8th month of 241 AC
Robert Farman couldn't help but fidget while waiting to get summoned.
He shouldn't be here. His father was supposed to be here. He was not ready to rule Fair Isle. He was just eight and ten.
But his father was dead now. He died during an accident at harbor, his stomach crushed under the mast of a ship.
Which led to Robert becoming Lord of Fair Isle. And coming to Casterly Rock to swear fealty to his liege lords.
A blonde haired, blue eyed, young boy of perhaps five and ten walked up to him and said, " Follow me my lord, he is waiting for you."
As the boy led him, Robert noticed the Lefford crest on the boy's clothes.
But before he could think more on it, they entered the solar.
Robert unconsciously straightened himself.
" Lord Farman, it is good to see you." Tytos Lannister rose from his chair behind the desk and greeted Robert.
One would think the new Lord Farman would be here to meet was the Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of West, not his son and heir.
But it was an open secret that, ever since the Reyne Rebellion four years ago, Tytos Lannister had been ruling the Westerlands in all but name.
There were many stories and rumors of how that came to be.
Some said Gerold Lannister had gone mad while he was a captive at Lannisport, others said that he had grown tired of ruling and handed the reins to his heir.
But the most prevalent rumor was that after the Rebellion Tytos Lannister had taken control of the Rock and made his father a prisoner in his own castle.
Speaking of the man, Tytos Lannister was not what Robert had imagined.
He was just tall enough to stand out amidst a normal crowd. Not blessed in the way that Crakehall, or even Robert himself, was.
He was not the most handsome man. His golden blonde hair were cut short and he had a clean shaven face.
But it was his eyes that reminded Robert why has father had been wary of the young Knight.
Those emerald green orbs shine with an unusual intelligence. Like he knew something that nobody else knew.
Those were the eyes of the man who had killed Bittersteel, the man who had crushed the Red Lions' army. The man who ordered the end of a house that had stood since the Age of Heroes. The man who had burned Castamere to the ground.
The eyes of a predator.
The Laughing Lion, he was called.
A few years ago, it was mocking name. They said you could insult Lord Lannister's younger son to his face and he would just laugh at himself along with you.
Now...
They said if 'the lion laughed with you then the gods had blessed you'. The Marbrands, Seretts, Lyddens and Leffords, all had gotten stronger in some way or another in the last few years.
They also said 'But if the lion laughed at you, then even the Gods won't be able save you.'
Greenfields,Doggetts,Kyndall and all those who had supported Reyne during their rebellion lost their Lords, either to the Wall or the Executioner's block. Their holdings were reduced by half. Their sons and daughters now hostages.
All this reminded Robert to be on guard around this man.
The Lannister heir shook his hand and said in a sincere tone, "You have my condolences about your father. He was a good lord."
Robert just nodded and sat on the offered chair.
"My lord, I was hoping to swear fealty" Robert began but the man behind the desk just waved off and said, " Don't worry about that. My father is going to hold Court on the morrow. You can take your oaths then."
Tytos Lannister leaned back while his squire, the Lefford heir, poured him and Robert some Arbor Gold.
Robert took a sip to calm his nerves.
"I am not sure if you know but your father and I were talking about a few things. Do you know anything about it?"
Robert shook his head and said, "The Maester did say my father was talking to you but he didn't mention the topic."
Ser Tytos sighed and said, " Tell me lord Farman, how many ships are anchored at Fair Isle?"
"Around twenty ships, my lord. Including Eight war galleys and carrack and cogs." Robert instantly answered.
" Hmm. The Lannister Fleet itself has around thirty ships including a few galleys, dromonds, cogs and carrack."
The man stopped and stared at Robert for a while before saying, " During the times of the Kings of the Rock, the Lannister fleet was a force to be reckoned with. But now despite being the richest kingdom in Westeros, we have only fifty to sixty ships at most. Only a half of them in fighting condition. The Ironborn, despite being the poorest of the kingdoms, have four times as many ships as we have. We cannot even compare our fleet to the Redwynes. I don't think I have to tell you of all the people how this happened."
No, he didn't. Robert knew the cause well enough.
Dalton Greyjoy.
Even after a hundred years, the people of Fair Isle still remembered the atrocities committed by the Red Kraken and his Ironborn.
Young women and girls taken from their homes to become salt wives, men and boys sent to the Iron Islands to became thralls. Homes were burned, farms were razed. Those who tried to defy them were butchered.
The Red Kraken had burned the original Lannister fleet when he had attacked the fair Isle.
Lady Johanna Lannister, widow of Lord Jason Lannister and Regent at the time, had tried several times to rebuild the fleet but the Lord Reaper of Pyke made sure she never succeeded.
In the End, they had to depend on the Reach's fleet to defeat the Ironborn.
Robert knew that the current Lannister fleet was a mere shadow compared to the fleet commanded by the Lannisters prior to the Dance.
"Your father was going to build me a fleet." Ser Tytos spoke. "Along with refurbishing the current ships, he was going to build new ones from Lannister gold. Not as large a fleet as the Redwynes and Ironborn, but large enough to compete with the Royal Fleet. And not only warships but also new trade galleys and more."
Robert was shocked. His father had never mentioned something like this. Though it explained why he was so excited during his last few days.
" I want to ask, are you up to it?" The man in front of him asked.
Robert, not being a fool, said yes.
They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the new fleet. What type of ships to build? How many of each type? Where to get the wood? Amongst other things.
But what made Robert work even harder was Ser Tytos' words before dismissing him.
"Once we have a respectable fleet, perhaps we also would have to choose a Lord Admiral of the Westerlands, like Lord Redwyne is current Lord Admiral of the Reach."
--
On a well trodden road, there were a few travelers.
A small carriage, flapping the three owls upon a green field of House Garner, was travelling guarded by four horseman around it.
Behind them were what looked like a few traders with their carts and wagons.
If observed it looked like a few small folk had decided to travel behind the carriage for more protection.
'Nothing out of the ordinary.' The men probably had thought.
They attacked the caravan when it was passing by the woods.
More than two dozen men attacked the caravan . Wearing boiled leather and armed with cheap and rusted weapons.
All of them targeted the riders first, expecting them to be more dangerous.
What they didn't expect was for the 'small folk' to be wearing mail underneath their clothes or the carts to filled with castle forged Steel weapons.
What they certainly didn't expect was armored knights coming out of the carriage and wagons.
They should have ran. Instead they tried to overwhelm the knights.
But they never stood a chance and soon were defeated.
Eleven year old Jason Lannister watched as all the alive bandits were rounded up. More than half of them were already dead.
This wasn't what he expected when he had begged his brother to let him became a squire.
Though nor was washing clothes and serving food.
But he should have known better. Tytos had often told him how Legendary duels and amazing fights were only common in songs.
He also said that at the end of the day Knight were just trained killer.
His thoughts were interrupted when someone laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you fine?" Ser Aubrey Serrett questioned him.
Jason straightened up and nodded. He couldn't let Ser Aubrey think his squire was a coward.
A guardsman walked to Ser Aubrey and said, " We have rounded up the prisoners , mi'lord."
"I will question them myself." Ser Aubrey said.
He then turned towards Jason and said, " You don't have to come with me for this, you know. Your brother will already be wroth with me once he finds out I let you come with me for this."
" I will come." Jason replied resolutely. He was a Lannister. He had to be brave, just like Tytos.
Ser Aubrey inspected him for a moment before going towards the captives.
A tall, bald and burly man who was screaming profanities at everyone was the one who claimed to be the leader of this group.
He stopped shouting once Ser Aubrey got near him.
" Do you know me?" Ser Aubrey asked the man.
The man snarled and said, " Aye I know about. You are that peacock who is the Lion's pet."
Ser Aubrey gave no reaction to insult and said, " Then you know that you better give answer to whatever I ask of you."
"More than a fortnight ago, Lord Myatt's young sister went missing riding in these woods. Where is she?" Ser Aubrey questioned.
Instead of answering, the man laughed but Jason noticed something strange.
"I don't know about any highborn bitch." the man jeered.
"Where do you hide your loot?" Ser Aubrey asked again. And the man did that again.
" First you answer my question. Do you go on all fours and bark if Lannisters command you to?" the man then spit on Ser Aubrey's face.
"Jason." He was surprised when he called him out.
"Did you notice anything peculiar?" the Knight asked.
Jason said, "Yes my lord. Every time before speaking this man look towards him like he is asking for permission."
He then pointed towards the lanky brown haired prisoner.
Ser Aubrey then said, " Which means he is not the leader. And if he is not the leader then that means we do not need him."
Before anyone could react, Ser Aubrey had already stabbed the bald man in the neck.
Blood flew from the dying man's neck to Ser Aubrey's face.
Ser Aubrey took out a cloth to clean his face and walked towards the brown haired man.
"You are going to answer all our questions." Ser Aubrey said to him.
" I would rather die." The man replied.
In the End, he did die. But not before answering all their questions.
A/N:- The first bit is meant to show how Tytos is seen by people in this timeline. I might have overdone a bit. Not too much world building right. I am still working on some ideas.
Next chapter will be a Tytos POV where we will learn what's happening in seven Kingdoms at large.
Thanks to@Preierfor beta reading.
Hope you all liked it.