Hey guys, I hope you like how my story goes! I will post some parts of the war in the next chapter when we face Brienne and Jaime again. I don't like to write war scenes so I won't go into it too deeply, but mention some important things for the story to go on.
But I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
One year later
Selwyn Tarth
On the isle of Tarth, a young girl, about six years of age was watching the ocean right in front of her. Selwyn Tarth, who sat in his chair, was watching her. She was way too tall for her age, had long, golden hair. And if she would turn around to face him, her beautiful big green eyes would look at him, like his daughter's eyes used to do when she was a lot of years younger. And like her mother's preferences, she loved to wear armor and also loved to fight. But, she liked wearing dresses too, if it was necessary.
She was such a pretty girl, Selwyn thought, inside and outside.
"Do you think, he will arrive soon?"
Joanna turned around to look at his grandfather with her big eyes.
"I don't know sweetheart. We don't even know if the raven reached him until now," he spoke with a calm voice and smiled at his grandchild.
"I wish we would know," the young girl sighed and turned back to watch the ocean. She did that the last two days, hoping a ship would arrive. And when a ship came, she ran to the harbor, hoping he would be in it.
But Jaime Lannister was lost. Almost half a year had passed by since the war was won. Since Queen Cersei and the Night King had died. Since Queen Daenerys and King Aemon took over Westeros. It had been peaceful these last months.
Even Brienne came back to Tarth. Lady Sansa sent her home to recover and to rest.
She'd changed so much, Selwyn thought while he watched his only grandchild facing the sea.
Brienne hadn't told him much about the fight. She didn't speak much the most time, lost in her own thoughts. But with Joanna around, she smiled at least. Told her stories about her father, which Joanna knew since she was old enough to understand. But his grandchild loved these stories, she could hear them again and again and again. Her father was her biggest hero in the whole wide world like Joanna used to say. And talking about him seemed to help his daughter, so, it was just fine wasn't it?
Once, he'd asked Brienne about Jaime, about what had happened and she just answered that she didn't know.
That they'd lost each other while fighting against the Night King and his White Walkers. That no one had seen him since that fight. He was supposed to be dead. And his daughter was grieving his death.
But two weeks ago, something had changed. A raven had arrived from a woman, living in the North who wrote that her family found a man, about six month's ago. He was severely hurt but was on his way to recover health, even healthy enough to travel. He had named himself Jaime and had asked them to send a raven to Brienne of Tarth. To let her know that he was alive, that he would make his way back to her as soon as he was able to.
When Brienne had read the letter, she'd burst into tears and had fallen down on her knees. She didn't calm down for a while, holding the message in her trembling hands, had whispered a few times: "He is alive, he is alive."
When Selwyn thought of this moment, his heart clenched. Selwyn had never seen her weeping like this, a truce to be told, his only daughter had never really cried in front of him. She'd barely shown emotion, had tried to be strong. Back then, he'd seen, how much his daughter loved the Kingslayer, how much it must have hurt her to think he was dead.
When Brienne finally had calmed down, they'd written a letter to that woman in the North. Had sent her family enough money for Jaime's journey to Tarth and for her to live a good life for almost a year.
That was two days ago.
Brienne wanted to go together with Podrick, to get Jaime back on her own, but changed her mind when she saw the sadness in her daughter's eyes. Joanna was so glad, her mother was back home, she didn't want her to leave, or wanted Brienne to take Joanna with her. Brienne couldn't allow that, she was still recovering from a bad dragon's burn all over her back. She would force herself to travel back to the North. Looking for her little girl would be too much, and Brienne knew it. So, his only daughter handled wise and decided to stay in Tarth, to wait for Jaime. It was no easy decision, Selwyn could see it all over her face. She was restless since the raven arrived, like Joanna.
He stood up from his chair and went to his grandchild, placed a hand on her shoulder.
"He will come, but it may take a few days or weeks, depends on the weather," he explained her. She had to understand that she didn't need to wait here. The weather had become better these last months, but sometimes it was still stormy outside the sea, especially in the North.
"But I want to wave at him when he comes," Joanna said silently, still facing the ocean in front of them.
"When he does, someone has to call me, please," she begged and looked up to Selwyn, who smiled at her.
"Alright, that's something easily done. But don't waste your time standing here, watching the sea. Go and spend time with your friends and your mother. I will ask the guards to have a look on the ship that may take your father with it."
Joanna nodded with a lovely smile. "I would love if you could do that, grandpa, thank you so much."
She is such a lovely girl, Selwyn thought when the little one hugged him and ran out of his rooms. Selwyn was very grateful, for the experiences of being a grandpa, he would have missed it. And, he was glad that his daughter had found her love. Even if it was the Kingslayer, which Brienne said, wasn't the truth. Jaime Lannister had saved all of them, Brienne had explained him in her letter which was brought from Podrick Payn when he arrived with his grandchild, six years ago. And Selwyn believed his daughter. Brienne was such a smart woman, she was able to look behind a mask. And she had seen the real person behind the exterior of Jaime Lannister, named as Kingslayer, and fell in love with him deeply.
Joanna Lannister
Joanna made her way to her mother's rooms. If anyone could understand how much she wanted to be the first, who her dad would see when he arrived than it would be her. She had been the first one to greet her mother when she had come home a few month's ago. And it had been so special for Joanna. She'd never seen her mother or father before in her whole life. Joanna could remember every second of her mother's arrival. She was standing at the Harbour, waiting for her ship. And then Joanna had seen her, standing at the railing. When Joanna had begun to wave, her mom had waved back and that had made her so happy. After her mother had left the ship, Joanna hadn't been shy for a second, just remembered running into her mother's welcoming embrace. That was the happiest memory she had ever had. Seeing her father would make her that happy too, Joanna knew it. She so badly wanted to meet her father, wanted to get to know him, listen to his voice, huddle up between him and her mother in the evenings. Just enjoying them being united after six years. Her grandpa had told her everything about her parents since she'd been old enough. And since then, Joanna had missed them so badly. But she'd understood why her parents hadn't been with her. Her grandfather's stories had helped her a lot, and she knew them all inside and out.
She knocked on the door and opened it right after that. She knew her mother wouldn't be angry with her for running into her room without waiting for an answer.
"Mom?" Joanna called out because she wasn't inside, but the doors to the little balcony of her mother's room were open, and she could hear her calling after Joanna.
"I'm here," Brienne called, and Joanna went outside to see her mother sitting in a chair, watching the ocean just like she did before.
She was smiling at her when Joanna arrived at her side.
"Everything alright?" Her mother asked her as Joanna crawled on her mother's lap. Joanna nodded and huddled up against her mom.
"I was watching the sea too!" She explained and smiled when she heard her mom's chest vibrated with a small laughter.
"There's no way I can deny that you are my daughter," she said while putting her arms around Joanna's body. Her mother kissed her on the top of her head and together, they watched the sea for another hour.
"Do you think, it will take long before he is here?" Joanna asked her mom, leaning against her. Her mom was so strong and tall, Joanna felt so safe with her.
"I think it will take a few weeks," her mom answered. "It's a long journey from the North," she explained, and Joanna looked to her mother's face.
"How much time did you need to reach Tarth?" Joanna asked then, and her mom looked down at her with a soft smile on her lips.
"It took us two weeks to reach the Harbour and another week to reach Tarth. But we had perfect weather, windy times at the right time. It isn't always that fast."
Joanna nodded slowly then. She was hoping for a better answer but her mom always told her the truth, and that was so important for her. Even if it didn't make her happy for the moment.
"So, we have to watch the sea for the next three weeks or longer," Joanna decided then, and her mother laughed.
"Yes, that is what we will do, sweetheart. But we'll have to train few hours a day, right?"
"Right! I want to show father how good I am in sparring and swordplay!"
"He will be so proud of you. Just like I am," Joanna's mother said softly, and Joanna grinned at her. She loved her mom so deeply.
"I love you, mom."