7th Month of 300 A.C. Golden Tooth
Ser Daven Lannister
His whole life he had grown up knowing what his place was. He might be a Lannister of Casterly Rock, but he was not a Lannister of Casterly Rock. He was not the grandson of Tytos Lannister and so was not worthy of being afforded the same prestige and respect his cousins were. Daven had come to accept that as he had gotten older, despite being quite angry about it in his youth. His mother had been the one to teach him that just because he was not recognised as such it did not mean he could not achieve more than his cousins. And to a point Daven supposed his mother was right, he was far smarter than any of uncle Tywin's children par Tyrion, though considering Jaime and Cersei's misdemeanours he was not sure if that was a compliment, he certainly had more backbone than Cousin Kevan and his children. Indeed to Daven it felt like his family had been given a hard deal in life simply because they were not Tywin Lannister or his brood or siblings, and that grated on him. His whole life he had been told that he needed to respect Tywin and his siblings and their children because they were better than him, and yet in the past two years he had seen first-hand that they were not. They were nothing more than nuisances and a hindrance, and it angered him.
Then there was the fact his sisters were being used as bargaining tools by Tywin. The man had the audacity to use Cerenna and Myrielle who were more beautiful than Cersei, and smarter as well, as tools to bring the Freys onside. They were to marry some weasel faced shit, simply so that Tywin could keep to his end of the pact that had created the Red Wedding. A disgraceful and dishonourable pact and event, no wonder the Freys were dying off in droves, he would have killed them himself had he not been bound because of Aunt Genna and the cripple's presence. Their derogatory remarks about his sisters had angered him and once or twice he had genuinely come close to killing the Freys that had been there at Riverrun. He laughed at the chaos going on at the Twins and he deeply hoped they all died before the wedding took place, his sisters were worth more than some low life Frey. He would make sure of that.
From Riverrun he and his men as well as the lords who had come with him had returned to the Golden Tooth where Alysanne was waiting for them. With winter upon them, their instructions were simple settle the land and ensure there was no more trouble. And yet Daven felt that Tywin did not truly appreciate the gravity of the situation in the West. The Young Wolf had ravaged the Westerlands burning and pillaging as he went, the people were angry and bitter and wanted answers. Answers that Daven did not have, and for him it seemed as if he was being left to deal with the fall out of Tywin's inaction. That angered him and he knew it angered many of the other lords with him, and so he had called a meeting to discuss the matter. As well as himself and Lady Alysanne, there was Lord Jason Parren a bitter and angry man who was a good friend of Daven's, Ser Clement Vikary a tested battle commander, Lord Quenton Banefort a mysterious man who had shown himself very useful to Daven in the Riverlands when dealing with Freys, Lord Anton Kyndall and many others were present to discuss things. Daven looked around the room and spoke. "We have been treated badly by Tywin Lannister. He sees us as nothing more than servants to do his bidding as he pleases. He does not take into account the winter and the harshness that will come with it. He is blind to reality, so intent is he on his games in King's Landing."
"The people of the West are going hungry and there is nothing Tywin does to rectify this situation. He merely demands that we provide for our own. Not assuming that because of the Young Wolf, we might have lost more food than we can truly cover for. It is a reality the man refuses to face." Lady Alysanne says.
"Tywin believes his land is at peace now with the Young Wolf dead. He is a fool has been blinded by ambition and the desire to achieve something that perhaps he should not. And we suffer for it. You all saw how the Riverlords reacted to our presence in the siege of Riverrun. They do not like us or trust us. Our word has become nothing more than shit." Daven says.
"The lords of the Riverlands have begun picking away at our own in their discreet manner. That is something that Jaime and Tywin Lannister will try to keep from you my lords. The deaths that occurred during the campaign in the Riverlands were not the work of bandits, but the work of the Riverlords. They are undermining Tywin's campaign in the riverlands to suit their own needs. The man is too blind to see this." Alysanne says.
"If things are as truly desperate as you say my lady, surely it would be best or even within our duties as lords sworn to the Rock, to go forth and tell Tywin and Jaime of these problems rather than complain of them?" Ser Clement Moreland asks.
Daven snorts at this. "Tywin will tell us to go and deal with the issue ourselves. And we will be picked off one by one by the Riverlords. Do not forget that there is also a band of some six hundred northmen somewhere in the Riverlands as well. Anyone who flies a lion banner in the Riverlands will be dead before the day is over. No that is one chore I would rather not do."
"Are you a craven that you would be afraid to fight a few fish Ser?" Moreland asks.
Daven feels the anger grow inside of him at this and it takes Alysanne's hand on his arm that stops him from leaning over the table and throttling Moreland. "I am no craven Moreland. It was I who broke the siege not my cousin. He might think he did, but it was I who talked sense to both Edmure Tully and that oaf Ryman. I am the one who has given support to the allies Tywin has made for us whilst my cousin as sat in a cell rotting. I am no craven."
"And yet you would not do your duty to your liege lord. You would remain here with your men and sit and wait whilst Tywin and Jaime do the hard work, and end the threat once and for all? How is that not being a craven Ser?" Moreland asks.
Alysanne's hand is still on his arm but Daven is still seething inside. "I would not see our men fight a needless war. Tywin will never hold the Riverlands, not now that there is a Stark in the north. A Stark who is winning his battles and reclaiming the north. The north belongs to the Starks, and the Riverlands to the Tullys. Those two are more connected than anything else now. And those bonds will last far longer than anything that Tywin envisages. The sooner he realises it the better. But he will not."
"So you would allow Westermen to die in the Riverlands, because you do not wish to fight is that it?" Moreland asks.
Daven can feel his patience running out, still he takes a deep breath and keeps his voice calm when he responds. "No, I wish to fight, but I do not see the need to pointlessly have our men slaughtered. Winter is coming, and we must be ready for when it does. The Ironborn are causing trouble for the Reach, they will turn their eyes to us soon enough. We must be ready for them and we must set the land to rights. We cannot do that if we are off gallivanting around the Riverlands."
"What Ser Daven is saying is true. The Riverlords will be galvanized by the fact that there is a Stark in the north once more. Already they are causing trouble for the Freys and for Ser Jaime. Men are going missing and are dying. We have a long hard winter in front of us, we need all the men we have to ensure that we do not fall by the wayside again. And who better to lead us through the winter than Ser Daven the man who won victories against the northmen and the Riverlords?" Quenton Banefort says.
"Tywin could do just as good a job. The man is hand of the king and is still Lord of Casterly Rock." Moreland points out.
"And where was Tywin when we needed him? Where was Tywin when the Young Wolf and his men came and sacked villages and plundered through our lands? He was sat in some rosy seat in the Riverlands. He does not know what we went through, what our people went through. He rules, but he does not rule. He uses fear, and I for one am tired to bending to a man who is not a lion, but a fake." Lord Parren says passionately.
"He is more concerned with ensuring his line sit the throne than anything to do with us. He wants to only use us as a base for drawing men to fight his damnable wars. He dragged us into a war, a war that we were losing and will lose once more. I say gods damn the man and leave him and his son to their game of thrones." Ser Vikary says.
"A boy who is half Lannister sits the throne. It is our duty to fight for him. And with the Tyrells backing them, we will not stand a chance." Moreland argues.
"That boy is just that a boy. And he is no kin of mine. What does he know of the West, and the struggle to survive here? Nothing, he has grown up knowing only the capital. And he is as much a puppet as his brother was a mad man. Enough I say. It is time we had a say in our own fate." Daven argues.
Lord Banefort stands then and gets down on bended knee. "Your family has ruled the West for thousands of years Your Grace. Tywin Lannister and his brood can keep their iron throne. I recognise no king but the King of the Westerlands, and that king is you."
Lord Parren is good friend stands and bends the knee as well and says. "Ser Daven, you are my brother now and always. I will fight and die for you, if you ask it of me. You are the King of the Rock. The Lion of the West."
Others get down on bended knee then and say. "To the King of the West, the King of the Rock. The Lion of the West. Daven Lannister, The King we want and the king we need."
Daven looks at Alysanne who is staring at him lovingly and her voice is proud when she says. "You are the people chosen king Your Grace. You are the man who will take us from this darkness. You will show us the way to the light. From this day to my last, I will stand beside you as your wife to be. My men are yours, their swords are yours to do with as you please."
Daven looks at Moreland then who seems stunned he stands, but he does not get to one knee instead he says. "I will not allow this. Tywin Lannister is our liege lord. We are King Tommen's people. This is treason."
Daven looks at the man and says. "It is not treason if we never belonged to the throne in the first place Moreland. Do you refuse to bend the knee?"
"I will never bend the knee to you. A false lion." Moreland says.
Alysanne looks at Moreland and her voice is venomous when she says. "He is no false lion. He is the last lion Moreland."
"And I will bring the West back from the darkness. My lady?" he says looking at Alysanne.
She nods and says. "Guards seize this man."
As the guards seize and drag Moreland away, Daven looks at the lords before him and says. "My ancestors were once great kings. I shall make the west great once more. Tywin's days are done. This is the day of the golden lion, not the old. Summon your men, we march for the Rock."