Swords
Jaime stood next to her, the Lady of Winterfell, while watching his wife – he had a wife: it was still so foreign to him – as she and Arya were instructing a few girls how to carry swords, and more importantly, how to handle them. "The warriors," he said, smiling. "Your sister is not bad either."
"Not bad?!" Sansa said, peeved, but then she saw him grinning at her and she shook her head.
"Ser Jaime," she said, "How do you take to married life?"
"Very well," Jaime replied. "Very well, indeed."
Sansa nodded, and said, looking at Brienne. "She is very happy, I think."
"I still believe I got the better end out of that bargain," he said, smiling. "It still amazes me she said yes."
"It does?" Sansa asked. "It was pretty clear she cared for you, though."
"Caring for someone… and accepting a proposal…. It's two distinctly different things," he said and then added, though it was somewhat risky, "Tyrion cares for you, you know."
"He's been a really good friend," Sansa said. "I can't deny it. He… He advises me and, there's something ….. hopeful about him. Brienne has it too sometimes."
"I think he has a soft spot for you because you used to be married, however briefly." Jaime didn't dare say anymore – Tyrion might want his head for it.
"I'm not sure," she said, pondering. "I think he wants to forget about the past most of all. There was this woman…. Someone before Shae?" Jaime realized she was probing him.
"I'm sorry," he said, "but if you must know, it will be Tyrion's story to tell," he said.
She seemed a little irritated by his answer, but didn't push the subject. Instead, she started another one.
"Do you think Brienne would teach me too?" she said. "And how much training has Tyrion had?"
"Are you afraid?" he replied. "That Winterfell itself will fall?"
"If it does, I intend to fight until my last breath," she said, gritting her teeth. "I'm afraid it might. It could. The raids don't help nearly enough. I had thought….. I'd assumed we'd be in a better place by now… Strategically."
Jaime nodded. "I'm sure she will," he said. "As for Tyrion, I trained with him a little when he was a child. Father didn't like it and made us stop. Cersei used to laugh at him for even trying."
"Cersei…" she said. "What does she think of you marrying another?"
He shook his head. "You can image that yourself," he said. "She hasn't congratulated me yet."
"Nor will she, I take it," Sansa said. "She's on Arya's list, you know."
"Arya and her list, I did hear something about that…." Jaime said laughing. "I'm not on it, I suppose?"
Sansa shrugged. "You would have been dead already," she said.
Jaime stared at her and then at her sister down below. "You're not joking," he realized.