AN: So I've been absolutely buried with work the past few weeks but I've been building this up in my head until I've had a chance to write this. I hope you like it.
Five days following the arrival of Lord Selwyn's letter, Jaime found himself standing in the middle of the Winterfell courtyard alongside Sansa, awaiting his arrival. Jaime found himself feeling surprisingly nervous at meeting Lord Tarth. This was Brienne's father, a man who adored his daughter and who would doubtlessly hate Jaime for all of his actions towards Brienne. Which Jaime could understand. He had been dishonourable, besmirched Brienne's name and left her honour in the dirt. Anyone would hate him for what he did. Jaime shook his head, trying to remove those thoughts from his mind. Brienne had forgiven him, they were rebuilding what he had broken and things were improving.
Ever since Brienne kissed him, they spent their nights together again. Nothing more serious than a kiss between them. Partly because they both felt it was still too soon to progress their relationship further, choosing to take it slow this time around. It was also partly due to her time growing closer and closer and neither of them wanted to risk Brienne's labour starting prematurely. There was just around two weeks left until the baby was due to be born and neither of them wished to let anything.
Jaime looked ahead at the sound of horses approaching and people calling aloud at the sight of people coming towards Winterfell. Jaime held his head up high as he and Sansa watched the first horse arrive with its rider carrying a Tarth banner and he was closely followed by a strongly built man who dismounted from his horse. There was no doubt of who he was; his height, strong build and the sapphire blue eyes made it clear that this was Lord Selwyn Tarth. Lord Tarth walked towards them and made his bow to Sansa.
"Lady Stark," Selwyn said, politely kissing her hand.
"Lord Tarth, welcome to Winterfell." Sansa replied as she gestured to Jaime. "Ser Jaime Lannister,"
"Lord Tarth," Jaime said politely, bowing his head. Lord Tarth looked at him and turned back to Sansa.
"I would like to see my daughter." Lord Tarth replied, ignoring Jaime and Sansa nodded.
"Of course, she's resting at the moment." Sansa replied as she instructed some of the servants to help sort out the Tarth men to their rooms and the Lord's bedchamber. Sansa turned and walked inside, Lord Tarth followed her and Jaime pulled up the rear. He supposed that went better than expected. He hadn't been beaten or kicked.
"Brienne, there's someone here to see you." Sansa said, tapping on the door before opening it. Brienne was sitting up in bed and as they walked in, Brienne set the book aside and smiled at the three of them.
"Father," Brienne said as Selwyn smiled at his daughter and walked over to put his arms around her. "I can't believe you're here."
"I had to see you, look at you," Selwyn said gently as he rested his hand on her stomach. He hadn't been pleased to hear the rumours and the later confirmation of his daughter's pregnancy. Then again, Brienne had never been one to play by society's rules and she seemed content with the pregnancy. This was her child, the heir of House Tarth and if she had not had Jaime Lannister hung from the tallest tower by his private parts, there had to be more to what he had heard.
"You're not mad?" Brienne asked and for a split second, Jaime could imagine her as a child, speaking to her father after getting into trouble for fighting or tearing a dress.
"I was but not anymore. I've never been able to control your choices." Selwyn replied with a small smile as he glanced at Jaime. Jaime looked back at him but made sure to hold his tongue. There was a time and a place to say what he was thinking and this wasn't it.
"We're petitioning the Queen to give the baby our name and rights to Tarth. They will be legitimised but in our name, not as a Lannister." Brienne explained and Selwyn looked testily at Jaime.
"And you are OK with that, boy?" Selwyn asked and Jaime maintained eye contact with him. He was not going to be quelled by anyone, not even Brienne's father.
"I am, Brienne is heir to the Isle of Tarth and I am not regarded within the succession of Casterly Rock or House Lannister. Our child deserves a strong future and should not be burdened with the history of my name." Jaime explained. The time when Lannister was a name that inspired respect, admiration and obedience had long gone and Jaime would be content if it remained that way.
"That is true. The names that they call you aren't ones that you would pass to a child." Selwyn said as Brienne touched his arm.
"Father, we've already discussed this many times. He is more than that in in this case, he's just as guilty as I am. We made a decision that we didn't consider the consequences of." Brienne reassured as Jaime walked over to her and sat on the other side of the bed, putting his arm around her as Brienne held his hand, linking their fingers together. Selwyn looked at Brienne.
"Does he make you happy?" Selwyn asked and Brienne smiled at Jaime.
"Yes, he does. Despite what he may have done before." Brienne replied.
"Do you love her?" Selwyn asked Jaime who looked at Brienne, saw the momentary flicker of worry in her eyes. Something he never wanted to see again.
"More than I can say," Jaime replied truthfully. He loved Brienne so much that it scared him. It was like Tyrion had said, a sort of love that inspired songs, one that existed for years and becoming a legend with the intensity and one that he knew would last forever.
"I love you too," Brienne said as Jaime kissed her forehead. Selwyn gave a small smile and turned to Sansa who nodded at him, silently confirming that this was true, not just an act that they had pulled together.
"We'll leave the two of you alone," Sansa said. "Lord Selwyn, have you met the new Lord of the Stormlands; Gendry Baratheon?"
"I haven't," Selwyn said as he stood and offered his arm to Sansa. "Maybe you can escort me, my lady?"
"Of course," Sansa replied as she and Selwyn left the room. As the door shut behind them, Brienne exhaled a breath and looked at Jaime.
"That was easier than I expected." Brienne replied and Jaime smiled.
"I had the same thought." Jaime replied as he squeezed her hand. "I meant what I said. I do love you and I'm grateful to have had this second chance with you."
"I feel the same," Brienne said as she moved their hands to her stomach. It seemed like the baby had dropped down overnight so her time could come any day now. "Jaime, I want you to promise me something."
"What is it?" Jaime asked, noting the serious tone in her voice and he could probably guess what she was going to say next.
"If anything happens to me, and I need to say this so don't interrupt," Brienne said, spotting the look on Jaime's face as he realised what she was talking about and she knew what his reaction would be, "this is a serious possibility. It happens to women and girls all the time, it happened to our mothers. If I die in labour or if they have to remove the child from me or the fever takes me afterwards; you need to promise me that you will look after them. Keep them safe, give them a good life, take them to Tarth; they need to see the sea. Don't become your father and refuse to let them know about me or about us. Promise me Jaime."
"I promise." Jaime replied. He tried to not think about the possibility of Brienne dying in the childbed and his nightmare about Cersei cutting the baby from Brienne had started to return as the nights and days drew closer to Brienne giving birth. Jaime knew that if the worst happened, he would make sure that their child would grow up, happy, safe, loved and knowing how much Brienne loved them and how much he and Brienne loved each other.
"Thank you," Brienne said as she shuffled over on the bed and Jaime kicked off his boots to lie beside her. Brienne turned onto her side and Jaime placed their hands and his stump over her bump. They could feel each squirm, movement and kick their baby give; Brienne was now so heavily pregnant that each one could be seen despite the think nightshirt that she wore. They had made a decision two nights prior that if the baby was a boy then Brienne would choose the name and if the baby was a girl, Jaime would choose the name. Different names had gone through his mind; traditional names that he couldn't think of anyone he knew with them, so it wouldn't be seen as their child being named for them. Yesterday his mind had wandered towards musical names, such as Harmony or Melody but now he wasn't so sure. Maybe the name would come to him in the right moment.
Later that evening, Jaime slipped away from the feast welcoming Lord Selwyn in order to make his way back to Brienne. And to bed. He had had an uneasy night's rest the night before, partly due to nightmares but also due to feeling anxious about meeting Brienne's father. Although he had seemed polite and civil to Jaime, Jaime wasn't fool enough to assume Lord Tarth would accept him as a son. It would take more than a few polite conversations for that to happen. Still, he would do whatever was best for Brienne and the baby; his needs and feelings came after them. Always.
Brienne stirred as Jaime entered the room and got ready for bed. Jaime smiled at her and stroked her hair before he climbed into bed. He felt Brienne smile against him as he quickly kissed her forehead before lying next to her. As he drifted off to sleep, it felt like only moments had passed before he felt someone shaking his shoulder, pulling him from sleep.
"Wozgoinon?" Jaime mumbled drowsily, blinking in the dim light created by the embers of the fire. Jaime pulled himself up, he could feel Brienne moving on the bed. "Brienne?"
"It hurts," Brienne said as she breathed through another wave of pain. "I think the baby's coming."
Immediately awake, Jaime rolled over and sat up in the bed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure!" Brienne snapped. "It hurts like it did before only it's more intense now."
"I'll get the midwife," Jaime said as he jumped out of the bed and quickly pulled his clothes on. Once he was dressed, Jaime rushed over and kissed Brienne. "Everything will be fine. I'm going to be here."
"You're not going to be allowed to." Brienne said as she rubbed her back. The pain seemed to have faded for now but it had been coming and going since the early evening. She had initially dismissed it but the pain was coming more frequently and it was getting stronger. Jaime grinned at her before he rushed to the door.
"I'd like to see which one is brave enough to keep me away."
