XII.
The Old Lion

Tywin rode with his party of Redcloaks on the road to Casterly Rock. With the envoys departed there was little reason to remain there, and so he'd begun the return journey. The fall chill was beginning in earnest now, with leaves falling from the trees. He eyed them curiously and wondered if they would really bloom again in just a few short months.

He rode near the front of the column, in spite of himself he'd been looking forward to seeing his brother on the road, and his daughter as well. His thoughts went to Cersei and the royal children… he still was unsure of what role the king would have in this new world, would there be need of a king and a Lord Paramount? Though they were his grandchildren the idea of the Baratheon's as lords of Casterly Rock didn't sit well with him. Looking ahead he saw riders approaching and decided to think on it later.

Kevan led the party, Tywin had asked him to escort Cersei because of her… willfulness when dealing with men outside of the family. When he rode forth Tywin could immediately tell from his face that he was looking for a way to break bad news, he pre-emptively asked, "What is it Kevan, what has happened?"

"It's King Joffrey your grace, he's… he's run off to parts unknown."

Tywin stared at him a moment, then sighed, collecting himself, "do we have any idea where he may have gone? Surely the boy couldn't get far on his-"

"Clegane is with him," Kevan replied. "Your daughter is… she is not taking things well."

Tywin's worry subsided a bit, if Clegane was with the boy at least he had some measure of protection… though words would be had with the Hound when he returned. "Has anyone been sent to search for him?"

Kevan nodded, "I've sent Daven and a small company of men in pursuit… they are pretending to be after a fugitive and his son."

Tywin nodded, "good, does anyone else know of this?"

Kevan shook his head, "We've been keeping it as secret as possible, as it stands only Daven's party, the boy's mother, Genna, and the two of us know. I have been telling everyone the King is ill and cannot leave his chambers at the Rock. Genna has ordered servants to bring meals to the room each day and slide them through a slot in the door… I do not know how long the charade can be maintained given the situation."

Tywin frowned, "what situation?"

Kevan sighed, "the people are restless, we've been thrown into this new world and everyone searches for meaning. The septs are filled to overflowing, the Faith is in a state of chaos. Septon Raynard of the Most Devout was the only of their number to have come with us and he was killed shortly after we arrived."

"Killed?" Tywin exclaimed, "what happened?"

"In the day following the Arrival, for that is what the people are calling it you see, he was found in the arms of a whore near the docks of Lannisport… an angry mob tore him to pieces." Judging from Kevan's face Tywin realized he'd seen this firsthand.

Tywin thought on this for a moment, "Are the people truly so frightened?"

Kevan pursed his lips, "I do not know if I would call it frightened brother, they have their friends, family, and loved ones… and even their lords and masters, but strange tales come from all corners of the Westerlands. The skies at night are strange, none of the Wanderers can be spotted and the constellations are different." He closed his eyes a moment, thinking. "I suppose that people are less willing to put up with the old hypocrisies, womanizing septons or ignorant maesters… it is hard to argue the gods do not watch over us when they have seen fit to throw us to an entirely new world."

Tywin nodded, he could see the logic in his brother's thoughts. He would need to return to Casterly Rock and take control of the situation as soon as possible.

The two of them soon came to his daughter's wheelhouse, "Cersei, come out of there this instant," he'd commanded.

Cersei reluctantly appeared from the carriage, her hair, normally perfectly styled and maintained was today somewhat oily, and loose strands and split ends marred her mane. "Father, y-you must find Joff, he's gone somewhere… It's my fault, all my fault… she let out a small sob"

Tywin sighed, there was no point in rebuking his daughter in this state, "Cersei, I promise you your uncle Kevan and I shall find Joffrey and return him to you safe and sound."

This seemed to assuage her, and with a sniff she collected herself, "Yes, that would be for the best. Joff's just a boy and he doesn't know what he's doing…" She turned back towards the interior of the wheelhouse, Tywin could see Tommen and Myrcella inside, nestled with a pile of blankets. Cersei rummaged a bit before producing a letter, which Tywin could see was written in a poor and scratchy script. "He left this," she said.

Scowling Tywin took the letter and read it silently,

Dear Mother
I have received a prophecy of my coming greatness. I leave now to the north to complete a great quest, in preparation of my return have grandfather prepare our bannermen for war! Soon a conquest to rival Aegon's will begin as we reforge the seven kingdoms in this new world.

Tywin felt a mixture of confusion and cold anger building within him. He crumpled the note and turned back to his daughter, any semblance of pity now gone. "Cersei, the manner in which you and the late King Robert chose to raise your children has long been of some concern to me, and it seems this concern was justified."

Cersei made a noise in protest but he cut her off. "When the King is recovered he shall serve as a squire to one of my more trusted knights, perhaps the company of good men can shape him into a man and not a fool boy."

"Good men," Cersei spat, "Robert beat Joffrey half to death, was he a good enough man father?"

Tywin stared at her coldly, "Harsh lessons are sometimes needed to correct errant children," he thought of Tyrion and frowned again, "I will take Tommen back to the Rock with me where he will begin instruction in the use of arms."

Kevan nodded, "quite right, Joffrey's too old to be a great swordsman now, but Tommen may yet take after his uncle Jaime."

Cersei's mouth dropped open in shock, "father you can't, h-he is so scared without Joff"

"Enough," Tywin silenced her, "he will return with me while princess Myrcella will continue on with you to the city of Minas Tirith in Gondor. Your brother will await you there and the two of you shall do your best to charm and win the hearts of the people of Gondor on behalf of House Lannister."

Cersei sulked, "very well father, but the gods curse those who take children from their mothers!"

Tywin sighed, "Tommen, why don't you come out of there and join your Uncle and I?" He turned to one of the guards, "Have Tommen's things added to our wagon train."

"At once Lord Tywin" the guard nodded and motioning to another one of the men to help began moving a large Trunk from the rear of the wheelhouse.

He looked back to Cersei, "The gods are doing much these days, I'm sure they'll find time to forgive me."

They'd parted ways with little ceremony, Tommen had needed a fur coat since he'd forgone one while riding in the wheelhouse, and soon the boy was riding astride Tywin on the road to Casterly Rock. Tywin noted sourly that even for a boy his age he rode poorly.

"G-Grandfather, are you angry at mother?" the boy asked suddenly.

Tywin looked to him and thought a moment, "yes, she has not taught Joffrey as well as she should have, now men will need to risk their lives searching for him."

Tommen gripped his reins tightly as the horses stepped across a scattering of small potholes in the road, "I don't care if they bring Joffy back or not, he would throw stones at the cats and he said cruel things to us."

"Now Tommen, your brother is a king, and kings sometimes behave… erratically," Tywin responded, though he wondered to himself if he wanted Joffrey back either.

The rest of the journey to Casterly Rock was uneventful save for the slowly chilling temperatures. There had been little fanfare to their entering the city of Lannisport, and the mood seemed to have calmed slightly compared to the turbulence that Kevan had described.

He'd immediately sent for Genna to meet with him in one of the Rock's towers, hoping to get a more complete report on the incidents Kevan had described. As he entered the meeting room he could see that her husband was with her, Odd, Tywin thought, it seems as though Emmon Frey was enough a man of the Westerlands to come with us. His sister wore a red silk dress with a white fur trim and a golden necklace bearing a medallion in the shape of a roaring lion draped over her breasts. Emmon by contrast wore only plain blue cloth with a small steel pin on his jacket bearing the twin towers of House Frey. He could immediately tell that for the second time in as many weeks one of his siblings was looking for a way to break bad news to him.

"Jaime's party has been attacked on the road to Minas Tirith," she said, "he is fine but a few of the men you sent with him are dead, as are some of their guides from Gondor."

Tywin's face flushed with anger, "Who did this?" he said in a low tone, "who dares attack my son?"

Genna was a bit taken aback, and Emmon seemed to be fighting the urge to hide behind his wife, still she spoke, "It was a small party of men leading a horde of… well Jaime's letter is strange, he says they are called orcs, more beasts than men. There are apparently a few of the corpses being taken to the Golden Tooth for preservation and then he has ordered they be brought here to you."

Tywin raised an eyebrow, "indeed? I suppose we will find the truth of that soon enough. What more did he say?"

Genna shrugged, "the man from Gondor, this Faramir, claims that the men leading them were from Umbar. Jaime claims to have found several strange coins on them that are not minted in the Westerlands nor in Gondor."

Tywin fumed, could this have been what the emissary Herumor spoke of when he mentioned the dangers in Gondor? He attempted to calm himself and think rationally. Perhaps this was a ploy by the Gondorians themselves? No, he thought, If these orcs are truly enemies of Gondor it seems unlikely they would be able to employ any. He thought of the ranger Faramir again, deciding that he did not seem like the scheming type.

"What should our response be?" Genna inquired.

Tywin stroked his chin, "we cannot outright attack Umbari ships while Tyrion yet travels with them." He thought of Cersei, "I will send a raven to the Tooth telling them to double Cersei's guards once she enters Gondor." He clenched his fist a moment before relaxing again, "if it were the Tyrells, the Starks, or the Tullys retaliation would be easy… we simply do not yet know enough about Umbar or Mordor to do what needs to be done… but they will find that a Lannister always pays his debts."

Genna nodded, "indeed they shall… there is one other matter you may wish to attend to."

Tywin looked at her curiously, "oh? And what might that be?"

"A man calling himself Saruman the White arrived just yesterday, he claims to be a wizard who seeks to introduce himself to the Lord of the Westerlands."

Tywin shrugged, "I have met one wizard already, I suppose it would do no harm to meet another." He sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of the journey, "Tell him I will meet with him tomorrow morning if it suits him."

Genna nodded, "I shall, I will say he seems like an interesting man in any case, though I don't know if he's impressive enough to warrant the title of 'wizard.'"

Tywin nodded, "That was my impression of the one I met as well, a wise and well traveled man to be sure. One who perhaps knew a few tricks, but little else." Saruman the White, he thought, if Gondor has a wizard perhaps the Westerlands needs one of it's own.