Ser Tywin Lannister

The Eyrie was a comfortable and serene place, somewhere where people were often languid in their movements and actions, where life was taken slowly and enjoyed one day at a time. It was in complete contrast to Casterly Rock, where Tywin remembered during his childhood, there had always been something happening, some frantic activity, some lord or knight being feasted and entertained. He had found that he preferred the quietness and peace that the Eyrie offered him, it allowed him time to think, to reflect on life and what he was going to do when he came into his inheritance.

At least that had been the case before the Prince had arrived. Prince Aegyl Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne, was a ball of hyper activity, constantly on the move and constantly asking questions. There were times when Tywin had found himself so frustrated by the lad that he had had to resist the urge to shout at him to calm down and stop moving so frantically. Though the prince was some years younger to him, and he viewed him as a younger brother, one did not yell at a member of the royal family, no there were more subtle methods with which to placate the lad. Tywin had found that as his friend had gone from childhood into those years in between being a child and an adult, he had become calmer and more relaxed, especially when they were in the training yard sparring.

Though Tywin was roughly six years older than the prince, Aegyl was already a very good swordsman, almost as good as Tywin himself, and that was something that Tywin found he was oddly proud of. Tywin knew most people thought him to be too serious and dour, and for the most part he was, he had grown up in the Rock listening to people mock his father and his family, and when he had come to the Eyrie there had been none of the fear or respect in any of the other boys' faces or actions that he had been expecting. No he had to earn that, through his knowledge in lessons and out on the training yard, he had been a ward of Lord Jon Arryn since he had turned ten, he was nineteen now, he had more than earnt his stripes. Around the prince though, Tywin felt alive, and the need to be less serious, though Aegyl was only fourteen he had an infectious air about him, something that always made Tywin feel happy, and able to laugh, though not smile never smile.

Tywin's foster father, Jon Arryn was a good man, a proud man, a smart man, a man of honour, someone who had spent a great deal of time teaching Tywin and Aegyl the ways of ruling, and how it was important that your bannermen respected you, for without respect there would be no obedience. When he saw how deferential, men such as Lord Albar Royce could be towards the Falcon Lord, he could not help but think that perhaps his father could take a leaf or two out of Jon Arryn's book. His father, the mere thought of Tytos Lannister was enough to make Tywin scowl. His father was a weakling, a pushover, a disgrace to the Lannister name. Tywin knew from the letters his mother and then his brother Kevan had sent him, that there were debts owed to the Rock from various houses that had still to be paid, and Tytos Lannister was not chasing them up, it had fallen to Tywin's mother to do that job, and that had failed, for no lord listened to a woman, not even a woman as powerful and as strong as Myrcella Lannister.

His mother was dead now though, dead in her sleep of a fever. His father had taken up with a whore, more shame on the Lannister name. The woman wore Tywin's mother's jewellery and acted as if she was the lady of the castle, when she was nothing more than an up jumped commoner. Tywin had brought this issue up with his father on his last visit and his father had merely chuckled uneasily and simply told him that when he met a woman he loved he would know why his father acted as such. Not the answer Tywin wanted to hear, nor the truth of the matter he suspected, his father was a weakling and a craven and was being manipulated by this woman, yet there was no way to make him see reason.

The Rock had been in a state of disarray when he had returned from the Eyrie some three weeks ago. The servants knew not what was expected of them, and the daily issues that his mother had once seen to were left undone and unfinished, the whore preferring to lord it over Tywin's siblings and his people. He had been deeply embarrassed about the state the Rock had been in, for Aegyl had come back with him, wanting to see more of the place Tywin called home. This was not the impression he had wanted to give his friend, but Aegyl in that easy going manner of his simply laughed and said. "Well, not all of us can be as dour and as perfect as you Ty." Still the images and the embarrassment rankled him deeply.

Joanna had come to visit as well, some days ago, and Tywin had spent time introducing his cousin to his friend. The two got on a like a house on fire, and Tywin was happy about that, for the longest time he could remember, he and Joanna had always been friends had always been close, and perhaps something more to one another. That was why when he had overheard his father talking with Joanna's father about whom to betroth her to, he had immediately gone up and asked for her hand in marriage, he knew he was very fond of her, perhaps even loved her, perhaps that was why the thought of her being in another man's arms hurt so painfully for him. He would never have admitted that though, not even to Aegyl, still Joanna's father had jumped at the chance of having his daughter wed the heir to the Rock and as such the betrothal had gone through. They would wed when Joanna was eighteen, which would be in a year, no more.

"I never thought I'd see you smile Ty." Tywin heard his friend joke.

He looked up and saw Aegyl and Joanna both standing in the doorway looking at him, he thought the urge to blush and merely replied. "Come now Your Grace, you know that I can smile. But I thought Joanna was showing you the gardens, what are you both doing here so early?"

At that Tywin saw Joanna's face fall, and Aegyl's face set into a grim line. "Your father's mistress asked me to leave, saying she wished to speak with the Prince alone." Joanna says.

Tywin bristles and Aegyl says. "I told her that I had some business with you that I needed sorting, and that I would speak with her later. She did not seem most happy, but who cares about the wants of a whore?"

"She should not be here; my father had told me that she would be leaving with him when he went to Tarbeck. I will need to speak with her, and remind her where she comes from." Tywin said coldly.

Joanna as always was the voice of reason. "Now, now Tywin my love, you cannot do that. For your father will complain loudly and then there will be even more embarrassment heaped on the Lannister name, and your future bannermen will laugh at you and us."

Tywin sighed then and asked. "What would you have me do then Joanna? That woman wears my mother's jewellery and walks around as if she was born a noble lady, not a whore in some back alley. She walks around bossing me and my siblings, and stealing from our vaults. Why should I not punish her for her insolence?"

Joanna sighs then, and as if she is speaking to a child and not her betrothed says. "Because whilst you are the heir to the Rock, you are not its lord yet, and though I am sure Prince Aegyl would be more than willing to support you in whatever punishment you have planned for the woman, your father is Lord of the Rock for now, and so the woman must stay and we must put up with her."

Tywin sighed and was about to reply, when there was a knock on the door and Kevan walked in. His younger brother, was a broad shouldered man, who with Tywin away at the Eyrie for most of the time, had become the unofficial second in command of the running of the Rock, he did not seem to enjoy the responsibility and seemed relieved when Tywin had come back and taken over. "Tywin, Joanna, my prince." Kevan said the three of them nodded at him and then his brother looked straight at him and said. "Father wishes to see you in his solar."

Tywin sighed and got up, to follow his brother before asking. "Does the prince need to come as well?"

Kevan seemingly hesitated for a moment, before saying. "No offence my prince, but my father has asked that this remain a purely family matter."

Aegyl though had that stubborn set to his jaw and said. "If it involves the realm then I must come, and we are family anyway are we not?"

Tywin looked at his brother and smiled wryly. He kissed Joanna on the cheek before following his brother to their father's solar, Aegyl walking next to him. When they entered the solar, Tywin felt his anger begin to grown once more, the whore was present. Tywin spoke, his voice cold. "Father you asked for me and here I am. But I thought this was purely a family matter?"

Tytos Lannister looked up from the paper in his hands, and said his voice wavering. "Tywin, Miranda is as much a part of our family as Aegyl is. She deserves to know what is happening as lady of the castle."

Tywin bit back the retort that was on his lips and merely nodded. He sat down as did Aegyl, Kevan and the whore. Once they were all seated he asked. "What is it that needs discussing father? Has word come from Genna?"

His father shook his head and said. "There has been a letter from Castamere."

Tywin was silent for a moment and then asked. "Is that why you are not riding there now? This letter? What does it say?"

His father closed his eyes and then said. "Lord Loren Reyne writes that his men have seen men streaming towards the Crag in great number. More men than the Crag itself should be able to call. He fears that Lord Westerling means to make a bid for Pendric Hills, and requests our aid."

Tywin looks at his father for a long moment before saying. "Pendric Hills by rights belongs to no man in the Westerlands, its gold and mines belong to the Rock. Lord Reyne should not be asking us for help unless it is to defend the Hills from the Westerlings. Why have you not sent men out already to scour the area?"

The whore thought to lecture him. "That is no way to speak to your father boy. Show some respect, Tytos has written to Lord Reyne and asked him call his levies, as well as writing to the Crag to ask what Westerling means to do, haven't you my lord?"

Tywin could see from his father's expression that he had done no such thing, and yet he nodded and said. "Aye my love I have. But no, the reason I asked you here was to discuss some things about the wedding."

Tywin bristled then. "You wish to speak of a wedding that will not happen for another year, whilst your bannermen plot rebellion and wish to stir trouble? Have you taken leave of your senses father?"

"Now see here boy," his father began.

Tywin interrupted him then his anger fuelling his words. "Lord Westerling has been eyeing the Pendric Hills for some time father. You know that, you, you said you needed to do something about it. And now he is mustering men and you will do nothing? Have you lost your spine? Did it die with mother, or when you began fucking this whore?"

His father was spluttering, and the whore was fuming. It was Aegyl who spoke next to break the anger fuelled silence. "My lord, if I may. Whilst we are all looking forward to Ty's wedding, this issue with the Westerlings is of much greater importance. A wedding cannot be held unless the Westerlands are safe and secure, and if the information that we have heard today and on other days is any indication, such a wedding might not be possible for some time. We all know that the Westerlings and the Kennings of Kayce are allied through marriage; the Lannisters of Lannisport have been grumbling for so long that their grumblings have reached my grandfather at court. Surely that must be a more pressing issue than a wedding that will happen in a year?"

Aegyl was usually a joker and hardly took anything seriously, apart from when he did and then he sounded like the Conciliator come again. Tywin's father was silent, his face red with shame and embarrassment. There was a long silence and then he eventually spoke. "I have not been completely honest with you Tywin, this letter came some days past, and has been brewing since then. Lord Loren wrote to me and his letter came this morning, the Baneforts of Banefort and the Westerlings have mobilised themselves and are marching in full force for the Pendric Hills. He has asked for leave to mobilise his own men and block them off."

Tywin felt the anger began to bloom inside of him now, unleashing itself completely. His voice was choked with anger when he spoke next. "And what of our cousins in Lannisport what have they been doing father?"

His father spoke so quietly, Tywin had to lean in to hear him. "They have been gathering their levies and hiring sellswords from across the narrow sea. For a march on the Rock itself."

Tywin gives into his anger then and begins cursing and shouting, and the next few weeks pass by in a large blur. News comes from the Hills; a battle was fought there between the combined forces of Reynes and the Marbrands against the Baneforts and the Vikarys. A fierce battle which ended with the death of Lord Osgood Banefort, slain by Loren Reyne. The Westerlings and the Kennings had not move from the Crag, waiting for reinforcements from Fair Isle no doubt, the Lannisters of Lannisport, the treacherous kin had marched from their castle and instead of heading for the Rock they marched south putting Tarbeck Hall to the sword, and capturing Crakehall.

Other minor skirmishes occur in the Westerlands, with some of the minor houses siding with the rebels and others remaining true. A massacre occurs on Silver Hill where, half of House Brax is wiped out in a single day, in a bloody battle with the rebels House Serrett. Finally Tywin's patience is tried, and when he receives word that the Westerlings and the Farmans are marching from the Crag, he calls his men those from the Rock and those from Castamere, Golden Tooth and from Sarsfield and readies himself for battle.

Tywin Lannister has fought in melees and against the mountain clans but his first actual battle is a bloody thing. The rebels and the forces of the Rock meet at Oxcross, and Tywin keeps one eye on his friend the Prince who had insisted on coming despite there only being one knight of the Kingsguard there to protect him. Tywin allows his anger to control him then, hacking and slashing his way through the enemy, bringing down any man who is fool enough to come into his path. His slays Lord Kenning of Kayce with a single thrust at the man's neck. His kills Ser Bronn Hill the bastard of Banefort with a thrust, and then a swing off the neck. Later he will hear of how Aegyl killed Ser Morris Farman a promising knight with a swift thrust and a swing, he will see the destruction that battle can cause, and all he will feel is grim satisfaction.

The battle of Oxcross ends with the rebel forces scattered and Lord Farman captured. His men are dead as are all of his sons. The man is the same age as Tywin's own father, but has more sense than Tytos Lannister has ever had, he bends the knee and Tywin raises him up and accepts him into his war council. Though they have won a victory at Oxcross and removed the threat of the Westerlings (all are dead) and House Banefort is near extinguished, Tywin's traitorous cousins of Lannisport continue to go around sacking the villages and towns of the southern Westerlands. Godfrey Lannister, the Head of the Lannisport branch, an experienced warrior, and an ambitious man.

There is much discussion after the battle about what to do now, head back to the Rock or completely destroy any remaining allies the Lannisport Lannisters might have. Tywin decides on another course. "We head for Lannisport, and we kill Godfrey's family. We give him reason to come back from his pillaging, and then we destroy him and everything he holds dear." Despite being unsure whether such a plan could work on someone as experienced as Godfrey Lannister, Tywin is proven correct, and once more learns why emotion can be a crippling thing and a benefit to your enemies. The Lannisport army and their sellswords arrives in Lannisport some two days after Tywin and his army does. Tywin has already had his cousin's castle put to the sword, now its personal.