Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun
Chapter Thirty-Eight.
Tyrion reached out and picked up an apple from the plate in front of him and bit into it, chewing it with his mouth open. He smirked around the mush in his mouth when he saw his father glaring at him. He had grown used to angering him when ever he tried to please him, better to make him angry and reveal in that power.
Tyrion and his brother were sitting in their father's solar, near the top of the Rock. All their uncles and their aunts sat around them, well all their uncles which had the last name of Lannister and the only aunt whose opinion Tyrion was certain that his father actually respected.
He wasn't entirely sure why he was here, off all people. His father had never been one to keep him involved in the running of the Rock but he had to admit that he was curious as to why he had been brought to this meeting as so he swallowed the apple mush and wiped at his lips with his handkerchief before lowering his head in contrition.
His father glanced at him for a moment longer before he turned his gaze to Aunt Genna. "Cersei has sent a letter from Dragonstone, she is pregnant." The room seemed to turn quiet but for what reason Tyrion wasn't sure, surely the announcement that the firstborn daughter of a great house was carrying the heir to the royal throne, very possibly the future king, was a thing of joy.
The mood in the room did not seem very joyful, Jaime he could understand well enough, his older brother's hands had tightened around the armrests of his chair until his knuckles were turning white and his teeth were clenched tightly. If his father had noticed, then he did not comment on it.
"Well, it's about time if you ask me." Uncle Gerion said with a smirk as he reached out and picked up a golden goblet that was studded with rubies, turning it around so he could examine it in the light. "Cersei's loved the boy since she first looked at him, mind you if it would still make her the queen I imagine that she would love anyone who gave her the crown."
If Tyrion's favourite uncle cared at all about the fierce glare that his elder brother was levelling on him then he did his level best not to show it. "We should send a gift, that's the tradition isn't it? Mayhap a golden spoon? Shall we stud it with diamonds and pearls and rubies? Truly it would be a spoon fit for a prince or princess, not that they'd be able to use it to eat with."
"Gerion, enough." Uncle Kevan said firmly and Gerion rolled his eyes as he put the goblet back down on the table, he was annoyed but he seemed content to hold his tongue. Gerion and Tyrion were always more likely to listen to him then they were to listen to Tywin, if only to spite him.
"Cersei is safe at Dragonstone, we are sure of that?" Aunt Genna said, a look that Tyrion didn't recognise painting her face. If he didn't know better then he would almost say that it was worry, but that couldn't be. This was Cersei, his sweet sister was not his favourite person in the world to be sure but this was Cersei of all people, for all her faults he never thought that she was someone who needed to be worried about.
"For now, it won't be long before Aerys finds out that she is with child. I don't think that Prince Rhaegar will truly want to let his father knew but it would be much worse for them if he does not tell him." Tywin said with a large frown.
"He won't hurt her, why would he?" Jaime said and the concern for Cersei was as clear to see as the hair on his head, he swallowed roughly before he spoke again. "She's carrying his grandchild and she hasn't done anything wrong."
"Aerys is mad, it is impossible now for me to be able to predict what he will do. You should knew that well enough." Their father remarked with a pointed glare which he levelled on Jaime who bowed his head. "He may not call her back to King's Landing yet, the prince is required to present his child as soon as it's born, not before. But if he orders that she return before she gives birth then there is little that can be done, she can not disobey an order from the king. Nor can Rhaegar."
"So, we're running out of time it seems." Uncle Tygett said as he leaned forward, his eyes as hard as stone. "What should we do?"
"At the moment, there is nothing that we can do. Certain...piece are not yet in play and others are moving in ways that I did not expect, if certain things had not happened the way that they did then things might have been different but that is not the way that it's fallen." Tywin turned his attention from Gerion to Genna. "Sister, write to Cersei. Tell her to say that her pregnancy is bringing on great sickness in her, she should be able to manage that considering her ladies saw being ill."
Tyrion did not consider his life to be a blessed one, to say the very least. He might have been born a Lannister of Casterly Rock but being born a dwarf had rather cancelled out most of the benefits that had come with it. He imagined that it was only because that he was born a Lannister that he had not been left in the woods to die or thrown to the dogs as a snack.
Despite all of that the image of his sweet sister losing her stomach in front of all her ladies was a thought that brought him great joy, it pleased him so much that he couldn't stop the laugh that escaped from his throat. Soon all the attention of everyone in the solar was on him. His father gave him a stern glare while his uncle Kevan's face was a mask of disapproval.
Aunt Genna seemed to disapprove as well but Tyrion was certain that he could see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes, Uncle Tygett's face was a carefully constructed mask but the corners of his lips were turning upwards and Tyrion had gotten used to reading his uncle's mask, he was amused even if he did not want to admit it.
Uncle Gerion did not even bother to hide his amusement, his lips were pulled back into a grin and at that moment Tyrion realised that he looked the most like Jaime out of any of their uncles. Speaking of his brother, he seemed about as amused as their father but he at least wasn't glaring at him.
No, right now Jaime was simply staring down at his lap as though it was the most interesting lap in the world. Tyrion had sympathy for how much it had to sting but he was surprised that he seemed so down with the news, Cersei was married to the prince and Tyrion was at least vaguely aware of what a husband and wife were expected to do, surely this had not come as a surprise to his older brother?
"I will send the letter as soon as I am able, but I don't suppose I have to tell you Tywin that it doesn't truly matter how sick she is or how sick she acts, if the king wants her and the prince back in King's Landing then he will be offended regardless." Aunt Genna pointed out.
"He can be as offended as much as he likes, he's offended me for years. He took great pleasure in that." His father's eyes burned with the memories of dozens of slights, of crude jokes that Tyrion had only heard from brave stablehands who dared to whisper such things in the Rock.
Tyrion normally enjoyed when anything made his father angry, to see him humiliated but the Mad King was hardly someone that Tyrion wanted to admire. When considering the mess that the mad old fool had put them in with Princess Elia, Tyrion had heard of the fabled Red Viper of Dorne and while there had been no moves on his part as of yet, as far as they knew, he doubted that it would be long now.
He didn't doubt that his father wasn't already considering that and about what could be done to avoid diplomatic incidents, not just with Dorne but with the North as well. Tyrion had not spoken with Ned Stark, had only truly seen him briefly during the Tourney, but he seemed a calm enough man, a reasonable man.
But how many men remained reasonable when their wife was taken from their side and given to another men? How many men stayed calm when they knew their wife was with child and she was hundreds of miles away? The only one that Tyrion could think that might have ever existed would be Baelor the Blessed and godly patience and forgiveness in his mind did not excuse utter stupidity.
Northern men fought bravely and fiercely and while the men of the Westerlands outnumbered the men of the North, and Dorne put together, and had better arms and armour but Tyrion thought that men fighting for something were more dangerous than men who did not, the North and Dorne would fight to get Elia away from the Rock but the men of the Westerlands would be fighting them because their king was a mad man and he fucked everything up.
It was a concern but Tyrion had to admit, however childish it was, the thought of a war coming was somewhat exciting he heard all of the stories of course but he wondered what it would look like to see the proud Lannister navy crashing against Dornish and Northern ships outside the walls of Lannisport.
Then he remembered that neither Dorne nor the North had any true navy, they would need to ally themselves with a kingdom that did have one if they wanted too attack them by the sea. The Redwynes of the Arbor had the largest fleet in all of Westeros, nearly a thousand ships his uncle Gerion had told him, but the Redwynes were sworn to Highgarden and House Tyrell, they were unlikely to help the North and the Dornish in their cause.
"Aerys has mocked me for far too long, I let a great deal go do to the friendship we once shared but enough is enough." Tywin Lannister stood out of his chair and in that moment Tyrion though that naming him the Old Lion had been a mistake, even now he was always going to be the Proud Lion.
The sun flooding through the large windows of the solar caused his hair to shine like gold, the grey streaks looked more like silver in this light and even at this age he seemed powerful. He glanced between Jaime and Tyrion for a few moments, he seemed to be considering something. "You are both no longer children, Jaime is a knight and will soon be my heir and Tyrion...regardless, it is time for the both of you to do your duty to your house, there is something that you must both be made aware of. I would not normally involve of either of you but circumstances have forced my hand."
Before his father could say anything more the door to his solar suddenly flew open, Gerion, Tygett and Jaime all leapt out of their chairs and drew their swords so quickly that it made Tyrion's head spin, Tywin frowned deeply and his frown only seemed to darken even more as he saw who had burst in and Kevan, who had been standing in front of Aunt Genna to shield her, had a confused frown on his own face as he moved out of the way so Genna could see who stood their.
Tyrion had to jump out of his chair and move around his uncles and his brother so he could see who had busted in, he was curious to see who would be foolish enough to come into Lord Tywin's solar without his permission. As soon as his eyes landed on that person he felt his mouth dropping open in shock.
Princess Elia Nymeros Martell stood in the open door way, her eyes, which were so dark they looked to Tyrion the colour of black diamonds, were wet as they always seemed to shine lately with unshed tears but even so there was a hardness to them. She was dressed in a orange and black dress which left her shoulders and arms bear and high up on her arms, a golden snake lay coiled.
Her belly was swollen with her child, Tyrion had seen a pregnant woman or two in his life and he knew that her time would soon be coming, any day now was likely. Still, despite how often he was told that when baring a child was when a woman was most vulnerable she did not seem at all frail or weak to him in that moment, she seemed strong.
There were the sound of footsteps and soon her the maid that his father had given to the Dornish princess came running into the room, as soon as her eyes landed on her lord and all of his family she turned even paler than she was and she ducked her head in deference. "My lord, forgive me please. The princess Elia demanded to speak to you and when I told her that you were busy she grabbed a knife and threatened to open her throat if I did not let her out of her room."
"I will speak for myself Clara, thank you very much." Elia spoke firmly all though her voice was nothing but the model of courtesy, Tyrion noticed that as she spoke she did not take her eyes of her father's face, staring at him right in the eye. "Lord Tywin, forgive this interruption but I am afraid that I must speak with you and it can not wait."
"Clearly. Clara, is it? Go outside and wait for the princess, she will not be long. And shut the door as you go." Clara bowed her head and did a quick courtesy before she scurried out of the room, shutting the door firmly as she went. Once his father was certain that the door was shut he turned his attention fully to Elia. "Well then Princess, what could be so important that you saw the need to interrupt what was an extremely important meeting?"
"I do so apologise for interrupting your meeting Lord Tywin but it seems that I have something more important, it is a pressing issue. Your most honourable Maester has informed me that I am likely to birth before too long." The words seemed like something that would be cause for celebration but they had a bite to them that was clear to hear, all though he supposed that in this case venom would be more appropriate.
"I have been made aware of this, if you are concerned for the future and wellbeing of your child then you do not need to worry. Room has been made in the nursery and plans are being made for it's future." The words did little to sooth the Dornish woman, if nothing else they seemed to anger her even more.
"I thank you for your generosity, my Lord of Lannister but I am rather afraid it is rather going to be wasted. For when all is said and done I will not be here, by tomorrow morning or at the very latest I tomorrow night I will be on a boat being sent back to the North. A boat that you will put me on."
The entire room seemed to be struck dumb by her comments and if it was anyone else than Tyrion would have suggested that her isolation had driven her made but she did not seem to have been driven mad at all, she seemed quiet confident in what she was saying, As if it was as sure a fact as that the sky was grey in the morning, blue in the afternoon, golden in the evening and black at night.
Tyrion glanced towards Jaime, recently he and Elia had been spending more time together, to see if he knew something but he seemed just as confused as the rest of them.
His father spoke clearly, if he had been surprised at all by her words then he had not shown it whatsoever. "And, tell me, why exactly would I do this Princess? I can see no reason why it might benefit me or my house."
"Then I will give you a very simple reason, My lord. If you do not begin to make perpetrations for me to be returned to the North then I will return to my room at this very instant, climb on to my window edge and cast myself into the sea." Tyrion was certain that her felt his breath freeze in his chest as he stared wide eyed at the Dornish woman, perhaps he had been wrong about her not losing her mind.
"If I do not do what you want then you will kill yourself? A childish threat Princess, and I think an empty one." Tywin said as he glanced at Genna who began to step towards Elia, she gently took the girl's wrist and began to speak to her softly but before she could truly say anything Elia ripped her hand out of Aunt Genna's hold and stepped back.
"Then you are very much mistaken my Lord, we have very little in common as I am sure that you will agree but one thing I think that we do have in common is that I would never make a threat that I do not intend to carry out if I am forced too, and I will do it if I am forced too."
"You would kill yourself and your child with you, I think not. You have a gentle and kind heart they say, do you think that you could live with yourself?"
"I won't have too, and you know nothing of my heart. And what future would my child have here? If she is a girl, married to some landed knight in a dismal little holdfast? If he is a boy, serving a Lannister knight as a squire or maybe serving you as a page until he's old enough to be given a dismal little holdfast? I think not."
"The child's father is a second son, he would not have amounted to much at any rate."
"They would be loved, they would knew their father and would be raised among their people. That is already more than I could ask for than I could hear." She stepped forward, one of her hands on her swollen belly, and pushed through the small wall that Tyrion's uncles and Jaime had formed before she stopped in front of his father's desk and put her free hand on it as she stared into his eyes. "I more than prepared to do it."
"Perhaps you are, now answer me another question if you would. Why is it that I should care? You were bound here due to the actions of a mad king, in a way you would be doing me something me of a favour. Taking yourself of my hands, as it were." Tywin responded as he stared deeply back into Elia's eyes, Tyrion had to applauded her, many men would not dare to be on the other side of Tywin Lannister's glares. The Dornish princess was not backing down.
"We both knew that you are much smarter than that, I do not doubt that the life of me and my child mean as much to as the life of a rat, but it doesn't matter how much it is worth to you. It matters how much it is worth to my brothers, to my husband, to my fellow Dornishmen and the men of the North."
Tyrion had not seen his father scared before in his life and he did not see him scared now but a flash of irritation ran across his face before his mask slammed back into place. "A great deal I would imagine, but I would remind you that the armies of the Westerlands are three times as large as the amount of men that the North and Dorne can muster together, as well they would need to join with one another and Winterfell and Sunspear as thousands of miles apart."
"That is the truth, well enough. I can not deny it. But I would remind you that my husband was fostered with Robert Baratheon and under the care of Jon Arryn, if I were to die under your care then Dorne and the North would march for me, and The Stormlands and the Vale would march for Ned."
"And then the King, well he would see all these armies mustering against you and do you honestly think he would complain? The man hates you, he would raise the armies of the Crownlands and join them. The Reach would follow the king and then that would leave you with your bannermen and...the ironborn? They are unlikely to help you."
"Of course you would have sometime, I think. You would try and supress knowledge of my death but let me assure you, knowing Doran as I do it would not surprise me if he had spies acting inside of the Rock. And even if he did not, Varys no doubt does and if I die he will tell the king."
"And if I let you go and send you to the North, do you expect that he will be overly happy with me? He may indeed raise his forces against me anyway."
"Send me back to the North and I will vouch for you with Lord Rickard and my brother, if Aerys dare to try anything then you will have all the kingdoms standing at your back. Only The Reach and the Ironborn would stand against you then, I am offering you a choice between survival or annihilation and that is never a choice. What do you say?"
Tywin stared at Elia for a few moments before he glanced over towards Kevan and Genna before he turned his gaze back on to Elia. "Return to your room now before I have my guards escort you there, I need to discuss this. Now, go."
Elia smirked and Tyrion was certain that he could hear his father's teeth grinding as Elia walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Gerion stared at the door for a few moments before he turned to look at Tywin. "I like her."
"Gerion. Be quiet." Genna said before she turned her attention on to Tywin. "I hate to admit this, dear brother but she does have something resembling a point. She can not stay here and the longer she does the more tense things grow, sending her back to the North would perhaps be for the best. I'd rather we take our chances on the side with more armies."
"I agree." Tygett said as he turned to join in on the conversation. His eyes narrowed as he played with the hilt of his sword. "The mad old bastard's insulted our family for too long, if Rhaegar is ready then he might not even have the entire Crownlands to stand with him. The soon he's dead the better if you ask me, we should move now before he has a chance to summon Cersei back to King's Landing."
"We are assuming that he hasn't already, several kingsguard were sent with Prince Rhaegar to Dragonstone. If word reaches them that the King has summoned them back then their vows compel them to drag them back if they have too." Uncle Kevan pointed out but Tyrion wasn't truly focused on that, he was instead wondering about something his younger uncle had said.
"Uncle Tygett, if Prince Rhaegar is ready for what?" His father suddenly shot a sharp glance at Tygett before he turned his gaze on to Tyrion.
"That is not of any import to you, Jaime, I want you to take your brother and make certain that Princess Elia will do nothing foolish until we come to a decision." As soon as their father had finished speaking Jaime reached out and took Tyrion by the arm and quickly lead him out of the solar.
"You don't think she's going to do it, do you?" Jaime asked once the door was fully closed and they hurried through the corridors of the Rock. "It has to be a bluff, she wouldn't do that."
"I am not certain, but she knows that Father doesn't make threats that he does not intend to keep. I don't know if she's bluffing or not but if she is then she is braver then I will ever be." After that there was only silence as they made their way down and through the Rock until the finally reached the chamber which had been given to Elia since she had been a...guest at the Rock.
They opened the door and found her rubbing her belly through her dress as she stared out through the window, even from here in the doorway Tyrion could hear the waves crashing against the rocks so very far down below. "It is a beautiful view." Elia said, though she did not turn to face them. "I can think of worse things to see before you die."
"You can't mean it." Jaime muttered as he stepped forward, Elia turned her head to smile at him and Tyrion he was certain that he had never seen a sadder thing in his entire life.
"I do, I do mean it. You have to be prepared to carry out your threats Jaime, otherwise they mean nothing. Even if it will be the last thing that you ever do." Elia sighed as she stood from her chair. "I can only pray now that he sees reason."
"All this will make him do is move you to a chamber without a window, that's all." Tyrion pointed out but it did not seem to dissuade her.
"Then I shall not eat, nor shall I drink."
"You're not just putting your life at risk, your putting your own child's life as well." Jaime grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her so he was staring right into her eyes. "Tell me, what kind of mother does that?"
That seemed to have struck a chord and a few tears slipped from Elia's eyes, leaving water trails running down her dusky cheeks. "I...I imagine a terrible one would do that, but I meant what I said. My child will have no true future here, surrounded by people who are not like them. A mother who is miserable and never knowing their father. I can not bear that, this is the only way. Either I am returned, or the last action of my life is to bring House Lannister to ruins."
"You are smarter than I expected you to be, I will admit that." They all turned to see Tywin standing in the doorway of the open door, his eyes only held room for Elia however. "I have considered what you have said, and we have an arrangement. Tomorrow night a ship will leave from Lannisport with White Harbour as it's destination, you will be on it."
"Thank you."
"The journey will be long. There is a chance it will be born at sea."
"Perhaps, but it will be born on it's way home."
"Then there is nought else to speak off."
"Actually, I think you will find that there." Elia said with her head held high and Tyrion had to applauded the sheer brashness if nothing else, she got what she wanted from Tywin Lannister and she wanted yet more still. "I want Jaime to come with me, I want him to see me safely home."
"And why would I allow that?"
"Because of the two people I trust in this entire kingdom, neither of them are you. I trust Jaime, he's an honourable man, one who made a mistake but an honourable man. I don't doubt for one second that you would ever dare risk him getting hurt so you aren't going to try anything."
"And if I send my son and heir with you to the North, how do I know that I will ever see him again?" Tywin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Jaime sees me safely home and I swear to you he will be on the fastest boat to leave White Harbour, it's a gesture of good faith. To show that you do not condone what King Aerys did to me and too my husband." Tywin was quiet then and Tyrion was sure, just for half a moment, that he saw something that resembled uncertainty flash before his eyes before he turned to address Jaime.
"Do consent to take her to the north?"
Jaime looked between Elia and their father for a moment before he nodded quietly, Tywin nodded silently himself before he turned and left the room. Once he was certain that his father was gone and out of earshot Tyrion turned to Elia and gave her a wide grin.
"You must teach me how to do that, if I could trick Father like you did then I could emperor of the world!"
End of Chapter Thirty-Eight
And just like that, Elia is on her way back to the North and the Ned/Elia reunion is that much closer. Next chapter will be from Elia's perspective and there will be a slight timeskip as it will be towards the end of their journey North.
Also, as I type this I just realise it's only been two days since my last update, not bad if I do say so myself!
Please review, favourite and follow if you enjoyed this chapter. Constructive Criticism is always welcome and appreciated.
Love,
Doctorwhofan12345