The Lion and the Warrior

The Break

"I feel as though I don't have a choice." Brienne said, referring to going home for her father's funeral.

"You do. No one will hold this against you." Jaime said to his wife.

"No one but myself. Only because there is no one else."

"I can't tell you what to do. I can't force you to do anything. You have to make your own choice. But I won't lie and say that I think this is fine, because I don't. You barely made it from Winterfell to Casterly Rock and no one could even see that you pregnant then."

"Send a raven to Evenfall. Tell them to bury my father as soon as possible and that we will be there as soon as the baby is able to travel safely."

"You know this is the best choice."

"I know that my heart is broken. And it will remain broken whether I'm at Casterly Rock or at Evenfall. I will go as soon as I can. I just wish I could have been there while he was still alive."

"You could have told me you wanted to go home at any time and I would have taken you."

"I am not blaming you. This has nothing to do with us or where we live. I just miss him and I didn't get to say goodbye to him."

"I know. I am sorry."

"No, you don't."

"I miss my father greatly."

"I know you do. You were with your father practically every day of your life. I saw mine for the first time in 9 years at our wedding. Over a month ago."

Jaime nodded. There was nothing he could say. Nothing that would help, nothing that would have been right.

"I know under either circumstances it doesn't make it easier. And I am sorry. I wish I could fix this."

She put her arms around him and held on tightly. "It's not yours to fix. It's not anyone's to fix. It will be alright. I will be alright. I just need some time."

"Let's get out of this room for a while, shall we?" He asked.

They walked out on the beach and enjoyed some much needed time in the sun. "Take your shoes off."

"What?"

"Come on Brie, take your shoes off," he knelt before her and rolled up her pants. "What are you doing?"

"Walk with me at the edge of the water. You've walked in the water before, haven't you?"

"Not since I was a child."

He tossed their shoes in the sand, rolled up his pants, took her hand and led her into the water. They walked hand in hand for about a mile. "This is beautiful; I'm glad we did this."

"Feeling any better?"

"A little. But I think its time to go...I..."

"Feeling tired now?"

"Yeah, a bit." She placed her hand on her belly and sort of bent over.

"What is it?" He placed his hand over hers.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Just a cramp probably."

"You're not..."

"No, its too early for that. I just need to rest that's all."

"Do you want to sit here for a while?" He had a look of concern on his face.

"No, no, let's just go home. I'll lie down for a while and you can do whatever it is you'd like to do."