If the view of Casterly Rock from Lannisport was magnificent, then seeing it up close was simply breathtaking. Even back on Remnant, with all of its advanced technology and feats, many from all Four Kingdoms would've been impressed at the sheer scale and size of the Rock. An entire mountain, a gold mine at that, hollowed out and filled with enough rooms to fill an entire city. It included more than just the castle that sat on top of the mountain, and was said to be even taller than the Wall in the far north. From a distance when the sun was starting to kiss the horizon, it even looked like a lion if she squinted her eyes. Weiss had only visited once several years ago, before her memories of another life returned to her. She didn't remember much of the visit, or why she had been there, since the memories of Weiss Schnee had given her nightmares for over a year, the days all seemed like a blur. Plus, she was a babe at the time, remembering anything back then was nigh impossible.
"As you well know. Lord Tywin is our liege lord." Father spoke softly, riding in the carriage alongside Weiss and her Mother. He wore a fine doublet of deep red with the stitching of a golden lion while Mother wore a matching dress with long sleeves, strange considering it wasn't winter yet. "You've always been a respectful child, so I won't have to remind you to keep your manners."
"Yes Father." Weiss bowed her head slightly. Between his reputation and his status as her liege lord, she wouldn't start anything. The last thing she wanted was to get married to someone from Skagos, or any other of the Northern Houses, despite her love of cold weather. Father sat across from her with Mother by his side. He looked nervous, and kept running his hands over his cleanly cropped beard. Mother held his free hand in her own, a tight smile on her face that Weiss knew she practiced in the Myrish mirror before they left the Gold Keep.
"Do not speak unless spoken to." He continued. It took all of Weiss' self-control to not roll her eyes. Father was treating her like a child, which technically, she was. That didn't stop it from being annoying. Still, she could at least understand he was trying to make things easier for her. "And do not mention the Imp."
"Yes Father." Weiss repeated, allowing her sapphire eyes to drift out the opening of the carriage, staring off into the sea as they approached the entrance to Casterly Rock. Soon they would have to leave the carriage behind, and using smaller horses, climb the great stone stairway that would lead them to the Lion's Mouth, the grand entrance into the greatest castle in all of the Seven Kingdoms.
Grabbing a fistful of the expensive fabric of her red dress, a version of the one her Mother wore, better suited for her much smaller frame, Weiss formed a small smile. Weiss still had to keep up appearances, after all, the entire world believed she was a normal girl. Even if she was so much more.
"I will do my best to bring honor to the Lannisters of Lannisport." Weiss said softly. Kin they may be to Lord Tywin Lannister, yet Weiss knew better than to trust family just because they were related by blood.
Father's grim smile did little to comfort her as he squeezed Mother's hand. "I know you will, Weiss."
She hoped he wasn't lying.
The entrance to the stairway was heavily guarded, with Weiss counting at least fifty guards. She was sure that there were more, hidden and kept in reserve. It was a fortified structure that could easily be sealed off in the event of a siege, which had rarely happened in the long history of Casterly Rock. Lannisport may have been sacked and the Gold Keep burnt, but Casterly Rock had never been taken since Lann the Clever stole the fortress from House Casterly. It felt a bit excessive, but she supposed after an attack on Lannisport, it was probably just prudence.
Ser Larys, Father's faithful shadow, stood outside the wheelhouse's door, helping Father and Mother to dismount before turning his attention to Weiss, gently taking her hand into his own. He didn't wear armor this time, it would've been an insult to Lord Tywin, though Ser Larys did bring his longsword. The guards allowed them to pass without much fanfare, most only gave her Father a slight bow of the head.
A man with long golden hair and bright green eyes was already waiting for them at the foot of the stairway, mounted on a fine mare with a brown coat and black mane. He was handsome, despite appearing to be a few years older than her Father.
"Ser Gerion, a pleasure to see you as always." Father said loudly. Ser Gerion, Lord Tywin's youngest brother, gave her Father a lazy grin. She didn't think any of Casterly Rock's Lannisters could smile, all the rumors being pretty clear on the subject.
"Coz." Ser Gerion's voice was different from his brother's, light and carefree, fun even. "My Ladies." He gave Weiss and her Mother a wink. Quite the dashing rogue, this one. Jaune should've taken notes from him back when they were students at Beacon, not that she was interested in him in any romantic life. "My brother has been expecting you all, and has charged me with escorting Lady Weiss to his solar."
If Weiss remembered her Lannisters correctly, he had a bastard daughter born in the last year, which had caused quite a scandal amongst the cadet branches in Lannisport. Ser Gerion was unmarried, and many had hoped to join the Lannister family. Clearly, he enjoyed the bachelor life, sleeping with maids and whores. It was commonplace here, or at least more obvious than back on Remnant, where such activities were done behind closed doors. Weiss would be lucky if her future husband doesnt have a bastard by the time he reached sixteen namedays. Even Lord Eddard Stark, known throughout all Seven Kingdoms for his honor, had a bastard son. What hope did she have in not being forced to contend with a visible reminder of her husband's infidelity?
"Alone?" Father asked, his voice tense. Weiss looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. Did he have a bastard stashed away somewhere? Not even a legitimized bastard son could stand before her in the line of inheritance, so likely not, and it would break her poor Mother's heart.
Ser Gerion did not answer, instead, he changed the conversation, motioning three stable boys that had been standing off to the side. One of the horses was smaller than the other two, a youngling that could carry a child. "Going up the stairway can take quite a while by foot, we have prepared these mares to make the trip enjoyable."
That made sense given the sheer size of Casterly Rock, and if Ser Gerion thought changing the conversation worked, then he was sorely mistaken.
Even a child could see through that.
The Lion's Mouth was as impressive as Weiss had imagined, though it didn't really look like the mouth of a lion, just a really large cavern. With such a large castle sitting on top of the mountain, and the rest of Casterly Rock hidden beneath rocks and under the ground, traversing the famed fortress must've been quite an undertaking. To go from the top castle to the lower levels would mean walking thousands of stairs, or taking winch cages that acted as elevators. As the richest family in Westeros, plenty of make-shift elevators abounded, mainly for the use of the higher-born nobles. Weiss and her family rode such a cage with Ser Gerion, with the young girl standing closest to Lord Tywin's brother.
"What do you know of Lann the Clever, my Lady?" Ser Gerion's voice was kind, evidently he had some practice using it.
"They say that he is the first Lannister." Weiss answered. "And tricked House Casterly out of the Rock using nothing but his wit." A neutral and common answer, many people believed that Lann the Clever didn't exist, or that the truth had been distorted throughout the centuries into the version that was now commonly held as true. Many houses had their legendary hero that they claimed to be descendants of, such as Bran the Builder and the Starks. So did some of the families in Atlas, claiming to be descended from the Storm Kings or in some of the more delusional cases, to be descended from the Brothers themselves.
"It's true." Ser Gerion grinned. "I've seen him."
And now he was telling childish stories. Weiss would have preferred to continue their ascent in silence, yet she also didn't want to appear rude to their hosts. Plus, to be fair, she had seen a seemingly dead man walking around in Remnant.
"Really?" Weiss widened her eyes and placed a hand near her mouth, acting as child-like as she could.
"Aye." Ser Gerion placed a hand on the pommel of his longsword. It looked more like a ceremonial blade rather than a true weapon of war, with the pommel having the head of a lion, and the handle being lavishly decorated in fine red leather. The sheath was just as decorated, with the sigil of House Lannister. "They say his ghost still lurks the caverns."
Weiss spotted her Father discreetly shaking his head disapprovingly out of the corner of her eye. Ser Gerion didn't seem to notice, amused by Weiss pretending to be scared, allowing the hand that covered her mouth to shake.
This was tedious.
The interior of Casterly Rock was teeming with servants, guards, knights and visiting nobles. The floor that Ser Gerion led them to, somewhere in the upper castle on the top of the mountain, wasn't nearly as full as the lower levels. Weiss only spotted the occasional servant, however, guards did become more common. After 'scaring' Weiss with the false tale about the ghost of Lann the Clever still roaming Casterly Rock, Ser Gerion turned his attention back to her Father, talking hushed grown-up business ahead of her and Mother. Their arms were interlocked.
"Be strong." Mother whispered, her already pale face turning another shade of white. "Pray to the Seven for strength."
Now that was one piece of advice that Weiss would definitely not be following. Even if the gods were real, that didn't mean they automatically deserved her worship. Still, she had to put up a facade for her Mother, and in public. Wouldn't be the most distasteful thing she had to do, she supposed.
"Of course, Mother." Weiss whispered back, her voice low enough to only be heard by her Mother. Ser Gerion and Father soon stopped a set of double doors, elaborately decorated. The handles that would allow them to be pulled outwards were the heads of a lion, with red rubies for eyes. The red wood was carved to have the image of two lions, each on their hind legs mid-roar, and painted gold. Two guards in heavy plate stood guard with spears.
"This is where we shall leave Lady Weiss." Ser Gerion said. Mother tightened her grip on Weiss' arm, just loose enough for it not to hurt if she didn't have any aura. Father's lips were pressed into a thin line. "My brother awaits."
Weiss weaseled her arm out of her Mother's grip, using her smaller wrists and held her arms in front of her. She gave her Mother a soft smile. "I shall return soon, Mother, Father."
Ser Gerion led her parents away, with the two of them giving her one last look before they disappeared around the corner. The moment they were out of view, Weiss' smile disappeared and her eyes hardened. Now she had to deal with this annoyance without any help from her parents. If everything ended in blows, Weiss was confident she could survive, all she had to do was jump out a window, but that wasn't accounting for her parents' presence. Hopefully the meeting wasn't anything too serious.
Who was she trying to fool, this was Tywin Lannister after all, any summons by him were serious. The rumors said he never smiled, and Lord Tywin wouldn't have summoned her for anything other then the most serious of matters.
"Announce me." Weiss said simply, not giving either of the guards another glance. She kept her back straight, chin held evenly, and her hands in front of her. She was a Schnee Lannister, and she was not afraid.
"Lady Weiss has arrived, my Lord." The guard to the right droned while the one to the left pulled the door open for her.
She walked in without another word, and the moment she was within the solar they closed the door behind her with a soft thud. The solar of the Lord of Casterly Rock was impressive, with two golden lions standing guard beside each side of his desk. The rest of the room was lavishly decorated with portraits of lords long deceased, paintings and statues decorated the walls, and an Essoi carpet sat in between two chairs of finely carved wood close to their fireplace.
Lord Tywin was seated behind his desk, his green eyes with flecks of gold staring at several documents. He didn't bother to look up as Weiss approached, her head bowed respectfully. She came to a stop at least three feet from his desk, which brought back memories of visiting Jacques in his office. The white haired girl kept her face impassive, as she used to when she was the Schnee heiress attending board meetings.
He didn't acknowledge her as he continued to review several documents for a few minutes. Lord Tywin must've been testing her, since he was well known as one of the most ruthless lords in all of the Seven Kingdoms. Was he hoping for Weiss to break and speak first? Was he waiting for her to ask a question about her betrothal? If so, then he must be sorely disappointed. She remained impassive and unchanged as Weiss waited for him to speak up.
It took five more minutes for him to even look up from his papers.
"You're a brave girl." Lord Tywin spoke first, leaning back in his expensive chair. It looked so old, it might have belonged to his grandfather's grandfather. "Most men would squirm at having to be in my mere presence, yet you didn't even blink."
Weiss remained silent. He left that opening there for her to accept the compliment, only to twist his words into an insult. The man was skilled with words, it seemed.
"It is customary for one to accept a compliment from one's better." Lord Tywin raised an eyebrow. He seemed amused, knowing that Weiss had spotted his trap. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing being the subject of his amusement or not, given well, her current status and all.
"Thank you, my Lord." Weiss said with a slight bow before straightening her back once more. She kept her voice even, without a hint of emotion.
"You're arrogant, but then again, you do have some Lannister blood in you, even if you look more Valyrian." Lord Tywin was now throwing an indirect insult towards her Mother. He left an opening for her to respond.
"I may carry the Valyrian look, but my loyalties still remain with House Lannister." Proving your loyalty was always a good move, especially since Weiss was nothing more than a child in his eyes.
Lord Tywin's eyes remained cold and calculating as he took in her words. "You don't speak like a girl of seven namedays, or carry yourself like a child."
Damn it, Weiss should've allowed herself to shiver when she first entered, maybe with a calculated flinch. She should've prepared better for such a meeting. Weiss merely bowed once more silently. Lord Tywin pulled out a drawer and reached into his desk. He held out a sheathed blade, holding the handle out for Weiss. "Take it."
Weiss did as she was commanded, taking the dagger into her hands. It was heavy, the handle was well-worn and felt familiar-oh-
"Do you recognize this blade?" Lord Tywin asked. He didn't seem to care that he had just handed her a weapon, he did have her family as hostages should she kill him. Yet, she didn't have a reason to. Lord Tywin was the head of the family, the Lannisters of Lannisport answered to him. And whatever his faults, he was dedicated to them. He wouldn't simply kill them or her for her actions, if only as that would be a disgrace to the family name.
"I do." It was the Ironborn's blade that she had used to kill her attackers, she could tell even if the blade itself was sheathed. Her hand felt every bump and scratch on the hilt, and it felt almost as if it was a part of her arm now.
"With that blade you sliced a man's arm off, cutting through flesh and bone as if it was Valyrian steel." Lord Tywin scoffed. "Or so the Maester claims. The deaths of the other three was unnatural, no girl your size and age should've been able to kill one, much less all four. How did you do it?"
Weiss had to answer carefully to avoid revealing aura and her memories, while also convincing him. "I used to watch my Father's knights spar in the training yard."
"You've watched your Father's men training to kill men by aiming for their necks?" Lord Tywin said dryly. "That still doesn't account for that dull knife cutting like Valyrian steel, nor how you managed to escape without a single scratch or bruise. Did none of them try fighting back?"
"They did, my Lord." Weiss admitted. She would've looked like an idiot if she tried lying. There was no way four Ironborn raiders were just going to lay down and die.
"You claim to have been fast enough to dodge their attacks?" Lord Tywin didn't look like he believed her. "You're not even old enough to be a squire." And had no combat experience went unsaid.
Weiss had a feeling that if she had been born a boy instead of a girl, nobody would've questioned her about the killing of those four men. Still, even if she had excuses for how she did it, there was no excuse for the blade. Without her aura to strengthen the blade, its integrity would remain the same.
"Could you do it again?" Lord Tywin's question caught her off guard. He wanted her to kill four men, again? Or did he mean, face someone else in public and win with witnesses as proof of what she had done.
She could always refuse and pretend that it was a miracle, a gift from the Seven, or Weiss could go along with his request. If she did, what could she gain? If she impressed him enough Lord Tywin could give her leave to continue her training in public. It'd make hiding her aura workouts much easier, but what would be the cost? Would she be turned into his personal weapon and have the Redwyne betrothal annulled?
"I don't believe my Lord Father would approve." Weiss answered meekly, yet her soft tone did not reach her eyes. Those words only seemed to have made him mad.
"And what makes you believe that I need your Father's approval?" Lord Tywin narrowed his eyes. "A Lannister he may be, but only of a cadet branch, and the Lannisters of Lannisport are my bannermen. He cost me my fleet, and now we have to rely on Stannis Baratheon and Paxter Redwyne to invade the Iron Islands. You should consider yourself lucky that I even arranged such a favorable match."
A favorable match? Weiss remained silent as the Old Lion continued to speak, who remained seated in his chair. It irked her that he was blaming her Father for his mistakes. Admittedly, there wasn't exactly a lot of warning ahead of time.
"The Lannisters of Lannisport may be kin and one of the richest houses in the Westerlands, yet you are far from my strongest bannermen." Lord Tywin's nostrils widened as he ranted. "Brax, Lefford, and Crakehall, just to name a few, can gather more levies than your Father. A match with a Redwyne, one of the Tyrell's closest and most powerful allies, is a better match than you could normally hope for." And would bring him more ships to replace the ones lost at the Burning of Lannisport most likely. Lord Tywim likely included ships instead of coin for her dowry, since it was a matrilineal marriage.
If Lord Tywin thought he was doing Weiss a favor, then he was sorely mistaken. She didn't wish to get married, not anytime soon at least, and if she did, it would be someone by Weiss' own choosing.
"So I will ask you one last time." Lord Tywin stared into her eyes, doing his best to intimidate her. Weiss only stared back impassibly, her expression bored and blank. "Could you do it again?"
"Yes, my Lord." Weiss answered for the sake of her parents. At least she had won, Lord Tywin was the one who had broken and gotten angry first. Weiss did the best she could with what she had available. She'd managed to outlast the Lion of the West. She resisted the urge to smirk, that was an impressive feat indeed.
Lord Tywin formed a tight, fake, and unbelieving smirk. "Good, I have already chosen who your opponent shall be. The match shall be in a few hours. For now, you shall be returned to your Father and Mother, and given rooms for the duration of your stay."
Weiss hid her frown with a small smile, bowing the upper half of her body just slightly. "As you command, my Lord."
She really hoped it wasn't the Mountain, Weiss wasn't ready to face him.
Not yet at least.
A/N
Weiss' conversation with Tywin was one of the harder scenes I've had to write, though I'm sure they'll become easier with time.