We’re coming up on a year from the finale of Game of Thrones. While the majority of the fandom hated it and we still don’t have The Winds of Winter, it doesn’t mean we’ve given up on the best ship of the story–Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. I’m still holding out hope for Winds, but let’s be honest. I’m just here to see my two favorite knights ride off into the sunset together. Here are the 17 times we shipped Jaime and Brienne.

Jaime and Brienne’s roadtrip across Westeros started it all. Snarky Jaime, flustered Brienne, and a trip that would take them from enemies to begrudging respect. There are many more aspects of this road trip that will be highlighted later, but this is what set our ship to sea.

Brienne taking out the Stark men that raped and hung the tavern women demonstrates her deep sense of justice. It is also the first time Jaime gets to see her fight. The way he dips his head to follow her final stroke is both hilarious and telling. Jaime’s into someone who could give him a good spar.

While the bridge fight translates well to the screen, the sheer amount of sexual innuendo Martin wrote into this sword fight didn’t. Have a little taste from A Storm of Swords. “High, low, overhand, he rained down steel upon her. Left, right, backslash, swinging so hard that sparks flew when the swords came together, upswing, sideslash, overhand, always attacking, moving into her, step and slide, strike and step, step and strike, hacking, slashing, faster, faster, faster…”

That little sword fight got our favorite guy and gal into some trouble, causing them to get kidnapped by Bolton’s men in the show and The Bloody Mummers in the books. The men attempt to rape Brienne, but Jaime intervenes, telling a lie that saves Brienne–that her father would pay her weight in sapphires for her safe return–but for his cheek, Jaime loses his sword hand. It is this act of selflessness that shows Jaime is remembering the man he was, and still is deep inside.

Jaime reveals the real reason he’s called “Kingslayer.” Jaime’s internal monologue in the books reveals how he notices every detail of Brienne’s form, identifies how she is “ugly” and “unattractive,” and yet his body tells a different story. This metaphorical and literal removal of their armor allows them to understand each other, and learn that maybe they’re not so different after all.

One of the worst travesties of the show was the omission of Jaime’s weirwood dream–the real reason he went back for Brienne at Harrenhal! Jaime dreams of Brienne–naked–while taking a nap on a weirwood stump. He dreams of them fighting an enemy with twin swords, and she protects him. One of the most beautiful lines in A Storm of Swords and truthfully, the entire series is found in Jaime’s dream. “In this light she could almost be a beauty, he thought. In this light she could almost be a knight. Brienne’s sword took flame as well, burning silvery blue. The darkness retreated a little more.”

How many men have you ever seen jump into a bear pit to put themselves between the woman they love and an angry bear while they’re unarmed and down a hand? The only bad part of this scene in the show is that because of the decision to leave out Jaime’s Weirwood Dream, we don’t get this gem of a line from A Storm of Swords: “‘I am grateful, but…you were well away. Why come back?’ A dozen quips came to mind, each crueler than the one before, but Jaime only shrugged. ‘I dreamed of you,’ he said.”

There are so many lovely things about Jaime gifting Brienne with her armor and a priceless Valyrian steel sword. In the show, Brienne names the sword Oathkeeper because it is an expression of how she views Jaime–someone who keeps his word. In book canon, Jaime names the sword. Since he can’t wield a sword, he gives it to Brienne to keep his oath–protect Lady Stark’s daughters.

This entire episode wrecks me. Longing stares from both of them. Jaime and Brienne having a bit of snarky banter in The Red Tent of Feels. Brienne offering back the sword and Jaime affirming her that, “It’s yours, it will always be yours.” The tension so thick you’d need Valyrian steel to cut it. THE HEART EYES. But the most gut wrenching part of that episode is the little gasp and wave Jaime gives Brienne as she and Podrick escape in the boat. Brienne’s heartbroken look as she turns away after that wave murders my heart every single time.

You know that moment in school when you got caught looking at your crush from across the room…by their significant other??? That’s exactly what happens in this scene. The tension so thick you’ve got to slice it with a Valyrian steel sword is back, this time with extra stankface from Cersei! Fortunately for Jaime, he was saved by the dragon. This little interchange is my favorite thing about the entire episode.

The soft touch of a hand, the offering of a drink and a soft smile, the heart eyes Jaime’s giving Brienne…RIP my feels.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the best episode of season 8. Heck, it’s the best in the entire series. From Brienne defending Jaime, to Jaime staring at her from across the yard, to Brienne getting flustered at Jaime’s admiration for her, to Jaime standing up faster than an awkward middle school boy when she enters the room, and then all of this culminating in Jaime offering Brienne a title she’s earned ten times over–a knighthood. I wept. I still weep. My heart melts. Nik literally had shipping blackout filming this scene. I will never recover.

Jaime and his awkward seduction be damned, as soon as they kissed and Jaime puts his hand in Brienne’s short hair, I was done. Utterly done. The weight of seven seasons of longing all built up. The dam burst. I watched in wide-eyed wonder at the beauty of my ship becoming canon. As far as I’m concerned, the series ended not long after this scene when Tyrion announces to the war council, “Ser Jaime is staying here as a guest of the Lady of Winterfell,” and everyone gives Brienne a knowing look. Screw you, D&D, and your dudebro fanfic. We’re switching to book canon now.

One of Brienne’s previous suitors, Ronnet Connington, thought he could talk smack about our girl in front of Jaime. Jaime administered the Golden Bitchslap in response. A Feast for Crows tells it this way. “Jaime’s golden hand cracked him across the mouth so hard the other knight went stumbling down the steps. His lantern fell and smashed, and the oil spread out, burning. ‘You are speaking of a highborn lady, ser. Call her by her name. Call her Brienne.’”

The Lady Stoneheart story line is Brienne’s Aerys moment. She calls Brienne, “Oathbreaker” and tells her she will free her on the condition that Brienne bring Jaime for execution. Brienne refuses and is willing to DIE rather than betray him, only faltering when she sees that Lady Stoneheart is going to hang Podrick and Hyle Hunt too. “Sword or noose?” The final lines of Brienne’s chapter in A Feast for Crows gutted me. “Brienne sucked the air in desperately, even as the rope was strangling her. Nothing had ever hurt so much. She screamed a word.”

In book canon, Jaime refuses Cersei’s plea for him to be her champion at her trial by combat. Cersei is literally knocking at death’s door and Jaime has literally burned his last tie to his sister. Check out this bit from A Feast for Crows. “‘Does my lord wish to answer?’ the maester asked, after a long silence. A snowflake landed on the letter. As it melted, the ink began to blur. Jaime rolled the parchment up again, as tight as one hand would allow, and handed it to Peck. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Put this in the fire.’”

I’ll let this little bit of text from A Dance with Dragons do the work here. “Her. The queen remembered the Maid of Tarth, a huge, ugly, shambling thing who dressed in man’s mail. Jaime would never abandon me for such a creature. My raven never reached him, elsewise he would have come.” *cough* While we don’t have The Winds of Winter yet, I think this is a bit of healthy speculation. Jaime, recognizing that Brienne is in trouble, has gotten to the truth of the matter and they have formulated a plan to stop Lady Stoneheart.

This should by no means be considered an “exhaustive” list. And truthfully, I could write you an essay on several of these moments all on their own, but had to trim my thoughts to a brief caption. Jaime and Brienne have so much going on for them. I can’t wait to read what happens next to my honorable OTP. Until then, I’ll gaze happily at this slideshow, read fanfic, and keep on shipping, imagining how great The Winds of Winter will be.