The Red Keep's courtyard was organised chaos. There were horses, lords, ladies and their guards all stood waiting for Joffrey to decide it was time to go. Tywin made his way through the chaos searching for a certain Tyrell, when he found her sister instead.
"Good morning Lord Tywin." Margaery greeted.
"Good morning, Lady Margaery." Tywin responded.
Tywin thought Margaery certainly looked different, she was wearing blue riding trousers, long black riding boots, a matching long sleeve blouse and a magnificent blue cape embroidered with gold Tyrell roses.
Tywin was startled to see a woman in trousers, but he noted the handful of other ladies who had joined her for the hunt had followed Margery's example.
"I didn't know you would my joining us, my lord." Margery smiled and tried not to laugh at Tywin's vaguely uncomfortable expression.
"Your sister persuaded me." He said and noted the similarities between Margaery and Dove; the former had a sweetness to her beauty which Dove lacked, however Tywin wasn't drawn in by her like the majority of the men at court.
"Dove can be very persuasive." Margaery said and her lips curled into that seductive smirk that made most men go weak at the knees.
Tywin was not most men and his mind was focused solely on Dove.
"Could you tell me where your sister is?" Tywin asked and his eyes continued to search the crowd for her.
His mind had been racing throughout the night with thoughts of fucking Dove Tyrell. She had been clever to make that last comment, too clever for his liking.
"Dove is in the stables." Margaery told him.
Margaery found the agitated version of the usually cold Tywin Lannister highly entertaining, and she couldn't wait to tell Dove about his behaviour.
"Thank you." Tywin said and set off towards the stables.
Dove was there just as Margaery had said she would be, she wore the same outfit as Margaery but in green making her eyes stand out against her pale skin.
Dove was stood outside the stable door of his mount, she seemed completely unfazed by the size of his white stallion and fed it a sugar cube.
"Odd he doesn't usually like strangers." Tywin said and Dove jumped, his stallion snorted unimpressed with her sudden movement.
"My lord Tywin I-I-" Dove stuttered.
Tywin smirked at her inability to answer him and made his way over to her. He patted his stallion's neck; which nuzzled Tywin's hands in search for more sugar cubs.
"Would you like to ride him?" Tywin asked and his intelligent eyes fixed into hers.
"But what would you ride?" Dove asked and her face betrayed her surprise at his offer.
"I have more than one horse," Tywin replied and gave her a disapproving look "So do you want to ride him?" He asked thinking she would refuse as any smart woman would.
Dove narrowed her eyes at Tywin, she knew he was toying with her and didn't appreciate it.
"Yes if you truly don't mind." Dove said with a shrug.
"He's a stallion, strong and temperamental." He reminded her but it only seemed to make her more determined.
"Like his owner?" Dove asked with a wicked smile on her lips.
Tywin gave her a glacial look but it only caused her smile to widen. He looked forward to wiping that smile of her face when she was unable to control his stallion, and he had to come to her rescue.
"Very well just make sure you don't fall off." Tywin said.
"Oh I won't." Dove said confidently.
Tywin opened the stable door, grabbed hold of the stallion's reins and led him out.
"Come on then." He said his voice curt.
Tywin didn't know why Dove was getting under his skin so much but one evening with her had caused him to become frustrated and agitated, and he didn't like it. He looked over his shoulder at Dove who had gone very pale, she appeared to weighing the pros and cons of his challenge in her mind.
"If it's too much for you…" He said and trailed off.
"No but throw me on before I change my mind." Dove decided and Tywin smirked at her and cupped his hand for her boot.
Tywin threw her up and Dove breathed a sigh of relief that the stallion remained still.
"Now just hold on and you should be fine." Tywin said unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
Tywin walked over to his other mount the stable hand had brought out, a gelding just in case he needed to swap horses with Dove. However when he looked over at Dove he couldn't believe how well his stallion was behaving, he was stood there completely docile in Dove's hands.
Others looked at Dove in awe. Tywin very rarely interacted with anyone at court however, Dove rode beside him on his own horse whom he had never allowed anyone else to ride before.
Margaery rode over to Dove on her bay mare, unlike Dove she was riding side-saddle as were all the other ladies.
"Dove I know you're brave but still-" Margaery began her features etched with worry.
"He challenged me and expected me to go cowering back to my mare," Dove hissed "I'll show him he's wrong about me." She added her voice determined and the stallion pawed the ground sensing her readiness.
"Are you ready Lady Dove?" Tywin asked a smirk still firmly on his lips.
"Yes my lord," Dove answered and gave him a flirtatious smile "Oh what's his name?" She asked and stroked the stallion's neck, his ear shot back toward her acknowledging the gesture.
"He doesn't have one, it's a woman's trait to name their horses." Tywin replied and spurred his horse forward.
Dove followed and tapped the stallion's sides gently and he broke into a brisk trot.
"So you know many women intimately enough to know they name their horses, my lord?" Dove asked.
Tywin looked over at her and tried to ignore how trotting made Dove's breasts bounce.
"Not exactly." He answered
"How long has it been since you've known a woman 'intimately', my lord?" Dove asked, the fact Tywin had chosen her company over his duties as Hand of the King made her feel bold.
"What are you implying?" He asked.
"What do you think I'm implying?" Dove asked cheekily.
"Answering a question with a question is not an answer." Tywin scolded.
Suddenly the stallion half reared and Dove squealed in surprise but kept her seat.
"Are you alright?" Tywin asked.
"I'm fine, my lord." Dove said but she had turned quite pale.
Margaery rode beside the King at the front of the hunting party and she turned around in her saddle concerned.
"I'm fine." Dove mouthed to her and Margaery shook her head.
Dove ended her conversation with Tywin and instead focused on handling the stallion who danced underneath her. Tywin confessed to himself he was a little impressed at how she was riding so far, he hadn't thought she would have stayed on this long.
They reached a flat plain once they were outside of the city and Tywin's stallion shook his head and pulled at his reins willing Dove to let him run.
"My king." Tywin called and Joffrey turned "Would you mind if Lady Tyrell and I galloped ahead?" He asked.
Dove scowled at Tywin alarmed and tightened her reins.
"Of course grandfather I'm sure that's the reason you put my lady's sister on your prized stallion, just wait for us at the woods." Joff laughed and secretly hoped Dove would fall.
Joffrey was sure his grandfather was trying to make a mockery of the Tyrells, however Tywin only wanted to see what Dove was made of.
"We will, come along Lady Dove." Tywin said and moved them away from the others.
Their horses broke a canter and Dove exhaled in relief that the stallion didn't bolt.
"Keep up and don't fall off!" Tywin shouted sternly at Dove and galloped off.
Dove's mount bounced with excitement, Dove exhaled before she gathered her reins, stood in her stirrups and kicked the stallion hard.
The stallion shot forward making the others a blur as she chased Tywin. Dove found she was grinning as the wind whistled around her and the sound of hooves was like thunder to her eardrums.
"Come on boy!" She hissed to the stallion grabbing a handful of his silver mane. The stallion shot forward happy and soon was side by side with Tywin.
Tywin turned to Dove surprised. Her hair was a mane behind her and the light had turned certain strands golden, she had a broad grin on her face and rode the stallion as well as most men could.
"Keep up and don't fall off!" Dove shouted to Tywin and urged her stallion on.
They galloped across the plain with Dove leading the way, Tywin heard her laugh joyfully a few times. Tywin purposely held his mount back at one point, rather enjoying the view of Dove's behind as she galloped in front of him.
Soon they reached the woods and Dove pulled up her mount, she patted his neck and he whinnied softly to her. Tywin trotted over to them, Dove looked stunning with her cheeks flushed and her windswept hair floated around her like a cloud.
The rest of the party were a blur in the distance.
"That was impressive." Tywin said and Dove grinned at him.
"It was Thunder he's an impressive horse." She said and the stallion snorted as if in agreement
"Thunder?" Tywin queried.
"His name I named him," Dove said and her cheeks reddened further "It's the sound his hooves make when you're galloping." She explained.
"Very appropriate," Tywin smirked "Not many women would be able to stay on a war horse at a full gallop." Tywin said and looked at Dove with a calculated look in his eyes.
"Well I'm not your average woman." Dove said and her flirtatious look had returned.
"No you're certainly not." Tywin admitted.
"I never answered you last night." Dove said still a little breathless from their race.
"I believe you did." Tywin responded and gave her yet another disapproving look.
"No not about that!" Dove laughed and tossed her hair back over her shoulders "I never told you my plans."
"Ah yes so what is the Tyrell master plan?" Tywin asked indifferently
"You already know the Tyrell's plan: make my sister queen and be the second most powerful family in the Seven Kingdoms," Dove said and rolled her eyes at him "My plans are a little different."
"Do tell." Tywin pressed and he surprised himself by being genuinely interested in what she had to say.
"I want to marry a powerful man not any of these foolish knights my father pushes at me. I need a strong husband; it is boring being able to get weak men to do what I want all the time. I want my husband to be my equal and make our family name last long after we're both dead"
Tywin looked at the fire in Dove's eyes and chuckled.
"You talk like a Lannister." He said.
"I talk like my grandmother and one other." Dove replied and waved at Margaery who was cantering closer with Joffrey.
"Who's the other?" Tywin asked.
"The only true Lannister," Dove turned and smiled mischievously at Tywin "You, my lord." She finished and set off to re-join Margaery.
