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Chapter Text

Jaime sat closer to the fire while Brienne slept. He wasn't cold, her room was never cold, but something inside him made him uneasy. He loved Brienne with everything good and clean inside himself. The soft snowy recesses of his heart would always be here in the north with her, but the dark humid knarls of it beat for Cersei. His unmitigated love for Brienne hadn't ended that. Certainly he had meant it when he swore to stay with her.

He wanted to climb back into her bed, and work into her until he collapsed, sated for only a moment, as his body's constant hunger for her touch would not be quieted. The problem was that she was here, safe, and warm while Cersei was facing certain death. His child would die in her belly having never know the light of day.

If not for his son he would never want to see Cersei again. She had twisted him to be a monster along side her since the day she was born. He had felt himself grow to hate her for that, the way one could only hate someone once loved. He could feel it though, feel himself doing the same thing to Brienne. He had already taken her maidenhood with no talk of wedding her.

Every touch left his mark on her, like the welt on her collarbone. He was like a filthy hand on fresh linens. He got to his feet, he had to make one final attempt to save her, and honestly he needed to leave before he did to Brienne what Cersei had done to him.

She followed him, and every word from her sweet lips broke his heart. She took him by the chin, and forced him to look into her beautiful blue eye, already swimming with unshed tears.

"You're not like your sister, you're not! You're better than she is! You are a good man, and you can't save her, you don't need to die with her. Stay here, stay with me, please! Stay!" She begged him, truly begged. If he had told her to get down on her knees she would have. He had never been loved the way she loved him, and everything good in him ached to stay with her. She said everything he had ever wanted to hear from the woman he loved, and he did love her, but she didn't know him.

"You think I'm a good man..." He dredged up every foul thing he could recall doing at that moment, bared the worst of himself. He forced her to see the side of him that she had never inspired, or brought out in him because that was the part of him that got on that horse and left her. He could hear her sobbs as he rode through the gate, they would haunt him until the day he died.

He might never see her again. He hoped he didn't. He hoped he had done enough to convince her not to follow him, because he needed to know she was safe. She was the best thing in this world that he had ever touched, and he desperately needed her to live so something good could have come from his life.

Brienne didn't fall to her knees, she didn't cry for hours, once the few broken sobs escaped her lips she ground her fists into her eyes until the tears stopped, and went back to her room. She packed her things, and donned her armor before going to wake Podrick.

"Ser?" His voice croaked, still heavy with sleep, and she could see a woman in his bed.

"Come out into the hall Podrick." She drew Oathkeeper, the guilding of the lion biting into her palm with the force of her grip. podrick did as he was told, closing the door.

"You are no longer a squire, you fought bravely on the battlefield, and despite still having room to improve you embody a knight as much as any of us. Kneel." She tapped the ground with her blade.

"Ser? Are you okay?" He finally took in the state of her, she shook her head.

"Kneel." She nodded to her sword, and he knelt on front of her. Her voice grew tight as she said the words Jaime had said to her not so long ago. She looked away as tears fell without her consent.

"I need you to come with me to speak with our Lady Sansa." She turned to walk away without waiting to see if he would follow.

"My Lady, I am very sorry to disturb you at this hour, but it is a matter of some urgency." Brienne said as soon as Sansa opened her door. She looked between the two, Brienne's eyes were shining, and rimmed in red while Podrick stood disheveled, and confused.

"No apologies are needed, what happened?" She asked the question, but she already knew the answer, only Jaime could put her in such a state.

"Ser Jaime has left to plead with Cersei to surrender. He believes he can stop the bloodshed, but I believe she will kill him on sight. I would like leave to go after him. Ser Podrick will remain here to fulfill my oath. I know I swore to stay be your side my Lady, but I can not in good conscious let her kill him, or worse yet wrest information on your brother's forces from him. I vouched for him, he is my responsibility." The look in her eyes told Sansa that she would leave no matter what she said, people did stupid things for love.

"Go, find him, and don't come back until you've done all you can." She said, Brienne let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The words were nothing to Sansa, she knew they were only her speaking what Brienne would do regardless.

"Thank you my Lady." Brienne charged towards the stables.

"That was kind of you my Lady." Podrick gave her that goofy smile of his while trying to stifle a yawn.

"It was not done as a kindness, can you honestly say she would have obeyed if I ordered her to stay?" She pulled her eyes from the hall Brienne had disappeared down.

"No, she would go to the ends of the earth for Ser Jaime. " Podrick certainly couldn't deny the truth of that.

"The ends of the earth, no, she would do that for any one of the people she cares about, it's simply who she is. No, for Ser Jaime she would go to the seven hells and back. She would do horrible things to save him that she would never dream of doing for anyone else. She would be a monster for him, and I pray he dies before she finds that out for herself." Sansa shook her head, sad for her knight protector, still so innocent in so many ways.

"My Lady!" Podrick went wide eyed, Sir Jaime might not be her favorite person, but how could she wish that on Brienne.

"I know, you all see how good she is for him. Every good thing that man has ever done has been for her, but that does not excuse the monstrous things he did before, and may yet do again. She is good for him, but he's not good for her." Sansa turned and closed her door, leaving Podrick in the cold hall alone.

He sighed, she would never see the way Jaime lit up Brienne's face, the way he pulled her out of her shell, and let her enjoy her life for the first time. Podrick knew she would save him, and he would be here so she could focus on what mattered.

Jaime's tears froze as they fell into his armor. His face was red, and fridged along the salty tracks, but he could not for the life of him make them stop. He kept the reigns around his golden hand because any time his other one touched them he would turn his horse around. He rode through the night almost every night because he didn't trust himself not to turn back.

He also didn't want to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he would see Cersei burning, his child still in her belly, Dragon fire melting her flesh as it had his men. If he rode until he couldn't stay on his horse he at least had a chance at sleep. Sleep brought dreams of Brienne. Dreams of her wanton hands all over his body, of her mouth on his cock. Dreams of her laying in his arms, half asleep, with that adorable smile on her lips. Dreams of her words, so sure that he was a good man, and the way her sweet face twisted into desperate sobs.

Dreams of her were almost worse. At least his fears for Cersei, and his son would soon be put to rest one way or another, but he would likely die before he saw Brienne again. He forced his horse faster, only to have it fall out from under him. He shielded himself with his golden hand as he flew towards the ground. He rolled over, and a small blade was thrust in his face.

"What the fuck are you doing here Lannister?" The Hound towered over him beside Arya Stark, who held the sword.

"I am on my way to King's Landing to try and end this." He swatted the sword away with his golden hand, and scrambled to his feet to check on his horse.

"End it how, by fucking your sister into submission? Weren't you supposed to be busy with that big blonde's cunt these days?" The Hound chuckled to himself, Arya tried hard to hide her smile, Jaime put his hand on his sword.

"Her name is Ser Brienne, and I have no intention of fucking Cersei. The only way this war ends is if she's out of the iron throne. If she dies, so does my unborn son." He whispered, honesty his only option at this point. He wanted to save his sister, because he still loved her, as much as it pained him, as much as it paled in comparison to how he loved Brienne, he still loved her, but he didn't think these two wanted to hear that.

"How exactly do you plan to get into King's Landing?" Arya sheathed her sword, and went back towards their fire.

"I plan to go in the front gate. The guards will take me to her as soon as they see me." Jaime ran his hand over his horses legs to check for injuries. It seemed fine, but it would be wise to let it rest.

"Right, because they won't just chop your fucking head off." The Hound sat down beside Arya, further from the flames.

"She probably sent assassins out already. If you make it to her, she'll probably kill you as soon as she sees you." Arya rolled her eyes at him, Jaime frowned, remembering his encounter with Bronn.

"What would you suggest?" Jaime sat across from them, they looked at each other for a moment, some kind of silent conversation taking place.

"You could come with us, we have other things to do before we look for Cersei. If you were quick you might even have a chance to save her." Arya said, Jaime frowned, but he didn't see many other options.

Brienne ran her horse ragged trying to catch up with Jaime before he made it to King's Landing, but somehow he eluded her. By the time she made it to King's Landing the battle had only just begun. She should join the rank, she should lead her men, she should save her Lady's people, but she couldn't. She drove through the lines with no regard for her safety.

She did what she could to help, but she knew she could have done more. She left men to fight for their lives while she ducked into the red keep. She knew exactly where she would be, she just hoped he would be with her, because if he wasn't he would likely already be dead.

Jaime knew the halls of the red keep better than most, he'd snuck around it more than he cared to admit. He lost Arya, and the Hound as soon as they made it past the walls, and headed straight for the Iron throne. She would sit in it until they came for her head, of that he had no doubt. Somehow he found her alone, perhaps he hadn't gotten there first, the mountain, and her maester must have been drawn away by something.

"Cersei." He whispered her name, unable to muster much more. In the deafening silence of the room though it was more than enough.

"Jaime! How dare you show your face here after what you did to me! You have some nerve. Did they send you to beg for my surrender, or stab me in the back like you did the king?" She stood tall, and looked down her nose at him.

"No one sent me here. I left to try and save you, and our son." He moved closer to her, but she steped away. Even as he said it he looks at the soft swell of her stomach, it seemed to him that she should be showing more if she had been pregnant as long as she had been.

"Our son, ha! I told you I was pregnant because I knew you were thinking of betraying me, and a child would bring you to heel. Had you stayed it might have even been true, but now, I wonder if my baby will have black hair like Euron." She said it to hurt him, it may even have been a lie, the venom in her voice clear, but honestly the idea that the child might not be his left him awash in relief. If it wasn't his son, he couldn't fail to save his last child.

"I didn't betray you! I upheld my oath, and fought off the dead. As soon as it ended I came back to you, because I love you. Cersei I love you, but you see enemies everywhere, and it's left you without allies in the greatest war in our lifetime. Let me help you, please! Come away with me." He tried again to close the distance between them, she allowed him to gain ground this time, but not quite reach her.

"Not quite as soon as it ended. You forget I have spies everywhere. How did that towering beast of a woman taste, was she as sweet as me beneath the sheets, or was it her innocence that stiffened you to her? You have never cheated on me before, so something about her must make up for that dogged face." She arched a brow, Jaime's muscles tensed, his fist white knuckled around his blade. Every instinct in him screamed to defend the woman he loved as he often had Cersei.

"Your right, I almost left you here alone to stay with her. She is everything that you have never been, but she is not you, and she is not the mother of my son. If you stay here you will die, and if you throw your life away you will be killing another one of our children. Even if it's not mine, it deserves to live, and you don't have to let your past end you. I've changed, and so can you. You can leave with me, and we can raise the child as a family somewhere no one knows us." He reached out for her, she scoffed, swatting his hand away.

"You want me to run off, and play house like a peasant? I am the queen! No Targarian brat is going to come in here, and take that from me! We are winning!" She wound up as she spoke, nearly yelling at the end.

"You are losing. Our men are inside your gates, and I will not be the last to make it to the throne room." Brienne strode in, Oathkeeper at her side, dripping the blood of her men into the stones of the throne room.

"Brienne, what are you doing here?" He turned his back on Cersei to put himself between them, Brienne gave him a bitter sweet smile, with such heavy sadness in her eyes.

"How could I not be?" She whispered, Cersei laughed, loudly, drawing their eyes.

"By the God's you two are sickening. Have you come to be the one to kill me and save my brother from himself?" She moved around him to meet her gaze. Brienne sighed, looking at Jaime. His expression held such conflict, and the pain she saw there broke her heart all over again.

"No, I only came to ensure Ser Jaime made it out of King's Landing alive. If you leave with him now I won't stop you." She let the tip of her blade rest on the stones, blood pooled beneath it. Cersei eyed her for a moment.

"I see what you like about her. Loyal, and loving, like a dog." She walked closer to Brienne, and Jaime moved between them, unsure who he meant to protect.

"Your Grace. The wildfire is in place." The Maester walked in with his hands clasped, and an easy smile on place.

"Good, burn them all!" The words hit him like a sword to the gut. "Burn them all. You two can witness my victory, before I make you watch me kill your dog. " Cersei turned back to him, but her maester lunged at her, drawing a blade from his sleeve. Cersei spun around in time to catch his wrist, shock clear in her eyes, and Jaime slid his blade through her spine, into her heart. His golden hand pulled her into him by her throat.

"No!" The outcry of pain didn't come from her. He fell to the ground clutching her to his chest, shaking in agony.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! You can't, you can't, please! Please no!" He rocked back and forth, his golden hand going to her stomach as he wept. The maester reached up, and pulled off his face. Arya looked between them from where he had stood. Brienne didn't have it in her to question what she had seen, not after dragons, and the red witch. She had more important things to do at the moment.

"Jaime." She put her hand on his shoulder, he looked up at her, absolutely shattered.

"I killed them." He collapsed into Cersei, his wails like nothing she had ever heard before from an unwounded man. She knelt down beside him, and pulled him away from her body, the blood oozing out around them like a grotesque halo, sticking to their clothes.

"I know, you had to." He wrapped himself around her, shaking like a child while he cried. She stroked his hair gently.

"I killed them!" The words tumbled out of his mouth over and over. She hushed him softly, just trying to be there for him. People came in around them, soldiers mostly. Arya explained what happened, but neither paid much mind. Eventually she got him to his feet. She made slow progress shifting him towards the exit in hopes that she could get him to a room before people began to celebrate.

"Ser Jaime, thank you. You..." Daenerys started to show her gratitude when she arrived. Jaime looked over at her, his face red, and splotchy from his relentless tears. He felt as if he had cried his weight in tears over the last fortnight.

"Stop! Your Grace, with all due respect, Ser Jaime needs to rest." Brienne cut her off, Daenerys did not appreciate being interrupted, but she dismissed them without further incident.

"Come on." She whispered, now that he had released his death grip on her leading him became simple. He moved like the whites had, his limbs still going while he was all but dead inside. She got him to a bed, and stripped him of his bloody clothes.

He stood naked before her without shame, or even she suspected awareness of what was happening. She poured water into a bowl, and dipped in a clean rag. She took his hands first, and scrubbed each one clean. The gold took so much longer. She moved down to his knees, until no trace of her blood stained his skin. She found him new clothes, moving his limbs like a rag doll to dress him.

"You should rest." She whispered, sitting him on the bed. She stood to pull away, and his hand shot out to catch hers. She looked down at him for a moment, he couldn't look at her, but he couldn't be alone. She covered his hand briefly, and pulled away.

"I'm not leaving. I need to clean the armor, and myself before I can get into the bed." She tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. She stripped down too, he had certainly seen all of her before. He could hear her disrobe, but he couldn't being himself to look at her, and feel something other than the ache in his chest.

She slid into the bed beside him, and he let her hold him. His tears had stopped, but he had yet to speak. She didn't sleep, shaking him gently any time a nightmare began to take hold of him. Not enough to rouse him, just to bring him back to the edge of consciousness where his mind couldn't plague him. He stiffened when someone knocked at the door as the sun rose. She slid out of his arms to answer.

"I heard, how is he?" Tyrion had a trey of food with him, and a skin of wine. Brienne took them, looking over her shoulder.

"As well as can be expected. I want to take him away from King's Landing. Today if I can. People, they don't understand. The queen tried to thank him." She whispered, Tyrion nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're right. You could take him to Casterly Rock." Tyrion offered, she shook her head.

"No, they grew up there. He needs to go somewhere to heal, somewhere without memories. I thought Tarth would be good for him, if he agrees." She said, Tyrion nodded. He was so grateful that Jaime had someone like her to care for him.

"I'll arrange everything, and send someone to get you." He gave her arm a light squeeze, a silent gesture of gratitude, and left.

"Jaime, you need to try and eat." She set the food beside the bed, and held a hand out to help him sit up. He took it, but once he moved to the edge of the bed he only stared at the food. She sighed, and offered him the wine instead. He sipped at it while they sat there, until Brienne's look of worry shifted to anger.

"Oh by the god's man you have to eat!" She shoved a piece of bread towards his face. He met here eyes for the first time since Cersei had died, and gave a small nod. He ate the chunk of bread, and drank the wine, but nothing else.

"Ser, there is a ship waiting for you." A voice broke the sullen silence.

"Thank you." Brienne stood, and took his hand.

"I want to take you to Tarth. Will you come with me?" She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. He nodded, and stood up, his face only inches from hers. They stood frozen like that for a long moment before Jaime bowed his head to rest against her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, and stroked the nape of his neck.

"Come on." She put her hand in his, and lead him out to the ship, many people approached them, but one look from Brienne made them think better of it.

Chapter Text

"I've missed the ocean." Brienne sat him at the stern of the ship, he looked out into the waters, the same blue as her eyes, and had to look away.

"She said it wasn't mine." He spoke after hours of nothing but the waves crashing against the ship, and the sailors going about their work.

"That would be some small mercy wouldn't it?" She knew exactly what he meant as soon as he spoke.

"I... I hope it wasn't a lie." He looked down at his hands, she slid her hand into his, and he held it tight enough to be uncomfortable.

"You did all that you could. You saved all those people, again." She whispered, he nodded, but he didn't believe it.

"I should have stayed." He leaned his head against her shoulder, and she wrapped her free arm around him. Some part of him knew he could never be happy with her until he had put everything with Cersei to rest, but he had never imagined he could be the one to end her.

"If... If she had agreed to leave with you what would you have done?" Brienne let her head rest gently against his.

"I don't know, I never expected it to work. Gone to Dorn I supose, raised our, the baby. Grown old." He said, she fell silent, and he risked a glance up at her, quiet tears tracked down her cheeks. He had forgotten in his pain how much he had hurt her.

"I do love you, you know that right?" He said the words for the first time, and it only made her cry harder.

"I know you do, in your own way." She turned away to try and dry her eyes. He touched her arm gently.

"I never would have left you if I'd known the child wasn't mine. I love, loved Cersei because she was all I had, because she made me into the man she wanted, but I fell in love with you despite her, and despite every reason not to. You made me a better man, but I will never deserve you." He said, his gaze drifting out to the ocean again.

"If... If you had left with her, and found out I was with child would you have stayed?" She set her hand on her armor, and his eyes followed to her stomach.

"Are you?" He couldn't even fathom the idea, he certainly couldn't process it.

"I don't know, I haven't bled since before our time together, and I should have, but they say stress can cause it as well, and you have been very stressful lately." She tried to lighten the mood. He forced a small smile, but it never reached his eyes. He looked so old in the waning light.

They fell back into silence for the rest of the voyage. He ate when she gave him food, and slept beside her, but it just hurt so much to talk about anything. Once they landed Brienne took him to an old cabin her father used to bring her to so they could fish. It wasn't extravagant, but it had all they would need for a little while. He needed time alone, or as alone as he could handle being for now.

"Where are we?" He looked around the dusty home, while she cleared out the hearth.

"It's a fishing cabin. The keep is too far inland to make the trip down, and back. Father had it built, but after my Mother died we hardly came out here. I know it's not as nice as the accommodations your accustomed to, but I didn't think you'd want to meet Lord Selwyn, or anyone else for that matter, while in this state." She got a fire going, warming her hands. Tarth didn't get as cold as the north, but the winters were wet, and chill could bite down to the bone if they weren't careful to keep dry.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his throat tight as he tried not to start crying yet again.

"For what?" She pulled down a large pot, frowning as she realized just how much dust it had accumulated.

"For what? For everything. I left you, I went after another woman, and still you came for me, and what did you find? A blubbering mess. I did so much wrong, and even after I told you what I did you're here trying to help me through the death of another woman, and her child." He said, she tried to wipe the pot out, eventually giving up, she would have to wash it.

"I forgave you the moment you left. Who am I to begrudge you wanting to protect your family? I was never angry with you, only terrified I would lose you." She looked up at him from the open door. He shook his head, stumbling back as if he'd been struck.

"No. Brienne, gods please, you can't forgive me! I can't, I can't be forgiven. I'm not a good man, scream, hit me, do something, just please don't forgive me!" He looked up at the dirty rafters, his voice shaking. She set the pot against the door to hold it open, and went over to him.

"Is that what you want? Do you want to fight? Do you want me to scream at you for leaving, tell you that you got what you deserved for not listening to me when you had the chance?" She grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her.

"I did so much wrong!" He shook his head, she nodded, leaning down until their brows touched, her breath hot against his cold skin.

"You made mistakes, we all have, and Jaime, I forgive you. I will always forgive you, because I can see the good in you that you refuse to accept. I forgive you." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and he fell into her, content to just hold her forever.

"I need to get water before it gets dark, or we won't be able to eat." She whispered against his neck after they had stood entwined for well over an hour. He pulled away with a small nod, and went with her. They worked in silence to wash the large pot, and gather firewood, and water. It felt good to work hard at something, and splitting firewood with one hand certainly made for hard work.

"Start this boiling, I want to set the nets before the tide comes in." She said, he went back, and set the water to boil. Once he'd done that he started to clean, just to keep his mind busy. They ate bread, and salted fish from the ship that night, but it felt good to be somewhere safely away from the eyes of other people. They undressed, and laid together in the bed, just holding one another.

They spent days in easy silence, something Jaime had never experienced before. They had a routine, every morning they would go down to check the nets, clean anything they caught, and set it to cook while they gathered water. They would eat together, and go for firewood. Once it had been cut they would spar for an hour or so, and then go down the the long docks to fish, or gather muscles. Jaime had never realized how much sea life could be used as greens.

"How do you know so much about finding food, and yet so little about cooking?" Jaime took the pot from her to cook himself.

"My cooking is edible that's all that is important." She rolled her eyes at him, he sighed, taking a pan to sear the fish instead of boiling it into an incredibly plain soup yet again.

"If you're trying to bore me to death there are faster ways to get rid of me." He chuckled, for the first time since they had arrived.

"Good, you can do the wifely duties, while I go split more wood." She got up, they wouldn't need more for days already, he caught her hand with a little smirk.

"Now husband, you can't be sauntering around the woods in the dark. You have marital duties here at home." He rose a brow at her, she laughed, like she hadn't since before he left, and it lit up her face.

"Is that so?" Her voice dipped low with a hunger he had awoken in her so long ago. He moved the food to the edge of the fire and stood. He brushed his hand across her cheek, pulling her down for a passionate kiss. She tugged at his clothes, until they were tangled together naked on their bed.

He ran his hand down her waist while they kissed, pausing to pull back when he felt the swell in her flat stomach. He looked down absolutely in awe of every inch of her, she smiled nodding when he gave her a questioning glance. He laughed, leaning down to kiss her waist, moving south until he could taste her.

"Jaime!" She gasped, arching up into him. Even with one hand he was a remarkable study of what brought her pleasure. Hours later they laid together, sweaty, and sated. Jaime sniffed at something after a moment of peace.

"I think we've burned the food." He mumbled, she laughed, rolling over him to salvage what she could.

"It would appear you're not quite the ideal wife you claim to be." She handed him a plate. He leaned heavily on her, trying to keep his eyes open.

"You may be right." He picked at the dry fish with a small smile on his lips.

"Thank you." He said after a moment, she stopped mid bite in confusion.

"For what, bringing you burnt food?" She looked down at the damaged, but delicious food.

"No, for bringing me here, for staying with me, for forgiving me. I want to spend my life with you, whatever years I have left. I want to raise our child together." He smiled down at his food, she blushed.

"Brienne! Damn it girl, how could you come home, and not even visit you father wh... By the gods! Who in the seven hells is this?" Selwyn Tarth stood nearly three inches taller than Brienne, with short white hair, and leathery tan skin. He must have been near seventy years, but he still had a build that would rival any knight. Unfortunately he had caught them half dressed, and stinking of sex.

"Father! I, we..." She had no words, the worst thing her father had ever caught her at before this moment was fighting with the island boys.

"Ser Jaime Lannister of Casterly Rock Lord Evenstar. I apologize for not coming to introduce myself as soon as we landed, but after fighting in the great war in the North, and ending the war in the South I was in no condition to be making new acquaintances. Brienne and I were planning to make the trip up to the keep in the morning, but it seems you were faster than we imagined." Jaime held out his left hand, and for a moment Selwyn had to think of how to shake it.

"Well Ser Jaime Lannister that doesn't explain why you're in only trousers while in bed with my daughter Lady Brienne of Tarth, the next Evenstar of shipbreaker bay!" Selwyn had begun to turn a bit red in the face.

"Ser Brienne is a knight of the seven kingdoms, and so long as you agree without trying to kill me, I would like for her to soon be my betrothed." He stood as tall as he could, trying not to show them just how nervous meeting her father under such unfortunate circumstances made him.

"Jaime?" She stood up to question him without another word.

"Well I was trying to ask before your father arrived." He whispered, her smile lit up her beautiful eyes, and all Jaime wanted to do was kiss her. Selwyn hadn't seen his daughter smile that way since she was a child.

"Do you want to marry this man?" Selwyn crossed his arms, staring the two of them down.

"Yes father, so very much." She took his hand, and Jaime brought hers to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist.

"I see, well it seems that a feast is in order!" Selwyn crossed the room, and pulled them both into a crushing hug. This may not be the future he envisioned as a young man, or the family he had started so long ago, but he couldn't imagine anywhere in the world where he would be happier than here in her arms.

Chapter Text

The second installment of Bent, not Broken, because it just felt like it needed more.

The trip to the keep made them long for the privacy of the cabin. Selwyn was a painfully jovial man. He also sat between them like a frumpy first date chaperone.

"I hear you are the greatest swordsman in Westeros, we should spar once you've settled in. I taught Brienne everything she knows." He puffed up with pride, she shook her head, but let them talk.

"I may have been the best before I lost my sword hand, but now I'm hardly better than Brienne's squire." He looked over at her, Brienne tried not to laugh at the image of him fighting Podrick.

"Right, I heard you lost it to the Starks." Selwyn lead them into the keep, it's halls felt very much like High Garden. There was a great deal of utility, but it still managed to capture the essence of summer on the islands even know in the clutches of winter.

"The Boltens actually. I had been released into your daughters care by Lady Katlyn in exchange for the safe return of her daughters. I was quite a nuisance as a prisoner, I even tried to escape. We were in the middle of fighting over my freedom when we were taken by the Boltons. They are the ones who took my hand." Jaime said, the memories, save for the actual loss of his hand had actually become quite dear to him.

"Don't sell the story short." Brienne didn't want to interfere with her father getting to know Jaime, but he did have a tendency to paint himself as the villain.

"Is there more to the story?" Selwyn took them to the main hall to eat while they talked. They would be happy for the variety of the food at the keep at least.

"To hear Brienne tell it I'm a shining hero of the tail. The Bolton men were going to have their way with her, and I convinced them Tarth was called the sapphire isle because every sapphire in Westeros had been mined here, and that you would pay her weight in sapphires if she were returned without being sullied. When it worked I pressed to try and get us released, and they cut my hand off. Not exactly my most daring moment." He shrugged, Selwyn looked between them when Brienne scoffed.

"Right, and then you jumped into a pit with one hand and no weapon to save me from a bear. Do you really think you weren't the hero of this story?" Brienne put a hand on his shoulder to make him look at her.

"I would have let myself bleed out in the mud if not for you, and my story of sapphires is what got you in the pit to begin with. It was the least I could do." Jaime took her hand, he found that he enjoyed the simple act of holding her hand. He had never been allowed to hold Cersei's hand, or even show affection in public.

"No, the least you could have done is kept going to King's Landing, you were well away. You never did say why you came back for me." She squeezed almost painfully at his hand to emphasize, which seemed unfair since he only had the one.

"I dreamed of you." He admitted, pulling her hand to his lips for a kiss. She blushed, Selwyn smiled, this man may be a Lannister, but he made his daughter happier than he'd ever seen her before.

"Did he give you that fancy sword as well, your not even in your family crest anymore." Selwyn noticed, she touched the edge of the armor he had given her so long ago, crafted to fit her perfectly, it was finer than what she lost.

"Yes father, Oathkeeper is a valyrian steel blade, one of two forged from Eddard Starks blade Ice. Jaime carries it's pair. He also fitted me with this armor. I lost everything to the Boltens. He armed, and armored me to fulfill my oath to Lady Katlyn Stark." She spoke of the things she wore as if they were the finest treasures ever given.

"That's right, and yet your here. Who is protecting Lady Sansa?" Jaime hadn't even thought to wonder before then.

"Ser Podrick, I knighted him before I left. He had more than earned it. He will fulfil my oath in my absence, though I should send a raven." She said, he was shocked she had left an oath behind, but he knew it couldn't be in better hands.

"Ser Podrick more than earned his knighthood. He saved my life a few times in the war with the dead. I do hope we don't have to return to the North though. I'm tired of the cold, it makes my arm hurt." He raised his golden hand. She frowned, looking down at their clasped hands.

"Would you come with me if Lady Sansa asks for my return?" She whispered without looking up. Jaime scoffed.

"Of course I would you mad woman, wherever you are I will be, always." He set their clasped hands on the table for all to see.

Brienne sent word to Sansa, and did all she could to avoid going to see the tailor. She knew her figure didn't suit a dress, much less an elegant wedding gown. She twisted her hands together outside her room, where she knew the seamstress would be waiting. She hated not sharing a bed with Jaime, maybe she could sneak into his room to hide.

"Your stalling." Jaime came up behind her, and put his arms around her waist, going up on his toes to put his head on her shoulder.

"You wear the gown, and I'll wear the cloak. You'd look better in it anyhow." She sulked, leaning back into him.

"Alright, I'll get fitted." He let go of her, shifting to enter the room. She pulled him away, her back hitting the stone. He smirked leaning his golden hand on the wall, and bringing his other hand up to tuck a platinum curl back into place.

"You are going to look as gorgeous as ever, all in white with those beautiful blue eyes on me. I couldn't imagine anything more perfect." He leaned up to kiss her, and she pressed into him, hungry for his touch. The way she moved against him, he might have taken her there in the hallway had the seamstress not poked her head out the door with a gasp.

"Ah, now it's a proper scandal. A pregnant bride, caught seducing her betrothed like a common whore in the hallway." Brienne turned red from toe to tip, hiding her face in the nape of his neck. He held her, kissing the top of her head.

"We're marrying for love, not station, who cares what anyone thinks. Though I am a bit weary of your father. I suspect he could kill me if he chose to." Jaime looked down the hall, Brienne laughed, finally untangling herself from him.

"He is a formidable knight, though I have been able to best him since I was eighteen. He married for love, I wish I could remember my mother. He has no room to question our behavior though, as he's had a new woman every year since her passing." Brienne straightened up, Jaime looked at her skeptically.

"Really? Your father is a whore monger?" He said, doubt heavy in his tone. She shook her head, taking his hand to keep from having to look up at him.

"No, never whores, he would court a woman, even sometimes plan to marry them, but every year on the anniversary of my mother's death he would send them away. Each one tried to help raise me, insisting I simply needed a mother's love to be a proper lady. I scared quite a few of them off before my father could." She got a far off look in her eyes at the memory. Jaime kissed her, a much more chaste touch before he pulled away.

"Would you believe that my father married for love as well. I was very young when she died giving birth to Tyrion, but I still remember her. She was sweet, and frail. The way my father smiled at her, and acted while she lived could never have been reconciled with the man who raised us. He never spoke of her, and he certainly never courted anyone else. Nothing frightens me as much as the idea of becoming him." Jaime whispered, Brienne leaned into him, kissing his cheek.

"You'll never be rid of me Jaime, I think I've proven that already." He chuckled, finally letting her go with a little sigh.

"Go get fitted so I can marry you woman." He pulled the door open, Brienne scowled at him, but went inside.

Jaime left to find a drink, he hadn't spent much time alone since Brienne had saved him. He found he didn't care for it. Without her his mind was free to run through all the mistakes he had made in his life. He regretted so much. He couldn't help but wonder if he could have saved Cersei if he hadn't failed her so many times. It ate at him, but if he hadn't he wouldn't be here in her arms.

He loved Brienne, so much, she made him the man he wanted to be, but if she hadn't torn him in two he would have stood by Cersei's side until he died in her arms. He would have died a monster, wouldn't he? Would he have though? He'd known Brienne gave him the strength to walk away from that throne room, but the words she spoke, her plan. Burn them all. The words haunted him. His life would have ended there without Brienne.

"You don't need to die with her." She'd said that when she pleaded with him, but he wondered if she knew that she was the only thing that saved him. He found himself in the Sept rather than a tavern. He went to the alter, laying his hand on the cold stone. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the image of every one of his children, and his father laying on a stone alter just like this, painted rocks over their eyes. Cersei would likely never get a proper funeral.

He laid his head down, his brow pressed to the rough surface, tears stinging his eyes. He felt like he hadn't stopped crying since he left Winterfell. He heard the doors open, and rushed to straighten up, and dry his eyes.

"Ser Jaime, come to help make preparations for tomorrow?" Selwyn lead a group of people there to decorate for the wedding.

"No, I'm so sorry. I... I'll leave." He made his way towards the door. Selwyn put his hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I know you lost a lot son, nothing will ever make it right, but don't let it destroy what you can have now. Trust me, I've made that mistake most of my life." Selwyn said, Jaime took a deep breath trying to steady himself.

"Without her, without Brienne I wouldn't be here today. I have never met anyone so good as her. I will always miss the people I've lost, but she's the one I couldn't live without." He really needed that drink.

Brienne woke to the sound of someone entering her room, she drew Oathkeeper from it's sheath, and slid quietly out of bed. Who would be fool enough to sneak into her chambers the night before her wedding.

"Brienne!" Jamie's voice slurred, and he practically fell into her bed. Of course it was him.

"Your drunk. I nearly killed you." She returned Oathkeeper, and sat back down on the bed. He tossed his golden hand aside, letting it crash to the floor.

"I am, quite a lot." She looked down at him in confusion. She didn't think he even knew what he was saying.

"You should go back to your own bed." She brushed his hair out of his face. He crawled over, and laid his head on her lap.

"No! I miss you, I miss holding you. You keep my mind quiet." He clung to her waist, she sighed, stoking his back gently.

"Alright, you can stay, but you have to leave before sun up. You're not meant to see me before the wedding." She whispered, he hugged her tighter.

"I love you Brienne, I love you so much. I love you." He mumbled into her stomach. She smiled and shifted over to lay them down.

"I love you too." She whispered, kissing his brow. He snuggled into her, he was never going to wake up early enough to leave. She shook her head, and let her eyes drift closed.

Jaime was ushered out by two appalled chamber maids, and the preparation for the wedding rushed by. They trussed her up in stupid swath of silk and lace. Draped her maidens cloak over her head, which seemed like a joke at this point given the child growing in her belly. How could she stand against the army of the dead with only tension in her shoulders, but the doors to the Sept twisted her gut into knots.

"Are you ready sweet girl?" Her father put his arm out for her. She steeled her expression, and straightened up.

"Come on now, this isn't a battle, you are allowed to smile." He shook his arm slightly to get her attention. She put her hand over his, and started forward, if she let herself be unguarded she feared she might cry. She kept her composure so well, until he turned at the sound of her approach.

He looked at her with that devastating grin, the one that wrinkled his eyes, and pressed dimples into his cheeks, which were freshly shaven for the wedding. He looked so happy for the first time since Winterfell. She looked up at the ceiling, a smile cracking her steel, and tears falling despite her attempt to stop them.

"You look gorgeous, but you're not meant to cry, even if you are stuck marrying an old man." He whispered, she covered her face to try and muffle the bark of laughter that escaped her. She tried to give him a scolding look, but she couldn't stop smiling.

"You may now cloak the bride, and bring her under your protection." The Sept broke the spell that had them trying so desperately not to laugh. Jaime took his cloak from his shoulder's with some difficulty, and placed it carefully on hers. His hand lingered on the bare skin of her neck, eager to touch her again.

"In the sight of the seven I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity, look upon each other, and say the words." She laid her hand over his, and the Sept bound them with a length of silk. They turned to one another, Brienne couldn't quite stop the tears of joy, or the painful grin hurting her cheeks from lack of use. Jaime matched her smile, lost in the purity of her joy.

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger, I am hers, and she is mine from this day, until the end of my days." He lost himself in her sapphire blue eyes while he spoke the words. She repeated them, and he pulled her in for a long slow kiss, hungry for more. The crowded Septon cheered, and they broke apart, remembering for the first time that they were not alone.

"So tell me husband, how bad does your head feel after last night's drinking?" Brienne asked once they had been ushered to the feast.

"I have no idea what you mean wife." He said while he sucked down a second glass of wine. She laughed, putting a hand on his wrist to stop his drinking.

"I'd like you not to be quite so drunk as our first time together husband." She said, his mouth fell open in exaggerated offence.

"Are you saying that our first, beautiful night together was anything less than absolutely perfect?" Jaime cocked a brow at her, she laughed leaning in to kiss him.

"It was amazing, but your performance was far superior the second time." She whispered against his lips. His hand moved up her leg under the table with a devious smirk.

"I assure you, I will be performing at my best this evening." He balled up her gown, his hand hot against the bare skin of her upper thigh.

"Jaime! " She gasped, slapping her hand over his. He cocked his head, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

"Do you really want me to stop?" He whispered, shifting his hand under hers. She let up, just enough for him to free his hand. He moved it up to brush over her curls. She sucked in a breath, looking around at the people of Tarth enjoying their feast.

"If you squirm they're going to catch us." He nipped at the shell of her ear as he plunged two fingers inside her. She bit her lip when he sat back in his chair, his thumb circling her clit gently at first. Her expression took on a steely mask, and Jaime had to try very hard not to laugh. Her gripping his thigh hard was the only indication of her coming undone.

"By the gods Jaime Lannister if you don't get me out of this room right now I will take you here, and now." She practically growled the words, he brought his hand to his mouth, sucking his fingers clean.

"You haven't even been my wife for two hours, and already you're bossing me around." He wasn't sure standing at this juncture would be all together wise. Brienne stood in that abrupt manner she had.

"I am retiring." She looked down at him, Jaime shrugged, well who was he to deny her.

"Yes ser." He stood a bit awkwardly to the cheers of the hall, and left to start his new, oh so very beautiful life.

Chapter Text

"I'm as big as a house, how can you still look at me that way?" Brienne stared down her husband, from the bed she had been trapped in for two days now.

"Because you, my beautiful wife, still look absolutely ravishing, despite having neglected to brush your hair." he crawled across the bed, and tucked a strand of her hair back into place. She swatted his hand away and crossed her arms.

"That's because you moved my hairbrush all the way across the room, and since your evil children refuse to leave when they are meant to I am stuck in the accursed bed!" Brienne snarled, Jaime leapt to his feet, and went to get the brush.

"My deepest apologies My Lady." Jaime came back and held the brush out to her as he would a sword.

"Oh piss off!" She snatched it from him, and started to brush her hair.

"It was your idea to return to Winterfell while you were pregnant, likely with twins none the less." Jaime moved to sit beside her, sliding his hand over her very large belly.

"I swore to return to Lady Sansa, I couldn't simply ignore my oath to her because you can't keep your hands to yourself." Brienne set the brush aside, and leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Lady Sansa told you to stay on Tarth. In fact she was absolutely thrilled with the idea of the Evenstar of Tarth being sworn to her. You are the one who said we had to come North to ensure she was being properly looked after before we could settle down." Jaime put himself between her and the wall so she could rest, laying flat upset her stomach.

"Fine, I'm unreasonable, and now I'm suffering for it." She pouted, he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"I never said that." He whispered, she squeezed his hand gently. A knock at the door broke the peaceful bubble of half sleep that had settled around them.

"Enter." Brienne's voice came out heavy with sleep, she felt as if that were all she did lately.

"Ser Brienne, Ser Jaime. I brought dinner, and there is someone here to see you." Podrick carried a trey into the room full of food. Brienne covered her face with a little gag. Jaime looked over the food, picking up the steamed turnips.

"Come on Pod, you know root vegetables upset her stomach." He handed the bowl back to him, Podrick cringed, rushing the bowl out into the hallway.

"Sorry." He said, Brienne shook her head.

"You know you don't have to keep serving me like a squire Podrick, you've been a knight for months now." She said, he gave that goofy smile of his.

"I know, you've told me six times since you got here, but I serve Lady Sansa, and she wants me to look after you. Now, like I was trying to say before Tyrion is here to see you, I just wanted to be sure you were decent before I sent him up." Podrick gave her a look, Jaime smiled, eager to see his brother for the first time since he'd left King's Landing.

"Oh go on, I know you're eager to see him, I don't have the energy to entertain his... Enthusiasm for conversation." She leaned forward to let him remove himself from the bed.

"What a tactful way to say Tyrion won't shut up." Jaime laughed, and took his plate.

"I will entertain him, and try not to get too drunk." He leaned down, and kissed the top of her head. She smiled, only to double over, clutching her stomach.

"Brienne!" He dropped back down beside her, clutching her hand.

"I'm fine, it's fine. You know this happens this close to the birth." She gave his hand a squeeze, but his brow still creased with worry.

"Oh for fuck sake, just go. The pair of you are like mother hens hovering over me night and day." She waved him off. He backed away from her reluctantly. He had never worried so much about Cersei when she was with child, but he'd never been allowed to dote on her, and she had never been bedridden.

"Here I thought I would have to come to you, what convinced you to leave the bedside of you blushing bride?" Tyrion raised a cup to him, Jaime took it with a heavy sigh.

"I'm down here because my wife thinks you talk too much, and she is tired." He sat down across from Tyrion, and drank half his cup of wine.

"Well she's not wrong, but something is. You look horrible. I expected you to be obnoxiously happy." Tyrion sipped at his own cup with a skeptical gaze.

"I am happy, ridiculously, but I'm also terrified. All my children are dead Tyrion, one by my own hand, and now my wife is bedridden because of the labour, if I lose her..." Jaime trailed off, looking into his cup.

"You mean if your children are born like me." Tyrion gave a hateful look to his wine, Jaime shook his head.

"What happened wasn't your fault Tyrion, and it wouldn't be theirs, but the things that came after. What it did to Father. Tyrion promise me you will never let me become that." He slugged down his wine, and refilled his cup.

"I shot our father, and I certainly won't let anyone else turn into him, besides Ser Brienne is too stubborn to let you be rid of her." Tyrion said, Jaime nodded, trying to sip his wine, he had after all promised not to stumble into their chambers drunk in the middle of the night.

"Twins Tyrion, gods I hope they don't end up like we did." Tyrion sucked down his wine, trying not to make a snide comment while his brother was obviously troubled.

"Maybe they'll both be giant girls, and be nothing like you." Jaime laughed despite himself. He would love that.

"Did they give her a proper burial, or a pyre at least?" Jaime finally asked the question Tyrion knew would come.

"She was given a pyre fitting a queen, I made sure of it. She may have been cruel, but at least she was consistent. Things down south are turbulent at best. Why do you think it took me so long to visit?" Jaime nodded, leaning his head back against the tall chair.

"Thank you." He whispered, Tyrion shook his head.

"Enough of this depressing talk, tell me about Lord Selwyn Tarth walking in on you and Brienne while you were in bed!" Tyrion leaned across the table, Jaime made a face.

"By the gods is there nothing you don't find out? You were never such a gossip about my love life before." Jaime hid his laugh in a sip of wine.

"That is because I never wanted to hear about you cavorting with our sister, and no, I hear everything, so explain." He raised a brow at Jaime, who once again hid his face, this time in his hand.

"We weren't at that, we were eating, though we weren't exactly dressed for company." Jaime blushed, not a common thing for him, which delighted Tyrion.

"I'd have loved to see the look on Lord Selwyn's face when he saw his oh so innocent daughter in bed with a Lannister." Tyrion threw his head back to laugh.

"She wasn't that innocent." Jaime smirked at the memory of their time together.

"Gods I hope you didn't say that to him!" They were both laughing now, he couldn't help it, seeing Tyrion again felt good, anchored him in some sense of his old life.

"No! I would have been cut down, have you met her father, he's even bigger than her!" Jaime's look of exaggerated horror made Tyrion nearly fall off his chair. In their myrth Jaime nearly missed Podrick running through with a jug of steaming water, and an arm load of cloth.

"Podrick! What's going on?" Jaime leaned around Tyrion to get a look at him.

"The babies are coming! " He yelled without stopping, Jaime leapt to his feet, sending the chair crashing across the floor, and jumped the table to get to the stairs. In his haste he beat Podrick to the room.

"Jaime!" Brienne reached out, and grabbed a hold of his golden hand with a crushing grip that nearly took the thing of his arm.

"I'm right here!" He took a cloth to try and mop her brow, trying his best to be supportive as the Maester, and the others did the important work.

Tyrion had no desire to be in the room while Brienne gave birth, and instead busied himself trying to finish off the wine.

"It's rather loud up there now, even in battle, I have never heard Brienne yell quite so viciously." Sansa came to join him for a drink.

"She certainly isn't demure. It seems fitting that their first children will be born of Winterfell since they never would have found the freedom to be together without these icy halls." Tyrion poured her a cup of wine.

"I'm happy things worked between them, I suspected things with Cersei would drag on longer than they did. I certainly never suspected he could kill her himself." Sansa said with little regard for what Tyrion may feel about his sister's death, not that it bothered him, but he knew she would have the same disrespect towards his brother.

"Arya relayed the story to us all. He tried to reason with her, but when she entered, and Cersei thought she was the maester, she told them to light the wildfire, and burn them all. The same thing the mad king said. As much as you hate my brother he has, and always will put himself at risk to save the people he protects." Tyrion looked very sad in that moment, Sansa frowned, she liked to imagine she was well informed, but her hatred for Jaime Lannister may have blinded her to parts of the story that didn't suit her opinion.

"What happened with the mad king, truly?" Sansa laid a hand on his arm, not sure if she meant to manipulate, or console him.

"He asked Jaime to kill his own father, and burn the city to the ground. He kept his oath until keeping it meant losing his soul. While we're on the subject of the things my brother has done to make you hate him, remember that when he attacked your father in the streets, that he did so because your mother had taken me prisoner for a crime I did not commit, and did all she could to execute me. The only thing he has ever done wrong is try to protect a family that didn't deserve his protection." They fell silent for a long time before they could move on to more pleasant topics.

When the Maester cleared everyone out, and Jaime found himself sat beside his Wife on clean sheets, holding his first born son he found it hard to believe. The four of them were together, healthy, and fed. The little boy in his arms had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen besides those of his wife.

"What should we call them?" Brienne whispered, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, but unable to look away from the boy swaddled in her arms

"I don't know, I was never allowed to name my children. We've thought of so many names, but now, all I can think is how fragile he looks." Jaime wished he had his other hand to stroke the impossibly soft golden hair of his baby boy.

"I thought, perhaps Jonah after your mother, we certainly can't name them after your father." Brienne bit her lip to try and stifle a laugh. Jaime beamed, looking over at the boy she held.

"Jonah, and Valen Lannister?" He looked up at her to see if she liked his choice, tears fell down her cheeks along the contours of her smile..

"Valen, a valiant Lannister, just like his father." She shifted towards him, and he pressed in for a kiss.

"Our sons are going to be unstoppable." Jaime let her lay her head on his shoulder to rest. He couldn't imagine anything more perfect than this moment with his family, where he could love them without shame, or fear. This is what it truly meant to have family, people he could trust. This was his heaven.

Chapter Text

Jaime stood over the courtyard trying to work the knot from his right shoulder. The morning chill made him stiff in his old age. He never expected to make it to sixty, he certainly would never have predicted he would be growing old on the isle of Tarth.

"Shut your mouth!" Tara Lannister was their second youngest, and the only child born without a twin. Even at the age of ten she stood quite tall, every bit the mirror of her beautiful mother. Valen, and Jonah were nearly grown men now, both large with golden hair, but Jonah stood a bit shorter with a frame more like his father.

"We're just saying you can't beat us, your just a child, not to mention a girl." Valen twirled his sword with a grace Jaime had once possessed.

"And your an idiot, so it's pretty even." She said as she hit him hard in the manhood with her wooden sword. Valen doubled over, clutching himself, and Jaime had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Gods Tara, we just thought it would be better for you to spar with Alyara, and Podwell since they don't have six years on you." Jonah helped Valen to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

"They don't want to fight me, Podwell is a shit swordsman, he just wants to read the books uncle Tyrion left him, and Alyara is mean for weeks when I beat her." She said, twirling her wooden sword like Valen had.

"Fine, you want to fight come on then." Jonah held his hands out waiting for her to strike. They were both well on the way to being knights, but Jonah was the faster of the two. Tara charged at him, and he danced around her without ever drawing his sword. The longer he deflected her, the angrier she became. Her strikes grew more fierce, but also wilder.

Eventually she struck true, hitting him in the shin. He growled, swinging around, and drawing his sword. It sliced through the heavy wooden sword in one swing. The sword she, like all her siblings, had carved herself.

"See, you can't beat us." Jonah turned and left with Valen, and Tara fell to the ground to reclaim the blade of her sword. She cried holding the pieces like the broken body of a loved one.

"You did quite well considering." Jaime said, drawing his own sword with his prosthetic hand. Gendry had made him one that could lock around a sword many years ago. He and Brienne were almost equals now, though that may have more to do with them both being quite old.

"They broke it!" She looked up with tears in her eyes. Jaime nodded, going over to the rack of weapons.

"Yes they did, but you'll be eleven years in the next few days, perhaps it's time you used a proper blade. That's what your mother did when she broke Jonah's sword." Jaime took a larger sword, similar to how she had carved her practice sword, even knowing how hard it would be for her to lift.

"Really?" She whispered, set the sword pieces aside gently, and reached out to take the blade from him as if he might pull it away.

"Absolutely, you know Sir Podrick, and Lady Sansa are visiting at the end of the month, if you can wield it by then we may even ask Sir Podrick to train exclusively with you." He tapped his blade on the ground, signalling her to come at him. She swung the sword slow, but well, and Jaime was happy to go through the paces with her.

"You shouldn't grimace when you lunge, it gives away the game." He smiled, remembering his first fight with Brienne. She couldn't stop grimacing when she struck, so instead chose to grimace the entire time, and he couldn't help the small chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me! I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in the seven kingdoms one day!" She yelled, Jaime let her break his guard, moving only the barest amount to keep her from cutting him.

"Of that I have no doubt. Switch hands." He said, he had always made each of them fight with both hands from the moment they began to learn. Perhaps it was paranoia, but he never wanted them to suffer as he had.

"Can I ride North when I'm older, and fight with the wildlings? Alyara says they fight because their lives depend on it, and I want to be able to fight the way you need to like that, not just all the fancy stuff Jonah does like showing off with two swords." Tara charged, nearly toppling over when he tapped her calves with the flat of his blade.

"That is a question for your mother, though I'm sure Tormund would be happy for her company." He was proud of her commitment to training, she had begun to stumble in exhaustion as the hours passed.

"You could take me, Mom treats me like a little kid." She fell over when her charge failed, breathing hard, but forced herself back to her feet.

"I'm afraid that's because you are still a child, hey, keep a cool head. You're growing up so fast, but we both know you have a bit of growing left. See, this is what happens when you let anger rule your actions." She fell on her face with an animal yell. She struggled to her feet to charge again, even more sloppy than the first time.

"You also need to learn when you are bested. Only a fool fights when they know they're making it worse." Brienne swept up behind her, taking the sword in one hand, and Tara in the other, lifting her off the ground.

"Well she'll never learn if you stop her short of the lesson." Jaime gave her a sweet smile while Tara struggled against her grip.

"She'll never learn if she is unable to accept, and adapt to the judgment of her betters either." Brienne dropped her, and she fell to her knees huffing in air desperately.

"Oh right, because you listened to all your betters when they were telling you what you could, and couldn't do!" She got up, and went for a sheath to wear with her new sword.

"She has you there." Jaime moved to her side, kissing her hand when he retrieved Tara's sword. She gave him a look, but couldn't deny him a small smile.

"Knowing the difference between criticism, and stupidity is one of the harder lessons of becoming a knight. Now I came out here to get you for dinner, you can continue training after you've eaten." She pointed, and Tara took her sword, scabard scraping on the ground as she went.

"You are no help. You know you're her favorite, she would listen if you said it." She side eyed him, he pulled her to a stop.

"She only prefers me because you two are too alike. She's just as stubborn as you." He said, reaching up to tuck her growing hair behind her ear where it had turned from blonde to silver with age.

"You're quite stubborn too my love." She whispered, leaning down as she had realized his hand in her hair always requested, and she kissed him slowly, enjoying the way they fit together.

"Ew! They're eating each other!" Isalla hung off his metal hand with her head back, and her long golden hair brushing on the ground.

"Stop Is!" Danielle tried to pull her twin off, only managing to drag her into the sand. Their youngest were already eight years, and we'll on their way to being twice the hand full Alyara, and Podwell were.

"Stop, both of you." Brienne lifted them up, keeping hold of Isalla while Danielle ran around to hold Jaime's actual hand. Jaime laughed, walking beside his Wife close enough for their shoulders to touch. This was everything he'd ever wanted, and he wouldn't trade this chaos for the world.