263 AC

Tya would admit that her wedding day - her real wedding day, to Jason rather than that weaselly Frey - was one of the happiest days of her life. The only one that could compete was the day Aerys made her Hand, and even that did not shine quite as bright.

It had been a long betrothal - eighteen months despite both of them being adults - but now it was worth it. They married in King's Landing, of course. Casterly Rock would've been more fitting perhaps, but she could not spend too long away from the city. She may have been Hand for a year now, proving herself a hundred times over, but there were still those who claimed a woman was too weak for such a high position, too easily distracted. But the Great Sept of Baelor was hardly a poor substitute.

Perhaps it wasn't the best match on diplomatic grounds, but given Tya's position she could not have a husband who would outshine her, and try to use her to influence the king, which ruled out any match from the great houses, or even a lord's heir. The lords wouldn't stand for it, and neither would Tya.

Besides, there was no one to object. Kevan and Genna had both made matches from the Westerlands in the past couple of years. Though Kevan had been rather taken with young Dorna Swyft, she had been a hostage at Casterly Rock whilst her father paid off his debts to the Lannisters and was hardly fitting to be the future Lady of Casterly Rock. The girl was far too young besides; they would not be able to wed for years, and to secure Kevan's place as heir and the respect of the bannermen he needed a wife and heirs of his own as soon as possible. So he had married Lady Cerissa Brax instead, sister of Lord Andros.

As well as this match, Genna had also wed the Crakehall heir, Roland, whilst Jason's younger brother Stafford had married Myranda Lefford and his elder half-brother Damon had married Kenna Lydden. Even Jason's bastard sister Lynora Hill had wed an Algood, and Tygett and Gerion would also take wives from the west in time, so the bannermen could hardly complain.

Sometimes Tya wondered what would've happened if she had tried harder with Aerys. If she had played things right, perhaps she could have been queen. But then again, perhaps not; though the king held no love or attraction towards his sister, he had agreed with his father' decision to marry him to Rhaella to continue the Targaryen tradition of keeping the blood pure. If Tya had tried harder she was under now doubt that he'd have wanted her, but it was unlikely he'd have made her queen. She would have simply been disgraced, and called his whore.

And besides, the idea of using feminine wiles - which she didn't have - to try and charm a man who she felt rather sick at the idea of sleeping with was hardly appealing. That wasn't her way of doing things.

Things were much better now, anyway. Hand of the King was a much more powerful position than queen. As far as Tya knew, Rhaella's duties were simply taking care of Prince Rhaegar, organising her ladies, helping the steward run the Red Keep household and being a pretty ornament on her husband's arm. Whilst Tya was essentially running the realm.

Besides, she would much rather be Jason's wife than Aerys'. Often with the king it felt like she was minding an unruly child, or trying to calm a volatile beast. With Jason... she could relax slightly, with someone who was as close to her equal as anyone could be.

"Bad morning?" He entered her solar the day before the wedding, catching the look on her face immediately; she had fixed whoever had dared to open the door with a dark glare, before realising it was him.

"The Master of Laws asked Aerys who would be replacing me as Hand once I grow with child," Her tone told him exactly what she thought of that. "Aerys seemed to have not considered that a possibly,"

"Gods," He looked amused. "I suppose he's not going to be Master of Laws for very long, then," He wasn't wrong. She had spent the hour since the meeting thinking up strategies to remove him from the Small Council, if he didn't drop dead of old age before she managed it. "I'll start dropping hints to Aerys, then - once you've driven the old man off, I'll make sure I'm his replacement,"

"You're doing too good a job at convincing the king you're harmless," She said. "He thinks you're only good for hitting things with swords and laughing at his bad jokes. He's more likely to name you Lord Commander of the Kingsguard than anything to do with politics,"

"It's no problem," He waved a hand, taking a seat on the other side of her desk. "Aerys is easy to convince of anything, so long as you don't ask him outright. I'll let him think it was his idea and he'll be falling over himself to give me the position," He had always been more subtle than Tya, who tended to tell people what to do and intimidate them into obeying rather than befriending then manipulating them.

"If you're sure," He nodded. "Make it seem like you're there to be his ally, not mine. I have to counter his moronic suggestions all the time - he'd love having a real friend on the council with him, though would never agree if he knew I wanted you there,"

"And when everyone gets uneasy the Small Council is being overrun by Lannisters?"

"Anyone who questions Aerys will only make him do the opposite," She wasn't concerned. "And only the king himself can decide to remove you - everyone else is irrelevant,"

"True enough," He smiled faintly. "I have to get the job first,"

"You'll manage it," She waved a hand. "Now come and look over this. You're better at... weddings,"

With a grin he stood and moved behind her chair, peering over her shoulder. In front of her was the seating plan for the wedding, both in the sept and at the feast. She had little patience for organising people like this, remembering who had a grudge against who, or who would be more slighted by a worse position. Oh she would remember the information easily enough if it became useful to her, but casual diplomacy like this was a skill her soon-to-be husband was far better at.

"I thought ladies were meant to be good at things like this," He smiled slyly, taking the quill from her and crossing out several names on the paper, scribbling alternative ones underneath. "It's to be the most important day of your life, after all,"

Tya fixed him with a flat stare, though her lips twitched despite herself.

"If it was up to me we'd have the entire high table for just me, you, Kevan, Genna, Tygett, Gerion, Stafford and Damon," She said. "None of their husbands or wives, though. Maybe Rhaella could join us, but Aerys wouldn't even be in the hall,"

"Do you want to sign both our death warrants while you're at it?" He remarked dryly. "He's unhappy enough that we're marrying at all. Keeps telling me that if my wife is too hard to satisfy then send you over to him,"

"Satisfied?" She raised an eyebrow. "Is that what he calls Rhaella dreading every time he visits her chambers?" Since the birth of Prince Rhaegar four years ago, there had been no more princes or princesses that had lived longer than a month after birth, and the king was growing increasingly impatient.

"Apparently the king's definition of satisfaction is rather different to everyone else's," Jason's tone was light. He hesitated. "I know you can deal with inappropriate comments like that, but if he tries anything further - "

"I wouldn't stand for it," She cut him off, recognising and disliking the slight concern he was trying not to let her see. "Aerys knows not to push too far,"

"Does he?" Her cousin's tone was serious now. "Don't underestimate those mercurial moods of his, particularly when he's in his cups. He respects you far more than me, but I see a side of him that you only get glimpses of. Some of the things he says in front of me, knowing full well we're betrothed..." He trailed off, eyes dark. "Not saying you're weak or helpless, because I know you're not. And I know you take care around him as it is. But be on your guard, is all I'm saying,"

She was tempted to argue that - she had known Aerys since she was ten years old, she knew how to deal with his ridiculousness and he listened to her better than he listened to anyone - but Jason rarely got this serious. Anyone else who said that to her would've earned a sharp comment that she was more than capable of looking after herself.

Instead Tya pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Fine,"

She did look beautiful on her wedding day.

Tya rarely paid much attention to her appearance aside from the impression she was giving off, usually aiming for regal, intimidating and older than she actually was. Her typical gowns were relatively high-necked, with sweeping skirts done in shades of most commonly Lannister red, but also dark shades of purple, green, blue or even black, and her hair was usually scraped back into practical braids of a knot at the base of her neck.

Today, however, she looked more like the young woman of one-and-twenty that she was. Her golden hair was done in elaborate braids, though some strands were left down to frame her face. Her gown was white, with hints of red, and gold lions gambolling around the skirts. The neckline was far lower than she usually favoured, the skirts more voluminous, and instead of her usual dark boots that added an extra two inches to her height and clacked sharply on the floor when she walked, her feet were clad in soft doeskin slippers.

Her bearing and posture still made the more girlish than usual dress seem regal, and was still nowhere near looking like a blushing, giggling bride, of course, but today Tya presented a slightly softer image to her usual stern, untouchable one.

There was no hesitation when she kissed her new husband in the sept, lingering a little longer than was strictly proper. She wasn't smiling constantly throughout the feast but smiled a lot more than she normally did, even laughing several times. She was even in a good enough mood to let her father kiss her on the cheek; they were the same height now, she noted. Age and consumption had shortened him.

Aerys had been glowering for much of the ceremony, though she expected nothing less. She wasn't foolish enough to believe the king loved her; his behaviour was nothing more than a spoiled boy who has everything gifted to him on a plate being denied something for once. That was the only reason she interested him the way she did. But it was rather irritating nonetheless. She remembered Jason's words from the previous day, and tried not to glare.

During her first wedding, Tya had considered how much better it would be to wed Aerys and be queen. Compared to being wife to a nameless Frey, it would be infinitely better. But not compared to what she had now. Definitely not.

"Your father seems to have avoided embarrassing himself overmuch tonight," Her husband murmured where he sat beside her. "I did task Genna with keeping an eye on him - she seems to have done her job well," She had wondered why her sister had not left Lord Tytos' side all evening.

"I paid a servant to keep topping his cup up with plain apple juice instead of that cider he likes so much," She said. "So far it looks like he hasn't noticed," He snorted.

"Between us we may have achieved one night in public where Lord Lannister doesn't humiliate us all,"

She hummed in agreement.

"Though Aerys is suspiciously quiet,"

The king had made decent conversation with them during the meal, laughing and joking but nothing untoward, which made her rather wary; surely he had something planned, to have gone from glowering in the sept to being the charming version of himself he usually presented to people he didn't know. Now Aerys seemed to have migrated down to the dance floor, though kept his wine cup in his hand.

"Give it time," Jason seemed darkly amused. "He's gulping down that wine fast enough that he'll be roaring drunk before long. Then the fun will begin," They both watched as he grabbed a nearby serving girl with a large bust and pretty face, openly groping her in the middle of the hall and laughing. "There we go,"

Tya closed her eyes briefly.

Jason was right; the king only got drunker as the night went on. Of course, most of the others there were dead drunk too - even Tya was feeling a slight buzz from the wine she'd had, something she didn't normally drink - and so only laughed uproariously at Aerys' antics.

"Ser Lannister!" Her heart sank as the king called out to Jason, slurring his words slightly. "Your bride looks beautiful - surely you can't keep her all to yourself. Let all the lords in the room lay eyes on our dear Lady Hand's beauty. Every inch," There was a weak round of lewd chuckles, though not many; most were not so drunk that they did not see the look on Tya's face. "I believe it's time for the bedding,"

Tya had been dreading him saying that. She hadn't asked the king not to call for the bedding ceremony - knowing that would only drive him to do so for certain, and in the vain hope that if she didn't mention it then he wouldn't - so had been expecting this regardless.

"Seven hells," Jason muttered, clearly sensing her discomfort as he placed a hand on her stiff arm. "You don't want this, we can call it off now," People were already moving eagerly towards them, so they had to speak quickly.

"We can't," She said through gritted teeth. "He'd insist on it. We'd only come away looking foolish," And quite honestly, she didn't want the inevitable tantrum refusing Aerys would cause, not on her wedding day.

Her husband clearly realised she was right, squeezing her arm slightly.

"Five minutes, and it'll be over," He said. "Perhaps ten. Then if you want, all we have to do is get into bed and sleep,"

She made a slight scoffing noise, meeting his eyes.

"We're not sleeping,"

He raised an eyebrow at that, though grinned at her as the gaggle of idiotic, shrieking, giggling ladies descended upon him.

"My lady," He managed to say before they carried him off, cooing over his good looks and warrior's body. Tya narrowed her eyes, but didn't have to watch the sight of her husband being gradually disrobed by a horde of other women for very long as she herself was swept off her feet by a dozen pairs of eager, grasping hands, the king foremost amongst them.

A large part of her wanted to slap each and every one off of her, then kick Aerys in the face to boot, but the more rational part realised she could not get out of this without looking like a fool. The king was very drunk, she had seen enough of that tonight, and when he was drunk he was even more liable to fly off the handle and cause a scene, which was the last thing she wanted. No, for once all Tya wished for was all eyes to look away and let her be alone with her husband, for one night.

Equally she had no desire to have those men of power she battled against and worked with every day see her reduced to nothing more than a naked woman to gawp at rather than the strong, untouchable image she had built around herself. Too late for that, she supposed.

Her dress was gone by the time they climbed the stairs, the braids in her hair falling out. Before long she only wore her chemise and smallclothes, and Aerys' eyes raked over her with undisguised lust.

"I've never seen your hair loose before," He said, somehow making even that suggestive.

Tya shot him a glare, which he was impervious too at this level of intoxication, though many of the men around him noticed and shifted uncomfortably. Aerys, in fact, seemed to take her look as an invitation.

The custom of the bedding ceremony was meant to deliver the bride and groom naked to their marriage bed, making raunchy jests and crude suggestions along the way. It was certainly not customary for any man to do as the king did to her and grab the bride's barely-covered breast with one hand, pulling her in for a bruising kiss with the other.

Tya immediately tried to wrest away from him, hearing the rather shocked exclamations from some of the men and jeers from others, but his hand was fisted in her hair, making escaping difficult. In the end she simply bit down hard on his tongue - which was halfway down her throat - making him recoil with a cry, bleeding.

"I believe his Grace has had too much to drink," She said cooly, brushing her hair out of her face. "Careful, Aerys. You'll get blood on your shirt," There was some laughter from the other men, though others were silent, realising her words hadn't been a joke but a stark warning.

Fury flashed through the king's eyes briefly, but he really was dead drunk (and therefore even more mercurial than ever) so it passed before any more damage could be done.

"Cruel," He declared, slurring, pointing a wavering finger in her general direction. "You are cruel to me, Lady Lannister,"

"I run your kingdom," She said flatly. "If you want a kiss, go to your wife," Another flash of anger, and more laughter from the men. Then Aerys' face twisted into a bleary smile, as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Lady Tya bites like the lion on her banners," He declared, to louder laughter from everyone, and a universal sigh of relief that the king was joking again and the Hand wasn't going to have him killed. "Sharp claws, like the lord in that Castamere song,"

"She is the lord in the song," Someone pointed out. "Lady just didn't fit with the words,"

"She is!" Aerys looked delighted at that realisation, looking around. "See! It was a good decision to make her Hand. How many men have songs written about them?"

Tya could name several unflattering ones the smallfolk sung about the king there and then, not that they'd ever reach his ears.

Though he didn't touch her again for the rest of the journey to her chambers in the Tower of the Hand, it was a relief when they finally deposited her in the bed beside Jason, and the door shut, muffling the rowdiness from outside. Tya sank back onto the pillows, seeing her husband glance at her in concern.

"You've got blood on your face,"

"It's Aerys'. He... took some liberties," Jason's eyes clouded in anger, and worry too, but she cut him off before he could speak. "He won't do so again, believe me," I just bit the king - bit Aerys, of all people. The thought was absurd; so absurd that she actually chuckled. "He stuck his tongue down my throat and I bit him hard enough to make it bleed,"

Her husband's eyebrows rose, and he seemed to want to remain angry, but the image was clearly too much.

"For Seven's sake," He shook his head, unable to suppress the grin that formed on his face. Then he realised she was still laughing to herself - which she did rarely enough - and had to join in. They lay there for some time in what was the rarest of moments; simply laying on their backs laughing together. She was still furious at what the king had done, and would be for a long time, but for now it was easier to let it go.

Then he sat up, looking down at her. His eyes had darkened and Tya felt the familiar stab of longing that she had felt around him for a long time, him and no one else. Around Jason she could understand why lots of women went along with the pretence that laying with a man was pleasurable.

His hand moved to cup her jaw, but she was the first to speak.

"I suppose you've done this before?" Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper.

"Never when it's mattered," He replied.

"Then neither have I,"

There was a pause.

"That Frey was unworthy to even look upon you," He said with startling reverence.

Jason didn't smile, but Tya did, even as his lips moved down to claim hers. He couldn't have said anything better.

She learned that night that not every woman who claimed to find bedding pleasurable was lying.

No surprises that Aerys pushed things too far at the wedding. I always wondered what 'Aerys took liberties with Joanna during the bedding' meant - I doubt he went as far as raping her, but it was hardly just a few inappropriate comments.

Anyway what did you think of this chapter? I hope this better demonstrates the relationship between Tya and Jason. Thanks for reading!