Chapter 2

Casterly Rock, 14 years ago

"My lady! My lady!"

Tywin Lannister heard the handmaiden's cries as he marched down the hallway with two of his guards. He was tense and annoyed; this would end tonight. He had absolutely no patience left, and his wife was about to see that.

"My lord," the handmaiden greeted him and curtsied.

"Is she inside?" Tywin asked, keeping his face free of emotion.

The handmaiden nodded.

"Yes, my lord, she has locked the door."

Tywin pressed his lips together; he had had enough. His wife's behavior had become intolerable, and it was becoming harder and harder to hide it. He had tried his best and so far succeeded, there hadn't been any unpleasant rumors. Not yet, but it was only a matter of time before someone started gossiping. Tressa was becoming more and more unstable, sometimes struggling to behave in public. It was time to take drastic measures. This was about the reputation of the Lannisters, and Tywin wasn't planning to let anyone ruin it.

"Tressa!" he called banging on the door. "Open this door right now!"

He waited for a brief moment, but nothing happened. Damn woman, she wasn't going to make this any easier for him. Tywin took a step back and glanced at the guards. They both had axes.

"Get me in that room," he ordered.

He crossed his arms and waited for the guards to get the door open. The handmaiden kept her eyes on the floor, her hands were shaking. Obviously, she was very nervous, but Tywin didn't say anything to her; he had much more important things on his mind. He needed to handle his wife. Keeping her locked up seemed like the only option he had left; he couldn't let her continue behaving like this. Of course, he needed to think of an excuse for his wife's absence, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Then there was their daughter. He most certainly wasn't going to let Tressa spend time with her anymore. The girl was three; she needed to be raised by a normal woman. Tywin hadn't spent much time with her, but as far as he could tell, she was an easy child. Quiet and obedient. Nothing like her mother. Once again, Tywin hoped he had never married the damn woman. Financially, the marriage had been more than profitable, but unfortunately, there were things he hadn't known about his young wife before the wedding.

"Wait here," he said to the guards after they had broken the lock.

Determinedly, he entered his wife's chamber, expecting to find her sobbing hysterically. Tywin couldn't stand hysterical women, and he had no patience left for Tressa. Yet he wasn't prepared for what he saw. Blood was everywhere. Tressa lay on her back in the middle of the floor, her lifeless eyes staring into emptiness. She had cut her wrists. She was dead. It took a brief moment before Tywin noticed someone else in the room. His daughter. She sat on the floor, legs curled up against her chest, silently staring at her mother.

"Serafina?" Tywin finally managed to say.

Slowly, the girl looked at him with her green eyes. There was no expression on her face. Tywin had to clear his throat before he was able to continue.

"Are you…hurt?"

The girl didn't say anything, she just stared at him. He walked over to her and knelt down.

"Are you hurt?" he repeated, trying to see if she was injured. There was blood on her hands and dress, but he suspected it was her mother's blood. He looked at his daughter, and she stared back at him until he lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't make a sound or shed a tear.

That was the only reason he held her instead of immediately taking her to Tressa's handmaiden. She was his daughter, but the truth was he wouldn't have known how to comfort her. He had never carer for any of his children when they were little; that was what mothers and nursemaids were for. He couldn't stand whining and crying, it irritated him.

"Well… Your mother certainly made a mess," he stated, already formulating a plan to rectify the situation. Clearly, he wasn't going to allow anyone to know the truth; that would be a disgrace. His wife, Lady Lannister, taking her own life… No, absolutely not. Tressa had already caused enough trouble; he wasn't going to let her shame him any further. He would ensure that no one would ever learn the truth about her death.