Before the Wedding

"Do you see them yet Gana?" asked Ailyn while Din finished adjusting her hair.

"No, my lady, I don't think Lord Silvyn has made it to the harbor yet," replied her maid who was standing on the balcony and leaning over it to see out across the bay.

"They should be here today," insisted Ailyn, rising and thanking Din for her help.

She quickly walked out onto the balcony with Gana and together they watched for the return of Ailyn's father.

"The wedding is getting closer," murmured Gana, looking sideways at Ailyn after a time.

"I know. Some days I'm excited and others, I'm a little afraid. But I made my choice and I will stand by it," said Ailyn crossing her arms over her chest.

"There!" exclaimed Gana, pointing at a large ship that had just rounded the break waters before coming into the bay.

They both watched it impatiently until it was lost from view.

"Are you going down to meet them?" asked Gana.

"No, Lord Tywin said he would bring my father and Mardyn up to me when they arrived.

Ailyn paced around her room for what seemed like several hours until at last there was a knock on her door.

Gana hurried to answer it and then pulled the door wide to let in Lord Tywin, Lord Silvyn and Ailyn's little brother, Mardyn.

Ailyn smiled happily at Lord Tywin and her father as she walked up to them.

"Good morning, Lord Tywin. Father," she said.

Mardyn appeared from behind their father's long cloak at the sound of her voice.

"Ailyn?" he asked quietly.

"Mardyn!" she breathed.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ailyn knew she shouldn't make a scene but that didn't stop her from dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around her little brother who ran to her just as eagerly.

"I missed you so much," whispered Ailyn, blinking some tears from her eyes as she buried her face in his brown curls.

"I missed you too," said Mardyn, hugging his big sister fiercely.

Ailyn remembered her manners and forced herself to let go of Mardyn and quickly wiped her eyes as she stood up again.

"You were in a camp with soldiers. Did you get to see them fight?" asked Mardyn excitedly still holding onto his sister's hand.

"Shhh. I'll tell you all about it later," urged Ailyn, pressing his hand and looking at her father and Lord Tywin.

Lord Silvyn was smiling lovingly at his children while Lord Tywin alternated his attention between Ailyn and Mardyn without betraying anything of what he was thinking.

Lord Tywin cleared his throat.

"Lord Silvyn and I are going to draw up the marriage contract you are insisting on. Will you be free this afternoon to look it over?" asked Lord Tywin glancing from her to her brother.

Ailyn nodded.

"Send for me when you are ready. I'll be here," Ailyn promised him.

"Mardyn can stay with you. I'm sure that's all he wants right now," said Lord Silvyn looking down at his son who was still looking up at his sister.

"I'll see you this afternoon then," Ailyn assured her father, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

She let go of Mardyn's hand and the boy composed himself enough to say good bye to his father. Ailyn curtseyed with a smile to Lord Tywin and then to her surprise, Mardyn bowed to him and said very carefully, "My Lord."

The corner of Tywin's mouth tugged up a little and he inclined his head to return the gesture to Ailyn's brother. He glanced over at Ailyn as he straightened to see her beaming at him.

"Until this afternoon then," concluded Lord Tywin turning to leave.

Her father and Lord Tywin were almost out of the room when Mardyn turned to Ailyn and asked in a not so quiet voice, "Are you going to marry that tall man?"

Ailyn grinned and caught Lord Tywin's eye as he glanced back.

"Yes, I am," she said to her brother and then winked at Lord Tywin.

Her future husband seemed very pleased with that response.

Sometime later, after Ailyn had told Mardyn nearly everything she felt she could tell him about living with Lord Tywin's soldiers for a month, the summons came for her to join her father and Lord Tywin.

"Will you read to me tonight?" asked Mardyn, his blue eyes going big with concern.

"No, you are going to read to me," corrected Ailyn, bending down and kissing the top of his head.

"Father says I've gotten better since you left," Mardyn informed her proudly.

"I'm sure you have. You can prove it to me tonight. Gana will take you to your room and I'll be by later," promised Ailyn looking at Gana who walked over to take Mardyn's hand.

She walked out of her room with them and then bid them good bye as she turned the opposite way to go to the Hand's office.

She found Lord Tywin and her father bent over a large sheet of paper while Lord Baelish sat between them, writing as quickly as he could. Lord Varys was also present, she presumed as a witness. He bowed low to her when she entered and she nodded to him.

"Ah Ailyn, good; we are nearly finished," said her father, straightening up as she came over to them.

"Add 'for my lifetime' here," instructed Lord Tywin, pointing to a line low on the page. Ailyn saw Lord Baelish bite back a sigh and did what the Hand of the King bid him.

"Copies will be made for the offices here at the capitol and sent out to Casterly Rock and Willow Glen. They will be available to the public should anyone desire to see them so long as that is your wish," said Lord Silvyn looking at his daughter.

"Yes. I want everything to be as straightforward as possible," Ailyn agreed, glancing at Lord Tywin who was still looking over Lord Baelish's shoulder as he wrote.

"I believe that is everything then, my lords and lady," announced Lord Baelish, putting down his quill and flexing his fingers after several more minutes. He stood up and offered his chair to Lady Ailyn who sat down and pulled the parchment toward her.

She felt her father and Lord Tywin come to stand behind her, reading over the document as she did.

Ailyn would have access to all the wealth of Casterly Rock while Lord Tywin was alive and upon his death, she would be given an annuity to live on and be free to spend her remaining days wherever she chose. There was no written mention of what would happen if a child resulted from their union but Ailyn had a fairly good idea of what Tywin wanted and what she wanted should that eventuality come to pass. They would have that fight if need be. Lord Tywin was still not concerned about Ser Jaime eventually inheriting Casterly Rock although she doubted whether Ser Jaime knew anything of this. That was another conversation she was not looking forward to.

The rest of the document dissolved into a complicated discussion of finances and a division of assets should Ailyn predecease her husband.

"I am ready to sign this if you have nothing left to add," offered Ailyn, glancing up at Lord Tywin.

"Very well, you may sign it," replied Lord Tywin, handing her an inked quill.

Ailyn signed her name and then handed it to Lord Tywin as she stood up. He moved forward and signed it as well, handing the quill off to her father. Ailyn stood near Lord Tywin as her father signed the document, her fingers brushed against Lord Tywin's. Then, Lord Varys and Lord Baelish signed in turn.

"Thank you, you may go," Lord Tywin dismissed them when they were finished.

"I don't know if you've finalized the guest list yet but I think you should add these names," suggested Lord Silvyn pulled a small sheet of parchment from an inner pocket of his grey tunic.

"I think we were going to work on it this afternoon," said Ailyn hesitantly, looking at Lord Tywin for confirmation.

Lord Tywin nodded in agreement and took the paper from Lord Silvyn before Ailyn could reach for it. He frowned as his green eyes flitted down the page.

"Who are these people?" he demanded, looking up at Lord Silvyn.

"It is true we are a lesser house here in Westeros but the position of Willow Glen in relation to the winds and tides has granted us a great deal more trade across the Narrow Sea than any other here. Those are the names of wealthy merchants or nobility from the cities across the Narrow Sea who have come to know the family of Greystone well over the years. Your marriage to Ailyn will also be a sign that you have our confidence and trust. This gesture should encourage them to trade more openly with the capitol and greatly increase your revenue for the crown," suggested Lord Silvyn.

"I see. We will take that into consideration," said Lord Tywin handing Ailyn the list.

"Thank you, Lord Tywin. Now if you'll excuse me, I should find my brother," muttered Lord Silvyn tiredly, kissing Ailyn on the cheek and shaking Lord Tywin's hand before he left them.

"Shall we get started?" Ailyn asked softly, when her father had gone. "It's going to take a while."

Lord Tywin nodded in agreement, bringing some ink, quills and parchment over to the table.

It was late in the evening in the Hand's chambers, when Lord Tywin and Lady Ailyn finished drawing up their respective guest lists for the wedding. They had been sitting together so they could avoid overlap between the two lists but even so, their combined count was well over 300.

"This is too many," said Ailyn tiredly, shaking her head.

"And I don't think this is enough," replied Tywin, glancing at Ailyn.

She looked over at him in surprise.

"You want more people?"

"We should not be seen to be sparing expenses," argued Tywin gently.

"Tywin, this will be the fourth wedding you've funded in nearly as many months. The money would be better spent on the city or building ships or…" Ailyn trailed off, her brain refusing to work.

"While this wedding is about our union, it should also make a statement about our finances," said Lord Tywin, pushing the paper away.

"Wouldn't it be better to make it a more exclusive affair? To reward those who have been loyal or are the closest family? There may be advantages to showing favor with some and denying it to others if this wedding is going to be about politics anyway," reasoned Ailyn, trying a different approach.

Tywin Lannister paused and studied Ailyn for a moment.

"How many were you thinking?" he asked.

"Half this number, if not less. It's hardly exclusive if the entire court and their relatives are invited," decided Ailyn, pushing her own pages away and standing up to stretch her back.

"I will consider it. We can revisit this list tomorrow," agreed Lord Tywin, rising as well and going to sit in his large arm chair by the fire.

Ailyn went with him over to the fire but did not sit down.

"It's getting very late. I promised Mardyn I would look in on him tonight before he went to sleep," said Ailyn quietly, looking down at Lord Tywin who was rubbing his eyes.

He nodded but reached out and took her hand, drawing her closer to him and pulling her down.

Ailyn smiled.

She noticed his affections ran hot and cold; some days, he would only touch her hand and others, it seemed almost painful to him to stop touching or kissing her. Tonight, it appeared he wanted her close.

The chair he was sitting in was large so Ailyn sat down on the edge of his lap and swiveled herself around so her body was perpendicular to his, her legs resting across his lap. She leaned into his chest and made herself comfortable against him. He rested his head on top of hers and shifted his arms so they were curled protectively around her.

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the flames flicker in the hearth.

"I could take you to the Septon right now," he murmured over the top of her head.

"We could be married in private and not have all this fuss," she whispered in agreement.

"And go straight from wedding to bedding without anyone being the wiser," added Ailyn mischievously.

Lord Tywin made a growly noise in his throat.

"Don't tempt me," he rumbled, tightening his arms around her.

Ailyn shifted slightly and looked up at him.

"That's my job," she argued softly, batting her lashes at him.

"You are good at it too," he muttered moving one hand from her arm and angling her head up so he could kiss her.

They stayed joined, kissing almost lazily until Ailyn put her hand on his chest and moved her head back from his.

"I should go," she insisted breathlessly.

Lord Tywin reluctantly agreed, and released her, holding her steady as she stood up.

"Good night, Tywin," said Ailyn, smiling down at him.

"Ailyn."

Lady Ailyn walked out of the Hand's chambers and down several hallways to Mardyn's room to see if he was still awake.

A few more days passed in which Ailyn barely saw anything of Lord Tywin. He was still trying to clean up the remaining fractious portions of Westeros and prepare for the coming winter. She spent the time alternately with Mardyn, her father and her uncle, catching up on all that she had missed while she was in Lord Tywin's camp.

Ailyn was sitting by the fire and realizing that she missed Lord Tywin when Gana announced his presence at her door.

Ailyn smiled and bid him come in, rising from her chair by the fire and setting aside the endless lists she was making for wedding preparations. Gana opened the door further and gestured to Ailyn by the fire. Lord Tywin strode in, purposeful and authoritative as always; his dark clothing contrasted with the golden Hand pin that glinted in the firelight. As he walked up to her, she noticed a square, leather case in his hand. When he reached her, he said her name softly, as though he'd been waiting all day to say it, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She leaned into him, clasping his free hand in hers and held her head near his as he paused. Lord Tywin stood back from her after a moment.

"Tywin," said Ailyn fondly. "How are you?"

"Better now that I'm with you instead of my councilors," he muttered, nearly rolling his tired eyes.

She squeezed his hand a little and smiled indulgently at him.

"I have something for you," Lord Tywin said quietly, holding the case in his hand out to her. "It's a wedding gift."

Ailyn accepted the box.

"You've given me so much already, thank you. May I open it now?" she asked playfully.

Tywin nodded.

Ailyn smiled excitedly, and went over to her table and set the box down, running her fingers over the embossed golden lion on the cover. She opened the clasp and lifted the lid.

Years of good breeding kept her mouth from going completely slack but even so, she stared at it in open-mouthed wonder. It was a necklace, more intricate and fine than any she had ever seen. It was not encrusted with jewels, as she had been expecting; instead, the smiths had created a delicate lattice-work of plain gold and silver. Each strand was separate but bonded to another of the opposite metal in such a way that it was difficult to see where one strand ended and the next began. The entire piece was the width of her hand and moved like a fine fabric as she touched it. Her throat constricted a little as she realized he had noticed she always wore simple silver jewelry and had tailored the necklace more to her wishes than to his own. She swallowed and glanced up at him, realizing she needed to say something.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, smiling up at him.

A wave of relief passed over his face.

"You like it?" he asked softly.

"Very much."

She gently picked it up out of the case and held it out to Lord Tywin.

"Put it on me," she requested.

Ailyn unclasped the silver necklace she was wearing as Tywin took his gift from her. She placed her necklace on the table and turned her back to Tywin, thankful she'd requested her hair be done up that day. Tywin lowered the necklace over her and deftly latched the clasp, his fingers whispering over the back of her neck. The metal was cool and smooth against her skin. Ailyn reached up to touch it as she turned around to let him see it on her.

"Well?" asked Ailyn, her voice breathy with anticipation.

Tywin's mouth quirked into a small smile, admiration in his green eyes.

"It suits you," he pronounced proudly.

Ailyn smiled even wider.

"I want to see it," she said, taking his hand and bringing him over to her long mirror.

She stopped in front of it and looked at herself. The necklace made her look important, of better birth than she really was. Ailyn smiled and touched the necklace again self consciously, glancing at Tywin's reflection as he came to stand behind her. She looked at the two of them, framed by the silver edging of the mirror and felt a small surge of confidence. Despite her doubts and fears, perhaps it would work out for the better.

"I would have preferred it to have a gemstone of some kind but you don't usually wear gems," said Tywin to her reflection.

"I like simpler jewelry. I'm not used to ostentatious things, as you are," she reminded him. "I'll wear it for the wedding."

Ailyn turned around to face him, reached up and kissed him.

"Thank you," she said again, softly.

"You're welcome, my lady," replied Lord Tywin, holding her against him.

"I can give you your gift now too, if you like," Ailyn offered, smiling expectantly up at him.

"Mine?" Lord Tywin looked down at her in surprise.

"Of course," said Ailyn, slipping out of his arms and walking over to her bedside table. She bent down and pulled out a long, wooden box.

"I wasn't sure when you wanted to exchange gifts so I've had this for about a week," explained Ailyn, bringing the box over to him.

Lord Tywin took it uncertainly, as if it had been a long time since anyone had given him a gift. He didn't speak but took it over to the table and set it down to open it. The box was not as ornate as his had been; it was simple dark wood with her house sigil, a striking hawk, carved into the center of the lid. He lifted the cover and then flipped over the crushed velvet covering.

Now that he had the gift, he looked surprised again at what it contained. So much so that Ailyn asked if anything was amiss.

Lord Tywin looked over at her.

"Not at all. Given the shape of the box, I was assuming it was a sword. Most of the gifts I've received over the years have been a blade of some kind. I am pleased that yours is different," explained Tywin, reaching into the box and pulling out the first item.

It was an ornate inkpot with a golden roaring lion's head on one side and a silver screeching hawk on the other. The silver feathers of the hawk intertwined with the golden curls of the lion's mane to connect the two heads and form the cup between for the ink. His mouth quirked up at the thought of them having the same idea about using gold and silver for their respective gifts.

"It's not as finely crafted as the necklace but I wanted you to have something on your desk that reminded you of me since I will not be with you when you make most of your decisions for the realm. It is my hope that its presence might…temper you a little," Ailyn explained quietly, watching him inspect the inkpot.

Tywin's gaze moved from the item in his hand to Ailyn's face, his mouth opening and closing in an effort to thank her. Gratitude was not something that came easily to the Lord of Casterly Rock.

In the end, all he managed was, "I will put it on my desk tomorrow."

Ailyn smiled at him as he put it down on the table. The other items in the box were two bottles of the finest black ink from Pentos and three black quills, already sharpened for use. Lord Tywin nodded his approval then took up Ailyn hands and kissed her fingers.

"You're welcome," Ailyn said, grinning at him. She leaned in and returned the kiss on the cheek that he had given her earlier.

"You've been busy?" asked Lord Tywin, gesturing to the papers by the chair she had been sitting in.

"I am trying to do the seating arrangements and would like your help," asked Ailyn quietly.

Lord Tywin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I trust you to make sound decisions concerning the placement of the families of Westeros. Draw one up and bring it to me tomorrow," requested Tywin, closing the box of his gift.

Ailyn was about to argue but decided against it, seeing how tired he was already.

"You should get some sleep, Tywin," urged Ailyn quietly, looking at the dark circles under his eyes.

"I will sleep more easily when you are beside me," said Lord Tywin looking at her.

Ailyn smiled.

"You may not. I have been told that I am a restless sleeper and hoard the covers," she admitted meeting his eyes.

"If there is a struggle for the blankets, my lady, you will not win," Lord Tywin informed her with mild amusement.

Ailyn laughed and cupped his cheek.

"Then I look forward to our future struggles in bed," she whispered smiling.

Ailyn saw him glance at her bed as if he were contemplating staying the night.

"Go on. I'll see you tomorrow. And thank you again for the necklace, Tywin. It's beautiful," she assured him warmly.

"I am pleased you like it. And I do appreciate mine as well. More than I can say," he replied quietly.

He kissed her briefly and walked out, holding her gift against his chest.

Later the next day, Ailyn went to Lord Tywin's office to show him the seating arrangements she had been slaving over for the past day. She was announced and Lord Baelish walked out, giving her his signature smirking leer as he went past.

Lady Ailyn walked into the Hand's office holding the seating arrangements she had been working on all morning. Lord Tywin stood up from his desk and met her halfway across the room.

"Ailyn," he said quietly in greeting.

"Tywin," she replied, enjoying how much easier it was for them to address each other by their first names.

"I've finished the seating arrangements now that we've cut down the guest list and wanted you to look over them before I gave them to the planner," explained Ailyn, holding out a large roll of parchment to him.

Lord Tywin nodded and took it over to the table, smoothing it out so he could see all of it. He studied it for a moment before he began to frown. His frown continued to deepen silently until Ailyn finally asked, "Is something wrong?"

Tywin glanced at her and then back down at the parchment.

"The Bradens cannot sit near the Mutons and if the Yarls are this close to the Regeses, there will be bloodshed before the soup course is served. And how important is it that these foreigners sit close to the High Table?" asked Lord Tywin absently, still frowning.

"Then maybe you should have made time to sit with me this morning so I didn't waste the last four hours doing it completely wrong," she snapped, trying not to lose her temper.

Lord Tywin looked at her sharply. Few people dared take that tone with him.

"I know running the Seven Kingdoms is important and time consuming but the details of our wedding should matter to you too."

Ailyn looked down at the stone floor, her hands balling themselves up into fists.

"I can't do this alone," whispered Ailyn, her voice cracking on the last word.

Lord Tywin's boots appeared in her field of vision as she continued staring obstinately at the floor. He reached out and very gently clasped her upper arms but when she didn't look up at him, he moved past her to the door.

Ailyn turned around angrily, thinking he was walking out but calmed down a little when she saw him give a few quiet instructions to the guards at the door. They bowed to him and he shut the door. Ailyn watched him return to her, a sense of mild trepidation coming over her. Lord Tywin removed his Hand pin and set it down on the table. He didn't look angry and his touch was still gentle as he picked up both her hands and held them until she stopped making fists.

"Will you sit with me now so we can do this together?" asked Lord Tywin Lannister of his future wife.

Ailyn met his pale green eyes and nodded her consent, not yet trusting her voice.

He turned away from her to gather some paper and quills from his desk. Ailyn surreptitiously wiped her eyes when he wasn't looking and moved over to the table. Lord Tywin placed the ink pot she had given him down between them, the roaring lion facing his side and the hawk turned to hers. He pulled back a chair for her and pushed it in as she sat down. The Hand of the King sat down beside her and handed her one of her quills.

"Can this one be salvaged or do we need to start a new one?" asked Ailyn, indicating her arrangements.

"It may be easier to start on a fresh sheet," replied Tywin glancing at her to gauge her reaction.

Ailyn sighed and set a new sheet between them, leaving hers nearby for reference.

After a few hours, and some mild bickering, they had a new arrangement drawn up that pleased them both.

"And the flowers?" asked Tywin as they both stood up.

"I spoke with Maergery a few days ago and asked High Garden if they would supply the flowers for the wedding. It seemed the obvious choice," answered Lady Ailyn, watching his face again.

Lord Tywin nodded.

"Good. I was going to suggest that if you hadn't made a decision."

"At least we think alike some of the time," said Ailyn, smiling a little.

"What kind of flowers did you want?" Tywin inquired.

"I was thinking red roses with sprigs of grey willow petals would be appropriate," suggested Ailyn.

"Red and grey," mused Tywin, looking at her.

"It will match my dress," hinted Ailyn smiling wider.

"The dress I've paid for but am not allowed to see," Lord Tywin said, the slightest of edges in his voice.

"I told you, it will be a surprise. One that you will approve of, don't worry," Ailyn assured him picking up the new seating arrangements and sighing a little.

"Is anything else bothering you?" asked Tywin, searching her face.

"No. I will just be more at ease when this is all over and we can get on with our lives," said Ailyn.

"So will I," confirmed Lord Tywin, putting his hands carefully over hers while she held the parchment.

Ailyn went up on her toes and kissed him affectionately.

"Come see me later?" she asked hopefully.

"When I can get away, yes, I will come to you," he promised as she rolled up the parchment.

Tywin Lannister watched her leave and then moved back to his desk to compose several more letters.

Author's note: Thank you everyone for your feedback! When I started this story, I had no idea it would become the sprawling monster it is now so thank you for pointing out inconsistencies and reminding me of things I had forgotten. I know the timeline for the wedding planning is slightly screwy but just assume that the required amount of time is passing. The next chapter will be the wedding!