Tyrion Lannister

"THEY HAVE MY SON,"

Tywin Lannister was normally a silent man. Whenever he raised his voice, the room fell silent, just like it was now. Tyrion was made very uncomfortable by the akward silence.

"Out all of you" Tywin said softly. Everyone got off their seats, bowed and left the tent. Tyrion was about to do the same.

"Not you Tyrion and Kevan,"

Tyrion sat down in his seat again.

"You were right about Eddard Stark. If we had him, we could make a suitable trade for your brother."

Tyrion just nodded.

"It seems that we have a new king," Tywin said staring at the letter in his hand.

"A new king? What has happened to Joffrey?" Kevan asked anxiously.

"Nothing has happened to my nephew . . . yet. Renly Baratheon has been declared King at Highgarden and marches with the power of the Reach and the Stormlands to King's Landing." He handed the letter to Tyrion.

In the name of King Joffrey Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, I, Cersei Lannister, Queen Regent and Protector of the Realm command Tywin Lannister to march to King's Landing and defend the city against the Usurper Renly Baratheon.

"Command" Tyrion grinned as he handed the letter to Ser Kevan.

"Your sister has become full of herself." Tywin said with distaste, "She has spoiled that boy of her's beyond repair. The things he does shocks me."

"Cersei was always full of herself," Tyrion smiled wider, "she considers herself Tywin Lannister wit teats,"

Tywin just stared at him.

"It seems that we cannot remain here unless we want to surround ourselves with three armies." Kevan said thoughtfully.

"No we aren't. Gregor Clegane and Vargo Hoat will stay here with two hundred men each and set aflame the riverlands from the God's Eye to the Red Fork. The rest of us wil regroup at Duskendale."

"Duskendale? Why not Harrenhal?" Tyrion asked curiously.

"At Harrenhall, we do no0t have access to fresh levies. It is too close to the Stark forces. The fool Edmure Tully may attack us there. Armory Lorch will hold Harrenhal and buy us time for our retreat if Ser Edmure decides to attack."

"What if we give chase to Robett Glover? We can remove half of the Stark forces." Kevan asked thoughtfully.

Tywin shook his head. "Unlikely. Robett Glover is at the Twins by now. If he gets the news that we are chasing him, he will cross the twins and wait north. Walder Frey will grant us crossing to the north but he will close his gates once we cross. Then the crannogmen will reinforce Glover and we will be stuck between two of the most powerful fortresses in the Seven Kingdoms. No, we are better off heading to Duskendale, where we can rally up our troops and join them with Joffrey's."

"Some will say we fled the Stark boy," Tyrion said with a smile.

"The Lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep." His father told him sharply. "Both Renly Baratheon and the Stark boy have more men than us. Only a fool will let himself get trapped inbetween the two of them."

"It's only going to get worser for us." Kevan said sadly," Casterly Rock is undefended. If we were there we could hold out for a long time. And Casterly Rock has never been taken. And in Dorne, the Martells howl for Elia and her children. It won't be long before they come into the fold. The Vale will likely support the Starks and the Greyjoys are unlikely to support us. We have run out of allies in Westeros."

"Then we have to look east," Tywin Lannister concluded, "I have already sent Damion Lannister to Pentos in search of sellswords for our cause. The wealth of Casterly Rock will attract sellswords like a fire attracts the moths."

"Sellswords are too fickle to be trusted."

"Yes. That's why Stafford Lannister is building another host at Casterly Rock. I mean to surround the boy in the Riverlands."

"You cannot do that unless you take the Twins and Walder Frey never joins the losing side."

"Aye, that's true." Kevan admitted.

"What about the Queen?" Tyrion asked curiously.

"What of her? She must know better than to command her father to come to her aid."

"Yet she does a botched up job of ruling there. If we want Joffrey to rule the Seven Kingdoms we cannot have her execute anymore hostages."

"That's why I am sending you there."

Tyrion was gobsmacked. "Me? And Pray tell me what I am supposed to do at King's landing?"

"Rule," Tywin said with a note of finality, "You will bring the boy to heel and that mother of his if needs be. We cannot have anymore folly if we were to keep the Seven kingdoms. The small council, if they give you trouble-"

"Heads, spikes, walls," Tyrion finished.

Tywin nodded. "I see that you have picked up some lessons."

"Learnt from the best" Tyrion gave his father his best drunken smile.

Tywin looked at him with distaste.

"Send a raven to Balon Greyjoy, Father. tell him to take as much of the North as possible. The Stark boy has left it undefended. Promise him that he will have a kingdom that he carves from the north."

"You want me to surrender half of Westeros to the Greyjoys. What are we to rule then?"

Tyrion just smiled, "Greyjoy will make a botch of it. Robb Stark will march north to deal with him, leaving us time to deal with Renly."

"Very Well. Send the raven."

Just then a sentry entered the tent.

"Seven Hells," Kevan cursed, "didn't Lord Tywin give the order for us not to be disturbed."

"Forgive me, milord but there has been a rider with urgent news." The sentry passed the message to Tyrion, who was about to pass it to his father. The unbroken seal was in the shape of two blue towers, united by a bridge, on a silver-grey field.

House Frey, Tyrion thought with distaste

"It says here that a certain Black Walder Frey promises to give us Robb Stark's head if we promise him the Twins." Tywin read."Who is this Black Walder?"

"Second son of Walder Frey's heir Ser Stevron." Kevan answered.

"Small price to pay, Father. If he fails nothing happens to us. But if he succeeds, we remove the most powerful enemy of ours from the field. And you can trap the northeners in the riverlands if you grant Black Walder the twins." Tyrion said.

Tywin remained thoughtful for a very long time.

"Very Well. Send a rider to this Black Walder. Tell him to proceed as he planned," Tywin said.

The sentry nodded and left the tent.