"Brienne, Ser Brienne."

Wet and icy gloves grabbed at Brienne's face, making what might have been a comforting touch, chilly and unpleasant. She looked up to see Podrick's head bowed and shoulders shaking with sorrow.

She was in a great deal less pain than she expected. If this was dying, it wasn't so bad. With the blade out, it was less a blinding pain and more of a deep, throbbing ache. There was a pressure in her chest making every breath feel heavy. But the pain was manageable.

She felt herself ripped from Pod's grip and pulled up to her knees. She gasped in pain at the movement, but then her eyes met Jaime's and for a moment, nothing seemed quite so bad, not even the wretched sound of her breathing.

"You stupid wench. You're not supposed to be here."

"Came… for you." Brienne managed between gasps.

Jaime shook his head and then rested his forehead against hers for a long moment. He reached to unfasten her armor, but she stopped him. She felt the heat of her blood pooling behind her chest plate. While she didn't know the extent of the damage, she couldn't imagine a sword to the chest was an overly good start.

"Don't." She whispered. There were greater stakes at play than the fate of one woman, even if that fate was her own. She'd sworn to lay down her life if the need arose, and if this was that moment, she would willingly meet her doom for the greater good. If one night as a Knight, as a woman loved by the man she cherished, was all she could claim as her own, she would count herself a blessed woman.

There were worse ways to die.

"Let me see."

"The Starks…"

"I don't give a fuck about the Starks." Jaime snapped.

She shook her head. "I do."

"Fuck loyalty." His eyes were wild and she wondered if he'd ever suffered a loss in battle of someone he truly cared for.

"Survival." She said, with each breath so hard to catch, she didn't see the point in wasting them on unnecessary words.

"Fuck survival." Jaime brushed her hair from her face. "I only care about yours."

She tightened her grip on his hand. Had there ever been anyone outside his family that he cared enough about to care about losing before? She thought perhaps not. When had that changed? When had her survival grown to mean more to him than his own? More to him than humanity itself?

"For me." She said. "End this… for me."

Jaime's gaze locked on hers and he finally seemed to really see her. In the place of blinding despair, she saw resolve take root.

"For you." He agreed.

He kissed her hard and then was gone.

Tears stung her eyes as he left her field of vision. Gods preserve that fool of a man. He wasn't a good man, but she loved him all the same.

Before the ghost of his kiss had cooled from her lips, Pod was again at her side.

"Lady… Ser… what would you have me do?"

She knew she could order him back into the fray and that he would obediently go, but she found that she didn't want him to. She felt a certain peace knowing one of the people she loved best was by her side and safe.

Perhaps it was selfish, but she thought if she could let go of the man she loved in what could be her dying hour she at least deserved to keep her best friend.

She took the squires hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Stay?"

"To the end." Pod promised.

Then her gaze fell to Oathkeeper, dropped to the ground beside her when she fell. The blade, she now realized, was glowing faintly.

As Jaime has warned her: you don't get to choose who you love. But she wouldn't change where her love had flourished if she could. Not for all the pain it had caused. Not even now with a hole in her chest. She would love Jaime Lannister until her last breath. Longer if the gods allowed it. And she'd learned the hard way once that nothing was more hateful than failing to protect the one she love.

While there was life left in her, he would not be alone.

Like the swords they carried that had once been one, they were two halves of a whole. They were stronger together.

"Help me… up." She gasped heavily to Pod.

This and the next few chapters will be short due to the need to shift perspectives as events unfold. Hope they contain enough excitement to make up for the lack of length.

In other sadder news, I'm going to try to maintain my weekly updates, but my grandpa passed away yesterday and I've got a lot to take care of as a result so I'm not sure what the next couple weeks will hold. I apologize in advance if I miss an update here and there, but I'll do my best to keep posting!