Hey readers! I'm just putting this up becaue it's been rattling in my brain for ages. Please note that Tanrea is my OC, and does not exist in the books or shows. but everything else is owned by George R. Martin, and all rights are to him.
Varys tottered down the corridor with a particular hurry in his step. He hoped to the seven heavens that he didn't run into Baelish, and would be caught in another banter competition. Varys passed multiple corridors and rooms, passed maidens, maids, squires, even the humble Podrick, and finally reached a staircase that wound around to the top of the tower of the Hand. His footsteps made soft *pft pft* sounds as he made his way up the stairs. When he reached Lord Tywin's chamber, Varys gathered his wits and all his internal strength. He wasn't carrying any particularly damaging news, but you could never predict how badly you'd be burned by the head of house Lannister.
Varys knocked on the heavy wooden door, and heard the smooth growl of Tywin's reply.
"Enter."
Varys pushed opened the door and shuffled in, closing the door behind him politely. As usual, Tywin was bent low over his desk, writing furiously to who knows. Varys didn't dare try and spy who or what it was about. That was for his little birds, and if he was caught by Tywin trying to read letters not meant for the eunuch's eyes, there would be trouble.
Tywin looked up, and nodded at the bald, pasty faced man. Varys gave his usual polite bow, and waited for Tywin to allow him to sit.
"Greetings, Lord Varys. Take a seat. I'll be with you in a moment."
Varys smiled, even though the bald and powerful man would not see it. But Varys knew that the air in a room can change, depending on emotions or expressions, and that air can be read by people like Tywin. It was only a minute before Tywin put down his quill, and folded his hands before him, looking expectantly at Varys.
"I've come today to inquire whether you heard about a certain death, Lord Tywin." Varys started.
"As it happens, I haven't. Please, tell." Tywin sat back, giving an amount of attention that Lord Varys was grateful of.
"Lady Rylene Crane, former Rylene Florent, has died three days passed in the night after her sickness finally took her."
Tywin nodded. "That is a shame. She was an intelligent woman, and charming I'll say. She isolated herself from the war, did she not? But why does this concern us? Her family have sided with Stannis."
"It's not Rylene who I have mainly come to tell of. More her daughter."
Tywin tilted his head, and his pale green eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Lady Delena."
"No, My Lord. That is Rylene's Niece. The daughter I speak of is Rylene's only living child, the bastard girl Tanrea Storm, the Smiling Fox."
Tywin went silent. Varys knew that Tanrea's existence was an annoyance to the pale-eyed Lannister. She was a reminder that he could not control his dog 24/7, even before the creature left during the battle of Blackwater.
"What of her?" Tywin snapped.
"Well, my Lord, she has come seeking work. I'm sure you're aware of her profession."
Tywin shifted his jaw. "I hear it is something similar to yours, Lord Varys."
"Indeed. She has a certain knack for gaining information, and being the unharmed messenger. She carries her messages with confidence that no one will steal them, and has never been killed or harmed, successfully anyway, for carrying these messages. No one is sure, however, whether she reads them before she gives them to those she is meant to be delivering to."
"And this makes her dangerous." Tywin said, resting his fist on the table before him.
"Why no, my Lord, this makes her useful." Varys said with a smile. Tywin raised his chin in skepticism, looking down his nose at the spider.
"I see. You want to take her into your business."
"In a way, yes. She could hold secrets to houses and people that we could use. Use to hurt. Use to hurt powerful, powerful people, my Lord."
Tywin pouted for a second, then nodded.
"However much I don't like your business, Lord Varys, it does have tremendous uses from time to time. But keep this girl far away from me and my family as much as possible."
"And why is that, Lord Tywin?" asked Varys the master of whisperers, although he already knew.
"Because that girl is a reminder of disloyalty, rebellion, and forbidden affections. The only time in the past I ever doubted the Hound's loyalty, was when Tanrea's mother Rylene caught his eye. When I commanded him to escort her when she was to be married off, I had no idea what would follow. And then she got pregnant." Tywin huffed at the memories. "I did like Rylene, but that was foolish of her."
Varys cocked his head for a second, and stated, as if trying to remember something long forgotten, "I had heard that when Tanrea was born, Rylene locked herself in her chambers for weeks, only admitting her faithful maid, and the two dogs she kept."
"Yes, and that was the two weeks the Hound disappeared from the Capital." Tywin said, with more venom than normal.
"There is rumour from Crane's hold," Varys continued, "That a great shadow managed to climb through her window soon after Tanrea was born, and stayed by Rylene for a time."
"Undoubtedly true. The Hound was a faithful dog, but that hiccup in his duties caused me concern for a time. He's lucky that when he turned up out of the blue that I didn't turn around and have his head for desertion. And it is said that Tanrea is the perfect combination of fox and hound."
"It is, my lord. And I intend on using it to our advantage." Varys said. Tywin waved him to leave, so Varys rose, bowed, and left the chamber without any more on the subject.