Usually, people would coward under his sharp gaze or the seriousness of his voice. Many glanced down or even retreated, none wishing to challenge the proud Lion that led the House Lannister to glory and riches.

She, on the other hand, did not seem to share their thoughts or feelings. She defiantly looked back at him, not once breaking under his sharp gaze despite their height or power difference existing between them.

Yet, there was no true challenge in those unique orbs of hers despite the strength and power they held on their own. There was pride and intelligence but no challenge; at least not in that moment. From her look alone, it was clear that what she said she truly meant it.

"Pray, My Lord but you have a rich history of successful battles and experience to back it up" she said, trying to keep the formalities between them but without overdoing it. "I do trust someone of your reputation would be knowledgeable enough to advise me with a good book that himself would or have read to expand his knowledge"

Tywin remained silent for a moment, watching her under the low light of the torches. Her words were always coated in honey but they came from a very sharp brain and despite their age difference, he respected that.

Without saying anything else, he turned his attention to the shelf where she had been absorbed for a while now. A quick scan of the titles and he understood what she meant. Many books were often written to benefit certain parties and thus many things tend to be changed, or altered one could say.

His eyes landed on one specific book and he pulled it from the shelf before turning his body to hand it to the young princess. "I believe this will suit your needs, princess. The master behind it did not alter anything, although eventually was executed for it" he informed, exposing that he had read it.

With a small smile, which felt more honest than her previous ones; she took it from him. "Thank you, Lord Hand. I trust your judgement" she said and started to head towards her table, not that far away from where they were standing.

His eyes followed her and he noticed three books already stacked one on top of the other. He glanced at the faded titles and he did not hide his surprise. Both books were about Targaryen's History but most specifically, about two certain individuals.

Visenya I Targaryen & Naelys Targaryen

One woman brought nations to their knees for her brother and conquered kingdoms under his name. She was a fierce warrior and strategist, with a huge dragon that surpassed many that followed it across history.

The other was a woman, the last of her kind who burnt half of West in her path for vengeance. She went from a Dragon Whisperer to a Dragon Slayer, bathing herself and her dragon in the blood of both humans and dragons alike.

Both were formidable women, powerful and above all; independent. Married or not, they did not care as they led armies and charged through the battlefields with powerful war cries. They left their marks in history, no one ever risking to tarnish them after the death they brought with them; as if offering tributes to the Stranger.

For a moment, Tywin wondered if the woman had also inherited the mark of her ancestor and not just her eyes. Of course, dragons were no more and the latest ones that existed were an embarrassment to the real ones that once flew above Valyria & Westeros alike.

Realizing his staring would become too much, he adverted his eyes elsewhere while she was busy scanning through the pages of the latest book; a quick review before choosing to sit down and read it thoroughly.

His green eyes fell upon a board of Cyvasse on the table next to her books but it did not seem as if the princess had any other guests.

"You play, princess?" he found himself asking out of mere curiosity.

He wasn't usually one to bother with such trivial matters but it had started to become clear who he was facing. Her brother might not be the sharpest of minds but she was, often ignored or underestimated due to her gender and her place in the royal line.

That did not mean, though, that she could not become dangerous if she truly wanted. It was up to him to figure her out and see exactly what type of woman she was. He has gotten a basic idea but as the minutes passed, he started to realize that there were more things surrounded by the veil of mystery.

"I do, although by myself doesn't truly leave the same satisfaction, I am afraid" she explained, glancing from her book at him; eyes glowing as they reflected the light of a torch not so far away. "Do you wish to play, Lord Hand?" she asked next as if reading through his thoughts.

Tywin could deny her, simply as that and he was debating. He had played against many but almost no one proved a sufficient challenge for him; for everyone was too close-minded to truly play the game.

Yet, this perhaps could be his chance to truly test the teenage girl standing in front of him; test her brain and if all those books truly gave her insight and knowledge.

"If you have the time and the mood for it, princess" he answered, always mindful of his words.

While she would not care, he maintained his manners and their roles. Both had roles of power, both had respect and a connection to the King but above all; they had a decent respect for one another.

None was willing to truly tarnish that by being informal, since it had never been clarified where they stood in terms of a relationship between them. They were not friends but one could not truly call them partners. They were on the same side but they operated in different circles.

Visenya smiled and sat by one of the chairs, deciding to take the black pieces and start to arrange them.

This piqued his curiosity, mostly her choice of colour but he did not comment. Instead, he pulled another chair and sat across from her; arranging his pieces.

The game lasted for a while, and both parties fully focused on the board. When they did not, they stole secret glances at one another; mostly Tywin.

He took notice that she had chosen to wear a simple dress in the colours of black, something that made her blend with the night around her but also made her white loose hair shine against the shadows like real silver.

Her unique eyes were mostly focused on the board, the faintest movement of her eyebrows an indication that she was thinking deeply or was trying to hide her annoyance at being cornered by his moves.

Yet, he would give it to her, she did better than he expected her.

She played smart, staring a little on the defensive but quickly moving her pieces across the board to take his. Like in the real war, sacrifices were made and the most important pieces were always placed at key spots.

Their dragons moved across the board, their catapults and trebuchets protected well enough and ready to take down the flying beast. In some cases, their moves seemed to mirror one another and in others, they played completely differently.

As more and more pieces were sacrificed, more was the time each player took before moving their next piece. The stakes were growing higher, each move more crucial than the one before it and the silence between them; was legendary.

In the end, it was Tywin, who was crowned the victor. In one last attempt, he bypassed her defences and took her most precious piece; the King. Once he did that, he glanced in her direction and observed her reaction.

How one person took defeat often told a lot about their mindset and their character.

Indeed, when Visenya realized she had lost; she did not take it that kindly. Inside, she felt annoyed by such defeat but could also not help but admire the complex way her opponent played.

It was a tough game, perhaps the toughest she had ever played. She let out some air from her nose, breaking the silence that existed between them. Leaning back on the chair, hands flat on her thighs, she took a moment to take another breath.

Then, she fully faced her opponent. There was not a single hint of pride or any sign of gloating on his face. This game was a serious one and he accepted his victory in silence, enjoying the feeling of emerging victories fully inside.

She started by nodding her head at him before she spoke. "A very fine game, Lord Hand. You are a dangerous opponent in this game but also a very experienced one" she admitted, her words hiding her mild annoyance and sore looseness with the expertise of an actor.

If Tywin saw through it, he did not comment on it but instead stood up slowly. "You are a challenging player yourself, princess. Your tactics did not go unnoticed" he explained as she also stood up.

Both ended up just looking at one another, with the table separating them. Their words might sound formal but there was honesty behind them. Each felt different emotions based on what they emerged as but none truly showed it to the other, remaining professional and respectful until they bid goodnight and headed towards their chambers.

268 AC – King's Landing, CrownLands

It had been almost two years since the fateful game of Cyvasse in the library and in those two years, Visenya and Tywin met again and again. Their games had come to a halt for almost a full year as in 267 AC, Tywin Lannister became the official Lord of Casterly Rock.

When he returned, he did so alone for he had left his wife and the two children back home.

His days were spent fixing the mistakes of the King, ensuring the Kingdom did not go bankrupt and no unnecessary wars were caused. Aerys had started to become more cocky, the power given to him by the crown getting into his head and that often tested Tywin's patience.

Thankfully for him, many of his early nights were spent in the company of the only person, who did not seem in the mood to piss him off...Visenya.

If they did not play Cyvasse early into the night, they often discussed books and strategies. Mostly, it was Tywin, who chose to test the princess' knowledge and she did not disappoint. On some other occasions, Visenya herself requested his opinion and point of view on certain topics.

The range of discussion would vary from battle tactics to the state of the realm. Her dear brother kept her in the shadows, not interested in letting her know anything and that did not settle well with her.

She wished to learn how a Kingdom truly operated, how the pieces moved in real life and the traps that awaited in every corner. Ruling a kingdom alone was challenging enough, let alone 7 in total.

Surprisingly, Tywin had filled her in and answered most of her questions. He never went into too many details or talked about more private things about the Kingdom but he did share his insight with her.

He answered her questions and listened to her theories, using the time to test how perceptive she was of things and how well she took that information.

Little was left to say that he was not disappointed; at all. For the Young Dragoness was truly intelligent, the years of reading had influenced her way of thinking. She thought more like a strategist and a general than a princess or a queen.

She saw the full picture and not the single details mostly affecting her. She could distinguish and suspect the unfaithfulness of a subject when he talked to her of hypothetical scenarios and above all; she knew the proper way to act in all those scenarios.

Not necessarily with violence or brute force but often with manipulation, intimidation and sometimes; charm. In the end, she was a woman and the first two did not always work in her favour.

Charm on the other hand, perfectly matched her honey-coated words and her quick thinking could prove a dangerous combination to face; especially when most Lords out there did not truly fight any attention a woman would give them.

Their odd relationship, though, was not fully contained within the walls of the Library. More than once, one would spot them exchanging silent talks with the view of the garden or sharing the path down to the chambers.

This did not go unnoticed by the King, who had started to feel threatened by the growing influence of Tywin. Upon seeing his sister more frequently in his presence and having heard rumours of their discussion topics; he started to see enemies in the shadows as suddenly the weight of the crown felt too light.

One of the usual nights, Tywin and Visenya had met once again in the Library for their usual game.

The two of them sat against one another, a game of Cyvasse placed between them on the table. Half the pieces had already been gone but the biggest percentage belonged to the black ones the princess always favoured.

"You are distracted today" Tywin pointed out, the formalities between them mostly gone when it was the two of them.

The female Targaryen frowned her eyebrows ever so faintly, annoyance building up but not because of the game. With a sigh of annoyance escaping her pink lips, she never let her red eyes leave the board.

"I am to depart for Dragonstone in the following days" she confessed, catching her opponent by surprise as she moved her Dragon and took one of his pieces.

The Lion across from her lifted a single eyebrow, his green eyes falling on her form. Despite the annoyance and her distracted mind, she remembered to keep her body straight up and not slouch; something many women did and often failed to do.

"Pray is the reason for such a decision. I am well aware it is not yours" he pointed out.

"You can ask the King, he took this decision without your advice I conclude" she commented, their eyes meeting. She could see the darkness behind them and the faint tension on his jaw, a sign that he was angry. "I am to return with a proper suitor, were his order but I do suspect there was more behind his decision"

Tywin kept looking at her but his mind was already occupied, his temper rising but his control of it never lacking. He was the Hand of the King, he was supposed to advise the damned boy on what he should do and what he should not.

The fact that he chose to act upon his own, on such a topic nonetheless; made him suspect things. By the look of the Princess across from him, he speculated she had reached a similar conclusion.

The fact that he had brought up the topic of suitor as his justification, was an excuse but not entirely.

The Dragon Princess had matured even more, reaching her 18th name day and her official life as an adult woman of the court; a royal one. Suitors came by the dozens, many simply interested in her titles and her connection to the King than anything else.

Yet, each suitor was eventually turned down by the woman; often after her smart mouth reminded them of their mistakes or left them unable to answer her well-thought questions. Her time with him and the discussion of the realm and its workings was clearly showing; for she was far from a naive young woman that knew nothing of the world around her.

That made her formidable and above all, hard to manipulate. No Lord would truly be able to control her, tame her as one would say. She was too smart for them, too quick and too cunning for them to ever reach her status.

That, though, posed a problem for the King and her; in the long run. It was common for Westerosi women to marry young, few ever having the ability to turn down a suitor; let alone as many as she did.

She showed some of her cards to keep them away and that also showed to many that she was not a little girl anymore. She could become a challenge in the king's way, especially with how she turned down potential alliances that could benefit him; in his mind at least.

What had surprised Tywin, was the fact that Aerys never used his power as King to force her into marriage. He easily could but he did not and that was the basis of his theory. She was not sent to Dragonstone to find a suitor on her own, she was sent away because he started to see her as a threat.

It was not uncommon amongst royals, especially Targaryens, to often try and keep in the dark their siblings or family members; to ensure their claims to the throne were never threatened or questioned.

"You have your theories already?" he asked her after a minute of silence while he also made his next move.

To his surprise, Visenya made her own rather quickly and effectively. She might be distracted but she was still aware of the game.

Good, he thought as he kept studying her.

"I do but they do not matter, for I know there will be no confession from him" she replied, talking about her brother as if it was some stranger. Perhaps, their relationship had ended up feeling that way, after he ignored her existence all those years. "I will obey and head for Dragonstone but I will not waste my time to find a suitor" she confessed.

This drew his interest as he leaned slightly forward, eyes on the board but occasionally glancing her way. "Pray, princess," he said, his voice coming with a rather odd huskiness. "What plans do you have in your mind?" he asked as he made his move.

Visenya smirked as she eyed the board but then let her eyes fall on him. "Patience Lord Hand, for when the time is right you will be informed like everyone else" she said and made her final move, using her dragon to take down his King by using the tiniest of gaps in his defences.

The move and her words left him silent for a moment, his green eyes glowing dangerously but his body made no move whatsoever. He looked at the board again and once he ensured that she had indeed bested him, he nodded his head.

It was not that rare for Visenya to win during their games but in terms of total victories, Tywin had the lead by a shot.

"Well played, princess. I will await news of your plans in due time" he finally said as they both stood up.

The Targaryen smirked and gave a courtesy bow. "I promise you, there will be no disappointment"

Tywin wanted to scoff at her words, for she underestimated herself on certain occasions. In those 2 years they had been meeting and discussing, not once had she disappointed him. She always surpassed the expectations many had of her, including him.

If she had a plan in mind, he knew it would be something of importance; she never aimed small and that was an admirable thing in his eyes. Yet, at the thought that she would leave for even a few years; his mood did not truly fix.

Without Joanna around, the council and the king only proved to be a daily migraine with their actions. She had been a pleasant distraction, a chance to discuss properly with someone of higher intelligence; someone, who truly had it within them to be a good participant in this game of Thrones and it was rare.

He merely looked forward to her plans, always interested to see what her cunning female mind had come up with. Because at least her actions and plans, were always aimed towards the good of the realm and never truly for her own selfish needs.