ONE CLICK AWAY
"The firm is not on the brink of disaster ... no, I don't think this will be necessary. I am pretty sure my father will see to it. Yes, absolutely. If there are any additional documents, have them send those over and I'll review them once I get in on Monday morning. Yes, absolutely. No, it's fine. Thank you for letting me know. I owe you one. Bye!"
Tyrion hung up the phone and slowly walked back to Sansa, who sat on a park bench nearby.
"I am so very sorry," he apologized ruefully as he stood next to her as she held her face into a single ray of sunshine that had peeked out behind a bank of clouds in the sky.
"Work trouble?" the redhead asked quietly as she took in his tense facial expression.
"You could call it that ... we've had a few rough cases recently and this particular one keeps coming back to haunt me. This and the fact that Cersei has her personal incompetence on full media display again ... it has us all pretty nervous."
Sansa's mouth formed a silent 'oh' as she digested what Tyrion had just said.
"How bad is it?"
"Bad enough. Why do you think Jaime and I are going to this stupid ribbon cutting? I need to be sure we counter-balance the unavoidable backlash of her latest personal decisions. Myrcella and the boys were sent to Dorne so that they're out of the crossfire but still ... next to nothing this woman does ist tasteful or ... works. She's one big mess," Tyrion sighed.
"How does Jaime feel about that?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I am surprised he managed to kick her out recently. He was under her spell for so long, I didn't know he had it in him. Somehow, though, he managed and I must confess, it was a glorious moment to witness..."
"... and to have on tape," Sansa snickered and the imp joined in.
"That, too!"
"Does Brienne know she's kind of online dating your brother?" Sansa asked abruptly and watched as Tyrion's face displayed shock and confusion within milliseconds.
"You ... know?"
"I am a woman and I know things," she said, somehow stealing the line he had used a little earlier, "also I didn't think for a second you had gone brunching on your own at 'Seven Golden Flowers' on a Saturday morning and I was right when I spotted a blonde mane that is pretty recognizable. Jaime hid behind the menu but I was pretty certain he was around, wasn't he? The question is ... how long has he known. And don't try to deny it, I know you're in on this," Sansa chuckled.
"Guilty as charged," Tyrion admitted and blushed vigorously.
"So?"
"I guess he suspected but he figured it out during Brienne's work trip. She told him about you guys being upgraded, he suspected I had a finger in that particular pie and he was right. Then he put two and two together ..."
"Whoa, that's ... whoa ... I think she also suspected it but I don't think she knows ... and we left her alone in there ..." Sansa's expression shifted to panic-stricken and she hastily got up from the park bench in order to hurry back to 'Seven Golden Flowers' to support her friend when a surprisingly firm grip held her back.
"Let them figure this out, Brienne isn't really a damsel in distress. They'll be just fine," Tyrion said, assuringly.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because my brother is helplessly smitten with your tall statuesque goddess of a friend, trust me. I've never seen him like this. Not ever."
"Not ... ever?"
"If you want to ask whether he was the same with Cersei my answer would be no. This is different. And that's why no one should go back and mess with what these two need to do on their own."
"But ..."
"Sansa," Tyrion said soothingly, "do you trust me?"
Somehow she did. So she told him.
"Good. Let's meet up with Margaery, shall we? She's texting me nonstop after I told her I met you. She's pretty eager to buy you a new dress it seems."
Groaning, Sansa allowed Tyrion to call his driver Bronn to have her on her way. Within minutes, a town car came to a halt at the curbside of the park entrance and Sansa slipped onto the backseat.
"Where to?" Bronn growled quietly.
"Margaery Tyrell's," Tyrion smiled.
"Got it. You coming, too?"
"No, I need to make a few calls, pick me up after you've dropped Miss Stark off, will you?"
"'tis what I am paid for, is it not?" Bronn laughed.
Her eyes were an infinite pool of blue, so blue he might mistake them for the sea and drown in them completely. They were even more beautiful widened in shock as they were now as she understood who had just come up to her table. As she connected the dots in her mind, adding up all the little hints she had collected, all the quiet little thoughts that had told her that it could - indeed! - be him. 'Gods be dammed', Brienne thought as she desperately tried to figure out how to do anything. Mouth slightly agape, she just kept staring at him, unable to form coherent thoughts let alone sentences.
How did you respond to any of this, really?
As in, what?
As in, use words?
As in, say something?
As in, say something to Golden_Phoenix?
As in, say something to Golden_Phoenix that apparently was Jaime Lannister?
How did you respond to any of this, really.
"Please say something, anything?" Jaime pleaded as if he had listened in to her inner turmoil, and Brienne realized that he must have been standing there for a good two to three minutes without any reaction from her. She contemplated two things in her mind simultaneously: Finding the best excuse to quickly slip away on the fastest route possible and listening to yet another man disappoint her.
"I can't do this," she finally managed to whisper, her heart sinking into her boots. She could not risk being insulted, ridiculed and hurt again. He was a Lannister. He was Jaime Lannister.
"I understand," Jaime said and his face fell, "sorry to bother you.'
As unexpectedly and suddenly as he had appeared, Jaime Lannister disappeared out of Brienne Tarth's life. Very late the same Saturday night, after what felt like hours (which it probably was) of moping, all curled up in bed, Brienne opened the online dating app to realize that Golden_Phoenix had deactivated his account.
MEET MELARA - Newsletter, your source for all things gossip
Didn't Margaery Tyrell look stunning last night at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the legendary and shocking 'Red Wedding'-exhibition at the Westeros' History Museum? We were happy to see Sansa Stark at her side, wearing an all-black gown and that hair - ladies, aren't we still swooning? We loved the reviews that came in - Missandei Naath herself gave Sansa Stark a 5 out of 5!
Tyrion Lannister accompanied Miss Stark and Miss Tyrell - contrary to the previous reporting and a Lannister statement, Jaime Lannister was noticeably missing from the event. A spokesperson for the Lannister family said a press release is to be expected for tonight - we hope it is nothing major! We had hoped to see a lot more of Jaime Lannister in the near future. Could his sudden cancellation have anything to do with Cersei Baratheon's current love quarrel with husband Robert? The Lannister spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny - we are anxiously awaiting more as the day progresses. Stay with us, lovelies! We will update on our social media!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Lannister Corp. / Lannister Inc. / Lannister Law
[King's Landing, 5 pm]
Lannister Law regrets to inform the departure of Jaime Lannister (37) from the company with immediate effect. Open cases will be handled by Tyrion Lannister (32) for the foreseeable future and new cases will be assigned as seen fit. Reasons for Mr Lannister's departure from Lannister Law and King's Landing will neither communicated nor commented.
"On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, Lannister Corp, Lannister Inc. and Lannister Law, I am pleased to announce that Tyrion has agreed to lead Lannister Law and all its departments at this critical juncture, Mr Tywin Lannister said. He added, "Tyrion has deep industry experience and a proven track record of strong and determined leadership and he recognizes the challenges we must confront that arise with Jaime's departure from the firm. The Board and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Lannister Law team to ensure that today marks a new way forward for our company."
Mr Tyrion Lannister added: "I am grateful for Jaime's constant patience and excellent work. Replacing him will be a challenge I am reluctant to take but which I must take. I am looking forward to representing Lannister Law for the foreseeable future."
December 31st
"So what is your New Year's resolution, Brienne?" Gilly asked warmly. They were sitting outside on the patio atop of an exclusive restaurant in the immediate surrounding of an umbrella heater, their New Year's party invitations courtesy of Tyrion Lannister. Sansa and Margaery had offered to replenish their drinks moments ago and Brienne let out a sigh and played with the hem of her sequined shirt.
"I don't know, really. I've never been a fan of those, they're only good for a couple of weeks at most until you abandon them completely and just feel comfortable in your own routine again, right? So I mostly try not to promise myself to do anything I won't be keeping anyways," Brienne said, bitterly. Until recently, she would have argued the complete opposite but after losing the bet that had simultaneously caused her to meet Jaime Lannister, both offline and online, she wasn't too sure about the merit of keeping her promises.
"I feel you. I once promised Jai... Mr Lannister that I would remind him daily to drink more water. I managed some days, I failed most days. I am usually good at my job, I promised," Gilly said, giggling.
"I believe you," Brienne said. She had warmed up to Jaime's and now Tyrion's assistant during the past weeks of Brienne's company taking her - now-former - boss Petyr Baelish to court for accepting bribes. Brienne was more than happy to see the unpleasant man go, even if it came with dealing with Lannister Law to get it done.
It had been close to three weeks after Jaime's sudden and inexplicable departure. Three weeks of knowing that she could have something to do with it while denying the very same. Sansa and Margaery had stopped asking after a week and after one of Brienne's fists had soundly hit her kitchen floor in frustration.
"I don't know, ok? I really don't know. Stop asking me. I really do not want to talk about it, as in, ever."
"Brienne..."
"No, not now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. You don't understand. Hell, I don't even understand. He's gone. What does it matter?"
"Of course it matters, he matters to you ... we wanna help you."
"You would help if you would stop bringing this up."
"Well, cheers to a great new year," Gilly smiled as the clock stroke midnight and people were hugging, couples kissed each other for good luck. In the corner of her eyes, Brienne saw Sansa kneel down and kiss Tyrion on his right cheek. Jon and Ygritte were in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor, slowly swaying to music that wasn't playing, Margaery stood next to the glass doors of the entrance to the patio and took the entire scenery in, looking like a queen regent smiling down at her people.
Brienne grinned.
Margaery looked in her direction, caught her friend's grin and laughed back before making her way to her friend.
"No one to kiss?" Brienne mocked her usually outgoing and somewhat predictable friend.
"As I told you since Jon's off the market," she shot a sideways glance at the couple, "it's been rather depressing. With Jaime gone, the list of eligible bachelor's in King's Landing is rather short this year."
"Don't ..."
"Wait, I can't even state facts just because his name is in them?"
Brienne answered with a frown and a shrug of her shoulders.
"Do what you want..."
"Don't I always?"
January
With Petyr Baelish's trial rapidly approaching, January went buy in a blur of meetings and her own private schedule. Sansa and Margaery had asked her to at least forget all legal and work troubles once a week and Brienne had begrudgingly agreed. Their group had grown by a few people by the end of January, as Robb, Jon, Ygritte and Gilly joined them frequently at the weekends, Tyrion made room to accompany them whenever his time allowed it. After being promoted at Lannister Law - as he reluctantly admitted - his free time had shrunk to a minimum and he suspected his father to be behind an increased workload.
"I am going to be so happy when the fucker returns to King's Landing and this is all over," Tyrion had said after one particular bad Friday.
"Anything?" Sansa had asked and Brienne had found herself longing to hear the answer, irresponsible as this may be.
"Not a peep, I have no clue where he is," Tyrion replied, making eye contact with Brienne to make sure she knew that the answer was mostly for her.
"So much for them figuring this all out," Sansa spat out during dinner at 'The Sands' one Friday night.
"I admit, I underestimated the situation," Tyrion said quietly, his eyes on his girlfriend, "and I still feel we don't know half of what happened. She's still not talking?"
"Nada, zip, nichts, niente, nothing, she won't say a peep and she gets offended and very sad whenever anyone tries. We've kind of given up," Sansa sighed, "and I hate to see her unhappy. She's been through so much already, she deserved her own patch of happiness. Somehow I thought ... if only we hadn't made her create that stupid online profile. We are in on this, Margaery and I, this is partly on us.."
"Don't beat yourself up," Tyrion said, "besides I don't think this is true. I've seen him look at her and I've never seen him look at anyone. I didn't even think it was possible. He was very brave to tell her."
"I gather she knows that I just think she doesn't believe him. Brienne hasn't had too many men that were genuinely interested in her, she's very shy and Jaime is ..."
"Jaime?"
"impossibly handsome was what I had in mind, but 'Jaime' works, too," Sansa laughed when she took in her boyfriend's offended expression, "he doesn't compare to you, though."
MEET MELARA - Newsletter, your source for all things gossip
Hello my lovelies, it is the 'it's-almost-spring-edition' of this newsletter and we wished we would be able to tell you more on Westeros' most eligible bachelor but Jaime Lannister's whereabouts are still unknown. It's been almost three months without any news from the Golden Lion - we will update once we learn more.
The Baratheon ./. Baratheon separation has had some interesting developments when the first hearing revealed that Jaime Lannister's accusations regarding Cersei's infidelity were indeed fully truthful. Documents the court acquired reveal the fatherhood of all three Baratheon children to be Robert Baratheon himself; turns out Jaime Lannister was probably right in leaving Cersei Baratheon. We would argue that the ice queen herself isn't too happy at the moment. Let's not be in her path, shall we? We are having a dream of spring, we for one are done with the winds of winter.
February
Tyrion stepped out of the shower when he heard his phone ring with a familiar ring tone, one he hadn't heard in three and a half months.
"Brother," he said, breathlessly as he barely held onto the phone, so much in a hurry to pick up the call that it almost fell to the ground.
"Tyrion," Jaime said, the quality of the call signalling a rather poor reception.
"Where have you been, big brother?" Tyrion smiled wrily as he asked his brother about his whereabouts. He was still unsure how Jaime had convinced Tywin to let him go in the first place.
"Essos, that's probably one of the reasons the reception is really bad. Listen, I wanted to ask you something and ..."
"Jaime, you disappear from the face of the earth for three and a half month and the first thing you ask of me is a favour? Tsk ... I would have expected this of myself but you on the other hand ... doubtful, to say the least," Tyrion joked, relieved to finally know the whereabouts and the safety of his older brother, "plus, it's been interesting while you're gone, I think you should know that..."
"Duly noted," Jaime responded, "now, about that favour. Do you happen to have Brienne's address?"
"Brienne ... as in Brienne Tarth?" Tyrion asked incredulously.
"The very same," Jaime said, his patience slowly leaving him.
"You are a Lannister, you have all the resources in the world to invade her personal space yourself, what do you need me for?" Tyrion laughed.
"Did you think abruptly leaving the firm came with perks and benefits?"
"Oh..."
"Oh, indeed. So ...?"
When the first set of flowers appeared on her doorstep, Brienne hastily checked whether the delivery boy had made a mistake but he violently shook his head, stating that the flowers were 'absolutely undoubtedly' for her. Curious as to would send her blue orchids, Brienne signed the delivery slip and carefully manoeuvred the flowers and the vase they came in onto her kitchen table and searched for a card or note or anything to tell her what was going on. She found a folded card in an envelope and began to read:
I think the first time I saw you, was in one of these infamous new fancy hotel bars Tyrion dragged me into. I wasn't in the mood to go but he persuaded me anyways. Silly, right?
You appeared to be rather tipsy by the time I saw you and I remember your heartily deep laughter and those mile-long legs of yours that - I must admit - sparked some rather indecent thoughts for which I want to proactively apologize.
I don't think you know this but I was the one that paid for your tab that night. I was also irrationally jealous of someone that had sent you drinks - trust me, I had no idea what was going on. Now I do.
J.
Margaery and Sansa let themselves in twenty minutes later and found Brienne in the kitchen, wordlessly handing them the card.
When the second set of flowers, beautiful sunflowers from Dorne, appeared and were waiting for her at her doorstep, Brienne's heart began to pound harder and her palms began to sweat. It had been three days since the first flowers and the card had appeared and the longing that she had been feeling ever since would not want to subside.
She hurried the fragile cargo into her apartment, placed the flowers on the kitchen table again, searched for the envelope, opened it and read the card inside with shaking hands:
I feel like I should at to the previous note that I saw the guy that had sent you drinks; a rather unpleasant fellow I had a weird feeling about. I didn't sense serial killer, I sensed weird stalker that wouldn't accept boundaries. I might have complimented him outside discreetly. If that feels too serial killer or stalkerish to you, I apologize. I seem to have felt protective of you from the start before I even knew that you were protecting your heart yourself. At this point in time, still raw from an unpleasant breakup, I, too, felt like I belonged in the same category as that guy. Tyrion said you didn't need saving, you weren't a damsel in distress and even if you were, that I should tell you that I had saved you. He told me I was wasting my time and should make a move. Trust me, I wanted to.
J.
Two days later, the third envelope was waiting for her at her gym, handed over by the receptionist as she put her name down on the list for advanced fencing. Unable to focus on anything other than the contents of the envelope, Brienne sat down on one of the benches in the changing room and began to read the third card:
The second time I saw you we were at 'Chez Shae', you wore a dark-purple mini-dress that showed off those legs and I must admit that the indecent thoughts were intensified. Tyrion asked me what I was going to do about you, whether I would be asking you out. Trust me, I wanted to. Desperately so, in fact.
I think you caught me staring - I couldn't believe you would be surprised at me looking at you but there we were. I think I was overwhelmed by wanting someone else than the woman I had been with for ... too long. I fled. I believe you thought it was because I didn't like you or thought you were not my type. The opposite is the case, Brienne, you are VERY much my type. I hope you know.
J.
Sansa and Margaery were sitting on Brienne's couch on the next Saturday evening to commence movie night (Brienne had won, action move beats romantic comedy!) and they had chosen to abandon the rest of the group in their endeavour to devour an entire 'All you can eat' seafood buffet.
"Don't make me regret this," Tyrion growled as he hopped onto the couch next to Sansa.
"Action movie won", Margaery announced with a frown.
"Oh, in that case, I don't think I regret this," the dwarf said and kissed Sansa's hand which made the redhead giggle.
"I am glad," Brienne laughed and all of them froze. They hadn't heard their friend laugh in a while and the sound was music to their ears.
"Oh, before I forget, I apparently have been made a messenger tonight," Tyrion said and retrieved a small envelope from his back pocket, "I've meant to give this to you when I came in and then I forgot."
"'s all good," Brienne responded, unsure whether she wanted to read another note in front of her friends.
"Go to the bedroom, we can wait up," Margaery offered but Brienne shook her head.
"No, I'll ... I'll just read it."
I really really really didn't want to go to the art show thing - Tyrion had to drag me there. Do you see a recurring theme there, because I clearly do. By that time I had already set up Golden_Phoenix online ... I just hadn't used it.
You saw me and you fled the scene, as I recall, and I honestly don't blame you. If you had really assumed me to be shallow and selfish (which I have been for most of my life so you weren't completely off) you would have expected a senseless repeat of feeling insulted and degraded - no need to put you through that, I get it and I am sorry.
That's the night I went online and found this profile of someone - I don't know why I clicked it, Brienne, I really don't. But here she was, Knightsblue. Or should I rather say, here you were?
A single tear ran down Brienne's cheek and she caught all of the ones that were to follow that night.