Chapter – 3
The Warden of the West
Tywin Lannister felt anger, sadness, misery, guilt, shock and wonder for the past week as he had read the first book called 'A Game of Thrones' and understood how perilous his house's position was due to the actions of his twins. It was madness, he was still in denial about the future events predicted by the book but accepted it after reading about the actions of his mad grandson.
'No', Tywin felt his skin crawl as he read about the antics of his children and disowned his twin children and his mad grandson after reading the book. "Madness" he whisphered as he looked over Casterly Rock from his window.
The Lannister name will be mocked and fade into obscurity if he let this future come to pass. He finally admitted his failure as a father for not knowing what his twins are upto. 'How did they fool me for all these years ? and how did the wastrel Robert not noticed his own Queen and Kingsguard ?'. it did not matter to him, he will not even spare his own blood if they ruin the lannister name.
He had taken rest for a day after reading the first book which is a bleak and shameful reminder of his failings. Kevan had suspected something was wrong but he did not question Tywin's orders to rule Casterly Rock for a week.
Tywin mulled over all the information he had read about and felt another headache coming, these books are about the Starks and Targaryans than anyone else, that much he could admit as he remembered his shock over the events of the book and written down main events in an order.
Tyrion had known about Jamie and Cersei for a long time but disclosed it to no one. His dwarf son hated him all his life but Tywin had to admit Tyrion is the only one of his children who have his intelligence.
Someone had sent an assassin to kill the injured Bran and the whoremonger Baelish told the Starks it was Tyrion. Lady Stark took Tyrion captive and took him to the Eyrie to answer for his imagined crimes, where her mad sister Lysa Arryn forced Tyrion to fight or die. Tywin was impressed by Tyrion's cunning in recruiting the sellsword Bronn to save him and gaining the support of the Mountain Clans.
Tywin had ordered Tyrion back to the rock immediately, the dwarf will answer for hiding his siblings stupidity. Tywin realized that the dwarf was the only one who has the wits and wisdom to rule the Rock after him. He will decide Tyrion's future once he had fully read every book and piece of paper to know his family's fate.
He was forced to accept reality after a long time, if he dies only Kevan is the only one who can act as a regent, even Lancel proved a fool by being an accomplice in Robert's murder. Again bile rose in his mouth at what Cersei have done. His daughter is a cruel and stupid woman thinking herself a Lion of the rock. She had only one job to do and she failed bringing war to the seven kingdoms.
For once Tywin felt jealous that the Starks had a loving family despite their children's naivity they are raised with honor and never shirked from their duty. But he has suspicions about Jon Snow after reading a passage about Ned Starks dream and a fight with Aerys's Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy.
The boy Jon Snow took Tyrion's advice and even gained respect among his black brothers. He even remained with the watch even after learning about Ned Stark's death to do his duty, where his own son Jamie failed utterly to his shame. Perhaps he should have loved and cared for his children instead of plotting about Lannister legacy. Even a fool like his father loved him and his siblings unconditionally. 'Is this my punishment for ending the Reynes and Tarbecks or for ordering the deaths of the Targaryan children ?' he questioned himself.
Tywin felt love is a weakness watching his father Tytos mocked and insulted by lords of the westerland and finally gave up on love and affection when Joanna died. Mayhaps this was his fault to treat his children as pawns and being blind to their faults. 'Never Again' he vowed.
He took the paper and read the events of the book for the hundredth time :
Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon knew about Joffery, Myrcella and tommen's bastardy after visiting Robert's bastards. When Jon Arryn died, Stannis fled to Dragonstone with bulk of the royal fleet.
Littlefinger led Stark to find Robert's bastards and the book confirmed the truth about his grandchildren. Ned Stark refused to kill the Targaryan girl when he heard she was Pregnant and removed as Hand
Upon hearing lady Catelyn took Tyrion, Jamie foolishly ordered his men to capture Stark but only ended up hurting his leg before fleeing the capital. Robert reinstated him as hand and went hunting where he was gored by a boar after drinking spiked wine provided by Lancel.
One of the most shocking revelations he found in the book was when Arya Stark overheard Varys the Eunuch talking and plotting with a fat Magister who he suspected to be Illyrio Mopatis, to throw the kingdoms into Chaos by pitting Lannisters against Starks and bringing Viserys and the Dothraki to Westeros. That duplicitous fool should have been killed as he plotted to seat the targaryans on the Iron Throne again.
Ned Stark had warned Cersei to leave Westeros with her children and trusted Littlefinger foolishly to save him. Obviously, the brothel keeper betrayed Stark to Cersei and helped Joffrey's ascension.
Joffrey is a spoiled brat who is both cruel and madder than Aerys, the boy disgraced himself as king by ordering Ned Stark's head instead of keeping his prisoner and make peace with the Starks. This madness have brought a war the seven kingdoms did not need considering the events beyond the wall.
This war had what worried Tywin the most, his own actions in sending Clegane to burn and pillage the Riverlands for Tyrion's abduction. Tywin underestimated Robb Stark as a green boy and Jamie's stupidity in dividing his forces on the Trident and falling into the boy's trap at the Whisphering woods which led to the decimation of most of his forces.
The situation grew worse as Renly Baratheon married Mace Tyrell's daughter and declared himself King after Robert's death, while Stannis declared himself as the true King
of Westeros. The Northerners emboldened by their victories, crowned Robb Stark as 'King in the North'.
Tywin found that he was forced to hide in Harrenhal and send Tyrion to Kingslanding to serve as hand in his stead to control his abomination of a grandson and unworthy daughter.
But the things unsettled Tywin the most was 'Magic', he no longer could dismiss the White Walkers as a fancy after reading about two dead rangers attacking the Lord Commander in his own solar. Bran Stark's weird connection with his Direwolf and the troubling dreams with a Three eyed Crow. The Stark children seem to possess some type of warging ability which bothered Tywin.
But he was stunned the most by Daenery's targaryan, the girl seemingly doomed to an unloved marriage had showed strength beyond anyone else of her family and made her barbarian Khal fall in love with her. The fool Viserys got himself killed by provoking the Dothraki yet his own sister did not mourn him. Daenerys had trusted a witch to save her wonded husband and lost her son to dark magics.
Her khal husband became a living corpse forcing her to kill him. She was abandoned by all the Khalasar and refused Mormont's advise to sell the dragon eggs and live a comfortable life. She burned the witch on her dead husband's funeral pyre before stepping into the pyre along with placing the dragon eggs on her husband's dead body.
Tywin felt surprise and fear when the book ended with her hatching the petrified eggs and bringing to life three living baby dragons.
"Dragons" it was impossible but somehow the mad king's daughter had done it and brought dragons back into the world, a feat Aegon V could not achieve. Tywin admired the girl's courage and belief in herself despite her circumstances.
But these events changed everything for the fate of Westeros. Tywin ordered and took all his meals in his solar and even rebuked Kevan's concerns for his health. Tywin thanked all the gods for sending him these warnings in the form of books, but he needed to know more and continued with the second book aptly named 'A Clash of Kings'.
The prologue chapter starts with old master Cressen trying to kill a priestess of R'hllor after Stannis listens to her advice. Tywin was not surprised the stormlords have supported Renly instead of Stannis as the man is grim and unbending. Once again Tywin was surprised that the priestess drank poisoned wine that killed and survived through magic. 'More Magic' he muttered grimly.
The longer he read the book, his mood soured and he grimaced as he willed to pay attention to different characters and actions, taking more notes and acquiring useful information. The book went on for pages and pages clearly detailing the surroundings, people and their inner thoughts which he found annoying.
Tywin was disgusted with his bastard grandson's cruelty to Sansa Stark and surprised by the boldness of Catelyn Stark, Arya and especially Jon Snow. He began to suspect the origins of the bastard and had a nagging suspicion there was more to him.
Tywin grudgingly acknowledged his son's intelligence and approved his moves as Hand to remove Janos Slynt and throw Pycelle in the black cells. Tywin almost smiled when Tyrion put the illborn Joffrey in his place. He could clearly see Cerrsei madness as it was revealed that she seduced Lancel as well to do her bidding like a common whore.
Yet Tywin could not approve his son bringing a whore despite his warning. He observed that the eunuch started helping his son and wanted to know what Varys was planning. Tywin never killed anyone for fun, neither he shied away from bloody work when it mattered, but even he was disgusted by Joffrey's cowardice and Cersei's cruelty in ordering Robert's bastards killed. Atleast one of Robert's bastards survived and on his way to the wall.
He thanked the gods for Balon Greyjoy's idiocy and Robb Stark's misplaced trust in Theon Greyjoy that the Ironborn invaded North by taking Moat Cailin, Tohhren's Square, Deepwood Motte and raided along the stony shore. Mad Lysa Tully and Dorne staying neutral further favoured them. He notted that Genna's son and Willem were captured and Robb Stark made demands to cecede from the Seven Kingdoms.
Robb Stark invaded the westerland and scattered a new host formed by Tywin's goodbrother Stafford lannister, who died at Oxcross, taking Ashemark and the Crag, while Edmure Tully and the riverland forces stopped Tywin from falling on Robb Stark's rear. Tywin was impressed by the Young Wolf's bravery and strategy. To add insult to injury 'The Brave Companions' who Tywin brought to Westeros had switched sides joining Robb Stark. Roose Bolton then executed Amory Lorch in harrenhal.
Theon Greyjoy taking Winterfell and betraying the Starks worked in their favor but stunned to find that bran stark's disturbing visions warned him of the Ironmen's betrayal. His suspicion that the boy is a 'Skin Changer' was confirmed. Luckily the boy escaped Bolton's betrayal and the sacking of Winterfell, heading North following a vision along with Howland Reed's children.
Catelyn Stark found a sworn sword in lord Selwyn's daughter and spoke to Jamie who admitted his sins to her and even described the mad King's execution of Rickard and Brandon Stark to her. Lady Catelyn was enraged and asked for a sword which worried Tywin as he cursed his son's loose tongue.
Further reading proved that Stannis Baratheon killed Renly using some dark art which was a shadow Assassin birthed by the Red witch Mellisandre. 'How can one fight a shadow' he sighed as fear gripped him.
In Arya Stark's journey, she encountered a 'Faceless man' who killed more than three people of her choosing for saving his life. The girl was wise enough to escape Harrenhal with Robert's Bastard. He had to give the girl credit for her quick thinking and bravery proving herself as her aunt, the late Lyanna Stark.
He was happy with Tyrion's decision to betroth Myrcella to Doran's younger son and send littlefinger to negotiate with the Tyrells , which proved decisive. Tyrion's masterstroke of using the large chain and Wildfire to trap and burn Stannis Baratheon's fleet is vital to the city's defence until Tywin could arrive with the Tyrell forces to take Stannis's force in the rear.
Tywin was again surprised by his dwarf son's courage in rallying a force to meet the stormlander forces, while the cowardly king had hidden behind his mother's skirts. He was shocked when ser Mandon Moore attacked and almost killed tyrion before podrick payne saved his son. This plot reeked of Cersei and Joffrey's incompetence.
Tywin felt guilty that Tyrion lost a part of his nose and lips but was treated unfairly and his efforts went unrecognized. He read as Mace Tyrell was given a small counsil seat, ser Loras joined the kingsguard in ser Moore's place and Margaery Tyrell was betrothed to Joffrey. He also noticed that the treacherous cur Baelish was made lord of Harrenhal and 'lord paramount of the Trident'. Tywin himself was appointed as hand of the king.
Lord Commander Mormont led a force on a ranging beyond the wall, where a wildling named Craster hosted them. Tywin was disgusted to know that the wildling married his own daughters and sacrificed his son to the Others. Jon Snow found captured a wildling girl and let her escape and warged into his direwolf while sleeping and saw wildlings, giants and mammoths which stunned Tywin.
Jon Snow found a stack of hidden Obsidian weapons and the black brother travel through Skirlings pass, where they are captured by the wildlings and taken to their king, Mance Rayder. Jon was advised to infiltrate the wildings by a brother named Qhorin Halfhand who gave his life to convince the wildlings that Jon is a traitor.
The most worrying aspect was the journey of Daenerys Targaryan and her dragons. The self proclaimed 'Mother of Dragons' made it to Qarth and asked for support to take the seven kingdoms. Tywin's brow furrowed and sweat poured from his forehead as he read about the visions Daenerys seen in the 'House of the Undying'. She saw visions of the past and future her own father and Rhaegar and something in the visions did not sit well with Tywin.
The dragon 'drogon' burned down the house and the 'khaleesi' was saved from an assisination attempt by two strange characters called 'Artsan whitebeard' and 'Strong Belwas' who said magister Illyrion sent them. Tywin raged as again the Pentoshi Magister presence was mentioned. 'Who and why is this magister involved with the Targaryans ?' he thought again but found no answer.
He could not wrap his head around how to combat magic as he never faced such a situation before. 'White walkers, wargs, giants, mammoths, magical crows, dragons and shadow demons ?', he had nursed a headache almost everyday after reading the books and felt his age after a long time. "Madness, Folly and Stupidity" he said to himself at the turn of events at the end of the book.
Tywin's interest was piqued though dread pooled in his mind as to what fate awaits westeros if threats of both White Walkers and Dragons are looming in the future. Once again he was stunned to silence and found no defence to counter the magical elements. He needed an equalizer to combat this new threat. A shame Gerion was killed in a fool's quest, his brother would have been delighted and better disposed to find a solution to magical problems.
He decided to retire from the night as it was late. Tommorow he will read the large book named 'A Storm of Swords'. That night his dreams were full of dragons, direwolves, wildlings and Ice demons.
Note : Thank you everyone for your support and reviews. I knew people wanted Tywin to breeze through the books but there is a reason Tywin is reading each book and contemplating the future. The Old Lion is already wary of magic and found himself lacking resources to counter it. Next chapters will be crucial as the plot thickens and Tywin is forced to make a decision.