To guarantee the safety of the woman he loved, Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister dragged his sister to her death in the collapse of the Red Keep, sacrificing his own life in the process. Now, Jaime must ensure Brienne's future, from beyond the grave...
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Although they worked closely together and the forces pulling them toward each other were fast becoming undeniable, Brienne did her best to keep Eyan at arms length. As much as she tried to distance herself from him, there always seemed to be some reason or another to be near Eyan. They were working closely together now to maintain the security of The Realm and The King, which meant daily contact as part of their duties. Even The Lord Commander herself could not deny that she looked forward to her meetings with the dashing and adventurous Master of War. Eyan Ripleigh was unlike anyone she had ever known.
For all of her fascination, Brienne would not allow herself to fall completely under Eyan's spell. His attempts at garnering her attention and her affections were becoming more obvious, as well as increasingly numerous. There were days he found his way to The Round Room, the sparring yard, the throne room, or wherever she might happen to be at least a dozen times. Eyan would always claim some excuse that made him seem organized in his duties to the most minute detail, but which also always included The Lord Commander. Along with those reasons came a thousand glances in her direction, and an abundance of courtly pleasantries which Brienne was not at all used to receiving. She had become quite adept at reading him, and his veiled advances. At times, she could barely hide her amusement at the depths of his efforts, or how those actions endeared him to her. Brienne admitted only to herself that she actually looked forward to his unannounced arrivals.
What shocked Brienne the most was how her pulse quickened whenever Eyan was near. She did not understand why his presence stole the breath from her lungs, or how the mere thought of him could make her smile. Brienne did not believe anyone ever made her laugh so easily or so often as he could when they spent their last hours of the day in each other's company. She found she resented the late nights which parted them, and secretly anticipated her first glimpse of him the in the morning sunlight. On several weary nights when sleep would have been a welcome relief from the worries of the day, in the first hazed moments of her slumber, Brienne was jolted suddenly awake by the realization that her dreams had turned from Jaime, and it was Eyan who walked tall and proud and smiled at her in the stories her mind wished to tell. A constant presence in the back of her mind or in fleeting moments that seemed she could reach out and touch him, though, there was always Jaime. He would forever be a part of her. Brienne knew she would go to her grave loving him. Yet, she was slowly becoming aware just how much her thoughts were consumed by Eyan.
Quiet and undetected in the shadows, Jaime stood as witness to the wary courtship. He watched, a silent spectator, as Brienne's defenses against Ser Eyan's charms slowly began to wane. He saw her determination to remain faithful to him weaken, and wither like a rose on the vine. She fought the change valiantly, holding true to the love she still felt for the very man who had hurt her so badly. Brienne barely noticed when her favor began to turn to Eyan. However, Jaime saw every moment, each glance, all the stolen thoughts filled with another. Each day that passed saw Brienne drawing closer to the man whom Jaime had chosen for her. Painfully, he knew that Brienne was falling in love with Eyan Ripleigh. Although Jaime understood that all of it was the plan of The Gods, that knowledge made none of what he observed any easier, nor did it give his broken heart any comfort. Jaime knew it would not be long before Eyan Ripleigh stole Brienne's heart. ——————————————— "The clouds threaten to open upon us at any moment, Lord Commander." Eyan caught up to Brienne, breathless from his dash across the courtyard. He eyed the darkening sky as if waiting for it to confirm his estimation.
