A/N: I haven't posted to this site in a long time. This story has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I love supernatural. I love playing with the idea of otherworldly beings and I don't think anyone has taking that risk with this couple and the Genie genre. I own nothing. GRRM built these amazing characters and I'm just playing with his toys.
Title: As You Wish
Rating: Will be rated M, for themes and sexual activities
Summary: Jaime Lannister had always been willing to do what needed to be done. He had killed a King in protection of those that could not protect themselves. He was honorable to none for this deed and for his one weakness- his twin. One decision changed everything for him forever. Brienne Tarth was a modern woman. She loved history and was sure that it was wrong about the Lost Knight! He was more than the rumors- she just had to prove it.
Feedback: Please and Thank you. It would mean everything to me...
She hated flying. The entire experience filled her with anxiety, but she loved to travel. Being a historian and an antiques dealer gave her the chance to experience places and cultures in a beautiful way… she just had to get over the getting there part. She stood in the line and waited her turn to board. Her hands were sweating and all she wanted to do was get on the plane and close her eyes. The trip, thankfully, wasn't long, but she would be crossing oceans in a tin can with wings.
She reached the front and Brienne handed the ticket to the flight attendant. The blonde with green eyes smiled emptily at her. The type of smile that clearly said, I just want to go home, I'm so tired and handed her back her passport and license. "You are in first class, seat F-26 by the window. If you need any help finding it, Marshall will be able to direct you."
"Thank you," Brienne said gripping her carry on tighter. "I'm sure I'll be fine."
She walked down the narrow hall and slipped into the small opening of the plane. The one small luxury she allowed herself was first class. One because her legs were way too long to be bound up behind another's seat. Two because she was a large woman in general. Her size not in weight, but in mass and height. And three because she was an uneasy flyer that shifted a lot if too close to another person. It was best for all that she got a seat with more room.
Walking down the small aisle, she felt like she was being squeezed from all angles. Her heart started racing faster and her stomach rolled. The medicine she took to help her motion sickness and to help her relax should be kicking in soon and that would be a relief. She found her seat and sat down gratefully. The space never seemed like a lot but she knew that it was much more than she would get in economy.
Pulling open the zipper on her travel bag, she grabbed the book she had been reading. The Lion and The Stag and the War that Raged. She rubbed the top of the cover, tracing the lines of the letters and the shape of the animals on the cover. The lion found her finger more than once. She was fascinated by that family. The Lions of Casterly Rock- The Lannister Dynasty. Ever since she was about sixteen, she had been drawn to that family. It wasn't that she admired them all… in fact she was convinced that Queen Cersei was truly an evil woman, but something about them kept her mind captivated.
The flight attendants went through the list of things to do in an emergency and Brienne pressed her lips together to stop that sip of coffee she had before getting to the airport from spewing out of her mouth. She really hated flying. The one saving grace was she seemed to have the line of seats to herself… of course that could have been because her father had been on this flight as well, until he came down with a wretched cold that had left him grumpy and feverish.
Selwyn Tarth was the man that stoked her passion for history. From the time she could walk, her family had been all over the seven countries that once made up the seven kingdoms. He had taught her about the times past and told her stories of brilliant minds and devious souls that once claimed the lands they walked on. Where her interests had fallen with the Lannisters and the mysterious lost knight, his was squarely on the great knight Dunk the tall….
The plane started taxiing down the runway and her heart jumped again. She wrapped her arms around the book and pressed it to her chest, waiting for the wheels to lift and her ears to start the painful popping. It rose gently and the pressure started building around her. She held her breath as the bump of air pushed in on the plane.
Thankfully the ride turned smoother and she began to relax. The medicine calmed her down and she opened her book to the chapter about the rise of Cersei as queen. Words of history floated in front of her as her mind dulled. Tiredness crept along the edges making her eyes heavy. She yawned and shut the book, her brain coming up with scenarios about what she had read. She thought about the knights of old. The swords and the oaths. She thought about the man that broke them in service to Cersei, both knowingly and unknowingly. Brienne thought about the young men that were knighted on the battlefield… was that where the lost knight gained his title of Ser? Was he once filled with honor and righteous intent?
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The images in her head becoming more vivid. She sighed as she drifted off into a world so far from the one she had always known…
Brienne walked through the high grass, carefully observing all that was happening around her. The sky was bright and a cornflower blue with soft cotton clouds. The colors all around her were intense and lush. She felt like she was walking into a painting. All the pictures she had seen, all the days spent daydreaming, were nothing compared to this. Her body tingled with excitement.
She heard a raging battle happening in the distance. Blades were clashing together, steel sliding against steel. Men grunted and screamed, in victory and in defeat. Horses hooves thundered loudly over it all. She inhaled. The air smelt different, richer, cleaner. As she moved, her head swung back and forth. Everything was similar but she didn't recognize anything.
In the distance she saw two men situated by themselves, away from the action that was happening. One tall and standing, the other was kneeling with his head raised. She moved silently over to them. Her heart pounding in her chest. Arthur Dayne! His dark hair was gleaming in the sunshine, casting him in a holy glow. He looked just as she had always thought. Strong features that had a hint of olive in his skin tone. He was impressive in his armor, just as a warrior should be. She got close enough, hugging the tree line to stay hidden, to hear what was taking place between the men. Dawn, the pearlescent sword with a fallen star on its hilt, was pulled from his side and he held it still in front of him.
"You have earned this," he told the younger man. She swallowed at the deepness of his voice. Her eyes dropped to the man kneeling. He was facing away from her, but she could see that he was much younger than most on the battlefield. His hair was golden and slightly curled. His shoulders were wide with muscle built over years of training. His armor was shining in the sun, light reflecting beautifully off the surface. "Are you sure you want to be a knight? It is an honor and a duty that I do not take lightly. No knight should. Be sure, young squire. Be very sure."
The younger man straightened his spine, "I am sure. I will make you proud. I will live in honor as you have."
Arthur nodded and placed the tip of Dawn on the teen's shoulder. "In the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave." He moved it to the other shoulder. "In the name of the Father I charge you to be just." Back to the left shoulder. "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." Onto the right. "In the name of the Maid I charge you to protect all women..." He pulled the sword back. "Do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?"
"I do." The teen said solemnly.
"Arise," Arthur said… Brienne heard a buzzing over his words, and she wanted to scream. Turn around, young Knight. She urged even as she was pulled back to the present. I want to see you!
She opened her eyes slowly, blinking the rest of her tiredness away. She glanced out the small window and smiled a little. Dorne… she'd made it. She placed her book back in her bag, touching the Lion one more time. She would know the answers. She would find out the truth. About the lost knight… the dynasty that nearly ruined everything… and about how it all linked together. Brienne closed her eyes again and wished silently, Let me find what I'm looking for. This is all I wish for…
Brienne Tarth moved as quickly as she could through the streets of Sunspear. Her pale blonde hair wrapped in a thin purple silk scarf that circled her head to block most of the sand from getting in her mouth. The capital was bustling with activity. People moved from shop to shop, cart to cart, purchasing and selling. She gripped her pouch of money a little tighter than she needed to weary of thieving hands. The Dornish people were generous with many things but there were some that would smile at you while stripping you of your worldly possessions.
She had encountered many people on her travels and she loved the different cultures she got to experience, but she had learned to be careful. She bumped into a merchant and mumbled a quick apology. The dark haired man barely took notice of her, continuing on his way. She was both befuddled by the lack of response and relieved by it. Back home in Westeros, she was gawked at and ridiculed for her height and features.
To say she was rather unusual looking would be kind, to say she was ugly would be the common thought. She didn't ever want to say she was used to it, because that simply was not true. It cut her to hear sniping women and overly sure of themselves men make comments about her appearance. It was not her fault the Gods of ol' graced her with mismatched features. Her nose too crooked, her teeth to big, her lips often referred to as fish like, her face and body covered in a collection of freckles, her height made her tower over women and men alike… she was everything and it was all too much.
She sighed and shook her head. She was going to enjoy not being mocked and stared at… at least until that changed. In the distance she saw the shop she was looking for and rushed a little quicker toward it. The building looked much like all the rest on the main street, but this one housed treasure. It was owned by people Brienne had known all her life. The Velaryon family had lived in Dorne for generations and had traded with her small Island of Tarth for just as long.
Being masters of the sea, the families bonded and found a common love of hunting and collecting. As the years rolled by, the collecting and hunting changed, but the trading did not. She pulled the black cloth away from the door and entered the large store that was very much like her own back home. The shelves were lined with trinkets of lives long gone. Brienne undid the scarf around her head and breathed in the scent she loved. Books old and worn, spears and swords, jewelry and gold. She reached out and touched a beautifully carved high back chair. Her breath caught at the stitching and design. The dark wood had intricate carvings of dragons and keyhole openings with spiral wood pieces. On the top of the arm rests were made to look like long slithering vipers with the head of the snake at the end.
"Dornish," she muttered. "290 AD…"
"Actually," a male voice said from behind the counter, "I believe it is from around 340."
She smiled and turned toward the man. "You are the expert in Dornish antiques, Alyn, so I won't argue… too much." She walked over to him and he opened his arms to her. "It's good to see you!"
"It is a pleasure to take in your beauty as well, Brienne," he said with a warmth not many men talk to her with. "How is your papa?"
"Good," she nodded, stepping back. "The illness hit him hard and he was still cursing as my plane departed that he would not be able to join me, but he will make a full recovery. The common cold will not take Selwyn Tarth to the ground."
"I was most sad that he would not make the trip with you," the balding man replied with a smirk, "but to get you all to myself… well that is a joy I will not pass up."
She laughed, blushing deeply at his words. Alyn had always been a flirt and as she grew up she learned to roll her eyes at his words. The balding man was almost fifteen years her senior with two grown kids of his own and a hole in his heart from the passing of his beloved, Nymella. Brienne didn't remember much about Alyn's wife, but what she could recall made her heart hurt as well. The brown eyed beauty with long rich ebony hair and a mouth like a sailor. She kept all her men- husband and sons- in line with a quick snipe and a loving embrace.
"You know," she stepped from his arms, holding him away from her. "One of these days, I may believe you're telling the truth and take you up on your offer."
There was a twinkle in his dark eyes and he winked. "Any time!"
She laughed and moved back over to the chair. "This is exquisite. Where ever did you find it? Any ideas who it belonged to?"
"I believe it was owned by the Martell family if the vipers are any indication," Alyn stepped closer. "Elia Martell perhaps since the snakes are sharing space with the dragons." Brienne nodded. She didn't know much about Dornish history. Her specialties were Westeros Military, but sometimes her love of old swords and warriors merged with the politics of royalty. The Martells were known for both being fierce fighters and legendary lovers. "Are you interested in purchasing?"
"You know why I am here," she moved over to the wall that housed some older books, tracing the spines. "Did you really find something that belonged to the lost knight?" She turned to face him. "The way dad spoke…"
Alyn held up his hand and walked to the back. She bounced on her heels excitedly. She hoped it would be the final piece to the puzzle she had been looking for. Her life had been about searching for answers. She knew many believed the lost knight to be cruel and that he disappeared because of his actions with the King, but Brienne could not shake the feeling there was more. As a child she became fascinated with tales of tourneys and romance, as a teen she learned about the finer points of fighting and what being a knight truly meant and in university she honed in on the one history tried to wipe away. His name was lost to the winds of the past- only being remembered as Kingslayer, but Brienne was determined to find out what happened and who he was… someone must have known him. Someone must have loved him.
Brienne's own family history was filled with knights and kings. A shield from one of her family's most loved ancestors hung proudly in her father's home. She remembered staring up at it, mesmerized by the green shooting star over an elm tree with the sunset behind it. She begged for stories about Duncan the Tall… She imagined what he had been like, who was he really. Her family talked of him fondly and she, herself, had never found anything to disprove their belief he was a worthy knight. Many wondered what made her choose to latch onto the lost knight when she had many to pick from… and truthfully she wasn't sure. There was just something about the void he left behind. How could one kill a king and disappear?
She shook her head at her thoughts. She would find out. She would find out who he was truly. History was told by the victors, but the truth was always deeper than what was in the books. Alyn exited the back room carrying a worn and breaking box filled with treasures. Her hands itched and she was anxious to peer in and pick through all he had found. He chuckled at her expression.
"Dear Brienne," he placed the box on the counter. "I believe this is going to make you very happy." She tried to stop herself from staring into the cardboard confides. Alyn loved to tease her, but his teasing was always worth it. Most of her artifacts about the lost knight- the Kingslayer- came from him. He had a knack for finding exactly what she needed to further her research… and also get some nice items for her family's antique shop. He pulled out a battered and dirty black leather book, handing it to her. "This was found while my contact was in the catacombs under the old Lannister ancestral home- Casterly Rock."
Her mouth ran dry. It was her theory that the Lannister family had something to do with the lost knight. She ran her hands over the cracked leather that had a single roaring lion on the front in gold with a red square background. She wanted so much to open the cover and look inside but she didn't want to damage any of the pages or the words that were on them. Brienne licked her lips, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Thank you," she tilted her head and looked into the box, not able to stop herself any longer. Most of the items were clearly from Dorne. The ornate details common for the people of this region. In the corner something shiny caught her attention. The metal object was dusty and covered with years of grime. She gently extracted the item from the side and squinted to really look at it. "A lamp?"
The old oil lamp was obviously hidden for many year. The long neck was elegant and would be beautiful once some of the grit was removed. She turned it over, examining it. There was something about it…
"Yes," Alyn nodded. "It was found north of Sunspear. I think with some cleaning and polishing I may get some good money for it. At least as a novelty item… you know how kids love genies and tales of magic."
"No just kids," she mumbled to herself. She placed the book on the counter and reached into her pouch. "I would like to buy it from you. How much for the book and the lamp?"
He waved his hand, "Your father gave me a beautiful Red Viper spear once with no charge. I have no use for the book and I know you need it for your research. The lamp will be my gift to you as well. The rest of the box has already been bought by your father. Take them, my child."
"Thank you," she breathed, once again mesmerized by the lamp.
"Will you be in Sunspear for long," Alyn asked. "Ferris and Franklyn will want to see you before you return to Tarth."
"I'll be here for another two days," she confirmed placing the lamp and the book in the box. "I have a contact to meet about a possible sighting of Brightroar. If I can find that sword…"
Alyn chuckled. "I know how much that would make you happy."
"Pieces of history, Alyn," Brienne grinned. "That's all we are. Pieces of history. No one should be forgotten or discarded."
He nodded, "That is true. And hopefully you will find your lost knight's history eventually."
She gathered the box up under her arm and side hugged her family's friend. "I plan on it. Have the guys call me. I'd love to see them for lunch or supper."
"I will have them call you tonight. Good day, Brienne."
"To you too, Alyn," she exited the shop and started walking down the packed market place. She weaved in and out of crowds carrying the box protectively. Her blue eyes strayed to the lamp a couple of times. "What treasures do you hold," she whispered.
She ducked into a coffee shop and ordered a quick cup… never noticing the eyes on her back, watching her the whole time.
