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100 days of enemy recs: 71. Jaime/Brienne
My knowledge of Game of Thrones canon is... limited? I read the first three books, just before book four came out, in the course of a week, but then I heard that in book four, the *only* characters I cared about were going to be Jaime and Brienne, the others were all getting pushed to book five. And I had already started skipping around the the chapters I cared about (have I mentioned my lack of patience for POV-switching books where there are dozens of POVs and the different threads have nothing to do with each other?) so I said I was just going to wait to read any more until the whole series was out. Also it was becoming increasingly clear that it was *not* going to be Frontier Wolf fanfic like the first couple of chapters implied.
Fifteen years later I think I have been justified in waiting :P I never watched any of the show (not having access to HBO or caring enough to pirate) but I have kind of kept up with the Jaime/Brienne fanfic, because I to do enjoy them.
Jaime is a tarnished night: after too many years of royal politics, he's best known for murder and betrayal, and for brazenly sleeping with another man's wife (who is also his sister), and for blatantly playing off the way his family's money and power and his own talent mean nobody can do anything about it, and being an asshole about it into the bargain.
Brienne is Britomart, or more directly Bradamant of Orlando Furioso: the female knight, undefeated in battle and untouchable in honor. (I first met her in The Compleat Enchanter and have loved her since.) Except, since it's a George R. R. Martin book, instead of being known throughout the land for her uncontested beauty as well, she's spent her life being insulted and harassed and thinks she's ugly, because you've gotta cram the misogyny in there wherever it fits.
Anyway, Jaime and Brienne end up crossing a war-torn land with Jaime as Brienne's prisoner, but it goes wrong and they end up having to rescue each other, and by the end of it they have come to like each other despite themselves. And then presumably some other stuff happens, but that's where it was left at the end of the last book I read, and literally all the fic goes AU at some point after that, because seriously, this canon.
But they make such a good enemyship! The actual lines of enemy/ally are flickering back and forth across the gameboard like lightning at that point, because plot, but through the whole thing Jaime and Brienne trust each other, and they're the only ones who do: everybody knows Jaime as the Kingslayer, regicide, traitor; everybody knows Brienne as the laughingstock lady who thinks she's a knight; but they know each other somehow, and they trust each other even when the whole world says they shouldn't. Meanwhile, having the admiration and respect of a knight who - for all his tarnish - is one of the most handsome, strong, brave and skilled in all the land - does wonders for Brienne's self-esteem. And Brienne "pours out honor like a fountain", and give him enough time and Jaime will soak up enough to remember how to use his own again.
Also this is a very good pairing for arranged marriage and marriage of convenience fic so there's that too.
Fifteen years later I think I have been justified in waiting :P I never watched any of the show (not having access to HBO or caring enough to pirate) but I have kind of kept up with the Jaime/Brienne fanfic, because I to do enjoy them.
Jaime is a tarnished night: after too many years of royal politics, he's best known for murder and betrayal, and for brazenly sleeping with another man's wife (who is also his sister), and for blatantly playing off the way his family's money and power and his own talent mean nobody can do anything about it, and being an asshole about it into the bargain.
Brienne is Britomart, or more directly Bradamant of Orlando Furioso: the female knight, undefeated in battle and untouchable in honor. (I first met her in The Compleat Enchanter and have loved her since.) Except, since it's a George R. R. Martin book, instead of being known throughout the land for her uncontested beauty as well, she's spent her life being insulted and harassed and thinks she's ugly, because you've gotta cram the misogyny in there wherever it fits.
Anyway, Jaime and Brienne end up crossing a war-torn land with Jaime as Brienne's prisoner, but it goes wrong and they end up having to rescue each other, and by the end of it they have come to like each other despite themselves. And then presumably some other stuff happens, but that's where it was left at the end of the last book I read, and literally all the fic goes AU at some point after that, because seriously, this canon.
But they make such a good enemyship! The actual lines of enemy/ally are flickering back and forth across the gameboard like lightning at that point, because plot, but through the whole thing Jaime and Brienne trust each other, and they're the only ones who do: everybody knows Jaime as the Kingslayer, regicide, traitor; everybody knows Brienne as the laughingstock lady who thinks she's a knight; but they know each other somehow, and they trust each other even when the whole world says they shouldn't. Meanwhile, having the admiration and respect of a knight who - for all his tarnish - is one of the most handsome, strong, brave and skilled in all the land - does wonders for Brienne's self-esteem. And Brienne "pours out honor like a fountain", and give him enough time and Jaime will soak up enough to remember how to use his own again.
Also this is a very good pairing for arranged marriage and marriage of convenience fic so there's that too.
- Diplomacy (14542 words) by Gwen77
Chapters: 7/7
Fandom: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Forced Marriage
Jaime and Brienne are forced to marry, for politics. - Where I follow, you'll go (23075 words) by Lady_in_Red
Chapters: 8/8
Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Additional Tags: Canon - Book, Post - A Dance With Dragons, Marriage Proposal, Marriage of Convenience, First Time, Declarations Of Love
They get married for politics. Just politics. Promise. - Irony (12545 words) by kuolettava
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sansa Stark/Willas Tyrell, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
No it's definitely for politics this time! Tyrion promises!
no subject
YES
I first encountered and loved her in a kind of YA prose rewrite of the Faerie Queene (I know) illustrated with Great Paintings and it was like my picture book for a long, long time. In fact, it's this one, except my copy (in a box, Somewhere In This Apartment) is really thoroughly loved to bits and pieces. https://www.amazon.com/illustrated-Faerie-Queene-Douglas-Hill/dp/0882252976
Except, since it's a George R. R. Martin book, instead of being known throughout the land for her uncontested beauty as well, she's spent her life being insulted and harassed and thinks she's ugly, because you've gotta cram the misogyny in there wherever it fits.
And that's why I never really got into GRRM, because while I can deal fine with a Britomart who isn't dazzlingly beautiful, I REALLY cannot deal with one mocked for being ugly.
I first encountered Bradamante in either Italo Calvino or Theodore Sturgeon, I can't remember which, lol.