Tyrion stayed with them that night for a while longer, awaiting for news on the development of the latest events. They were informed by Tywin himself, who payed the three of them a visit in Jaime and Brienne's chambers. He told that when the king had returned from his errands outside of the castle, he had explained to him what had transpired without delay. Lord Robert was under arrest for uttering insults and threats against the king, although for the time being he hadn't been put in a black cell, but in a room destined for the temporary custody of high-status prisoners who had committed a crime but hadn't been convicted yet.
Rhaegar had gone to talk to Robert together with Tywin, Stannis and Renly, and the king had denied the accusations thrown at him concerning his presumed affair with Lyanna, but Robert, as stubborn as a mule, hadn't believed one word and dared to call the king a coward, adding that to his former insults, for dishonoring an innocent and good noble woman who in addition was already betrothed to another man. His brothers' attempts at appeasing him hadn't been more successful than before. Robert was unrepentant and demanded a trial by combat, challenging Rhaegar to be his opponent, as he'd been the one to disgrace Lyanna. If Robert was going to be sentenced to death for defending the honor of his bride-to-be and the montrous affront committed against himself, he chose to die fighting or, if the gods showed a bit of mercy, he might survive the fight and avenge all the affront, but not even in that case would he ever forget or forgive, as he wouldn't abide House Targaryen remaining in power. One didn't need to be very clever to catch the full extent of his heated declarations.
Like Tyrion had predicted, there would be war on the horizon one way or another, with or without Robert. If Robert survived, he would lead the Stormlands' armies himself. And if he died, his brother Stannis would take his place. The bond with his brother as well as his sense of honor to his house and kingdom would compel the second of the Baratheon brothers to declare war on the Crown. There was no other way out for him.
Against Tywin's advice, who had claimed for Robert's immediate execution for high treason, Rhaegar had accepted the demand for a trial by combat, but Tywin at last had dissuaded him from fighting himself. Rhaegar was many things and not all of them as honorable as the tales about him told, as Jaime knew too well, but he also knew that Rhaegar was an excellent fighter; he'd seen him in the training yards the times he'd spent at the Red Keep in the past. Nonetheless, as the Hand pointed out, he was the king after all and there was too much at stake, so Tywin would offer an appropriate champion to represent the Crown in the trial. One that Robert, who was also a great warrior, would encounter very serious trouble to defeat.
The champion was a mountain of a man from the West, recently knighted by the king when he was still the crown prince. His name was Ser Gregor Clegane and his house was a vassal of House Lannister. He was one of Tywin's loyal henchmen and Jaime had never met a huger person or someone more sadistic. Jaime had shivered at the mere sight of that monster. Of course, it was very typical of Tywin to surround himself with the elite of the worst specimens in Westeros, in order to do his dirty work in his place.
In short, Robert had it very difficult to make it out alive, or with any remaining limbs.
Stannis and Renly hadn't had another choice but resign themselves to the inevitable. They had announced that they would attend the trial, but afterwards, they would depart for Storm's End, either with Robert alive or with his corpse, to get ready for the upcoming war. Tywin again had made a suggestion once the youngest Baratheon siblings had retired to their chambers. He'd proposed to hold them hostage to ensure that the Stormlands wouldn't rebel against the Crown, and the king had replied that he would think about it, to Tywin's barely contained irritation. If he'd had his way, he wouldn't have hesitated to execute Robert on the spot and hold Stannis and Renly prisoners, but he rambled in front of his sons and Brienne that the seven had doomed him to perpetually serve unworthy kings, and the effort of trying to fix all their mistakes was immense and a waste of time and energy.
After all his recount, Tywin had warned them to be ready to leave the capital the next day, and had given Jaime instructions to call for the Western bannermen and order them to be ready at a moment's notice. Tywin would send instructions on the go, depending on the developments.
Before walking out of the chambers, he'd addressed Brienne, emphasizing that he would remind her father of his alliance with House Lannister, and that Selwyn was expected to offer the military force of Tarth to aid the Crown, forsaking his oath to House Baratheon. Any other course of action on his part would be considered high treason. And without further ado, he'd turned on his heels and strode out of the rooms as briskly as he'd entered earlier, leaving his sons and daughter-in-law feeling as if they'd been knocked down by an elephant.
Brienne had paled even more. "Of course the Hand would order my father to take sides with the Crown. How could I miss that detail? My own stubbornness doesn't come from thin air, as you know, and if it weren't for the Tarth's population he has to protect, I'm well aware he'd tell Tywin in no uncertain terms where he can shove it. Either way, my father is going to find himself in a quandary. No matter which side he takes, he'll be deemed a traitor and he'll prioritize the protection of his people. I'm afraid that he might carry out some act of self-sacrifice to save the population of Tarth from being punished by one side or another," she predicted with a worried tone.
Jaime felt a renewed wave of rage and frustration against everything that had shattered the peace and happiness they'd enjoyed until their cursed trip to King's Landing. He'd feared in his bones much before reaching the city that their stay in the capital wouldn't bring anything good, and he'd been right. It was as if the damned place was accursed.
He squeezed her hand as reassuringly as he could. "He's strong and smart. Let's hope that he'll find a way out of this."
Brienne nodded without much conviction, but he was relieved to see the corners of her mouth and her frown loosening a bit.
"Well, there is nothing else we can do right now," Tyrion said. "I'll return to my rooms now and leave you two to your privacy." Jaime caught a wistful expression on his little brother's face, and he believed he understood the reason of that stare. He must be missing Tysha and worrying for her. Jaime wished that she was safe and sound in Lannisport. There was no way of finding out, because it wasn't safe to send her messages or receive them at the Red Keep. Cersei might be lurking in the shadows, with her spies keeping track of the ravens that left the castle or arrived from other places. For obvious reasons, Tyrion was absolutely adamant that she was kept in the dark regarding his lover's existence.
"Thanks for you company tonight, brother. Good night, and be careful on your way back," Jaime recommended. Tyrion's own guards had joined the other two who were keeping watch on the hallway, so he'd be as safe as he could be, but even so, one couldn't be too careful.
"I will. Good night to you too, brother. Sister." He turned around and left.
Jaime liked how Tyrion had taken to calling Brienne sister. He said it with no trace of sarcasm, like he used to do with Cersei, and that was a sign that he respected and appreciated his sister-in-law deeply. It was a joy for Jaime to witness daily how the two people he loved the most had fallen almost from the start into the easy naturalness of considering each other family.
He and Brienne got ready for bed, and when they were lying under the blankets, he noticed the usual hot current flowing between them, and he felt himself harden with desire. Brienne silently slid her hand downwards and grasped his fully erect cock.
"Brienne, love, we don't have to do this if you aren't really in the mood," he claimed, because he didn't want her indulging his lust because of her generous nature, if she didn't truly feel like having sex right then.
"I want to. I want you," she asserted. "We should make the most of all our moments together if there's going to be war, don't you think?" She caressed all his intimate region with her strong, deft fingers and he gave in without further objection.
He suddenly made her roll around, pinning her to the mattress, and kissed her fiercely. She wrapped her long arms and legs around him and he moaned into her mouth when he felt his erection rubbing against her burning wetness. He slid down all her front, kissing and licking her tits and nipples and teasing the taught skin of her belly with his tongue. She giggled due to her tickling, and he kissed the swell tenderly, thinking of the baby underneath. It never ceased to amaze him that they'd created a new life together, a small person who was already the center of their lives and that one day would have their own personality, thoughts, opinions, feelings, experiences... And that he and Brienne would be privileged witnesses to the beauty of seeing them grow up and become their unique entity, someone unique in the world because no one was ever equal to anyone else.
That was the miracle of life, and Jaime was more determined than ever to give his offspring a happy future. And for that, he would have to help build a better world, to give the realm its peace back.
But that night, he would devote to loving Brienne to the limits of his passion, and would forget around the rest of the world.
Jaime reached with his mouth her intimate flesh and she moaned and trapped his head between her thighs, making him smile at her eagerness. He licked, sucked, rolled his tongue around her clit and fucked her with his fingers, until he felt her spasming in climax, crying out his name and grasping his scalp. He slid up her body and kissed her messily, positioning his cock at her entrance, and he pushed, penetrating her with a single thrust. It was always so mind-blowing, that first moment when their bodies were completely joined, as if he'd been made to be inside her, as if her inner flesh was his true home, and with it, the rest of her skin, her heart and her soul.
He began to fuck her without respite, moving into her fast, relentlessly, hitting her most sensitive spots, and then, greedy for her taking the lead, made them roll around again, placing her on top of him. She rode him wildly and he rubbed her clit while fondling her tits with his other hand, watching her glorious display of lust above him. He kissed her breasts, her neck and her mouth desperately, on the brink of a shattering orgasm which was building inside his very core, and he helped trigger her own with the precise movements and pressure of his fingers. She cried out once more in release and her inner muscles squeezed his cock dry. He emptied himself with powerful thrusts and loud groans against her neck until he felt completely spent, sated and languid. His cock was already softening, but he didn't want to let go, to pull himself from her heat.
They remained joined like that, embracing each other tightly for a long time and relishing their perfect closeness, the wonderful cocoon they'd created for themselves with their unfathomable, miraculous love.