23. BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY
Catelyn was woken up with the first lights of the day by a message from Tywin:
"My darling wife,
I must depart to Pyke and assist on the Siege. I do apologise for not being by your side, but I have no other choice. I promise that nothing will stop me from returning home to you, sooner than you think. You have my entire heart.
Tywin."
Catelyn felt like she could cry for her Lord Husband due to how much she already missed him on those mere few days they spent apart. But she could not complain, as she was safe, comfortable and able to make herself at home on her own pace. Whereas he was sailing into conflict with a newly acquired leisure vessel from Essos, not fit for combat. And she missed him so…
-Am I able to send him a raven? –she asked the Master of Words, as they called the person in charge of the Correspondence in Casterly Rock.
-Unfortunately no, my lady. He is sailing Northwards already.
-I understand. –she smiled, thanking the servants.
-We have understood that you are making the guest room adjacent to your dressing room into your bedchambers, is that so? –he asked, with a kind tone.
-Indeed.
-I will send for the Stone Mason that designed the Master Chambers, so you will be able to tell him how to do things to your liking, My Lady.
-I appreciate it.
-Maybe even expand your windows?
-That will not be necessary.
Casterly Rock was loud. The wind was violent and cold, coming from the North. She only wished to feel sheltered and safe whilst sleeping, and by not adapting to her intended chambers, she was called ungrateful by some ladies. But she didn't cared.
-Rowan will remain in Lannisport. –Enya informed her, after reading her betrothed's message- Apparently Tywin was expecting something from Essos, it has finally arrived.
-It is a cargo of supplies to support the forces. –as far as Catelyn knew.
-Yes. But in any case, he is not worried. –Enya handled the message so Catelyn could read it- So do not worry. Our people might arrive any day now.
-I hope so. –Catelyn smiled, giving the loving message from Rowan back to Enya- I just want all of them home and safe. Ty included.
Tywin crossed the hanging bridge secured between his vessel and the Royal Battleship where King Robert awaited the Siege of Pyke. He was received on the deck by small group of lords and knights.
-The King? –he asked, barely acknowledging the people trying to distract him.
He didn't need an answer, hearing the muffled laughs and moans coming from the bowels of the vessel. He wondered what would be the best course of action there, but he surely knew that it wasn't an option to stand there and wait until that drunken, whoring, abusive, delusional piece of lard he was made to call his King, finished fucking whatever prostitute he had on his chambers now.
-Why don't we return to the Sea Lion and wait until the King is relieved from his matters? –Lord Rennan Royce suggested.
-I will not wait. –Tywin said, deciding that he needed to show who there actually had the power.
He marched down the gallery, followed by two of his guards, and before he could reach the large doors that would open to the King's chambers, two white cloaks stopped him, crossing their lances. That ruckus was not the product of only two people, and Tywin wondered how many whores would be inside those doors now. Even with his deep disdain for the dragonless Targaryen he had to serve, it was not as bad as this.
-The King is busy, my Lord. –Rennan Royce insisted, holding Tywin by his arm, realising it had been bad judgement on his part to lay hands on him, letting go of him almost instantaneously under his caustic gaze- Please, Lord Tywin.
-That's what Jon Arryn is having you do? –Tywin asked- The heir of the Doors of the Moon, keeping guard on the doors of this whore house…
-Lord Tywin…
-I demand to see the King at once! –his voice stormed, resonating on the wood of the ship.
The commotion was enough to have Robert come to the doors, barely holding a bed sheet around his hips. Tywin stared at him, silently hoping him to die of whichever disease those whores would give him. They had Joffrey now, Robert was making himself more and more irrelevant and hard to tolerate. The disrespect was almost painful to witness, as the three whores he had been fucking run out of the room, wearing nothing but their nameday suit.
-Lord Tywin! –he smiled, defiantly, leaning on the doorframe. He was tall, dark and handsome, as women would shriek at any given opportunity. He was also strong and virile. Robert had the image of a King, with the wits of a wet rock- Marriage did you good. –he commented, a smirk on his lips and a wink- How is Cat?
Tywin almost had forgotten that Catelyn had grown up with those tugs, being one of the reasons why she was now titled. His lovely new wife had some powerful men rallying behind her, and that was not something Tywin would allow himself to forget.
-My Lady Wife is well. –he answered, feeling almost protective of her name lingering on that wine chugging mouth.
-I am glad to hear it. Also, I am glad you finally cared to join us.
-Well, not everyone find it useful to sit around on a ship in the hopes people starve. –he retorted caustically, making Robert realise that his father-in-law was not happy to be there- Why did you need me, Your Grace? –Tywin asked.
Robert didn't really have an answer to that.
-Your place is by my side, dear Father. –he smirked once more- I see you much rather be with your sweet Catelyn, but a war is being fought here.
Tywin almost missed the Targaryen at that moment, imagining that none of that would be happening if Rhaegar hadn't soiled their plans of overthrowing his wretched father from the Iron Throne. Now they were stuck with that fattening cunt.
-Let's speak privately. –Tywin said, and Robert's answer was to open him space to enter the room, stopping anyone else to join them. Once inside, Tywin walked directly to the balcony that overlooked Pyke.
-I believe congratulations are in order. –he heard Robert speaking, and the tickling sound of wine being poured- You secured a good one.
-Your Grace, how long do you intend on holding this Siege? –Tywin asked, turning around from observing Pyke and staring at the bare image of the King, still showcasing half of a hard-on.
-You know how a siege works. –Robert laughed, handling Tywin a glass of wine that would remain untasted- If not, ask Stannis about it.
-I have a couple questions, Robert. –he rested the wine on a table, trying to remind himself that Robert was a grieving young man, new to Kingship, raised with a Stark by an Arryn, and that his wits and strategies were somewhat clouded by doing things honourably- What does Pyke produce?
-They have reserves. –Robert knew what Tywin was implying- The Siege takes as long as it takes!
-How does a seafaring nation, which depends on the constant import of goods, can hold itself for almost three moons? –Tywin pushed further.
-The Greyjoy's haven't sailed! –he almost shouted, looking rather unsure of that.
And Tywin couldn't know if they had, but seeing how comfortable Robert was there, away from King's Landing, from ruling, playing war, he couldn't help but to feel that he should have been the one to set the Siege, and not those incompetent children. Even pacifist Catelyn would have broken them by now.
-Look. –he finally saw what he had gone there to execute.
They both walked to the balcony overlooking Pyke. A large plume of smoke was now visible, coming from the south side of the Isle. A flashing glow of green could be seen happening through some of the windows in the castle. The distant noise of explosions and screams could be barely heard.
-How did you manage that? –Robert laughed hard, one sweaty hand grabbing Tywin's shoulder, observing the ensuing chaos.
-Unlike you and Ned Stark… -Tywin said, turning away from Robert and heading to the doors- I do want to return to my wife.
That stunt had costed him dearly. Those fires and explosions were only accomplished by sacrificing some rare and invaluable Wildfire. The only men capable of such a thing, crossing not only the siege line but the Greyjoy defences, didn't have a face, and that was only possible with a lot of gold. He crossed back to the Sea Lion, refusing to explain himself or to spend any more time on those people's presence, wondering now how long it would take until the chastising started.
He sailed back to Lannisport, where his nephew Tytos was overseeing the arrival of supplies and master wood masons. By their accents alone, he could recognise that most builders there were from the Riverlands, still enthralled onto the task of creating solutions to accomplish the clearing of the bay. He thought that would be good for the overall morale if Catelyn went there to pay a visit to the port.
Tywin felt the snag on his gut that would happen every time he thought of her, alone in Casterly Rock, away from him since their arrival on the Westernlands half a moon ago. He had been so busy and plagued with tasks that would range from menial to gargantuan, that all he could think of was to mount his mare and head back home, where his lady awaited him with her soft loving ways and warm touch. But there was much to do, still.
It was a matter of days for victory to be declared after he torched Pyke's grain storages, armories, skiffs, boats and hopefully some ironborn soldiers - to make it worthwhile. The celebrations started small and grew as more news arrived. Tywin shared a small toast with his nephew once the Greyjoy surrendered, and Tytos seemed rather amused.
-You arrive in Pyke and in less than week after… -he lifted his fingers, as if calculating something- … the Siege is over!
-Now now, Tytos… -Tywin smiled, sipping his wine- This is our brave King's victory.
-Why not claim credit? –the young man asked.
-Robert's rule is still fickle. –Tywin answered- Which makes our grip on the Iron Throne even less tangible, even with Joffrey now. By strengthening Robert's rule we strengthened our own. Besides… It will be priceless to see Ned Stark swallowing his pride, after assisting Robert on this task for moons on end and accomplishing nothing.
-And what are you planning on doing? –Tytos wondered, already fully aware of the answer.
Catelyn was absorbed penning some correspondence, in answer to the letters which she had received that morning from the Riverlands. News had continued to be positive, and her father wrote her encouraging words, expressing his pride on her and how missed she already was. Enya, occupying the desk in front of hers, on the other end of the Library, looked over some plans on how to accommodate the Household that had recently arrived. None of them saw or heard anything, until Tywin, standing on the doorway, cleared his throat, a crocked smile on his face.
-Oh, for The Seven… -Catelyn sounded weak with surprise, scrambling to stand up, her heart pounding against her chest and the widest smile on her face- Oh, Tywin…
The distance between them was inexistent on the blink of an eye, and enraptured on each other's embrace, nothing else seemed important at all.
-Are you well? –she asked, holding his face with both hands and examining it, now slightly sunburned, but still perfect.
-I am now. –he said, one arm tight against her waist, keeping her moulded to him- I missed you.
-You need rest? –she asked, her first thoughts always for his comfort and wellbeing.
-I need you. –his voice was so low that Catelyn felt his urge on her bones, as he took her lips on a starved kiss, forcing her to walk backwards until she felt the edge of her desk against the back of her legs, opening her eyes for a second just to assert that Enya was no longer there.
He hadn't been that urgent before, but she didn't fault him for that, as she was the one tugging on the lacing on his breaches and kissing him as his lips contained the cure for any malady. He fought bravely against her skirts and ripped the silk on the smallclothes she wore, kneeling in front of his goddess of a wife and exploring her womanhood with his mouth. She laid back onto the desk, supporting herself by her elbows, battling to suppress her moans.
-Please just take me… -she begged, and he promptly obeyed, back on his feet, one hand holding his erection and the other grabbing her by the hips.
She already knew what that look on his eyes meant, lips separated, laboured breathing… Tywin was just as much as a force of nature on that moment as the wind that lashed against those stone walls. And that state of his provoked the same feline instinct on her, with the urgent need of feeling him occupying his space inside her. He groaned loudly as they were joined in pleasure, his face buried on her cleavage and her legs pulling him into her repeatedly. It didn't take long for her to tell him to move just a little bit faster and harder, orgasming madly and prompting him to do the same.
Tywin slid out of her, now completely laid on the desk, her head almost hanging from the other edge, her chest heaving up and down with her suffocated breaths, one leg held by his arm on the bend of her knee and the other enraptured on his hip. He leaned over her, with his mind clouded in passion, resting his forehead on her breastbone.
-Ty… -she called with softness on her voice, after their minds cleared some- I am overdue my moonblood.
He looked at her, still trembling with pleasure, thinking that she couldn't be more precious even if made of pure diamonds. They smiled, looking into each other's eyes. Tywin straightened himself, pulling her to sit onto the desk and hug him. Only now reclaiming some serenity.
-You are so loved. –he said on her ear, kissing the side of her neck- And this babe is the blessing we both deserve.
-I don't know if I am carrying yet.
-You are. –he promised, almost as a prayer.
-I do not want you to be disappointed.
-Not possible. It only means that we will keep trying. And we are good at trying. –he extracted a soft laugh of her- Now I want you naked in our bed, soothing me to sleep.
-As you wish, my lord.
A small gap on the curtains casted a beam of light onto her naked body, deeply asleep. The sunset colours twined with hers, and Tywin found himself absorbed in her beauty, unable to sleep, feeling energized after repeatedly making love to his wife, as once was not enough. He had won –he thought. Not just the Rebellion, or the previous conflicts. He had finally, truly, won the only thing that mattered after the monumental loss of Jo.
When he walked into the Residency, the smell of geraniums found his nostrils and he was taken back to those slow afternoons in Riverrun. It felt like home, like her. Once through those doors, his problems were inexistent, distant and unimportant. He knew that the Casterly Rock nobility seemed unimpressed and annoyed with her, but that could only make him smile. He also knew that Catelyn was doing her best to create them a home, uncompromisingly. Now, observing her shapes under the warm light, he hoped for her to be nesting their heir on her womb, already feeling the protective instinct he had over her grow exponentially.
-Darling… -he called softly, resting his hand on where their babe was growing, kissing her shoulder- I am starved. –he said, once she opened her eyes and smiled.
-Must we ready ourselves for court? –she asked.
-No. We will not be doing much more than this for a little while… Other people are not welcome.
And for two whole days they barely had more than a second or a thought to anyone else. Catelyn could trust that Enya was handling the ladies accordingly, and Tywin knew that Tytos would keep things working as he liked until Robert's return to Lannisport. He wasn't surprised to find a bed of furs on the raised gardens, where they spent that beautiful afternoon under the sun.
-Would you like to visit Lannisport? –he asked, having only then received word from Robert's arrival being expected for the next day.
-I cannot ride, and will not use a carriage. –she said, more and more confident that she was with child, with the passing of the days- We could host them here. –she suggested- I would like to see Robert.
She was disappointed with Ned's decision to sail back North immediately, but she could understand his urge to be back home.
-I have to reflect on that. –Tywin answered, with his wife laying against his chest, one hand rubbing their future heir and the other touching her fingertips on the air, relaxed and rested under the shade on their garden- I am not sure if I will accept any intrusion.
-He is our King…
-He is our puppet. –Tywin said like it meant nothing, prompting Catelyn to turn and stare at him, her expression divided between surprised and concerned- The less you know, the better. –he touched her lips with a finger, stopping her from asking questions- You are a smart woman, my love. You can work this situation out for yourself.
Catelyn kept her silence, already having arrived at some conclusions years ago, when all she could think of was the war and the consequences of it. She had being aware of the deteriorating mental state of King Aerys, as it had being a point of concern to her father, especially when his violent outbursts were getting increasingly difficult to hide. She knew her history very well, and something about her engagement to Brandon had sparked on her some uneasy curiosity.
Why did the Stark's decided to find a southern bride to the heir of Winterfell? It was not like them, always marrying into their own nobility. It was true of most Houses, but the Starks had being notorious for it, and no one ever thought anything of it, as it would be harsh for any southern lady to adapt to their winters. That had also being a reason why her engagement had lasted so long and why she had spent half a year in White Harbour as a young girl.
It had also not been lost on her that her Lord Father had tried for an alliance with House Lannister before, intending to marry Lysa to Jaime Lannister and having that frustrated by Lysa's indiscretions with Petyr and the King's outright defiant disrespect by ordering the heir of the Rock to be part of his guard.
But not only that, Catelyn thought to herself. The years leading to the fateful Tourney in Harrenhall were peppered with alliances being forged among the Great Houses. Lord Rickard and Lord Steffon Baratheon had fostered their sons in Vale of Arryn, Lyanna being betrothed to Robert. The North sure seemed very keen on forging southron bonds, uncharacteristically.
At the time, Princess Elia Martell guaranteed Dorne to the Crown, and their relationship with the Reach was strong. Catelyn remembered thinking, during a bitter night on Riverrun during the war, that conflict would have happened regardless of Lyanna. The Tourney of Harrenhall had initially been praised as one of the greatest events on living memory, due to the presence of every single Lord Paramount in there and also the Crown. But she couldn't help but to feel that it had much more to it, despite Rhaegar's stunt.
-How did you conclude all of that? –Tywin was impressed, hearing her reasoning that was mostly correct.
-I was there. –she shrugged- The years leading to it, meeting the characters that would hold the roles in that twisted play… And I remember it all too well.
-Tell me your theories. –he asked, amused by her thinking.
-King Aerys was a problem. A growing one.
Tywin took a deep breath, remembering the disrespect endured under the rule of that man, who had once being his friend. His interest on Joanna, his dismissive attitude of Tywin's status… It had not been a quick demise. And Tywin was not the one to act with haste, which was something that had made him much more dangerous to whoever crossed him. Tywin was deliberate, and was very good at supressing his feeling in favour of plotting his desired outcomes.
-And Raeghar… -Catelyn continued- He couldn't become king soon enough.
-If I was Aerys… -Tywin decided to clue her in- I would also feel like I had everyone against me. Especially standing in Harrenhall, surrounded by his High Nobility marrying each other and forging alliances in times of peace.
-Answer me this… -a lot of thinking happening behind her eyes- Was the intention on the Tourney to have an Assembly of all the Lords to decide the best way to dispose of King Aerys quietly, in favour of Rhaegar?
-And it would have worked. –he answered, impressed by his wife's wits- We were blindsided by Rhaegar kidnaping the Stark girl for no good reason. And then the great divide happened and at that point it was no good to meddle. I struggled with the idea of joining the rebels, as it meant that Jaime would be killed, burned alive quite possibly. I couldn't support the Crown, however. Not without the advantages I needed. When Rhaegar died the choice became easier. When I took control of King's Landing, I already knew what I intended on the long run. The same thing I had intended the entire time. So Ned Stark, who should have been the obvious choice to be King, was secretly married and had a pregnant wife in Dorne. He was the only one with a true and valid reason to rebel against the crown, after the death of his father and brother, and the violation of his sister. But it couldn't be him.
-Why not?
-Because he had a wife, and I was not about to risk everything for nothing in return. So I lobbied the concept of Robert's Targaryen heritage, and with Lyanna Stark lost, I would make Cersei queen. It was the only way for me to do what I did. To take things as far as I did. I had never intended on Princess Elia's death, I promise you that. But the rest… It had to be done.
-Robert is a King with a strong claim and powerful support. Why do you believe him to be a puppet?
-Gold. –Tywin answered simply.
-The Targaryen didn't leave the realm destitute…
-Didn't they? The vaults were full, that is true. But war costs money, and reparations must be made, even by the winning side if they wish to keep their supporters keen. Targaryen power was mostly based on the dragons, not gold. The crown is not as wealthy as you think. Nowhere near how wealthy we are. And if you think that an uncomfortable seat, a piece of metal on your front and drop of blood that lost it's meaning is what grants you power, I still have some to teach you. Who do you think have supported the crown during most of this current unrest?
-You always wanted your blood on the Iron Throne.
-What better legacy? To unify the true power to the perceived one?
Catelyn couldn't argue with that. She was betrothed as a child so Tully blood would rule in the North, and now in Casterly Rock. Lysa would secure their father the Vale. Hoster Tully's ambition was not lost on his daughter. She was brought up to be an heir, and she heard far too much about the importance of alliances.
-How well do you know Robert? –Tywin asked, after a long silence.
-Almost as well as I know Eddard. They would visit from the Vale, sometimes with Jon.
-Do you have love for him? As you do for Ned Stark? A brother?
-No. We were friendly, but Robert's personality prevented me from taking any particular liking to him. Unlike Ned, who became family since I was engaged to his brother.
-So you wouldn't have any hard feelings if I expressed my hatred of him?
-Not particularly, but why?
-He is unkind to my daughter. It will not be a surprise to you, after knowing him for so long, that Robert is keen on whores, lazy with his obligations to the crown, uninterested in ruling… Have already sired a few bastards that I know of, and will end up expanding that. In a time where his claim is still being contested, like now, with the Greyjoy's rebelling. With him in the throne I can see this all crumbling as a sand castle, and Westeros being divided again, back at how it was before Aegon the Conqueror.
-That would be a catastrophe. –Catelyn said, looking worried- It would mean a never ending war, which would weaken us all.
-You are right. But you know the only way of preventing this? –he asked- Is by keeping strong the alliances around his rule. And to control him, as the puppet he is. Robert is only there with one purpose, my love. He is only there to father the Lannister princes that will be our legacy.