Genna Lannister didn't rejoice when her new, comfortable carriage, gifted by Lord Kaiser, rolled into the Casterly Rock. Her children were by her side, her most recent son from Lord Kaiser was in her arms, and another child was in her womb.
The only figure missing was her husband, Emmon Frey.
But more than that, she was angered by her brother's actions. She had spent such a long time in the North. While her time at Ramsgate was one of joy, her brother's refusal to accept Lord Kaiser's deal hurt her.
She knew exactly what her brother was doing. Lord Kaiser was a new lord with no great armies to command, no wealth to flaunt, and only personal achievements to speak of, a nobody before the great House Lannister. Her brother was doing what he always did, holding onto the Lannister pride.
But Genna had felt it firsthand. This time, the situation was different. It made sense to befriend the man who won Robert the throne and ended the Targaryen dynasty, for most exposed eyes, that was.
And now the strange rumor of grand walls rising out of the earth. The smallfolk murmured that it was the gods' gift to Lord Kaiser. While it was laughable, she, for one, did not consider them rumors.
Her annoyance was in the fact that she couldn't be there to see them. Or the rise of a grand city in the North. She knew it, Lord Kaiser would do it. She wasn't a fool to be blind in her desire and longing. She saw the man for who he was, powerful and capable, exactly what made her so devoted to him.
"Take them to their play chamber," Genna ordered the servants and stormed into the castle in long strides, walking towards her brother's solar.
She was heavy with a child, but also strong physically. She had followed Lord Kaiser's advice on how to keep herself in a feminine shape while not starving herself. Besides, she rather liked the physical aspect of the training; wielding a shortsword was new for her, but she saw the charm of it.
Once she arrived in front of the solar, she told the guards to announce her arrival. Moments later, the door opened, and she walked inside. As usual, Tywin was in his seat, and Kevan was standing near the window carved in the rock, overlooking the sea.
"You're here."
She nodded to her brother, showing her coldness from the beginning. She took a seat without asking and looked at Tywin's face. "I am."
"What is the condition of the Twins?"
Genna nearly frowned. That was the first thing he asked? Twins? Not Ramsgate? Did Tywin put House Frey above Ramsgate in his mind?
"In ruins, of course. Lord Walder lies abed, and his sons claw at each other, scheming for his seat. The bridge is gone entirely, and rebuilding it would take decades and thousands of gold dragons. New fords have been found to cross the river. House Frey earns less than even our most minor bannermen."
She watched Tywin's reaction. The man simply nodded. Clearly, her brother already knew those things. Lannisters had spies everywhere, and their gold kept that web growing. Even the most insignificant men and women would come to them to sell whatever word they knew.
"What of Ramsgate?"
At last, she drew herself up, a faint stiffness in her spine. "I know you won't heed me, but I will repeat it anyway. Make a friend of Lord Kaiser, whatever it takes. You saw his ice trade. He began it as no more than a quick remedy to steady his coffers, nothing grand in his eyes. It earns him coin, yes, but he doesn't think it important. He has larger ambitions, and he has both the will and the wits to see them done. He… mentioned he may soon turn to producing steel in great quantity, and more besides. What he lacks is skilled craftsmen."
As expected, Tywin eyed her with a raised brow.
"You think highly of him?"
Why would I not? He's given me the most beautiful child of our House!
Genna gave a small nod. "You may have seen him in battle, my lord. I saw more than that. He's not nearly as simple as you take him for. I would stake a great deal that what he did during the rebellion was of his own design. Harrenhal was the beginning of it, a step he chose for himself to start climbing higher. The realm is so dazzled by his victories with a sword that it cannot be bothered to look at anything else."
The truth was, Tywin hadn't seen Lord Kaiser in true battle. The only time Tywin had seen him fight was at Casterly Rock, against the Mountain.
Taking a step further, Genna continued. "I truly don't understand why you refused his offer. All he asked for was fifty ships and mining rights for himself and ten of his men. What could he have done with that? In return, we would have found more mines, enough to keep our house wealthy for tens of generations more."
"It's not about the offer, Genna," Kevan voiced. "We are already wealthy, and the Rock has plenty of gold to last us many generations. We aren't desperate for more mines. But the fact that a minor lord like him believes he can gain access to Lannister gold, that must never happen. Lord Kaiser may be as wise as you believe, and his skills with blade is well known, but he remains a minor lord sitting in the desolate North. There can be no comparison between House Lannister and him."
That infuriated Genna. "If that is so, then what of House Frey? Why was I bartered to that wretched place against my will?"
"That was the folly of our father," Tywin interrupted.
Genna shook her head. "Then I will see it set right. I'm ending my marriage to Emmon, and I want no further ties to House Frey. Those miserable, toll-squeezing animals fall short of even Lord Kaiser in wealth, power, and coin."
"Genna—"
Before Tywin could speak, Genna got up. "If you're like our father and care nothing for my happiness, then I will leave this family and this name myself. I have had enough of being treated like an object to be passed along."
"No, I don't oppose you ending the marriage," Tywin firmly voiced. "What I ask is simple. Who do you mean to marry once it is done?"
"..."
Genna nearly blasted like a volcano. Her brother was already planning to sell her off to the highest bidder, which meant whoever brought the most gains to House Lannister.
"You disgust me," she said. She had never spoken to Tywin that way before, but she found the strength now. "Still plotting to sell me off for your gains. Your grandson is set to rule the realm one day, and yet that isn't enough for you. That pride of yours… It's blinding you. Set it right before it's too late, my lord brother."
What am I doing? I shouldn't have said that!
Genna gulped, a little nervous now. But she maintained a proud facade and walked out of the solar.
I'll simply go to Wylis if it becomes unbearable.
Perhaps that was why she found the strength to speak that way, Genna reckoned.
She now had someone to rely on if the worst came upon her. And that meant a lot.
####
Ramsgate,
Ting!
[Updated Chain Quest(2/15) - Tyrant of the Lands
Description - A Tyrant's reach has no limit. Gather a permanent standing army of 100 armed men.
Reward - Army Command Skill (Tier 2)]
Wylis sat in the tower's top-floor solar as he stared at the update. His garrison had finally surpassed a hundred, and that gave him the Army Command Skill's tier two. In his mind, he knew what it was: better command control, better landscape judgment, better decision making in how many men to send and where.
The navy command skill had also been updated to tier two long ago when he'd surpassed twenty ships. Now, he needed two hundred men and forty ships to reach tier three. But that was the easy part. Managing and funding all of that was the real issue.
At the moment, he was looking at some reports that Chett had made. They were the names and assessments of some of the garrison's men. Wylis wanted to find the most talented ones, to train them as future commanders, and give them special leadership training. Knowing his massive army would grow to one day, he had to start planning now.
Dumb, every single one of them.
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