Cruel World

Sansa

As the sun rays crept into the room and danced on Sansa’s face, she abruptly woke and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Turning her head, she found Jaime and Brienne still sleeping, with Jaime’s left arm wrapped around Brienne’s waist. Reaching over Brienne, Sansa lifted her hand and hit Jaime on the head. 

“OW!” Jaime yelled. His reaction caused Brienne to stir but she did wake. “What!?”

“Get up. You aren’t supposed to be in here.” 

Jaime curled up closer to Brienne. “I’m fine right where I am.” He replied with a smile. 

Sansa hit him again. Jaime groaned and slowly made his way off the bed. 

“Danaerys’ war meeting will be starting soon. You will need to go and inform me of any new details.” Sansa instructed. 

Jaime sighed in annoyance. “I don’t think I’m welcome at those meetings, given it’s my sister they’re going to attack.” 

“Tyrion doesn’t seem to have an issue?”

“He’s the hand of the queen and my sister despises him, I’m the twin brother rumored to have slept with his sister and killed Danaerys’ father. I will not be welcomed with open arms.” 

Sansa huffed a laugh. “Rumored?”

Jaime shot her a cool look. “Careful, Lady Sansa.” 

Sansa rolled her eyes. “You will walk into that meeting, and inform them you are taking my place in my absence. If Danaerys has an issue with it she can take it up with me, the Lady of Winterfell.” She replied confidently.

Jaime sighed. “Fine, but—”

Before Jaime could finish his sentence, his head shifted over to Brienne. Sansa turned around, and realized she was starting to wake up. Sansa quickly turned back around and motioned for Jaime to leave, and he sprinted out the door. Sansa couldn’t help but laugh before rushing to her friend’s side. 

As Brienne’s eyelids slowly opened, Sansa lifted her hand and brushed away the hair in front of Brienne’s face. “How are you Brienne?” She asked calmly. 

Brienne abruptly shot up from the bed, just avoiding a head on collision with Sansa and began to hyperventilate as she took in her surroundings. 

The nightmares.

Sansa sat next to Brienne and began rubbing her back. “It was only a nightmare Brienne…” she tried to reassure her. 

“B-but it felt so real, I don’t understand. They looked like corpses but they were running towards me.” Brienne explained between breaths.

Is she remembering the Long Night?

“Brienne, what do you remember?” Sansa questioned. 

“You are Sansa, and the Kingslayer got away, I let him get away!” Brienne cried. 

“But you didn't, Brienne. This is going to be hard for you to hear but I need you to listen to every word.” Sansa encouraged, Brienne staring into her eyes and nodding, her breathing beginning to steady. 

“My name is Sansa Stark. Catelyn Stark was my mother. And we are in Winterfell because you helped me to reclaim my home.” 

Brienne’s eyes widened with shock. “W-what? That’s impossible! You are in King’s Landing and Lady Stark is with her son, I was in Riverrun—”

“Six years ago.” Sansa interrupted. 

“I don’t understand.” Brienne replied, tears beginning to fill her eyes. 

“You were in a battle, a great battle. And you were injured. That injury has affected your memory. My brother and my mother…are dead. Killed at my uncle’s wedding.” 

At this news, tears began falling down Brienne’s cheeks. “Lady Sansa I’m sorry, I don’t see why I wasn’t with your mother to save her I vowed to keep her from harm!” 

“She died while you were traveling with Ser Jaime, you couldn’t have done a thing and no one blames you, I do not blame you. You saved me!” Sansa reassured her. 

“So, I returned Jaime Lannister to King’s Landing and retrieved you and your sister?” Brienne asked.

“No, not really.” Sansa replied. 

Brienne wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry, I’m confused.” She admitted. 

Sansa took a deep breath. “I should tell you everything I know, it’s the easiest way to help you understand. Do you think you would be ok if I did that?” She asked kindly.

Brienne nodded. “I want to know everything.” 

“Well, I can only go based on what you and Ser Jaime told me.” 

Brienne crossed her brows. “You are the last person I expected to trust the kingslayer, Lady Sansa.”

“Well, to begin then, I’ll say the only reason I trust him is because of you.” Sansa explained. 

Brienne’s eyes widened. “Me? Why would I trust such a man?”

“I believe it started in Riverrun. Ser Jaime would know better than I. While bringing him back to King’s Landing, you were both kidnapped by Lord Bolton’s men. They tried to force themselves on you, and he defended you. I believe that’s how he lost his sword hand.” 

Brienne’s mouth gaped open at Sansa’s words. “I-I hadn’t even realized he was missing his hand. Why would he do that for me?” 

Sansa shrugged her shoulders. “Unfortunately I don’t have the answer to that. But you have always believed him honorable in the time I have known you, and I assume this to be one of the reasons why.” Brienne seemed to be pondering all Sansa was saying.  “After Jaime lost his hand, Lord Bolton’s men took you both to Harrenhall. It was there he told you the truth of why he killed King Aerys. He had just told me about it last night. There were caches of wildfire hidden all around the city, and Aerys wanted to kill everyone with it. He stopped him.” Sansa paused to allow Brienne to absorb her words. Her brows were crossed and her eyes were filled with confusion. “Would you like me to stop, Brienne?”

Brienne shook her head. “No, please continue. I’m ok, it's just…a lot.” 

Sansa nodded. “Eventually the two of you made it to King’s Landing. You were at Joffrey’s wedding, the day I escaped. Joffrey had been poisoned, and I ran away with the help of Littlefinger. Both you and Jaime had promised to get my sister and I to safety, but no one knew of Arya’s whereabouts and I had never known of your intentions before I left King’s Landing. To fulfill your shared vow, Ser Jaime provided you with armor and your Valyrian steel sword to find Arya and I. Oathkeeper, you called it.” 

Brienne’s eyes widened yet again. “Valyrian steel!?” 

Sansa laughed at Brienne’s response, especially when the knight began to look around the room for the sword. “Yes. I believe Jaime has its twin. It was Joffrey’s first, he called it widow's wail.” Sansa rolled her eyes at the memory. “The swords were forged from the steel of my father’s sword, at the behest of Tywin Lannister.” She added grimly. “But you have used them to help my family, and for that I am forever grateful.” Sansa placed her hand on Brienne’s leg, to which Brienne smiled warmly. The action almost shocked Sansa, as Brienne had rarely smiled, she was always so serious. “Jaime then sent you on your way with your squire, Podrick. Oh Brienne, he’ll be thrilled to know you are alright! He visited you everyday.” 

“I-I have a squire?” Brienne’s eyes widened some more.

“Yes! The two of you set off to find Arya and I. You found me first, though I did not know you. I trusted Littlefinger when I shouldn’t have, and refused to go with you. Everyday I regret that decision. Later you told me you had found Arya, but she refused to go with you as well. But Arya tells me you fought the Hound and won! Oh I wish I could have seen that.” 

“I won in a fight against the Hound? Sandor Clegane?” Brienne asked in shock. 

Sansa nodded. “According to Arya you were amazing!” Sansa took a deep breath before continuing. “Littlefinger returned me to Winterfell, but the castle was under the control of Lord Bolton, and he had betrothed me to his son…Ramsay.” Sansa could feel bile in her throat as she spoke his name. “It was awful Brienne, I was forced to marry him, forced to do…other things.” Brienne’s eyes filled with sympathy at Sansa’s words and she placed her hand on Sansa’s shoulder, helping her to continue the tale. “But you gave me hope, Brienne. You had an attendant tell me to light a candle in the tower as a signal to save me. While Ramsay was busy battling Stannis—” 

“Stannis? He was in the north?” Brienne interrupted, her obsession with avenging Renly still fresh in her mind. 

“Yes, I believe you killed him. After doing so, you saw I had lit the candle, but Ramsay was already onto us. With the help of  Theon, I was able to run away into the Godswood, but it was freezing and Ramsay’s soldiers and hounds were after us. That’s when you saved us, Brienne, you and Podrick. Afterwards we headed to the wall, where I was able to reunite with Jon. Though soon after our arrival, Jon received a missive from Ramsay demanding my return. He had my youngest brother, Rickon, hostage. I sent you to the Vale to recruit my uncle, The Blackfish, to help us fight Ramsay. But my uncle was too stubborn to stop defending his home from the Freys, and died in the battle. Though with the help of the wildlings and the Vale’s forces we prevailed, and retook Winterfell. My brother Rickon died in the crossfire, and Jon was named king of the north. And when you returned, it was time to prepare for the battle to the north.”

Brienne crossed her brows. “A battle to the north?” 

“White Walkers, Brienne. Not even I fully understand it, Jon would know more than I. But the dead rose, and they marched South straight for us. Jon led the charge to unite the kingdoms, so we could fight this threat. Jon understood better than any of us that had we done nothing, we’d all be dead. There was a summit in King’s Landing, you were my representative. Most of the kingdoms agreed to fight, including Danaerys Targareyan, though Cersei refused to send her troops. I should mention after both her sons died, Cersei became queen.”

“Apologies for the interruption, but…who is Danaerys Targaryen?” Brienne questioned. 

“Oh, right. She is the last surviving child of Aerys, who while in exile across the Narrow Sea hatched three dragons and formed an army of unsullied and Dothraki to help her regain her throne. She’s the main reason we were able to prevail against the white walkers. Without her we surely would have perished.” 

Brienne’s mouth gaped open in shock. “Dragons!?” She exclaimed. 

Sansa sighed and nodded her head. “Yes, and she is not shy to use them. She may have helped us in the war, but be wary around her, Brienne.” Sansa warned. Brienne nodded in response.

 Sansa continued. “The only one to remain faithful to Cersei’s false promise was Ser Jaime. He came to Winterfell all alone. Danaerys and I were ready to feed him to one of her dragons to be completely honest, but it was you who convinced us to let him stay. You who told us he was someone to be trusted, and someone who had honor.”

Sansa could tell Brienne was pondering her words. 

“I find it also important to mention that during his time in Winterfell, Ser Jaime knighted you.” 

Brienne’s eyes widened in shock, and for a moment she was at a loss for words. “He-he what? But—women can’t be knights?” 

Sansa smiled at Brienne’s reaction. “As Podrick recounted the event to me, I believe Ser Jaime decided to ‘fuck tradition’ and knight someone truly worthy of the title. You are Ser Brienne.” Sansa could see tears forming in her eyes. “Unfortunately, this is all I know, truth be told.” Sansa added, though not entirely the truth. Jaime and Podrick had both divulged much information they knew about Brienne as they watched over her. “I wonder if anything I’ve said has resonated with you? If anything sounded, familiar even?” She asked.

Brienne shook her head. “No, I don’t think so, my lady. But I thank you for what you have shared. My presence here feels far less confusing.” Brienne acknowledged. 

Sansa reached out her arms and brought Brienne into a hug. “You have no idea how happy I am, that you are alright. I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d lost you.” 

“It was the White Walker battle I was injured in, correct? The kingsla-Ser Jaime, did not hurt me?” Brienne asked. 

Sansa nodded. “Yes, Brienne. From what he has told me, you saved him during the battle and you were injured in the process. He returned you safely to the castle when the battle was won. I don’t think he’d ever hurt you.”

Brienne huffed a laugh. “I find that hard to believe. The last conversation I remember having with him he threatened to run me in with one of my swords.” 

Sansa smiled lightly. “I think his time with you changed him.” 

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Brienne spoke up again. “Do you think…I could talk with him? Ser Jaime, that is?”

“Are you sure Brienne? You kind of tackled him to the ground during your last interaction.” Sansa noted. 

“Yes, I thought I could apologize for that. Also, I feel he could shed more light on my missing memories.” Brienne explained. 

Sansa nodded with a smile. “As long as you want to.” 

The pair were about to lean in for a hug when the door to Brienne’s room burst open. Standing in the doorway was a panicked, out of breath Podrick, who’s eyes widened at the sight of his lady knight. “My lady, Ser! I’m thrilled you are awake!” 

“This is Podrick” Sansa whispered into her ear. “Pod, I assumed Ser Jaime would inform you about Ser Brienne’s delicate recovery” she said with a smile, though through her eyes the squire understood her annoyance at his barging in. 

“Sincerest apologies my lady. While I was in fact anxious to see Ser Brienne, this is not the reason I’ve come here with such haste.” Podrick took a deep breath before continuing. “I think Queen Danaerys is about to kill Ser Jaime.”