authorsnotes: I found this a super interesting chapter to write, I do like writing politics.

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also I broke my thumb lol, updates will be slower

songrecs: in the end - mellen gi remix

To say the Small Council meeting was tense would be an understatement.

Everyone felt it, Littlefinger on his father's left side, expression easy but fists clenched, his tell. Pycelle openly trembled, nervous. Varys sat too still, like a statue. Even Cersei looked afraid, not relaxed, but tense, glaring at everyone, but her gaze would drop as she looked at the head of the table.

And he felt tensest of all, not perhaps for the same reason as everyone else, no he felt tense for the secret he held, burning now in his fireplace, the ravenscroll now only ash (which he'd explained away to his father as pleas from Harrenhal for more troops, he was just thankful he had plenty of experience lying to his sire), the secret he had to keep, for his brother, for Jaime.

He had a relationship with Jaime that he had with no one else, one of love, of trust, of being his little brother. His family had in wide shunned him, but never Jaime, he had been there for him, curbed Cersei at her worst, even stood up to their Father, had stood for him, had loved him without question, and now, Tyrion had the chance to stand up for him, to protect him.

It hadn't been a question of whether he would, just how he would do so.

The ravenscroll labelled his brother a potential traitor to the realm, hiding a ward of the Crown, running away from her, and it didn't take a genius to realise which way they were heading and why.

Jaime was taking Sansa Stark back home.

Tyrion had no idea why he was doing so, but that wasn't the most important question, not in the slightest no.

No, the most important question was; who knew?, how could he keep it from spreading?, and how could he keep it from this very council?

The council that had begun.

"Updates" Tywin Lannister, his father snapped to begin, he was in charge here, and everywhere else in Kings Landing. His nephew was just a figurehead and currently furious Sansa Stark had slipped through his fingers, so much so his new betrothed had been avoiding him and Joffrey was nor prowling the corridors, angry and just waiting for a chance to be cruel.

Silence persisted over the council, and if it were not for him trying to keep his composure, Tyrion would have laughed, the last two council meetings had been much the same; they all had plenty of updates on the workings of the realm, but nothing on the most important subject to his father and sister.

Except him, he and he alone had an update (none other had read the ravenscroll it had been sealed and he had burnt it the second he'd read it, only Bron and Pod knew the truth, the latter he trusted with his life, and the former was well paid enough to keep quiet), and yet he would not be sharing it.

"Ser Jaime has not been spotted my Lord Hand" Varys began, tension in the room so present he was sure he could cut through it with a knife, and he felt a sigh of relief, and yet curiosity, he would have been shocked that Varys didn't know about what had happened at Harrenhal but suspected he might.

Did he have his own reasons for hiding it? And what about Littlefinger? He gathered out of the two of them Varys was more likely to have spies in the Riverlands, where the Master of Coin was not well liked, but for neither of them?

His relief was mixed with confusion, but his face said nothing.

"However, Lady Sansa has been spotted"

There it was.

He clenched his fist under the table and glanced quickly at Littlefinger and Pycelle and then Cersei, all shocked, giving it away in their own small ways, Littlefingers flicker of his gaze, Pycelle forgetting to hunch for just a second, the twist of Cersei's grimace, and then his Father's cool gaze across the table, the one he couldn't read, aside Varys.

Tyrion prided himself on his ability to read others, his mind as always quick and picking apart behaviour, expressions, words, always ready to get the edge, and yet with Varys that were impossible, and he wasn't so arrogant not to recognise that was one area he was beat in.

Knowing his own limits was as important as knowing his strengths, and he knew Varys was a better liar than him, and he knew he had to work within that, to stay safe himself, and in this instance to keep Jaime safe.

And so, as he couldn't read Varys', his own expression remained neutral, what was Varys doing? Covering for Jaime but not Sansa? Did he truly not know they were travelling together? Or did he and was covering for Jaime? Tyrion had no idea, but he knew he needed to find out, and find out fast.

"Where?" His Father asked, tone cold.

"In the Riverlands my lord Hand, at Harrenhal briefly, and then disappearing into the Vale" Littlefinger flickered just a touch then as Varys spoke, "Now, my little birds sing no songs for her"

"Was she alone?" His Father continued, factual, curt, and yet there was something under his tone; anger.

Tyrion knew his Father would rather see Lady Sansa dead than back with her brother, at the moment none knew she was missing, it had been hushed up, and whilst Robb Stark believed they held her they had an advantage … if he knew that both Stark sisters were gone, it would not be beneficial for them, if anything it would be detrimental.

"No my lord Hand" Varys said with a shake of his head, and Tyrion froze, forced himself to glance at his sister who looked furious, forced himself to stay calm … where was he going with this?

"She was travelling with a male companion, a commoner by the looks" He said, and yet he glanced at Tyrion, just for a second, and made it look as though he were just looking around the room, but Tyrion knew then, he knew.

Varys knew.

Knew and was hiding it for some reason.

They would need to talk.

And soon.

"So that is how she made it free? By whoring herself out?" Cersei said furiously, eyes alight with rage.

"Quiet" His Father snapped, Cersei was long gone from any of his good graces and was only permitted to attend the Council as of the last week, Tyrion hadn't missed her, though did find some perverse pleasure in seeing her so fallen from grace.

"I don't know your Grace" Varys said amiably, "But she is in the Vale now, and my birds have few songs in the rural areas" He said, Tyrion knew that was a lie, Vary's little birds sung songs wherever he needed them to, no doubt he wasn't telling them everything.

"Baelish" His Father said then, curt "You have spies in the Vale?"

"I do my lord Hand, but as Lord Varys said, the rural areas are more difficult to deploy people to" He said, and Tyrion knew he was lying too.

They were all liars here.

Littlefinger was easier to read, but still held his secrets, Tyrion knew he had to be even more careful around him, the shifty Master of Coin with his own unknown agenda.

"We must find Sansa Stark" Tywin said with fury and thunder on his face, "If she reunites with Robb Stark, she will tell him we do not have her younger sister, and any bargaining chip we had, any hope Robb Stark would stall to get his sisters back is long gone"

"We shouldn't even be focusing on this!" His sister hissed then, the fool, "Jaime is more impor…"

"Jaime is a grown man who can handle himself" Tywin snapped, "We must find him, but we must find Sansa Stark first, she has found a protector, who knows who, and is evidently heading North, we cannot let that happen, we cannot let her get back to Robb Stark!" He roared, like the lion he was.

"This protector may know the area better than birds or spies" Tyrion commented, not because he needed to, or had anything to contribute, but because his silence would be noted otherwise.

"Regardless, deploy your birds and spies to the Vale" Tywin said then, dismissing him as per usual, and both Varys and Littlefinger nodded, whether they would do so was another question. "And we will deploy 50 of our trusted troops from Harrenhal to scale the Vale to look for her, every field, barn, disused keep I want searched, I'll order them from my own guard"

Everyone nodded, but none spoke.

Sansa Stark may have technically committed treason in her escape, but that didn't matter to his Father. What mattered to him was getting her back and locked away in the Red Keep, to stop Robb Stark charging and murdering them in their beds. There was no reward out for her capture as they were trying to keep her escape quiet.

Trying and succeeding for now, but it was only a matter of time.

"How did she seem?" Littlefinger asked then, an odd question, and he clarified quickly, "Her condition?"

"My bird could not get close" Varys said, "But said she looked well, was covering her hair with a cloak, and dressing like a commoner"

"So, she is with someone who knows what he is doing" His Father said, displeased, "Was she on foot?" Tywin asked then, and Varys shook his head.

"On horse my lord Hand" He said, and Tywin nodded, though didn't look happy about it.

"Alert me as soon as you have any more information" He said, and they all nodded, Tyrion too. "And double your efforts in the Vale"

He knew he was lying, who else was?

"On to matters of the realm"

Only when his Father began to talk of the royal fleet did he allow himself a glance at Lord Varys, who did not glance at him but nodded, not to his Father he knew but him.

They would talk, and soon.

The walk back to his chambers was brisk, well as brisk as his little legs could carry him.

There as he'd arranged were Bronn and Pod, Bronn with a drink in hand, Pod sat by the fire, the latter hurried to his feet as he stepped in, though Tyrion shook his head, and instead went to his desk, where Pod came and sat next to the sellsword, he had much to tell them.

And yet, he knew a fourth would be joining them, no point starting without him.

"What happened my Lord?" Pod asked then, but Tyrion shook his head again.

"Have a drink Pod" Was all he said, and Bronn poured them each a cup of wine, Tyrion only took the jug as he placed it down, picked up a cup and set a fourth place.

"Someone joining us?" Bronn asked, eyebrow raised, he may have a drink in hand, but his trusted guard had a dagger at his belt, and was ready to use it if needed.

Tyrion knew loyalty came in many forms, paid or not, he didn't care how it came, just that he needed it.

"I hope you don't mind" Varys spoke from the door then, silent when he needed to be, the door still open, Tyrion hadn't bothered closing it, "Don't mind a spider spinning into the room?"

"As long as it is free of birds" Tyrion retorted, taking a long gulp of his drink, they did have much to discuss, he felt he'd need wine to weather it.

Varys knew about Jaime, that was obvious to him, as Varys had allowed it to be, now they needed to discuss why he had hidden it from his Father, and what he had to gain from that.

Tyrion knew why he had hidden it, but why had Varys?

"My birds are currently hurrying to the Vale, these walls are empty of songs" He said with a small smile, and Tyrion nodded, ushering him in.

"And mockingbirds? Or agents of my sister?" He asked then, his own chambers were usually out of the purview of his sisters spies, fool as she was she didn't see him as worth the time, but Littlefinger was another question.

"For now, my Lord, I feel we should be safe to talk, or as safe as one can be here for a good ten minutes, maybe even fifteen"

"Then let's talk" Tyrion said, already feeling every second of that time, every second he needed to help Jaime, "Why didn't you tell them?"

"Why didn't you?" The spider shot back and Tyrion couldn't help but smile, this would be interesting indeed.

Though for Jaime's sake, and Sansa's, he hoped not too interesting.

thoughts?

slightly different chapter! but I thought having a KL focused one would be interesting as we will be seeing them all more...

I know we miss our lovebirds! but I had to pull out the cliffhanger lol, trust me, plenty of angst and fluff next chapter for our bbys

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speak soon