The Horned Lion that Could 4 - (ASoIaF, Tommen!SI)

If you wish to Donate and Support: ptreon DOT com / socialistbukharin

Our return to King's Landing was... awkward.

I want to say that Myrcella was in the wrong in what she did, as I could tell from the get-go she was behind Joffrey's death, but I had to also admit I taught her how to get away from murder: it was a needed skill in this world, that and the common sense to not target people if they were innocence or out of paranoia.

Joffrey fell in that sublime category that pretty much gave Cella a reason to get murderous. Sansa was depressed as fuck, but Cersei had it the worst - hell, she even thought the Starks were behind the attack. Them or Renly (right, Uncle Renly was around too but he was just doing his thing). She looked far and wide, ignoring to Sandor's potential connection as the main murderer for Myrcella and I had promised him a new sword and a fancy armor by the time we were back home to keep him quiet.

So, while I would say this created headaches, I was proud of Myrcella's simple but effective assassination. Mind you, I really was - the issue was that the ramifications were quick to be seen right as we arrived back 'home'.

After traversing the stinkhole that was the 'biggest city in Westeros' (and teaching Arya that leaving the upper section of the castle meant dying of some unknown sickness), we were met with... Grandfather.

Oh yes, Tywin Lannister was there. The official reason? To support his grieving family. The truth was that he came to check on how it was possible that the crown heir, one of the most important elements in the royal family, was dead due to an accident. Perhaps it was irritation, or perhaps trying to convince Jaime to become his heir again.

Yet, I knew he also wished to speak with me. Not even a day after returning to King's Landing and my plans to try and make sense of the situation Arya and I were stuck with that I was asked to speak with Tywin himself. Smart guy, terribly cunning, but outrageously proud. If Tywin had shedded some of his Lannister pride, he would have gone really far in seeing how easily he could have won this game. But he played hard to get people afraid of him, even his own family.

I blamed Great-Grandpa Tytos for being too 'nice' to him.

I met him twice. Once when I was four, and then again when I was seven. The old man hardly changed in those years, and I was tempted to say he was actually a possessed statue or something. Nonetheless, I didn't entertain much of a big talk with the man himself. Until now.

"Tommen," He greeted and I bowed to him.

"Grandfather."

"How are you?" He inquired, but his voiced lacked anything remotely warm and grandfatherly. "Joffrey's passing was sudden, and yet I wonder how you are dealing with your rise of position as crown prince and your betrothal with the Stark girl."

"Joffrey's death was inevitable, but I guess it's a shocking development for it to happen so early," I started to say flatly, looking around his study that once was his office as Hand of the King. "The position feels heavy on my back as I already fear the burden of the bureaucracy, and... despite what many would say, I have no regret about that last one."

There was a lengthy pause after this, and I admit that I may- No, I just let out the bluntest rebuttal possible. And Tywin was still grasping on why I had just been so nonchalantly addressed my oldest brother's passing.

"Joffrey was family," He remarked tentatively, his eyes narrowed but his tone strict. "How come you speak of him like that?"

"Many reasons," I decided to be a bit blunt even now. "First, he was spoiled, which wouldn't be bad if there aren't lingering issues. You see, grandfather, Joffrey is what you would get if you picked a teen, gave him the Mountain's ruthlessness, the Mad King's madness, and Mace Tyrell's oaffish nature. You get an individual set to become the ruler of the Seven Kingdom who is too arrogant to accept fault, too cruel to be pragmatic, too stupid to see the error of his mistakes, and too rabid to be led around by anyone with the will to try and force him to do what he has to do."

There was a strange look on Tywin's eyes as I said, that and he actually nodded at me. I decided to hit a bit more.

"It doesn't help that mother has been working so hard to keep him away from learning how to be a better... living being," I hummed thoughtfully. "In fact, while she prided him as her greatest treasure, he sure pulled him away from learning experiences. Uncle Jaime even tried to teach swordsmanship, but mother was of the idea that a 'king should never be worried of being a warrior' for as long as Uncle Jaime was around."

I saw Tywin rolling his eyes at this.

"I presume you and Myrcella were not subjected to this idiocy."

"We were not. Although I expect my body to develop to be big enough to use a hammer in the future," I pointed out and then I sighed. "Still, that's far away and I have not to concern myself about war since I have a... business deal, grandfather."

"You are not the king yet-"

"But I could convince father of this idea with one of your wonderful loans, grandfather," I interrupted carefully, flinching at Tywin's annoyed look as he didn't appreciate the interruption. "And it is genuinely a good deal."

"Speak then, for I have much more to think about after this meeting."

I showed him papers, told him what I wanted to do and, oddly enough, he was sold on the potential revenue this plan could generate in the long run. All I had to do was convince my dad and-

"More towns and villages?" The king muttered, eyeing the papers with a drunken look. "Why?"

"Well, King's Landing is big, it stinks, and try to fix the housing situation would not do. So, how about we build villages so these people don't stink the town more, they can work the land, make more plans, and get us more money."

To a drunken Robert Baratheon, I just detonated a nuke of an idea. He even eyed me as if I had just created the newest booze and it is even gooder than Ale.

"W-What about the money?"

"Grandfather says it's fine with another loan, so that's going to solve it."

Robert took another swig from his cup, nodding along and I was happy that Ned had yet to fully settle in the role as the king just signed the paper giving me second-in-command role to see this project done. The king had the final say, but Baelish wasn't getting his hands on my little economic project. It wasn't going to come cheap, or done within a timely fashion of a year or so, but I was going to see huge profits if I managed to keep Robert alive or the realm stable for the next five or so years so...

Yeah, I get it. I am going to bed, Cella. No need to call out my sleep-deprivation-induced mad economic planning. No, I don't want to cuddle with Arya- Nymeria? That's an acceptable compromise.

AN

Never leave a 'little' SI sleep-deprived and freaking out about the plot getting fucked... or he will fuck the plot even harder.

Also, I read some interesting pieces on Westeros' debts and... I think we all had a mistaken view of those. But I will explain in the next chapter.