Chapter Four
Tywin
Even as a boy, Tywin had observed these rooms that made up part of his grand Solar and craved their ownership from his late father. In the eyes of the Great Lion, this room at the edge of Casterly Rock, overlooking the great city and the fleet it housed was the solidified symbol of power in this land. Now he had that power, and not just the fleeting image of it that his Grandfather possessed too; as he was Warden of the West and the Hand of the King. Tywin of the Noble House of Lannister was the most powerful man in the kingdoms, and not even Aerys could dispute this if he were honest. No family could look down on them, not even the Targaryens. As he looked over the port city that seemed quieter tonight, he realised that power seemed useless if you could not save those you loved. For several fleeting moments that night, he had considered giving it all up if his wife could be restored to him and that monster removed from his sight.
Though he did not ponder on such things for long. She was dead, the thing that killed her was still alive and Arraon had ran away. The Gods only knew why he had undertaken such a ludicrous intention, but he would find his son; no matter how long it took. They would not take more than one thing he loved this day. Damn that boy, he wasn't thinking about his actions; brash, wild. Even fierce at times. It was inevitable the boy was going to take something from his mother. Even now, he could still see her on the day before she passed. She had been pretty, more than that, she had once been the envy and light of the West. Never as beautiful as Joanna, Tywin realised in retrospect but a beauty all the same. The words of her sing song voice still echoed through his head even now. "Promise me Ty," she had said, taking his hand in hers "Swear it to me, on your honour as a Lannister!"
Damn her. It had been nearly a decade now but if there was any debt he remained any more unwilling to break it was this one. He made good on his promise to Kevan and was prepared to empty the Rock of guards, bar a scarce minimum and each of them had orders not to return unless his son was safe. Fools. He had a mind to take all of their heads, but that would have been more trouble than it was worth. He was prepared to go out there himself as was his right: Arraon was his son, his own lifeblood, his responsibility. Yet now he had received word that Jaime had left as well. He felt as if he wanted to collapse into himself and never wake. Or at least so he thought, until the first patrol returned. Lord Tywin observed them from the window of his Solar and noticed their banners. The family sigil of the Golden Lion and another less noble yet all too familiar. A lion standing upright, eyes closed and mouth open that looked as if it was laughing. "So Gerion is the first to return."
It was a few minutes before his youngest brother came to his door, even the grief of the day had gotten to his brother. He just didn't look the same without that insufferable grin plastered from ear to ear. "My Lord."
"Did you find them, Gerion?"
"Among other things." Was the reply, causing Tywin to raise his eyebrow. "You'd best come and see this." He motioned for his elder to follow him out of the chamber but there was little in Tywin's political or parental career that could have prepared him for what he was about to see; the corpse of a bloodied yet full grown pendric lioness. Though he knew he showed no signs of shock, it was something that struck him deeply. Especially since he knew it was not Gerion that had taken down this monster. For the first time in his life, he found himself confused on how to feel about the situation. "There's also the matter of the cubs…" Gerion announced, motioning to a pile of three golden cubs and an albino on the opposite side, away from the mother's unseeing view.
"Feed the body to the hunting hounds, and have the cubs sent to the Butcher. We cannot afford to hold Pendric Lions." He commanded.
"Arraon won't be happy with that, big brother."
"Why?"
"He claims he was 'meant' to find them." Gerion explained to Tywin's immense displeasure.
"Leave the beast for now. I will deal with my Son." He commanded as he returned to his study. Eventually, Arraon was sent through the door shaking and uncomfortable with the experience he was going through. The most apparent factor of his son's feelings was the undeniable reality that Arraon would not meet his gaze. He stood before the edge of the desk, Arraon barely standing before him. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself or in the defence of your arrogance and stupidity this night? Defying my will, running away like a stray cat without my leave and risking becoming a further embarrassment to the family." He said, calmly and without any malice. Yet even he was aware of the ice that had been slipping into his voice. He considered it one of his many talents, for it had kept the West, his Family and the Kingdoms in order.
"None of that would matter much to me as long as no blood was spilt, yet it was the opposite that happened, wasn't it? A Pendric Lioness is not a creature that dwells out of their Lairs often and I cannot for the life of me figure out what madness and stupidity possessed you to journey into those mountains. And you were followed by your brother as well, who has more spirit but an equal lack of sense. Now, I demand an explanation – WHY?!" He demanded of his son but Arraon would not bend, not for any hateful purpose, but because he feared what he might inflict upon him. Perhaps he was right. Though the endless silence seemed to grate on Tywin's nerve as he demanded an answer from his son again and again but with very mute and vague answers ultimately leaving the Lord of the Rock with no choice.
He slowly paced from the desk to the shivering mass of his son and looked down upon him, followed by standing tall as a statue over his natural son. "Arraon." He stated, with a chill and authority he was all too aware of. "Look at me." He commanded, and as Arraon looked up he seemed to get much more confident, with his arms locked down by his side, as if mimicking or mocking him. As Tywin looked down at him, he saw a glint of his own reflection in his hazel eyes. In her eyes. "Now, tell me why you did what you did tonight." The next space of time was occupied by Arraon recounting the situations he had found himself in that night. From the observations in the Sept, to the visit of the Northman, to the visit in the Godswood, to the meeting with Jaime on the road, to the mountain. The rest was recent history. "You misunderstand me," Tywin began once again, "you have not explained why."
"Father?" the boy asked him, so he repeated the question.
"When I was in the Stone garden," he began "I felt as if the Gods were watching me. When I asked for, erhm, for our family to be healed the Gods blew the leaves north. I knew then that they wanted me to go there."
"North?" Lord Tywin repeated sharply. "What possible purpose could be for you in that frozen wasteland?"
"I…I had thought that my place might have been on the Wall…"
"The Wall," he scoffed, as he turned his back to face the desk "An obsolete heap for every kind of delinquent the realm has to offer. You could never have any place there. You are my son." He stated. "The Night's Watch? Surely he cannot be serious about such things. His place is here, at the rock, at the side of his house. If he's on some self-ordained piety mission for the northern gods, I might have to double the guards around him." Tywin thought to himself.
"Is that all I am?" he murmured, silent as a shade yet nothing escaped his notice.
"What makes you say that?" he asked, with his back still turned to the boy.
"If it were Jaime or Cersei, you would remind them that they are Lannisters. I'm just a Hill."
"You are my son." He reminded the boy.
"Is that all I am to be?" he growled, which caused Tywin to face his castaway eyes, "The bastard, unable to take your name and doomed to be forgotten? Who will even-" he began but Tywin had had enough of this foolishness.
"Enough!" He roared, catching Arraon's direct attention, making sure that he focused his gaze into his, pale green unto hazel. "You are my son." He repeated. "You shall always be my son. Trueborn or otherwise; you are my blood, you are a Lion of the Rock and you will always be my son. You will remain at the Rock until I command it to be otherwise, because I am your Father and because it is your place. Because I want the world to understand that when they look at you, they see a Lannister. Because this is your House and your Family. You will never have any other. Do you understand?" he declared, bold as he was able in the hope he would take note of it.
"Yes father. I understand."
"Good." He said as he rose to his feet.
"I now understand that the cubs were the reason I was called north." He said with an air of command and sophistication. Tywin would never admit it but the child's ability to create such an air was impressive.
"The cubs?" Tywin pondered to himself before the realization came to him. "Ah, the Pendric's litter. I will concede to a morbid curiosity for this explanation." He mused to himself as he turned to face him again. "At least they'll make good skins" he began but a look of fear emerged from Arraon's eyes. "Do not look at me like that. They must be eliminated."
"No!" he cried in dismay, earning his father's rightful ire.
"No? I wasn't aware a question was asked. The cubs will die, Arraon; at the tip of a sword or on their own in due time."
He paused to consider his next words more carefully. "Father, look at them. Three male, one female. Golden lions, found in a field of blood; the sigil of your House. We were meant to have them."
"And how would you intend to feed them? Wet a cloth from the milk of the cage lions?" he asked, earning a weak nod from his son and a heavy sigh from himself. "That may be true if they were from the lowlands or even cave lions but these monsters are from the Pendric Hills. They will grow and grow and you cannot stop them and worse, you cannot stop them from turning on you or our Family one day." Yet he weighed the options before him, Lord Tywin could not deny the opportunity that had been laid before him. True, these monsters could grow to tear his children apart; Jaime and Arraon barely escaped that lioness alive though would their enemies? If these beasts could be trained the right way, if they were 'meant' to have them as the boy claims what would be a more frightening prospect to their enemies: a golden lion upon a banner, or three of them staring the enemies of House Lannister in the face?
"They are not common hounds, they are not dogs to throw treats beneath the high table. I will not have you wasting Meric's time with this, if the three of you wish them you must train them. You must train them, and may your gods help you if you neglect them, brutalize them or mistrain them. These are not the type of hounds Meric raised for hunting, to be slinked off at a kick. These beasts will rip of a man's leg as easily as a wolf will kill cattle. Now, are you sure you want to keep them, when they would fetch a high price across the sea?" he said to his son as a fleck of gold appeared in the boy's eye.
"Yes, father, yes!" Arraon agreed.
"The cubs may die anyway; despite all your efforts."
"They won't father, I won't let the gift of the gods die."
"Very well, keep them then. Just ensure they are kept out of the way of the staff, and trained properly on your own time, which shouldn't be difficult."
"Father?"
"You still disobeyed me. Every day at daybreak you will report to Ser Benedict and do whatever he commands of you for three months. Outside of maester's lessons, drills and collecting supplies for 'training,' you are to remain confined within your chambers. Do you understand?" He nodded, more joyful than he had been before. "Good. The same will be true for your brother."
"But father, Jaime only followed me."
"Then he can follow you in your punishments. If there is nothing else, you will return to your chambers, and if anything like this happens ever again, I will not be so merciful." He warned.
"I won't father, I promise."
"I shall hold you to that. Now go." The boy obeyed without question and Tywin allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. These beast would serve his house well, even the deformed…
It was then he remembered the reasons for the events that had transpired that night. "Joanna…" he thought to himself as he remembered her beautiful golden hair and for the first time, in the longest time ever, Lord Tywin shed a tear for her. And then many more besides.