They were losing. Badly.
When it had been her turn to play against Jaime Lannister, they were led 30 to 27. It had not been the ideal situation, but it had still been possible to take over to achieve 35 points.
Jaime Lannister had gone on the piste, all strutting and cocky even when drenched in sweat - not that they weren't all melting in their fencing gear. During the salute, Brienne could see his forehead and golden locks shining with sweat, his smirk still plastered on his face before they both put their mask on. She had maybe saluted a bit more briskly than she had intented to, her sabre fending the air as if it would slice the other man in two.
At that point, she needed to win 8 points. All Jaime Lannister had wanted with the bet was to destabilize her, to annoy her and make them lose. She did not let him. She couldn't let him claim her as a date. So point by point, attack after attack, she had grinded her team's way back to victory. It had been exhausting to play ten points in a row, but finishing with the score of 32-35 had been extremely satisfying. Jaime Lannister had no reason anymore to be so arrogant.
And yet. After her match with the Lannister heir, Podrick had been soundly defeated by Sandor Clegane, the newest member of the Royal Fencing Federation against whom they had never played before. It had been pathetic, really, how the young boy had to endure the assaults one after the other. Speed was more critical than strengh in fencing, but his agility was still no match for Sandor Clegane's imposing stature and physical power. They had finished with 40 against 36.
At the end of their match, Podrick gave the electronic cords linking his equipment to the scoring machine to Loras with a dejected posture, his face bent low. Brienne had given him a pat on the the shoulder when he sat down next to her. But she left him in peace to regain his composure when he seemed on the verge of tears.
Now Loras seemed to do barely better than Podrick against Bronn Blackwater, even with his experience. He was light on his feet, bouncing gracefully almost two meters backward when he was dodging an attack - he was not nicknamed the Knight of the Flowers for nothing - but the opponent's almost dirty way of playing unsettled him. Excrutiatingly and inexorably she could see the points going to the other team and them losing.
Despite all her best efforts to win her bout and despite her forced calmness, they still lost.
She would have to go on a date with Jaime Lannister.
Her heart was sinking and leaping at the same time at the thought. She was disheartened that she had accepted the bet and lost, she had played right into the other man's game. She had never had a date with anyone, and now her first one wouldn't even be genuine. But she couldn't blame Podrick or Loras, it was all her fault. But why was her heart doing summersaults and her belly fluttering? She couldn't even understand her emotions anymore.
When it was time for every member of the teams to shake hand, she finished with Jaime Lannister. She thought he would be even more insufferable than usual and immediately suggest a time, place and dress to wear for the date - only for him to stand her up to make her humiliation complete. She was going to feel embarrassed of her clammy hand when she shook his warm and dry one, but then scowled when he just smiled, said "Good game" and left for the men's changing rooms without a glance back.
Before she had time to think about the other man's behaviour, Braime felt a big hand clasping her shoulder. She turned around to face her coach and Sansa. Both had a consoling smile, Ned taking a step back to let Sansa engulf her in a hug. They didn't know the real reason for her anger and disappointment. Of course, she was sad that they lost, but she couldn't deny that the other team deserved it, despite Jaime Lannister's nasty attempt to unsettle her. Still, having the Starks unceasing support was heart-warming.
Ned gathered Pod and Loras while Braime squeezed Sansa back without a word, and put a braver face than she felt with a small smile when they pulled away. "You did well, all of you." their coach began when everyone attentively listened to him, "Even if you lost, we could hardly expect better for a semi-finale against the Royal Fencing Federation with their newest member. You all showed tenacity, willpower and had a good technique and footwork. But Pod, you will have to train hard to compensate for your lack of experience." Pod made a small whine when he was called, but nodded firmly at the advice.
"Loras, you surpassed yourself, but you have to work on anticipating the opponent's moves. And Brienne, I have never seen you more determinated to win, you showed that Jaime Lannister what you've got. But in fencing, you need to have a clear mind. Be careful not to let your emotions take control of you, you control them."
Brienne felt herself blushing. It's true she had never had a better reason to win a match and it dominated her emotions, but she would never admit to having made a bet on the sacred art that was fencing.
"We still have the third-place play-off the day after tomorrow. So let's meet tomorrow at the usual time at the club to do some training. Now off you go." Ned concluded.
Brienne directly went to the changing room followed by Sansa while Loras and Pod went the other way. She had her mask under her left arm and was still holding her weapon with her right hand. Brienne was usually not a very talkative person, but she was behaving like a mute right now while Sansa babbled away like she often did when they lost a match.
"My dad is half-right, Brienne." Sansa started. "You were amazing today! I was so proud when you managed to catch up and even take the lead against Lannister."
Brienne frowned at the mention of the other man. "But don't worry about his talk on self-control or whatnot. If you're imagining you're eviscerating Lannister - and I wouldn't blame you if you did - when you're fighting him, and it makes you win, I will cheer for you as always." Sansa tried to reassure her, even if Brienne was scowling because of the bet, not of Ned's advice.
"Thank you Sansa. That means a lot." Brienne finally replied when they arrived in front of the changing room.
Sansa smiled. "Now hurry and get changed. And don't even think of sneaking pass me to go to the gym afterwards, I'm waiting here. You deserve a day of full rest."
Brienne chuckled and went to the changing room. She took her normal clothes and went for a quick shower.
Sansa refused to acknowledge that Brienne had a different way to rest and calm herself than her. Going to the gym, exhausting herself on some exercises where she had nothing else to do than feel the ache, forget her surroundings and push herself to her limits, was her way of letting everything else go. Sansa on the other hand liked to do shopping as a way of rewarding herself when she had negociated a particularly difficult deal for her company. Brienne enjoyed accompanying her, she liked to see all the beautiful dresses, crop tops and fancy shoes. But they were for others, for those beautiful like Sansa, not for her. She most often barely had any choice in her size of clothing.
After drying herself and putting on her clothes, she went back to her locker to retrieve her bag and put all her fencing gear in it. She was adjusting her bag on her shoulder while pushing the changing rooms' door to leave when she was stopped in her tracks.
Sansa had her back just in front of her, blocking her path to the hallway. She was going to ask her to move away when she saw the reason Sansa was so tense and rigid. Jaime Lannister was once again lurking near the female changing rooms.
"Ah, Brienne!" Jaime exclaimed with a bright smile, looking past Sansa at Brienne's high stature, "I wanted to talk to you."
Brienne frowned once again at him calling her by her name. She had never allowed him to. Sansa immediately retorted with a disguted sneer "She has nothing to say to you, Lannister. You scum didn't deserve your win. Brienne crushed you on the piste, it was really satisfying to watch."
"It's fine." Brienne interrupted. She moved next to Sansa. "Even if it doesn't please me, we have some business to do."
"Yes, Brienne and I have an agreement. So no need to get on your high horse."
Sansa pursed her lips, turned to her and asked with a low and concerned voice "Is it true ?" Sansa continued when she saw her nodding. "Are you sure ? If you are in any kind of trouble, you know you can ask me or my dad. We can help you. You don't have to deal with the Lannisters."
"I'm sure, Sansa. Thank you, but I will take care of this myself."
"That's a big girl!" Jaime said ironnically, "Now Stark, let us be."
"How dare you!" Sansa whipped back to face the other man and growled at him. "You have no right to talk to Brienne like that."
Brienne was hurt by Jaime's off-hand comment, even if she shouldn't have been surprised. She regretted once more to have fallen into his trap. She was going to have to endure a full date of him mocking her, taunting her, or worse, humiliate her by not showing up. She could stand him up, but then she would never live the day when a Lannister would question a Tarth's honor, and what is more, one who was a close friend of the Starks.
"I'm used to these insults, Sansa, they are not even creative. Don't worry, I will join you just after, you can go first."
Sansa fixed them both with narrowed her eyes, before squeezing Brienne's arm with her hand and setting off to the exit of the building.
Brienne sighed heavily. Trying to keep her last bit of dignity, she blurted before she could change her mind, "Ok, you won, Lannister. So let's get this over with. But I have one condition." She stepped forward into the man's space and stared him down from her height. "Don't tell anyone about it."
Jaime smiled nastily. "You are in no position of putting conditions if, as you say, my team won." His smirked slowly turned into a smaller, warmer and more genuine smile when he saw her angry and flustered face.
"However," Jaime paused dramatically, "I didn't."
"What do you mean? Even your little brain can make the distinction between winning and losing a match."
"Yes, I know that our team won magnificently and without a doubt. But when we danced together," Brienne bristled at the word dance but Jaime continued as if he had not been interrupted. "I have to admit I couldn't overpower you. You caught up with us thanks to your points and I couldn't do anything. So technically, I lost to you. By far." Jaime's eyes were bright and staring at a point above Brienne's shoulder, as if he were reminiscing on the match as a lovely night with a lover.
Brienne was surprised by his admission. What game was he playing at now? "So what do you mean Lannister? I won the game? The bet is off?" she asked hopefully.
Jaime Lannister chuckled, his eyes back on her and he took a step forward himself. Their face were now so close she could feel his breath on her cheeks. Brienne felt her face burn as he used her tactic against her to get in her face. He said huskily with a dropped tone "Not quite. I think there's enough of a doubt so that we just put off the bet to our next match. You were ready to go on a date with me. Surely you can't back off from the bet now?"
Brienne was dying to say yes, a bet was a bet and if he said he lost then she would gladly take the win. But her integrity was forbidding her to. Why couldn't her damn mind take some rest and turn a blind eye to honesty for once? She couldn't say that she won against Lannister when it was simply not the truth. That was the issue with honesty, Brienne thought grudgingly, people had to be honourable even when dealing with snakes like the Lannisters.
But she wouldn't give him victory too soon. If he was letting her an opening to win the bet at the next match, she would take it.
"I can't believe that I'm saying that, but no, I can't." Brienne finally said reluctantly.
Jaime straightened up, his face breaking into a big grin, as if he had won the fencing tournament already. He also moved back, putting more space between them, which Brienne missed, for some obscure reason. "I can believe it." Jaime replied. "You are too predictable, like the Starks."
"Dont involve them in this! This is between you and me!"
"Haha, so now you want an us?" He didn't let her answer. "I'm looking forward to our next match then, Brienne of Tarth. To avoid any confusion, we can do our bet on our next one-on-one match. It will be just us, like you want to. I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun!"
"Don't put words in my mouth. There is no us. Once this stupid bet is over when I win the next match, I'm done with you."
"Alright. See you there, Brienne. You better learn how to dance, and I don't mean on the fencing piste." Jaime said before turning around without waiting for her reply and leaving the place with a strut.
Brienne was rooted to the spot for a few second. Jaime Lannister was definitely the most arrogant and selfish man she had ever known in King's Landing, and that was saying something. At the same time, she shouldn't have been surprised as his family basically ran the country.
What had she got herself into?