What Was Left

Chapter 21

Tyrion looked up, distracted from the large volume of Westeros history in which he was engrossed, as Jaime trudged into Evenfall's library. The elder Lannister signaled his arrival with a loud dejected sigh. Jaime said not a word. He merely slouched into the chair across the table from where is younger brother sat, slightly amused.

"Have you been forcibly removed from your Lady's bedchamber?" Tyrion smirked.

Jaime regarded him with mocking frustration. "Removed yes." He admitted. "Forcibly, no." He added.

"Not yet." Tyrion corrected, attempting to return to his reading.

Jaime shot his brother a ghastly sneer, then thought for a moment and furrowed his brow in worry. "Why? What have you heard?" He questioned urgently.

"Oh nothing." Tyrion replied. "However, it would be completely within The Evenstar's rights to ban you from these walls and forbid you from having any contact with Lady Brienne." He teased.

"He would not do that." Jaime tried to assure himself. "It would break her heart." Jaime scoffed, imagining Brienne's pain should they ever again be separated, and his.

Tyrion raised an eyebrow at Jaime. "You mean, like you did?" He said, pretending to eye the words printed in front him.

Jaime exhaled ruefully. He would never absolve himself for causing Brienne such heartache. He did not need to be reminded of it, and certainly not by his smug little brother. "She has forgiven me." Jaime asserted.

"Yes." Tyrion nodded. "But has he?" Again, the self-satisfaction in Tryion's tone was more than Jaime could stand.

"I did not come here to be berated by..." Jaime began to defend himself, but was interrupted before he could finish his thought.

"You need to be on your best behavior in front of Brienne's father." Tyrion instructed. "I did not spend the better part of these last weeks pleading your case to Lord Selwyn to watch you ruin your chances of appeasing him by being cocky and complacent." Tyrion shot back.

Jaime eyed him quizzically. "Pleading my case?" He pressed.

Tyrion closed the book he was studying, and folded his hands atop the cover. "When I arrived here at Evenfall, my welcome was far less than hospitable." He informed Jaime. "Lord Selwyn deemed me guilty by association." Tyrion recalled indignantly.

"Because you are my brother?" Jaime inquired in disbelief.

"Exactly." Tyrion said, emphatically. "Not only was the poor man in a panic over the whereabouts of his daughter, he was livid at the thought of you as her...possible traveling companion." He nodded.

Jaime leaned forward. "As far as that goes, why were you not out searching for us?" He condemned.

Sitting back, and crossing his arms over his chest, Tyrion stared at Jaime, unconcerned at his brother's ire. "Because, I was needed here to see to the business of the Realm." He defended himself. "You're corpses were not found in the destruction that was left at the Red Keep, and King Bran assured us you would both arrive shortly, which you did." He smirked. "I was also busy making sure Lord Selwyn would not challenge you to trial by combat when you arrived." Tyrion said. "You're lucky you still have your head!" He congratulated himself.

"He was that angry?" Jaime shrank a bit in his chair.

Tyrion looked at Jaime disapprovingly. "Yes Jaime, he was that angry." He sat back and folded his arms across his chest. "You dishonored his only daughter, took her maidenhead, and left her alone with your seed in her belly." He answered, summarizing all of Jaime's faults. "Of course her father was irate." Tyrion jeered.