Jaime was walking through the corridors aimlessly when, in his inner turmoil, he realized that he didn't feel like going to his sleeping quarters yet to be left alone with his conflicted thoughts, so he had the idea of directing his steps to the library, expecting to find Tyrion still there. His little brother had the habit of staying up until late every night (and whenever he went to the brothels, he didn't return until morning), and he surely hadn't chosen that night to go to bed early. It would be just Jaime's luck.
As he had no idea where the library was located, he asked a passing maidservant for directions, and the young girl offered to show him the way, blushing and stammering. Jaime was used to that reaction from most young women he ran into, but he never payed them any attention. Tyrion often complained that all that drooling around Jaime was totally wasted on him, and that the world was very poorly distributed if some men received all the attention without being interested in it, whereas others craved it but were blatantly ignored. Jaime couldn't help but smiling at his little brother's protests.
The maid stopped in front of a door and curtsied, wishing him a good night shyly and hurrying back until vanishing around a corner. Jaime turned the handle and pushed the thick wooden plank. As Lord Selwyn had said, the library looked quite decent in size, the floor-to-ceiling shelves were full of books and there were several reading desks scattered around the area. There wasn't a fireplace (quite a prudent measure given that most of what was stored in the room was flammable) and the only sources of light were a couple of huge low lamps hanging from the ceiling.
And, how not, an almost permanent fixture in any library: Tyrion Lannister, if he happened to be passing through the place. He looked up from his volume, seemingly not surprised in the slightest by Jaime's appearance at such an ungodly hour. "Ah, welcome, Jaime. I suppose I was expecting you. Tonight is turning out to be quite crowded over here, it seems," Tyrion commented ironically, with his eyebrows raised.
"What do you mean?," Jaime asked, rolling his eyes and dropping on a chair next to his brother. "It was my understanding that libraries are not precisely places for social gatherings, unless things have changed that much since the last time I set foot in one," he retorted.
"Well, they usually aren't," Tyrion emphasized. "But you're the second visitor I have in less than half an hour, so I'm beginning to think that this library is different from the rest."
It was Jaime's turn to raise his eyebrows. "The second visitor?"
"Ehm, yes. Lady Brienne was here," Tyrion dropped, feigning a casual tone.
Jaime's heart sped up. "Lady Brienne? Hadn't she retired for the night?," he wondered aloud in puzzlement.
"That was what I thought too. But apparently she changed her mind if she ended up here. I guessed that she felt restless and couldn't sleep, so she came in search of a book which helped her relax, I surmise. Either way, we had an interesting talk, mostly concerning you. Well, I did almost all the talking, but you know me, I have quite a loose tongue, haven't I?" Tyrion smirked.
Jaime glared at him in suspicion. "Oh, my. I'm not sure that's a good thing. What did you say?," he asked, fearful. When his brother opened his big mouth, anything could happen. Not that Jaime didn't trust his considerable cleverness, but when he was in the mood for mischief, who knew.
"Man of little faith. I only told her the truth about you. The good truth. Don't worry, I didn't snitch about the times you've put sand and stones between my sheets..."
"That's only happened after you have drenched my shoes deliberately! Well, fine, a couple of times I did it without provocation, just to bother you a bit. But the rest of the times, it was you who started the stupid pranks, admit it!," Jaime accused.
Tyrion ignored his accusation. "And do you remember when you hid the clothes and towels of a couple of maidservants while they were taking a bath, and then put a rat in the servants' bathroom? I'll never forget their shrieks or their naked, wet flesh bouncing as they ran," Tyrion reminded him in false reproach, and Jaime blushed, casting his eyes down.
"I did it because Cersei coerced me into it. She believed that those poor maids had looked at me in an improper way and wanted to give them a lesson, or that's what she alleged... Come to think of it, those women were at least thrice my age and married with children older than I was... They were lucky that Cersei wasn't in the mood for removing one of their eyes, like she sometimes did when she believed that a servant didn't act properly. That time she just sought to humiliate, I suppose. I'm not proud of not having been able to stop her when she did such things, but to my credit, I never took part whenever she planned truly nasty punishments, like having eyes removed or lashings delivered." But the excuses sounded empty. He'd looked the other way all those times, plain and simple. He'd been too absorbed by his love and desire and Cersei had already learned to manipulate him through intimate touch, even very long before they were physically capable of fully performing the sex act. She deprived him of it whenever he attempted to protest against her cruel methods. They were still very young when that dynamic started. It was then when she discovered, just at seven or eight, that sex could be a powerful weapon to make him do her bidding, and he'd fallen for her tricks like the boy blinded with love that he was.
He came out of his reverie and Tyrion was staring at him with that sympathy that Jaime hated and craved. "You're not to blame for her cruelty, Jaime. Nothing or no one can stop her when she's dead set on inflicting harm on someone, you know that well."
But Jaime shook his head, unconvinced. "I'm not so sure, Tyrion. Almost all the time, I allowed my cock to do the thinking."
Tyrion waved a dismissive hand. "Well, brother, that's all water under the bridge now. The thing is, I have sound reasons to believe that you've impacted Lady Brienne and she's not indifferent to your charms. She didn't reveal as much in words, but I'm a keen observer of human behavior. She's interested in you, or by the gods that my name isn't Tyrion Lannister and I'm not a dwarf."
Jaime rolled his eyes, but admittedly his brother's affirmations were having a strong effect on him. Then he deflated, recalling his previous conversation at the study. "Lord Selwyn has warned me not to lead her on, and he's right. If I'm not to marry her, then I shouldn't give her false hope." He threw his hands in the air in frustration. "I only wish to get to know her better for now. I like her company a lot, and that isn't ever the case for me with women. Why can't a couple of recent acquaintances just spend a pleasant time together without having to worry about what people think?"
Tyrion snorted softly. "You'd have to change the whole foundations of society to achieve that, Jaime. Maybe in a few centuries, many more people will be free to love and live the way they fancy. But in our current times, these are the cards that we've been dealt, brother."
Jaime rubbed his face. "So what do I do? Keep distances, like her father warned me to do? Perhaps he's right. I'll probably never see her again once we've left Tarth behind."
Tyrion pushed his lips together in concentration. "You never know. My advice is to never shut all the doors. Always leave at least one open."
Jaime shook his head. He was too tired to try to follow his little brother's extremely clever mind. Tyrion reminded him of Tywin, but with a heart and a sense of humor. "How will I be supposed to do that?," he asked flatly.
"Just follow your heart and your gut, Jaime. They'll guide you," Tyrion provided. That was all too vague for Jaime's need for direct action.
"Great. I'm sure that will be of so much help," Jaime sneered, skeptical.
It was Tyrion's turn to roll his eyes in exasperation. "Just let things follow their natural course. What's the worst thing that coud happen?"
"That Lord Selwyn throws us out of his island?," Jaime retorted.
"Meh, he isn't as reckless as to incur House Lannister's ire. And it doesn't have to come to that. You and her will find the way, I'm certain."
"My head is starting to ache. It's been too long a day and you are a pain in the ass with all your shit advice." But Jaime was now positively smiling. Despite the doubts, his smartass brother always managed to make him feel better in the end.
"Then next time please go bother someone else to give you better advice, big brother," Tyrion protested.
"Nah, I think I prefer your shit advice to anyone else's good advice. Well, maybe with the exception of Lady Brienne, but I have the impression that in that respect she'll end up being even a worse pain in the ass than you are," Jaime teasingly disagreed.
"Suit yourself. Now, if you don't mind, I'd rather go back to this fascinating book. You interrupted me right in the middle of a detailed description about the multiple methods courtesans from all cultures employ to pleasure their clients. There are a few I didn't know of and I'm eager to try the next times I visit a brothel."
Jaime shook his head in a sort of indulgent disapproval. "I'll leave you to your profound readings, then. Good night and happy dreams," he said sarcastically in farewell.
"You too, big brother."
Tyrion turned his attention back to the volume, and Jaime turned to leave the library and finally find sleep in his quarters.