Brienne of Tarth
Brienne realized that she did not need such a husband and declared that she would marry only a knight who could defeat her in fair combat. In a training bout with a tournament mace, she gave old Humfrey a thorough beating, breaking his collarbone and a couple of ribs for good measure. Needless to say, the engagement was quietly forgotten.
Lord Selwyn abandoned all further attempts to marry her off, and she continued, with fierce dedication, to master the art of war under the guidance of the master-at-arms, Ser Goodwin.
Then young Lord Renly, touring the castles of his vassals as he took possession of the Stormlands, came to Tarth. He treated Brienne as though she were a true lady, and with that alone won her heart.
So it came as no surprise that when Renly proclaimed himself king, she rushed to his banner and offered him her sword — since he had no interest in her body.
Renly respected her as a person and, strange as it might sound, as a warrior. He knew how to be gracious and attentive, that Renly Baratheon. He would have made a wonderful king. In a short time, she joined his Rainbow Guard and became one of his closest protectors.
She remembered that evening for the rest of her life.
The wind drove evil, dark clouds from the east. At times a heavy downpour began without warning and ended just as abruptly. Lightning flashed. Somewhere in the nearby forest, a wolf howled mournfully.
She was in the royal tent with Renly and Lady Catelyn Stark. And then the Shadow came… and King Renly, her king, died.
It was impossible to describe everything she lived through after that. The other knights had nearly torn her apart, convinced that she had killed their king. Only Lady Catelyn's intervention saved her. Yes, she survived — but the crushing contempt surrounding her did not fade.
Everyone in that army, from lord to the lowliest, snot-nosed squire, made no secret of their disgust and reminded her of her supposed "betrayal" at every convenient or inconvenient moment.
But there had been no betrayal. Only magic — as black as the soul of the lowest moneylender. But only two people knew that truth: she herself and Lady Catelyn. And the Shadow, which haunted her nightmares for many long nights.
She had sworn oaths, promised to serve, and, if need be, to die. And now those oaths — the things she had held dearer than anything — remained unfulfilled. Her king was dead, and she had failed to protect him. Worst of all, she herself had lived.
In those bleak days, only Lady Catelyn's guidance and wisdom kept her from breaking under the weight of guilt and accusations of treason.
Yet even this protection nearly ended in disaster. They had to flee and seek refuge in Riverrun.
Life had lost all meaning. She swore she would kill Stannis Baratheon, hoping that revenge might fill the void. But Lady Catelyn found that lost meaning for her again. So Brienne began to serve her. And her children.
At that time Jaime Lannister was held captive in Riverrun. Catelyn Stark sent Brienne to escort the Kingslayer to King's Landing, hoping to exchange him for her daughters.
They had gone through much. Even too much. Her initial contempt for the Kingslayer — a man who had broken the most sacred vows — slowly gave way to something else.
They traveled for a long time, and for just as long got to know one another — though neither had wanted to.
And then she saved Jaime. And he, in gratitude, saved her in turn, pulling her out of the fighting pit when the hungry bear had been set upon her.
Their journey stretched on. And then one day, she received terrible news. At the Twins, in the Freys' castle, the Red Wedding had taken place. The leaders of the North, led by Robb Stark, were dead. Lady Catelyn had shared her eldest son's fate.
It was a bitter blow from which she recovered slowly. She even felt cursed — as though everyone she swore to serve was doomed to die.
Catelyn Stark had died. But her daughters lived. And so did the vow she had made to her.
Jaime's crude jokes, his blunt reasoning, his teasing — all of it helped her find her footing again and reclaim her purpose.
It happened that they ended up in the bathhouse together. The Kingslayer had a magnificent body — the body of a real man, tall, strong, lean. Even the loss of his hand could not diminish this magnificence. She had seen him completely naked and, afterward, could not sleep for a long time.
Then Jaime had mocked her shame and her attempt to hide her barely noticeable breasts.
But strangely, his words had not angered her — they awakened something entirely different. Still, she had never found the time to sort out the turmoil within her own mind at that moment.
They achieved the goal of their journey at last. In King's Landing was Ser Loras, the Knight of Flowers, who quickly got his bearings and already chosen a new allegiance. He accused her of Renly's murder. All the knights of the Reach were eager to see her head on a spike.
Jaime threw her into a cell. She had been so furious, convinced of his betrayal, and it took her quite some time before she understood the true state of affairs and realize that by sending her to prison, he had saved her life.
Even one-handed, Jaime commanded respect. He made Ser Loras listen to her.
At that moment, for the first time, she began to understand how absolute truth could appear in the eyes of others.
Brienne remembered that conversation — Ser Loras entering the cell, elegant and fragrant, as though a ray of sunlight had pierced the gloom. He seemed out of place in that realm of filth and misery.
Loras listened to her — the conversation lasted a long time. It grew dark beyond the barred window, the guard changed shifts, and still she told him how it truly had happened on the night Lord Renly died.
Ser Loras left. Later, she was taken to a seamstress, who measured her and prepared a dress.
She was allowed to wash and restore herself. The next day, Ser Loras escorted her to Jaime Lannister. From the way the Tyrell knight behaved as they walked through the winding corridors and staircases, she realized that something had changed. The hatred in the Knight of Flowers' eyes had been replaced by weariness — and pain.
(End of Chapter)
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