Hi everyone,

Couldn't post this earlier as I have been staying in a no WIFI accommodation for the past 2 weeks but I hope the wait was worth it for the conclusion of this mini story :)

Enjoy the final chapter!

Chapter 5: All Men Must Serve

A few days later ….

Small Council Chamber, Tower of the Hand, King's Landing, Capital of the Six Kingdoms

Tyrion walked two steps for every one of his fathers but he kept pace as the giant ginger wildling led them to the traditional Small Council Chamber.

"Tyrion promise me you will rule Casterly Rock and the Westerlands well and carry on the Lannister name," Tywin said in a serious voice.

"What?" Tyrion snorted, "I thought you said I would rule Casterly Rock only once your body had been consumed by maggots."

"I still think that will be the case," Tywin responded dryly as the giant in front of them pushed the door before him aside like it was nothing.

The current Small Council of Aegon VI was in full flow with multiple voices speaking at once and the former bastard of Winterfell was sat right in the middle not saying a word but all voices went silent as all eyes at the large table went to the two Lannisters making their way towards them.

Aegon stony face greeted them, "I welcome you Lord Lannister and Lord Tyrion to my Small Council. We have been debating what to do with you."

Tyrion eyed those that surrounded the table. It was an interesting bunch of people.

"Let me guess," Tyrion said slowly with his eyes shining with the new challenge laid out before him, "Samwell Tarly is your Grand Maester based on the chain, Varys is your Master of Whispers obviously," he said flashing his friend a wide grin that indicated his betrayal had not been forgotten, "Arya Stark the Lady who doesn't want to be a Lady .. ah you are the Commander of the Kingsguard an inspired choice, loyalty guaranteed and an exquisite fighter, and …" Tyrion walked forward looking directly at Gendry, "Who are you?"

"Gendry Baratheon, I was one of King Robert's bastards but Daenerys Targaryen legitimised me. I am Lord of Stormlands now," the young dark-haired man said proudly glancing at Arya who sat beside Jon.

"Yes, yes but what are you here?" Tyrion asked impatiently wanting to know what he was not who he was.

"Master of Laws," Gendry replied as if unsure and looked to Davos for support, who sat on Jon's left.

"Oh of course," Tyrion said, flicking his gaze from one person to the next.

"Can you guess what I am?" came a haughty female voice from the end of the table.

"I don't need to guess, Lady Olenna. I know you are here for your money. You are Master of Coin. Not a fun job from personal experience but you might like it more than I did."

Lady Olenna nodded and clapped as if at a theatre performance, and perhaps to her that was all this was.

Another Targaryen King was sitting on the Iron Throne. She had seen those come and go. Her distaste for the latest Targaryen Queen had brought her to the Small Council table as the late Queen's rampage had left only her and her oldest grandson Willas alive.

Most of her family had perished to either dragon fire or were crushed under one of the many fallen buildings of King's Landing. Their fate was unsure as their bodies hadn't been found yet.

"And now Lord Davos or should I say Lord Hand," Tyrion said confidently to the maimed former pirate.

"Wrong," the balding man said happy to correct the little Lord, "I am Master of Ships."

"Wrong?" Tyrion echoed raising his eyebrow, "Who is Jon's .. I mean Aegon's Hand then?"

"That is what we have been discussing all morning," Aegon said as he rose from his chair and placed both his hands on the table, "Without much success."

"Yes, we can't seem to agree on our next course of action in regards to the proposed candidate," Varys declared from one end of the table.

"What appears to be the issue?" Tyrion asked with a hint of nervousness.

"We can't decide whether to execute him or make him Hand," Davos interjected with a frustrated look on his face.

"We are stuck three a piece," Olenna added behind a sly smile as the drama unfolded in front of her.

"I have the deciding vote," Aegon announced from his standing position.

"Do you want me to list the reasons why I should retain my head or the reasons why I would be a good Hand? Both are quite short," Tyrion said.

Aegon smiled slightly, "Rest easy Lord Tyrion it wasn't your continued existence that we have been discussing all morning but your fathers."

Tywin who had remained silent but observant gave Tyrion a knowing look before lifting his head to match Aegon's questioning stare.

The young King bristled under Tywin's attention but it didn't deter him, "If I asked you Lord Tywin would you accept being my Hand?"

"Why would you ask me? Why ask an enemy and not an ally? Why would you make me the most powerful prisoner in the history of Westeros?"

"Let me rephrase," Aegon said coldly, "if the alternative was your head on a chopping block would you accept?"

"Why me?" Tywin said refusing to relent on his question, "I was responsible for the destruction of your father's family and for a good deal of your mother's.

"Because half my Small Council decry you a savage monster capable of burning villages down to the ground just to hamper your opponents, a man that sanctioned the killing of little children and sacked King's Landing and the other half say that you are a man that makes the hard choices for the better of all and the future, a man that killed a few dozen at dinner so that thousands may live, a man that was able to give peace and prosperity to Westeros for twenty years despite his King descending into madness."

Tywin remained silent reading the room.

"I like to see the best in people and I need capable people to help me rebuild the Six Kingdoms while Queen Sansa sees to the North and the Wall," Aegon continued.

"And that is why you won't last as King very long," Tywin responded as if his life wasn't in the young King's hands.

Tywin saw all the seated councillors eye him, but in particular Arya was giving him a stare that could have cut through ice.

"Explain," Aegon simply.

"For a ruler it is better to always assume the worst of people and prepare accordingly instead of assuming the best and getting stabbed in the back by those you gave a chance to."

"Maybe Lord Tywin if you had trusted more people and fostered friendships instead of sowing fear more allies would have fought for you against Daenerys Targaryen," Aegon snarled.

Tywin scoffed, "Friendships and fear mean nothing when you are staring down dragon fire."

"You are advocating for me to have you executed?" Aegon asked trying to gauge Tywin's words in relation to his request.

"Consider it my first piece of advice as your Hand if you decide not to execute me."

"So, you would accept my offer of being my Hand if I asked," Aegon said reading in-between Tywin's words.

"Yes, on one condition."

Aegon watched the Old Lion carefully, "Yes?"

"That my son is fully pardoned for any action he took while he was Daenerys's Hand and is allowed to go back to Casterly Rock and rule in my stead as I assume," Tywin ignored the shocked look Tyrion was sending him, "I would never be allowed to leave King's Landing while I am alive."

Aegon nodded seriously confirming Tywin's deduction, "I value your honesty Lord Tywin so let me be honest now. You have done too many horrible things for me to simply let you go but you are also a man that is capable of great advancement and stewardship so I will give Tyrion his freedom if you will give me your freedom in return."

"That is .. it?" Tyrion half laughed not believing his father's or King's words, "My freedom is your condition? And you didn't even stipulate a marriage as part of the deal."

"You are my son, my only kin left alive of course I value your freedom. And if I forced you to marry, you would just ensure a childless union to spite me."

Tyrion shrugged knowing that his father's words were probably true.

"I accept your condition and will ignore your first piece of advice," Aegon said slapping the table, "I expect it to get better. Lord Tyrion you are free to leave King's Landing when you are ready but I must ask you to leave this chamber now. The Small Council has some matters to discuss."

Tyrion bowed, throwed his father one last look of mixed emotions and turned his back to walk out the chamber.

Arya rose from her seated position next to Jon, "Lord Tywin your place is here."

Arya walked around the table, "I have had enough of talking this morning I will further explore the structural damage to the city with your leave?"

"Of course, just be careful," Aegon said with slight concern tempering his words, "A lot of buildings are still unstable."

"I will be light-footed," Arya assured.

Arya walked to were Tywin still stood, "Scheme against Jon and I will kill you; Try to leave King's Landing without permission and I will kill you; attempt to manipulate Jon for your own gain and I will-"

"Kill me," Tywin finished for Arya with half a smile dancing on his rigid features, "I am well aware of my current positions fragility and what is expected of me."

"Good," Arya said then hesitated for a few seconds under the tall Lord's gaze, "I would hate to kill someone I respected but I would do it for my brother."

Tywin noted the reluctant concession of respect and how her hands remained folded behind her back out of view, "He is King Aegon to the rest of the world but he will always be your bastard brother Jon Snow to you, won't he?"

"Kings always need their family to slap them round the face when they are being stupid," Arya said behind twinkling eyes.

"Sounds like you don't respect him," Tywin baited.

"Having my respect doesn't stop me from pointing out when that person is being an idiot," Arya grinned up at him, excited by pushing the boundaries between them.

"Do let me know when you consider me to be behaving like an idiot then," Tywin said before passing by the new Commander of the Kingsguard.

"I won't even hesitate mi'lord," Arya replied over her shoulder as she strode towards the exit.

She missed the looks of amazement the various members of the Small Council were giving them at having witnessed the exchange between the two. But she didn't need their confirmation that the relationship between the Commander of the Kingsguard and the new Hand to the King was going to be an interesting one.

By the time Tywin had sat down next to King Aegon Arya had vacated the chamber but his half smile remained.

Tywin looked around the table and judging by the irritated faces of Davos, Sam and Gendry he could guess who had wanted his head rolling down the steps of Baelor's Great Sept.

Meaning that the old guard of Olenna and Varys had wanted him to be Hand and it appeared that Arya had also voted for him to keep his head.

Strange, Tywin thought, as he knew he was still on her list but then again that girl was anything but predictable.

"Shall we begin?" Tywin asked his new liege.

"Let us begin a new era of cooperation and prosperity," Aegon declared.

Two years later …

Undisclosed Chamber, King's Landing, Capital of the Six Kingdoms

Arya bounced around the small enclosed chamber swishing her sword around her as she went. It was a beautiful dance in its own way; the focus, the precision of each movement and the dedication to the craft that the young woman showed in practicing her water dancing each day transferred to her incredible skill when facing her opponents.

Arya suddenly thrusted and lunged, poking her imagined opponent so many times that the floor would have been slick with blood if a real human had been standing before her.

"I think you killed him," rumbled a voice from behind her.

Arya spun around with Needle out to see Tywin lazily leaning on the door frame. He was looking older and more wore down than usual.

Things not going his way in the Small Council, Arya deduced.

She relaxed her stance and let Needle fall to her side, "Lord Hand shouldn't you be at the Small Council meeting."

"Shouldn't the Commander of the Kingsguard be at the Small Council meeting too," Tywin shot back observing how carefree Arya had gotten in his presence.

"My first duty is keeping Jon safe, I can't do that if I don't practice my sword work," Arya attempted to justify her absence.

"And what is your excuse for all the other times you haven't attended?" Tywin lightly nudged, knowing the little Lady before him hated nothing more than endless discussions.

"I attended enough of your meetings at Harrenhal to know that you will guide Jon well," Arya grumbled.

Tywin pushed off the doorframe and entered the chamber. He seemed to eat away the space in the small chamber until it felt like there was no air between them.

"You know that the King will be taking a tour of Westeros to assess the varying needs of the people himself in the coming weeks," Tywin half informed half asked Arya.

"Yes, I believe it was at your suggestion," Arya said in an accusing manner.

"It is good for a King to show his face and be seen to be helping the people," Tywin answered Arya's blunt question to his motivation for suggesting such an event.

"Jon doesn't need to be seen to be helping, he is helping."

"Yes," Tywin conceded, "but sometimes it is good to remind the people who is helping them."

Knowing that Tywin Lannister didn't do small talk or see someone without a purpose Arya asked, "Why did you seek me out."

Tywin's hand reached for his pocket and he pulled out a small wooden carving of a Lion. He turned it over a few times in his hands while looking longingly at it.

"On the Kings procession through Westeros he will visit Casterly Rock. When you accompany him, I ask that you give this to my grandson," Tywin said as he failed to clear all the emotion out of his words.

Arya reached out, "I heard Tyrion named the babe Gerion after his Uncle."

Tywin placed the wooden lion in Arya's small hand, "Yes, he did. Gerion was always his favorite Uncle, used to indulge him with stories of dragons and knights."

Arya tapped the stoned floor with the point of Needle to dispelled the unexpected emotion that was on display and the uneasiness she felt in her own stomach.

"I will ensure Gerion gets this and I will give Tyrion your best wishes as well," Arya said lightly.

Tywin scoffed, "We both know he doesn't care about my wishes."

"Maybe if you had treated him like a son he would care," Arya said bravely up to the towering Lord finding Tyrion's treatment by his father as one of the issues she just couldn't understand.

The flash of anger Arya had expected to be seen on his face didn't manifest and instead all she saw was reassignment.

"Tyrion killed the thing I loved most in this world and I was .. I am not capable of looking past that. I am not that good of a man."

Arya didn't move a muscle knowing that on the rare occasions that Lord Lannister revealed his inner feelings to her it was best not to interrupt.

"I wish I had been a better father, that Tyrion hadn't killed Joanna, that I had a child like …" Tywin caught himself before taking a few seconds and looking intently at Arya.

She held his gaze until he dropped it to the wooden creature in her hands.

"I think I would like to get a wolf one for Sansa's little girl. Where did you get this from?" Arya asked holding up the wooden lion.

"I carved it myself," Tywin answered.

"It is beautiful," Arya mumbled as her thumb rubbed across the wooden main.

Tywin nodded slightly as he looked down at her, "We are both late for a meeting, would you care for an escort?"

"I am the Commander of the Kingsguard so I will be escorting you," Arya said back with gusto.

"Fine," Tywin said as he turned towards the door, "Just as long as you attend. I know Lord Baratheon would appreciate it if you would attend as well."

"He would also equally appreciate it if you did not attend," Arya halted her movement towards the door suddenly as if just figuring something out, "You just want me at the meeting."

Tywin looked back from the door with half a smile gracing his face, "Your job is to protect the King and most of the threats to his life are covered in the Small Council meetings where we make important decisions that affect the Realm."

Arya couldn't help herself as the corners of her mouth curled up, "You need my vote for something."

Tywin gestured to the path in front of him and the small smile stayed on his face as he watched Arya amble towards him.

"I might not vote the way you want me to," Arya said as she slipped past the tall Lord to enter the corridor.

"You haven't voted against one of my proposals once in the past two years," Tywin said confidently as they walked side by side.

"That is because I don't attend the meetings," Arya sputtered good naturedly.

She enjoyed their back and forth as much as he did and they both knew it.

Five years later ..

Study of the Hand of the King, King's Landing, Capital of the Six Kingdoms

"The Lord Hand is dying," Sam announced.

"Is there nothing you can do for him?" Aegon asked.

Sam shook his head, "I have given him milk of the poppy to ease his passing."

Aegon looked down to the woman he considered a sister, "I know you have a complicated relationship with the man so do what you must to come to terms with his passing.

Arya nodded without a word like she wasn't really paying attention.

Aegon leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head before leaving the room.

Sam shuffled towards Arya and held out a small bottle, "More milk of the poppy if he asks for it. Not the entire bottle at once though."

Arya took the bottle and watched as Sam too exited the study chamber.

She looked from the bottle in her hand to the door that Sam had come through earlier. She inhaled then exhaled deeply, keeping her focus on the bottle.

She placed her hand on the door and tried to chase away the uneasy feeling that was stabbing at the heart.

She shouldn't be feeling this way.

She pushed the door open to see Tywin dozing peacefully in his sleeping clothes half covered by the bed sheets.

Arya sneaked closer to the bed and pulled up a nearby chair that she placed so close to the bed that when she sat down her knees nearly touched the bed.

Tywin must have heard her as he growled, "Girl."

"You didn't even open your eyes. How did you know it was me?"

"Who else would come?" Tywin weakly murmured keeping his eyes closed.

"Are you in pain?" Arya inquired.

"A lot but I don't have long left so listen," Tywin demanded and Arya smiled as even the Stranger couldn't take away the Old Lion's commanding presence.

"My death will necessitate another Hand be chosen and that means there will be a period of instability and some people will see an opportunity to test Aegon in a way they wouldn't if I was still alive. You need to make sure that he is strong and answers any insolence with a steady iron fist. Let one noble get away with bending the rules then they will all do it."

Arya started to chuckle.

"What?" Tywin said finally opening his eyes.

"Your death is but hours away and here you are giving advice till your last breath."

Tywin huffed and closed his eyes again, "Aegon named you his official heir so you will be a target too for anyone wanting to contest the Throne. You should marry the Baratheon boy."

"I won't marry. That is not my path."

Tywin groaned and Arya wasn't entirely sure if it was his illness or her stubbornness that was the cause.

"At least get your cousin to marry."

"You couldn't convince him over the past seven years what makes you think he will actually listen to me?"

"Because you will tell him he is putting all the good work he has done for the Realm in danger if he doesn't have a child to carry it on. He actually listens to you."

"You mean his legacy will fade into nothing," Arya said alluding back to her time spent in Harenhal and her mind started to spiral through all the meaningful encounters she had had with the man dying before her.

"Yes," Tywin confirmed opening his eye and looking up into Arya's face to see one single tear falling down her cheek, "What?"

"I didn't think it would be this hard," at Tywin's further questioning eyes she added, "I didn't think it would be this hard letting you go."

Tywin softened his features, knowing that he meant something to the girl sitting beside his deathbed despite everything he had done against her family they had connected in a way that only the Gods could have come up with.

They weren't friends, they weren't family, they weren't supposed to understand and enjoy each other's company.

Arya's attention was drawn to his face as Tywin locked his eyes with hers.

"All men must die and all men must serve, I have done the latter now it is time for me to do the former."

Tywin pulled out one of his hands from inside the blanket, it was balled up in a fist. After a weak breath he released his fingers from the object he had in his fist.

Arya looked at the object and multiple more tears joined the single tear that had made its way down her face.

It was a little wooden wolf.

"It is for you."

Arya picked up the wolf from the open palm of Tywin and was unable to articulate the feelings burning their way through her so replaced the wooden carving with her hand

No more words were exchanged between the pair as Arya leaned over the dying lion and pressed the small bottle to his lips.

She knew what she was doing and so did he.

He unquestioningly drank all the bottles contents and there was a look of thanks that was mingled with acceptance as his head sank deeper into the pillow. His hand relaxed a little in Arya's and she didn't move from her position until it was clear that the Old Lion had passed from this world.

Arya tucked away the cold hand, that she had been grasping onto for the past few hours, so that it now rested underneath the blanket and rose from her chair.

She silently made her way to the door as she stared down at the little wooden wolf in her hand.

He had made it for her. She had meant something to him and he had meant something to her.

"I will miss you mi'lord," she whispered as she pushed open the door and she swore as the door closed she had heard a faint bark of girl behind her.

Author's Notes

And this story is now finished!

Hope you enjoyed this little Arya & Tywin story! I really wanted to get to a position where a defeated Tywin was forced to work with the new royal regime. I know there are plausibility gaps here and there but it is just supposed to be a bit of fun for the Arya & Tywin fans out there and a bit of a what if after Dany's death Jon ruled and his main focus was rebuilding Westeros.

I have a few more ideas for Tywin & Arya stories, most of them are one shots or short stories set in AU worlds e.g Prison, Harry Potter, Assassins, Hannibal, Cold War spies, Plane crash/deserted Island etc. These will be coming out soon! Check my profile.

Let me know if you like a particular AU or maybe give me suggestions :)

RIP

Tywin Lannister (Died from an overdose of milk of the poppy, administered by Arya to end his suffering)

So, I did it, I killed him. Well Arya did and she finally got his name off her list in a subtle way. I hope the scene made you feel a little upset or sad :P I wanted Arya to grapple with his death and understand what they meant to each other as in my opinion they are two personality types that would get on extremely well and have a very deep bond if they had spent more time around each other.

Reviews:

Supremus85 – All hail logic! Yeah it was sad (LOL you left out Cersei) but I just couldn't see it ending any other way and I didn't think the Lannisters should get out of this situation without some losses.

Ksyushangel – Haha thank you :D I thought it was a cool idea to try to get Arya to assassinate dragons XD Yeah, they really do like face swapping ability is a pretty good skill to have. Tywin knows of the House of Black and White and that Arya was un Braavos so he just put two and two together.

Dannazj – I just thought if I was Tywin Lannister and I had a nearly graduated faceless assassin offer to kill two beings and the kills can't be rulers who/what would I want to kill ….

Arya Stark the Dragonslayer, Commander of the Kingsguard has a nice ring to it :P I did think about saving the Lannisters in the last chapter but Arya's purpose was trying to get close to Drogon and Tywin & Tyrion really couldn't do anything to stop Dany. "One could write a fic about that" – are you offering? I am sure we would all love to see that :)

Carick of hunter moon – Thanks, I am a planner so before I start any story, I have an outline prepared but whether I stick to it is another matter :D

If you liked this short story please consider checking out my profile and all my other stories, especially if you are an Arya & Tywin fan :)

Thanks for reading!