09

[maidoftarth]

Ought to have called it 'Oathbreaker', she said, before she strung us up. Seven, Podrick was just a lad, had never done a thing. Killed because of me? And Sansa, too. A high born maid of three and ten. What knight am I that I cannot protect the innocent?Am I just some fool girl playing at being a knight? I would have died for Renly, but did he just

Comments

[Voice]

[kingslaying]

[For a while, Jaime is silent. Silent aside from some muttering, and something which definitely sounds like fidgeting.]

Renly - Renly's interest in you was amusement. He was smiles and courtesy before you, and laughed with his others behind you. I heard it from the Knight of Pansies, and I'm sure he'd know. He got that name for a reason, after all, and it wasn't riding around looking like a flowerbed.

Brienne - wench - Brienne.I gave you that sword because it was a slight from my father. And I thought you'd wield it better than I. And I liked the irony of using Ned Stark's own blade to save his own daughter. And maybe... Because of my stupid, sweet sister, you couldn't keep your oath. But you've kept oaths to me, and I'll hear no more of this oathbreaker, alright? Leave that to me

[Voice]

[maidoftarth]

[There's a similar pause with Brienne, and when she speaks, her voice is thicker than normal. She's not crying; that much is obvious. However, there is a definate hint of it.]

I suppose I knew. Just like the other knights in his camp. Do you know they had a bet? First one who bed me won the prize. I had the foolishness to think that they were simply being polite to a fellow knight.

It is difficult, Jaime, not to think of Catelyn Stark's throat slit and her skin swollen like something dead decayed in water as she says such a thing. There's little honour in a knighthood anymore. But I'm not material to be the sweet lady; I'm the freaskish girl, better suited to the sword. What else can I do?

[Now the thickness in her voice seems to grow a little more, and it also seems tinged with embarrassment.]

You... Jaime. I... thank you. That's - that's very kind of you to say.

... The woman who said you had shit for honour is a corpse now, Jaime, who attacks mercilessly and will hear no fair trial. What does her word count?

[Voice]

[kingslaying]

Brienne, I have seen the worst of knights, broken men with their blood up and their soul shattered, and knights like they sing about, the Sword of the Morning and Barristan the Bold. I've fought alongside both, I have killed both. We are all men. We bleed the same, we die the same...

I'm not sure where I was going with such a tale, but I'm sure there was a point. Knighthood is - was - I only took the white cloak for Cersei. To be close to her. But it was a mistake. Everything I did, Brienne, everything -

[He pauses, abruptly.]

I'd sooner have the freakish girl with the sword and boiled leather than the sweet lady, with her smiles and lace. For I've found the latter don’t last past summer, and by winter they’ve withered and gone. The former...

[A smile, perhaps, small but earnest. Unlike his usual, knife sharp things.]

Perhaps we're better off here, Brienne, for the time being, at least.

[He laughs.]

Catelyn Stark was a stupid, Stranger-damned bitch. And if anything proves that, it's that she was mad enough to come back.

[Voice]

[maidoftarth]

... And I would rather have the knight aware of his failings and trying to fix them than a knight who joins in glory and honour and rapes and slaughters when his blood is up.

... I'd take thappireth over duels.

[She sounds embarrassed.]

Perhaps we are. I wonder why only us, of course.

... I wonder at how quickly the seasons change here, too.

[A pause.]

I suppose at least everyone else who has died has the decency to stay dead.