Love

II

A Raven had arrived, and the news they were expecting either would be of a victory or an order to surrender from Cersei's army. They had been waiting for the letter almost desperately, Brienne had begun to worry about her sworn Lady more than she already did, and Sansa would spend day and night alone thinking about different scenarios to come so she would be prepared. On a night in which Brienne could not sleep, the so-expected Raven arrived, she took the letter herself and went to Sansa's chambers.
She found her completely dressed pacing around as if she knew it was coming that night.

"It's from Jon Snow" Brienne announced

Sansa's face recovered color and she read the letter as if every second were the last one.

Brienne herself was nervous, not only for Sansa or Arya, or even for the fate of the Seven Kingdoms but for him... He had returned to die, she somehow felt he was gone, a part of her wanted to cling to hope while the other refused to even know what had become of him.

By the time Sansa had finished reading it she had gone pale once more, slowly she sat on her bed. Brienne waited patiently until she found herself calling Sansa's name out loud.

The girl turned to her "Daenerys burned Kingslanding to the ground"

"The Red Keep you mean?"

"Everything" she muttered

He's dead.

"What about King Jon or Arya?" Brienne tried to distract herself, to not ask the question.

Sansa moved her hand to invite her to sit down beside her. With a knot in her throat and expecting the worst she did.

"Daenerys went mad, she killed Varys and ended everyone in her way, even though the Lannister army had surrendered. Jon says Arya killed her" Sansa spoke, mostly to herself as if she tried to make sense of it all "Jon is safe, so is Arya, but... Tyrion, he..."

Brienne found herself reaching for Sansa's hand, the girl composed herself. "I'm sorry Sansa" Brienne began but was interrupted by her, this time Sansa was the one pressing her hand.

"Tyrion had helped Jaime" Sansa began explaining "he let him go and... they're..."

"Dead" Brienne found herself saying, ever since he had left she tried not to think too much about him, instead distracting herself from the memories and the simple thought that he had gone to die with his sister, even saying it out loud seemed distant, as if they were speaking of another person.

"Yes" Sansa whispered

Rise, Ser Brienne of Tarth, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

But it wasn't another person, it was Jaime, her Jaime.

A teardrop had fallen into Sansa's bed, and then another,  Brienne didn't know how to stop them, she didn't want Sansa to see this, she didn't want anyone to see this, she...

"Brienne" Sansa called in a low voice "I once told you I would respect you and stand by you no matter how you felt, it's alright"

A sworn sword should never show weakness, even less to her Lady, she composed herself and wiped away the tears.

"It's not your fault," Sansa told her "he was sick, Cersei was sick, he could have never deserved you, and he knew that"

"It didn't matter, I...he was a good man, he was good to me" He was mine, she almost found herself saying, except she knew he wasn't, at the end of his life he had proven to be always Cersei's.

She had never seen Sansa hugging anyone aside from her siblings or Theon, Brienne had not expected to feel her slim arms around her or her shoulder against her cheek, she didn't know how long they stayed like that until there was a knock on the door, Brienne immediately stood up and wiped her face, Sansa reached for the door, Bran was brought by a Maester.

"You got his letter" Bran muttered emotionlessly

"Yes," Sansa told him, wiping her face as well "Jon wants us to go South, I was going to ask you about it"

Bran nodded "You must go"

"I'll begin preparations then," Sansa told him

"Ser Brienne" Bran suddenly spoke, she could not remember him talking directly at her before, his gaze was cold and absent but she held it.

"Sapphires" Bran said out loud.

"My Lord?" She asked him

"His last thought were sapphires and how they could never be compared to a pair of blue eyes" Bran explained.

Brienne felt a burden be released from her shoulders and her heart. Bran simply left without another word.
She let out her breath.

It's yours...it will always be yours.