Chapter Text
Brienne the Beauty was getting married. His closest friend, his wench,enough said. He survived loss of his hand, they survived the bear pit and Lady Stoneheart, and only now Jaime Lannister felt as if something dreadful and irreversible is about to happen. He didn’t know how he would survive this one. Wedding wasn’t small probably due to a madly happy father who hadn’t had even a glimpse of hope marrying off his only daughter. And yet, here they all were witnessing this glorious occasion.
Of course he had been expected to attend. As the lord of Castely Rock, as her former battle comrade, as her friend, as the man who…
Stop you fool.You missed your chance, so many chances as you were given, but you were too busy running on Cersei orders.
And now it was too late. She has no need of you. Jaime looked on ser Hyle who was standing before a septon looking as smug and arrogant as ever. There was no love between him and the wench, the groom was simply glowing in a prospect of being a lord.
Sept door cracked and he saw Brienne enter her father by her side. Jaime noticed how Hype’s face changed immediately. There was repulsion, doubts and longing for beautiful bride perhaps, there was kindness and pity too. *But she deserves thousand times better then being wed for pity.* he wanted to shout, while breaking fuckers jaw preferably.
And then his glance fell on her. Before all the shit that they had been through together he would have said that she was the most ugly cow that he had ever seen, that she was so freakishly tall that such high even for a man was more than unusual, and for a woman she was simply enormous. Her nose was big, her cheeks scarred. That she was pig-headed and lacked of wits.
After the war, the Dragon Queen, the Wall he could say with absolute certainty that she was the most honorable, most courageous person he’s ever known, she was smart, and even witty when you troubled yourself enough to engage her in a talk.
But at that moment he found himself thinking of how defenseless she looked, how small, how scared, regretful. Her magnificent eyes were now bleak, as if all light was put out in them, her shoulders were dropped. Her gaze found him and so many emotions run through her face, no doubt mirroring his own.
At that single moment he came to a decision.
Brienne and her father stopped before the septon. She dropped his hand and stood near Hunt.
Father, smith, warrior, mother, maiden, crone, stranger; Before you I present this man and this woman. If someone of noble people have objections to which this married cannot be, speak now or forever hold your peace- the septon said.
Silence fall. The last chance. He felt himself standing up. He heard someone gasp, and wave of whispers sounds troth the hall, Kingslayer’s whore, all gazes focused on him. But he was only looking in her deep blue eyes, where he noticed a glimpse of hope. It almost made him bold. He felt his hands shaking slightly, both wooden and whole.
-You know me, I am hardly a man who would try to ruin a wedding. But, bloody hell wench, stop this spectacle. You are much better than him, then this- he gestured on Hyle and then on the sept as whole. -you mustn’t be wed for pity or land. You deserve respect, love, cherish, for who you are, since you are bloody amazing, Brienne the honorable.
He stepped away from his seat and closer to her reaching for her hand with his.
Ser Jaime - Brienne said in a mere whisper.
Come with me instead. I know I am by all accounts not the best, I am not whole, I am old, I speak before I think, and I have shit of honor, and not near ideal reputation. But I have no need of Tarth or title, I just want you. I do not want to change you. And risking of becoming Florian the Fool second, I can only assure you now, that I love you most deeply. Since the day we danced in the woods, since you’ve made me a man I only ever dreamed to be.
Moments that followed were as more frightful that ones where Lady Stoneheart decided their fate. Brienne expression was unreadable. Finally she inhaled as if trying to draw some courage from air.
Then she took his hand firmly. And moved close enough that her hair tickled his cheek and said:
Took you long enough. - he felt that she was smiling against his ear.