At one point Jaime had fallen to sleep as well. He and Brienne were both woken up by a knock at the door.

'M'lady, can I come in?'

Podrick knew how to ruin a peaceful moment. Brienne quickly replied that she wasn't decent, at which Jaime smirked and that earned him a slight shove in the ribs.

'We are all worried about you. You got injured and then you disappeared for hours. Dinner is less than an hour away.'

Brienne tried to get up and start getting dressed, but Jaime pulled her back to him. If only they could stay in this bed forever.

'We have to get up' she mouthed, but he could see she had no desire to meet the outside world either. So he just embraced her tighter.

'I am alright, Podrick. I just slept it off. I will be on time for dinner. You can go now.'

Podrick muttered something and they could hear his steps going further and further away. Brienne turned to look at him. Her hair was messed up, her cheeks were a bit flushed. Jaime had never seen her looking so free and so young. He stared at her and smiled.

"What is it? I've never seen that look on your face," she asked.

Jaime could see that the slightest trace of disbelief was still there, in her beautiful eyes.

"Happiness. That is what you see. I am happy. You make me happy."

Brienne smiled. Gods, he loved to see her smile.

"You make me happy too."

Jaime kissed her again and pulled her closer to him.

"I wish we could just stay here for the rest of time," he whispered

Brienne lifted her head to look at him

"Will you tell me what you are planning?"

"No, because I know you will try to stop me."

"Jaime…" she started in a pleading voice.

He cupped her face with his good hand.

"Listen to me. I love you. I was a fool for not realizing it earlier. When I think about all this time that we've wasted, I go crazy. I want to be with you. Yes, I have set my mind on something. And I know you are worried I am trying to get myself killed. And perhaps I was. But now, after this? After knowing what it is to love you and to be loved by you, I will do everything in my power to make it out alive. Because I want a future with you."

"Jaime, whatever it is, I can help you. We can do it together. Please, don't be reckless. I can't bear to lose you."

Her voice was trembling. He could see she desperately wanted to do anything to keep him from harm. But what he was planning to do was far too dangerous.

"You won't."

Jaime hoped he would not break this promise to her.


They went to dinner and Brienne went to talk to Lady Sansa while Jaime sat at one of the tables. His brother saw him and stood up from his seat beside the Queen and headed in his direction. Tyrion sat beside his brother and took his glass from his hand.

"So I suppose you finally told Lady Brienne how you feel about her. I saw you two coming here together, looking suspiciously happy."

Jaime chuckled. Had everyone apart from him known of his own feelings?

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yes. I noticed it ever since you came back to King's Landing. Glad you both finally realized what idiots you have been this whole time."

"Thank you, I suppose."

Tyrion took a sip of his glass and looked at him.

"You really love her, don't you?"

"I do, little brother."

Tyrion smiled.

"I like her. She takes out the best parts of you, they ones I've always know were in there, even when you were a pain in the arse."

Jaime laughed. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I missed you, Tyrion."

"I thought you wanted to kill me."

"I did. But I still missed you."

Tyrion patted him on the back.

"I missed you too. I am glad you are here. I am glad you finally left her."

The mention of Cersei stung a little bit. Jaime didn't want to think of her. Not anymore.

"I should've done it a long time ago."

"Most certainly. But you've always been a bit slow."


They spent the night together. And the night after that. And the next one. At first, Jaime was worried about the rumors that would inevitably spread. He was worried about her reputation. But Brienne didn't care. They had wasted so much time and had no idea how much they had left.

"I don't care if they call me a whore. I've spent all my life affected by what people thought and said about me. I won't do it anymore."

If it was possible, he loved her even more for that.

And people had indeed begun whispering. Gossip always spread faster than a disease. It didn't bother them, though. They were happy.

One morning though, when Brienne and Jaime were training the children, Jaime felt someone grab his shoulder and as he turned around, Tormund had hit him as hard as he could and he lost his balance. He was back on his feet in no time though. The wildling looked mad with rage.

"You don't want to go there," Jaime told him.

"Oh, but I do, you fucking cunt."

He tried to hit Jaime again, but he was faster and avoided Tormund's fist. He was about to hit the wildling back when Brienne came between them.

"Stop it!"

Jaime was angry about her intervention. He wanted to show that wildling that Brienne was his and his alone.

"M'lady, let us settle this as men." the ginger hissed, looking at Jaime with pure hatred.

"I won't. I don't want either of one to get hurt when the hardest battle the world has ever faced is days away."

She was right of course. But Jaime still had his pride. He didn't want her to fight his battles.

"Brienne, I can handle this by myself."

She looked at him and said softly:

"I know you can. But I don't want you to."

She then turned to Tormund.

"Tormund, I am sorry if I have misled you. But I do not return your affections."

The wildling looked at her, Jaime could see he was saddened.

"M'lady, this sister-fucking cunt is no good for you."

"That is for me to decide. And if you care for me, as you claim, you will step aside. I am sorry, Tormund. I am honored by your affections. But I won't ever be able to return them."

Jaime knew Brienne hated the fact that she was hurting Tormund, she was just that good.

"'Cause you love him."

She turned to look at Jaime, and then back to Tormund.

"I do."

The wildling sighed. He had accepted it, it seemed. Jaime didn't want to admit it, but he had grown to respect him. Tormund then looked at Jaime.

"Hurt her, and I will hang you on your own guts."

And then he left. The people who were watching started to whisper as Brienne turned to face him.

Jaime sighed.

"You didn't have to do that. I could handle it on my own."

"I know you can. Even now, you are one of the best fighters I've seen. But wasting efforts and getting hurt in a fight over this is stupid."

"Fighting for you could never be stupid. I'd fight the Mountain and the Night King at once, for you."

"I know. And I love you for that. But it is still stupid."


If anyone hadn't known about them before that incident, they sure knew now. People mocked them, but Jaime didn't care. He spent every night with the woman he loved in his arms. He held her, he kissed her, and he made love to her. She was his and he was hers and that was all that mattered.

Then one day, Jon Snow summoned them in the Great Hall. They all gathered and then Bran Stark told them that the army of the dead was less than two days away. Brienne grabbed his hand and held as tight as she could. She was afraid.

When they went to her room, as soon as he closed the door, she kissed him. Fiercely, passionately, desperately. He returned her kiss just as eagerly. When they pulled away for air, he looked at her. He wanted to assure her everything would be alright, that they would all survive. But he could not. The only thing he could assure her of was his love.

"Marry me."