Chapter Thirty-eight

Jaime's heart thudded against his ribs as that single word reverberated through his ears.

Yes.

Brienne had said yes! Yes to becoming his wife. Yes to returning to Casterly Rock with him. Yes to forgiving him for all his sins. Jaime was so overcome with emotion that he could do nothing but stand there in mute wonder, unshed tears stinging his eyes. He loved Brienne so much, and she was his, finally his, and he had never been happier.

In the past, Jaime's happiness had always been conditional. Cersei had doled it out in meager portions, like a hound master training his latest charge. She'd given him scraps of affection, scraps of happiness, but it had always come at a cost, always seemed borrowed. But that's not how things were with Brienne. Brienne's love was always given freely, without condition, and it made Jaime feel as if he'd been blessed by the gods.

Jaime inhaled a trembling breath, inching closer and finally brushing his lips against Brienne's. A sob escaped her throat as he made contact, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. Jaime had waited his whole life for a moment like this, a moment he'd never truly thought would come. Brienne had agreed to be his wife, and once they were married, they would go to Casterly Rock together and rule over the Westerlands for the rest of their days. It was a life that Jaime had never even dared imagine, and yet, nothing else had ever felt so right.

Jaime deepened the kiss, his cock suddenly pulsing to life. He trailed his hands up Brienne's back, his fingers gliding into her hair as her own tugged urgently at the fasteners on his doublet. Even though they had spent the last three nights making love until the wee hours of the morning, he still wanted her. In fact, he didn't think he had ever wanted her more.

It wasn't long before Brienne had Jaime's doublet undone and was pushing it off his shoulders, forcing him to break away. As soon as the offending garment was gone, he reached for her again, his hand trembling as he struggled to untie the laces on her tunic.

Without a word, Brienne wrapped her fingers around Jaime's, her touch soft and light as she guided his hand down to her hip. She stared at Jaime, her gaze never wavering, as he just held her there, captivated by the love and desire he saw reflected in her eyes.

Brienne made quick work of her tunic, untying the laces and shrugging it from her shoulders with expert ease. As the leather slipped from her body, Jaime had no choice but to let her go. He took a step back, tearing his undertunic over his head and discarding it on the floor, not even bothering with the ties. Then, he quickly slipped off his boots, hose, and breeches as Brienne removed her own clothing. In mere moments, they were both naked, and Jaime was pulling Brienne toward the bed as he kissed her senseless.

They fell onto the mattress together, shifting so that Brienne could lie her head back on the pillows, Jaime hovering above her. He gazed into her bright blue eyes, enraptured by their beauty.

"My wife," he whispered, the words feeling impossibly foreign. "You're going to be my wife."

A smile tugged at Brienne's lips. "Yes, Jaime. If you're sure you want me."

"Of course I want you. I always want you."

Brienne raised her hand to his cheek, and Jaime leaned into her warmth. The urge to sob threatened to overwhelm him, but he fought it valiantly, not wanting to lose himself to his emotions.

Jaime reached up and covered Brienne's hand with his own, easing it away from his cheek so that he could place a simple kiss against her palm. Then, he lowered her hand, caressing her long, slender fingers as he reflected on a glorious truth. "We'll have to get you a ring," he said, glancing back at her as his fingertips glided across her skin. "So that the whole world knows you're mine."

Brienne's smile grew wider. "I'd love nothing more."

Jaime wanted to tell Brienne just how much he loved her again, but he could barely even speak. Instead, he released her hand and captured her mouth, kissing her with blinding need.

Brienne entwined her fingers in Jaime's hair, pulling him even closer as his hand ran along her flank, cupping her breast. Without any coaxing, she spread her legs apart and allowed him to nestle between them. After months of uncertainty, Jaime finally felt like he was home. Despite all the wretched things he had done, despite all the pain he had caused her, Brienne loved him and wanted him and accepted him, and it meant the world to Jaime.

Desperate to worship every last inch of her, Jaime skimmed a path of kisses down Brienne's neck and across her collarbone, making her mewl with pleasure. It always amazed him when he could render Brienne of Tarth helpless with his passion. She was a strong woman, accomplished and disciplined, and yet, when they were alone together in his bed, she was soft and yielding. Jaime knew that Brienne had never and would never be so vulnerable with any other man, and he promised himself that he would never take that for granted.

Brienne slid her hands down Jaime's back, raking her nails across his skin and sending a fresh surge of blood to his cock. She rubbed against him, urging him to push inside her, and although Jaime wanted to take things slowly, to savor the moment, he didn't think he could hold out much longer.

Jaime pulled back just far enough to look into Brienne's eyes. His voice little more than a whisper, he confessed what was in his heart. "I love you, Brienne of Tarth. More than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

"Then show me, Jaime Lannister. Show me." And before Jaime could say another word, Brienne snaked her hand up into his hair and drew him to her for an earth-shattering kiss.

Overpowered by temptation, Jaime suddenly surged his hips forward, burying himself deep inside her. Brienne gasped, the sound filling the air all around them.

Jaime moved against her with reckless abandon, and Brienne met him thrust for thrust, not the slightest hint of inhibition in her movements. There was no shame in her desire for him. She loved him, and he loved her, and they were both desperate for each other.

Brienne's fingers dug into Jaime's back as she whimpered and moaned beneath him, and he knew she was close. A few more well-angled thrusts and Brienne was shuddering around him, crying out in ecstasy.

Jaime continued to strive for his own release, enjoying the little shocks of pleasure that racked Brienne's body as he moved within her, until finally, he came hard, calling out her name and declaring his love for her as if he'd never spoken the words before.

It was some time before Jaime finally recovered enough to open his eyes. When he did, he found himself wrapped in Brienne's arms, his head buried against her shoulder. With the last of his strength, he turned and kissed her neck before pushing himself up onto his hands so he could look down at her. There was so much love and warmth in Brienne's eyes that Jaime thought his heart might burst.

Brienne reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from Jaime's temple, the gesture feeling wonderfully intimate. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and kissed her one more time before pulling away and lying on his side next to her.

Brienne turned to face Jaime, entwining their fingers together. They stared into each other's eyes for a long time, neither one saying a word, and Jaime couldn't remember ever having felt more content.

It was Brienne who looked away first, her gaze darting downward before meeting his again, a soft frown furrowing her brow.

"What's wrong?" Jaime asked, suddenly fearing the worst.

"Nothing's wrong. Not really. I know you said I have nothing to be sorry for, but I do hope you can forgive me for having been so stubborn for so long."

Jaime shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive. You are the most honorable person I have ever known, and if you felt the need to withhold your forgiveness for so long, it was with good reason."

"Yes, that I was stubborn."

"No, that I hurt you badly and you needed time to recover. You didn't ever have to forgive me, Brienne. But you did because you're a good person."

"No, that isn't it."

"Isn't it?"

"I forgave you because I'm selfish, Jaime. Even I can be selfish sometimes, believe it or not. I wanted this, I wanted it more than anything, and I had to forgive you in order to have it."

Jaime wanted to laugh, but he feared Brienne would take it the wrong way. Instead, he simply said, "You haven't done anything wrong, Brienne. You never do."

"That's not true. We all do the wrong thing sometimes, but I will be more careful in the future, especially where your heart is concerned."

"And I will be more careful with yours. I won't ever hurt you again. I swear it."

Brienne gave Jaime a doubtful look. "Don't swear such things. If we are going to be married, there will be times when you will hurt me and times when I will hurt you. That's true of any relationship between any two people. Parents and children, siblings, . . . lovers. But what we can swear is that we will always do our best to be kind to each other, to listen to each other, and to trust each other above all else. Can you swear that, Jaime Lannister?"

"I can do even better. I can swear all of that and swear to love you until my dying day, Brienne of Tarth. Surely, you can have no objection to that."

The hint of a smile pulled at Brienne's lips. "No, I have no objection."

"Good, because even if I can't swear that I will never hurt you again, I can swear that I will do everything in my power to protect you from harm and that I will never, ever, ever again make a life-altering decision without consulting you first."

"Well, that's a start at least," Brienne said, her tone light and teasing.

Jaime couldn't stand being separated from her a moment longer. He drew Brienne into his arms, kissing her softly before lying down on his back and encouraging her to rest her head against his shoulder.

As they lay there in the comfortable silence, Jaime's mind wandered to the future. There was so much he wanted for him and Brienne, and it all hinged upon them marrying and returning to Casterly Rock. Under different circumstances, Jaime would have been sure that Brienne's assent was enough to secure their happiness, but it wasn't. They were both heirs to great houses, and they were both members of the small council. They would need Bran's approval if they were to wed.

"What . . . what if Bran refuses to let us marry?" Jaime asked, the words passing his lips before he could stop them.

Brienne pulled back, propping herself up on one elbow so she could look down at Jaime, a mischievous smile curving her lips. "Then I suppose we shall just have to spend the rest of our lives living in sin."

"That's not what I want, and you know it. It's not what you want either, is it?"

"No," Brienne replied, her expression sobering. "But I truly don't think we have anything to worry about. It's not as if—"

Brienne stopped, and Jaime's whole body flushed cold.

"What . . . what is it?" he asked, fear gripping his heart.

"I was going to say that it's not as if Bran holds some kind of grudge against you, and yet—"

"He does."

"Yes. Or at least, he did."

As King of Westeros, Bran had the power to deny any one of his subjects the right to marry. He could arrange marriages as well, without anyone questioning his decisions. If he wanted to make Jaime truly miserable, he could deny him permission to marry Brienne and make another match for him instead. Jaime couldn't imagine a worse fate, and had he not pushed Bran from a tower window nearly ten long years ago, he wouldn't have even had to worry about it now.

"Bran swears that he holds no grudge against me," Jaime said. "Though I sometimes wonder if that's true. Perhaps this has all been some elaborate plan to make me suffer. No one has more right to want to hurt me than Brandon Stark, not after what I did to him. What if he denies us his blessing and demands that I marry a bride of his choosing?"

Brienne's eyes softened. "What you did is in the past," she said, her voice full of conviction. "And I can't believe that Bran would have ever allowed you to be on the small council if he hadn't truly forgiven you. Or chosen to forget."

"What's that old saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Perhaps—"

"No." Brienne wouldn't even let Jaime finish. "I refuse to believe that. Bran will allow us to marry. It's what he's been planning from the start. I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Bran once told me that I would leave King's Landing and the Kingsguard someday. I didn't want to believe it at the time, but clearly, he's known this was coming all along. Besides, despite the fact that I'm often uncertain of his motives, I can't believe that Brandon Stark would ever be so cruel as to plot revenge against you. I have to believe that this will all work out for the best. We've come too far to give up now. Happiness is finally within our grasp, and I refuse to even entertain the possibility of it being snatched away from us."

Jaime sighed heavily, Brienne's blind faith piercing his very soul. "I wish I had your confidence."

"Just trust me. Everything will be all right."

Brienne leaned forward and kissed Jaime soundly, his fears melting beneath her touch. When she pulled back, there was a certainty in her eyes that gave Jaime all the confidence he needed.

"Tomorrow, we will seek a private audience with Bran," Jaime said, "and we shall ask him for his blessing. If he is willing to let us marry, then we shall do so forthwith. And if not, better for us to know sooner rather than later. I can't live with another day of uncertainty. I need to know if we're going to be together forever or if the gods, and King Bran, intend to tear us asunder."

Brienne laid her hand flat against Jaime's chest, his heart beating rhythmically beneath her palm. Her gaze steady with his, she said, "Even if Bran denies us, even if he insists that you marry some simpering lady of the court and that I marry the new Lord of Highgarden, we shall still find a way to be together."

Despite the gravity of the moment, Brienne's mention of Lord Bronn made Jaime laugh. "You and Bronn of the Blackwater? You must really believe that Bran is mad if you think he'd make such a match."

"I don't think he's mad, but if I'm wrong about his intentions, anything is possible."

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe Lord Bronn is already betrothed to some pretty little thing from the Riverlands. But, if you and he were to marry, I know for certain that it wouldn't last long. One of you would be dead within a fortnight, and I don't think it would be you."

Brienne laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Thank you for the vote of confidence, but let's just hope it never comes to that."

"Agreed."

Jaime leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss against Brienne's lips before collapsing back against the pillows. Brienne lay down beside him again, resting her head on his shoulder as her fingers traced light circles over his heart.

"There is nothing to worry about," she reassured him. "Tomorrow, we will talk to Bran, and whatever happens, we will still be together. I promise."

"I hope you're right.

"So do I."