Jaime Hates Brienne

Part 1: Brienne Hates Jaime

Brienne of Tarth was a woman of honor.
She'd always done the honorable thing. When she joined the King's Guard, she rose before dawn every morning, to train before her shift began. She never drank in the taverns, with the rest of the men, who spent their days fighting and their nights deep in their cups or with women they did not know. And she never acted on what she truly wanted-- never spoke of it-- never even thought of it.
Renly Baratheon had been married, after all, and-- if the rumors were true-- fonder of his Margaery Tyrell's brother than of his wife herself.
And now Renly Baratheon was dead, anyway.
Long live the king, all four of them that remained. What did she care?
Her life in Highgarden was over. She served Lady Catelyn Stark now, at their camp in Riverrun. She had come to admire the woman-- the mother of five, faithful wife to one until his death, her tall and thin and severe-looking appearance hiding a capable mind and a good heart.
"Brienne!" Lady Stark called sharply. "Follow me."
Night was dark over the soldiers' camp, and the scent of men and all their assorted weaknesses assaulted her senses. Piss, feces, alcohol, unwashed bodies, harsh enough to make her eyes water. But Lady Stark's back was ramrod straight as Brienne followed her into the pen.
She knew him on sight-- knew him from the guards lining his cell, knew him from the imprint in the dirt where they'd dragged the Karstark boy's body away. He'd choked him with the chains around his neck.
Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer.
He was a man without honor.
Brienne suddenly realized he was speaking to her.
"Where," Jaime smirked, "did you find this beast?"
Brienne's jaw tightened. What did she care for the opinions of such a man? The insult was nothing she hadn't heard before. Brienne the Beautiful, Renly's knights had called her, when they wanted to be cruelest.
"She is a truer knight than you will ever be," Catelyn said, voice low.
Brienne clutched the sword at her side, and didn't listen to the rest. She stood, dumb and ready, until she realized Catelyn was speaking to her again. An uncertain guard unchained the Kingslayer, who stood slowly, rubbing his neck where he had been chained to his post.
"Bran and Rickon are dead," Lady Stark hissed. The four of them left the pen, making for the edge of camp. "I will not see Arya and Sansa lost, as well."
Brienne swallowed. "What would you have me do, my lady?"
Catelyn hurried them on, toward the stables at the edge of the camp. At her word, a guard stuffed the Kingslayer's head into a sack and heaved him onto a horse. Brienne climbed up behind him, wrinkling her nose. Gods, he'd been sitting in his own waste.
"Take him to King's Landing," said Lady Catelyn. "And see my daughters home."