"I don't think it was as beautiful as our wedding," Jaime said as he walked into the dining room at Casterly Rock. Brienne looked up at him and rolled her eyes. She had commented an hour ago, as she left their chambers, that Arya and Gendry's wedding was very beautiful. And, Jaime being Jaime, it was still on his mind.

"Have I told you that you are the most competitive man I know?" Brienne asked exasperatedly, pursing her lips to accept his kiss and upturning her lips slightly as he rubbed his hand over her stomach, which seemed to be growing ridiculously large. She could hardly believe she had another month and a half of this growth to go.

"He has to be the most competitive because he's not the most anything else," Addam called from the other side of the hall, where he sat with a letter. Brienne laughed and Jaime squawked.

"My wife thinks I am the most handsome, don't you, sweetling?" he said with a slow wink and bite of his lip that made Brienne think of the way he had fucked her last night, their first night back at Casterly Rock. They had fucked in the bedroom that Jaime had claimed as their room, a room without memories of his father or of Cersei, with views over the sea and a plain gold bedspread, rather than the gold lions that had covered his father's bed.

"You're the most something," Brienne said, pursing her lips and folding her arms.

Jaime chuckled and half-hugged her into his side, pressing his lips to her ear to say, "the most amazing fuck."

Brienne shoved him away, her face flaming. She ignored Addam's knowing look. "Shall we break our fast?" Jaime hummed in agreement and they approached the bench where Addam sat, one seat in the centre taller than the others. Brienne wrinkled her nose. They had arrived after dinner last night to reach Casterly Rock, so this was the first time she was seeing Tywin Lannister's obvious superiority complex.

Thankfully, Jaime took a seat closer to Addam than the centre and Brienne sat next to him. When Queen Daenerys had taken the castle, she had left it as soon as she realised that it was a useless prize, empty of people and resources. Thus, there were no servants or courtiers at the castle, for now. It meant that they could do whatever they liked, even sitting in non-thronelike seats.

"We're getting rid of that chair," Brienne muttered as she sat down. The corners of Jaime's lips twitched.

The cook who travelled with them had been happily settled into the Casterly Rock kitchens, so they did have proper food, although it must have involved Saeyra, the cook, going to the market very early that morning. "We should send our thanks to Saeyra," was Brienne's next suggestion. Jaime nodded, though the surprised raise of his eyebrows suggested to Brienne that this was not a common practice in Casterly Rock. That would change. At Evenfall Hall, Brienne and her father had sent down their compliments to Arnie, their cook, almost every night. Brienne had even spent some time in the kitchens, when there was no one who would spar with her and when the weather meant that she could not go exploring in the mountains or sailing on the seas. Brienne's heart yearned for her home. Perhaps she would write to her father and ask him to visit before the baby was born, so that he could meet Jaime.

Although perhaps a Jaime holding a grandchild would elicit a less averse response from her father. Brienne bit her lip to hide her giggle. "What are you laughing at?" Jaime asked, his tone amused.

Brienne allowed herself a grin and grabbed his hand to hold impulsively. "Just my father's response to my marrying you."

"He's written?" Jaime asked curiously. Brienne shook his head.

"No, I'm imagining."

Addam snorted. Brienne ignored him. "He won't be pleased by our marriage, I presume?" Jaime said, his tone sardonic rather than amused. Brienne rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand.

"Not at all. Who would be?"

Addam laughed aloud at that and Brienne had to join in at the sight of Jaime's scowl. She rubbed her thumb across his hand. "I'm sure you'll win him around. You won me around."

Jaime scoffed. "You're right. I'm sure having a bath with your father will work exactly the same." It was Brienne's turn to scowl.

"I'm counting on our child being born to win him around."

"Oh, wonderful, so I'm just the man who gives him grandchildren. He is going to hate me."

Brienne rolled her eyes fondly and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, ignoring Addam's mocking wolfwhistle. "I'll change his mind." Jaime still looked disgruntled so Brienne let go of his hand to allow him to eat, turning to her food herself. Her husband truly was a ridiculous man - but he was right. Her father had not replied to her letter that announced her marriage to him. She had received a letter since the end of the war, but he had not mentioned her marriage whatsoever.

She would invite him to Casterly Rock immediately and he would be there for the birth, giving him plenty of time to get to know Jaime for himself and then also meet his first grandchild right away.

XXX

"Have you heard from the queen?" Sansa asked as she took the hat from her head and threw it onto the chair, ignoring Tyrion's amused glance at her laziness.

Tyrion shook his head. "I'm sure she's well, though," he said, loosening his tie. "There was a raven from Casterly Rock." Sansa raised her eyebrows at him.

"Has Brienne had the baby?" she asked eagerly.

"Not yet. She's got another moon until her time."

Sansa shrugged. She took her cloak from her back and laid it on top of her riding hat. "I know. I just want some excitement around her."

"You don't find settling wildlings into the Gift exciting? Some Lady of Winterfell you are," Tyrion teased. Sansa narrowed her eyes and Tyrion grinned. "Is our sex life not exciting enough for you? We've barely been married six moons and you're already bored. Where did I go wrong?"

"We've been married for far more than six moons, Tyrion," Sansa said but she could not hide her smile. "I'm glad to be home."

"As am I, my dear," Tyrion said. Sansa sat down on the stool and smiled as he approached to untie her laces. They had been away from Winterfell for nearly a full moon, settling wildlings into the Gift and then visiting a few great houses on the way home. Sansa was tired, physically and mentally. She wanted a few days of lying in bed with her husband before she returned to the work of upkeeping Winterfell.

"Are you ready to have the Northern independence debate or do you want to leave it a few days?" Sansa asked when Tyrion had fully loosened her corset, enough for her to shake it off and reveal her breasts. She noticed where Tyrion's eyes had gone and smirked. "I think I could ask you to start a civil war right now and you'd agree."

Tyrion's eyes did not move but he said, "by asking for Northern independence, you are essentially asking me to start a civil war." Sansa tutted and started fiddling with her skirt, loosening it enough for her to step out of it, leaving her in only her stockings. "Take your stockings off and we might have a deal."

Sansa knew that he would never agree to Northern independence truly, not while Daenerys lived. She wasn't really sure that she wanted it with Jon on the throne but she did want it to be a backup response, when things started going wrong. Sansa had had niggling doubts in the back of her head for far longer than she had confessed to Tyrion and she wanted to have a plan for when her doubts became reality.

Tyrion would never support it, though, and she understood why. He truly believed that Daenerys, with Jon at her side, would do good things for the North. Sansa could see why and perhaps Jon would fight the North's corner, but too many monarchs had treated the North poorly and it had suffered too much for the past few years. Sansa wanted to see it secure, under the rule of someone who loved it and knew how best to rule it.

"You're thinking too much, Sansa," Tyrion said. Sansa blinked and found him in front of her, entirely naked. He attached his teeth to the top of her stocking and Sansa stared at him in confusion. He pulled the stocking all the way down to the floor and then repeated the action. And, then, just when Sansa was about to mock his odd action, he reminded her why having a husband who came up to her hips was so wonderful, by burying his face between her thighs and removing thoughts of independence, wildlings and even her name from her brain.

XXX

Brienne's father arriving was not a huge event. His carriage was solitary and looked as though it were any other visitor arriving at Casterly Rock. It was not the procession that Jaime's father would have ordered to ensure that everyone that it passed could see who was travelling and how important they were.

Jaime and Brienne greeted him at the door, along with half the staff, to show how important and valued a visitor Lord Selwyn was to the Westerlands. Addam was working in Lannisport with his men, assuring the safety of the city, so he was not there to be a buffer between Jaime and his goodfather, despite his promises.

Brienne's father was enormously tall, even taller than Brienne, which was frankly ridiculous and unnecessary. The Tarth family must have bred with giants. Jaime had a sudden scary thought that his children would be giants. Brienne's stomach was large, larger than Cersei's had ever been. Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen had been small babies, though, Jaime tried to convince himself. It was Cersei that had been small, not Brienne who was large.

Unbidden, Jaime had a horrid thought of what a giant baby would do to Brienne's cunt. Not the thoughts one was supposed to have in front of one's goodfather.

Brienne and her father hugged. Lord Selwyn cradled Brienne's head against his shoulder as though she was the most precious thing in the world. Jaime smiled at the sight of it. He was not the only person in the world who loved her so completely. Her father did and their child would soon too. If they included Sansa and Arya, they could have a real Brienne fan group going. Grinning, Jaime found Brienne's eyes on him and he snapped into action, striding forward.

"Lord Selwyn, it is an honour to meet you," he said, extending his hand. Lord Selwyn took it. He had a firm grip. He met Jaime's eyes. His eyes were not Brienne's, which meant Brienne's eyes must be her mother's. It made Jaime glad to know that she had something that was her mother's.

"It is an honour to meet the man that my daughter believed worthy to be her husband," Lord Selwyn replied. Jaime smiled but internally wondered whether or not that was a compliment. He'd worded it in a way that suggested to Jaime that Lord Selwyn did not believe that Jaime was worthy to be Brienne's husband. Of course he was right but Jaime had thought that the man who let his daughter compete in melees and leave to fight the war of a man she was in love with would be less fussy with his daughter's choice of husband. That had been what Jaime had hoped anyway.

Brienne linked her father and led him into Casterly Rock with a backwards glance at Jaime, who followed obediently. He was glad that his father was not alive, as awful as that was to say. At least he only had to deal with one disapproving parent. He had the feeling that his father might not have had the most pleasing things to say about Brienne.

Then again, she had married Jaime and that was all his father really looked for in a gooddaughter.

They sat in the small dining hall, which Jaime had had cleared out when he and Brienne arrived back at his childhood home. He had fond memories of the room from when he was small, before Tyrion was born, when he still had a mother. He remembered laughter in this room, his father's smile, hearing stories from his mother. She had loved reading. Jaime wanted to read books to his child too, albeit at a slower, more stumbling pace.

"How long now, dearest?" Lord Selwyn said when they sat. He nodded at Brienne's protruding abdomen. Brienne laid her hand on it, over the grey dress that she was wearing. Dresses were Brienne's only choice now she was so big. Jaime had offered to have a tailor come in and fit her for some breeches but she had said that she was only going to keep growing and she may as well just wear a dress for a few months. Jaime didn't necessarily mind it but he did feel slightly worried that she had given up some of who she was for the baby, which he had not wanted at all. Anytime he brought it up, Brienne was so touched and grateful for his support that they ended up having sex. All in all, it was very good.

"A few weeks, the maester says," Brienne said, turning to Jaime with a beaming smile that reminded Jaime that they had made the conscious choice to bring this child into the world. It was not an accident, like his three children with Cersei. This baby was their choice and they wanted it so much.

"And are you ready? I could have our men send over some things from Tarth," Lord Selwyn offered, leaning back from the table as a footman poured him some wine. Brienne shook her head.

"Jaime and I have bought all new things. We've moved the nursery too."

Lord Selwyn gave Jaime a glance and then turned back to his daughter. Jaime felt shame rise in him at the thought of what Lord Selwyn considered when he looked at him. "Well, you certainly seem to have everything in hand and I expect no complications with the birth. You can't have been married two seconds before you conceived so that is a fine sign that you will be able to raise an heir for Tarth as well as for - the Lannisters."

The pause before he said Jaime's family name had Brienne clutching Jaime's knee, as though to stop him saying something. Jaime didn't have anything to say. He knew his family's reputation. Defending it to his goodfather would be fruitless. Everything that people said of the Lannisters was well earned.

"That is what we hope," Brienne said, rather stiffly. Jaime thought she might have been more insulted by the slur to their family than him. She was a Lannister now, he supposed. "Father, we have some exciting news, actually," she said and her face lit up. Jaime knew exactly what she was going to say. It was the only thing that really excited her. She didn't mind spending time with the people of Lannisport or organising the servants, but their newest venture really, truly got her excited about this life. Her father cocked an eyebrow. "We are inviting squires to come and train here."

Brienne explained the training school in as much detail as Jaime could have. This was their passion project, something they had been discussing since the end of the war. They wanted to train new knights, honourable knights, and the best way to do that was to invite squires to come and train with them, more than just the squire that they could each have. They wanted many to come and want to learn from them.

By the end of Brienne's spiel, her father was grinning and the food was arriving. Jaime sipped at his wine as he watched his wife's father clasp her hand and tell her how proud he was of her. Jaime had to smile, so grateful that Brienne's father understood her so well.

Brienne thanked the footmen bringing in the food, as she always did, so sweetly, and then they dug in. Brienne's appetite was huge. It had been large before, because she did so much exercise and expended so much energy, but it had grown to enormous proportions. Jaime felt like he ate like a child in comparison.

"Was Lady Sansa sorry to lose you?" Lord Selwyn asked Brienne as she swallowed some of the beef stew.

Jaime answered for her, "Sansa was very supportive of us leaving but she was crying as we actually left."

"Of course she is married to your brother so I don't doubt they will make many visits," Lord Selwyn said, actually looking at Jaime for more than just a second's glance. Jaime nodded.

"I was very proud that Sansa married Tyrion. They are a good match."

"They are in love?" Lord Selwyn questioned. Jaime nodded, glancing at Brienne and seeing her smiling.

"I would say so," Brienne agreed.

"And you are in love?"

Lord Selwyn said it as though it were any ordinary question, speaking as he tucked into his stew, his voice as level as it had been for the entire dinner, in fact since he stepped out of his carriage.

"Of course," Jaime said, swallowing.

"You say 'of course' as though many men have been in love with my daughter, Lord Jaime." Jaime looked to his wife for help but she was silent, staring at her father, her lips agape.

"I would not have married her unless I were in love with her," Jaime said.

Lord Selwyn met his eyes. "Because you would have stayed with your sister otherwise?" Jaime saw Brienne bristle out of the corner of his eye. Jaime supposed that Lord Selwyn had a right to ask about Cersei but Jaime had never suspected that he would. Most people knew about his relationship with his sister but very few ever spoke about it to his face.

Jaime truly did not know what to say. He was very rarely lost for words and felt as though he was looking a fool because of it. He wanted Brienne to save him but she seemed to be lost for words too.

"You understand why I am asking, of course, Lord Jaime," Lord Selwyn continued. Jaime hated that he was calling him Lord Jaime, though Jaime supposed he had not said he could do otherwise. "A few years ago, I received a letter from Lord Stannis Baratheon, telling me that the king of Westeros was a bastard, a child born of incest. Only a few months after that, I heard rumours that named my daughter as the Kingslayer's Whore, and then I heard that you were back in King's Landing, warming your sister's bed, while my daughter was sent off to find the Stark girls."

Jaime had to admit that Brienne's father was well informed.

"Father, what does it matter now?" Brienne said and her voice was trying to be calm and dismissive. It came across as nervous and panicky.

"It matters an awful lot, dearheart. Your child is going to be the half-brother of children born of incest."

Jaime literally watched as Brienne's hackles raised. He likely should have been ashamed that he was letting his wife defend him, but he wasn't. Brienne had always been better at that than him anyway. "All those children are dead now, Father. Neither they nor their mother have any bearing on my family. Jaime has made mistakes in his life and he will admit them freely, but he has also done good things. He is a man of honour -" that was Brienne's favourite phrase when it came to defending him "- and I love him. Cersei is his past but I am his future. This baby is our future."

Her father said nothing to that, only turned to Jaime. "Do you not find it suspicious that it was not until your father was at the gates of King's Landing that you killed the Mad King?" Jaime did find it suspicious. He hated that coincidence of events. He also hated that that was what everyone focussed on, not the part where he killed a dangerous man. "I do not believe it to be a coincidence that, yet again, you fled to where it was safest, after backing the wrong horse all the way through the war."

"You believe I married Brienne for the safety of her alliances?"

"I do," Lord Selwyn said. His voice was strong and his face was stone. This was the first time this had been suggested to Jaime. It was the first time that anyone had suggested that Jaime had married Brienne for any reason but love. Most of the time people insisted that it must have been love, because of the way they felt about the way Brienne looked. As it was love, Jaime could hardly complain about that.

This, though, this he could complain about.

"Do you not believe your daughter to be worthy of love?"

"My daughter is the most honourable woman in the kingdoms but I am no fool. Most men would run a mile from her."

Jaime smirked. "I am not most men." Jaime could sense Brienne's disapproval of the way he was going about this. "You may believe that I jumped ship at the last moment but you would be wrong. Your daughter spent months holding me captive and, when I was finally freed, I was hardly a day away when I returned to get her because I feared for her safety. I risked my life to save hers and that was the moment that I jumped ship.

"I returned to King's Landing to find my brother in the cells, my father disowning me and my sister warped and disgusted by me. My father and my sister wanted Brienne's head on a platter for working with the Starks. They could not have cared less that she had protected me for months. In their eyes, she was the reason that I lost my hand and, therefore, my worth in their eyes. Instead of doing that, instead of giving them Brienne and regaining my place in my family, I sent her away to work for the Starks, my enemies.

"When she came to me and asked to speak with the Blackfish, a man I was fighting, I not only granted her safe passage but assured her escape in the midst of a battle. Yes, I stayed loyal to my son after that and, when he died, I -" Jaime swallowed "- I stayed with Cersei. I thought that I could protect the realm from the worst parts of her and I was wrong. When I realised how wrong I was, I stole her armies and marched north to save the realm.

"I admit that I stayed too long. I admit that I could have left Cersei earlier. I admit that our relationship was twisted and wrong but I will not admit to marrying Brienne for any reason other than that I am completely and utterly in love with her, that I want to spend every day of the rest of my life proving that I am worthy of her love and that I believe that I am the only man who fully accepts how wonderful and unique and honourable she is and loves her because of it and not in spite of it. I know who Brienne is. I know her flaws and I know her weaknesses and none of them make me want to run a mile."

When Jaime finished, he was breathing heavily, still staring into his goodfather's eyes. Lord Selwyn's face had not altered all the way through. His mouth was still a grim line and his brows were still drawn together but his eyes had changed. His eyes had cleared of something and Jaime didn't know whether it was a good thing or not.

"Let's go," Brienne whispered, despite the fact that half of her meal remained. Jaime furrowed his brow at her and she shook her head. "I want to go."

Jaime nodded and stood, offering her his hand. He didn't look back, though he saw that Brienne did. They left the room and Jaime closed his eyes, wondering whether he had just fucked things up irrevocably.