Author's Notes: Inspired by one of The Lioness of the Night's Artwork (it's on tumblr btw and I just remembered links don't work here. wtf ffn ugh): post/170210657160/j-b-alyda-of-the-rock-goldenhand-by Alyda is her OC. I just borrowed the little cutie XD If you haven't seen her work yet, you should check it out. She's AMAZING!
I think this may be my last update. I have two other three-shot fics but I'll upload them later. lol
"But, father, can I at least go with you?" Alyda pleaded.
"I'm sorry, sweetling, but King Jon and I have important things to discuss."
"You promised you and I would finally get to play."
It had seemed a good idea at the time for Jaime to promise the girl anything but he should have known better to carelessly make promises to a child that was half his and half Brienne's. He looked to his wife helplessly but the slight quirk of her lip was an obvious sign that he was going to fight this battle alone. Traitor.
Jaime sighed and knelt down, hearing his joints pop while doing so. "Alyda, being Lord Lannister has its duties. Honestly, if I had it my way, I would run away somewhere with you and your mother and fu-forget all these responsibilities but I can't."
Alyda's shoulders slumped in defeat and his heart dropped at the sight of her great disappointment. It reminded him of Brienne back at the Dragonpit long, long ago during the time before the Great War. He never wanted to see that face again if he could, not from Brienne or from their daughter.
Jaime pushed back his right sleeve, revealing the straps of his golden hand and undoing it clumsily. He popped off the hand and held out his golden hand right under his daughter's nose. The girl looked up at him in surprise.
"You're a big girl now so I trust you can carry the hand."
Alyda's eyes widened as she took the hand reverently. She appeared to struggle with the weight of it but much to Jaime's amusement, she was trying not to show it.
"It's a promise that I will return to you and your mother later and we can spend some time together," Jaime continued. "Besides, I will need that back. I can't face most of the lords without my golden hand. I trust you'll take very good care of it."
Jaime didn't mention that he needed it for appearances. Jon was thankfully one of those people who did not need such appearances.
"You're promising to your daughter again." Jaime looked up to find his wife smiling and shaking her head. His heart just stopped at the sight of that. "That's dangerous business, my lord."
Damn everyone to seven hells. Jaime will uphold this promise. He was tired of spending little time with his family. Just this one night.
He smiled back. "You question my honor, wife? After all I've done for you?" Jaime dramatically put his stump over her heart. "You wound me."
Brienne just rolled her eyes. "Oh get up. You'll be late."
Jaime shook his head at his wife's bossy tone but he really did have to go. He already delayed too long. But then Alyda moved closer to him and Jaime immediately understood what she wanted. He wrapped his arms around his little girl and then gave her a kiss on top of the head.
Finally, he stood up and pressed his lips against his wife's. Sadly, it was brief but before he turned away, he made sure to give Brienne a knowing wink that would surely make her blush. It was a promise for more much later.
….
Jaime stood up in a happier mood than he ever had since his return to Winterfell. Negotiations went well with King Jon and they even finished earlier than expected. He attempted to push close the door with his golden hand only to find his stump in its place.
His smile widened.
It reminded him of a promise he intended to keep. With a little dance in his steps, he made his way toward the guest chambers where his wife and daughter would surely be in now.
But to his surprise, they met outside the door to their room. Brienne was carrying Alyda and holding on to his golden hand. Alyda looked a little shaken while Brienne's face was red. He knew that shade. It was the annoyed red. But at the sight of Jaime, it quickly turned to the shade of desire.
"What happened?" Jaime asked worryingly.
"Oh it's nothing—" but Brienne was quickly cut off by Alyda. "I didn't mean it, father."
Alyda refused to turn around and tucked further into her mother. Brienne sighed and gave him a look that mixed with worry and fondness.
"Why don't we head inside and we can tell you what happened."
…
The Lannisters were all seated, cross-legged and forming a circle, on the bed. It wasn't that big so they were huddled closely as Brienne and Alyda narrated the story.
When they finished, Jaime laughed so hard that his sides were starting to hurt. His wife was looking at him in annoyance while his daughter looked confused, probably even a little scandalized.
"But, father, I—I dropped your hand and hurt the innocent. That was not very knightly of me. I just wanted to see if what they said about your hand is true."
It spurred Jaime to laugh even harder.
"Jaime," Brienne sighed and Jaime had to try so hard to will himself to stop laughing so he could say assurances to his daughter that she had no fault in what happened.
"Oh, trust me, sweetling. The man you hurt was no innocent. Not even those pinky toes you hit were innocent."
He didn't need to look at Brienne to know that she was narrowing her eyes at his words but he ignored her and leaned closer to Alyda.
"Remember I told you about the time I saved your mother from a bear?"
Alyda gasped as if finally understanding.
"He's a skin changer?" she said and Jaime nodded. Skin changers had different abilities to what his daughter was thinking but he didn't bother correcting her.
"Oh yes!" Jaime exclaimed, leaning back. "He wanted to steal your mother away from me."
"Jaime! That's not—"
Brienne's protests died when Jaime quickly pressed his lips against hers.
"Oh let us have our fun, she'll understand when she's older anyway," he whispered to Brienne before turning back to an attentive Alyda. "He turned into a great hairy bear and I defeated him singlehandedly."
Brienne loudly groaned at his jape but Alyda was only more entranced until her face faltered.
"If you defeated him, then why is he still alive?" Alyda asked.
"Because your mother had honor," he spoke in a much softer tone. "She knew what it was like to be unloved, to be thought of as merely a beast, when all you want is to be loved for who you are." He risked a quick glance at Brienne. It lasted barely a second but the look of understanding they shared felt like an entire speech that words simply couldn't weave. Then, he turned back to their daughter with a mischievous smile.
"So your mother and I found him a wife of his own. A very lovely she-bear named Shiela. He just wanted to thank your mother that she found him someone to fu—"
"Language!" Brienne scolded. "And seriously, Jaime?"
Most likely what happened was that they just happened to encounter the wildling while they toured Winterfell. The fool probably made offers to Brienne who was clearly not interested while Alyda put on his hand and waved it around before accidentally making it fly then land on the man's foot. He could imagine Brienne's relief as she hurriedly picked up Alyda and the golden hand then telling the wildling where she had seen the master head to before walking away briskly. Even in uncomfortable situations Brienne was so honorable.
"Anyway, we forgave him already. My golden hand just still thinks he's an enemy sometimes so it landed itself on his foot. Happens when former enemies are nearby. Only I can control the hand."
"So your golden hand is magical!" Alyda exclaimed.
"But not as magical as my actual hand," he said, giving Brienne a lascivious grin. She glared at him in return but the redness of her cheeks alone made it clear what she was thinking about. He was thinking it, too. "Or was it my tongue, wife?"
"Shut up," Brienne hissed.
"Nope. It's my sword. My sword is the most magical. Else we wouldn't have had Alyda without it."
"I came from a sword?" Alyda's eyes were wide with excitement and Jaime stilled when he realized what he'd done. "You never told me that, father!"
"I—I will tell you that story some other time," Jaime said, his voice squeaking a little. "How about we start playing instead?"
Alyda shrieked with joy and immediately scrambled off the bed to find her sword. He was glad he knew how to avert Alyda's uncomfortable questions and frankly, his mind was drained from making up exaggerated versions of the story.
"Your daughter is going to hate you for lying to her," Brienne snorted.
"She's a smart girl. She'll figure out her father likes making his stories… interesting. You don't really want her to know how she was made." Jaime got his desired effect and Brienne was scowling and blushing.
"W-what n-no," she spluttered. "I'd rather not scar her with that information. Anyway, she'll eventually find out how babies happen anyway."
Something dark crossed Jaime's features. "No way is my little girl going to know that. Ever."
His little Alyda. He couldn't bear the thought of her in the arms of some boy. Fucking him. The very idea made him shudder.
"She won't always be your little girl, you know," Brienne said softly then snorted. "Especially considering the fact that she's our daughter. Neither of us are little are we?"
Jaime snorted in return. Brienne could be witty if she wanted to and it was quite a treasure to him. Then she grew serious once more.
"Add to the fact that we're both stubborn and would do many great lengths for the ones we love."
Jaime smiled sadly. Many lives lost. Many of his years wasted. All because of his blind worship for Cersei. But if it wasn't for that, he wouldn't be here right now with Brienne and their lioness cub.
Brienne sighed, resigned. "Best we could do is to guide her and shape her that if she does get her heart broken, she'll pick up the pieces, learn from it, and love again."
He truly was a slow learner but still, he learned and he loved again. Alyda was not always going to be naïve and she'll learn the true monsters aren't just hordes of cold ugly undead nor do they always possess some magical quality but monsters can be warm and living, ordinary people sometimes having a face of a goddess to entice you.
"I love you so much, Brienne."
He always had to remind her. He loved reminding her. Jaime still didn't feel like he deserved all of this happiness but Brienne did and he always made sure that all of the mockery and doubt and japes she suffered under many people, himself included, he would make up for by always reminding her that he loved her. All of her. She didn't look like a goddess but he was going to worship her like one.
She didn't reply. Instead she tackled Jaime on the bed and kissed him. He was sorely disappointed that it wasn't a long kiss but then she rested her head on his chest. He was certain she could hear the wild beating of his heart. Beating for her. For them.
Then, a cough broke their moment. Jaime lifted his head with much effort and found Alyda at the foot of their bed, carrying her tourney sword and his fur trimmed red cloak. She was scowling at them.
"Father, you're not sleeping, are you? You promised!"
Brienne rolled off him and Jaime chuckled at their daughter's fierceness, only half-loathed at the loss of his wife's warmth. He sat up to indicate he was awake.
"I did promise and I intend to keep that promise," he said as Brienne sat up and scooted closer to him. "Your mother and I were just hugging, sweetling."
Alyda shrugged before tossing the things on her bed.
"What's the red cloak for, sweetling?" he asked.
"You're going to be the smelly red bear," Alyda replied in a tone that sounded final. He resisted the urge to laugh else he wouldn't stop. The description was no doubt about the wildling from earlier.
To both their surprises, Alyda gave her sword to her mother.
"You will be Lady Oathkeeper and this is your sword because we can't use Oathkeeper."
The sword looked very tiny in comparison to Brienne but she still held it with a warrior's grace.
"And I will be Lady Ser Goldenhand, defender of the realm!" she announced proudly then began to wither, biting her lip. "I mean if—do you think the golden hand will be okay if I use it in pretend fighting, father? It won't hurt you or mother if I use it, right?"
It was clear Alyda was still a little guilty about dropping the golden hand on the wildling's foot and Jaime had just told her that the hand was magical. But Jaime kissed her forehead and assured her it was okay. Alyda smiled brightly before running off to the dresser drawer where he kept his hand.
Jaime hummed. "You know what? Our daughter is just going to be fine. After all, she saved you from the creepy wooing of an overly determined fool of a wildling at such a young age. I imagine she'll beat the shit out of the worthless scum that broke her heart once she gets better with her sword."
"She need not resort to violence if unnecessary," Brienne huffed.
"Says the one who beat all of the men at Renly's camp." Not that they didn't deserve the beating but Jaime liked to tease her about it.
"It was a tourney!" she protested.
Jaime waved her away. "Regardless, your daughter still saved you. When I tell her the true story years later, I'll make sure to tell her that."
"You will not tell her that!"
"I have to! Your daughter will be pleased. She saved her mother from a bear… well a bear fu-lover. Think about it. The legacy of the Lannisters, saving helpless maidens from bears. A much better reputation than the one my father left us with, don't you think?"
Brienne opened her mouth to retort but Alyda came back with the golden hand. She held it out to Jaime and he happily fitted it over her small hand. Jaime watched her in case she got hurt and wanted it off but she managed to steady the thing with her other hand anyway. Alyda smirked, likely pretending she was powerful with the thing on.
Satisfied that Alyda was okay, Jaime grabbed his red fur cloak and draped it over his head. With only one hand, it hung crookedly and covered his eyes. He roared anyway and Alyda giggled.
"Get behind me, Lady Oathkeeper," Alyda ordered her mother. "The smelly red bear is very dangerous!"
Brienne complied, bringing her tourney sword with her, and Jaime gave out another roar. Alyda held out the golden hand, pretending to summon some power to destroy her enemy with the whooshing sounds with her mouth. Jaime wasn't sure what power it was but he pretended to die as if shot to the heart by an arrow and he landed on the bed with a thud.
Jaime laid still for a while. He knew he would have to get up and run around because Alyda was going to complain about how they needed to make the story longer but he wanted to relish the sounds of both his girls' laughter.
He used to hate his golden hand. In fact, he still hated wearing it. He hated what it represented. What he lost. It reminded him of Cersei and her superficiality. But somehow that loss gained him something new. Cersei may have shaped and dictated him to crave for a woman's love but in the end, he was able to turn that into a strength.
He was getting old and he was beginning to feel it. But Brienne and Alyda and the memories they make as a family are like his new right hand—forever and golden.