A/N: Hello, welcome to my first Game of Thrones fanfic. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes I might have made as English isn't my first language. Feel free to PM me is any corrections are needed. Happy reading!

Jaime Lannister was sick and tired of being ordered around. He wasn't supposed to be ordered around, he wasn't some poor bastard who had to take everyone's shit, he was Jaime Lannister heir to the lands, fortune and power that were attached to the Lannister name, and yet, every since he could remember everyone was telling him what to do, where to be and how to act. His father, the great lord Tywin Lannister, was always telling him how to do and how he was doing it wrong, ever since he was a boy who couldn't read 'properly' he had had to deal with his fathers criticism, as if it was his fault that the letters danced around in the paper every time he saw a book, but he could never admit that to his father because that would come out as an excuse and Lannisters did not hide behind excuses. Father wanted him to become more intelligent, he wanted Jaime to be as good with books as he was on the horse or with a sword and that was something that young Jaime Lannister couldn't be. Tired of the criticism, youg Jaime once suggested that both him and his borther inherit Casterly Rock, Jaime would be in charge of the armies and Tyrion would run the family estate: manage the crops, deal with the people, establish business and trade routes… and what a beating he had received from that brilliant idea. From that moment on, he had kept all of his brilliant ideas to himself or he shared them with Tyrion while they were alone; his little brother would laugh and tell him that if father could find a way to attach Tyrion's brain to Jaime's body then he would be the happiest man on earth but that until that day came they were both stuck with their tough luck. His father, however, wasn't the only person who bossed Jaime around, his sister did too, and she did it shamelessly; when they were kids she would always choose which games to play, when they grew up and he had to spend time practicing with the sword and then be stuck with father for two hours practicing his reading, she would dictate what he could do with his free time, which always ended up being spent with her and her alone, his little brother neglected to whenever Cersei didn't feel like playing. It had been her idea to get naked and explore each other's body, it had been her who had been curious as of what grown men and women did behind closed doors that they weren't allowed to see and her curiosity had ended up with him being moved all the way across the castle, to the coldest part, but also to the part from which he could see the ocean and that was the only good thing that had resulted from their little explorations.

He still remembered the time in which, at the age of nine or ten, after a successful session of reading with his lord father, Jaime had asked if they could find a way for him to squire for a great knight. His father had looked at him as if he had asked for the wickest thing in the world, the look gave him sent chills down his spine, but Jaime hadn't learned yet that sometimes a look was meant to silent a conversation and he had gone on about becoming a knight and traveling the world and having songs written about him and his great deeds, he was still going on when he felt a tingle in his cheek and then a burning sensation followed by the smell of iron and something warm and sticky dripping down his cheekbone, his father had slapped him so hard that the ring he wore on his had cut his skin. He stood there, his lower lip quivering, trying not to cry as he heard his father talking.

"You will not become a squire, you will not become part of the kingsguard. You will, however, become Lord of Casterly Rock and you will look after our family and our name." – his father had said and ended the conversation. But the following day, as Jaime entered his father's study for the required reading lessons, he had seen the look on Tywin's eyes and how it went straight to his scarred cheek, there was something different in his eyes, something that resembled softness and doubt; and for many years to come Jaime would wonder if his dad ever regretted hitting him so hard, not that he would ever ask, of course.

When he entered his teen years, his father invited him to travel together so that he would get familiarized with the tasks he would have to take over in time, but of course the invitation was no such thing, as there was no way that he could refuse what his father asked from him. And so he spent most of his teens traveling around Westeros; he visited King's Landing and Pike and The Eyrie and Old Town and got drunk for the first time on The Arbor, all in all, he couldn't really complain of all the traveling, sure, it meant being with father which always mean that there would be reprimands and a list of his shortcomings but being a guest in all the halls he visited convinced him that he was above everyone, that his family name, wealth and good looks would be enough for him to own the world, and if you added that with each passing day he grew stronger and better with the sword then he knew that soon could be unstoppable.

"This world worships looks and wealth, does it not, father?" – he had once asked as they travelled back to Castely Rock, a big smile on his face, the smile of someone who knows that he had the world as his feet.

"You're finally learning" – his father said, a smirk on his face and a spark on his eyes. That had been the closest Jaime had ever been to receiving a smile in many years, and it made him stand taller and fill his chest with pride.

At the age of sixteen, Jaime Lannister had managed to remain un-betrothed and while his heart still burned with the desire of becoming part of the kingsguard, the light scar on his left cheekbone reminded him that Lannisters were lords and in places of power instead of servants of the crown, and that business and family were the top priorities for them, which almost matched by the need to make valuable alliances. And in a deal to make a valuable alliance his sister had ended up being shipped of to King's Landing, traded as . When the war broke, Jaime had lead a Lannister army and taken the city just to be sure that his sister was safe, he had killed the Mad King without any doubt or remorse but if he had known that Cersei would then go on and be married off to Robert Baratheon, he would have let the Mad King burn everybody down. For his brave actions Jaime was offered a place on the kingsguard… he had been knighted, his father seemed proud of him if only for the fact that his son and heir had most likely ended a war and the small folk and lords worshiped him, but had to refuse the kingsguard after a horrible conversation with his lord father and the treat of being disowned and left to die alone and poor in a foreign city while having to watch and protect a king that was fucking his sister and half of the whores in King's Landing. As a reward for renouncing to the kingsguard, Tywin had promised Jaime that when the time came for him to marry, he would allow his son to have a list of candidates out of which he would approve the better match, and while maybe he wouldn't exactly be able to marry for love then at least he would have a say on whom he married.

At the age of twenty two, and still unwed, Jaime thought that his strings were begging to finally loose a little, he was still unwed, he was working with lord Tywin and Tyrion on strengthening the Lannister name and he had the feeling that Cersei didn't control him as much, sure, he still visited King's Landing whenever possible but recently he was getting over that burning desire to be with her had had possessed him since he was a kid. Yes, he was finally becoming his own man, or so he though until he received word from a guard that his lord father was calling for him in this study. Jaime quickly checked his clothes in the mirror, one could not present oneself in front of Tywin Lannister looking like a mess, he had also learnt that from experience and a good whooping, and proceeded to meet his father.

"You called, father?" - he said while entering the room and realized that no matter how old, how strong or how skilled, he would always be a scared little boy when approaching his father.

"Yes." - lord Tywing said as he looked for a piece of paper - "Lord Selwyn has sent a raven with an invitation to a ball in honor of her daughter's fifteenth name day. You depart for Tarth tomorrow."

Jaime stood in his place, equally parts confused and angry. Why would he need to go to some stupid girl's ball when there was so much more he could be doing, he was doing a good job with the mines in Casterly Rock, they were producing almost twice as they did the year before and there had been no accidents in many months, meaning that the small folk were happy with their little lives in their little world, sure, he had gone to Tyrion for advice on a few issues that he just couldn't get his head around but the results were there. Years of scolding had showed him that nothing good ever came from questioning his father, but he was a slow learner and so he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"And what is it to us some girl's name day?" – Jaime asked, his voice full of despise for a girl he had never met and a lord he had seldom heard of.

"Tarth happens to be in a privileged location in the Narrow Sea." – Tywin said, apparently it had been a good day because his father bothered to answer his question.

"So? We don't make business across the Narrow Sea"

"Yet, Jaime, we do not make business across the Narrow Sea yet. Now stop being a kid and get ready, you travel tomorrow and that is enough."

And so, the following morning Jaime found his things packed and loaded in a carriage, his horse ready and a bag of gold waiting for him. But this trip wasn't all pleasure, this wasn't a social visit, his father had a letter waiting for him along with the bag of gold in which he instructed Jaime to do whatever needed be done to get on Selwyn Tarth's good graces. They needed his visit to be successful so that when Tywin sent a raven wishing to meet and discuss business, the Lannister name would be associated with something good instead of all the nasty rumors that they could not be trusted and so on. After riding on the Goldroad for a few days, the entourage arrived to King's Landing, where a ship of the Lannister force was already waiting for them.

"My lord, if the winds continue to be this favorable, we will be arriving a day ealier than expected" – the captain told Jaime as they supped.

"Make that happen, captain, and you shall encounter a thank you gift when we arrive" – Jaime answered.

It was amazing what the promise of a little extra money could do to men because for the following days, the captain had all his sailors working harder and harder to keep a steady pace, not even once did the ship stop in their travels and so they arrived to Tarth earlier than scheduled, much to Jaime's delight and Lord Selwyn's welcoming party bad luck. The Lannister ships sailed with big red and gold sails, making them easy to spot, and while their arrival wasn't foreseen, someone had spotted them coming and given word to their lord, who managed to leave his duties in order to greet them at the loading docks.

"Ser Jaime, it's an honor to have you here. Please, don't take offense on the lack of welcoming party…"

"On the contrary, Lord Selwyn, thank you very much for inviting us to such an important event..." – Jaime said, working hard not to sound sarcastic – "We were treated kindly by the winds and arrived earlier, my apologies for any inconvenience this might cause"

"No inconveniences at all, ser. Please, join me."

Jaime walked along Selwyn Tarth as the servants from both houses unloaded the ship, he took everything in as they walked through the docks and down the main road, everything was… beautiful: the mixture of green forests and the blue water of the ocean, the bluest he had seen in his many travels; he delighted on how the ocean met the sand and the sand met the grass, how everything seemed to be in simple transition and nature was respected, it was such an opposite of what he had seen at King's Landing, that over crowded city that perpetually smelled like something was rotting. The islanders nodded at their lord and greeted him with smiles as they made their way to the castle, Evenfall Hall wasn't as big as Casterly Rock yet it still looked impressive over the beautiful blue ocean, but what actually shocked Jaime was how everyone on that island seemed to respect their lord, how they seemed genuinely happy to see him… Selwyn Tarth wasn't a big man, Jaime was bigger than him and obviously stronger, he wasn't a beautiful sight at best he was average and yet, the way people looked at him… it was something he had never seen before. He had never seen the people of Casterly Rock look at his father that way, he had seen plenty of fear, jealousy and even resentment; even at King's Landing, he had never seen the small folk look at their own king in such a loving way, neither king… and that intrigued him, it made him wonder what could a man do deserved that much respect.

They made their way to the castle in amicable silence, a few words here and there, pleasantries about the weather, how the journey went, how things were under the new king for those near the capital; as they entered the castle something drew Jaime's attention: a boy was practicing with the sword, his master at arms shouting to keep his guard up, or stand a certain way, the boy was good, he was a natural with the sword and with the correct training he could be a worthy opponent, Jaime made a mental note to challenge the youth for a friend duel before leaving Tarth, point out the same things his master at arms was pointing out, only that this time as it came from some different, a knight nonetheless, maybe the kid would finally listen and watch his stance. Lord Selwyn showed Jaime to his chambers, he would be staying with them as an honor guest and so he should feel free to ask for whatever he needed… those were words that Jaime loved hearing whenever he travelled, and usually he did ask for whatever the hell he wanted: water for a bath at ungodly hours of the morning, some special pastry with fruits that weren't in season, most of the time he really didn't want them, he just asked for them for a laugh, to see people desperate to please him and get on his good graces, but for some reason he didn't want to torment the people of Tarth, maybe it was because everyone seemed genuinely nice, maybe it was because their lord had talked to him light and softly and in a respectful way or maybe he was just tired from the trip, so he asked for some water to take a bath nothing else.

After a quick bath, Jaime joined Lord Selwyn in the great hall, he walked into the room expecting to see it bursting with people but only found Lord Selwyn and a few others eating while talking amiably, as he approached the table, a servant poured a glass of wine for him at the silent instruction of her lord. Jaime took a seat with all the elder people, some of them had already started with the side looks, he was used to that, used to being stared at because of who he was, or rather, who they thought he was.

"Ser Jaime, please excuse the absence of my daughter, Brienne is being fitted for the dress she will be wearing tomorrow." – Lord Selwyn apologized, his voice gentle and without any judgment – "I've heard quite a lot about you, ser."

There it was, whenever he was a guest in someone's hall, they would always greet him and treat him kindly until at some point they would slide a sneer comment, usually disguised as a compliment, whichever lord or lords were together would certainly talk about his shortcomings, his father being the first one to do so, so whenever someone said that they had heard about him, Jaime prepared himself to receive a blow, he would try to pay special attention to their words, find a way to return the compliment while insulting or belittling them, remind the lot of them that they could not mock a Lannister while trying to appear unbothered, "the lion does not concern himself with the opinion of the sheep" or something like that his father used to say.

"Have you, my lord?" – Jaime asked, his signature smirk plastered on his face, his mind working a thousand miles an hour… if only he were smarter then he could do as Tyrion did, pour himself a glass of wine, listen to the comment and just shrug it off, say a smart comment or two and get on with his life. – "And what are people saying about me these days?"

"They say you're the greatest swordsman in Westeros. I remember seeing you in a melee some years ago, even if you haven't improved from that day I would still agree with that statement." – Lord Selwyn replied, a soft smile on the man's face, the kind of smile he would imagine an uncle would give him when sharing accomplishments.

"You are very kind, my lord" – Jaime replied, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

After lunch Jaime wandered off the castle grounds, he asked a servant for a horse and rode around the island. He went down to the coast, he just couldn't get over the color of the ocean, it really was the bluest ocean he had ever seen… Tarth: The Sapphire island, not a single sapphire had ever been mined in this land but that ocean makes up for any other richness, he thought and then shook his head, he wasn't a poet, he was a warrior, and why should he care about the blue of the ocean, he should be talking to Selwyn Tarth about trade routes, he should be doing the task his father tasked him with… but he had arrived a day earlier and so he deserved a day to visit the place, he was supposed to sail back to Casterly Rock the day after the ball and he had not just spent a week traveling to stay sitting on a library and bored out of his mind with older people. He pressed his heels to the horse and it picked up the pace, as he neared what seemed like the main square, he heard some young lads laughing, they were highborn lads, he could tell from their clothes and the way they looked down at everyone else… he had been like those boys not too many years ago and he felt a little disgusted by who he had been. He secured his horse and went into one of the taverns for some ale; there were more young boys there, all laughing around the table.

"Brienne the beauty, I tell you… you'll believe me when you see her"

He overheard one of the boys say in passing but then he saw a few wenches staring at him, they always did and while he never took them to his chambers, he did enjoy the attention… specially if that meant screwing over the loud and annoying group of little lords that had been trying to impress them.

"I'll take some ale" – Jaime said, rather loudly, turning a few heads towards him.

"That's him, that's the Kingslayer", he heard here and there, and yes, he was the fucking Kinglsayer, and while probably most of those people would still be alive hadn't he done what needed to be done, he was sure that at least one person they knew would have died… he should have let them die.

The following morning Jaime broke fast in his chambers, from his window he could see the same lad he had seen the day before as he practiced first with the sword and then man to man combat, that kid could throw a punch, he thought how funny it was that not enough people trained like that, most people thought that they could get away with just swinging a sword but in battle sometimes you had to make do with what you had: a sword, a stick, someone's shield or your bare hands. He was about to get his own sword on when someone called for the lad and he just went away, Jaime waited a few minutes to see if he would come back but nothing happened so he guessed that it would be a good time as any to try to talk to Selwyn about… well, about anything as long as he found some common ground for them to 'bond' over. As he walked down the halls he could already see the servants running up and down, busy with the upcoming event, there was a smell in the air that promised some good food and that made the idea of having to deal with the same noise and stupidity of the lads as he had seen the previous afternoon a little more bearable. Jaime found Lord Selwyn holding audiences in the entrance of the castle, he figured that they had moved there to avoid any unnecessary obstructions to the preparations for the ball, he stood on the sidelines while different men and women explained their problems, he made up answers in his mind, after all, he would eventually become lord of Casterly Rock and would have to deal with that nonsense too, but while he tried to give an answer that would provide a quick solution, Selwyn Tarth took the time to listen to everybody's side of the story, he asked questions on the matters he didn't fully understand and then gave his sentence, no one complained, even when he ruled sternly; Jaime stood there for what seemed like hours, something he had only ever done when punished by his father; and he listened, he just listened to what the old man had to say, he listened to the tone he used, he saw how each matter was treated as important even when things got tedious and tangled up. As the last petitioner thanked his lord for his time, Selwyn Tarth caught Jaime's eye and smiled slightly at him, nodding at him slightly to approach him.

"I didn't expect to see you here, ser Jaime." – Selwyn said

"Oh, I was just on my way to explore a little more and found the audience… I… I'm sorry if I intruded the session" – Jaime apologized, and for a change, he meant it.

"Not at all, ser. I was just curious as of why you stayed so long, these are everyday problems here in Tarth."

"Please, it's just Jaime. May I speak frankly to you, my lord? Frankly and… in confidence" – Jaime asked.

Lord Tarth nodded his approval and sent his guards away; they walked in the same direction that Jaime had the day before, probably going to a tavern for a drink? No, that wasn't possible; lords didn't go to taverns… did they? But Jaime didn't dare to ask, he simply followed as he tried to put his ideas in order.

"I've seen my fair share of audiences but… but never quite the way I did today. The people… they never complained when you ruled in favor of one party or another, you passed good judgment, thought of things I would have never thought of… how do you do it?" – Jaime felt embarrassed at his question, he felt like a twelve year old boy rather than a twenty two year old man who had already killed more men than he could count.

"There is no magic trick to be a good lord, Jaime, but there are a few things that help: caring about the people is one of them, not about what they can do for you but about their wellbeing. When the small folk feel protected they feel happy, they rally behind their lord, and part of caring about their wellbeing is learning about their problems. We are lucky enough to not pass hunger, to not feel threaten behind our strong castle walls, but those walls are meant to protect the people, not to keep us apart from them." – Lord Selwyn spoke softly and Jaime had all his senses focused on hearing every word that was being said – "Fear is a powerful emotion" – he added tentatively – "but loyalty and respect are more effective, at least in my opinion. If being feared is the only thing a man has to control his people there can always come someone else to inspire more fear, but if you are good to the people, if you try to show them you care, they will have your back."

"But… how?"

"They are simple minded people, they want their kids to have better lives than they did, they want a warm summer, food on their bellies and opportunities for growth. It's not difficult, son, to keep them happy. Now come, let us share a pint of ale."

As a wench served the ale, Jaime tried to remember if he had ever sat down with his own father for something other than a glass of wine during dinner, he remembered stealing his first sip of wine out of his father's goblet when he was around ten, he remembered getting drunk on a trip only to have his father yell at him for his stupidity and irresponsibility while nursing his very first hung over, he remembered drinking wine along his father during his sister's wedding but it wasn't a father-son drink, it was the two of them drinking in the same room without saying anything to one another. So, in a way, Selwyn Tart calling him son and inviting him a pint of ale was the closest thing he had ever had to his father buying him a drink and it felt rather good. They talked about everything Jaime thought a father and a son should talk about: swords and fighting and wars, they talked about knights and the duels they had fought, they talked about the places they had travelled to and all sort of problems they had gotten themselves in, they talked about their families… and while Jaime didn't say much about his, Selwyn told him how he had lost his wife and his sons and that now his daughter was the only thing he had left, he told Jaime that she most certainly didn't want this ball but she had agreed to it as a favor to him, to see him happy and that was when Jaime realized that as much as he longed for a father, Selwyn Tarth longed for a son. The atmosphere grew a bit dark when he had that realization, he was almost certain that Selwyn saw it as well.

"What kind of girl wouldn't want a ball, lord Selwyn?" – Jaime joked, as he finished his ale.

"I forgot you haven't met my Brienne yet." – the old lord replied.

By the time they got back to Evenfall everything was looking beautifully, the sun was starting to set and the light had a thousand tones of orange in it, Selwyn asked for food to be brought to each of their chambers along with warm water for a bath and each man went in their different directions. Jaime ate, bathed and shaved, he stared at his outfit, he had had such a pleasant evening and now it would be tainted by some stupid girl's day name celebration, what kind of girl didn't like a ball? He had been around girls all his life; Cersei's friends had always loved balls, they loved dressing up in their pretty tunics, they loved having their hair done and how men would ask them to dance, they absolutely loved seeing nervous boys trying to muster up the courage to ask for a dance and if the lad wasn't good looking or didn't have the right family name, they loved ridiculing him before denying the dance. He had seen Tyrion get harshly rejected once and it made him curl his fingers and press his fist until his knuckles turned white, girls could be such cruel creatures, with their soft lips and warm hands, their flirty eyes and full eyelashes, they were predators waiting for their prey and they worked better when armed with elegant dresses and accompanied by music. But the reason he was in Tarth was for that stupid ball, and while he was pretty sure that his father would be able to at least set up a meeting with the lord of Tarth easily, he knew that blowing off his only living daughter would probably throw away everything that had been accomplished.

He could hear the music all the way across the main yard, everyone had smiles on their faces and nodded at him as he made his way to the hall, the doors were opened, the decorations hanging: blue and red banners with suns, moons and starts hanged from the ceiling, it looked magnificent but what less could he expect in celebration of the lord's only surviving daughter, his heir and apparently his pride for the way he had talked about her during as they shared a drink. He entered the room and a genuine smile came to his lips, Selwyn Tarth was entertaining some guests, a smile plastered on his face as he talked and worked the room, he saw young men talking amongst each other and laughing, sharing secrets and then he spotted a blue dress, it would have been hard not to spot it, as the girl wearing the gown was taller than most of the boys in the room, he couldn't really see her face from where he was standing, he could only see a tall figure, the girl had yellow hair that didn't look silky but rather dry, it was short, shoulder length at best, but she had a long neck and a slender build, there weren't many curves but while most fifteen year old girls had curves not many of them had muscles and that, Brienne of Tarth did posses. The young boy dancing with her made her spin and Jaime saw her face… it was slender, long, she had a million freckles on her pale skin, it wasn't a pretty face, by far, but her eyes… her eyes were the same intense blue of the ocean surrounding the island and that alone was something most woman would have died for, at least in his opinion. A boy cut the one who has dancing with Brienne, claiming it was his turn to dance and a little dispute went on; childish thing, to fight over a dance, but he had done it too, even if it had been because he wanted to dance with his sister before their father turned them apart.

"I must say, lord Selwyn, Tarth does know how to host a ball" – Jaime said as a goblet materialized from nowhere.

"Doesn't she look wonderful, Jaime? She looks happier than I've ever seen her."

Jaime followed the old man's gaze and found him exchanging looks with his daughter, the loving gaze those two were sharing made him a little uncomfortable, as if he was interrupting some precious moment, but maybe that was how fathers were supposed to look at their daughters, as if they were the most valuable jewel they had. He thought about the many balls that his father had hosted for Cersei but as much as he tried to dig into his memory he couldn't find one time in which father looked at her like that, not even as he gave her away on her wedding day, no, Tywin had always used their name day celebration as an opportunity to attract potential business partners, to remind everyone about the Lannister superiority and, finally, to make the greatest deal he had ever made: marry off his only daughter to some drunken warrior who had ended up in the Iron Throne. Suddenly he heard snickering and two boys near Brienne who had been about to fight broke into laughter, silence took over the room, it seemed as if even the musicians didn't know what was going on, and as the laughter caught up with all the other boys in the room, Jaime realized what they were doing… those little shits, he thought.

Brienne the beauty… I'll challenge you to duel… promiste to take her to my castle… you'll see. All the whispers, all the laughter he had heard around the island and in the taverns, those stupid little shits had been planning this all along… and all because of what? Because this poor girl happened to not be the beauty they expected from the fairy tales their wet nurses told them? He felt bad for her, he had been a stupid boy once but he had never done something as cruel, or at least he thought he hadn't, and then he heard a shuffle in the crowd and he saw how Selwyn's smile fell from his face and sorrow overtook him and then… then Jaime didn't know what took over him.

It might have been the sadness he saw in Selwyn's eyes or it might have been that he thought he could atone for his childhood cruelties but before realizing, Jaime had crossed the hall and taken Brienne in his arms, he signaled the musicians to start playing again, a simple look that threated to kill them if they didn't start playing made was enough, and then they were dancing and she was letting him lead.

"Don't let them see your tears" – he told her as she hid her face on his shoulder – "They are nasty little shits, and nasty little shits aren't worth crying over."

They danced that piece and then they danced another, they danced through the dying laughter and through the awkward silence and they danced until chatter filled the room and everyone tried to forget the incident that had occurred, but Jaime wouldn't forget, he couldn't, not after having a crying girl in his arms and having seen the sadness in the eyes of the girl's fathers. When the music was over he slowly let go of Brienne, he looked down at her and held her gaze, she didn't even try to look away, he nodded at her and she nodded back and then he turned around, Brienne's hand on his arm and his right hand on his sword's hilt. When they walked past the mob of young lords that had mocked her, Jaime's grip tighten on the hilt of his sword, his eyes found the boys whom he had overheard the day before and they turned away, fear evident in their eyes which made Jaime even madder, the fact that they were scared but not ashamed. He asked Brienne for the boys names and committed them to memory, he'd have a nice little chat with them later.

"My lady, thank you for the honor of not one but two dances" – Jaime said rather loudly as they reached Brienne's father, whose eyes now showed relieve and appreciation – "Please excuse me as I now have to face a duel, I believe, with young lord Cole and young lord Wylde." – As he said that, Jaime could have sworn the ghost of a smiled appeared on the girl's rather horseish face, and out of the corner of his eye he could see one of his squires asking for a dance, he made a note to favor that squire later on.

Everything was going back into normality as Jaime found a drink and took a long gulp of wine, he had one more thing to do before retiring to his chambers and he would enjoy doing so. As he walked slowly around the room, young lords and squires turned their eyes from him, he saw fear in most of them and shame in only a few, so when he finally arrived to where the boy named Cole and the boy named Wylde were standing, his hand had inadvertently gone back to his sword.

"My lords" – he said and waited for the kids to look at him, the cowards didn't hold his gaze – "Whose turn did I just take? I believe a duel is in order."

Neither of the boys looked at him, they mumbled and shuffled like scared dogs. Jaime was about to continue their torture when he felt a warm hand on his elbow.

"Ser Jaime" – her voice was soft, unlike her features, and her blue eyes were even more impressive up close. Jaime looked at Brienne and he saw the kindness that he had seen in her father's eyes – "No duels, please… I would hate to have my father explain to lords Cole and Wylde that their sons are cowards."

Jaime's lips turned into a smirk, he turned to look at the little shits mumbling their thanks and apologies to Brienne and let go of his sword.

"Only because it's your day name, my lady, a challenge to a duel is not something true men take lightly." – he said and offered his arm, they walked away and left the little shits behind them, stunned.

They didn't deserve her kindness, they didn't deserve her mercy either, what they deserved was to get their asses kicked in a duel, he could take the two of them at the same time with no problem, hell, he could take the two of them using his left hand and he would still beat them to the ground, if only Brienne of fucking Tarth hadn't stepped in… he looked at her again, this time really looked at her as they danced for the third time. She really wasn't pretty, not by any standards, but she didn't deserve any kind of mockery, she didn't deserve what had happened to her, she caught him staring and blushed, turning her gaze away, he could see a hint of sadness in her blue eyes.

"Thank you, sir Jaime. And sorry for the trouble of having to dance once more with me" – her voice was full of self-pity, as if she was used to apologizing for just existing.

"It was no trouble Lady Brienne" – Jaime answered and then walked away, leaving the girl standing awkwardly next to some equally ugly kid.

He left the ballroom without saying goodbye, he made quick eye contact with Selwyn but all he could see in the old man's eyes was gratitude. Tired, disgusted and in desperate need for a drink, Jaime entered his chambers and took off his clothes, they felt dirty, he felt… uncomfortable. He washed his face and hands, he could hear the music dying in the background, it was quite obvious that the party couldn't and shouldn't last any longer, he considered going back there and pulling Cole and Wylde into a dark alley, setting the score even but why would he do that? Why would he even care about a girl he barely knew only because her father had smiled at him and bought him a drink… so instead of fighting some stupid boys he settled for fighting his own demons and try to drown them in wine, pretty good wine if he had to be honest, and after a few glasses of wine the music completely died down and after a few more glasses there was nothing but him and the darkness and the sounds of the waves and he felt good and relaxed and sleep overtook him easy and pleasantly.

He was dreaming, he knew he was dreaming because he was dressed in common clothes instead of his Lannister colors, he was sailing in a small ship across the bluest sea he had ever seen, he could see Evenhall in the distance and could only assume that he was on his way back home, the sea breeze felt wonderful against his face, the salt in the air made him feel sticky but he didn't mind, he was free, he was sailing free and had no responsibilities in the world. Maybe he could sail to Braavos, find someone to fight and see if he really was as good as everyone told him he was, or he could go to Essos or Yunkai or any other of the free cities, he could go to Dorne and drink wine and find a lover… no, he wouldn't find a lover, his only lover was in King's Landing and she was already someone else's wife, maybe he could go to King's Landing and steal her away, the two of them could go to Dorne and no one would care about their love, no one would judge them… yes, that would be his plan, he would do that. But as he turned the wheel he heard a voice, someone was calling him in the distance, a woman?

He could hear a soft knocking on the door, or he thought there was someone knocking, Jaime opened his eyes the bare minimum and tried to listen. Yes, there it was, a soft knock followed by the whisper of his name. He tried to ignore it, turned into his side and pulled the covers to his chin, a few seconds passed by, maybe she was gone, no, no she wasn't, there it was again, the knock and the question of his name, only this time it was softer, almost a plea. Jaime threw the covers and run his hands through his face and hair, he crossed the room in two long strides and opened the door.

"Yes?" – the words came out a bit harsher than he intended, but he could blame it on the sleep or the wine or both because only the gods knew what hour it was and even he knew that it wasn't proper for a young lady to be visiting his chambers.

"Oh, I… I… I should go" – young lady Brienne fumbled with her words, as she turned and he saw her walk away he realized that the lad he had seen training in the yard wasn't a lad, it was her.

"Lady Brienne…" – he called out and she stopped, turned around and approached him, as if she had been asking for an invitation or a sign that she was welcomed – "Was that you on the yard training with the sword this morning?"

"Oh… yes, I…"

"You're very good" – Jaime admitted, he had mistaken her for a boy but he refused to add the 'for a girl' after his phrase, she was good and that was it.

"Thank you, ser. And thank you for… intervening back in the ball room, it was most kind of you."

Jaime looked at her, she was wearing her sleeping garments and a robe on top, her feet were bare, her hair was messy, she looked younger with no one else around, didn't look as tall, she was just a girl, an ugly yet talented little girl.

"Boys can be stupid" – Jaime said – "And I'm afraid that doesn't fade away with time. Men can be stupid as well and I've done my fair share of stupidity."

Brienne smiled slightly at him, stepping slightly closer to his door.

"This… it isn't proper that we meet like this, now, in the middle of the night, my lady." – Jaime said, realizing he was down to his breeches and a thin sleeping shirt… had she been another woman, would he have turned her away too?

"No, it isn't, but my father said you'd be leaving early in the morning and I wanted to thank you once more. Thank you, ser" – she said and then stepped closer to him, got on her toes and set a soft, shy kiss on his cheek before walking away.

"Lady Brienne?" – he called – "Mayhap we can spar a little before I depart."

"That would be lovely" – she replied with a big smile and walked away, in the dark and with that big smile on her face she didn't look as ugly, or at least that was his opinion.