Chapter Text
Brienne of Tarth stood in her armor off to the side and behind Lady Sansa Stark. Sansa stood on the 2nd floor walkway at Winterfell taking in the view of the busy courtyard below. Sansa glanced back at Brienne. “Come stand with me,” she beckoned.
Brienne stepped forward and stood near Sansa leaving a distance easily 3 feet wide between them. “Why do you do that?” Sansa asked. “I asked you to stand with me not half way down the walk.”
Brienne strode forward, closing the gap between them in one large stride. Now she was much too close to Sansa. Brienne looked down at the beautiful redhead. Sansa gazed up into Brienne’s beautiful blue eyes. They stood for a moment. Brienne leaned down and spoke in a low voice “My lady, I do not wish people to gossip and speculate that there maybe something inappropriate about our relationship. I am sorry if I've done wrong.”
Sansa wondered, ”What does she mean? Inappropriate?” She spoke, “And what could anyone speculate about two ladies standing and chatting above the courtyard?”
“I am no lady, my lady.”
“So you say Brienne, however your father is Selwyn Tarth lord of Evenfall making you Lady Brienne Tarth of Evenfall. Stand here with me, two ladies, friends.”
Sansa turned back to watching the activities below. Brienne turned also. They were close almost touching. The tall blonde towered over Sansa.
“I've never been much good at small talk, my lady.” Brienne said apologetically.
“It's a good quality. I've had my fill of intrigues and insincerity.”
They stood in silence for a time.
Sansa was feeling sentimental today. “I used to know everyone here. Their names, their families, where they lived. Now I see strangers and few familiar faces. I want to reach out to them, but something holds me back.”
“We live in dangerous times.”
“I feel you are much more suited to them than I.”
“You are more formidable than you give yourself credit for. The way you dealt with Littlefinger shows that. I see you. I know some of what you've survived. I am just an ugly, overly tall woman who learned to fight because children are cruel. I'm nothing special, my lady.”
“Ha! I see you too, and you are much more than you appear. Much more intelligent than people think, and you have a pure and loyal heart. You are more a knight than any of the anointed knights I've had the displeasure to meet. They are not honorable men.” Sansa put her small hand over Brienne’s large one, and pretended to look out into the courtyard while tears stung her eyes. She gripped Brienne’s hand tighter. “I hate,” she spat out between gritted teeth.
Brienne was torn. This was exactly what she feared would cause gossip. On the other hand Sansa had wounds on her heart and soul that would never heal. It tore at Brienne’s heart. She turned her hand palm up so that Sansa’s lay on top. Slowly she stroked her thumb in a circle across the top of her lady’s small delicate hand.
They stood in silence for a time. Brienne spoke up, “Anger gives me energy. Would you like to take some exercise?”
“You mean like a walk?”
“We could, or we could spar in private. I could teach you to throw a proper punch. Get some of your anger out. Unless you feel that would be inappropriate, my lady.”
“I've never been one for that sort of thing,” she paused, “maybe I should try it. Father and mother aren't here to tell me it's inappropriate for a lady to fight.”
Brienne stepped away from the railing. She was still holding Sansa’s hand. “Shall we go?”
Sansa retained her grip on Brienne’s hand. They walked side by side, hand in hand. Brienne’s entire arm was tingling. She was having a hard time containing her excitement. In a hushed voice, she whispered to Sansa as they walked. “My lady, perhaps we should not been seen like this?”
Sansa was confused. “Like what?”
“Holding hands, my lady. People will talk. It's happened to me before.”
“Brienne, I am not ashamed to be seen with you. You've become quite dear to me. I confess I take considerable comfort in your presence.”
“My lady, you are very kind. I feel you are missing my meaning.” Brienne leaned down toward Sansa’s ear, “People will speculate that we’re lovers.”
Sansa was bewildered. “ We’re both women. Why would anyone think that? Besides it's not uncommon for a guard to be stationed inside a lady or lord’s sleeping chamber.”
They rounded a corner, and Brienne opened the door to her bedroom. It was a small room but large enough to let Sansa land some punches on her. “Please have a seat.”
Sansa sat on the bed. Brienne was finding the close quarters of the room to be more confining than she had thought. Sansa was so beautiful. They were alone. Brienne felt overly warm suddenly. She sat in a chair and cleared her throat. “My lady, in the past on several occasions some have speculated that I was,” she hesitated, uncomfortable, “please forgive my language, that I was fucking a woman.”
Sansa laughed. “How ludicrous. I realize you are tall and strong, but clearly you are a women. How could you? Why would anyone say such a thing?”
Brienne wondered at the sheltered life Sansa had led. After all she'd gone through, still there was knowledge she lacked. “Well, they assume I'm attracted to women since I'm certainly not a lady. Truthfully, I am attracted to women, and there are ways to please a lover other than male female sex. It’s possible for two women to love and pleasure each other. However my point is that I would not want your reputation damaged by gossip. People like to speculate. If we are seen standing too close, talking too much, holding hands, visiting each other's bedrooms it will appear that perhaps we are lovers. I suppose bringing you here to my room was an error in judgement.”
Sansa had known that men sometimes enjoyed watching women kiss or touch each other. Somehow she'd missed that women might engage in such activities together as lovers. She didn't like to seem uninformed or naive. “You had someone you loved?”
Brienne was happy she had gotten through to Sansa. “Yes, back in Tarth. She worked in the kitchen. A few years older than I was. I was in love. She was not. She just wanted a better life, some advantage. I was too naive to know.” Brienne had a tear in her eye. “She broke my heart. Smashed it really.”
Sansa reached out and took Brienne’s hand. “I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.”
“It was after my relationship with her became known that the gossip started. The whole island had me in bed with every woman that I spoke too or looked at. Not long after that, I left Tarth.”
“And so you are afraid that the whole of Winterfell will think we are lovers?”
“I do, my lady.”
“I will take your advice under advisement. Thank you, Brienne.”
Brienne stood holding out a hand to Sansa. “Let's get started on your lesson before the rumors start.”
Sansa stood. She looked around the room. “What am I going to hit?”
“Me”
“No, no, I couldn't,” Sansa protested.
Brienne smiled at the horrified look on her lady’s face. “Put your hands out,” Brienne demonstrated by extending hers.
Sansa complied. Brienne wrapped strips of cloth around her knuckles. “We don't want to bruise you, my lady,” she explained.
“Stand like this.” Brienne demonstrated a boxing stance. “Now slowly hit me, slow motion.”
Some time went by and both Brienne and Sansa were feeling that the small room was much too warm and much too small. Sansa was a quick study, but she was weak. She picked up technique quickly, but there was no power behind her punch. Brienne finally announced that their training session was over. “I think you’d do better with some weapons training. Honestly, your punch isn’t powerful enough to leave a bruise.”
Sansa left feeling invigorated and happy. Brienne sat slumped in her chair. She was warring with her emotions. Falling in love with Sansa Stark would only lead to heartbreak she was sure. No doubt, before long, Sansa would be married off to a lord. Though Brienne suspected Sansa had had her fill of men and marriage. Still Sansa was a woman of honor, and she'd do what she had too. The more Brienne got to know her the more she loved and respected her. There was no help for it.
Sansa Stark felt alive, tired but alive. Brienne was right working off some energy felt good. She decided that today would be the day. She'd start learning names to go with the familiar faces around Winterfell.