Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire BtVS.
Hand to Hand
"Talking"
"Thinking"
Tywin
"Lord Lannister."
He turned to the servant standing there. He didn't say anything, and the man knew him well enough to speak. "The Lord Hand wishes to speak with you."
Anger coursed through his body, but he didn't permit it to show on his face. "Very well. He is in the Tower of the Hand?"
"He is, my lord."
"I will be there presently." The servant nodded and walked away.
There were still some necessary details to look over. His retinue were leaving King's Landing after more than a decade of being here. Tywin arrived at the Tower of the Hand no more than an hour later. A bolt of frustration struck him as he looked upon the tower. Nearly fifteen years this had been his residence, where he lived and governed the realm. Fifteen years he had provided his king with good statesmanship, and it was all dismissed for a prisoner!
"This will not last," Tywin promised himself. He was the Lion of the Rock, Lord Paramount of the West. When the Seven Kingdoms fell into disrepair and beggared for gold, Aerys would remember him. All he had to do was be patient.
The new Hand certainly looked better than after having bathed and getting his hair cut. He was also busy looking over the papers left on the desk. His clothes were of a simple cut and the only hint of opulence was his badge of authority, a gold brooch forge in the shape of a hand. Tywin knew it well, since it used to be his. "Lord Harris," he said.
His head rose up from the papers, revealing the eyepatch around his left eye. "Ah, Tywin, right?" he asked, coming to his feet. There was a slight stumble on the name, as if he had never said before. "Thanks for coming by. I know you're busy packing." He gestured to the seat opposite him. "Have a seat."
That was all he was going to say? Tywin would've had the man who was late in irons. But if he was given an excuse, he would take it. He took the seat with as much dignity as he could muster, even if he had never sat in this chair before. "What do you wish of me, my lord?"
That was waved off. "Just call me Xander. All this lord business is a lot to take in." Well, at least he knew where he stood. "Look, Tywin. I'll be honest, I did not expect this job. All I did was keep Aerys as sane as possible when we were in the dungeons."
Yes, Tywin was well aware of that. It had barely been two days since the end of the Defiance and already he heard the tales. How when Aerys had been imprisoned, there was already another prisoner in his cell. Throughout their time together, they somehow became friends, even to the point the other prisoner escaped with Aerys and Ser Barristan.
While Tywin didn't know what made the friendship, he had seen what happened afterwards. After Lord Darklyn surrendered, Aerys passed judgement of House Darkyn and Hollard onto his new friend. The aforementioned Xander Harris shocked the lords of Westeros, not by having the adults put to death and keeping the children alive but granting the new Lord Darklyn the desired charter. With these acts alone, Aerys proclaimed that he was the new Hand of the King. Tywin never had a chance to argue or protest.
But that was no longer the point (even if Tywin's pride had been insulted). "What is you wish to speak with me about, my lord?" he asked.
A finger came down and tapped the papers. "I need you to help me get up to date." It was direct and to the point. Tywin expected him to ask for a favor. "I'm going to hit the ground running and I wanna make sure I know what's keeping the place going. And the best person for that is you." He pulled out a fresh roll of parchment and a quill. "So, tell me what I need to know."
If that was what the new Hand wanted, Tywin would give it to him. Perhaps then he would realize how out of his depth would he be. So he told Harris everything he needed to know. The details of the Small Council, who was in favor at court, the rates of taxes and tariffs, who was angling to marry the prince (without mentioning his own) or securing alliances. They talked for near three hours, longer than Tywin would've thought. Throughout it all, the new Hand didn't complain or ask him to stop.
"Alright, I think I've got it," Harris said, making a final note. "There's just one more thing to do."
This was the part Tywin expected. He would want something. "And that would be?" The Lion of the Rock did his best to keep his tone mild and slightly interested.
"A new tradition." The new Hand came to his feet, prompting the other to do the same, and held out his hand. Tywin regarded the hand for a moment before taking it. "Thank you for your service, Lord Tywin," Harris said, shaking the hand once. "I'll take it from here." And with that, he sat back down and went back to the papers.
In some part of his mind, Tywin knew he had been dismissed. It had even been respectful and considerate. But he had still been dismissed.
Him, the Hand who had ruled for the better part of two decades.
His pride had been insulted and it was one insult too many, especially from this jumped-up peasant. "Enjoy your tenure while you're here," he told Harris. "I imagine it won't be long before you are dismissed as a failure."
Harris paused in his work and looked at him. "You seem sure," he remarked.
"I am certain. You might have his favor now, but you will find that it is a fleeting thing. Once that happens, His Grace will call for my help once more. These chambers will be mine again and you will be nothing more than a memory." And he wouldn't have to lift a finger to do it.
Silence reigned supreme for a moment. Then the new Hand put the papers down. "I was trying to be polite about this, since I know you were just fired from the job," he said, keeping his tone level. It still made Tywin reconsider him. And he wasn't done. "You think you've helped Aerys rule but all you've done is kept Westeros is stasis. Nothing has changed. I'd like to see if I can make that change."
"And just how will you?" Tywin asked. "By indulging in Aerys's fantasies and dreams?" Those were as fleeting as songs, easily changed and discarded.
But Harris smirked. Somehow, that was all the more insulting. "Why don't you wait and find out? Isn't that what you were going to do in the first place?" He looked down at the papers again. "You know where the door is."
Tywin had entered the Hand's Tower as its former occupant. He left a slighted man, furious at the dismissal, regardless of the fact he had done it himself.
Even though he had returned to the Rock, Tywin still had people in King's Landing who informed him of the king's court. That way, he would know just when the new Hand would fail.
It wasn't even half a year when the news came. But it wasn't any of his people who told him. The news spread across the Seven Kingdoms all by itself, coming in three parts.
The first was that King's Landing would be separated from the king and given its own lord. This lord would rule King's Landing, but only the city itself. The Red Keep was still the king's castle.
The second was that the Doctrine of Exceptionalism was repelled, in its entirety.
And the third, most surprisingly, was that the king divorced his wife, but his two sons did not become bastards. Queen Rhaella became a princess again, free to marry who she chose.
Tongues wagged and rumor flew faster than any raven. Tywin didn't listen to any of it. He didn't have to. Oh, it might've been Aerys's name being passed around when it came to these acts, but he knew that Harris had been the one who made them. This had to be some sort of move. All Tywin needed to do was wait and see what happened.
While he waited, he dug into Harris, to see who the man was and where he came from. Gold was spent to find men who could get information. But to his frustration, there was nothing to be found. Harris was as much a stranger to others as he was to Tywin. No one knew where he came from or how he arrived in Westeros. As far as the realm knew, he had first appeared in that cell. It was utter foolishness, Tywin knew that. There had to be something about Harris he could use.
But those same men could not get into the Red Keep. Oh, they could speak to the servants but as soon as they even mentioned the Hand, the servants would go silent or make weak excuses to leave. They wouldn't even dare speak rumors about Harris. Tywin would've been impressed about how quickly he had them cowed, if it wasn't frustrating.
More news came out of King's Landing as the year turned. The city's sewers were being rebuilt, improving what was there and expanding where it wasn't, as Tywin was told. News quickly followed of how the city's smell lessened, becoming more bearable. Also, a new sport had the smallfolk's attention, some game where they kicked a ball across a field. That by itself wasn't notable but one of the rules did: highborn played alongside smallfolk and merchants. There was no separation.
When the sport, called football ironically, came to the Westerlands, so did the rules. They came in a semi-thick book, and it wasn't the only one. Similar copies were being sent out wherever it went. All thanks to a new contraption invented in King's Landing. From what Tywin had heard, it could have a page written faster than any hand. Even though the inventor was a merchant from King's Landing, Tywin still saw the Hand's involvement.
More announcements emerged from the capital. It might've been the king speaking but Tywin knew it was the Hand's words. Not only was the city being repaired, the roads were too. He heard talk of new inns being built as well, at regular intervals along the roads. It was a bold plan, but ambitious. If Harris meant for this system to stretch out through the entire realm, he would falter and fail.
And it was clear the Hand's influence was digging deep. His men might not get anything on Harris, but they were able to get him information about the Small Council. Tywin wasn't the only one who left it and was replaced. There were still highborns on the king's council, but the majority now were smallfolk.
All of this should've fallen down around Harris.
But it didn't.
Instead, the kingdom thrived.
The repaired roads brought more trade across the realm, including books from the presses. These books were cheap, allowing for many to buy one. As they were read, others became inspired to create their own and pass them along with the merchants. It was getting to the point where it seemed every house had books. Nothing the Rock's library, of course. But the smallfolk were still reading.
That was another of Harris's doing. The king brought back his grandfather's reforms, or rather one of them. The one that declared if they so choose, the smallfolk were allowed to learn how to read and write. Out of all of Aegon V's reforms, that was the least. Yet Tywin was puzzled. Harris had only brought back one reform when he had the power to bring them all back.
So why hadn't he? What was his ploy here?
All Tywin had were questions and nothing he could do would give him answers. One apparent thorn in Harris's side were the maesters. They objected to the king's decree that they should also go out and teach the smallfolk. They also objected to the idea of a new Citadel being built in King's Landing, over the ruins of the Dragonpit, as well as the suggestion that they take in women who wanted to be maesters.
There was a rumor floating around that Harris had gone to Oldtown in the past year. Supposedly, he was there to meet with the Hightowers and understand the local tariffs. While he did that, he also snuck into the Citadel and made off with several of their books. The details were never explained but Pycelle did report that several books were missing from the Citadel and the archmaesters did know who took them. But because of his rank, they couldn't accuse Harris of anything. Not without proof, which they didn't have.
A new saying began to spread across Westeros. None had dared to say it to Tywin's face, but he still heard about it. "What Tywin Lannister did in ten years, Xander Harris outdid him in two." And they were in his third year as Hand. Already the lords of Westeros were wondering what he would do next.
It was absolutely galling to Tywin. How dare they think less of him? Hadn't he provided good governance as Hand? Who were they to dismiss him so easily?
The news that the king was coming to Casterly Rock had been a surprise but a short one. When he arrived, with the Hand in tow, they were met with the full honors. Bread and salt were given, and the king's company were quickly settled. They had to be because the king wanted to discuss why he came right away, before the evening's feast.
As Tywin expected, both Aerys and Harris were waiting for him. They didn't meet in his solar but rather in a chamber close to where the king's company resided. Harris had claimed it was so they wouldn't get lost, but Tywin knew it was a small ploy of power. Aerys didn't want to sit in his solar, where he wasn't in power.
Harris led the meeting while Aerys sat and listened. The proposal he had was a surprising one: a bank of Westerosi origins, in order to provide loans and hold debts for the lords instead of them going to Braavos. Its location would be in King's Landing, of course. Harris had wanted Tywin's opinion on how the bank should be operated and if he was willing to invest in the bank. Harris wanted all the Great Houses to invest. House Lannister was the first because they had the gold.
The plan was a good one, a way to strengthen the Seven Kingdom's credit and riches, as well as protection in trade. With Tywin as the first investor, his status amongst the nobles would raise even more. The king and Hand even came to Casterly Rock to ask for his investment.
And yet, he was annoyed, not at them but himself. Why hadn't he thought of a Westerosi bank? The idea was there, just waiting to be used. Why hadn't he?
Harris put his notes away. "With that out of the way, let's get to the second reason we're here," he proclaimed.
That got Tywin's attention. "What would that be, my lord?" He signaled the serving girl. She came forward and refilled their drinks in a quiet manner. She had been competent throughout the meeting. Tywin would have to see if she could do more.
"Aerys and I have been discussing the creation of a new law: that no ruling lord will be allowed to take a position on the Small Council."
Tywin did not freeze, no matter what others would say. Even though this was a slight against him. If this law was created, it would mean he would never be Hand of the King again. "And why have you come to me in regard to this law?" he asked, keeping his tone level.
Much to his surprise, Aerys answered. "The law's because of you, Tywin. When you became succeeded your lord father as Lord Paramount, I should've had you resign from being my Hand." The insult lurked deep within in the words and in his eyes. Tywin knew it was there because he knew how look for it. How convenient that the king forgot he had offered his resignation before, only to have it refused.
"Tywin, you were doing two jobs at the same time, with each job being on different coasts," Harris said. Unlike Aerys, he wasn't insulting. "Jobs that were around the clock. Personally, I'm amazed that you were able to do it. But the fact is, you're probably the exception, not the rule."
It sounded a compliment, but Tywin heard the insult. "I had my brother as my second," he said. "He ruled the Westerlands while I was Hand."
"Going by that, your brother could've been Hand, and everything would've been fine." Again, Tywin heard the insult and fury burned through his blood. "Look, this is just talk at the moment. Nothing is set in stone. Why don't we reconvene tomorrow with your brother and talk it over?"
Fine, Tywin could handle that. It would give him time to discuss it with Kevan. "Very well. I would discuss one another matter." He looked directly at Aerys. "I wish for the bond between our houses be deeper, with a marriage." Aerys knew what he wanted: Cersei's hand for Rhaegar.
Both king and Hand considered him for a moment. "You want to marry my sister, the Princess Rhaella?" Aerys asked. "It would make sense. You're both widowed, with children. And you have known one another for years now." He nodded. "Yes, I believe this would be a good match."
It was a rare thing for Tywin to be caught off-guard. "It's…an honor to be considered for your sister, your Grace," he said. "But that's not who I had in mind."
"Who else would it be?" Harris asked. Aerys's eyes found Tywin and dared him to say the words.
He did not grit his teeth. He would not give the king that satisfaction. "No one, my lord." And that would be the end of that discussion. The smug smirk Aerys wore was galling to see. They both knew he had been denied again.
Harris leaned back in his chair. "Well, that's everything we came to talk about. I'd say this meeting is about done." He glanced past Tywin's shoulder, and a slow smirk crossed his lips. "So, I gotta guess this is a little embarrassing for you?"
A disgusted huff came from behind Tywin. It was the serving girl. "And you're just loving it, aren't you?" she asked with a scowl.
Harris responded before anyone else could. "What? Me in a position of power and you being made to serve drinks?" His smirk grew by inches. "Why yes, I am enjoying it."
"And I bet you got it the same way you always: stumbling and making a mess of something."
The smirk faded and he came to his feet. "What about you, huh? You just walked in, thought you could take the top job and mouthed off to the wrong person?"
"Hey! I came looking for a job and they had something." She marched over before Tywin could stop her. "I do a damn good job. I'd be willing to bet that I would do a better job than you."
"Ha! You wouldn't know how to give directions to someone unless it was to hand you a drink!"
She stepped in close, right to his face. She was only a few inches shorter than him so she could still look him in the eyes. "At least I know how to tell people what to do. You can't say anything unless it's wrapped up in a joke!"
His eye tightened and his lips set in a snarl. "You are a petty tyrant that would drive any man to an early grave, one he would happily jump into!"
"And you're such a dork, any woman would consider becoming a nun before going out with you!"
"Harpy!"
"Nitwit!"
The silence was tense as they glared at each other. Their audience didn't say anything. Tywin already knew the girl would be punished for her behavior. "Aerys," said Harris.
"Yes?" asked the king.
"I'm not gonna be at the feast." And just like that, he took the serving girl by the hand and rushed out of the chambers. It did not escape Tywin's notice that the girl was running just as fast.
As he had said, Harris had not been at the feast. No one saw him the rest of the night. When he did reappear, it was at breakfast, with the serving girl by his side. "Morning all," he said to the Lannisters as he took a seat. Both he and the girl looked tired, but very well satisfied. And they both had very happy smiles too.
None of that matter to Tywin. What did matter was that serving girl was sitting where she didn't belong, at his table. Gerion spoke before he could. "So, my lord, just who is your lady? And how come I've never seen her before?"
"Probably because you weren't looking in the right place," Harris answered without blinking. "As for her." He looked over and smiled at the girl. "This is Cordelia Chase. Or, as of an hour ago, Cordelia Harris. My wife."
That took everyone by surprise. Tywin was just the only one who didn't show it. "Congratulations, Lord Harris," Kevan said. "I hope you both have a fruitful marriage."
"We'll see," the now-named Cordelia said as she flashed her husband a look. "There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, if what he said is true."
"Would I lie about that?" he asked, the very picture of innocent.
She raised one eyebrow. "Lie, no. Make a gross understatement, yes."
"Not even doing that, Cordy. There's a lot we need to do, even here." One of the servants brought them food. He gave the new Lady Harris an approving nod before walking away.
She considered him for another moment. "Well, guess I'll have my hands full." She turned to her food. "God know you'll need the help." Harris rolled his eye but said nothing.
"How will you help?" Cersei asked. There was no curiosity in her voice. Only what she considered pride as a Lannister. "You were washing the clothes and handling the food just yesterday. You're not even a lady. I doubt you'll be able to do any good in King's Landing." Jaime said nothing. He didn't care.
Harris looked at Cersei. "Y'know, Cersei, since she is my wife now, Cordy is wife to the Hand. So that would mean she has the same status or better than you." A moment passed as realization appeared on Cersei's face. The Hand's new wife gave a brilliant smile that didn't bother reaching her eyes.
What happened next, there were no words to describe it. If it had been directed at anyone who wasn't a Lannister, least of all his daughter, Tywin might've been impressed.
But he was forced to watch as Lady Harris verbally tear into Cersei, pointing out her flaws and deriding her choices in clothes, amongst other things. Not once did her voice change. It stayed constant as she reduced Tywin's daughter into a sobbing wreck. The second she was done Cersei fled the chambers in tears. Jaime quickly followed her.
Only Tyrion remained in his seat, until Tywin ordered him to leave with a look. The rest of the children left as well, leaving the adults in the room. "Are you pleased with yourself now?" Tywin asked the Lady Harris. "Do you enjoy sending little girls running from a room in tears?"
She looked him in the eyes. The nerve of her. "Tell me one thing I said that wasn't true." No one said anything. "Yeah, that's what I thought. That girl thinks a lot of things are going to happen to her, just because you say so."
"Probably because he still thinks that he can get her married to the Crown Prince, who is also seven years older than her." Harris remarked. His lady frowned in disgust. "Yeah, that was my reaction too." He looked across the table. "For the record, Tywin, Cersei isn't going to marry Rhaegar."
Tywin turned his gaze onto him. It was a gaze that could make men fall silent and look away. "Is that your decision?"
He met the gaze and ignored it. "It's Aerys's. He was quite firm about it. But he did make that counteroffer."
His brothers and sister looked at Tywin. It was something he would discuss with them alone. "I'm still considering it." That was all he would say on the matter.
"Alright." Harris didn't give it any more thought than that. He just went back to his food.
Tywin could not believe him. Did this man not know how to play the game? Perhaps another method was needed. "You've done some impressive work in your tenure as Hand," he remarked.
Harris shrugged. "Didn't think it would be this long," he remarked. "Figured I'd be found by now."
Cryptic his words might be, they did reveal something about him. Something or someone was looking for him, and he was expecting it. Tywin shared a brief look with Kevan. Something to look into later. "I imagine you must have a good relationship with the Crownland lords, to let your works cross their lands so much."
"Actually, I've been ignoring them unless they come calling," he remarked as he swallowed a piece of bacon. "You'd be amazed at how much work you can get done if you talk to the people who actually do said work instead of the person at the top." His one eye found Tywin and the Lord of Casterly Rock knew what he was implying. "It also helps to talk with the king, figure out what he wants and work through the logistics of it. That way, he can know if he wants can be done."
Oh, Tywin wanted to take his sword and run Harris through at that. He knew what that one-eyed man meant. So what if he hadn't involved Aerys in all of his plans when he was Hand? If the king wasn't that interested in running the realm, it fell to the Hand to do so. And that was what he did, very well.
But he didn't show his anger to Harris. He didn't get that satisfaction. "You have something to say about my time as Hand?"
"No, I just know where you went wrong. That's what I've been trying to avoid." The audacity of this man, to say he had gone wrong. Where had he? "Tywin, do you remember our first conversation?"
"I do."
"Did you ever noticed that throughout your entire explanation, you didn't mention the people once?"
Tywin scoffed. "I did. I told you who the houses are and—"
"I'm not talking about the nobles, but the people. You know, those guys and girls who work in the city and out in the country. The ones that tend to the fields, grow the food, build the buildings, and shape commerce. Where were they in your little lecture?"
They were where Tywin knew they belonged. "They belong to their lords, as they always do."
"And they don't get a voice in how things are done?"
"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of the sheep." Gerion rolled his eyes. He always did that. Tywin had long since ignored him.
That brown eye sharpened. "Interesting choice of words there, Tywin. But I think the lion would very much concern himself about the opinions of the sheep, if the sheep left. You see, if the sheep leave, the lion goes hungry. If the sheep leaves, the lion goes cold at night. If the sheep leave, the lion dies. And the sheep will still be there." Not once did he raise his voice or sound insulting. It was a simple statement of fact, like he was discussing the weather or courtly gossip. "That's the difference between you and me."
What Harris didn't say stood so large it might as have been shouted. How Tywin wanted to run the man through for the insinuation. He had been a good Hand. He had provided the realm stability while Aerys was content to dream and play. But he would not give Harris the satisfaction of seeing him lose control.
If Harris noticed his lack of reaction, he didn't care. "By the way, Tywin. I know you've been burning money to learn more about me. Have you considered the obvious method?"
"And what would that be?" he asked, keeping his voice tight.
"Just asking me."
Cordy rolled her eyes. "He won't believe it, Xander."
"You never know. He might."
"Trust me, he won't."
"I would like to find out for myself," Tywin told the former serving girl before looking at her husband. "Very well, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm from another world that somehow got dropped here and I'm just waiting for my friends to find and come get me." He said it all without stumbling or missing a single word, and with a wide smile.
Tywin didn't believe him. "Told ya," Lady Harris told her husband. He just nodded.
The newly-wedding couple finished breakfast soon enough. "Thanks for the food and the company," Harris said, looking at Tywin. "Does meeting in your solar in four hours work for you, Tywin?" he asked.
"It does," he answered, his tone civil.
"See you then. Cordy, time to introduce to everyone. If we time it right, we can catch Aerys as he finishes his run."
"Lead the way, oh-so-mighty Hand," she declared with an imperious tone that did not belong to her at all.
He smirked as he looked her over. "You know you like my hands." They walked out of the hall as if they were the lord and lady leaving their subjects behind.
Tywin was baffled by everything about Harris, including whether he meant the insults he gave or was unaware of them. But he did know this: that man would make a mistake at some point. When that happened, Tywin would be there, ready to take his rightful place back.
Yet as he watched the newly wedded couple leave, he was reminded of Joanna and their time together. And that made him hate his successor all the more.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
I think this story came to me when I was rereading The Fox and the Dragon and wondered what Xander would do in that position. How the Defiance ended was the first that came to mind. He would have the adults punished but keep the children alive and reward with them the charter. They'd get what they wanted but would be reminded of what it cost them and keep them inclined to be loyal. The rest of the story followed suit.
Now, this is my view of things, but I think why Tywin and Aerys's relationship failed comes down to the men themselves. Tywin and his people might think he was Hand for twenty years and got nothing but scorn in return, but we also have to consider Tywin himself. This is a man who, despite what he might say, likes the spotlight. If he does something, he wants people to know that he did it. A shining example of this is the Rains of Castamere. So while he did what he might consider "thankless work," he didn't stop anyone from knowing that it was his work.
When it comes to Aerys, background information says that at the start of his reign, he had plenty of grand dreams and plans yet kept changing or dismissing them after getting bored. What I believe happened is that Tywin settled into a "That's nice, dear," attitude when it came to Aerys's ideas and kept doing the work. That, coupled with the fact people kept seeing Tywin instead of him, would get to Aerys. And his mental problems wouldn't help either.
Enter Xander. Since he worked construction, even being a foreman, he knew what would go into creating something. He would take one of Aerys's ideas and ask "Alright, how can we make this work?" He would talk with Aerys, hear him out, and figure out the logistics and cost, before finally telling him if it's feasible or not. And at the end of things, he would step back from the spotlight and say it was all the king's work.
Regarding where Tywin and Xander differing in governing, it's best summed up by how to build to a table. Tywin would simply order the table be built and that was it. Xander would ask what kind of wood the table would be made of, how wide & tall, how many drawers would it have, who was available to build the table, and how long it would take them. He considers the details and sees what can work.
I think where Aegon V went wrong in his reforms is that he did too much, too fast. If he gone a little slower, did one reform at a time, the nobility probably wouldn't have objected so much. Then again, the constant uprisings he had to deal with, and his children following his example in romance didn't help. With that in hindsight, and the fact Westeros is peaceful, Xander would do things differently.
Of course, he would also want to bring Westeros closer to the modern age. That's another thing different between Tywin and Xander. Tywin saw Westeros and decided things were fine, whereas Xander wondered how things could be better. That question, along with Aerys's ambition to be remembered, would get things rolling.
As for Tywin never considered creating a bank for Westeros, the answer is simple: if there was a bank, it would eventually mean that he, and by extension, House Lannister wouldn't be the richest in the Seven Kingdoms. His ego wouldn't allow it.
I don't know how Cordelia ended up in Westeros, she just did. Quite frankly, having her tear down Cersei with nothing but her words was well worth it. As was her first interaction with Xander. I can just imagine Tywin and Aerys staying in the room going "…What just happened?"
I'll see you all next chapter!