Disclaimer: I do not own anything from A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones. Everything here belongs to George R.R Martin.

Chapter XXXVI - Marriages and Betrothals

King's Landing

Tyrion POV

Tyrion Lannister listened as the Small Councils were making decisions regarding about the Seven Kingdoms. First was the situation in the Vale, with Lysa Arryn born a Tully is now the Regent for her son Robert Arryn. Last time Tyrion was at the Vale, he was almost thrown into the Moon Door, if Bronn hasn't represent him at the Trail by Combat, he could've been dead. Now, they were talking about a betrothal between Petyr Baelish, Littlefinger, who is also now the Lord of Harrenhal, with Lysa Arryn. Anyone who marries Lysa Arryn would become Lord Protector of the Eyrie. Lysa Arryn already has many suitors in the Vale, including Yohn Royce, Nestor Royce and many other lords in the Vale. However, both his father and Cersei insisted that Littlefinger is loyal as he brought Highgarden to their side.

Then, there was the situation in Dorne. They need Dorne by their side now, and they have to be invited to the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery, especially Varys who reported to them that Daeron of House Targaryen has already taken an army of 8,000 men and he and his sister Daenerys has three dragons, along with the fact they have Ser Jorah Mormont and Ser Barristan Selmy advising them. Daeron and Daenerys are not just the children of Rhaegar Targaryen but also Elia Martell. Tyrion had asked sarcastically that wouldn't Prince Doran support his nephew instead of them? Their father merely replied that Doran is a reasonable man, and with Myrcella betrothed with Trystane and any children born between Myrcella and Trystane will be a threat to the Targaryens, and Doran would be more likely to support his future grandchildren's kin then his nephew and niece whom he hasn't met since the Rebellion, along with the fact of their father dismissing the fact that the Targaryens have dragons. Tyrion wasn't really sure about that. The only reason Myrcella was in Dorne was so that Dorne might not support Stannis, Renly or Robb Stark.

Tyrion began to argue about Littlefinger again but Ser Kevan, his uncle, merely said, "Lord Baelish's loyalty have been demonstrated already. Only yesterday, he told us of the Tyrells plot to wed Sansa Stark to Lord Mace's eldest son Willas."

"Littlefinger brought you word?" Tyrion leaned against the table. "Not our master of whisperers? How interesting."

Cersei looked at their uncle in disbelief. "Sansa is my hostage. She goes nowhere without my leave."

"But if Lord Tyrell asks, we will be forced to grant him," their father pointed out. "To refuse him would be tantamount to declaring that we did not trust him. He would take offence."

"Let him. What do we care?"

Bloody fool, thought Tyrion. "Sweet sister," he explained patiently, "offend Tyrell and you offend Redwyne, Tarly, Rowan, and Hightower, basically the entire Reach, and perhaps the Tyrells will start wondering whether Robb Stark might not be more accommodating of their desires."

"I will not have the rose and the direwolf in bed together," declared Lord Tywin. "We must forestall him."

"How?" asked Cersei. "By marriage. Yours, to begin with."

It came so suddenly that Cersei could only stare for a moment. Then her cheeks reddened as if she had been slapped. "No. Not again. I will not."

"Your Grace," said Ser Kevan, courteously, "you are a young woman, still fair and fertile. Surely you cannot wish to spend the rest of your days alone? And a new marriage would put to rest this talk of incest for good and all."

"So long as you remain unwed, you allow Stannis to spread his disgusting slander," Lord Tywin told his daughter. "You must have a new husband in your bed, to father children on you."

"Three children is quite sufficient. I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, not a brood mare! The Queen Regent!"

"You are my daughter, and will do as I command." Tywin yelled.

Cersei stood furiously, "I will not sit here and listen to this—"

"You will if you wish to have any voice in the choice of your next husband," Lord Tywin said calmly. "You will marry and you will breed. Every child you birth makes Stannis more a liar." Their father's eyes seemed to pin her to her chair. "Mace Tyrell, Paxter Redwyne, and Doran Martell are still married. Balon Greyjoy's wife is elderly and failing, but such a match would commit us to an alliance with the Iron Islands, and I am still uncertain whether that would be our wisest course."

"No," Cersei said from between white lips. "No, no, no."

Tyrion could not quite suppress the grin that came to his lips at the thought of packing his sister off to Pyke.

"Oberyn Martell might suit us, but the Red Viper had injured Willas Tyrell." Tywin Lannister said. "And we are not going to offend the Tyrells. I'm sure you will not object wedding a man younger than yourself?"

"I object to wedding any—"

"I have considered the Redwyne twins, Theon Greyjoy, Quentyn Martell, and a number of others. But our alliance with Highgarden is the most paramount. Ser Loras has taken the white and Ser Garlan is wed to one of the Fossoways, but there remains the eldest son, the boy they scheme to wed to Sansa Stark."

"That would be the cripple," Tyrion said with satisfaction.

Tywin gave Tyrion a glare. "Willas is heir to Highgarden, and by all reports a mild and courtly young man, fond of reading books and looking at the stars. He has a passion for breeding animals as well, and owns the finest hounds, hawks, and horses in the Seven Kingdoms."

"The Tyrell heir would be my choice," Lord Tywin concluded, "but if you would prefer another, I will hear your reasons."

"That is so very kind of you, Father," Cersei said with icy courtesy. "It is such a difficult choice you give me. Who would I sooner take to bed, the old squid or the crippled dog boy? I shall need a few days to consider. Do I have your leave to go?"

"You may." Tywin said and Cersei left immediately as Tyrion watched in satisfaction. "Tyrion."

"Do I hear the herald summoning me to the lists?"

"Your whoring is a weakness in you," Lord Tywin said without preamble, "but perhaps some share of the blame is mine. Since you stand no taller than a boy, I have found it easy to forget that you are in truth a man grown, with all of a man's baser needs. It is past time you were wed."

"I was wed, or have you forgotten?" Tyrion snarled.

"Only too well." Tywin sneered.

"You will marry me to Sansa Stark?" Tyrion asked horrified as he thought about it. "Won't the Tyrells take offence?"

"Mace Tyrell will not broach the matter of the Stark girl until after Joffrey's wedding. If Sansa is wed before that, how can he take offence, when he gave us no hint of his intentions?"

"Quite so," said Ser Kevan, "and any lingering resentments should be soothed by the offer of Cersei for his Willas."

"His Grace the royal pustule has made Sansa's life a misery since the day her father died, and now that she is finally rid of Joffrey you propose to marry her to me. That seems singularly cruel. Even for you, Father."

"Why, do you plan to mistreat her?" His father sounded more curious than concerned. "The girl's happiness is not my purpose, nor should it be yours. Our alliances after the war is important. In the South, we have Highgarden, in the East, we have the Vale, in the West, we have Casterly Rock. In the North, we will have Sansa Stark."

"Any man who marries Sansa Stark can claim Winterfell." Ser Kevan said to Tyrion.

"There is just three ugly things. I'm sure you are aware that Cersei has told you that Ned Stark is not really executed and it was some peasant. Alyssa Stark is the elder sister of Sansa and she inherits first, and Robb Stark is about to marry to one of the fertile Freys." Tyrion added, hoping that this marriage could be put off.

"Ned Stark is probably dead." Tywin said furiously. "Varys' spies can't find him, and even if he is still alive, he will be sentenced to the Night's Watch for his crimes against the Crown. Alyssa Stark is possibly dead with her sister Arya, even if she isn't, I could send her to the Silent Sisters. Brandon Stark and Rickon Stark are dead. And as for Robb Stark, he will not father any children with the Freys. The Young Wolf has taken Gawen Westerling's daughter Jeyne as his bride."

Tyrion was shocked and said, "He broke his oath and threw away the Freys for a.. a Westerling?"

"A maid of sixteen years, named Jeyne," said Ser Kevan. "Lord Gawen once suggested her to me for Willem or Martyn, but I had to refuse him. Gawen is a good man, but his wife is Sybell Spicer. He should never have wed her. The Westerlings always did have more honor than sense. Lady Sybell's grandfather was a trader in saffron and pepper, almost as lowborn as that smuggler Stannis keeps. And the grandmother was some woman he'd brought back from the east. A frightening old crone, supposed to be a priestess. Maegi, they called her. No one could pronounce her real name. Half of Lannisport used to go to her for cures and love potions and the like." He shrugged. "She's long dead, to be sure. And Jeyne seemed a sweet child, I'll grant you, though I only saw her once. But with such doubtful blood..."

Tyrion didn't think anything was wrong, after all he married Tysha who was a whore by the account of Jaime and his father. The Westerlings are an ancient house, before Aegon's Conquest, the King of the Rocks will sometimes take Westerlings as their Queen. One of Maegor the Cruel's wife is also called Jeyne Westerling. However, over the years, the mines in the Crags have failed, their good lands were sold, the Crags are now ruins. The Spicers are rich merchants, but also lowborns. But what was surprising was that his father didn't seem offended. Lord Tywin did not suffer any disloyalty from his vassals, he extinguished the Reynes and the Tarbecks and any of his lords put one toe out of a line, all he had to do was to send a singer who will sing the Rain of Castemeres. The Crag is not far away from Castemere or Tarbeck Hall, Tyrion would've thought his father to be furious, but in fact his father was smirking.

"You will marry Sansa Stark." Tywin said. "And you will bed her, put children in her belly, and the North will rejoice once you bring Ned Stark's eldest grandson into the North." Tywin said coldly.

A small scene in King's Landing and also the reaction of the Lannisters of Ned Stark being alive.