It was a streak of warm sunlight, pouring through his chamber window, that finally woke Jaime. He rolled over in bed, trying to hide from it, surprised when he discovered that he wasn't alone. He opened his eyes, finding Brienne fast asleep by his side, her lips curved in a contented smile. She was lying on her stomach, her face turned toward him. She looked beautiful in the early afternoon light. Her skin was as pale as the finest porcelain, and her hair glistened like spun gold. Jaime knew that most men might not see the beauty there, but he did. Every time he looked at her. And once he had finally seen it, he couldn't unsee it. Everything about Brienne was beautiful to him, from her pure heart to her bravery with a sword.
Jaime couldn't quite believe what had happened between them the night before. He had expected Brienne to grant him a dance or two, not allow him to take her to bed. But there they were, in his bed, lying together after a night of unbridled passion. Making love to Brienne had been even more glorious than Jaime had remembered, and certainly more than he'd ever dared hope for.
As Jaime lay there watching her, he was torn between letting her sleep and waking her so that they could make love one more time. It had been a long night, and she had earned her rest, but the last time they'd shared a bed together, Brienne had woken up alone, and Jaime didn't ever want to put her in that position again. No, Brienne deserved better than that. He would stay right where he was until she awoke, and then, she could decide how they would spend the rest of their day together.
Jaime sighed contentedly. He closed his eyes, determined to get just a little more sleep, when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Jaime's insides tightened, and his eyes flashed open. The sound had woken Brienne in an instant, and now, she was staring back at him with wide blue eyes as if startled, not just by the sound, but by finding herself in his bed.
For a moment, they just stared at each other in silence. Then, Jaime called out across the room, "Who's there?"
"Tyrion. Open the door."
Jaime had never been so glad that he had locked a door before in his entire life. There was a sense of urgency in Tyrion's tone, and had there been no lock to bar his way, Jaime was certain he would have barged in without an invitation.
Jaime had no intention of opening the door. Even though half the keep probably knew that Brienne had spent the night in his bed, he couldn't allow her to be found in such a state, not even by Tyrion. He had a duty to protect her honor.
"Go away," Jaime said, his eyes still locked with Brienne's.
"It's the middle of the bloody afternoon," Tyrion snapped. "You can't stay in bed all day."
"Like hell I can't."
Brienne struggled not to laugh, and Jaime couldn't help but smile. He liked seeing her happy. It had been such a rare occurrence of late that he'd learned to savor every laugh, every smile, every contented sigh.
"But we need to talk," Tyrion cried plaintively, like a child who wasn't getting his way.
"You know," Brienne said softly, so softly that Tyrion couldn't hear, "he's not going to go away until you agree to talk to him. He can be very disagreeable when he wants to be. And he sounds like he didn't have a good night last night."
Jaime sighed heavily. Of course this was about Sansa, wasn't it? Sansa and Gendry. Jaime understood what it was like to pine for someone you thought was beyond your reach, but he had finally found himself a bit of happiness and he had no patience for Tyrion's self-pity. He had wanted to spend a leisurely afternoon in bed with Brienne, not listen to Tyrion's troubles.
Before Jaime could say another word, he heard a key turning in the lock. Without a second thought, he bolted out of bed and headed straight for the door, not bothering to dress. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he called loudly enough for Tyrion to hear.
By the time Jaime reached the door, it was already opening, and he grabbed it just in time to keep Tyrion from pushing his way inside.
Tyrion stopped, his gaze scanning the length of Jaime's body. The instant he realized that Jaime was naked, he tore his eyes away, clearing his throat awkwardly. "The least you could have done was put some clothes on," he said as he tilted his head back to look up at Jaime's face.
"And the least you could have done was left when I told you to."
"I need to talk."
"Well, talk to someone else. There's an entire castle full of people here to talk to. There's no reason for you to be bothering me."
"But I can't talk to anyone else about this." Tyrion lowered his voice so that it wouldn't carry down the corridor. "It's about Sansa."
Jaime rolled his eyes heavenward. "Of course it's about Sansa. But frankly, I don't care right now. So, if you don't mind—"
Jaime tried to push the door closed, but Tyrion slipped his foot inside, propping it open.
"Look," Tyrion said, "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now."
"Do you think?"
"But you're my brother, and I need to talk to someone. I've spent the last two months listening to your incessant pining over Brienne. The least you can do is listen to me."
Without any warning, Brienne moved up behind Jaime and pulled the door all the way open. "Pining over Brienne?" she asked. "Oh, please, do tell."
Tyrion's eyes widened, and Jaime turned to look at Brienne, afraid that she had come to the door naked as well. But no, she'd had more sense than that. She was wearing Jaime's robe, the silken fabric clinging to her curves in a most provocative way. With her hair tousled from sleep and her body draped in such scandalous attire, she looked positively stunning, and Jaime's cock twitched with excitement. He pulled his eyes away from Brienne and held his breath for a moment, forcing his body under control.
"Lord . . . Lord Commander," Tyrion stumbled over the words. "What an unexpected surprise."
"Is it? I would have thought that Lord Bronn had already figured out how we'd spent the night and alerted half the castle by now."
Tyrion laughed nervously, clearly uncomfortable with having found the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in his brother's bed. "Well, that may be the case, but I've actually just awoken myself, so I wouldn't know."
Jaime arched a curious brow. "Oh? Does this mean we're not the only ones who spent the morning lounging in bed?"
"I wasn't lounging. I was nursing a bad headache. And some nausea. It's been a long time since I've been that drunk."
Jaime wanted to laugh, but he resisted the urge. It had been impossible to miss Tyrion's drinking the night before. From the moment he'd first seen Sansa and Gendry together, he'd been on a quest to consume every last drop of wine he could get his hands on, and apparently, he'd succeeded. Tyrion had been as sober as a septon since he'd become Hand of the King, but one night in the company of Sansa Stark and all that had suddenly changed. Jaime would have felt sorry for him if he hadn't known the truth. Although Sansa had set out to torture him, deep down, she loved him, and it was only a matter of time before she finally confessed her feelings.
All Jaime could say was, "And I thought you'd learned your lesson a long time ago."
"So did I." Tyrion's eyes unconsciously drifted lower, as if he'd completely forgotten that Jaime was naked. He made a small, grumbling sound. "Would you mind putting some clothes on and letting me in?"
Jaime chuckled, taking a step back and then turning around so that Tyrion had a less offensive view. He crossed the floor, reaching down to retrieve the clothes he'd discarded the night before. As he shrugged into his breeches, he heard Tyrion close the door behind him.
"I am sorry for the intrusion," Tyrion said in a soft voice, his words undoubtedly meant for Brienne.
When Jaime turned around, he found Tyrion looking up at her, his cheeks an unflattering shade of red. Jaime was surprised that Tyrion was even capable of feeling shame, but he actually found the fact rather heartening.
"That's quite all right," Brienne answered. "The hour is far too late for us to still be abed. But since you're here," she said, her tone lightening with mischief, "why don't you tell me about all that pining your brother's been doing for me these past months."
An awkward laugh escaped Tyrion's throat. "Under different circumstances, I would love to. But right now, we have much more pressing matters to discuss."
Jaime slumped down onto the edge of the mattress. "Like what?" he asked, certain he already knew the answer.
Tyrion turned his attention to Jaime. "Like the Queen in the North announcing her betrothal tonight."
"What?"
"What . . . what are you talking about?" Brienne asked, clearly just as confused as Jaime.
Tyrion took a step back so that he could address them both. "Sansa has informed Bran that she is going to make a special announcement at tonight's feast. She has chosen a husband, and she will make it official this evening."
"Did she actually say this?" Brienne asked. "Or are you just assuming it's a betrothal because she intends to make some kind of announcement?"
"I am not assuming anything," Tyrion replied. "Bran told me this himself."
Jaime eyed Tyrion thoughtfully, wondering just what kind of game Bran and Sansa were playing. As far as Jaime knew, Sansa was in love with Tyrion, but could that have changed? Could one night spent alone with Gendry Baratheon have convinced Sansa Stark to pick a different husband? Although Gendry had once bedded her sister, he was still the most eligible young lord in all of Westeros. He was handsome, virile, kind. The only thing that made him a poor match for Sansa was the fact that he still held an affection for Arya Stark. But had that changed as well? Jaime was suddenly beginning to doubt everything he thought he knew.
"If this is true—" Jaime said.
"It is true."
"Then what do you expect us to do about it? We can't sway the Queen in the North. Besides, didn't you recommend that she marry Gendry in the first place?"
"A minor mistake on my part."
Brienne snorted. "More than a minor mistake."
"Yes, well, there's nothing I can do about that now. But there is something you can do," he said, eyeing her pointedly.
"If you think I'm going to talk to Sansa on your behalf, you can think again. You're the one who made a mess of things. If you want to convince her not to marry Gendry, perhaps you should tell her so yourself."
"I would, except she doesn't quite seem receptive to me. She's surrounded herself with courtiers since the second she arrived. I can't even get a moment alone with her."
"With good reason."
Tyrion's hands balled into fists at his sides, and he turned his full attention back to Jaime. "Isn't there something you can do? She's your woman now. Make her see reason."
"Lady Brienne is not anyone's woman but her own. And as far as I can tell, she's already seeing reason."
"But—"
"I'll talk to her, Tyrion. But I can't promise anything."
"I know Sansa has to marry," Tyrion said, his voice softening, his vulnerability showing through, "but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. She's only been here a night. A single night. I didn't expect—"
"A single night is all it takes," Brienne said. "You should know that better than anyone."
Tyrion dragged his eyes away from Jaime, obviously wounded by Brienne's words. He honestly thought that Sansa had spent the night with Gendry, that she was in love with Gendry. And maybe she had, and maybe she was, but Tyrion had no right to assume anything until he'd spoken to Sansa himself.
"I know," Tyrion replied. "I had just hoped—" He sighed. "It doesn't matter what I'd hoped. I've lost my chance, and that's all there is to it." He raised his eyes to look up at Jaime again. "I'm sorry I bothered you. I'll leave you two alone now."
Jaime almost asked Tyrion to stay, but he and Brienne had a lot to discuss and he knew it would be better if his brother weren't present. Jaime wasn't sure what to make of this sudden development regarding Sansa Stark's betrothal, but he hoped Brienne could help enlighten him.
Tyrion backed up toward the door. He stopped briefly, offering Brienne his apologies once again, before disappearing from the room.
For a moment, the chamber was silent. Jaime was still a bit in shock, and he imagined that Brienne was too. Neither one of them had expected this, and Jaime feared it meant a lifetime of heartache for his beloved brother.
Brienne drifted toward the bed, easing herself down beside Jaime. Together, they stared blankly out into the room, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
It was Jaime who finally broke the silence. "You don't really think she's going to marry Gendry, do you?"
"I don't know what to think. I know she loves Tyrion. Even though she's never said it, I know she does. I can't quite believe that she could fall in love with Gendry overnight, and yet . . . I just don't know."
Jaime turned his head so he could look at Brienne. She was so impossibly beautiful, and he wished their glorious morning together hadn't been so rudely interrupted. "Do you think this could be another ploy to punish Tyrion, to make him jealous?"
"I don't know. I can't imagine Sansa being that cruel. Then again, Tyrion did wound her deeply, and I don't think she's quite over it yet."
"But would she really go so far as to announce her engagement to Gendry Baratheon just to hurt Tyrion?"
"I don't think so. That would cause a scandal, and that's the last thing anyone needs right now. No, either Sansa has no intention of actually announcing her betrothal tonight, or she truly is going to announce her engagement to Gendry. Either way, I'm not sure any of this was a good idea, and I should probably go talk to her."
Brienne moved to rise, but Jaime couldn't let her go. He reached out, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and stopping her.
Brienne's eyes flashed to Jaime's face.
"Don't go," he said. "Not yet. Just stay a little while longer."
Brienne raised a single brow in question. "A little longer?"
"Yes."
"How much longer?"
"Long enough to let me love you one more time."
Brienne opened her mouth to protest, but then, she suddenly seemed to think better of it. Without a word, she leaned in closer, placing a soft kiss against Jaime's lips.
Slowly, gently, he lowered her down onto the bed. Tyrion and his drama could wait. Jaime had much more important things to do with his time.