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Sansa Stark hated the color green. She didn’t used to, but whenever she sees it now, she is reminded the emerald hues of Joffrey’s eyes as he sneered at her. As he tortured her.
Whenever she sees green, she’s reminded of the haughty emerald eyes of Cersei Lannister as she pretended to be caring toward Sansa all the while arranging for her father to be executed.
The color turns her stomach.
And yet here she is – far from King’s Landing, and there is not one, but two Lannisters in her home. Her ex-husband Tyrion, with his one eye blue and the other the same shade as Joffrey and Jaime – looking far too much like his sister for Sansa’s linking.
Strangely – she did not hate them. Tyrion had always been kind to her during the short time they had been wed (in truth she still could not believe she fled that marriage into another with Ramsey Bolton). And now he served the Dragon Queen, who was apparently in love with her brother. Or cousin, she guessed she should refer to Jon as now.
When Tyrion had entered Winterfell, they had exchanged pleasantries, and Sansa truly believed he was happy to see her safe and alive.
Jaime Lannister’s arrival in the keep was eventful. Almost everyone had a grievance with the man, but at the same time had a grudging respect for the man. One by one, he stood before those he had wronged and plead his case. Many times, Brienne, Tyrion and even Lord Varys chiming to his defense.
Sansa and Arya were the first he faced. She had heard Lady Brienne’s tale of the vow Ser Jaime had made with the lady knight to their mother to help them get home safely. She had heard of how he jumped into the bear pit to save Brienne. Sansa knew that Oathkeeper was his contribution to the cause of keeping her safe – and it had done that indeed. She had told Arya these tales as well, after the business with Littlefinger was done. Her little sister was loathe to forgive a Lannister, but both agreed that people can change. They both had themselves from all they endured while apart. So the Stark sisters decided to give Ser Jaime the benefit of the doubt.
Jaime had looked pleasantly surprised at their quick acceptance, and Brienne’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Sansa knew that her lady knight had spoken highly of Jaime Lannister, but the expression on her face when she had accepted the Kingslayer told her that there was something more between them than just mutual respect for honorable deeds. Sansa promised herself to watch them further and get to the truth.
Next, Jaime stood before Jon and Queen Daenerys. He told them of his sister’s betrayal in breaking her promise to send truths to the North. Jon applauded his honor in coming anyway, and bringing as many of the Lannister army that he could.
Daenerys had heard tales of her father as the mad king, and Tyrion and Varys confirmed Jaime’s story about the Wildfire, so she pardoned him for killing his king. Jaime shook a little when the queen declared that it was forbidden from now on to call him Kingslayer. “Perhaps you will earn a newer, more noble title in the war ahead,” she told him with a smile.
Sansa turned her head to watch Brienne during this exchange, and was surprised to see tears fall from the face of the usually stoic lady. She already knew the tale of Jaime’s heroics, of that the Stark girl was certain, but the tears were of pride that others now knew and acknowledged the choice he made to save all those innocent people.
More than mutual respect, indeed, and more than friendship between them too, Sansa noted.
Queen Daenerys was still angry about the battle when Jaime had charged her and her dragon, but after exchanging a look with Jon, they decided to leave that in the past for now since the real war was against the Night King and the army of the dead.
Sansa thought Jaime’s journey of forgiveness was over until he slowly walked over to his brother Bran and kneeled. Oh no, it couldn’t be…was he the reason that Bran was…? The entire courtyard was still, waiting to hear the words that were said.
“Well, here we are, Jaime Lannister, two cripples nearing the end of a long journey. I have changed much since I lost my legs, have you changed much since you have lost your hand?”
Unable to speak, Jaime just nodded.
“Would you say, Ser Jaime, that you are a better man because you lost your hand?”
Jaime remained silent, and Sansa could tell he had not thought of it before. He turned his emerald eyes toward Brienne, who gave him a small smile. A realization seemed to come over him. “Yes, my Lord Stark, I do believe that I am.”
Bran stared at Jaime for a moment before finally nodding. “The loss of my legs led me on the journey to become the three-eyed-raven, so I am better for it as well. So let us never speak of the men we were before, Ser Jaime, but only be who we were destined to become.”
Jaime slumped to the ground in relief and surprise, and Brienne placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his emerald eyes to her, and the two remained for a moment in silent communication.
More than just respect, more than just friendship, and even more than just infatuation, Sansa thought.
Jon ordered that word of Jaime’s heroism in saving the population of King’s Landing be spread to all their bannerman, so that even though the North remembered all the evil the Lannister family had done, they would also remember the heroism of Jaime.
Jon and Daenerys invited Jaime into the council so they could discuss strategy for the war ahead, so Brienne crossed the yard to return to Sansa’s side. The lady of Winterfell noted that Ser Jaime’s eyes followed Brienne’s every move until he had to turn and go inside.
“I imagine you are relieved at Ser Jaime’s reception in the North, Lady Brienne,” Sansa said.
Brienne nodded. “I am, Lady Sansa, and thank you for your part in it.”
Sansa was silent for a moment. “Do you care for him?”
Brienne looked up at her in surprise. “He is my friend, and I respect him.”
“Lady Brienne…”
Brienne stiffened. “Please, milady, don’t speak of such things. I have accepted long ago that I can never have anything more than friendship with anyone.”
“But you love him,” Sansa insisted.
A tear slid down Brienne’s cheek, and Sansa wondered if she had gone too far. “Lady Brienne, I’m so sorry, I do not mean to hurt you.”
Brienne nodded curtly, and asked to be excused. As Sansa watched her protector walk into the keep, shoulders slumped, she knew that answer to her question. Brienne of Tarth loved Jaime Lannister, and she was too hurt by the cruelty of men in the past to realize that he loved her too.
Sansa knew a thing or two about being hurt by cruel men, and she had given up on any notion of love. She prayed to the gods that Brienne and Jaime could heal and find their way to each other.
Because if there was hope for those two, there just might be hope for her too.