Jaime awoke to the sound of metal gently touching metal. Through squinted eyes he spied Brienne, doing what appeared to be fastening her armor as quietly as one could possibly manage such a thing. He lay quietly watching for several moments until she glanced his way, and met his gaze. "Are you enjoying watching my struggle rather than helping me?" she asked with a half-smile.
"The simple answer would be yes my darling, but watching you do almost anything is enjoyable," Jaime replied, raising onto one elbow and continuing to watch her labor until he could stand it no longer.
"You'd think after so many years and these long arms and fingers I could…oof!"
"Wait," he said, rising to help her. "It isn't even dawn yet, Brienne. You know, there's still some time to…" He motioned with his head towards the bed and raised his eyebrows. She smiled a slight smile and then pursed her lips and scowled at him.
"Really Ser…I mean Jaime, must you do this in the nude? It's quite distracting and a bit strange." She shrugged and twisted in her tightly fastened steel cage, to find some semblance of comfort within it. She stepped back one pace, looking down at herself and said, "Have I ever told you how much I love this armor?"
"I seem to recall you thanking me quite sincerely," Jaime said, gathering his pants and tunic and beginning to dress.
"Shall I assist you as well?" Brienne asked, sweeping her blond hair, which was already weeks grown out without a trim, back with water from the wash basin.
"I've become quite proficient at dressing as well as undressing, my Lady. However, if you could retrieve my hand from the table?"
Brienne lifted Jaime's golden hand and studied it for a moment as he fastened his pants and finished pulling his arms through his tunic. "It's very warm. It's been sitting here near the fire all night." She held it out to him.
"Thank you. It will turn cold soon enough," he said as he slipped it over his stump and secured it.
Brienne stood silently gazing into the now low orange glow of their fire, appearing to be lost in thought.
"It seems as if the sun should have risen by now or at the very least, the night would have ended." Jaime walked to the window and pulled back the thick tapestry that held out the draft. "No more moonlight but no sun either. My but the North is a peculiar and depressing place. Have you spent much time here at all? I mean before now?"
"No. I mean to say, not in Winterfell but yes, I've been here in the North for quite some time now. I've been too engaged in my duties to become depressed. Not that the world isn't depressing enough anyway." Brienne walked to the chair near the hearth and sat, still gazing into the fire.
Jaime was silent for a few moments, watching Brienne's face for any expression but found none. Instinctively, he broke the silence surrounding them and spoke of basic tangible needs, instead of the emotions within them. "Perhaps it isn't a good idea to allow this fire to die. I'll get it going again." She didn't acknowledge him. "Brienne? Brienne?" Jaime said as he knelt to place the wood on the fire. He prodded at the wood with the poker and then sat it aside, turning on his knee to look up at her. "What is it?" he asked. She continued to stare. "You know," he said taking her hand and placing a light kiss on her knuckles. "No one is worse at opening up than me, and yet I did it, with you. If you can't trust me, well..." His eyes were alit with the fire's glow when she finally met them. He continued holding her hand and her gaze, with an expression of curiosity mixed with concern until she sighed and finally spoke.
"Are you real? Is any of this real?" she asked in a whisper.
"Well of course it's real. You can feel your hand in mine, can't you?" He smiled.
"Yes, you're right. Yes, of course it's real because soon, like everything else in my life that was good, it will be stolen away from me." She reached out with her free hand and ran her fingertips down the side of Jaime's face, then softly touched his hair, never breaking his gaze.
"Love can never be stolen, Brienne. It can be discarded, betrayed, abused and denied but no my darling woman, it cannot be stolen…not if it's true. No distance or even death can steal it away."
"Don't say death. Never say death," Brienne said through her teeth and squeezed his hand tightly. "It's taken us years to be together. I'll not hear that word or think it."
"Here," he said raising his golden hand and placing her hand over it. "Do you feel that? Remember what you said to me about losing my hand?"
"How could I ever forget." She swiped a tear away.
"You told me people lose things that mean something to them but they have to go on."
"What are you trying to say to me, Jaime? I'll not lose you. Not today, not next week, never." Her eyes filled with more tears.
"Listen to me woman. You told me we have to live. We all have to go on and keep living. Please, should this war take me and it very well may, I want—no, I need you to go on."
Brienne closed her eyes and pulled Jaime's real hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss into his rough palm. "I'll be leaving soon for the Vale and the last thing we're speaking of is your death? No, I won't talk about it."
"Fine, but at least you know where I stand on this. However, if it gives you any comfort at all, I have every intention of living through this. So instead of worrying about my death, you should be worrying about spending the rest of your life stuck with me," he said with a chuckle and then leaned up and kissed her. "Now, stand up so I may embrace the future Lady of Casterly Rock. You need to make your way from this chamber without being seen, lest you'll have to become my bride this very morning and save your good name."
Brienne stood, pulling Jaime up with her. Their kisses were passionate yet sweet and their bodies, though separated by cold steel, burned warm within.
"You're right. I have to go, but I'll need to see you one last time before I leave for the Vale. Will you do something for me, Jaime Lannister?"
"Anything. You need but to command me my Lady," he replied, pushing the wisps of fallen blond hair away from her eyes.
"Come to me in the courtyard before I go. I want you to be the last person I see before I exit the gates," she said, taking his face in her hands. Their eyes locked and Brienne leaned in for a final kiss and then, with hardly a sound, opened the door.
Right before her, with his hand raised and about to knock, stood Tyrion Lannister. He looked up at her and a curious yet devilish smile covered his face. "Well, you're not who I expected but I must admit, I'm more than pleasantly surprised."
"Lord Tyrion," Brienne said, and brushed past him and out of sight.
Jaime stood leaning a shoulder against the door frame, looking down at that lingering smile and then waved Tyrion into the room. "I'd say I know what you're going to say but I haven't the slightest idea what that might be," Jamie said, closing the door.
"For the first time in my life dear brother, I may actually be speechless," Tyrion chuckled. "Although I'd heard rumors of the lady's shall we say, affection for you, I had no idea the feeling was…mutual."
Jamie stepped slowly to the bed and sat. "I'm waiting."
"Waiting for what? Surely you don't believe me of all people would have the nerve to say anything about that woman and that includes her looks or her character. The worst I could say of Brienne is she isn't your type."
"And what type might that be?"
"Let's not do this. There's nothing unspoken between us, Jaime. Enough of our blood has been spilled over these petty wars of words. I came here to stop the bloodletting, not to open old wounds. Truth be told, the reason I smiled when I saw her was because I'm happy for you. I'd heard you and she had spent a great deal of time together and suffered twice the length of that time. I believe I am more proud of you in this moment than I've ever been."
"Proud of me for bedding a maid, I may not live long enough to wed?" Jaime's face twisted in confusion.
"Wed? Oh that the Gods would give us enough time for the entire tale because this is a love story I'd lose a week of sleep to hear, but no brother. I'm proud of you for keeping your oath and more than that, for leaving Cersei."
"Now there's another tale we don't have time for. She made it so easy for me. She gave me no choice."
Tyrion's smile flattened and his eyes grew sullen and sad. "Don't do that. Don't soil your honor or your obvious love for that incredible woman who worships you, by blaming Cersei for pushing you into bed with her. I know as well as you, you were simply waiting for this opportunity since you saw Brienne at the dragon pit."
"I'd love to romanticize this all for you but you know me better than anyone. I appreciate your faith in me brother but had Cersei not agreed to marry Euron Greyjoy and lied through her teeth about sending our armies north to join this fight, I might not be here and…"
"Stop it," Tyrion interrupted. "Something had turned in you long before this or you'd have taken the opportunity to murder me with that sparring sword when you agreed to meet with me months ago. What was it? What really happened?"
Jaime stood and paced the room as Tyrion spoke. He appeared to be searching for an excuse or any way out of this entire conversation but the only answer now was the truth. "Tommen."
"Yes, poor, gentle and kind lad. He didn't deserve any of this."
"When I returned from taking Riverrun from the Blackfish, and saw the devastation and the hell she'd rained down on Kings Landing, and then, finding Tommen was…"
"And yet you stayed for more," Tyrion said low and soft.
"I stayed for more."
"You're here now. Brienne is a fine and noble woman."
"I don't deserve her."
"Then stay alive."
"What?" Jaime turned and looked down at his brother and asked with contempt, wrapped in a rasp of confusion.
"Stay alive and when this is all over you'll have the remainder of your days to earn her."
Another knock came at the chamber door only this one was with hard purpose. Jaime marched to the door and opened it without questioning who was on the other side. It was Podrick.
"My Lord, may I enter?" Podrick asked.
"Of course, it is your chamber after all," Jaime said, holding the door open for him.
"Lord Tyrion. I was sent to find you. King Snow needs to see you immediately."
Tyrion's eyes widened and he turned to Jaime and said, "Dress for the fight brother. We'll continue with our chat after the war. Orders will be going out shortly and I have no doubt your name will be at the top of the list. Podrick, where is King Snow?"
"He spent the entire night in the catacombs m'Lord."
"The what? Why?" Tyrion spat the words like sour wine.
"He'd had a meeting with his brother Bran and Samwell Tarley late last night. I was heading to m'Lady's chamber to get some sleep when he blew out of Bran's room and nearly knocked me down. The rest, I was summoned down there to him and ordered to find you."
"Something is amiss—not that the whole fucking world isn't. Pod, stay with my brother. Find him some food and for God's sake, get to the blacksmiths and get some armor!"
Tyrion flung open the door as Podrick called out to him, "But m'Lord! I serve Lady Brienne!"
Tyrion shouted as if from the back of his head as he went, "And so does my brother so feed them both!"