Takes place immediately after Chapter 24: 'A Good Man'
Based on events from Episode 5 and onwards of GoT Season 8
For those who have skipped the chapters since Jaime left Winterfell (for which I don't blame you haha):
Please read the flashback in Chapter 29: 'The Night Jaime Left' before reading the alternative ending.
Jaime's letter to Brienne can be read in full in the first section of the previous chapter (Chapter 30: 'The Letter').
Hope you enjoy!
It was with a heavy heart that Brienne rose from her bed early the next morning, knowing she had various chores from yesterday to catch up with. She glanced to the empty space beside her in the bed briefly, the pillow there still dented from where Jaime's head had rested, before turning to look at the sword he had left behind perched on the table.
Stop it. Focus.
Shaking her head and blinking rapidly, Brienne forced herself up and quickly got washed and dressed. As she left her chambers and walked along the corridor and downstairs, she could hear Jaime's words from when they had bid a tearful farewell to each other in the courtyard the other night…
'You're too good, and you deserve so much more. I'm not the man you think I am.'… 'You mean everything to me' … 'It's real, Brienne. This, you and me, everything I said to you in the Godswood. It's always been real.' … 'You've made me so happy.' … 'I never meant to hurt you.' … 'I love you, Brienne. With every fibre in my being.' … 'These weeks with you have been the best of my life. The happiest.' … 'You're my soulmate…'
Brienne halted in her tracks halfway down the steps as the vivid memory of Jaime's turmoiled, tear-streaked face as they had parted ways threatened to consume her. Stumbling slightly, Brienne reached out for the handrail and took a deep breath as she headed towards the ground floor. The smell of breakfast food wafting in from the great hall was enough to make her stomach turn even more, so Brienne turned promptly outside, wrapping herself more firmly in her fur winter cloak.
'Milady.'
Surprised, Brienne stopped and turned; Pod was waiting in the centre of the courtyard for her. He was looking rather nervous. Brienne rolled her eyes irritably as she walked over to him through the thick layer of frost that coated the ground.
'Pod, I've said I'm fine,' she said wearily as she came to a halt beside him, frowning at him sternly. 'I don't need your pity-'
'Will you let me finish?' Pod interrupted. 'Please?'
The sharpness of his tone made Brienne look at him in shock. Suddenly she felt rather ashamed of herself. No one deserved to be snapped at just because of Jaime's departure, least of all Pod.
'Forgive me,' Brienne said quietly, and she sighed. 'What is it, Pod?'
'I made a promise to Ser Jaime. But…I don't think I can keep it,' Pod said in a small voice.
Brienne's eyes widened as the sound of his name hit her like a knife to the heart. 'What promise? What are you talking about?' she asked, a hint of urgency to her tone.
Swallowing nervously, Pod reached inside his fur coat pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a sealed scroll. 'He wrote you this. He asked me to give it to you in a few months' time, if he should die. But…I don't think he expects to make it out of the capital alive, and I don't think it's right to hold onto this until it's too late,' he said helplessly. 'I don't know what it says. All I know is that…you need to read it. Now.'
Brienne stared at the scroll in Pod's eyes for a few moments. Then, wordlessly, she closed the distance between them and took the scroll tentatively from his hands. Brienne unrolled the letter with shaking fingers and Pod watched carefully as her eyes skimmed quickly through Jaime's words.
My dearest, Brienne…I must ask for your forgiveness…This is the only way to protect you…I'm not the Jaime Lannister you see me as…Brienne, my love, you showed me a life worth living. You saw something in me that no one else saw. You gave me a chance of happiness. You showed me hope and love and laughter and the promise of a good life, a life I so wanted us to have together…I wish I could stay with you, but we both know I'm not worthy of your love. I wish we could have gone to Tarth, you and I, just as we'd planned…You are the love of my life, Brienne…I wish I didn't have to leave you…My heart is yours. It will always be yours…
Her chin quivering, Brienne slowly looked up from the letter to face Pod, her eyes swimming with tears. 'Oh, Pod,' she whispered despairingly.
Pod gripped her hand tightly. 'Go after him. Quick,' he urged, and Brienne's heart leapt in relief that Pod had suggested the very thing she had been thinking.
'But Sansa-'
'I'll stay with her, in your place,' Pod said at once, and he smiled encouragingly at her. 'Don't worry – you won't be forsaking any vows.'
Brienne looked at him doubtfully, her forehead creased in concern. 'I might be too late,' she said anxiously.
'Maybe,' Pod agreed, his tone sympathetic. 'But you'll always spend the rest of your life wondering why you didn't try if you don't go.'
Brienne exhaled deeply as she looked around at the snowy courtyard and castle, the home she was sworn to protect. She couldn't leave Sansa…and she couldn't go after Jaime, not when he'd begged her the other night to stay here. Her eyes skimmed over his letter again, certain phrases jumping out more clearly than the first time she had read it:
Perhaps my abominable behaviour will lead you to despise me almost as much as I do myself, and it will make the news of my demise less painful…I will always be the Kingslayer…I am too tainted, and too haunted by the horrific acts I've committed in the name of my sister. I will never be rid of them…Cersei is a monster, but so am I, and right now I am just as deserving as she for the fate that will befall her once Queen Daenerys conquers the city…I am unworthy of happiness…I've been living in a dream that I do not deserve…I wish I could not be who I am…
Brienne's lips trembled in agony as she read the words that she knew Jaime sincerely believed to be true. He would most likely die thinking that of himself; that he were a monster, irredeemable, deserving of a tragic demise. And she couldn't allow it. Her mind made up, Brienne turned determinedly to head back into the castle, only to see Lady Sansa stood in the archway watching her, a solemn expression on her face.
Brienne faltered. 'Lady Sansa, I…'
'It's all right, Brienne. Pod spoke to me this morning,' Sansa reassured her, walking towards them both. 'I understand, but…I'm worried for you. It'll be dangerous.'
'Yes, it will. But Jaime and I…we love each other,' Brienne said, and she felt her heart soar as she spoke the words.
Sansa smiled. 'Then that's all there is to it,' she said. 'Pod, please help Ser Brienne gather her belongings and ready her horse.'
At once Pod quickly scuttled off back into the castle, a triumphant look on his face. Brienne watched him go fondly before turning back to Sansa. When everything had felt wrong with the world yesterday…it now felt right.
Brienne smiled at Sansa. 'I'm very grateful for your support with this, my lady.'
'I'll pray to the gods for your safe return every day,' Sansa said warmly.
Brienne frowned. 'I thought you didn't pray anymore, my lady.'
'I do for the important things. After all, you were the one who helped give me back my faith,' Sansa said, and to Brienne's astonishment she then hugged her tightly, before breaking away with a concerned expression. 'Brienne…I can't help but wonder if you were right yesterday? You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.'
There was a pause as Sansa gazed at Brienne imploringly. Brienne knew that she was right deep down. But she also knew that there was a part of Jaime, a part concealed so well that he barely knew it existed, that longed to be saved.
'I can try,' Brienne said fiercely.
Sansa nodded, a proud smile on her face. Just as quickly as he had gone, Pod then returned laden with food, water and blankets stuffed in a bag.
'I couldn't find your sword, milady-'
'Oathkeeper's here, Pod,' Brienne said, indicating her beloved sword attached to her leather belt. 'Thank you.'
Nodding, Pod rushed over to Brienne's horse tied up at the far end of the courtyard, and attached the bag to the saddle. Giving Sansa a parting nod, Brienne then walked over to the horse and was about to clamber on when Pod yelped.
'We mustn't forget your armour, milady!' he said, panicked.
'There's no time,' Brienne said, patting the horse before turning back to Pod. 'Besides, I don't need my armour for this.'
Pod looked like he might burst into tears. Instead he threw his arms around Brienne and embraced her in a fierce hug. Brienne hugged him back, smiling at Sansa over Pod's shoulder, before letting go and patting him on the shoulder.
'Look after her,' Brienne murmured.
'Always,' Pod promised. 'Good luck, milady.'
'Thank you,' Brienne said as she climbed up onto the horse.
'Write to us once you've arrived in the capital,' Sansa urged, walking over to Pod, her hand resting against his.
Brienne smiled at them both. 'I will.'
After exchanging a few more words of farewell with her closest friends, Brienne then rode off, out through the open gates of the courtyard, just as Jaime had done. A sense of determination and courage surged through her as raced on up the snowy hilltops.
'We will find each other again, I promise. That's what we do.'
Brienne could only hope that Jaime would be able to keep his promise intact.
The steady thundering of the horse's hooves galloping beneath Brienne echoed loudly in her ears as she rode fiercely across the bleak landscape of the Riverlands, panting heavily. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she could feel a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. She had been riding like this for days – or possibly weeks, Brienne couldn't be sure. Time seemed to have no meaning anymore. She knew she needed to make more regular stops so that she and the horse could sleep, drink and eat…but it was hard to stop when the man you loved had a considerable head start and was riding towards his inevitable demise.
I must keep going, she kept telling herself fiercely as she charged through fields and woods.
No, you can't. You need to stop, another stern voice told her…a voice that sounded peculiarly like Jaime's.
As night fell, Brienne reluctantly drew her exhausted horse to a halt just outside a village. They both fed and watered, and soon afterwards Brienne slowly sank down to the mossy floor, her back rested against a tree trunk. She smiled to herself as she thought back wistfully to how she and Jaime had slept against many trees like this together years ago, back when everything had been so different. Although…it hadn't been so different. Not really. Brienne reckoned she had loved Jaime even all the way back then, though she hadn't realised it at the time.
Just a couple of hours, Brienne told herself as she felt her eyes slowly drooping. Just a couple of hours, and then I can get back in the saddle…
When she next opened her eyes, she was blinded by the fierce sunlight high in the centre of the sky streaming down on her through the canopy of leaves from the trees.
Noon.
Eyes widening in fear, Brienne jumped to her feet in a panic. She had slept too long. Clutching her hands to her hair, Brienne groaned in fury and kicked the tree trunk furiously. Her stomach was rumbling but she didn't have time to hunt – her tiredness had cost her too much already. Taking a quick swig of water, Brienne untied her horse, leapt up onto the saddle and set off to continue her gruelling journey down south.
Today was cooler and windier than usual, and Brienne could tell from the looming grey clouds waiting for her far over the other side of the hill that it was only going to get worse. Cold air bit into her lungs and the wind whipped her tousled hair back from her face, and after a few hours it began to rain, but still Brienne carried on. She came across no one, though this didn't surprise her; everywhere had been deserted ever since she had set off from Winterfell. She guessed it was fear of the inevitable battle in the capital that was forcing people to lock themselves indoors out of fear.
The horse's hooves flew over stones, leaves and grass, pounding so heavily across the ground that it caused mud to splatter up its legs and onto Brienne's clothes. It felt so strange to be out here in the open, away from the safety and familiarity of Winterfell, without her armour. But Brienne knew she was every bit of a knight with or without it now.
As the hours on the road sped by and the rain continued to get worse, Brienne's breaths became sharp and frantic, her eyes filling with tears. Fear washed over her as she thought of the possibility that she could very well be too late…that Jaime's life could be cut tragically short. Her anger and frustration at Jaime for this was Brienne's strength, however. She was never going to give up, however many more days of relentless riding it would take. She had failed to prevent the death of a man she'd loved once before. She couldn't do it again.
She pushed harder and went faster; at such a speed and through this torrential cold rain she could barely see a few feet ahead of her, let alone make out where she was. Judging from her calculations and the few landmarks she recognised, Brienne guessed that she was nearing Riverrun. She wondered how it would feel to see that castle and river from a distance…to remember that day, to see how far they had come…to see how it was almost at an end if she didn't reach Jaime in time…
As she rode across the hilltops, she found herself visualising it…the sea of red tents…Jaime on his magnificent white horse…the look in his eyes as they'd gazed longingly at each other…She was so distracted and lost in memory that she almost didn't notice the rider who had appeared around the corner of the steep hill ahead, coming towards her through the buckets of rain. Brienne supposed it was a civilian running away from the danger in King's Landing. She could hardly blame him. He was riding at quite a speed as well, as if desperate to get as far north as possible.
But then the rider abruptly came to a halt, his black horse neighing and faltering slightly against the wet mud. Even from this distance Brienne could tell he was looking right at her.
Brienne frowned as she rode on, determined to go straight past him and ignore whatever cruel jibes he was preparing to snap at her as she approached. What was the point in him stopping to stare at her? Had he never seen a woman ride a horse before? What a ridiculous man.
She faltered as she watched the rider then struggle to get down from his horse. Nearing towards him now, she could make out his scruffy beard and hair…his dark clothes…
'It can't be,' she murmured, her voice wavering.
She brought her horse to a stop as she caught sight of a brief glimmer of gold through the rain as the man moved his right arm slightly.
A shaky gasp of delight escaped Brienne's mouth as she scrambled down from her horse. The rider slowly started to run towards her, and Brienne, shaking her head in disbelief, began to run as well. Speeding up, the man tripped in his desperation to get to her but managed not to fall to the ground as they closed the distance between one another, both wearing expressions of sheer joy and disbelief as tears ran down their cheeks.
Brienne's steps pounded in time with her heartbeat as she finally reached him and Jaime Lannister launched into her arms in a fierce embrace.
They clung to each other for a while, their arms wrapped tightly around one another as if afraid that if they let go the other would disappear. When they eventually leaned apart, Jaime had nothing but overwhelming relief and devotion in his eyes as he gazed upon Brienne's face and soaked hair, his left hand stroking her cheek…but then their paradisiac moment came abruptly to an end as Brienne raised a rand and slapped him roughly across the cheek.
'ARGH!' Jaime cried out in shock, clutching his cheek as he flinched away from her angry expression.
'You fucking idiot!' Brienne shouted furiously.
'I couldn't agree more!' Jaime shouted back earnestly.
'I hate you so much!' Brienne yelled, before her lips collided with his.
Jaime kissed her back passionately and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him. The two lovers were both laughing through their tears when they eventually broke apart, overcome with love for one another as they breathed deeply with rage and relief and adrenaline.
'Y-you were coming back?' Brienne asked him, dazed, as the rain continued to fall.
Jaime smiled with trembling lips. 'I was coming home.'
Brienne looked confused. 'You said Winterfell could never be your home.'
'Not Winterfell, Brienne. You,' Jaime said, and there was a stunned silence as Brienne stared at him; he smiled warmly and cupped her cheek again. 'My home is with you. Wherever you are.'
Her chin quivering, Brienne brought his lips back to hers and wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck. They had both forgotten about the rain and their horses and even where they were. All that mattered was each other.
'But what about you, what the hell were you doing riding south?' Jaime asked suddenly, frowning at her. 'What about Sansa?'
'I couldn't…I couldn't let you die. Not without knowing how good you are and how much you are loved, by Tyrion, by Pod…and by no one more than me,' Brienne said, her gaze heartbreakingly beautiful.
'You were coming all this way?' Jaime said in disbelief, and he smiled as he shook his head. 'You really do love me, don't you?'
The mere notion of such a thing amazed him. He had never been loved like this before. Never. It was a rare blissful thing to know that someone cared for you so much that they would risk everything just to make sure you knew it.
Brienne nodded. 'So so much,' she replied, taking his good hand in both of hers and squeezing it tightly. 'But wh-what happened? What changed your mind?'
'I…I realised I didn't want to give up the life we'd started.'
It had hit Jaime just as he'd ridden past Harrenhal and been reminded of the horrendous bear pit in that intimidating fortress. He had left Brienne there just as he had left her in Winterfell merely weeks ago, and had come back for her only just in time. How could he bear to leave her again, for good this time, when he loved her so much? Who would be there to take his place when he was gone? Who would be there to love her and cherish her? Who would guide her through these dark days? Who would promise to go wherever she would go, as long as they were together?
He'd thought perhaps he could have survived whatever would transpire in King's Landing, that he would be able to get Cersei out of there and see her to safety. But then he'd realised he didn't just want to survive. He wanted to live. And life without Brienne felt flat. It felt wrong. It was a life he didn't want. He couldn't go back to the way he was before. He could never do that, not now he knew how full life could be with her. And so here Jaime was now, in Brienne's arms, standing in the rain on top of a deserted hill, and he wouldn't have wished to be anywhere else in the world.
'I-I don't understand…' Brienne said, confused.
She was worried, after all that he had said to her that night he'd left…how could he just shut those dark thoughts about himself away like that? How could he be sure he wouldn't regret this decision he was making right now?
Jaime seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. 'I sent a raven to Qyburn this morning, confessing to all I've done and…sending word to Tyrion advising how best to imprison our sister and…to ensure the baby will be adopted by a good family once it's born,' he said heavily.
There was a shocked silence as Brienne stared at him with wide eyes. She didn't know what to think. She could still barely belief that this was real and he was really stood here, holding her and gazing at her. She'd thought she would never see him again, and yet here they were…together again at last.
Jaime sighed. 'I have to owe up to my responsibilities for all that's happened, Brienne, and…Cersei and I have to stand trial for our crimes. But I'm not going to get myself killed for it. And I can't…I can't go back to how everything was before. I won't let her win anymore. I don't recognise the person she's become. She's not the sister I used to know and she's not the one who I love or the one who's redeemed me. You are,' Jaime said, and he rested his good hand against her cheek; Brienne placed her own hand against his with tears of joy in her eyes. 'There is little I can do for her, and…I would rather spend the rest of my life with you and making up for all the wrong I've done than give up and die with her. She will never come between us again, I promise you, Brienne. This is it, you and I, for as long as you want – I swear it. My real love, my abiding love, is for you, always. If you want me, that is.'
Brienne's face broke out into a loving beam as she cupped his face in her hands. 'Of course I want you! And I love you so much for saying that but…your duty is to your family…to your oath to her as your sister and your Queen,' she said anxiously. 'I know you, Jaime, and I won't ask you to forsake your honour.'
'Then what do you propose I do?' Jaime said helplessly. 'It's a lost cause either way.'
'Not if we move quickly,' Brienne pointed out. 'There might still be time for us to reach the capital before Daenerys and her forces arrive.'
Jaime frowned at her, confused. 'We?'
'I'm not leaving you. And we should try to get to Tyrion for when he arrives at the capital,' Brienne said urgently. 'We can help him persuade Daenerys to spare Cersei's life, for the sake of the baby if not for your oath.'
'But you can't risk yourself for her-'
'Enough. We're in this together, do you understand?' Brienne said, shaking his arms fiercely.
'It'll be dangerous,' Jaime protested.
'And when has that ever stopped me before?' Brienne said with raised eyebrows.
Jaime's expression was torn with concern. 'But…she might kill you.'
Brienne merely smiled. 'She can try.'
Jaime gazed at her for a moment, and then a smile appeared on his lips. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, before wrapping his arms around her in a gentle hug. She burrowed her head in his shoulder as she fought back a hysterical giggle at how wonderful this cold rainy day had become.
'I do love you so very much, you know,' Jaime said fondly as they leaned away from each other, their hands intertwined.
'And I you,' Brienne replied. 'Now let's get a move on, before we're too late.'
The remainder of their journey to the capital seemed far less strenuous and traumatic now that Jaime and Brienne were riding side by side. They were both on a high from their reunion…and yet they were also both anxious for what awaited them at the capital…for what would happen when they found Cersei. Each night when they stopped to rest, eat and tend to their horses, they would both make an effort not to dwell on what might occur in King's Landing, and instead simply appreciated being in one another's company again, with no secrets or dark thoughts left to hide from each other. They were open and trusting and in love, and even if the future wasn't promised to them, at least they knew that they had each other.
Neither of them were sure how many days had passed but suddenly they were approaching the familiar bridges and gates surrounding the besieged capital. Brienne didn't mind admitting that she was afraid now that they were here at last; at least while they had been travelling they'd been able to focus on each other and their riding…but now there was no putting it off. Today was the day that everything would change for Jaime…for both of them. Today could even be their last.
When they heard the bells from afar, Jaime immediately stopped, took a deep breath, and clambered off his horse. His expression was strained.
'What is that? What do the bells mean?' Brienne asked urgently.
'It means the capital surrenders. Daenerys Targaryen has won,' Jaime replied, his tone heavy.
Brienne sighed in relief. There would be no battle. No innocent deaths. At least they could count on that, no matter what would transpire with Cersei now that she had given herself up.
'We should leave our horses here and go the rest of the way on foot,' Jaime suggested. 'It won't take us much longer now, just a few minutes and then we'll be able to see city.'
Brienne nodded and got down from her horse, watching him carefully. 'Are you all right?'
'No,' Jaime admitted. 'Are you?'
'Not really.'
Jaime sighed as he walked up to her and put his hand on her arm. 'You don't have to do this,' he said softly.
'Yes I do. We both do,' Brienne said firmly. 'Your vows, your family, your honour…they're mine now as well. We're partners in this.'
Jaime let her words sink in for a moment, and nodded shakily, wishing his eyes would stop watering. 'Partners,' he said, and he planted a firm kiss on her lips before taking her hand in his and leading the way along the kingsroad.
As they rounded the corner and began their ascent up the hill that would take them to the viewing point of the capital, Brienne thought she could feel the ground shaking slightly beneath them. Indeed, as they got closer to the top, neither of them could deny the sound of distant rumbling…and screaming. Jaime frowned at Brienne worriedly; what was going on? Daenerys' army wouldn't have attacked when Cersei had sounded the bells for surrender…would they? Looking up, they then noticed the strange smoky burnt orange haze in the sky. Jaime's heart faltered; he had seen the sky above King's Landing like that before in this very spot, when Cersei had destroyed the Sept. The sight of what she had done that day had left him more terrified than any battle he'd ever been in.
A surge of adrenaline rushed through them both and Jaime and Brienne quickened their pace to run up the hill, forcing their legs to push harder until –
They both came to a halt and gasped in horror.
The city was on fire.
Jaime felt his knees buckle and he fell to the ground as he looked down in dismay and revulsion at the terrifying sight before them. They could barely see the orange roofs of all the buildings cramped together; the fierce yellow flames and large billowing clouds of smoke obscured their view of almost everything…and were getting steadily closer to the Red Keep.
'Oh, gods, no…' Brienne whispered in shock, clutching her hand to her chest as her chin quivered.
'How could she do this?' Jaime said, his voice quiet but trembling with fury. 'Why would she ring the bells then just blow everyone up-'
'Jaime, look,' Brienne said in a wavering voce. 'It's not Wildfire.'
Jaime followed her distressed gaze as she pointed ahead of them to the sky, and there, through the colossal clouds of smoke and ash, was the unmistakeable silhouette of a dragon.
'Daenerys?' Jaime whispered in agony, a thin layer of sweat covering the nape of his neck. 'She…but she…Tyrion said she was good, he had faith in her, he said-'
'Obviously he was mistaken.'
Brienne helped him up to his feet and they held onto each other for comfort as they watched in horrified silence while Daenerys and her dragon swooped across the city, fire raining down from them onto the thousands of innocent people running and screaming for their lives as burning buildings tumbled down all around them.
'What do we do?' Jaime said helplessly, sounding like he was close to tears. 'The city will be on lockdown.'
'We find a way in. We save Cersei and the baby,' Brienne said determinedly.
Jaime turned to her incredulously. 'How?'
'We get her out of the castle and send her away. Far away from Westeros.'
His eyes then widened as hope surged through him. 'I know a back route to the Red Keep – there's a shore, with boats…I used one of them once when I wanted to get away-'
'Then we'll use that. Come on. Quickly,' Brienne said, and she grabbed his hand and led them at a run towards the capital.
Jaime could feel his heart throbbing in his chest as they bolted down the hill towards the great walls and gates that encircled the burning city, and a hollow helplessness surged within him. He felt like he could hardly breathe, and yet it was not fear for sister's safety that made him so terrified; it was fear for Brienne's. He had changed so much because of her. She had lit the world for him. Her bravery, her ability to trust and hope and care and try…she was the best person he knew, and she was risking her life for the worst person he knew…the person he'd once thought he loved so dearly. But he'd known nothing about love really. Nothing…until Brienne. Her strength was all that kept him going as the two of them approached the flames and the screams and the dragon soaring overhead…but just before turning towards the shore, Jaime held back and grabbed her by the arm.
'Brienne. Before we go in-'
'We don't have time for this, we need to find Cersei-!' Brienne interrupted urgently, but Jaime held both her arms and fixed her with that intense gaze of his that was enough to silence her.
'Brienne, please, this is important. I need you to know that, whatever happens…this is it. You and me. This is real,' he said firmly. 'You are who I want. You are my life. And I'm not going anywhere.'
Brienne looked at him and smiled with trembling lips as she stroked his cheeks and wiped away the stray tear trickling down his face. 'I know,' she whispered, and she kissed him. 'Let's go.'
They darted through the trees bordering the walls to the capital towards the sea, and Jaime led the precarious way through all the hidden trails Tyrion had told him about years ago towards the pebbled shore that would take them to the back of the Red Keep. The sound of the dragon's roars and his terrifying flames almost deafened Jaime and Brienne as they ran along the shore, but at least it drowned out the civilian's screams.
There's nothing we can do for them, they kept telling themselves as they hurried on, but it didn't stop their tears from falling as they listened to the helpless, innocent population perish close by while their homes were destroyed.
'Up here!' Jaime said, his voice shaking, as he ran ahead to check that the stone steps leading up to the castle dungeons were still intact. 'And there's a boat over there, we can-'
But he was interrupted by the sound of a furious bellow.
'KINGSLAYER!'
Jaime turned in shock to see that Euron Greyjoy had emerged, looking soaked and exhausted; evidently he had found his way to this shore from the sea. He was stood staring at Jaime with his sword held aloft and nothing but pure hatred in his expression. Letting out an almighty roar, Euron then began to charge at Jaime with his sword.
'You have got to be kidding me,' Jaime muttered, fumbling with his left hand to retrieve his own sword.
As Euron held his sword up and prepared to swing at Jaime, Brienne groaned exasperatedly. 'I don't think so,' she said, unimpressed, and she withdrew Oathkeeper from her belt.
Euron had only managed one failed swipe at Jaime, his sword clanging loudly against a rock as Jaime dove to the side, before Brienne had joined them and struck at Euron with a roar as loud as his own. Laughing inanely, Euron punched Brienne in the gut and shoved her to the ground before turning his sword once again to Jaime. A triumphant look of glee on his face, Euron lunged forward to stab Jaime in the chest…only his expression froze and his eyes widened as Oathkeeper was shoved roughly through his back. Euron fell to the ground, his face slamming against the rocky ground.
Jaime scrambled from beneath him and looked up at Brienne in amazement as she pulled her sword out of Euron's dead body. 'Brienne, that was…'
'Yes, yes, we can talk about it later,' Brienne said impatiently, pulling him up to his feet, and he grinned at her.
'Actually I didn't have talking in mind-'
'Jaime, focus!' Brienne snapped, blushing.
'Right. Yes,' Jaime said, shaking his head rapidly, and, putting their swords away, the two knights clambered up the steps towards the Red Keep hand-in-hand.
Euron's distraction had cost them some time; Daenerys had reached the Red Keep and the castle was beginning to collapse all around them as Drogon flew around with a trail of fire, burning whole towers and apartments to the ground. As they emerged out of the dungeons and into the great hall, both Jaime and Brienne froze, stunned, as parts of the ceiling and pillars began to crumble to the ground while the stained windows smashed to pieces at the sheer force of the dragon's wings as Drogon flew past.
Jaime exhaled unevenly. 'Fuck. The whole place is coming down.'
Brienne gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as they hurried through the hall and out into the castle courtyards. Jaime was deeply shaken by what he was seeing. His old home was being destroyed. The kingdom he had once sacrificed everything to save…it was all turning to dust.
'We should split up, to cover more ground, that way we'll have a quicker chance at finding her,' Brienne suggested.
'No, I'm not leaving you. We stick together,' Jaime said firmly, and he reached out to cup her cheek. 'Are you sure you're up for this?'
Brienne tilted her head at him before removing his hand and kissing the top of it. 'If you ask me that one more time, I'll knock you out.'
'Understood.'
'Now where would she be?' Brienne asked.
Jaime looked around at the collapsing castle, and it was then when Brienne realised that he was shaking. 'I-I'm not sure…'
'Jaime, think! I know this is hard for you but please, think!' Brienne said urgently, bursting with sympathy for him. 'Where would Cersei go? Where would she be?'
'Maegor's Holdfast,' he replied after a moments' pause. 'It's where she went when Stannis attacked Blackwater, it's where her apartments are-'
'Then let's go. Come on!'
By the time they had reached the tower's top floor of Maegor's Holdfast, the castle's condition had only gotten much worse. The floor beneath their feet vibrated as booms and rumbles echoed all around the fortress, and the rooms and corridors were filled with dust as the red bricks continued to fall all around them. Jaime led the way into the top courtyard, but Brienne hung back slightly, trying to control her breathing as the panic and fear threatened to consume her. Cracks were appearing in the battle map of Westeros that Cersei had had so delicately painted on the courtyard floor. The fantasy world that she had been ruling was shattering. Jaime sighed grimly as he remembered the last time he had seen Cersei and walked away from her in this very room…but then a whimper of fear made him look up.
Through the smoke, he could see the unmistakeable silhouette of his sister, walking around the courtyard in distress as she looked up at the crumbling remains of her home. She was in a dress of Lannister red, but she looked weak, tearful, vulnerable…and so so alone. Cersei was well and truly defeated, and her face was crumbled in fear. Jaime couldn't remember the last time he had seen her look afraid. It reminded him that she was human after all, that there was a small shadow of that person he had once known still left within her.
Cersei then turned and as her eyes met Jaime's through the dust and smoke, a strange gasp escaped her mouth. She looked like she wanted to both to laugh and cry, and it made Jaime's heart sink as he realised how much more broken she had become ever since he had left for Winterfell.
'Jaime. You came back for me,' she whispered in relief, but then she froze as Brienne then stepped out from behind a crumbling pillar, and Cersei exhaled shakily. 'Oh it just gets better and better, doesn't it? What is she doing here?'
'Saving your life,' Brienne replied, her tone calm.
Cersei scoffed as she tried to hold herself high, even though her façade had already crumbled just like her castle. 'Lady Brienne, I don't need the likes of you to-'
'Ser Brienne,' Jaime corrected her in a low voice.
'Ser?' Cersei's mocking laugh was weak and weary. 'What sort of fool would make that thing a knight? She's a woman. Well, barely, but still.'
There was a silence as Jaime stared back at her defiantly. A tear escaped Cersei's eye while she glared at her two rescuers, trying to keep her feet steady while the floor shook beneath them.
'Oh gods. You. You did this,' Cersei said in a small voice, eyeing her brother in disappointment while more bricks from the tower continued to fall to the ground all around the three of them stood in the centre of the courtyard. 'Have you lost your mind? Her? And what gave you the right? Women can't be knights-'
'Brienne is the first, and there'll be many more to come, I'm sure of it,' Jaime said, and he stepped closer to her with his hand held out. 'Now we have more important things to quarrel about than knighthoods – come on, we need to get out of here before the whole place falls down.'
Cersei flinched away from him tearfully. 'I'm not going anywhere. What would be the point? They'll only execute me. We've lost, Jaime. We've been defeated at last. Although, sorry – there's no 'we' anymore is there,' she said, and she glanced at Brienne. 'Please don't tell me you've fallen in love with this giant oaf.'
Jaime's silence said it all.
Cersei shook her head at him incredulously. 'How is that even possible?' she said, aghast and mesmerized, and she turned to Brienne. 'I always wondered if he'd ever fuck someone other than me. Not that I cared much. I never thought it would be someone like you.'
A hint of a small smile fell briefly on Brienne's lips. 'Neither did I,' she said coolly.
Cersei's lips parted as she stared at Brienne. She didn't like this newfound confidence in Brienne of Tarth. When they'd first met at Joffrey's wedding, the worst day of Cersei's life, Brienne had been awkward and avoided eye contact. But now Brienne was staring straight back at her without blinking or flinching, as if she were somehow sure of herself. But there was something more in the look Brienne was giving her – was it pity? The idea of that made Cersei want to simultaneously vomit and strangle Brienne to death with her own two hands.
Shaking her head as if in denial, Cersei took a few steps closer to Jaime. 'You really think you can be happy with her?' she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. 'Not even that…do you honestly think the big ugly cow from the Sapphire Isle will even want to stay with you? She's too good for you, Jaime. You're far too much of a monster like me-'
'No I'm not,' Jaime cut over her firmly. 'I'm not a saint, I'd never pretend to be anywhere near close. But I'm not the man I used to be, and I'm getting better. And yes. I am happy with her.'
He felt almost like smiling in relief that he could speak such words to the sister that had once poisoned his mind so much, and for those words to be true. It would always be the case that Cersei was his weakness. But Brienne was his strength.
'Then…if that's the case…why is Ser Brienne even here to help me?' Cersei asked, turning to face Brienne as all three of them stumbled while the crumbling castle shook more violently around them.
Brienne took a few steps closer to them, but still maintained quite a bit of distance. 'Because I don't want to see you die.'
A weak smile flashed momentarily on Cersei's lips. 'Don't you?'
'No,' Brienne said sincerely. 'I wanted to help your brothers convince Daenerys to give you a fair trial and give you another chance-'
Cersei scoffed. 'If you think the Targaryen bitch can be made to see reason then you are completely blind!' she shouted. 'Look at what she's doing-!'
'You're right!' Brienne said, and she sighed. 'You rang the bells for surrender. You wanted to stop this before it turned to bloodshed, you wanted to stop the deaths of innocents, and Daenerys ignored you. She was wrong to do that. But it shows there's still good in you, Cersei.'
'You dare call me by my name-'
'Cersei, seven hells, just listen to her!' Jaime yelled, grabbing his sister roughly by the wrist. 'Brienne's right. There is still good left in you. There's still a chance.'
'A chance for what?' Cersei asked waspishly.
'Escape. Redemption. A better life.'
His voice and expression were full of such hope. It was a gift he had been blessed with even though he hadn't deserved it; perhaps Cersei could be offered the same.
Cersei's smile was almost genuine as her arms snaked up his chest and her hands cupped his face. 'Then come with me,' she whispered, almost seductively, and a lump rose in Brienne's throat as she watched.
But Jaime reached up and removed Cersei's hands from his face, his eyes cold and his jaw set. 'No,' he said.
Cersei's expression faltered as she stared at him, utterly perplexed. 'What?' she said, and her voice shook slightly.
'I won't be your puppet anymore, Cersei,' Jaime said, leaning away from her. 'And I won't let myself get dragged down to-'
'Oh, listen to how pathetic you sound!' Cersei snapped, and in her panic she breathed in a great deal of dust from the falling debris and began coughing hysterically. 'What the hell has happened to you?'
Breathing furiously, she turned to glare at Brienne, for they all knew that Brienne was the answer.
'I want you to have a new start in life, Cersei,' Jaime said gently, flinching slightly as more bricks came falling their way. 'But I don't want to be part of it.'
'How could you betray your own baby like that? Our child, Jaime?' Cersei demanded. 'How could you abandon-?'
'Cersei,' Jaime interrupted, and his voice wavered slightly. 'You told me you were pregnant many months ago. You would be showing by now. So either you've lost the baby since I left, and you're pretending otherwise to get to me. Or there never was a baby in the first place and you made it up because you knew I was doubting even back then.'
There was a silence as Brienne watched them, her eyes wide and anxious, and Cersei breathed deeply.
Jaime smiled sadly. 'I think we both know which it is.'
Cersei's bottom lip was trembling, but she said nothing.
'I will not let you control me anymore, Cersei,' Jaime said firmly, and Brienne felt her heart swell with pride.
Cersei couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Why fight what you know is real, what is right, what is true?' she said, almost pleadingly, as she rested her arms against his chest. 'We were meant to leave this world together, Jaime. You've always believed that.'
'Not anymore. I choose life,' Jaime said, and he backed away from her so that they were no longer touching. 'I've been given a second chance and this is yours now, Cersei. You can go anywhere you like, start afresh. A brand new life. Put all the ghosts of your past behind you. Imagine it.'
'Is that what you've done? A fresh start at life? With your precious knight?' Cersei asked bitterly.
'Yes,' Jaime said, sounding close to tears of joy. 'And you can have the same. Just come with us now. We can help you escape the city. But we need to move now-'
'I'm not moving anywhere,' Cersei cut over him, shaking her head and backing away from both him and Brienne. 'I'd rather die in my home than in some ghastly foreign land pretending to be someone I'm not.'
Jaime's face fell. 'N-no, Cersei-'
'I would wish you both well, but that would just be a lie. Now get out,' Cersei spat, backing further away from the courtyard and closer to the collapsing ceiling.
'No,' Jaime said in a trembling voice, though he knew it was no use. 'Not without you.'
'Come with us. Please,' Brienne said earnestly from the other side of the courtyard.
Cersei turned to stare at Brienne with disdain and then began to laugh hysterically. The sound alarmed Jaime. And then a sudden blast knocked all three of them to their feet; Drogon had just swept past and set one of the higher levels ablaze.
Jaime and Brienne both heard the crack of the ceiling above Cersei before she did. The pillars beside her were about to give way, and yet Cersei didn't seem to even want to get up to her feet. There was a tearful smile on her face as she looked at Jaime for one last time.
'NO!' Brienne yelled in horror, realising what was about to happen.
She started to run to Cersei's aid from the other side of the courtyard and Jaime ran towards his sister too, but then Jaime looked up as the cracks in the ceiling above began to spread…the dust was already beginning to fall on top of Brienne and the bricks were starting to crumble around her as she approached Cersei.
'BRIENNE!' Jaime yelled out, and he changed direction and charged to the left instead to reach Brienne.
Brienne shouted and struggled in protest but before she knew what had happened Jaime had dived off to the side with his arms wrapped firmly around her as the ceiling collapsed in on the spot where she had been moments before. They both lay there on the courtyard floor, Jaime covering Brienne's head to protect her from any rubble as the bricks came flying from all directions.
Eventually, once the initial collapse had ceased, the two of them slowly sat up, holding onto each other in shock. Jaime turned towards Cersei but she was no longer sat there; in her place were the remains of the ceiling and pillars that had just come tumbling to the floor.
'No…' Brienne whispered in horror as she gazed at the pile of rubble.
Jaime couldn't speak. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the spot where his sister had just been crushed by her own castle.
Daenerys never even gave her a chance, he thought angrily.
It took him a while to realise that his face was wet with tears and that Brienne was shaking him.
'Jaime, we have to get out of here,' Brienne said tearfully as the rumbling continued and more bricks continued to fall around them. 'I'm sorry, but we have to leave her or we'll-'
'I know, I know,' Jaime murmured, his voice trembling, and he cupped her face; it was bruised and bleeding slightly but otherwise mostly unharmed. 'Are you all right?'
'Me?!' Brienne said, her eyes swimming with tears. 'Yes, but what about y-?'
But Jaime didn't let her finish, he forced them both up to their feet and cast the pile of rubble one last look before taking Brienne's hand and leading the way away from the courtyard and out towards the steps just as the rest of the ceiling came caving in.
'Watch out!' Brienne shouted, pulling him out of harms' way as a balustrade came crashing down towards them both.
'Remind me to thank you later if we get out of this place alive!' Jaime said, panting while they leapt down the steps in a panic, and Brienne nodded.
They both screamed out in horror as they reached the bottom of the steps and the burning roof of a tower came tumbling down and landed right at their feet. The hot flames sent them running for their lives in the other direction, choking through the smoke as they tried to fight their way through the dust and falling bricks to something – anything – that resembled the outside.
Eventually, they found their escape…only when they made it outside, the relief that Jaime and Brienne had hoped would come seemed to evade them. The capital had become suddenly deadly quiet. There were no more dragon roars…and no more people's screams. The fires were still blazing far out in the distance but they seemed to be calming down now…ash was drifting down on them as if snowflakes back in Winterfell. The whole city seemed to be a mixture of orange and white, blurred by the haze of smoke and ash and dust. Jaime knew the silence that met them right now would haunt him for years to come.
The slaughter was done. The dragon queen had conquered King's Landing.
Jaime slowly sank down onto the steps, shivering even though it wasn't cold. His body ached all over and he couldn't seem to regain control of his breathing. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and yet he also felt nauseous with his heavy loss, almost like a part of him had gone missing. He and Brienne said nothing as they both stared out in horror at the sight of the crumbling, burning city before them, but soon Brienne could stand the silence no longer.
'You shouldn't have pulled me out of the way,' she murmured as she sat down beside him on the step. 'If you hadn't then you would have been able to save her.'
Jaime looked around at her in confusion, frowning. 'But then I would have lost you,' he said in a small voice.
Brienne's chin quivered as she tried not to cry. 'I…I'm sorry you had to make that choice,' she whispered.
But Jaime was shaking his head. 'Brienne, you would have died. There was no choice to make,' he said, cupping her face and gazing into her eyes. 'It will always be you.'
He then brought her lips to hers in a tender kiss. In spite of everything, they laughed ever so slightly against each other's lips; both their faces were covered in dust and ash. Brienne's smile slowly fell, however, as Jaime began to brush her face and wipe away the marks of the Red Keep's destruction.
'Jaime…are you…'
'I'm fine,' Jaime replied at once, but then he paused and closed his eyes. 'W-well I…of course I'm not. But I will be. I promise.'
His gaze was earnest, as if pleading with her to believe that he would stay true. He didn't want her to think that mourning Cersei would make him regret anything or change the way he felt about her. Brienne seemed to be able to read his mind as she titled her head at him sympathetically and took his hand in hers.
'You don't have to promise me anything,' she said in wavering voice. 'She was your sister. She was your…your everything.'
Jaime looked down, too ashamed to meet her gaze. 'Maybe once,' he admitted. 'A long time ago.'
'But still. She meant a great deal to you. Cersei was your family. You loved her,' Brienne said, and she tilted his chin up so she could look him directly in the eye. 'You need to let yourself grieve, Jaime. Please don't bottle it up. Not for me.'
Her voice shook on the last sentence, and Jaime nodded as he felt his lips begin to tremble and his eyes well up.
'I-I'm so sorry, Jaime,' Brienne whispered as a tear trickled down her cheek.
'I know,' Jaime murmured. 'Me too.'
He began to cry then and he fell into her arms, his head leaning into her shoulder, as she cradled him amongst the smoke and rubble of the slaughtered city around them.
What do we do now? Where do we go next?
Neither of them knew the answers, but all that mattered was the sole thing in this troubling world that was certain: that they would face the unknown together, at each other's side.
The weeks went by slowly, and it was strange how so much could happen in such a short space of time. The aftermath of Daenerys Targaryen's slaughter of King's Landing was a grim one indeed, filled with grief, despair and shock. The initial feeling amongst the survivors when it was reported that Jon Snow had murdered Daenerys in the throne room of the Red Keep was that of relief, although Brienne confessed she felt rather conflicted, not to mention stunned, by the whole event. Soon enough, all the lords and ladies of Westeros were invited to attend a summit in the Dragonpit – one of the few areas Drogon had left untouched, ironically – to decide the future of the Seven Kingdoms and to set out plans for rebuilding the capital, and Brienne found herself focussing on looking forward to seeing her beloved Pod and Lady Sansa again.
She had given Jaime some space to mourn with Tyrion, who had been overwhelmingly relieved to see his brother and Brienne on that terrible day when King's Landing had fallen…and yet understandably devastated to hear of Cersei's demise. Jaime coped with it surprisingly well, though Brienne suspected that he had perhaps been grieving for his sister for months, possibly even years, before her death. Yet it still hurt him deeply, and there were some days where the pain of losing one's own twin became almost unbearable. Those were the days where Jaime needed Brienne the most, and he knew she would always be there for him. Each night, he came to his old bedchambers – his apartments had miraculously survived Drogon's attack on the castle – and simply lay there on the bed beside Brienne, where she held him and stroked his hair, and they were overcome with gratefulness to have one another during this difficult time in Westeros. Brienne noticed how Jaime seemed to have aged quite a bit in just the time since he had left Winterfell. His eyes were so very tired. She could practically map his face out line by line, and yet she knew that the prospect of growing old didn't bother him, just like it didn't bother her. Not when they could do it together now.
When the day of the summit eventually arrived, everyone in attendance was invited to speak their opinions on the future of Westeros…and on the fate of Jon Snow. To her surprise as much as everyone else's, Brienne found herself quite expressive on the latter subject when it was her turn to speak.
'Jon Snow did exactly what Jaime Lannister did and for the same reasons. Many years ago, Aerys Targaryen was mad and wanted to burn the entire population of King's Landing. Ser Jaime killed him – sacrificing his own oath, his honour and his reputation – to stop that from happening,' Brienne said, her voice ringing out across the dragon pit, and Jaime felt his heart swell as he watched her. 'Daenerys Targaryen seemed a good ruler, a just ruler…but then she burned King's Landing, even when it had surrendered. From what I hear, she made it very clear after she had slaughtered this city that she was determined to conquer everywhere in Westeros and Essos by force. She would have conquered and destroyed anywhere – everywhere – in the entire world that did not agree with her, had she been given the opportunity. And this includes the homes of most people here today. But Daenerys never had that opportunity, because Jon Snow stopped her, and in doing so he saved all of us. Perhaps it was cruel, perhaps it was unjust, and yes…it was murder. But it may well have been the only way to stop her from destroying our world and everyone in it.'
There was a silence as everyone looked at her, hanging on her every word.
'Ser Jaime was not punished for his actions when he killed the Mad King. He had proved his loyalty to the people of Westeros,' Brienne said. 'Jon Snow has done just the same. So why should he be banished from the Seven Kingdoms when all he has ever done is try to protect them from further harm, just like Ser Jaime?'
When she finished, she glanced at Jaime and saw that there were tears in his eyes. He smiled gratefully at her and looked around to see that everyone assembled around them were looking at him with both awe and guilt in their eyes. It seemed that the Oathbreaker was gone at last.
It was only after the summit had taken place that Brienne was able to properly reunite with Pod and Lady Sansa. Both of them were still rather dazed after what had been decided today; Sansa was to rule the North as an independent kingdom, while Bran was to be crowned King of the remaining six kingdoms. What that meant for the rest of them, they had no idea, but for now they could at least find comfort in the fact that they were alive and well after the horrific events that had taken place here last month. Sansa in particular was overwhelmingly grateful towards Brienne for helping grant back Jon's freedom, and full of regret for the way she had misjudged Jaime all this time…although both she and Pod were a little surprised by just how quickly and easily Brienne had managed to forgive Jaime for leaving her in Winterfell.
As far as Brienne was concerned, however, there was nothing to forgive. Not now. She didn't need convincing about their new life together, just as Jaime didn't need to worry about not being enough. The past was broken but it didn't need fixing; all they needed to do was start a clean slate, to begin again, to let it just be the two of them at last, free and full of hope for the future that had once seemed like a silly fantasy but was now real. Brienne told Jaime this regularly as the weeks continued to pass, to reassure him that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and it wasn't long until Jaime knew that he was ready for this new life to begin. Love worked in such mysterious ways…perhaps it was all part of some greater plan. All Jaime knew was that his and Brienne's journey together had always been meant to be. He couldn't imagine what he would be like without her. She was the only one for him.
To add further confusion to their plans as they worked their way through Jaime and Tyrion's grief together, it soon became apparent that Bran had certain ideas for his small council – Brienne was offered a place as Lady Commander of the Kingsguard, while it was suggested that Jaime could serve as Master of War. A few days after Jaime and Brienne had gotten over the initial shock of these proposals, they were invited to see their new King to discuss the matter.
'I'm aware that my Hand and my sister have both spoken to you about your proposed appointments within my new council, and that you have a few days to make your decisions,' Bran began, as the three of them assembled together. 'However before you do I would like to propose something else for you to consider.'
Jaime and Brienne exchanged the briefest of wary glances.
'As you know, these positions require a great deal of time, effort, responsibility and commitment on your part…and I understand you have both been through a trying time these past few months. So I would like to suggest you both take some time away before taking up your new duties, should you accept your posts,' Bran went on in his monotone voice, and Jaime and Brienne's eyes widened in alarm; they certainly hadn't been expecting that. 'A few weeks away somewhere would be good…particularly as I understand you would like to make plans for the future.'
'The future?' Jaime asked.
Bran's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. 'Isn't it your intention to marry?'
Brienne blinked rapidly as she looked around at Jaime, an almost apologetic look on her face, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he was smiling at her. Blushing, Brienne turned back to Bran.
'W-well I…Your Grace, if I were to become Lady Commander of the Kingsguard I wouldn't be able to-'
But Bran interrupted her. 'I have renounced that rule. Any members of my council or Kingsguard will be able to marry whomever and whenever they choose to do so, and bear offspring,' he said simply, and Brienne's lips parted.
'That's…very kind, Your Grace,' Jaime said, dazed.
Bran seemed unimpressed. 'It was long overdue. Think on it. I want whatever is best for my council members,' he said.
Jaime and Brienne headed outside the castle not long after their meeting with the new King. The gardens they had spent time in together secretly during Brienne's time living here before Joffrey's death were back to their original state; the fallen rubble and layer of ash were gone, and a hint of spring seemed to be in the air. As they walked over to their usual bench and listened to the sound of the sea, Jaime found that he couldn't stop beaming. For so long a dark mask of uncertainty and dread and fear had plagued him wherever he went. He had been so lost. But now, with Brienne, he was free. He didn't feel like he was enough, but she had healed his scars and embraced his soul and loved him for who he truly was, and that was enough to make Jaime determined that he would spend every minute of every day devoted to Brienne's happiness. He had never felt more certain of that than he did do right now, today.
'I'm surprised that Bran Stark of all people would propose a holiday for us or even consider what we've been through,' Jaime said as they sat down together. 'I thought he had no awareness of…feelings at all.'
Brienne scoffed. 'Trust me, that wasn't King Bran. Those were Lady Sansa's words.'
'Ah. Well that makes more sense. So…what do you think?' Jaime asked, his expression warm and encouraging as he looked at her.
'I…I don't know,' Brienne murmured doubtfully. 'To stay here in the capital…Lady Sansa has insisted I do it for Bran but…what about you?'
Jaime smiled and took her hand in his. 'I am your humble servant, Brienne,' he said, and he kissed the top of her hand. 'Wherever you go, I go.'
Brienne felt her heart flutter as she gazed at him. 'But could you bear it? To live here in King's Landing again, after everything?' she asked, her brow creased in concern.
'I can bear living anywhere, as long as you're here. Besides, this is the city I sacrificed everything for to protect,' Jaime said, almost wistfully, as he looked around at the ruins of the city stretching out before them. 'I'd like to help rebuild it.'
Brienne reached out to stroke his cheek. 'I'd like to help with that as well.'
'Your dream was always to be the best knight in all of Westeros, Ser Brienne,' Jaime said, grinning. 'Why refuse such a tempting offer?'
'And what about…the other part of the offer?' Brienne asked nervously.
'A few weeks away so we can get married in peace before the hard work begins? Sounds rather luxurious to me,' Jaime said, his lips twitching.
'How did he know? Bran?'
'He's the 'three-eyed raven', remember? Whatever the fuck that actually means.'
'Jaime!' Brienne chastised.
'Sorry,' Jaime said, chuckling. 'The point is, he's an all-knowing all-seeing commander of the realm now. Strange how things turn out…'
There was a pause as they both looked down at each other's intertwined hands. When Brienne looked back up, she found that Jaime was already gazing at her with a tender look on his face.
'So…will you?' he asked gently.
Brienne's heart skipped a beat. 'Will I what?'
Jaime smirked at her. 'You're going to make me say it, aren't you?' he said, and when Brienne smiled, Jaime squeezed her hand as he turned his body to face her. 'Brienne of Tarth. I love you with everything in me. I no longer feel alone anymore because of you. I feel happy. I feel like I'm becoming good. And I feel like…like you're my whole world. Because you are. You're everything to me. Will you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?'
A tear escaped Brienne's eye as she tried to think of something eloquent to say, but she could find no words to express just how happy she was, nor just how much she loved him, nor how perfect her life was in this very moment. So all she managed to whisper was –
'Yes.'
Smiling warmly, Jaime leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly. Brienne kissed him back, her hands cupping his face, and when she leaned away they were both blinking away tears.
'Of course,' Brienne said joyfully, and they both embraced and found themselves laughing in disbelief that this was really happening, that after how much contempt they'd had for each other when they'd first met…that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.
'Well I'm glad that's settled. It would have been awkward for our new King if you'd said no,' Jaime said, wrapping his arm around her. 'We'll need to get together with Tyrion and Pod tonight for a drink and tell them.'
'Oh that'll be fun, I wouldn't be surprised if Pod fainted with excitement,' Brienne said, and they both laughed. 'So…where should we do it?'
'The wedding?' Jaime said, and a sly smile fell on his face. 'Oh, I think I know just the place…'
The sept was rather quaint and small, situated atop a cliff near to sapphire blue sea; the same sept in which Brienne's parents had got married. Lord Selwyn Tarth had been startled at first when Jaime had approached him expressing his wish to marry his daughter, whom had changed a great deal since he had last seen her many years ago.
'Do you trust him?' Lord Selwyn had asked Brienne.
'I do. Completely,' Brienne had replied firmly.
'Do you love him?'
Brienne had smiled. 'With all my heart.'
After that conversation, there had been no problem. Lord Selwyn shook hands with Jaime as if he were already part of the family, and with his blessing the wedding preparations soon got underway.
They wanted the wedding to be a small and modest affair – Brienne hadn't wanted to make too much of a fuss, having never been one to bother with such expenses and extravagance, and whatever Brienne wanted was what Jaime wanted as well. Soon enough, Tyrion, Sansa, Pod and even Bronn sailed over to Tarth along with many other guests, all of them pleasantly surprised and remarkably happy for the couple, and before they knew it the big day was upon them at last.
As Lord Selwyn escorted his beloved daughter through the archway of the sept, her eyes cast shyly down, Brienne felt everyone assembled let out a small breath as the bride began her walk down the short aisle. A lump rising in her throat, she forced herself to look up and was somehow able to ignore the feel of all those eyes on her as her gaze locked on Jaime waiting for her. He wore a golden jacket and a heart-warming smile, still hardly daring to believe that this wasn't a dream.
Jaime watched as Brienne and her father approached, and he found himself almost amused by Brienne's effort to walk so uncharacteristically elegantly. But then again, this was her special day. A day where she truly felt like a woman at last. And she looked simply sensational. Her stunning white gown contained gold and blue trim, and was decked out in gold jewellery. A red cloak decorated with gold and blue embroidery swept the floor of the sept, and was fastened onto the gown with two epaulettes of a golden lion with glistening blue sapphires in their mouths. Brienne had never once liked wearing a dress, but this was the one exception; Sansa had helped her design it, and she wanted to show everyone just how proud she was to be bringing Houses Lannister and Tarth together.
Brienne smiled nervously at Jaime once she finally reached him, her sparkling eyes radiant as always, and Jaime realised then that he must have done something right in his troubled past to be lucky enough to be marrying the glorious woman stood before him.
'You look beautiful,' he mouthed to her with a tender gaze and loving smile, and Brienne felt her heart swell.
Lord Selwyn then placed his daughter's trembling hand in Jaime's, and the two of them knelt before the Septon, between the statues of the Father and the Mother.
The Septon then began the sermon, and Jaime gave Brienne's hand a little squeeze. 'We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife: one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever,' the Septon rang out.
Brienne smiled rather giddily and the Septon gestured for them both to rise; Brienne had requested that the Septon not ask Jaime to cloak Brienne to bring under his protection, as she had wanted to surprise him with the Lannister-red cloak she'd had designed for this day. Besides, Jaime and Brienne were both in agreement that they had been under one another's protection for a very long time now anyway.
Standing side-by-side, Jaime and Brienne then held out their intertwined hands. The Septon didn't flinch at the sight of Jaime's stump – Brienne had reassured Jaime that he didn't need his golden hand anymore – and tied their joined hands with the ribbon to symbolise their union.
'Let it be known that Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Brienne of Tarth are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder,' the Septon said. 'In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity. Look upon one another and say the words.'
Jaime and Brienne turned to face each other. Jaime noticed that Brienne's chin was quivering slightly with nerves; he pulled a daft face at her and she pressed her smiling lips together to stop herself from laughing. Jaime chuckled softly and stroked her fingers with his own as they then both began to recite their vows, speaking simultaneously.
'Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger…-'
Brienne squeezed Jaime's hand. 'I am his and he is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.'
'I am hers and she is mine,' Jaime said simultaneously. 'From this day, until the end of my days.'
They both exhaled deeply as they gazed at each other with heart-warming smiles on both their faces. Jaime turned to the Septon and raised his eyebrows hopefully; the Septon smiled and nodded.
Looking like he might burst from joy, Jaime then turned back to Brienne and announced to the world, 'With this kiss, I pledge my love.'
He leaned up to kiss his bride for the first time, and the moment their lips touched, both Pod and Tyrion let out triumphant cheers from their seats. Sansa glanced at them both disapprovingly but then couldn't help joining in as they all watched Jaime and Brienne embrace as man and wife.
When the happy couple emerged from the sept steps onto the meadow, the sun came out from behind the clouds as if by magic, and they were glowing. Pod couldn't stop crying in sheer joy, and even Bronn looked a little choked up (although he fiercely denied it afterwards). All formalities were dropped as hugs and tears and laughter were exchanged with everyone all around, and Jaime and Brienne kept holding onto one another, wondering if they would ever be able to explain just how much they meant to each other…but at least they had the rest of their lives to figure that out.
As their days of paradise on the Sapphire Isle slowly turned into weeks, Jaime and Brienne made the most of enjoying the beaches and water of Tarth, while also taking advantage of Lord Selwyn's gracious hospitality. Jaime wished they could stay there longer, but a part of him also looked forward to going back to King's Landing so that they could reunite with Tyrion and Pod, so that Brienne could start her well-deserved position as Lady Commander, and so that he himself could proudly serve under his wife and help Tyrion rebuild the city he had fought so hard to protect.
Brienne felt just as attached to Tarth, having wanted to return to her homeland for so long, but now she knew that it didn't matter where she was anymore; she'd found a home for her heart, after all, and she was content in the knowledge that Jaime felt the same way.
All Jaime had wanted was freedom. A world with no more darkness, a world in which his fears were far behind him, a world in which he could redeem himself. He'd prayed for it almost every day these past few years. And now the Gods had answered his prayers in the form of Brienne. She was his shelter, his light, his guide, his love, his partner. She was his everything.
One evening, as the sky turned to a deep burnt orange, Jaime ventured out of the castle – having just spent a rather fun afternoon bonding with his new father-in-law – to seek out Brienne. He found her tall figure easily as she stood on the edge of the shore, watching the skyline as the sun began to set. Smiling, Jaime slowly walked over to her and hugged her gently from behind.
Brienne chuckled. 'Hello, you,' she said, resting her hands over his arms as he held her close to him.
'Hello, you,' Jaime murmured, and he kissed the nape of her neck, his beard scratching against her skin, as they both gazed out at the sunset. 'I never knew it was possible to love as much as I love you, you know.'
Smiling, Brienne slowly turned around to face him, keeping his arms wrapped firmly around her waist as she gazed at him. Her eyes were like coming home. Whenever Jaime looked into them, he felt like he was stargazing.
'Well I hope you have some love to spare,' Brienne said, almost sternly.
'Whatever for?' Jaime asked bemusedly, frowning.
Brienne's trembling lips began to smile. 'Our child.'
Jaime's lips parted and he stared at her for a moment with smiling eyes, hardly daring to believe it. He glanced down at her stomach and then back at her face with raised eyebrows, as if questioning whether she was absolutely sure. Brienne began to beam as she nodded excitedly at him. Exhaling shakily with the most radiant smile on his face that Brienne had ever seen, Jaime then took her face in his hands and kissed her before wrapping his arms lovingly around her as the happy newlyweds laughed in joy and disbelief.
Neither of them could ever remember feeling as happy or as at peace as they did in this moment. They were already starting a family, and had their lives together stretching out ahead of them. Yes, there would undoubtedly be more troubles and woes and stress to come, and a great deal to plan for their future…but they knew they would be all right, because they had each other, and their unborn child, who would be so very loved and cherished. And it lifted their hearts to know that, at least for now, they had a few more blissful days left together on the beautiful sapphire isle of Tarth.
THE END
Well, that's it!
Please note that I don't agree with Daenerys' rushed descent into madness, or Cersei being killed by bricks, or Jon Snow murdering Daenerys, or Bran becoming King – or most of how the show's story ended, to be honest – but I wanted to try and stick as closely to show-canon as I could in this alternative ending.
I hope you all enjoyed this and once again thank you so so much for reading this story and providing such generous feedback, it's really meant a lot and I've enjoyed writing Jaime and Brienne's story so much! :)
