Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“Jaime, you have to understand, my son. This could mean the restoration of our house! We’d get our riches and our status back!”
The blonde, green-eyed man stared at Tywin Lannister.
“Father, you want me to marry a lion!”
“A lioness,” the older man corrected with a deferential nod to the creature beside him.
Said creature was a full grown lioness, however one as large as a horse.
“It’s a sign.” Tywin continued. “The lion is our house sigil, and she is willing to save it, if you marry her!”
Jaime tried to bargain. “I am your only son and heir!” He tried to whisper, “I cannot have children with a lioness. It’ll be the end of your name!”
Tywin waved off his concerns. “Cersei can produce several sons to take on the name of whomever she marries and our own. She’s cared more about how I deal with the populace than you ever did.”
His son scoffed inwardly. It was true he never was interested in the workings of his household, but his beautiful sister only used the authority to obtain more power.
“Think of the matches your sister could have. Possibly even Rhaegar Targeryen instead of the boorish Robert Baratheon.”
The lioness stretched forward, extending massive claws on the wooden floor.
Jaime Lannister groaned. His father did have a point. Everyone would benefit.
Just not him.
“Alright, Father. I’ll do it, for our family.”
His father extended a hand to the animal. “There you have it. My only son in exchange for making me as rich as I am now poor.”
Said son felt like he was a piece of meat being fed to a predator.
The lioness gave a nod to the Lannister head before turning blue eyes to her intended.
“You may pack a few belongings before you leave.”
Tywin dismissed him with a wave.
Jaime didn’t have much. He grabbed a few clothes and the picture of his mother from his bedside table, jamming it into a rucksack.
The animal bent down, and he hopped on her back. It was similar to riding a horse bareback, without a saddle. She took off on a loping run.
Jaime’s father didn’t even watch him go.
—
The lioness was strong. She trudged along for hours before taking a rest stop so Jaime could stretch his legs and eat his meager lunch.
He eyed her warily to see if she was going to go hunt, but she merely laid down on her paws watching him.
After eating, the blonde man clamored back onto her back, and after some more time, they approached a great mountain.
“Are you afraid?”
Jaime, startled with her low, rough voice, maintained his sense of bravado.
“No, I am not.”
He thought that she would leap the very mountain itself, but a doorway opened, and she merely bounded through.
It was a god-damn castle.
Lights in every window, each room bedecked in gold and silver. Servants led him to a room to bathe, and the man was given a fine outfit of gold and red. A banquet table filled with the most variety of foods from the hearty breads of Highgarden to the delicacies of Dorne satisfied Jaime’s belly, and afterwards he was led to a large, beautifully decorated room to sleep.
The candles and fire were extinguished, and the room plunged into darkness.
A soft padding was the only sound in the room, but a quiet noise, like a blanket falling to the ground, was the only warning before the bed dipped.
“Are you afraid, Jaime?” the same voice asked him.
The lioness’, his wife’s hum whispered next to his ear. It seemed to be the only words she ever spoke to him.
The blond, now husband, trembled then whispered.
“Yes, I am. I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Brienne.”
A large hand - human hand - strong and full of calluses, touched his gently, before the figure rolled over and breathed evenly, deep asleep.
Jaime too fell asleep. By the morning’s light, his wife was gone.
And so day after day Jaime found himself with all the amusements he could ask for. A swordsman from Braavos to train with, a courtyard with targets to practice with, and even a boat to sail upon the warm waters.
He figured asking for dancing girls from Dorne would be too much.
Most oftentimes, the lioness would be there watching him, silent and calm.
The green-eyed man was persistent though, first annoying, then flattering, and now finally speaking to her plainly every moment he saw her.
He told her of his childhood with his long-dead mother, his overbearing father, and his vain sister. Jaime had always longed to be a knight, but wealth and a lack of sponsorship ensured he would never reach that dream.
The lioness gave him pointers on his footwork.
“Are you a knight?” Jaime asked, as he corrected his stance.
She snorted. “Women, much less lionesses, cannot be knights.
Still her knowledge of the sword was uncanny.
After nearly a year, he figured out she could swim, grew up on an island, and that her father had been very tall.
The nights were always the same. In the pitch darkness, she would press his hand briefly before they slept. In the morning, she would be gone.
He wandered around the villa today, a little listless and wan. He missed Cersei. He wondered if she was married now. He even missed his father!
The soft padfalls of the lioness interrupted the silence.
“What’s wrong, Jaime?”
He scratched her behind the ears. The great creature froze, but didn’t stop a purr from rumbling out.
“I think I’m homesick, Brienne.”
Her blue eyes narrowed a little in thought. “You can visit, on one condition.”
The lioness’ husband nodded eagerly.
“Never be alone with your sister.”