Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun.

Book 2

Chapter One-Hundred and Thirty-Three

He had known that it was coming, but a part of him had desperately hoped that it could have been avoided.

Foolish, he supposed.

Tyrion took a sip of his wine and looked over to his father who's attention was split between drinking his own wine, seeing to his own food and speaking with his younger sister. He did not look like a man enraged, but then Lord Tywin never did.

When they had awoken one cold morning to find that Lady Lilianna had sailed the Lannisport fleet away in the middle of the night Lord Tywin had been afire with rage, he did not scream or shout but his anger had radiated off of him in waves and his voice was raised to any and all who dared to speak him, no matter their reason. Even Lady Genna was not safe from his rage.

Lady Lilianna had best hope that she manged to win the Iron Islands for herself, she would not be welcomed back to the Rock. Cersei might be pleased to hear that it was not just her that her father had banished from home and his regard, wherever she was.

Lord Tywin placed his glass down on the table, loud enough that it was a clear enough signal that he wanted their attention. "I have received a raven from King's Landing, Lady Lilianna has been declared a traitor to the realm and King Eddard has commanded me to present myself before the Iron Throne so I might prove my loyalty to him and the realm."

Tywin Lannister held out his wine goblet and a serving girl came forward to fill it and the girl did not stop until the cup was filled to the rim, his father then turned his goblet over. "There is my answer to him."

The same serving girl put her pitcher down and knelt down to clean the puddle of wine up and Tyrion took a sip of his own wine before he spoke. "A great deal more than wine will be spilt father if we go to war, and I hate to be the one to point this out but we have just lost our entire fleet. And we cannot rely on all the Reach to support us in this now, considering Redwyne wishes to make his daughter a Queen."

"Then we simply do not rely on assaults by sea to win this war," Lord Tywin said as he rose. "King Eddard will be distracted by this war for the Iron Islands, we march on the Riverlands while the moment is ripe. Genna, what chance do we have of your husband's house joining us in this war?"

Lady Genna was silent as she considered, it was odd to see her so quiet for so long but eventually she spoke. "I am uncertain, The Twins is close to the Neck you recall and some of it's members have converted to the faith of the Old Gods when it began to come down from the North, if it's because they truly believe or they wish to win favour with the king I cannot say."

"Regardless, my goodfather is not a brave man and his heir Ser Stevron maybe braver but I cannot see him supporting a rebellion, he is not bold enough for that." Genna shrugged her shoulders and reached for her own goblet. "However, my goodfather is a greedy man and spiteful. If you were to make it seem like his allegiance will be richly rewarded, with castles and lands and honours and marriages, then you might be able to sway him, mayhaps."

Tyrion could tell Lord Tywin was not pleased by his sister's assessment, his jaw clenched tightly but he said nothing. "Then the great western alliance will stand alone, once we have stricken into the heart of the Riverlands minor houses will flock to our banners, as will those who have no reason to love Eddard Stark or his dornish wife."

Tyrion could not pretend he knew much of war, but he doubted that it was going to be as simple as that.

The meal was finished not long after that and Tyrion returned to his bedchamber, he did not sleep well that night.

The very next morning all but a few of the ravens that were held within the Rock's rookery took wing, the air was filled with the sound of the bird's screaming and when Tyrion went for a ride later on that day he saw dozens of pitch black feathers littering the ground.

Over the next days and weeks the bannermen of House Lannister began to gather, all the strength of the Westerlands. Banners of a thousand different colours flapped in the air, boars, copper daggers, pepper pots, silver and gold spears, red ox and white seashells all flew together.

Tyrion wondered what Jaime would think of it, but he had not seen his big brother in years and he was missing as well. There had been no reason given for his absence from the Queensguard at first, Lord Tywin had sent a bird to King's Landing to demand to know the whereabouts of his eldest son, the first time in years that Tyrion could remember his father writing to the capital.

And Elia Martell had responded to the letter, all it had said was that Jaime had been sent on a mission of great importance to the crown.

That had done little to sooth his father of course, and his own spies within the capital had sent word that the last time Jaime had been seen was him taking ship across the narrow sea to Pentos, and when Tyrion heard that he wondered if Jaime had abandoned his duty and vows to go after Cersei but he had dismissed that thought as he did not know why Elia would not admit that, it would be something else she could stain House Lannister with.

It was the later news that had come from the capital that Tyrion was certain had eroded his father's patience, Lord Tywin was ever a glacier when it came to his plans but when it was announced that Ser Waymar Royce had been granted a suddenly empty spot on Elia's queensguard and that the reason the spot had been opened in the first place was because Jaime had died in 'leal service to the crown'.

Well, that had not settled well with anyone within in the Rock and Tyrion was among them, whatever friendship he had with Princess Elia in the past if her actions had caused the death of his brother, his big brother who had been his only protector and friend in his horror of a childhood.

Nothing would stop him from burning the city she had helped to rebuild down around her.

It was only a few more days before all the might of the west began to march east, on the night before his father summoned him to a private meeting. "I cannot prove that you are not my son," was the first thing Lord Tywin said when Tyrion sat down. "If I could, I would see that you stand disinherited of anything to gain from my lands or incomes and yet I cannot."

"Jaime is dead, if Elia Martell had him killed or he truly did die on some task for her makes little matter. If Jaime appeared again then all the realm would know her to be a liar, he is dead and Cersei is fled and useless to me, assuming she is not dead as well." Lord Tywin sneered and reached out for his goblet, he had been drinking more and more as of late Tyrion had noticed.

"And so, all I am left with is you. You are no warrior Tyrion, but I will not deny you do have some low cunning." Lord Tywin placed his empty wine goblet down on the desk between them. "You will rule in Casterly Rock in my stead, make no mistake Tyrion that this does not promise you anything more from me in the future but most of your male cousins march to war with me, you will not have the Rock before any of them but serve well and you will be rewarded fairly."

"Of course father, I am your humble servant;" Tyrion said, and on the morrow when he watched his father ride off he prayed that he would fall from his horse and break his neck.

And while it was true that most of the men of the Rock were off too war, the king who they were rebelling in the name of was not. Tyrion understood why of course, Tygett was not a martial lad to say the very least and he could not be trusted to make a run for it at the first opportunity that presented itself.

The boy was a shade of misery, and his queen did little to cheer him. Tyrion watched them at times, the Tyrell girl was sweet and clever and would make a fine queen but when it came to his nephew the boy was colder than the Wall in the distant north.

They most spent their days separately, Tygett spending time in the great library to escape into stories and songs and Margaery would spend her hours with her cousins to try and cheer herself but the maids who tended them brought him tales they the four girls spent most of the time in tears and fearful whispers, wishing to only go home.

But at night they would come together, and do their duty as they must. Lord Tywin made it clear that he wished for an heir from his grandson, and no doubt the second son that Margaery Tyrell bore would be the heir to the Rock.

Tyrion sighed and sipped at his own wine, seating in his father place in his solar. Casterly Rock was his, for a time.

And with it, all it's gold. And that thought lead to a much wickeder one indeed.

The next morning, he summoned Captain Vylarr to attend him. "My cousin has taken all the Lannisport navy with her, to wage her vain war again the Ironmen but tell me Captain. Are there any ships that yet remain to us, fast and strong ones that could dare cross the autumn seas?"

Vylarr frowned and was silent, clearly thinking. "We do have a few fast ships within the Rock's harbour my lord, but Lord Tywin made it clear that they are to defend the Rock and coast from any attacks by the sea. Why, he has he sent word of a new task for them?"

"No, but I have a task for them. And for you, as well."

End of Chapter One-Hundred and Thirty-Three