ONE CLICK AWAY

Two months later ...

"Come on Brienne, you need to tell us and you need to tell us now!" Margaery cried out, unable to conceal her frustration.

"I agree with Marg, I need to know," Sansa added, shaking her head as they walked along King's Landing's shopping district.

"You never go shopping, let alone with us! I always have to beg you. Remember that one time I actually went down on my knees and even robbed from your kitchen into your living room?"

"I do, that's when I bought you, knee protectors," Brienne laughed and the other two joined in. Sansa, however, quickly came back to trying to keep her forehead from frowning as she looked back up at her tall blonde friend.

"Is this for your birthday?" the redhead wondered and Brienne let her see a small smile.

"Oh, it is, oh that is exciting. Why did I never think about it, I should have connected the dots. Gods, I am stupid sometimes!" Margaery almost shouted which had innocent passerby's look at her with annoyance.

"Only sometimes?" Brienne teased and led them toward 'Sand's' which had both of her friends terribly excited. Ellaria herself greeted them at the door and once the three friends were inside, she promptly turned the sign in her door from 'We are open' to 'Sorry, we're closed'.

MEET MELARA - newsletter, your source for all things gossip

We all at MEET MELARA are wishing you a wonderful spring season which will mark the beginning of another very exciting time in King's Landing: Fashion show season is upon us and with it our most beloved actors, actresses, musicians, designers, and influencers who will undoubtedly pour into the city in search of the next hot item to wear for the summer award season. We cannot wait to see who will show up.

Ygritte Firekissed and Jon Snow have made it very official with a sparkling ring on Ygritte's hand that was spotted there a few days ago at the premiere of the Doku series that accompanies the 'Dragondance' trilogy she directed. Count us in to be sad about this but what can we say, it's love!

We are very pleased to announce that MEET MELARA during King's Landing fashion week will feature none other than the elusive Jaime Lannister and his brother Tyrion Lannister. Both will be joining Melara Heatherspoon for an exclusive pre-filmed interview which is scheduled for this week. Melara is excited to be able to sit down with the Lannister brothers to discuss various topics - if you have suggestions as to what we should be covering, fill out the form on our website and let us know!

Ellaria motioned for the three women to ascend the roped-off staircase to the private showroom and it was only then that Sansa and Margaery identified the laughter of two men that were present upstairs. Sansa turned around and stopped which had Brienne bump into her.

"What is Tyrion doing here?"

Margaery looked equally surprised but for another reason.

"What is Jaime doing here?"

"Brienne, why are we here?" Sansa asked and continued her ascend. Brienne remained silent and her friends simply gave up. They would find out eventually.

"Oh, great, you made it," Tyrion said, his mood apparently rather chipper. He was stood on a pedestal while Ellaria's assistant took his measurements, which he endured with his usual humor. Jaime stood next to him, apparently, one step ahead of his brother, wearing a suit jacket that had markings on and pins stuck into them.

"Don't we look dashing already," Ellaria commented as she took in the sight and smiled.

"No one has told us why we are here, yet," Margaery not so gently reminded Brienne, Jaime and Tyrion about her lack of knowledge and Sansa nodded, her eyes shot daggers at her boyfriend who tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Who wants to tell them?" Jaime asked, pulling Brienne in for a kiss, careful not to mess with any of the adjustments to his suit jacket.

"Certainly not me," Brienne quipped, but kissed him back with an intensity that had everyone else groan in frustration.

"Guys, it's been months and we are still not at the point where we are comfortable going out with you two," Margaery complained.

"Well, lucky for you this is a private function," Jaime laughed.

"What do we need this private function for, anyway?" Sansa asked and Tyrion broke the silence on the matter, clearing his throat as he became aware that he could not expect his brother Jaime to assist with this one.

"Well, the height of King's Landing Fashion Week is coinciding with Brienne's birthday and it will coincide with the interview the two of us," he gestured towards his brother who was terribly busy staring into his girlfriend's eyes, "with Melara Hetherspoon with which we will break the media embargo. Poor Gilly has several calls a day from all kinds of media outlets requesting statements and exclusives, she's now placed a whiteboard next to her desk to keep track of the demand. Sadly, it hasn't declined too much which is why we have resorted to a more offensive strategy."

"Are you ok with this?" Sansa asked Brienne warmly. She knew that her friend took a long time to adjust to life-altering circumstances but if Jaime's devotion she had seen whenever the two of them were together was any indication, Sansa could tell he would go through fire for her. Still, all the unwanted attention hadn't been easy for the couple, especially not the fact that the main entrances of buildings Jaime frequented were the primary stakeout position for media representatives and photographers.

"We talked about it," Brienne said softly and detached herself a little from Jaime who started pouting instantly, "and I think it is the right thing to do. We will probably never have a really quiet life whenever the public is involved but to me, that's not important. I wanna be with Jaime and the rest of the world will follow suit."

"Good, I'm glad," Sansa responded, not realizing that she had held her breath for the duration of Brienne's answer. Whatever had happened in Brienne's past that had led her to completely forego any hope for a successful and loving relationship had impacted her life for the longest time and Sansa was relieved and delighted to see that some of that weight had been lifted from her friend's shoulders. Jaime had truly done all the heavy lifting but Sansa knew there was more to it than him ... it had also taken great efforts from Brienne to decide to trust her boyfriend enough and to give him credit to not purposefully hurt her.

"Aaaaaaaaanyway," Tyrion tried to get everyone's attention back and succeded because all of them refocused and looked at the dwarf, "we decided that we needed new formal wear and you ladies will need new attire, too!"

If the squeals by Margaery and Sansa were any indication, Brienne was sure they had just won a prize for their accomplishments or a chunk of money but in reality, it was just her friends being ... well ... them.

"What about you?" Sansa calmly asked Brienne as the men resumed their fitting and Margaery was tucked into a corner with Ellaria, comparing different shades of green.

"What about me what?" Brienne asked innocently.

"You know what I mean, what will you be wearing? Aren't you trying anything on?"

"Oh, she beat us to it," Jaime threw his arms up theatrically, "even I cannot know, she said. Can you imagine? I of all people..."

"Excuse me, Jaime Lannister, if any of us would be 'I of all people' it would be me," Sansa remarked pointedly and turned her attention back to her friend who had started to smile in reaction to the exchange unfolding before her.

"You're not even showing him?"

"No. Ellaria knows the specifics so he'll wear a tie that matches the color of what I will be wearing but that's not delivered until the day of the event so ... surprise I guess!"

"You are mean!" Sansa laughed and continued to do so as one of the assistants gently guided her to a mannequin that wore one of the possible dresses for her to be wearing. Watching her boyfriend and their closest friends, Brienne could not believe how easy it had all become. She played with a strand of her now slightly longer blonde hair and pondered upon what it all meant and how neither her friends nor Jaime appeared to have a clue what she was planning.

Seven days until Brienne's birthday (Tuesday)

Jaime had pouted in protest as Brienne had informed him that he would not be welcome in her apartment for the day, citing the necessity to implement certain downtimes from the relationship. Even though he had made it almost impossible to resist him, Brienne had managed to resist the Lannister charm and - most importantly - the Lannister skills that had Brienne briefly reconsider her plan.

Being alone for the past several years minus the fact that she did spend time with Margaery and Sansa made Brienne realized that the sudden addition of Jaime to her life required adjustments that were sometimes too much. Jaime could be ... overbearing ... at times without realizing or knowing it. While Brienne was a rather quiet person, Jaime would not find the off switch to his constant talking, always unable to keep his thoughts to himself which was both blessing and curse. Blessing, because she would always know how he felt, a curse because he would never shut up.

So when she woke up this Tuesday morning, she knew what to do and when to do it. With meticulous precision and a pre-planned schedule that would have Gilly blush with envy, Brienne cleaned her apartment top to bottom, did her laundry, parted with clothes she hadn't work in months or even years and cleared a shelf in the bathroom and ample space in her dresser for Jaime as she went.

She knew she made the right decision to be alone for this when she parted ways with the shirt Renly had given her. No one needed to see her tears as she said goodbye to a dream of hers. No one needed to be there while she tore the shirt into small pieces and threw it into the bin. No one needed to see as she breathed a sigh of relief as it was done, marking the day she had finally let go. No one needed to be present for any of it. Brienne was glad no one was.

Six days until Brienne's birthday (Wednesday)

"Am I really not allowed to see it?" Sansa had asked when she had dropped a delivery of freshly baked muffins on that Wednesday afternoon.

"No, you are really not," Brienne said, pointedly and grinned as she took in Sansa's prominent pout.

"But you have seen mine," the redhead complained and bit into the caramel-filled muffin.

"That is still not guilt-tripping me into showing you what I will be wearing to the event," Brienne chuckled and Sansa grinned in return, busy chewing the soft muffin, "but what I will say is that it is something you haven't seen me wear before."

"Ohhhhhhhh," Sansa squealed, the endless possibilities racing through her head.

"Is it ..."

"No!"

"But you don't even know what I was about to say ..."

"No!"

"Brienne!"

"No!"

"Ugh."

Later that night Jaime nuzzled into Brienne's neck and whispered, "am I really not allowed to see it?" and Brienne wasn't even willing to dignify this with a response. Instead, she turned around and kissed him with a fierceness that had Jaime surprised and - mission accomplished - unable to speak.

Five days until Brienne's birthday (Thursday)

"Did I mention how much I love these pants?" Jaime murmured as he followed her through a narrow corridor in the Riverrun TV building. He was trailing her on purpose, admiring her rear as it swayed back and forth with the added emphasis on her glutes by the heels he had begged her to wear. She wore grey fake leather pants that highlighted her long legs, a black and white graphic t-shirt, and a black jacket. Her hair was slightly tousled because Jaime hadn't been able to keep his hands by himself for the entire duration of the car ride to the studio building which had Brienne flushed and embarrassed and Bronn amused and constantly laughing. Since Brienne didn't bother wearing too much makeup ("What good would it do, really?") she hadn't worried about that too much but the tousled hair did give her a 'freshly fucked' look which she did mind. Jaime didn't mind. At all.

When they entered the small studio that was used for the pre-filmed interviews of 'Meet Melara' Brienne stopped and took it all in, the lights, the cameras, and the people hustling and bustling about, setting the scene for Jaime's and Tyrion's interview with Melara Hetherspoon.

"Nervous?" Jaime asked her, his breath tickling the hair at her neck.

"Why me? I am not the one that will be interviewed on TV shortly," she retorted, turning around to face him, "you are."

Jaime raised an eyebrow and grinned cockily, "Wench, I have done this before, I think I'll be ok."

"You really have to let go of this new nickname you've given me, I find it to be rather insulting," Brienne groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, easy, you called me 'old man' even before you knew me..."

"You mean, even before I knew how old you really were? Yeah, I should have called you grampa..."

"Careful, wench," Jaime stepped closer and breathed in her scent, "I might retaliate ... later."

Goosebumps appeared on what felt like her entire body after that and thankfully one of the production assistants whisked Jaime away mere moments later to get mic'ed and prepared for the interview. A makeup artist appeared and gave him his final touches just as Tyrion appeared on set.

"Hello good sister," he grinned and Brienne blushed.

"Tyrion," she exhaled, a sudden nervousness bubbling up.

"I am just jesting ... or is there something I should know?"

"No," Brienne replied quietly, "if there was, I wouldn't know it myself."

"I see," Tyrion grinned, "but if you think you can fool me, you're mistaken."

As he walked away toward the seats and one of the other production assistants motioned Brienne to sit down onto one of the adjacent chairs just outside of the main workspace for the film crew, Brienne started to wonder whether she had been too obvious. Melara Hetherspoon appeared, accompanied by an entourage of staff, some of them armed with pens and clipboards, some looking exceptionally busy with their phones pressed to their faces. Melara barked some last-minute assignments and then rushed off toward the small stage to greet the two Lannister brothers who were waiting for the interview to begin. Gilly, who had come in with Tyrion but had waited in the background for Melara and her entourage to pass, came closer and sat down next to Brienne.

"Did they accept the terms?" the blonde asked.

"They did. They hated it, of course, but they did," the assistant replied.

"Good. The way I see it, they are getting more than they deserve..."

"Oh, I agree, Brienne. They should be lucky..." Gilly's eyes narrowed towards Melara who shook both brother's hands and sat down to get her microphone adjusted. They both watched as the first few questions went down smoothly and knowing what to expect next had Brienne's gut in a tight know and her fists clenched and unclenched in their own accord. Gilly, the good friend that she had become, covered her right hand with her left and gave it a gentle squeeze. Brienne breathed in deeply and waited for the next question Melara had to ask. Brienne and Gilly listened intently.

"As you know, I was very happy to see you back in King's Landing..." Melara started and Jaime instantly snorted. More like sending reporters and photographers to find and harass him, it appeared, before they were quickly reminded of a working and 'healthy' relationship between 'Riverrun TV' and the Lannister family by none other than Tywin Lannister himself.

"... and naturally I am asking the question that especially the ladies will want to have me ask: Are you here to stay?"

Four days until Brienne's birthday (Friday)

"I am glad you called, it was a good idea," Ygritte laughed as she sat down on Brienne's couch.

"Well, after that interview yesterday ..." Brienne exhaled and closed her eyes for a few fleeting moments, pressing her eyelids shut.

"How bad was it?" the redhead asked, sympathetically.

"Oh it wasn't bad at all," Brienne said, reopening her eyes, "it just wasn't what they expected."

"I bet it wasn't," Ygritte's laugh was thunderous and loud, as it always was. Brienne hadn't gotten the chance to get to know Jon's fiancée that well over the past couple of months but she did love her humor and her endless loyalty toward her friends and family. Brienne quickly went into her bedroom and retrieved the garment she intended to wear for the fashion week appearance they had scheduled - and confirmed during the 'Meet Melara' interview - and showed it to Ygritte who let out several appreciative noises before commenting: "Let's talk about shoes."

Three days until Brienne's birthday (Saturday)

"Are you nervous about the interview being broadcast right before the official start of the week?" Jaime asked her as they fed each other pieces of croissants that were still warm and especially chewy.

"You mean, am I nervous about tonight's especially popular show on 'Riverrun TV' that will feature my boyfriend and his brother talking about all kinds of things and ... me? Oh, not at all," Brienne laughed, trying to conceal her nervousness.

"It's not like you don't know what I said," Jaime laughed, "you were sitting right there when I said it."

"And you said what you said."

"And I said what I said."

When the group chat lit up with messages later, small messages of encouragement from Sansa and some eggplant emojis from Margaery who had seen the teaser trailer for the show and found it appropriate to comment on the way Jaime had looked with an armada of said emojis, Brienne knew that - whatever the reception to the Lannister interview on Melara's show would be - Sansa and Margaery would have her back. She might just have to limit the use of emojis in chat again somehow. That eggplant emoji had gotten entirely too much usage lately.

"So Jaime," Melara had said, "naturally I am asking the question that especially the ladies will want to have me ask: Are you here to stay?"

"To clarify," a rather smug-looking Jaimie had said, "do you mean to stay in King's Landing because the ladies are interested in my presence as a member of your ominous eligible bachelor list?"

When Melara looked at him expectantly, Jaime's grin became even wider.

"In that case, my answer is no."

"I beg your pardon?"

"To be a member of your eligible bachelor list, I would have to be single, isn't that right?"

"That's right..."

"In that case, I can't be on it. I am not single," Jaime explained, looking directly into the camera as he added: "Sorry, ladies."

"Is that a ... more recent development?" Melara asked, knowing full well where Brienne and Gllly were sitting but unable to turn around to look.

"Actually, no. As far as I am concerned, this one was a long time coming."

Two days until Brienne's birthday (Sunday)

"Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?" Jaime said softly as they sat down for dinner in her favorite Pentoshi restaurant in King's Landing. It was their first outing after 'Meet Melara' had aired and some of the women in King's Landing apparently hadn't taken his announcement too well if the glances at Brienne were any indication. He had laughed it off and held her even closer, for one to prove a point and also because he wanted to and because he could. It was not lost on him that Brienne allowed him to do all of these things, public displays of affection didn't necessarily come easy for her but with each passing day and each reassurance that he was exactly where he wanted to be, it got easier. For him, too. Especially after the latest developments in Cersei's wedding had come to light that had involved rather private pictures of either party involved.

Jaime had thanked the old gods and the new that this new controversy took attention away from his and Brienne's life but naturally he had asked her how she felt about the entire situation.

Brienne had shrugged it off and said: "You left that part of your past behind, I don't see why this should concern us" and if Jaime hadn't been sure about wanting to spend the rest of his life with Brienne, he would have been right there in this instant.

"You have told me that," Brienne said, her blue eyes a darker shade due to the dimly lit restaurant, "thank you. You do look handsome tonight, too!"

"Just tonight?" Jaime pouted but Brienne saw right through his act.

"Jaime, you know that I always find you handsome," she smiled, shrugging out of her cardigan, "but you know that, old man."

That had him intensify his pout but Brienne just laughed it off.

"You haven't told me what I can get you for your birthday, I am grasping at straws here," Jaime said, handing her the menu even though he was absolutely certain she would get the same dish she'd always get.

"And I told you numerous times, you're enough," Brienne responded, her eyes soft and the corners of her mouth arched up in a soft smile.

"How can I be enough if you're not even telling me what you'll wear to the fashion gala? You made me sit through Sansa's and Margaery's dress fitting and I have not been given any clue as to what I can expect. This his highly unfair," Jaime complained, half-joking, half-pouting.

"You'll live," Brienne grinned back and the urge to kiss her overtook him with a sudden force, so powerfully and completely that he had to lean back into his chair in order to gain the distance necessary to not be very inappropriate.

One day until Brienne's birthday (Monday)

Breakfasts at Casterly Manor had become infrequent events and Jaime did miss them. In between their demanding work and both their relationships, Tyrion and Jaime hadn't managed to see each other in their private setting too often. This morning, however, they had managed and the familiar silence as both brothers studied the newspaper and slowly drank their coffee felt oddly wholesome.

"Good morning," a female voice said shyly and Jaime looked up from his newspaper to find Brienne in the doorframe of the room, freshly showered and dressed, hair damp and kneading her hands together to calm herself down.

"Brienne!" Tyrion grinned, "good morning. Have a seat and help yourself. I am sure we can get you eggs, too, if you so desire?"

"Uh, scrambled?" the blonde said and the butler nodded and quickly went toward the kitchen to have her order prepared.

It wasn't the first time Brienne had stayed at Casterly Manor but she preferred not to, for obvious reasons. Stepping into the world of Lannister luxury had been somewhat overwhelming and she had made it abundantly clear that none of this mattered to her. At all.

It really didn't.

"So tomorrow is the big day?" Tyrion inquired, laying down his newspaper and looking at Brienne questioningly who had taken the seat next to Jaime.

"Yup," she grinned, pretending to be tight-lipped but smiled immediately after she took in Tyrion's expression.

"I never really liked birthdays. Growing up I never had many friends and the fact that it had been my birthday was overlooked rather frequently..."

"Imagine being as short as I am, "Tyrion teased, "I am the walking definition of overlooked. May I remind you that you almost stepped on me once?"

"I said I was sorry..."

"You said..."

"I was!"

"So you say..."

"Tyrion!"

"Yes?"

Jaime watched the bickering between his girlfriend and his brother and dared not interrupting as it was good fun to watch. He considered himself to be lucky that the two most important people in his life happened to like each other very much, bickering and bantering included.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Brienne said, got up and stepped away from the table, "I'll be right back."

Jaime and Tyrion exchanged a surprised glance but didn't comment until Brienne came back into the room, a small box in her hands.

"I meant to give it to you tomorrow but I figured I had no idea how to reliably pull this off and asking Bronn was out of the question so here is what you'll be wearing with your suit..."

Jaime carefully opened the box she had given her and found a very, very, very red bow tie.

Brienne's birthday (Tuesday)

"Twirl!" Margaery squealed as Sansa stepped into the hotel room to show off her new powder blue dress, courtesy of Ellaria Sand.

"I cannot possibly twirl in this," Sansa complained, "it's too tight. But I can slowly turn around for you if that pleases your highness?"

"Shut up," Margaery grinned.

"Is Brienne ready?"

"Not yet, there is a full armada in there," Margaery explained which had Sansa's eyebrows shoot up in confusion.

"I don't understand..."

"Well, Ellaria is there, so whatever Brienne is wearing requires her help ... I really don't know Sansa ... and there is a hair and makeup person. Brienne is going all in it seems..." Margaery gave a small nod toward the bathroom.

"Tyrion isn't done either," Sansa laughed, "I said I would go ahead and see if I can finally figure out what Brienne will be wearing and he just 'fine, go ahead'-ed me. Seriously, how hard can it be getting into a suit?"

"Brienne?" Margaery called her friend, maybe a little more loudly than necessary, "how are things looking?"

Instead of her friend, Ellaria Sand stuck her head out of the bathroom, gave them a small smile and said: "Things are looking very good."

Margaery clapped her hands excitedly and Sansa started to pace nervously next to the door, careful to make small steps in order not to get tangled up in her dress. When Brienne emerged from the bathroom mere moments later, both friends were at a loss for words. Truly, things were looking very good.

Moments later, Sansa sent Jaime a picture of only a small part of Brienne's attire.

Jaime didn't reply.

Instead, roughly two minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

Knowing when to make themselves scarce, Ellaria, Sansa, Margaery, and the undoubtedly exceptionally talented makeup artist left the hotel room quietly as Jaime entered, his tailored suit emphasizing his broad shoulders, his shoes reflecting the light from the ceiling lights and the red bow tie a stark contrast to the crisp white dress shirt and his golden blonde mane. His beard was trimmed neatly and his eyes shone with desire as he took Brienne in.

She was still standing next to the bathroom door, a shy smile on her lips. Her hair fell down in soft blown-out waves that framed her face like a halo, she wore lipstick the same shade of her dress and gods ... the dress.

The red satin dress covered her broad frame, it's puffy sleeves went all the way down to her wrists, the dress itself ended right above the small of her back where it feathered out to cover her - might he add, perfectly shaped - rear and the puffed hem ended right in the middle of her thigh, leaving her long legs and her knees exposed. She was wearing black pantyhose which accentuated the contrast to the milky white skin of her face and neck and white heeled lace-up shoes.

"Oh gods," was all Jaime was able to say after he had looked at her appreciatively, his mouth still slightly agape.

"Do you like it? Is it not a bit much?" Brienne said quietly.

"Do I ... you really ask me if I like it? Brienne, gods, I love it! I cannot believe you're mine!"

He came closer, a predatory grin on his face that made Brienne aware of the sexual chemistry that had sparked again between them. It didn't need for her to be dolled up or for him to wear a new tailored suit to make them aware of how much they wanted and needed each other but she looked so utterly sexy Jaime had to hold himself back with all the willpower he could possibly muster or else he would have his way with her and they would miss the opening gala of King's Landing fashion week altogether.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to not lock the door, throw you onto that bed and not leave this room for the next 48 hours?"

"Jaime!"

"Do you really know how hard it is to share you with our friends, lest the world if all I want to do is be with you and bury myself deep within you?"

"Jaime," Brienne exhaled, her breathing uneven.

Instead of taking a few steps back and steadying himself, Jaime came closer as if being pulled by an invisible force. He stepped onto his tiptoes and brought his mouth to her left ear. Her skin faintly smelled like makeup and the new perfume he had gotten her a month ago because he wanted to know what it would smell like on her skin. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, relishing the fact that he had the privilege to be this close to her, to call her his.

"As tempting as this is, and trust me, I am really tempted," Jaime watched his breath ruffle her hair ever so slightly as he spoke, feeling a small tremor course through her, action and reaction, as it always was with them, "we really should get going."

As she looked at him through dazed eyes, he added: "Reluctantly, very reluctantly."

The popping of flashlights that awaited them overwhelmed Brienne for a second but she had decided she would be brave for her boyfriend and for all of her friends so she went with it, a small smile playing on her lips as the demands for them to look in a certain direction were shouted and the shouts became unintelligible.

"You ok?" Jaime had asked at one point before he did the obligatory solo shoot at the end of the red carpet that lead into the venue and Brienne had nodded, stepping aside to Margaery who had already completed the red carpet run and was waiting for her to catch up.

"You were in high demand," she chuckled as she squeezed Brienne's arm, "you ok?"

"Yeah," Brienne said and watched as the blinding flashlights rained down on Jaime who patiently endured the ordeal, followed closely by Sansa and Tyrion who were both looking rather unfazed.

"Jaime looked at you as if he was ready to devour you on the spot," Margaery teased and Brienne blushed furiously.

"No he did not," she tried to argue but Margaery's glance had her shut up instantly.

"I'll send you the links to the gossip sites later, Bri, this is a man that's in love. I mean ... I get it, look at you. Why would you never listen to me when I tell you how incredibly good your legs look? You are gorgeous and I am so glad Jaime gets to enjoy what you can do with those legs..."

"Marg!"

"Just stating what I assume are facts," the honey-blonde laughed and kept laughing even as Jaime had caught up with them and repeatedly asked what was going on. Judging by the crimson blush that had appeared on Brienne's cheeks and neck, he decided he should not push the subject further.

At the dinner party that followed the kickoff of King's Landing's fashion week, Jaime was quickly whisked away by his father to meet with new clients and Brienne felt his presence linger with the group even after Tywin was long gone. Something about Jaime's father had always made her feel uneasy and tonight had been no exception.

"The dark lord certainly has an aura," Tyrion had quipped and Brienne had unsuccessfully tried to hide her grin," and not a good one, so much is for certain."

"He is ... something," Brienne agreed but did not want to press the topic further. She had quickly learned that Tywin had a strong opinion on who he deemed appropriate for his children to see and it had taken all of her willpower not to say something when it was first brought up a month ago. Thankfully, Jaime had sensed her discomfort and shut his father down with a couple of sentences on how he was definitely old enough to not repeat past mistakes and to be sure about someone he'd bring into the family.

When Jaime didn't return for twenty minutes, Brienne figured it was ok to send him a quick text but decided against it. Instead, she pushed up what she had planned to do all along that night.

Knightsblue: Hey ... aren't you supposed to be my knight in shiny armor?

It took Jaime a moment to respond and when he did, her cheeks burned even more.

Golden_Phoenix: This brings me back to that sword fighting we still haven't done ... we could have so much fun, all sweaty and hot ...

Brienne closed her yes as a familiar ache started to bubble up in her stomach, shooting hot bursts of desire into her loins.

Knightsblue: I suppose that's what I deserve for putting 'swords' into my profile section...

Golden_Phoenix: I am almost done here.

Knightsblue: Hurry back. I have something to ask you.

Golden_Phoenix: ?

Knightsblue: Hurry. Back.

It took Jaime less than five minutes until he had found her, wrapped her in a tight embrace and murmured into her ear: "I came as quickly as possible. What's wrong?"

"Why do you assume that something is wrong? Can't a damsel in distress call out for her knight?" Brienne asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"If it were anyone else, I'd call her a damsel in distress but you, m'lady, are a knight yourself. You do not need rescuing. So ...?"

Wordlessly, she took his hand and led him to the small dance floor. Jaime saw his brother giving him a thumbs up, Sansa smiling softly and Margaery sending him a sly smile, a catlike grin on her face that Jaime swore he would be asking her about later. If he didn't forget.

"Miss Tarth, are we doing what I think we are doing?" Jaime commented as they had arrived at the middle of the dancefloor and he had curled one arm around her waist and the other around her neck. He enjoyed the fact that she was taller than him, especially in those heeled shoes he could not wait for her to take off later, and her strength turned him on again. He would probably never get enough of her.

Ever.

Despite her broad shoulders and strength, her outfit played tricks on the casual onlooker and made her appear softer and more feminine. No one needed to remind Jaime of that, obviously, but he enjoyed the fact that Brienne embraced her femininity that she usually reserved just for him.

"I take it you refer to us dancing?" Brienne smiled, her even breathing letting him know that she was comfortable with some of the stares they were already getting.

"That would precisely be what I was referring to, it is nice..." Jaime replied, sighing contentedly.

"Good. Don't get used to it, though. I don't dance."

"I was just going to say, we should do it more often."

Brienne slightly shrugged her shoulders, "not too many men have asked me to dance so ..."

"They are clearly missing out," Jaime pointed out and inhaled, once again taking in her smell that he could not get enough of, "I must say, Ellaria did a great job with the dress. You're magnificent ..." he looked into her sapphire blue eyes, "and just so soft..." he continued in a quiet voice that only Brienne and himself could hear over the music in the background, "and those legs of yours look exceptionally long in this dress, you have to know that, Brienne, right? A lot of men in this room have a hard time understanding why you have chosen me instead of them..."

"Stop," Brienne said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"It is true, though. I could point at ten men in this room that would gladly take you to their hotel rooms right about now," Jaime said, his voice low and raspy.

"Ten? That seems rather unlikely," Brienne attempted to joke but Jaime's serious expression had her smile die instantly. He stopped swaying to the music as he looked at her intently.

"Stop that, will you? I am a man, I know what these men are thinking. They want you, Brienne, they almost want you as much as I want you. Only they can't and it is driving them insane. Please just trust me when I say that I am probably the most envied man in this room right now ... apart from Tyrion, I might add. You are gorgeous and you are mine," Jaime all but growled the last part and Brienne's eyes darkened in recognition.

"Well,..." Brienne pressed a soft kiss onto his lips, careful not to smear her red lipstick, and untangled herself from his embrace to retrieve her phone from her small black purse.

"This is hardly the time to text someone," Jaime teased as he observed Brienne's fingers swiftly flying over the touchscreen display.

"Is it?" she answered, "Are you sure about that?"

When his phone buzzed in his pant pocket, Jaime's eyebrows shot upward.

Knightsblue: Is now a good time to tell you that I love you?

She watched as he typed his response, anxious as to what he would have to say to her confession. When he was finished, he put his phone back into his pant pocket and looked at her expectantly.

With trembling fingers, Brienne unlocked her own phone to stare at the message he had written, her eyes brimming with tears.

Golden_Phoenix: Is now a good time to tell you that I love you, too?

"I hate it when Margaery is right," Brienne confessed when she unwrapped a silver picture frame with their picture from the gala's red carpet event in it.

There was no way to deny that the man in the picture loved the woman in the picture very very much.