I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours if need be. Another oath broken. The first one he'd been sure he'd be able to keep all the rest of his days. But he broke it just the same.
His blood had run cold the moment Widow's Wail cut through Brienne's armor. Not even Lannister gold could buy armor to match Valyrian Steel.
He had never intended to cause her harm. He'd never meant to be the reason for her pain. In truth, he'd intended to dedicate his life, for however long it lasted, to preventing anything from causing her pain. He'd come to realize that she was the human embodiment of his honor, his courage, and his purpose. And now her blood was upon his hands.
He'd sooner fall upon his own sword.
At Brienne's bidding, he rose to his feet, feeling as numb as a corpse, but powered with something more than his own will. Her will had always been the stronger of the two after all.
He felt the weight of Widow's Wail locked in his metal grip, an extension of his own arm, but couldn't bring himself to look at the blade, not when he knew who's blood he'd see dripping from its length.
End this. Her commanded echoed in his head like the pounding of war drums. A steady, thrumming rhythm with which his heart kept time. A rhythm that would continue until his own heart stopped beating. For if Brienne's stopped by his hand, he wanted no more of this life. If the gods had any mercy, they wouldn't be so cruel as to let him draw even one breath after hers had ceased.
How do you know there is an afterwards?
Had Bran known even then in the Godswood that it would come to this? He'd warned Jaime that he'd receive his justice during the long night. He'd assumed it was a warning of his own, perhaps deserved, demise. That he could have accepted. But Brienne… Brienne who'd been nothing but good and honorable, who was truly the best of them… For her to die. For him to lose her by his own hand… the very hand he'd lost in her defense ever so long ago.
All his past sins. All the heinous things he'd done for love. All the blood on his hands. Was Brienne's life the price for his penance? No… There was no wrong he could imagine that equaled this cost. The price was a weight he couldn't bare to pay. There was no justice in a world without Ser Brienne of Tarth.
The Night King approached Bran.
Jaime wasn't sure what had become of Arya, but the boy was alone, his eyes no longer rolled back in his head, instead, the dark eyes of the Stark boy met his. The terror in those eyes chilled him to his core. Those were not the eyes of the Three-eyed Raven who looked through him with dispassionate disinterest. No, this was a gaze that had haunted him for years… one he remembered with the burning heat of shame.
The gaze of a terrified boy caught in a tangled web of another's making and doomed to pay the price for it. The eyes of Bran Stark.
By the gods, some prices were too steep, even for love.
Jaime let out a roar and charged the Night King.
He slammed into the monstrous man, tackling him into the snow. The Night King writhed and twisted and the two bodies rolled over and over until the Night King pinned him to the ground.
The Night King drew a dagger and pressed it down toward Jaime's heart. Jaime blocked the blade, holding it at bay with his one hand, but the Night King pressed his advantage, the blade digging into Jaime's armor despite his effort to hold the blade back.
The Night King was too strong and Jaime realized that despite his intentions he would fail Brienne's last command as well. He did not have the strength to end this, not even for the love he bore the lady knight. He was just one man. One crippled old knight. It was his justice to die forgotten or remember for his faults and failings. He would be nothing but a footnote in the Lord Commander's great book of brothers and a stain on his family's legacy.
He closed his eyes and conjured Brienne's face to his mind and the brief bright moment when he'd dared to let himself believe that there was time enough to become more than his worse deeds. Perhaps, he couldn't die in the arms of the woman he loved, but the last thing he'd see would be her blue eyes. The sapphires of Tarth. And that was enough. It would have to be.
Your crimes are past forgiveness, Kingslayer.
The weight pressing down on him was gone in an instant. He heard Brienne scream and his eyes snapped open. A hand grabbed his crippled arm and pulled him up. His gaze met Pod's as the loyal squire helped him to his feet.
"Brienne!" He'd have known the sound of her voice anywhere, her screams still haunted him when his nightmares took him back to the night he lost his hand.
He looked around and found the wench pinning the Night King to the trunk with what strength she had left.
He started after her, to aid her, but Pod stopped him. He whirled on the squire, ready to strike the boy for slowing him.
"She said you'd need this." Pod held the pommel of the sister sword of Widow's Wail. Oathkeeper. Two halves of a whole, much like their masters. Much like he'd always mistakenly believed himself and Cersei to be.
But the blade glowed red like it had been left in a blacksmith's forge.
Jaime took the sword, the hilt hot even through his glove.
Brienne was as strong as an ox, but surely not even she could hold the Night King for longer than a few moments, especially not with such a severe wound.
She hollered in pain as the Night King threw her off and fell in a crumpled heap several feet away.
His heart urged her to run to her, but her words echoed in his mind.
End this.
The Night King held out his arms, palms upturned as though calling some force from the earth.
From Jaime's peripherals he saw the forms of dead wildlings moving.
More dead. The fucking bastard was bringing back more dead.
Jaime adjusted his grip on Oathkeeper and raised Widow's Wail.
Perhaps he couldn't keep half the oath's he'd sworn, but this one he could.. or he'd die trying.
"Kingslayer."
Jaime flinched at the nickname and glanced in the direction of the voice that had spoken it. His eyes fell upon Bran, equidistant between himself and the Night King.
He itched to face the monster at hand, but something in Bran Stark's dark eyes held him frozen.
"Slayer of Kings. You were born for this purpose." Bran said. Then he drew a slow, steadying breath. "And so was I."
The boy's eyes rolled back in his head so that Jaime could only see their whites.
Jaime looked past the crippled boy and his fallen Lady Knight.
At the base of the Weirwood Tree stood the Night King. But instead of icy blue, his eyes were as white as Bran. Jaime looked at the twin swords in his grip, both glowing red.
And Jaime, slowest of the Lannister though he was, finally understood.
Ser Jaime Lannister… Someone forgot to write down all your great deeds.
There's still time.
Jaime, not knowing how long Bran's control would last, charged forward, driving both swords through the heart of the Night King and deep into the Weirwood Tree.
The heat in the hilt of Oathkeeper soared, forcing him to let go. He reached over to unclasp his metal grip, but found the heat melting the metal. He scrambled to release his stump from the melting contraption and stumbled back as flames engulfed the Weirwood Tree.
He stared in wonder as the flames swallowed up the figure of the Night King, but his attention was drawn away by the sound of Brienne's pained gasp. He rushed to her side and with Pod's help they got her to her feet and the three staggered away from the growing flames.
"Bran." Brienne coughed when they were far enough to escape the worst of the heat.
"I'll get him." Jaime promised and pressed back into the blistering heat. He shielded his face from the heat with his arms and stumbled blindly in the direction of Bran's wheeled chair.
When he reached the chair, he clapped the boy's shoulder.
Bran's head lulled forward. Jaime grabbed his chin and found blood running down his face leaking from the corners of his eyes which were wide and blank in death.
Despite the burning heat, Jaime's insides turned cold.
A single man can tip the scales. Bran had said in this very spot. You'll receive your justice before the long night ends.
Tears streamed down Jaime's face. Twice had Bran Stark's life ended at Jaime Lannister's hands. Once to mask his sins. Once to absolve him of them.
"Sometimes the price is too high." Jaime whispered to the dead boy. "Sometimes the wrong person pays it."
Jaime backed away, and retreated to the waiting forms of Brienne and Pod.
Beyond them, there was no sign of the newly risen dead, but Jaime couldn't bring himself care about them or anything other than the two living before him.
Brienne knelt on one knee, one arm draped over Podrick's shoulders as she drew rattling, painful sounding breaths.
As the snow crunched beneath Jaime's boots, she looked up, her blue eyes pooling with tears at the sight of him alone.
"Bran?"
Jaime shook his head.
He sank to the ground and eased Brienne down, so her head was cradled in his lap. He brushed her sweat and blood dampened hair from her face. An awful mark marred her cheek and her face was screwed up in pain. She was never a pretty woman, but the wound did nothing to improve her appearance.
But she was Brienne. His Brienne.
She reached up and took his hand.
"Is it… done?"
"It's done."
A grimace that might have been a smile tightened her lips.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her clammy forehead.
"Stay with me." He whispered into her hair, praying to whatever god might hear and care that they might not take the woman from him, the good woman he didn't deserve but who loved him anyway. The gods had tormented with the love of a hateful woman. They'd watched as he was twisted into something hateful to match. Then they brought him a good woman and twisted him back. But what good was any of it, what good was victory if the gods took back his good woman?
I'm sorry, I know it's been a while since my update and I'm not sure when the next one will be. July and the beginning of August were really rough with several personal losses. I've been reeling and finding it very hard to sit down and write anything. However, this story is till very important to me and it is my plan to finish as long as you all stay with me! I hope 2020 has been less of a disaster for all of you!