When the concierge called to let her know she had a visitor, Sansa thought it was a joke, some sort of hazing perhaps. After all, it was 6.30AM.
When they said the name of the person visiting, she was almost certain she had to be still dreaming.
Nevertheless, she said:
"Let him go up."
She looked around her place, which was spotless, as it always was, and wondered what her visitor would think. Then again, did she care what said visitor had to say? She would be working on a new movie in less than a couple of hours, she could not let that person get to her.
Easier said than done, she knew, when the doorbell rang. She checked her appearance and figured there was no delaying what was to come. She opened the door and waited for the person to speak.
"I'm sorry, Sansa, Miss Stark, I know you're starting your new movie today, Brienne told me so, but I needed to see you."
"Hello, mister Lannister."
"Please, call me Jaime. After all, we are to be brother and sister in law for all intents and purposes," the man said.
He looked so out of place, and so much like a little boy, Sansa felt very much like a schoolmistress in a nineteenth century novel. How she loved Jane Eyre! This was not the subject of course.
She opened her door for him to come in, and he did. He looked like hell. Good.
"I usually drink tea, and I would like you to not make any joke about my origins when it comes to my choice of beverage, but I can offer you some instant coffee if you want some. It will be disgusting, but that's the closest to good coffee available," she said, walking back to the kitchen and the bar.
"That will be amazing, and I wouldn't mock you about your being a foreigner…"
"Your sister did not have such scruples," was all she answered before going behind the bar and searching for the insta coffee she knew she had somewhere around.
She found it after opening three cupboards and put on the kettle.
"She… was a bitch, there's no other way to describe how she behave. I wish I could apologize in her name, but I don't have enough contrition in me to cover all her free aggressivity."
"At least, you're acknowledging it. It does not make it disappear, but you're not blind to her ways, I guess. What can I do for you?"
"I… I… Jesus, I thought it would be easier."
"I do not have all day," she said, pouring him a cup when the water was boiling. "Cream? Sugar?"
"No thank you."
"Good, as I had only sugar. Now, get on with it."
"I need your help with my brother."
"Oh."
She should have seen it coming, shouldn't she? Yet she did not know how to react at all.
"What do you mean?"
"I would like to find a way to connect with him."
"I am not sure what you expect me to do."
"I have no expectations. I just thought… Tyrion seems to be different since you've been in his life, and perhaps you can help us mend some parts of our relationship."
"Whatever made you think that?"
"I saw you, that time, on TV, when you opened up about your younger brother dying of leukemia. My condolences by the way. The thing is, I watched out of curiosity, wanting to see more from the woman who was being linked to my little brother, and I got more than I bargained for. Your story made me realize that I was lucky to have what you had lost."
"Hey, buddy, if you are going to talk about my dead brother, you are going to do me the curtesy of looking me in the eyes."
She did not mean to make him feel insecure or anything, but there was a part of her that could not shake the pain she had felt only hours before when Cersei had mocked her family. She needed to know Jaime was serious.
He raised his eyes, and she could tell he was not jerking her around. Still, it all felt so foreign and alien.
"You are a very lucky man indeed, you did not lose your baby brother. I am glad that, if nothing else, you took this lesson away from my sharing."
"I did. And it made me think more, about all those times I was not there for him, or I sided with Cersei because she was scarier than he was, and I knew he would take me back if I was nice, until he stopped and went on living as if he was not my blood."
"Can you blame him?"
"I said nothing of the sort."
"Then what are you saying?"
"I don't know; I just know that I would like to be able to text my brother, and not get a response along the lines of 'new phone, who dis?', you know?"
"I actually do not know. My family, as corny as it is, never ignore each other."
"You're lucky. I'm sorry," he said, as if realizing that what he had said could be understood as him diminishing the pain they all went through to get there.
"What do you expect me to do? I may be British, but I'm no fairy godmother of anything of the sort."
"You're my brother's girlfriend, and he is sooooo into you, I seriously expect him to pop the question in a couple of weeks."
She did not let anything show, but there were two parts in her, the one that felt flattered and mushy and gushy about being told Tyrion was so into her, in his brother's words, and the other part, the one that knew they were playing a game, and every good thing had to end.
"I would not know where to start, to be honest," she finally told Jaime. "I hate what I am about to say, as I am breaking your brother's confidence, but I think you need to know this tidbit and fix it before you can think of fixing everything else. Tyrion confided in me that he was afraid you and Cersei may have committed the ultimate sin, resulting in her three children."
The look of disgust on the actor's face was both weirdly comforting and welcome.
"I…. I can't say I blame him, but we did not. We never did. She once initiated something that would have gotten us there when we were fourteen, but even as immature as I was back then, I knew it was wrong. However, he's not wrong."
Her blood froze in her veins as she waited for him to go on.
"She's been fucking our cousin Lancel, and he was the one to get here pregnant each and every time. I know, because every time she ends up pregnant, I have to take Robert out, get him drink and bring him back home, so that Cersei can make him believe that they fucked and that she's pregnant with his kid. He has never been suspicious of the fact that all their kids were apparently born prematurely yet were as normal as babies come."
"That is very gross."
"I think so too."
"But you still play along…."
"What wouldn't you do for your family?"
"Touché…"
"I need to let Tyrion know…."
"Oh god, what are you getting me into?" she found herself exclaiming, when she realized how he could do that.
"I don't know what you mean…"
"Pretend to be texting your sister, talking about this not openly but in a fashion that your brother will have to understand, and then send a second text, apologizing and saying that even though he owes you nothing, you'd be grateful if he kept this secret for himself."
"That would be perfect…"
"I've been raising four siblings on my own, I know how to diffuse a family bomb," she felt the need to say when he looked at her like she had come up with the next best thing since sliced bread.
"I meant no disrespect. It's just so simple, yet so effective…"
"It won't mean you'll be on brotherly terms when this is done. You just really need to get it out of the way before you start anything more to gain back your brother's trust."
"Of course. Then, what would you advise?"
"Jaime, I do realize you are at a loss, and I can see how much pain this whole situation is inflicting on you, but by asking me to devise a plan, you are asking me to deceive your brother, and I'd rather die than do anything that may backfire and cause him any pain. He is such a great man, no one deserves to be hurt, but him, he is on the shortlist of people who really don't deserve it in my book, ok?"
"I know, I know… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot."
"Yes you did, when you decided to show up at 6.30 on my doorstep. I gave you a clue and a tip, now, act on it."
He did not answer right away, as if acknowledging the truth in her words.
"Do you think I have a shot?"
"At getting back your brother? I hope so, but I will not be part of this masterplan."
"I understand."
He finished drinking his cup then got up. She was walking him to the door when he turned and said:
"How did you meet Brienne?"
She was taken aback but answered:
"For years. We were in a movie together. We've been friends ever since. Why?"
"I don't know… I just… she's dating a guy, right?"
"Yes, she is. A good guy too."
"I guess it's my bad, I should have realized what I wanted earlier. Maybe she would not hate me so much if I had gotten my head out of my ass…"
"I cannot believe I am about to say this, but she does not hate you. She does not like you, most days, but there is a reason why she keeps signing on to star in movies with you."
"I think you're being too optimistic there…."
"Did you never wonder why she kept on accepting those parts? You've starred in five movies together, haven't you?"
"I must say I never wondered…."
"You're the only person Brienne can play with who will make her feel like a woman. She will never say it and if you repeat it, I'll have her man kill you, but it is true. She was used to being considered this androgynous woman, even being called 'sir' more often than not. Then she was in a movie with you, and suddenly, people were calling her 'miss' and she realized she did not have to settle for what was being offered, being this mutant-like actress."
"How can anyone look at Brienne and call her 'sir'?" Jaime asked, looking sincerely confused.
"All I know is that they used to. It changed when you guys appeared on-screen together, and well, she keeps agreeing to play with you, even though you never played a romcom, or not one where you were love interests, but you guys work on-screen, and you bring her something. Let her bring you something back, ask her how to get your brother back in your life. She will help, she knows you both, and she will know you are in earnest."
"Okay, I will do that. Thank you, Sansa, for helping me. You really are a fine lady."
"I try my best."
"I know my brother calls you his lady, and I would not infringe on his pet name, but you earn it every time you open your mouth and are yourself."
She almost blushed, but instead walked him back to the door, knowing she had to get ready.
"Thank you for what you offered. It will help me try and hopefully succeed. Also, good luck on the set today!"
She just nodded, and smiled, as she closed the door behind him.
She rested her back against the door for a second, thinking of what had just happened. What in the world?
Then she realized she needed to get moving or she'd be late.
"My lord, here I come…" She found herself saying.