Tyrion I

"My brother is dead," Tywin Lannister said in an unexpressive voice.

"That's right, my lord. What's left of his army has retreated to the Golden Tooth," the messenger said. His voice was broken with sheer exhaustion.

Tyrion drank a glass of wine without saying a single word. As he raised his arm, the pain went across it like a whip, reminding him of his brief experience in the battle of the Green Fork. His father's lords, captains and vassals had been silent as the messenger recounted the facts, only the crackling of the logs in the chimney, at the bottom of the common room, was heard. All his father's efforts had been in vain: the race to the west, the forced marches, the deserters... all for nothing. Robb Stark had arrived at Riverrun with his riders many days earlier.

When Tyrion had arrived at the Lannister camp, fresh from his adventures in the Vale he had been invited to his father's war council. Tyrion had sat in a chair nursing a goblet of wine and listened as the Lannister grand plan was revealed to him. His uncle, had covered himself in glory in the western Riverlands, brushing aside the Tully bannerman at the Golden Tooth and then defeating a second host outside the walls of Riverrun itself, although Edmure Tully, the young heir of Lord Hoster had retreated inside the castle.

It's been many years since you managed to exterminate a house. It seems that you have lost your touch, father.

In the meantime, with the Tully seat under siege, Tywin Lannister had been leading a second, larger army of twenty thousand east across the southern Riverlands. First, he defeated Lord Stark's small host and captured him in the Mummer's Ford. Then he started his conquest of the Riverlands. Pinkmaiden, Raventree Hall, Harrenhal, all had fallen beneath the Lannister arms. Flush with success, Lord Tywin had arrived at the Green Fork, determined to stop any support from the north reaching the Tullys before the siege of Riverrun could be completed.

So, they had sat by the river, protecting his uncle's flank. Tyrion had not minded that so much, but a group of outriders reported that Robb Stark's army was marching down the Kingsroad and would be upon them within a few days, so they waited and met his army in the waters of the Trident. Only, it wasn't his army, but Roose Bolton's.

A boy of fifteen outsmarted you, you arrogant fool. Uncle Kevan's blood is in your hands alone.

"How could this happen?" groaned Ser Harys Swift. "Riverrun was surrounded by an entire army... why did Sir Kevan divide his men into three camps? Didn't he know how vulnerable they would be?"

"Better than you, Ser Harys," said his brother Jaime, saying openly what Tyrion was thinking at the time. His brother had joined his father's army from King's Landing with a hundred men a few days after Robert's death and, like Tyrion, could not bear that an ass kisser like Ser Harys, whose greatest achievement had been to become Master of Coin for a few years just because he managed to marry his daughter to Lord Tywin Lannister's brother, was criticizing their dead uncle. During his brief stint through the post, he had almost managed to empty the royal coffers completely.

"I would have done the same as my uncle," continued his brother. "I don't know if you've ever seen the castle in your life, Ser Harys, but to besiege Riverrun it is essential to place a camp north of the Tumblestone, another south of the Red Fork and a third between the two rivers, in the west. There is no other way."

"What Ser Jaime says is true, my lords," said the messenger. "They caught us off guard with our army separated by the rivers. They attacked the northern camp first, where Sir Kevan was located. We were told Stark was east of the Green Fork, and our scouts didn't warn us. Most disappeared in the dark of the night, probably because of Lord Beric or Marq Piper, and those who returned saw nothing."

"They attacked at night, didn't they?" inquired Lord Lefford.

The messenger nodded tired. "The Blackfish was in command of the vanguard, killed our sentries and knocked down the wooden fence to make way to the main attack. Ser Kevan reorganized his forces as best as he could and held the Stark army as much as possible while organizing the withdrawal of his troops on barges to the southern camp, under command of Ser Forley Prester. Around a thousand men were evacuated by taking advantage of the river current, but not Ser Kevan himself, who died fighting valiantly against the Blackfish." Tyrion wondered if it had been the courage to try to save as many men as possible or the fear of dishonor what had driven his uncle not to go in the first boats. Surely a mixture of both. "In the west camp, under Lord Brax, we were not so lucky."

"My father..." Ser Flement Brax looked at him without fully comprehending what he was hearing.

"I'm sorry, my lord," said the messenger. "Your sire ordered us to go to Ser Kevan's assistance, but as we tried to cross the river on rafts, more men of the Starks arrived from the west, with the boy at his head, a monstrous wolf by his side. Our men withstood the first charge, but then the Tullys opened the gates of Riverrun and attacked us from the rear. The whole camp was wiped out."

Lord Tywin rested his chin on his intertwined hands without saying a word. His father was often silent during court-martials, preferring to listen before speaking. It was a custom Tyrion usually tried to imitate.

"It's crazy, crazy... The failed siege, our supply lines cut off. It's a catastrophe!" continued Ser Harys again.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Ser Addam Marbrand intervened. "The question is what are we going to do about it."

"What can we do? They've cut off our supply lines, and the only thing that keeps them from attacking the west is the remains of Ser Kevan's army in the Golden Tooth. We have to sue for peace."

"Peace?" said Tyrion sarcastically as he finished off every last drop of his glass. "We have started this war, killed their subjects and burned their villages. And now, they're beating us, in case you haven't noticed. What makes you think the boy will accept peace?"

"A battle is not a war, look at what the late King Robert did after Ashford if you don't believe me," Sir Addam insisted. "He has not defeated us, not by a long shot."

"They may accept a truce and an exchange of prisoners," suggested Lord Lefford. "At the end of the day we still have his father prisoner, and as far as I know, Queen Cersei holds his sisters hostage too."

"If we ask for a truce, we'll be considered weak," Jaime argued. "I'd like to face the Young Wolf, pit my steel against the boy."

Lord Tywin Lannister rose to his feet.

"My brother is dead. I've heard your suggestions, no matter how stupid some of them were. Now get out of here, everybody. Leave me alone," his father said in a voice that cut off all the conversations. Tyrion and Jaime got up to go out with the others, but their father looked at them and added: "Not you two, stay. The rest out."

Tyrion re-settled into his seat, mute in amazement. His brother crossed the room in the direction of the wine barrels.

"Brother" called him Tyrion. "If you have the kindness..." His brother filled his glass with goodwill and then filled his. His father's glass, on the other hand, remained intact. He hadn't drink a single drop of wine.

"Lord Lefford is right about the truce, " said Lord Tywin. "Lord Eddard may help us sign the peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, but it will be difficult. The northerners may agree to trade Ned Stark and his daughters in exchange for a truce, but the river lords won't accept it so easily. We need that peace at all costs. That would give us the time to take care of Robert's brothers. Apparently, we have a new king."

"A new king?" asked his stunned brother. "Has anything happened to my nephew?"

To your son, Tyrion thought, but he didn't say anything. Why else would you have thrown Ned Stark's son out of a window? Lord Tywin's lips frowned into a grimace of disgust.

"For the moment, nothing. My grandson still occupies the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard troubling rumors from the south. A fortnight ago Renly Baratheon married Margaery Tyrell in Highgarden and now claims the crown. The bride's father and brothers have sworn him their alliance, as have most of the lords of the Reach and the Stormlands."

"Those are serious news," Tyrion said, frowning. "What about Stannis? He's the elder brother, what did he think of what Renly did?"

"It's always seemed to me that Stannis is more dangerous than our other enemies combined. So far Doran Martell has summoned his vassals and his troops are gathering in the footsteps of the Red Mountains. Apparently, he also has most of the Royal Fleet. It's only a matter of time before Stannis claims the crown and his troops get moving." His father clenched his irritated fist. "Tyrion, bring the map."

Tyrion left the glass and did what his father ordered him to do. Lord Tywin unrolled the leather and smoothed it on the table.

"Kevan has left us in a bad situation, but it could have been even worse. Roose Bolton and what's left of his army are to the north. Robb Stark is to the west, and by now he will have Edmure Tully and the lords of Trident behind him. We cannot retreat west unless we wage battle, but because Kevan managed to evacuate much of his troops, they cannot attack Casterly Rock and the Westlands either unless they manage to wipe out the remains of his army." Tyrion noticed how his father choked slightly upon pronouncing his late brother's name. Tyrion also grieved at hearing the news of his uncle's death. Ser Kevan Lannister had always treated him with kindness, unlike his father and sister, so Tyrion had always appreciated him greatly. "To the east we have the Arryns and in the south Renly and Stannis gather their armies to march upon us."

"Stannis will have to march through the Stormlands or the Reach before reaching King's Landing. He won't be able to attack us unless he deals with Renly first," his brother pointed out.

"And Lady Arryn has not yet summoned her vassals. She doesn't seem to intend to participate in this war, at least for the time being," Tyrion added.

"True," said Lord Tywin while still looking at the map. "But Stannis owns ships and Renly doesn't. Paxter Redwyne will not act against us while his children are in the Red Keep. Stannis may try to attack King's Landing from the sea before Renly arrives, if they don't end up allying first."

"Stafford defends Dragonstone. And we still have an important part of the Royal Fleet. Enough to defend the city in case Stannis decides to attack us by surprise," his brother said. Our Uncle Dolt. Stafford Lannister was his mother's brother and in turn, his father's cousin, and was also a complete incompetent. If Stannis decides to attack Dragonstone, Stafford won't be able to hold it. Not even for a day.

"Still..." said his brother with concern. "Their combined forces outweigh ours. If we stay here, we'll be trapped between three armies, at best."

"I have no intention of staying here. We have to settle this matter with the young Stark before Renly and Stannis march on us. With a little luck they might face each other and so we can earn a little more time. Bolton is cautious and won't come after us, we'll march to Harrenhal in the morning. And you both will return to the city."

"The city?" Tyrion didn't understand anything. "What city?"

"King's landing, which other? Jaime, you'll assemble an army and prepare the city's defenses. Hire any mercenaries you can before Stannis closes Blackwater Bay. I will give the appropriate instructions to gather another one at Casterly Rock. You will be the Hand of the King in my stead; you will rule in my absence and take Lord Eddard with you. I intended to send him to Casterly Rock but that no longer seems like a viable option. You'll also negotiate peace with the Starks and the Tullys. Tyrion, you'll take up a seat in the Council and help him."

Tyrion almost choked on the wine when he heard that.

"I'm sure my dear sister has something to say about it."

"Let her say whatever she wants. She's proven completely incapable of controlling things in that damn city. How did she let Stannis run away with most of the fleet?" Tyrion saw anger flashing in his father's eyes. "It is the fault of those useless advisers: our friend Baelish, the venerable Grand Maester and the eunuch of Lord Varys. If they try to play us a bad trick..."

"Heads. Spikes. Wall," Jaime said. He and Tyrion knew exactly how the sentence ended. They had heard it from their father's mouth a thousand times.

"Well, I see you know what I expect from you."

Tyrion rushed the wine he had left in the glass and stood thinking for a few seconds. In a way he was more pleased than he wanted to acknowledge, although he would certainly have preferred to be the Hand of the King over Jaime, but he knew he could not expect much more from his father. For him, Jaime would always be above his other son, dwarf and twisted. His father got up and left the common room. His father did not say a word as he walked out the door and his hasty strides were lost in the distance.

Tyrion sat there for a long time, next to Jaime, thinking about the complicated task ahead of them.

"I have only seen him like this the day our mother died, when you were born. He's more shattered than he wants to appear," Jaime said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Uncle Kevan was his last living brother, and also the one who he was most close with," Tyrion admitted. "It would be very cold to feel absolutely nothing for his death, even for father."

"Knowing Father, I'm surprised it's the innkeeper who's hanged out there instead of Lord Stark. If it were in my hands, I would have already sent his head to Riverrun."

"We need him alive if we want to get to some kind of peace with the boy. Didn't you learn anything from father's diplomacy lessons when you were young?"

"The truth is, I used to skip them whenever I could. I was hugely bored. Our father should have named you Hand of the King instead of me. You're much more apt for that position."

"You just have to ask me, dear brother, and I'll deal with that bunch of vermin for you," Tyrion said, sketching a smile. I'm sure I'll have to do it anyways, even if you don't ask me to.

"Who killed Jon Arryn?" asked Tyrion, radically changing the subject. He had gone through hell because of it and he wanted to get answers. He knew that Jaime would never admit it in front of their father, but it was different if they were alone, in complicity.

"No idea! Neither I or Cersei were part of it" replied Jaime shrugging his shoulders. "The old man died overnight, almost like Robert, although Robert's death was much more disgusting, I assure you. I couldn't forget his stinking smell even days after he died."

"And Robert?"

"Neither, unless Cersei had lied to me," answered Jaime. "In fact, she gave Lancel a skin of adulterated wine to feed Robert during the hunt, hoping that Robert would fall off the horse and open his head or something like that, but Robert fell ill a few days earlier."

This is getting really strange. He had assumed that his sister was involved at least in the death of the latter, she was the one who had the most to gain from it. Ned Stark could not be involved, and he certainly ruled out Robert's brothers, though knowing how quickly Renly had been claiming the throne, he could not quite rule him completely out either. That left Pycelle, Littlefinger and Varys as the prime suspects.

Jaime got up yawning. "I'm going to have a little head before we leave. You should too. We depart as soon as the sun comes up."

Tyrion got up too and followed him while the chimney fire was still barely alive, like the hopes of the Lannister house. His room was in an attic, under the bell tower. His brother accompanied him there, a gesture Tyrion thanked.

"Are you going to take the girl to the city with you?" his brother asked before he left.

Tyrion looked at Shae, lying on the bed of feathers, her nudity covered only by a thin blanket. At that moment he remembered Tysha, lying next to him after their wedding night and felt anger and sadness invade him at the same time.

"No, " he answered coldly. "I'll find another one."

Hello there.

Jaime not managing to attack Ned made him stay in King's Landing, and at that time I didn't think about the implications that may make. So, now I needed someone else to take command of the second Lannister host. I thought about Stafford Lannister or his son Daven, but the most obvious option was Kevan. The outcome of the battle is very similar to the one in the OTL, but I belive Kevan wouldn't have gotten captured the way Jaime did.

In the end, I decided to kill him off-chapter, not before he managed to save a large part of his army. Don't mistake me, I really like Kevan as a character, especially in AFFC and ADWD when his character is more explored, but him being captured wouldnt' make the same impact in Tywin as being killed.

See you next time!