom. We took quite a sh*t-kicking in eps 4.5-6 but I've been blown away by how supportive this community is.
This fic was born from my "Unsent Letters to Brienne" series on tumblr. They started as a joke of what was going through Jaime's head in s7/8 and I concluded with an unsent letter from Brienne which teared me up.
Hopefully you enjoy this little idea I made in order to help explain some of the stuff that happened this season and Jaime's seemingly 180 character turnaround.
Forgive any grammar errors, etc. It went from idea to internet without much editing.
Ok, I'll stop rambling and let you read :)
~x~
"M'lady Ser, this letter came for you from Winterfell," says the former squire as he pops in through the stone archway.
Ser Brienne of Tarth is seated at an elegantly carved wooden table within her chambers. She takes the letter from Pod as he approaches, giving it a curious look. "Thank you, Ser Podrick," she answers, turning the scroll over in her hands. The parchment is worn and there's no seal to indicate its sender.
"I'm to relay a message as well," continues Pod, "apparently it was found in your former chambers at the castle, M'lady Ser."
Suddenly there's a pit in Brienne's stomach. Somehow, she already knows exactly who the mystery author is.
Pod slowly begins to back away as the lady knight delicately unrolls the parchment.
Dear Brienne,
I hope that this letter finds you should something happen to me in the wake of the upcoming events. Please know that I never wished to hurt you.
I hope you can forgive me for what I have done, but at the very least I need you to know why I made the choices I did. The child Cersei carries in her belly does not get to choose the world it is born into. Perhaps if I can sway Cersei's mind, that world can be a peaceful one. But for now, it is filled with madness and hatred. And that is why I must go. If there is a chance that I can help those who have not asked for this war, like the babes in their mothers' wombs, then I must try.
Brienne, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Believe no one who tries to tell you otherwise. You allowed me to live a life of love and happiness, even if it was only for a short time. The promises we made to each other that night underneath the Heart Tree were sincere. 'I am yours, as you are mine. From this day until the end of my days.' I meant every word.
Love always,
Jaime
Brienne feels like the world has stopped. What she holds in her hands are the words of a ghost. Yet, she can almost hear his soft voice and the way he would have spoken the words to her tenderly, brimming with love.
Her hands begin to tremble, her lower lip quivers. Tears form within her eyes. Since the news of his death, she has lived in disbelief. Disbelief in the fact that he could have just left her after the love they had shared. Still, doubt had crept into her mind and would haunt her dreams nonetheless. She had tried to push those cruel thoughts aside when she recounted his achievements in the White Book, but the task had only managed to shatter her heart further.
But now– this letter, his very last words to her, had been his way of reassuring Brienne that she was the one he loved most. Her mind could finally be at ease.
"M'lady Ser, is it – is it from him?" speaks Pod softly, taking a cautious step back into the room.
His voice draws Brienne back to reality. Grief overcomes her as she lets a tear fall. She nods solemnly. "Does anyone know about that night under the Heart Tree?" she asks him quietly, with a shaky voice.
"No M'lady Ser, I have not told a soul. Though Maester Tarly has it written in his books." Pod's brow furrows with concern. "Are you alright, M'lady Ser?"
Finally Brienne drags her gaze away from the letter finding Pod's brown eyes filled with sympathy on her behalf. "When Ser Jaime first left, I held so much anger in my heart," she says, regret thick in her voice. "I felt that as he rode off that night, he also rode away with the one thing I have always wanted."
Pod gives the lady knight a curious look. "And what's that M'lady Ser, if you don't mind my asking?"
"A family, Ser Podrick." Brienne's sapphire eyes glisten with her shimmery tears.
"A family?" questions Pod, perplexed. "I thought you didn't like fancy dresses and acting all lady-like."
She smiles affectionately at her apprentice. "No man has ever seen me as anything more than an a brute of a woman. Disgust has always been twisted on the faces of those who look upon me. And every gaze has been hastily averted. That was, until Ser Jaime came into my life. My heart shattered when he told me he would not stay. I didn't understand. My one chance at happiness had left with him that night. But this," she shakes the letter lightly, "this is everything."
"I know you loved Ser Jaime, M'lady Ser, and no one can ever replace him in your heart, but if it is a family you truly desire, well, you gave up any chance at that when you pledged yourself to the Kingsguard." Pod has always respected his mentor, wishing nothing but the very best for her.
"Pod," Brienne smiles, "I made a vow to Ser Jaime that night. From this day until the end of my days. I intend to keep my oath just as he kept his."
Pod smiles with an understanding nod and takes his cue to duck out of her chambers, leaving the lady knight alone to grieve over the love of her life.
Brienne turns back to the letter. She places it on the table before her, her touch lingering upon the signature at the bottom. Jaime. Her heart feels heavy in her chest.
She then decides what it is she must do. Brienne reaches for a fresh piece of parchment and dips her quill into her golden inkwell.
My Dearest Jaime,
I have always had a tendency of falling in love too quickly and with those who cannot return my affections. However, despite how our journey together came to an end, know that I have not one single regret in falling in love with you. You showed me what it was like to finally be loved in return. You kept your vows to me until your last breath and know that I shall forever uphold mine.
If people choose to speak ill of you, I will be quick in correcting their false judgments. I wish for others to know you as I knew you: thetrueJaime Lannister. A man with honor. A man with a kind heart and just soul. A man who always delivered on his promises. The man who loved me until the end of his days. My Oathkeeper.
May you finally be at peace.
From the corner of the room red rubies set within a golden hilt catch the rays of the evening sun. They cast their glittering light over the Lady of Tarth as she concludes her final goodbye:
Love always,
Brienne
~x~
Yeah, Sam married them under the Heart Tree at Winterfell while Pod watched happily like the good son he is. You can't convince me otherwise :P