Chapter IX - Gerion I
He had traveled to an assortment of places throughout the known world. At ten years of age, he had traveled with his brothers Kevan and Tygett all over the Westerlands, and at sixteen years of age, he had been able to embark on his age common for men coming of age. That journey took him to the Free Cities, from Braavos to Tyrosh to Lys.
He liked the last of those cities the most thanks to their marvelous whores, which they marketed to be the main draw of their island. Of particular note were their silver-haired women who looked almost like they were Valyrians of old. Not that his boring eldest brother Tywin ever needed to discover the details of that exploit.
He had already been strict about leaving for the Free Cities in the first place, demanding Gerion stay at Casterly Rock until Lady Joanna had finished giving birth to Jaime and Cersei. Gerion decided not to fight with him about it if only because he happened to like his eldest brother's wife, for she was far more cheerful than his sod of a brother. It was a solemn and tragic day when she died in childbirth, but at least Gerion understood it wasn't poor Tyrion's fault.
If only that boy's father would stop being a cunt and see that, Gerion often thought. Tyrion was a gentle and curious child, and he loved to read about an assortment of issues. Gerion had recently asked Tyrion if he could remember the sixteen wonders of the world as written by Lomas Longstrider almost five centuries ago. Imagine his surprise when the boy, then five years of age, already could recite six from memory. Gerion himself had only just learned them all.
The youngest son of Tytos Lannister even took it upon himself to teach Tyrion to cartwheel, a tumbling trick his father once had a mummer teach him when he was a lad. Of course, he would never let Tywin find out about it - poor Tyrion didn't need his spirits broken any further by his shameful excuse of a father.
Sadly, he could not take Tyrion nor his eldest brother Jaime with him on this specific trip. Tywin claimed Jaime needed to have special attention to fix his reading, whilst Tyrion was too much of an "embarrassment" to bring outside the Rock, especially until he was a grown man. Gerion did not wish to argue lest Tywin forbid him from even bringing Jason with him.
With that in mind, he was glad his Hill nephew had come with him on this little trip. The bastard had not been given nearly as many adventures as his older trueborn brother, and Gerion of all people understood how relieving it was to get outside that enormous stone fortress. So as they now were in the forests of the Westerlands, birds chirping in the trees and the sun making its way through the leaves, Gerion just hoped Jason was enjoying this journey as much as he did.
He turned to his nephew, who seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at his surroundings. "How is it so far?"
Gerion didn't initially get a response from Jason, whose head was turned away looking at the woods. He didn't mind - if anything, Gerion was glad Jason could enjoy it for the first time. When he and Jaime were men, he could imagine the two on the Goldroad together, traveling the country and staying in inns. If they're old enough, they can enjoy some women along the way.
"Jason! How are you?"
The bastard snapped out of his daze with a shudder, and Gerion couldn't help but snicker.
"Sorry about that, uncle. It's wonderful, I should have said."
"There you go," Gerion said with a smile. "I knew you'd enjoy it after being stuck in our family home all these years. And you shouldn't have to apologize to me every time you make a minor mishap. For gods' sake, I'm not your bloody father."
"Forgive-I mean, yes, Uncle."
Gerion sighed as Jason caught himself. "You know, Jason, you remind me of dear Kevan. I love the man, but seven hells is my brother a stooge. All he ever did was follow others like a loyal pup. Followed Roger Reyne in the war against Maelys the Monstrous and he follows Tywin the same."
"But he…may I speak freely, Uncle Gerion?"
The youngest sibling of Tywin Lannister sighed. "Jason, you know I don't care about that formal nonsense. Here, we're just a pair of free men with the right blood and a considerable amount of gold. In these woods, speak as freely as you wish, I insist."
Jason immediately seemed relieved. "I wanted to say that Uncle Kevan is a good man in service to my father. He is an anointed knight, he and Lady Dorna love each other, and he does well in handling court manners in the westerlands while Father is away at the capital."
"Aye. But why would I ever want to be known as another man's lackey? If I'm the one stuck with all the responsibilities of managing that mountain, I might as well get a title for my efforts. But I am a fourth son, so poor me has little value to my family."
This response of all things seemed indignant to Jason, who looked offended for whatever reason. "That's not true! You're a trueborn son of the lord of Casterly Rock. You can join the Kingsguard or fight in tourneys. Father could even give you a castle if you serve him well enough."
Gerion smiled, though his grin was not one of joy as much as being tired. "I can fight in tourneys whenever I please, but that I do for myself, not for my brother. And I would sooner have my balls cut off than fall to my knees and plead with Tywin for some dreary rock to make my domain. I may complain to no end about the Rock, but it has its benefits, and I have no plans to leave it."
"Good," Jason said with a small smile now on his face. "Jaime and Tyrion like you very much, Uncle. They would be very sad if you left."
"And you wouldn't?"
"Well-well of course," Jason stammered. "But I didn't think…my opinion…"
"Come now, I care about your opinion," Gerion stated. "The day your father and his wife brought you here, you were a member of our household, your name be damned. You may not inherit the Rock, but I know you'll become a man any father - even yours - can be proud of. And I will always be happy to accompany you on horseback throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps when you reach sixteen years of age, I'll accompany you on your tour of the Free Cities."
Jason smiled again, this time wider than earlier. "If I can, I would be honored, Uncle."
The two then rode in silence through the woods. It wasn't for several minutes until the eight-year-old spoke another question into existence.
"Uncle, do you know…who my mother is?"
Gerion bit his lip. Out of all the people in the world, he asks his most worthless uncle for an answer to that question.
"Jason, to be completely honest…I haven't the slightest clue."
And he was not lying. He really had no idea which woman had gotten his oldest brother to break his vows to Lady Joanna, even for a night, to conceive a bastard. It was enjoyable to mock his brother for a short bit, though it did ensure Gerion would probably be the last person to know about who Jason's mother was.
He hoped that Jason would be somewhat content with the answer, or at least not have expected anything useful to come from his mouth. Yet Gerion looked back at Jason to see his eyes filled with a sadness that was mixed with disappointment. He had wanted an answer for so long yet the poor lad still knew he would get nothing to satisfy his loneliness. And why wouldn't he want an answer: his only parent was a father he was lucky to see a few days out of a single year. Even Joanna was better before her death.
Gerion forced himself to turn around. He couldn't bear to look at his nephew's solemn face yet did not know how to respond in a way that was actually useful. After some silent seconds, he sighed and decided to tell Jason something useful.
"Do you know who my mother, your grandmother was?"
He did not hear something for a second or two, and Gerion feared Jason was too saddened to respond to his question. Fortunately, this was not the case.
"Wasn't it the lady…Jeyne Marbrand?"
"Correct," Gerion commended him. "I was her youngest child with Lord Tytos, whom you've certainly heard of. Sadly, following my birth, Lady Jeyne came down with a terrible fever and would leave my father a month after I was born."
He looked back to see Jason's face now filled with a different sadness, this time one of pity rather than loneliness. "I'm so sorry, Uncle. I never knew."
"My father was hurt the most by it. They stopped calling him 'The Laughing Lion' after that. Ironically, he became even more of a fool when he took my wet nurse as a mistress. And he was done with her, he took the pretty daughter of a candlemaker to warm his bed, trying to fill the hole in his heart."
And trying to give his cock a new hole to make its home, Gerion thought. He of all people should not be criticizing anyone's choice of women, especially his father who loved him so, but Gerion also did not have to worry about being a husband, or a father, or the lord of all the Westerlands.
Gerion also remembered how Tywin dealt with the candlemaker's daughter once his father had died. He had just returned home with a newborn Jason, only to see the woman he viewed as barely above a whore covered in our mother's silks and jewels. All of her riches were taken from her in seconds, and Tywin decided to show all of Lannisport how much of a whore she really was.
He remembered how Tywin marched her through the city, with her telling every man she came across how she was a thief as well as a harlot. The naked woman had never been seen looking less appealing, with even the most lonely and perverted men watching the display in horror instead of lust. She was later exiled to somewhere Tywin didn't care to elaborate on, and Gerion knew never to bring any girl he fancied back to Casterly Rock lest they suffer a similar fate.
"Anyways," he elaborated, "since my birth led to the death of my mother, and believe me I'd rather it didn't, I think your father has never quite forgiven me for my birth. It went away somewhat when he was more concerned with annihilating the Reynes and Tarbecks, as well as Jaime and Cersei being born.
"But after Joanna died whilst giving birth to Tyrion, I think his resentment of me returned after a welcome absence. He never said it to my face, but when I look at his eyes, they always become a tad colder when I enter the room. Or even when I open my mouth. Maybe I'm just going mad and he just thinks me no worse than the typical whoremonger."
"I don't blame you, Uncle. Or Tyrion."
Gerion looked back at Jason again and smiled. "You're a good lad, Jason. While I typically think every lord should teach his young sons how to act, I would not be able to stand you or Jaime if either of you turned out like your father. Cold and unfeeling."
"You shouldn't say that about him," Jason said. "Father may treat you well if you better serve House Lannister."
Gerion scoffed. "You've been more useful to Tywin in eight years than I've been in almost twenty-five. With an absent mother or a dead one, that doesn't change who you are. Your brothers care for you regardless of your name. Perhaps someday, if Tywin lets you meet her, your mother would be very proud of you."
Jason smiled, the sadness leaving his blue eyes. "Thank you, Uncle Gerion. Jaime, Tyrion, and I always appreciate your jokes."
"That's good to hear, I feared I was going stale." Gerion laughed in a relieved and relaxed manner. "Now let us abandon this depressing subject. We're almost there."
…
On the table was a course satisfactory for a family unable to afford the luxuries provided to a lard. A large roasted chicken sat in the middle, covered in a savory dressing and surrounded by an assortment of vegetables. Each table was provided with a fresh piece of bread to go with a small bowl of soup, and sliced apples were a sweet addition to the choices for food. Of course, Gerion and the adults were given beer compared to the children, who received cups of water.
The man who provided hospitality to Gerion and Jason was called Orryn. He helped oversee a gold mine for House Lannister, and he had befriended Gerion in a bar about two years prior, though this was the first time Gerion had been to his house. He was a man a tad shorter than Gerion, yet he was stocky, with muscles that could stand up to a man a head taller.
Orryn was wed to a pretty little wife named Maeri, who had light brown hair and was an inch or two shorter than her husband. They had a son of eight years named Sorryl and another boy of four named Alyn.
Yet the most noticeable member of their home was a young woman of nineteen named Avya. Born to Orryn's elder brother, Avya had been born to parents each no older than sixteen, and soon both parents found their ways to early graves: the father of a sickness from a festering wound he got in one of House Lannister's gold mines and the mother of a sickness shortly after, likely tied to her husband's untimely death.
It was fortunate that Orryn was willing to take her in for the sake of his brother, though she had to work to help provide for her family. Gerion learned that she had helped Orryn's wife sell baked goods in Lannisport, and as she grew older, she had even learned to cut down small trees to sell for wood.
Avya had light brown hair that flowed down her back, and her figure was rather pleasing for Gerion to look at. Not the greatest he had ever seen - that was a Braavosi girl he had taken to bed when he traveled to the Free Cities - but she was quite the pretty commoner girl.
During the meal, Gerion couldn't help but look at that Avya girl and try to see if her eyes met his. Her eyes looked down at first, a blush apparent on her face, but Avya's eyes did eventually meet his, and she smiled. Their eyes were locked with one another for a few seconds before she turned them back towards her food.
If I pay her room a visit tonight, Gerion thought, I wonder if I could help this poor family earn some more money. If she's willing to, of course.
"So, I hear you and the other lords will be having a hunt in two days," Orryn said to Gerion. But before he could respond, Jason enthusiastically finished with the food in his mouth to talk all about the matter.
"All the lords of the Westerlands will be there! They'll hunt boar and foxes and other animals! Maybe we'll even see an auroch!"
"Yes," Gerion snarkily commented, "and maybe my brother will let you bring home the hide of a grumpkin or snarf."
Orryn, Maeri, and Avya laughed whilst Jason's face went red from embarrassment.
"Don't feel too bad, nephew," Gerion reassured him. "I'm only teasing. I just hope you don't make a big deal out of a hunting party when you're older as other fools do."
He ruffled Jason's hair like a cat, causing the bastard boy to laugh and try to playfully bat away his uncle's hands. Gerion then turned to Orryn.
"You have to understand that these hunts are less about killing animals. Rather, they are for highborn fools to talk about whatever nonsense is occurring all over the country. If they're lucky, they can negotiate a few marriages whilst they're busy finding a fox or pheasant or boar to skin and eat."
"It's rather fun for us smallfolk, to be quite honest," Avya spoke. "These fine lords come to Lannisport and the surrounding area, and their men come for a place to sleep at night and some food. They're mostly pleasant company, though plenty decide to go straight for the brothels rather than wander around town."
Orryn looked incredibly embarrassed at his niece's rhetoric. "Avya! Don't use such language around the children! And especially not in front of a lord of Casterly Rock! For seven's sake…"
Gerion laughed. "No need to worry, old friend. I prefer it when people are honest with me instead of licking my boots in an attempt to appease me. My brother Tywin would likely not be so fond of it, seven bless him, but you needn't worry about me and Jason here. Isn't that right, nephew?"
Jason looked a tad confused, the boy of eight being far too young to truly understand how delicate of a subject that brothels were for adults, especially ladies, to discuss.
"Yes, uncle. Thank you for allowing us to stay here tonight."
Jason stood up from his chair and bowed towards Orryn and Marei before sitting back.
"Such a polite little fellow," Marei said in a flattered tone. "You'll make a fine knight one day, Jason Hill."
"Indeed he might," Avya dryly replied. "Imagine all the girls he'll have flocking to him. Handsome knights draw girls to them like bees to honey."
Orryn and Gerion chuckled as Jason's face turned a slight shade of red.
"I hope to be a knight one day," Sorryl, the elder son of Orryn and Marei, piped up. "I want to ride into battle and earn glory like the great knights you read about in stories."
"Perhaps I could speak to my brother about you."
Gerion knew Tywin wouldn't bother to help the boy, and Sorryl's parents knew this, but it was fun to entertain a child with thoughts of knighthood and glory. Sadly, Gerion knew all too well that many knights were little more than noble cunts in suits of armor. If the Mother had any mercy left in her tits, she'd make Jason a decent man once he earned his knighthood.
…
It was during the hour of the owl, a point in the night when darkness had cast its shadow over the Westerlands. Jason fell asleep soon after sunset, the ride having tired him out beforehand. Gerion was glad, for all he needed to do now was wait for the host family to fall asleep.
After what felt like an agonizingly long while, he no longer heard creaking from Orryn and Marei's room. They had already put their two boys to bed, so now Gerion could go where he truly wanted to: Avya's chambers.
He did not wear his shoes, which Kevan's wife had gotten for him his last name day, to not stir the rest of the family from their slumber. The youngest son of Tytos Lannister crept as quietly as the feline who adorned his family's sigil. Avya's room was the furthest one away from his own, but he remembered sneaking into the kitchens as a boy and hiding in the bowels of Casterly Rock. A house such as this was child's play in comparison.
When he was just outside her room, Gerion took the handle to slowly open the door and look inside. The first part of Avya he saw was her smiling face as she lay in bed, her hazelnut eyes staring straight at him.
"It took you long enough," she complained, though it was more amused than annoyed. Avya then pulled the blanket off of her body to show that she was wearing little, just some undergarments that looked snug to wear on a figure such as hers. It was clear to Gerion she had waited for him, something he was quite pleased about.
"I am glad you understood what my eyes were saying at dinner," Gerion said, closing the door behind him and beginning to remove his shirt. "Otherwise I would not have made the perilous trip to your chambers."
"Fear not, m'lord, I know what men say when they use their eyes such as you did. The only way I could have heard you louder is if your cock was speaking with the blood flowing into it when you gazed at me."
Gerion chuckled, though he was not fool enough to laugh so loud. The last thing he wanted was to stir the house awake and cause a scandal. His brother might never let him leave the Rock ever again, the solemn cunt.
He was able to quickly remove his clothes, after all, he had done this a number of times before with a number of different women. By the time he had finished, Avya had taken off her undergarments to display her naked body. Her large tits had two nipples made a tad noticeable in the cool chill of the night, her wide hips stood out compared to her somewhat attenuated waist, and for no reason at all, Gerion found that a lack of clothes made this girl's face even more beautiful than ever.
Avya's eyes were looking down, and following her eyes, Gerion saw his cock grow and extend outward like a spear. Just as his women preferred it to be. He smiled as he saw Avya lying on her back, inviting him to enter her through the proper hole. As a lord, Gerion was all too happy to walk to the bed and climb on, ready to shove his sword into the enticing opening between her legs.
Gerion looked into Avya's eyes as he grabbed her sides beneath her arms. With a grin, the lord put his cock entirely inside of her, making Avya bite her lips as a moan left her lips. Even with a noble lord filling her twat, the girl was smart enough to know not to stir her uncle from his sleep.
He took her there, thrusting inside of her again and again as she took it with delight. Gerion heard the grunts leave his throat without thinking, the sign of a man taking his woman regardless of the enjoyment she gained from it. But this one very clearly enjoyed it, her moans mixed with a gasp as she lay on her back.
"My lord…," Avya managed to say between her moans, "so…fucking…"
She did not finish on account of the pleasure flowing from the lips between her legs out of the lips on her face. Gerion told himself the last word was supposed to be "good". He jabbed his cock into her again and again, and her moans seemed to confirm his thoughts on the matter.
Avya's tits bounced up and down as her body was shaken immensely by Gerion's cock thrusting inside of her. The sight of it was mesmerizing for the golden-haired lord, and he proceeded to bring himself down to press his tongue against the skin of her left breast. Gerion's arms wrapped around her back as he adorned her chest with small kisses and gentle nips of the skin.
With every thrust inside of Avya, Gerion moved his tongue from her breasts up to her neck and then to her face. He sought to have a taste of as much of her as possible, and as he felt Avya's body release itself, accompanied by a moan, Gerion knew he himself was not too far off from finishing.
Gerion slowly began to remove his cock from Avya to not put a bastard in her belly, and he emitted an animalistic groan as his seed quickly spilled onto her sheets, sitting now between Avya's legs. The two breathed heavily to recover from the experience as Gerion smiled at the girl.
"You're no virgin, that's for sure. I mean no disrespect, but it seems that you very much know what you're doing with a man in your bed."
Avya moved back from him and got up off the bed to put her nightgown back on. "You're very astute, m'lord. I have a man in Lannisport, about twenty years old, who my aunt and uncle seem keen on having me wed."
"Can I assume you were less than pleased with his…romance," Gerion chuckled.
"He does just fine. Problem is I have heard he's had a number of girls he's been 'friendly' with. One of my female friends told me she had a male friend whom she shared a bed with, and all the man had to do was not fill her up with his seed. Now my friend's marriage is happier for it, or so she claims."
Gerion snickered. "I'll bet she's happier, at the very least. But how will you wash out the fruits of our splendid time together, I wonder?"
His question would be answered when Avya opened a cabinet and pulled out a small jar. She poured what looked to be a blue-green liquid onto a rag and scrubbed the seed-lathered area on her bed.
"One of my friends in Lannisport gave me this. She said that it could clean out the 'fruits' as you would call it much better than anything else you would find in a typical market. And if you had not been able to remove your cock from within me, I could always go to her for some moon tea, though my aunt & uncle may not be too harsh if I have a Lannister bastard inside me."
"Lord Tywin wouldn't be too kind," Gerion told her bluntly, feeling no smile on his face as he said that. "For your sake, be thankful I did not finish inside of you. My brother would have no tolerance for a brother's bastard."
…
It was night at Casterly Rock. He had come home with Jason after their little adventure, and the lad seemed to greatly enjoy his journey beyond the castle's walls. Now he can return to being groomed into the little knight his father wants him to be, Gerion thought to himself.
To be honest, he was simply relieved his friend Orryn knew nothing of what happened the night before between him and Avya. The girl said a quick goodbye that morning as Gerion thanked the family for providing him and his nephew with food and beds.
Right now, he was heading back to his quarters to get some sleep when he heard some footsteps he recognized. Only Maester Sarwin would wear such flat shoes. Following the location of the sound, he saw the man, with his bald head and scraggly black beard, move at a hurried pace toward his brother's quarters. Whatever the man was carrying, Gerion believed it could be of great value to Lord Tywin. All the more reason to get the first look at it.
He crept up behind the maester as slowly and softly as he could. Gerion was no stranger to sneaking and hiding; as a young lad, he snuck into the kitchens at Casterly Rock and then hid from being punished, usually through Tywin scolding him and Genna pinching his ear. At this moment, Gerion knew that few people were around, and even those who were would not dare to stop a lord of the Rock from whatever in the Seven Hells he was doing.
When he was mere inches behind Sarwin, the maester seemed to sense his presence and stopped in his tracks. But as Maester Sarwin turned around, Gerion moved swiftly to take the parchment from black-bearded servant before he could even react.
"Well well, what have we here?"
"Lord Gerion, please," Sarwin pleaded. "That is meant only for your brother, the Hand of the King."
"Really?" Gerion smirked. "You wouldn't trust his dear little brother to read it, Maester? Do you dare accuse a lord of Casterly Rock of possessing treasonous thoughts?"
Sarwin let out a sigh. He was not afraid, for he knew Gerion would not harm him, but rather irritated. "No, my lord. I would never accuse you of such a thing."
"Relax, Chainmaster Sarwin. I'd never throw you in a dungeon. I'll annoy you to no end, but you delivered my niece and two of my nephews safely. And for that, I thank you."
"It's my honor," Sarwin stated, though Gerion knew the man was not fond of being called "Chainmaster" at all. "Now, may I ask you to return the letter to me, Lord Gerion?"
"You may ask…and I may say no." Gerion felt his grin stretch so far across his face that it almost began to hurt. "Come on now, I'll deliver this to my brother for you. Go on and get some rest, maybe you can grow some hair in your dreams."
Gerion gave Sarwin's head a rub, a gesture that the maester appreciated as much as being called Chainmaster - that is to say not at all. Gerion then turned around and walked to hand the message to Tywin with a skip in his step as he sang "The Rains of Castamere". He heard Sarwin following behind him, which he expected as the maester would of course wish to tell his brother the truth of having this mysterious letter taken from him.
Gerion arrived at his brother's chambers after he had sung the song of the dead Reynes and Tarbacks three times. He turned the knob and saw Lord Tywin writing down something with his pen. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight to those who entered Tywin's room, for it seemed the eldest son of Tytos cared more about his work as Hand than anything else.
"Hello brother," Gerion said with a false tone of cheeriness. "Poor Sarwin was tired tonight, so I did him the great courtesy of delivering you this letter."
Tywin looked up. "Good. You served your family. I wish you could have begun doing so sooner, but now will do."
And there it was - Gerion, for the first time in ages, was insulted. His smile did not show it, but feelings of resentment and spite grew deep inside of him. As Tywin extended his hand toward the letter, Gerion pulled it away and held it up.
"Now now, brother. As the one who brought this letter directly to you out of nothing more than sincere brotherly affection, I feel that I should be informed of what this letter contains. That is, if you truly want me to serve our house."
Tywin put his hands on his lap and gave his youngest brother a look Gerion could only describe as cold. So very cold. It was a look of hidden anger that Tywin displayed to anyone who even slightly bothered him. Yet what his eyes displayed, the rest of his body did not.
"Go on then. Read it."
It was surprising to Gerion to hear him say that. But now he knew that he couldn't just let Tywin have the satisfaction of admitting he didn't care about the letter. Gerion looked at the seal and saw it was an unfamiliar one. He was never fond of the books describing all the houses scattered across the realm, but he was certain they never had a sigil like this one.
At that moment, Maester Sarwin entered the room to join the two Lannisters.
"Ah, there you are," Tywin calmly addressed the bald man. "My brother has decided to take an interest in the letters addressed to me. Now he can see what it means to be a Lord of Casterly Rock."
Gerion sneered at his brother's pretentious nature, yet he could feel in his stomach a sense of unease at what the letter could contain. But of course, he would die before giving his somber sibling that sense of satisfaction.
The seal was quickly removed as Gerion opened the letter. He looked at the contents of it only to be surprised at who it came from. His eyes moved down and read the lines as they descended. Gerion felt his focus grow as the words continued, the smile vanishing at the weight of them.
When he was done, his eyes darted between Tywin and Maester Sarwin. His brother looked a tad irritated but mostly calm, while the maester looked almost sad for him to read it. Gerion looked down at the paper and squeezed it harder than he had ever grasped anything before.
"Who else knows?"
"Those who need to," Tywin responded in an oddly more relaxed manner. "And if you keep your mouth shut, it can stay that way."
Tywin looked at the letter and then the fireplace as if using his eyes to instruct Gerion. It was fortunate that Gerion understood the message and quickly threw it into the flames. The fire burned through the parchment quickly until every single word had become ash to decorate the logs.
"Is that all?"
Tywin was now far more calm than Gerion, something that was a rare occurrence in Casterly Rock.
"Is that all? Is that all you have to say for yourself? Do you know what would happen if someone had found this out? You and Jason and who else - your heads would be adorning spikes in the capital in a matter of months."
"My contact is careful with manners such as these, as I hope you will be," Tywin stated, his voice still unchanging as if to display his confidence in the secrecy of the matter. "If you care for this family even half as much as I expect you do, you'll make efforts to keep this quiet. Or am I mistaken?"
Gerion felt himself swallow in fear, though he could not tell if it was fear of his brother or fear for his nephews. "No, I-I won't say a word. Of course not."
"Good. You're dismissed." Tywin turned to Maester Sarwin. "Maester, I would have a word with you."
"Of course," the bald man replied. He turned to face Gerion. "Will you require essence of nightshade to help you sleep, my lord?"
Gerion didn't answer. He stormed out of his brother's chambers and swung the door behind him. His walk toward his quarters was at a brisk pace, his mind racing with the possible consequences of what he had just read on that parchment.
It was only when he walked past the room where Jaime, Jason, and Tyrion were all sleeping that he paused in his tracks. Gerion could only turn and stare at the door behind which his nephew lay in their beds, sound asleep and unaware of the world around them.
"Boys," he muttered quietly, "...take care of yourselves and each other. You'll need one another more than you know."
...
...
Hello again! This is the first chapter with an M-rated scene, so to all of you hoping this story earned its rating, here it is!
Up next, we go hunting! The POV will be Jaime the day after this chapter ends. So please enjoy this chapter, and if you haven't already, feel free to read the prior chapters to understand the story up until now.