Game of Thrones/ASOIAF Fic: Nights Without Armor (Chapter 3 - Brienne, Part 2)

[bratanimus]

Author: bratanimus
Title: Nights Without Armor (Chapter 3 - Brienne, Part 2)
Fandom: Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire
Pairing: Jaime/Brienne, Podrick/Sansa
Word Count: 4,441 this chapter (~ 32,000 entire story)
Rating & Warnings: M for sexual content, language
Summary: An unlikely trio - Jaime, Brienne, and Podrick - set out to rescue Sansa from Petyr

Comments

[gilpin25]

This is fast climbing the ranks of my favourite fics, and this chapter gave it another boost upwards on its merry way! That icon of Brienne is perfect; it's lovely to see her start to shed the inclination to hide her body, and start to accept the scars and who she really is.

I must do the usual and start by praising your characterisation and storytelling. Pod might not say much here, but when he does it's either comedy gold (“I - yes, my lady, Ser, I am! I merely - I thought -"), or one of those loyal and touching lines that makes me think Tyrion couldn't have picked a better squire, so long ago. And now he's there for the three of them (but increasingly for Sansa, it seems. LOL). I grinned at Brienne and Jaime teasing him, too, despite the fact I'm sure they're less than thrilled at the prospect of another meeting with the Brotherhood. I am though! ;)

It's also nice to see Sansa making her own decisions, and putting others on the spot as to whether they support her or not. Long may she continue to grow.

Talking of which, I really love that before (and during and after, for that matter) the sex with Brienne and Jaime comes trust and assurances; it struck me that Jaime looking at her face and her ribs was very much as he'd treat another soldier in the first instance. The scene with the mirror, and that lovely turn of phrase about a knife whose sharpness she could not estimate, reads like a real turning point; I also loved that Jaime makes something of a quip, and then gives her time and silence while she tries to come to terms with it. Again, it seemed he'd know the importance of giving wounded men their dignity, particularly having been one himself. I liked how Brienne disregarded his hand when seeing only his beauty; I got the impression this is working both ways with the wench's (hee) scars.

The sex is so well done; it has that added intensity because of the need to keep silent (I did feel slightly for Pod and Sansa;)), and Brienne's innocence and growing understanding of her body and his. I kept thinking how this contrasted on almost level with the Jaime who grabbed his sister next to their son's dead body and went for it, and how that also seemed to sound the final death knell for their own relationship. My favourite part is the quiet intimacy at the end - something I find it hard to imagine his sister gave him much of - and how it's Jaime who voices the question about a future Brienne daren't consider. Goodness, I can’t wait to be in Jaime’s head* and find out what he’s thinking to all this. :D

* Though I also want to be Sansa's. Back in Pod's. Or remain in Brienne's. Can you do a four-way POV split? ;)

[bratanimus]

Thank you SO much for all your wonderful, thoughtful, generous comments!! As always, you've seen everything I hoped you'd see, and then some.

I'm so pleased that the banter with Pod worked in this scene; I wasn't sure, after such a confrontation, that it would be believable. But I wanted a little ease of tension there, so I'm glad you thought it worked. I see the four of them as a strange little family, with the odd parents growing slowly accustomed to their nurturing roles, and the children learning to fly on their own, even though none of the four really has ever had any sort of role model to guide his or her behavior. (Well, Sansa had, but she's been lacking her parents during a crucial time, hasn't she?)

Oh, I love what you said about Jaime's examination of Brienne's scars and her ribs works on the level of the soldier aiding another soldier. That was in the back of my mind, but I never really considered that it might come across to the reader, so thank you for pointing it out! And I love what you said about allowing a wounded person her dignity, because he's got that perspective now, hasn't he?

Yes, the scene with the linens coming off and the mirror really IS a big turning point for Brienne. It's her final physical flaw, front and center, and Jaime accepts it with a quip and a smile, and so she has the choice to accept it herself, or not. And exactly as you said, he views her scars much as she views his missing hand, which is to say that those things don't matter a whit in the larger picture. Thanks for mentioning my favorite line in that section ("a knife whose sharpness she could not estimate"). For her, the mirror really has been an enemy to her all these years. Now, finally, she has a more honest mirror in Jaime. (Again with the twin imagery!!)

I'm thrilled that the love scene worked for you, and oh my gosh, poor Pod sitting there in that chair trying not to hear all the sighing and moaning and rustling about, lol. He's already a teenage boy who MUST think about sex all the time, and then these damned knights are getting it on all the time within his hearing. It must be torture. ;)

You know, I never could wrap my mind around Cersei agreeing to have sex with Jaime on the funeral bier of their DEAD SON. Of all the squicky moments of canon, that one was right up there for me. They must have needed each other so desperately in that moment, but as you said it was a death knell, almost as though the depravity of WHERE they did it was the final straw of the fact that they'd been lovers at all in the first place, if that makes sense. Their union could only but end. And of course the imagery of death all around them coinciding with the death of the relationship as well. *shudders*

Side note: I fear that GRRM is going to kill Jaime and Cersei together in some grisly way, because their fates have been so intertwined and he keeps stating in canon that neither can live without the other (so Jaime must be Harry Potter and Cersei must be Voldemort, lol.) The idea of this possible end for Jaime makes me want to bawl, because I HOPE that he ends his life in a more noble cause, since his character arc SEEMS to be leading him toward a better, more rounded personality. But anyway, Merrynovice wrote on AO3 a beautiful and horrific endgame!fic called Corruption by Salt Water, starring Brienne, with Jaime/Cersei, and it killed me dead.

But back to Jaime and Brienne, yes, Brienne gives him the quiet intimacy that Cersei never could; I don't think she was capable of it. It must feel calming to be around Brienne now, for she never manipulates or schemes or keeps secrets. Hopefully that will be shown adequately in the two Jaime chapters, which will be posted after the next one: Sansa's meeting with Stoneheart. :D

Thank you, thank you a thousand times for your beautiful, wonderful feedback. I'm SO happy you're enjoying this story! *hugs*

[gilpin25]

Merrynovice wrote on AO3 a beautiful and horrific endgame!fic called Corruption by Salt Water, starring Brienne, with Jaime/Cersei, and it killed me dead.

Wow, that is a powerful and well done piece. Even more so, because it seems horribly likely that Jaime will take Cersei out in some way before meeting his own fate. Leaving Brienne behind. AAGH.

My one hope with the books is that Cersei and Jaime's fates have been SO heavily signposted from the very beginning, what with prophecies and dreams and their own words throughout, that it's almost expected should it occur? And GRRM doesn't like to give the reader what they might expect.

Can you tell I've had quite enough of my ships dying and will therefore grasp at any straw? LOL. But I agree with you that Jaime's arc surely has some way still to go; he wants to fill that page in the book for a start.

Of all the squicky moments of canon, that one was right up there for me.

This. I suppose it needed to be utterly wrong in so many ways that they'd actually go there, to show how utterly wrong they'd now become for each other, but it certainly was very hard to read without involuntary jaw-dropping.

[bratanimus]

Can you tell I've had quite enough of my ships dying and will therefore grasp at any straw? LOL.

YES. AND I QUITE AGREE. Speaking of those ships, did you see the Remus bio from Pottermore?? Guh.

I really do hope you're right about GRRM not wanting to give the readers what he's so heavily foreshadowed. Especially in light of what you reminded me of re: Jaime's dream about he and Brienne being the only survivors. Do you have that quote? I'd love to read it again. No worries if it's not at your fingertips. :)

[gilpin25]

Especially in light of what you reminded me of re: Jaime's dream about he and Brienne being the only survivors. Do you have that quote?

In the dream the only people he sees that aren't dead (Ned, Rhaegar and the knights), or soon-to-be (Joffrey, Tywin), are Cersei, Brienne and himself. He first turns to Cersei: Her torch was the only light in the cavern. Her torch was the only light in the world. She turns away from him and leaves him alone in the dark.

He bends to pick up the sword his father gave him and a small flame starts; he then sees Brienne, chained up, and her longsword takes flame as well. Their blades made a little island of light. Brienne says several times that she swore an oath to keep him safe, and he hears Cersei call: The flames will burn as long as you live. When they die, so must you. I seem to have quoted half the book back at you there, but the interesting part is that GRRM uses flames, plural? I read that as Brienne replacing Cersei as his guiding force. It's shortly after this that he and Cersei part, and he and his father quarrel bitterly and also part. It's not so much that he dreams of Brienne, as he tells her at the pit in that great line, but he dreams of a world where she is the only light/family he has left?

Of course, there may be a LOT of wishful thinking on my part in there. :/

Speaking of those ships, did you see the Remus bio from Pottermore?? Guh.

I did. I liked most of it, even the desperately sad parts, but it's amazing how gut-wrenching it was to read, even after all this time. Two fictional deaths I shall never be reconciled to. (Let's hope history does not repeat itself.;)) How did you feel?

[bratanimus]

So sorry it's taken me a while to reply. Dad and stepmom are visiting, and our hands are FULL at the moment, lol.

Thank you so much for the quotes. I'd totally forgotten the details of that dream. Was that the one he was talking about when he said, "I dreamed of you"? Like you I wonder about the choice of the word "flames" as plural. I hope GRRM isn't including Cersei's flames there, too. :( I hope he means that Jaime and Brienne need to fight together against the forces of darkness, and that when they can no longer fight, or when Jaime no longer fights for the right side, it's over.

I like that when Cersei leaves him in the dark, taking the only prior source of light, that Jaime starts his OWN light and then notices Brienne's; it's almost as though he has to begin to be his own person before he can notice Brienne's worth, and that she needs help. I love the idea of their TWO flames making an island of light, not just his own, or hers; their lights TOGETHER create the fullness of light. And yes, I agree, too, with Brienne replacing Cersei, for sure.

Right there with you on the wishful thinking, babe. I HOPE WE'RE RIGHT. I can't take it if one or both of our ship dies. I may have to come to your house and put on a mourning frock. :(((

I liked the Remus bio and was once again impressed by JKR's brilliance. Even if I don't agree with the direction she took Remus in the final book, she really did justify his actions (leaving Tonks and Teddy after his birth, and even R/T's choice to fight rather than stay at home with their son), and it makes it easier for me to accept it now that I know the full story. I think fanfiction really made Remus more of a "nice guy" than a "scared guy," but the fear is really, really part of his psychological makeup to the core.

I agree, reading that bio was gutwrenching, even after all this time. It's amazing how real the characters from a book can become, isn't it? I recently read an article about that (I think I sent to you and Lisa), about how people come to "know" characters in books, love them, mourn them when they die.

[gilpin25]

Was that the one he was talking about when he said, "I dreamed of you"?

It is. Jaime's Hollywood-style, romantic line. But I suppose the truth - that he dreamed of being alone and was truly terrified - is far less so. It always strikes me that he's weak, selfless and totally vulnerable in it, and there is only Brienne with her gentle light to guide him. Guh.

I think fanfiction really made Remus more of a "nice guy" than a "scared guy," but the fear is really, really part of his psychological makeup to the core.

This. He was certainly sadder and more scared than I'd realized, and for longer in both cases, but then I'm glad he and Tonks had that year of close friendship otherwise I'd think the marriage really did come out of the blue between two relative strangers! It's all reinforced my respect for Tonks, because honestly, he may be endearing and clever and so, so sad, but OMG, talk about a test of endurance! My favourite phrase of the whole lot is when Tonks is described as "Wiser than Remus." I'm now thinking it's even more of a shame her character disappeared for the vast majority of DH.

It's amazing how real the characters from a book can become, isn't it? I recently read an article about that (I think I sent to you and Lisa), about how people come to "know" characters in books, love them, mourn them when they die.

You did and a lot of the article resonated with me. It's interesting, though, how when the fictional 'love' dies in some way - not necessarily literally, lol; I'm talking more in the way that something happens to tarnish the fantasy, or it's simply 'outgrown' - that the feeling can never be recaptured again in the same intensity. It's like a first love: it burns brilliantly and painfully, but once it's gone the memory is either a gentle reminder or a puzzling one. How did I once feel that strongly? (Can you tell I've been thinking about this story I'll write one day far too much?;))

Anyway, Remus Lupin has stood the test of time pretty well! An excellent and worthy first love. ♥

[bratanimus]

He was certainly sadder and more scared than I'd realized, and for longer in both cases, but then I'm glad he and Tonks had that year of close friendship otherwise I'd think the marriage really did come out of the blue between two relative strangers! It's all reinforced my respect for Tonks, because honestly, he may be endearing and clever and so, so sad, but OMG, talk about a test of endurance!

Definitely, lol. And it makes sense that only a younger woman would have the patience (naïveté?) to sit through something like that; I'd imagine most older women would have given him the heave-ho long ago. Tonks is an odd combination of wise old soul and young idealist. I can't wait to read HER bio from Pottermore!!

It's interesting, though, how when the fictional 'love' dies in some way - not necessarily literally, lol; I'm talking more in the way that something happens to tarnish the fantasy, or it's simply 'outgrown' - that the feeling can never be recaptured again in the same intensity. It's like a first love: it burns brilliantly and painfully, but once it's gone the memory is either a gentle reminder or a puzzling one. How did I once feel that strongly?

RIGHT. Exactly. I went through my Buffy phase, and now when I watch it's like seeing old, dear friends again; but it's not the same intensity at all. But yes, Remus and HP in general have stood the test of time, for sure.

(Can you tell I've been thinking about this story I'll write one day far too much?;))

I'd love to hear more about it! Maybe via email? :D