Hello!

This took a while because I simply didn't want to write it but the story demanded it so here we are!

Chapter 108: The Old Lion

An hour later …

Throne room, Red Keep, King's Landing, Seat of power of House Targaryen Crownlands, Capital of the Seven Kingdoms

Tywin stood rock still in the middle of the Throne room. His armour was dirty from the earlier fighting, he had been disarmed and his wrist bled freely to drip onto the floor beside his foot. He knew his face displayed the proof of Oberyn's fierce beating but he ignored the pain to stare resolutely up at Daenerys, his conqueror.

She sat on the Iron Throne, letting her fingers rub along the spikey metal. A tanned sellsword stood guard next to her while Trystane and Robb were engaged in a heated debate on her other side. They occasionally sent angry glances over the wall of Unsullied in his direction. Their argument was silenced when the doors to the Throne room burst open.

"They got her," Tommen said, completely dejected by his side as Oberyn sauntered into the room with one hand dragging Kenna's unconscious body behind him by the hood of her cloak.

"I feared Queen Kenna had escaped," Daenerys said, her voice echoing from her elevated position.

"When I have a quarry to hunt down," Oberyn said dropping Kenna's body just behind the captured Lannisters, fixing Tywin with a twinkling glare, "they never escape no matter how long it takes."

Tywin held the Prince's boastful glare until Oberyn walked past him and the line of Unsullied to settle by his nephew who gave him a triumphant hug.

"She's still alive," Tommen said, kneeling beside Kenna watching her chest rise and fall gently.

Tywin appraised her battered form. Oberyn had not held back. One of her arms rested in an unnatural angle and there was blood around the material at her neck. One half of her face was covered entirely in blood stemming from a cut above her eye while the other half was marred by a shallow but long cut running from her chin to just below her ear that reminded him of Cersei's scar. The parts of her face that weren't covered in dark red were beginning to turn black and the only bright colour on show was the blue of her eyes.

"Are you going to help me up?" she murmured in a weak voice.

Tommen immediately supported her faltering attempt to sit up and kept a supporting palm on her back as she sucked in breath after breath.

Kenna placed one hand gingerly on her limp arm, pinning it to her chest before looking up at Tywin, "I see Oberyn found you too."

"I'm surprised he had enough restraint not to kill us outright," Tywin replied in a steady voice, giving no indication of the peril that they were in but his eyes were alert to every movement around him.

"I think he will be rectifying his mistake shortly," Kenna said, looking over her shoulder to see Daenerys and her allies watching their interactions while talking in hushed tones themselves.

Tywin lowered himself to Kenna's other side with a grimace, "What of Tyrion?"

"He escaped."

"His plan?"

"Ongoing."

"Soon?"

"I don't know."

Tywin gave a knowing grunt but showed no outward emotion at their impending doom. It was clear from Tommen's confused expression he had no idea of Tyrion's wildfire scheme but Kenna didn't allow him the time to wonder further.

"Where is Artys?"

Tommen's eyes dropped to the floor, "I heard he duelled with Robb Stark and … well Robb Stark is still standing and I haven't seen Artys since I was taken captive."

Kenna blinked away the threatening tears, now wasn't the time to crumble to her emotions and mourn when her own death was so near. She could feel the Stranger's breath on her neck and the overwhelming urge to die as her fearless reputation demanded gave her the second wind needed to keep her composure.

"And Lord Loras?"

"Never entered the fray during the night attack and he would be stupid to do so now in daylight with dragons still on the battlefield," Tywin stated beside her.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked hopefully, looking into his dark emerald eyes.

He shook his head almost imperceivably and Kenna let out an exhausted sigh as she slumped slightly towards him, "I thought we were unstoppable together."

"We are not Gods as such we were always going to have to face our deaths eventually."

"I just never thought this would be ours … mine. To die defeated with my people ravished, my armies decimated and my children scattered to the wind."

Tommen and Tywin guided Kenna to her unsteady feet when she pushed at the ground.

"Perhaps it won't be," Tywin said in a low tone as she stepped forward to leave Tommen shouldering Kenna's weight alone.

"Queen Daenerys," his voice rang out, still full of authority despite his dire situation, "You have won this war. I ask for mercy on behalf of my family."

Oberyn let out an audible scoff but Daenerys beckoned for Tywin to continue.

"Let my grandson and his babe live, send them to Dorne in Prince Trystane's custody to live out their days far away from here where they will be no threat to your reign. Let my good-daughter–"

"Your daughter asked me much the same thing. Pleaded with me not to harm Tommen if he renounced his claim on the Iron Throne and admitted he was a bastard. But he did neither of those things and Cersei Lannister is dead."

"Exile them to Essos then."

"I was once exiled to Essos and I returned."

"They are no threat to you now."

"Perhaps not now but as long as they remain alive fractions unhappy with my reign will always seek them out to use against me."

"Steffon is a babe and Tommen is no more than a child himself. I am the head of the House you and your allies so despise. I am the power behind the crown that opposed you not Tommen, not Steffon. Let the blood feuds and animosity end with my death."

The words reverberated around the Throne room and if they had been said by anyone else it would have been considered pleading.

"Kneel and declare me the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and I will reconsider."

Tywin ground his teeth as his pride was being torn to shreds but if there was one thing, he would endure mockery for it was his family's survival.

He slowly bent his knee and rested his injured wrist across it while bowing his head, "I Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West, declare Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the one true Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms."

Daenerys exhaled with a deep smile on her face, "That is all I have ever wanted. Prince Oberyn he is yours now."

"What of Tommen and Steffon?" Tywin said quickly, rising to his feet, equally noting Robb's surprise at Daenerys's announcement and ignoring Oberyn approach. He had known his fate was sealed the moment of his capture.

"My decision is unchanged. They will die to ensure the Realm returns to a stable and prosperous time," Daenerys declared.

Tommen started to move towards Tywin but was immediately pinned to the floor by two Unsullied and without the young King's support, Kenna too collapsed forward onto her torso as her legs buckled underneath her.

"Prince Oberyn," Robb's voice boomed, "You may have the honour of killing the Old Lion but please do so with my weapon."

Oberyn was halfway to his target but he happily returned to Robb to grip the offered handle of Trident's Vengeance.

"The Gods work in mysterious ways do they not?" Oberyn said before pulling away from Robb and walking up to Tywin who hadn't moved a muscle.

"Confess to your crimes," Oberyn shouted in Tywin's face with the point of the Valyrian sword dragging on the stone floor.

Tywin withstood Oberyn's burning hate and just returning his blazing stare with his cold stony gaze.

"You ordered my sister and her children's deaths. Admit it!"

"Is your Queen not going to do the same thing to my grandson and his child you accuse me of doing to your sister and her children?"

"Stop with your twisted words!" Oberyn demanded, lifting the sword point so it rested at Tywin's neck, "Just tell the truth for once in your miserable life."

"The truth," Tywin scoffed, "most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it. You are no different."

The tip of Trident's Vengeance dug into Tywin's neck so blood started to streak down but the Old Lion refused to move backwards, keeping his arms by his side.

"The truth won't give you the relief you have been seeking for the past twenty-five years."

Oberyn twisted the point of the sword further, "Go on."

"I have done much in the name of my family, despicable acts and some justified ones. The day of the Sacking I had only one goal. To save my son from Aerys's clutches. I didn't even think of your sister or her children. I just wanted my son back. All I am guilty of is specifically not ordering her death. When I happened upon their dead bodies and my bloodied men, I saw an opportunity and I took it."

"No!" Oberyn roared, punching Tywin in the head, causing the older man to take a few steps back, "You ordered her death because Rhaegar chose Elia over Cersei! Your ego could never allow that slight to go unanswered!"

"It was Aerys that chose Elia to spite me and it was Rhaegar that chose Lyanna to make fools of us all."

"Stop lying!"

"You will never believe me so what are you waiting for? I won't beg for my life."

"No? Well, I wouldn't have listened anyway," Oberyn thundered as his patience and years' worth of pent-up rage reached their final limit

A scream cut through the air as Oberyn drove the point of Trident's Vengeance through Tywin's chest armour with such force the hilt thudded against his chest plate and most of the sword was visible behind Tywin's back.

It took Kenna a moment to realise it had erupted from her own mouth. Tommen started to fiercely struggle beneath the Unsullied holding him down and tears flowed from his eyes as he called out, 'Grandfather! Grandfather!"

Tywin's uninjured hand shot out to steady himself on Oberyn's shoulder as he kept his pain-filled eyes fixed on the man's who had just killed him. The two long-time adversaries seemed stuck in their positions until Oberyn retracted the Valyrian sword in one fluid motion.

Tywin's knees hit the floor heavily and he fell to his side as Oberyn admired the glimmering red-coated blade in his hand. Kenna crawled to where he lay, losing all sense of her surroundings as her vision tunnelled on the downed man. She reached him and rolled Tywin onto his back. The blood was spilling onto the floor from his wound and both knew it was fatal.

Kenna tried to speak but her mouth was so incredibly dry as she leaned over him. The golden lion pendant dangled from her neck between them and Tywin's unfocused eyes went to the shining metal.

"My Lady," he said softly as the blood continued to flow and his hand reached out for her stomach. Kenna's fingers curled around his wavering hand and clasped it to her midriff.

"You will be remembered. Your children will know who you were," she got out before the unexpected emotion of the coming loss hit her hard and tears gathered in her eyes despite her earlier defiance.

"My Queen," he mumbled as his eyes closed for the final time.

Kenna now openly wept as red filled tears slipped from her blood-stained cheeks and dropped onto Tywin's chest armour to mingle with the fresh blood pooling on the stone at her knees.

He was really gone.

Kenna knew everyone had to succumb to death at one point but in her mind, it had always felt like something Tywin Lannister brought down upon his enemies, never the other way around. Death was supposed to be something that happened to other people, not them.

"Beautiful," Oberyn said, towering over her before placing the still slick Trident's Vengeance on her shoulder so Tywin's blood smeared onto her clothing. "Cry not, you will be with him in the Seven Hells soon."

"Prince Oberyn!" Daenerys's voice snapped, redirecting everyone's attention back to her, "Do not be greedy. As my longest-serving ally, I gave you a choice and you picked Tywin Lannister. It is now my husband's turn to exact his price."

"A shame," Oberyn clenched his jaw but lifted the bloodied blade off Kenna's shoulder and gracefully returned it to Robb, "Your turn."

Robb adjusted his grip before walking forward with everyone's eyes on him and Tommen's sobs in the background. Well, nearly everyone's eyes. Kenna still hadn't looked away from Tywin's corpse at her knees or released the cooling hand at her stomach.

She only lifted her head when Robb's hand shook her shoulder, "Kenna … I wished this could have ended differently. That we could have ended this war on the same side as we were always meant to, like our fathers before us."

Kenna closed her eyes, "Can you imagine them now, looking down at us. What must they think of our actions? We've driven our houses to the point of extinction in the name of independence to free our peoples' future of tyranny. I see our folly now. What is the point in fighting for freedom if there is nothing left after the battle? So much destruction. So much death. And the sad thing is there is always more to come."

Robb took a moment to digest her words but there was no disagreement in his manner just sorrow, "Don't worry after Yohn and Jorge. I will take them as wards and treat them as if they were my own kin. I owe you that much."

"I doubt your wife would be of the same opinion considering her judgement on Prince Steffon but it doesn't matter my sons will never be found by you or Daenerys."

Robb nodded, understanding she had sent her children away, "Do you have any last words?"

Kenna flicked her gaze back down before settling her haunting blue eyes on Robb's already conflicted ones, "I am with child."

Robb's mouth opened and his hold on the pommel of Trident's Vengeance loosened, "You're … with child."

Kenna nodded.

"His child?" Robb gestured with the point of his sword at Tywin's body.

Kenna didn't confirm it but she didn't need to. Robb already knew the answer to his question before it had left his lips.

"I know your oath to your new Queen and wife would allow you to kill me and you hold no love for my child's father but will what is left of your honour allow you to kill an innocent babe not yet taken their first breath in this world and one that has simply because of who their parents are?"

The point of Trident's Vengeance completely lowered to the floor and Robb backed off, still wrestling with the revealed information.

"Prince Steffon is a claimant to the Iron Throne, his fate is Daenerys's to decide."

"By that logic we are all her subjects and our fates are all hers to decide," Kenna reasoned, "Tell me, do you want to live under a Queen that sentences infants to death?"

"What are you doing?" Daenerys directed at Robb's back from the Iron Throne.

Her voice snapped Robb out of his daze, "She is with child."

"She needs to die," Oberyn thundered with apathy squaring up to Robb, "She is responsible for the deaths of all eight of my children I do not care if she loses one!"

"The child is an innocent!" Robb shouted, "Do not become that which you hate just to destroy your enemies. Kenna Arryn will die for her actions against your family and our Queen but she can do so after her child is born."

"You are right," Daenerys stated loudly, which cut off Oberyn's further arguments and caused him to go storming off towards the exit as Unsullied spears followed his every agitated movement until he had left the room.

"Please excuse me," Trystane offered lamely as he jogged after his Uncle.

"I do not wish to sow discord but I think of the child first and then our justice and the same should be considered for Prince Steffon."

"A noble approach and one I would expect of you," Daenerys said before speaking in a tongue Robb did not recognise.

A group of Unsullied gathered around Kenna and Tommen to pull them to their feet.

"Where are they going?" Robb questioned.

"To the Black Cells. A maester will see to Kenna Lannister's injuries but she will stay in her cell until she gives birth or she loses the babe."

Robb bowed his head at his Queen's decision, "I must find my sister and my brother."

Daenerys dismissed him and continued to issue orders in her foreign tongue.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was pretty much one long scene but I wanted your attention to be solely on what happened in this scene without anything distracting from it because it is one of those pivotal one that I've had in my head since the beginning and I want to know what you think of Tywin's death since he was one of the main characters if not the main character behind Kenna!

Some of the 'next up' stuff (secrets) I mentioned in the last chapter moved to the next chapter so sorry if you were expecting some of that but it's coming!

RIP

Tywin Lannister (Oberyn stabbed him in the chest with Trident's Vengeance)

I thought about what the most appropriate and realistic death would be for Tywin considering all his actions in canon, and in this story. I decided that being killed by Oberyn Martell with a sword called Trident's Vengeance after basically pleading for the lives of his grandson and great-grandson after losing the 'Final War' to the daughter of his best friend turned greatest enemy while the mother of his children watched was the way to go. I honestly think Tywin, in the end, wouldn't be too bothered with dying himself as long as his House would remain after he was gone and that was a big drive for him binding Kenna to House Lannister (saw her as a capable person) and why he does swallow his pride in this chapter and plead mainly for Tommen and Steffon's lives. He also does quite literally show dying affection to Kenna, and their unborn third child, as well so for those invested in their relationship this is another sign that points towards Tywin actually having fallen in love with Kenna, to the extent that someone with the morals of Tywin could do so.

PS: If the Tywin/Kenna relationship was your draw to the story fear not! There will be 'what if' scenes/chapters in this publication at the end once the main story is finished involving the two and I also have a story called 'When the Lion and the Falcon Meet' that focuses on Tywin and Kenna in different AUs.

Reviews:

Kawailbabies – I don't think Oberyn is a fact checker lol. Kenna took a beating so raincheck on the unborn babies condition.

WTFGOT – I don't think he realised the extend of Cersei's hatred for his sister.

IOUcomment – We will see.

Supremus85 – True but I think this chapter covers a very significant death so makes up for that xD Yeah Oberyn has gone beyond his canon representation due to what he has endured (Sand Snake's deaths, Doran's death, Ellaria's betrayal and death, Cersei's death).

David Daniel B – All dances so come to an end like songs and stories … I'm glad Qyburn is piquing your interest :D Not sure if Oberyn knows the extent of Cersei's hatred but with her dead he will likely never know or care now.

BlackWatcher1234 – Kenna is indeed still alive for now. Oberyn has already beaten her up a lot but his anger knows no bounds when it come to her now. Technically the Red Keep going up in flames would be his fourth (1 – Blackwater 2 – Dragonstone 3 – Catacombs under King's Way in King's Landing 4 – Red Keep). It is his tried and tested method for success it seems xD You got the one death so far :D

Ser Dorito of Aisle 13 – Teehee but I love doing that! Good assumption! But Sansa is still in the Maidenvault as in my mind it takes time to secure the castle where as Dany wanted to judge Tywin and Kenna immediately so Robb and Sansa still haven't crossed paths yet but this will happen next chapter. Good guess on Tywin's death, just wrong scenario and all the other predications I cannot speak for yet.

NightlyRowenTree – Your welcome :)

Ksyushangel (commented on Chapter 106 & 107) – Yes what is Qyburn up to if he is still in the city, still on Kenna's side … Well balistas can't fire at what they can't see and because the dragons attacked at night they had a massive advantage and I really lean towards the books interpretation of dragons that it would take more than one bolt to bring them down or damage them significantly and with the low vision of nighttime it just wasn't feasible. There is a ring of balistas on King's Landing's walls and on the Red Keeps so when the sun was coming up the Red Keeps could fire but there was significantly less station there. If you were sad last chapter you are going to be bawling your eyes out at this one :(

Death Lantern – Thank you, I like to remain unpredictable enough to entertain but not too unpredictable nothing makes sense. Tyrells certainly have the largest army left by far but not dragons so …

Guest (commented on Chapter 106) – Now xD

DannyBlack70 (commented on Chapter 106 & 107) – Thank you, will they stick I wonder :P I can confirm Sansa and Robb will come face to face next chapter so you will find out then. I didn't forget but Dany wanted to face Tywin and Kenna herself so the name of the game was capture so she could dispense her own judgement which was death anyway but she wanted to do it.

NCVII (commented on Chapter 80) – You little shit xD

Next Up: Tyrion makes a monumental decision that there is no coming back from, Robb and Sansa finally reunite and Jon's fate is revealed, Kenna receives an unexpected visitor in the Black Cells.

If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!