299 AC - Casterly Rock - WesterLands - Seat of Power: Robert I Baratheon - 4 Months since Eddard Stark became Hand.
The servant that was chosen to deliver the latest letter to the Lord and Lady of Casterly Rock, was unfortunate enough to catch a quick glimpse of furious anger in their eyes before the door was closed, for some privacy.
The letter informed that Tyrion was captured at the Crossroads Inn. It was a neutral public place, a simple inn that lay at the crossroads between the King's Road running north-south, the river road west through the Riverlands to the wastelands, and the high road east to the Vale of Arryn.
Yet, Catelyn Stark had chosen to start her revenge thereby having Tyrion captured and imprisoned. According to her, an assassin was sent to murder her comatose son before he woke up and the dagger meant to kill him was Tyrion's. Most specifically, it belonged to Lord Baelish but according to him; Tyrion had won that dagger over a bet.
The moment Visenya read the letter, she saw red. In an attempt to keep her temper in check, she started to march up and down in front of Tywin's desk.
"This is utterly ridiculous. I always thought Lady Stark was the reasonable one out there" she said, mostly voicing her thoughts.
Tywin stood not so far away and was reading through the letter. By the faint crease formed between his eyebrows and the faint pulsing of the vein by the side of his neck, it was clear that he was not happy with the news.
"Those are the actions of a grieving woman, in need of answers and justice" he said, his voice calm so far but his posture said otherwise.
No matter the reasoning behind such actions, Tyrion was still a Lannister and letting him be captured was a great insult to his house and thus himself.
"You do not go around accusing innocent though, especially those incapable of committing such a crime" she pointed out, for a moment their eyes meeting. "You and I know Tyrion well enough. He doesn't have the morals in the first place to orchestrate something like that and he is smarter than that. He knows where such actions would lead"
"Not smart enough to avoid Lady Stark and getting captured by her" Tywin commented and left the letter on the desk. "Either way, no Lannister will remain prisoner under my watch"
Visenya stops marching and grabs a nearby map before unfolding it on the desk, showing to be a drawn map of Westeros. She sat in his chair and quickly scanned the map as he leaned over it from the side.
"It wouldn't be smart to attack her directly, not while she is in her homelands" she voiced out, a finger tracing a line from Casterly Rock to the RiverLands. "We could try to apprehend her before she reaches if we move fast enough although there are doubts"
Tywin focused on the map. "The fact that she takes him towards the Vale is not helpful to us and she will reach her sister before we cover the distance" he pointed out and his green eyes glowed as a plan formed in his mind. "However, we can even the ground by taking a prisoner of our own"
Visenya did not have to be told to realize what her husband had in mind.
"Eddard Stark" she said and he nodded, their eyes falling to King's Landing. "He is in the Capital now, we will need a good reason to draw him out without having half of Robert's army following him"
"We attack, sack and pillage various villages and hamlets across the riverlands, then. We force him to come face us and we take him prisoner"
The Dragoness thought for a moment.
"Not our soldiers no, not yet" she argued, making him look at her with an arched eyebrow while she kept her attention on the map. "Send men disguised as brigands instead. A smaller party will move faster and will not have direct connections to us. Eddard leaves King's Landing to handle them, while at the same time, we mobilize our troops to ambush him on the way there" she planned, grabbing a few tokens and placing them strategically on the map to mark her point. "However, it is good to let rumours spread that we gather soldiers and arms. The RiverLands will think we are preparing for an invasion and will spread their forces thin, to defend against in the Golden Tooth for sure"
Another token was placed on the map.
She felt Tywin's gaze at the side of her face and she turned her head, seeing him leaning over the map with a pride smirk on his face. He was pleased with her idea, mentally approving the details and he did not even have to say something for her to know.
"Less men to protect the villages, fewer obstacles for the pillage We offer them a threat that will not come yet while we work around to get our target first. Lord Sigmoid technique from the fight with the Andals I see" he pointed out, making her nod.
Sigmoid was a small house, now extinct, but their latest head was a brilliant strategist during the fight with the Andals; famous in History for his many bluffs and successful victories in combat.
"Hmm, Robert might send men along with Lord Stark to assist him and that will force our hand if we have to kill them to get to him" he pointed out, already thinking of the number of men they could get ready in case war was to escalate.
To his surprise, Visenya simply smirked faintly as she leaned back on the chair.
"He will not. His debt alone should not allow him to march against us but since it's Robert we are talking about; rest assured he won't become an obstacle"
This draws his curiosity as he moves to stand in front of her, staring her down with one eyebrow lifted.
"You sound very sure, for someone that hasn't stepped into King's Landing for 15 years"
She craned her head to look up at him but she did not cower under his gaze, not doubt her mental plans.
"Trust me on this one. Let Robert to me and you focus on gathering men for no matter the outcome, I will join you on the battlefield"
Her words did not please him, for a variety of reasons. He moved his hands behind his back.
"Why must you join in every war? It would not harm you for once to sit out of it" he pointed out, passively bringing up the war against Robert and his rebels.
She understood what he was referring to and she did narrow her eyes faintly, a quick warning not to go there for he would not like the outcome. However, she quickly changed her attitude because getting into an argument with him would get her nowhere near the battle.
"You should know after all those years of marriage that it is my nature. I am not someone that sits on a chair when men fight my plans and carry my banners" she said, her tone serious as she pushed her chest slightly out to emphasize her pride with her body language.
However, that attempt was insignificant for the very next second; Tywin made his move and changed the dynamics. He leaned forward, placing each hand on the sides of the chair; effectively caging her in.
"Our banners" he corrected her, his voice going extremely low for a moment as if she had personally insulted him. "l do know of your annoying Targaryen stubbornness and the fact that I do not have the time to lock you away like a defiant kid" he continued, towering over her form.
His words made Visenya smirk, clearly happy and proud to have gotten that victory.
Often, such discussions would end with Tywin having the last word and she wouldn't truly pressure him either. However, on occasions when she had the chance to act upon her own plans as well and do something more than handle internal affairs on paper; she was not going to give up so easily.
Her smug smirk did not seem to be taken well by her Lord Husband, whose face darkened as she challenged him with her silent cockiness.
He lifted one leg, placing his knee on the chair; right between her legs. It pressed her dress on the chair and was too close to an area she was quite sensitive to.
The move did not go unnoticed as the feeling of pressured fabric and the very close proximity made her inhale sharply and try to keep her composure in check. Yet such a reaction did not go unnoticed by Tywin, who knew what he was doing.
He smirked and grabbed her jaw with one hand while he leaned even more over her. His knee was now pressed tightly between her legs, his other hand keeping his body just a small distance away from hers.
With control of her jaw and head, she forced her to crane her neck and press her body more against the red pillows of the chair as he towered her form.
"Careful, dear wife" he warned her, his face coming closer to hers. "You are so certain of winning our arguments but even your luck... is limited"
His lips were inches away from hers, his breath teasing her.
She could try to push him back or grab him but she found her body freezing on the chair from this new intimate position, looking into his green eyes as he dominated the room and her without even properly touching her.
Her eyes fell to his lips for a moment but he did not kiss her. Instead, he released her and pulled himself to stand again; as if he had not forced warmth to pool between her legs just a second ago.
Without another word, he left to go prepare men while she remained against the chair; cheeks a faint hue of pink and mind trying hard to pick up its pieces and gain control again.
The plan was supposed to be simple, and efficient and things would have returned to their rightful place. Yet, neither the Dragoness nor the Lion would have ever foreseen their own offspring, Jaime; ruining their plans.
He had chosen to meet with Ned and during a battle, over the freedom of Tyrion; the Stark Lord got his leg injured. Thus, he could not leave King's Landing and instead, he sent Lord Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, several knights, and members of his household guard to fight after the so-called; brigands.
Tywin had sent the Mountain and his men and despite their disguises, the rage and the size of the inhumane soldier were hard not to realize.
Along with the fact that the gathering of men and even sell-swords on Casterly Rock; proved Eddard was not that stupid.
He wanted to go there himself but due to his leg, he could not and so he sent others to bring the Mountain to justice. At the same time, though, Robert was on a hunt and no one truly expected what would follow next.
King's Landing - 2 days after Robert's return from the Hunt.
The once mighty stag was laying on his bed, his body severely injured. He was after a white hart when he encountered a boar. Stupid as he was, he tried to fight it alone but he was not as fast or strong, resulting in getting gravely injured.
Now, he was paying for his stupidity by being close to meeting with the Stranger. He made Ned write his will, confessing he was not sure what went wrong with the boar but wishing to at least secure the throne if he did not survive.
His suggestions and the two Baratheon Brothers waiting in line make his friend think silently, trying to decide what was the best course of action and who should truly inherit the throne. It did not help that Robert had simply stated 'my rightful heir' on his will, and did not put any names.
Leaving the King's chambers with the will in his hand, Ned almost bumps into young Trystan and Robert's squire; Lancel Lannister. The two cousins were of similar age with Trystan being a year older but far taller.
"Lord Hand" both greeted, giving a small bow to him as they came to a halt facing one another.
"Ser Trystan, Young Lord Lannister, what are you two doing here?" Ned asked, studying the two boys.
"Her Grace had sent me to check on her Lord Husband's health and bring him some of his requested wine; per his orders" Trystan explained as Lancel showed the pouch he was carrying.
The direwolf eyed the pouch carefully, he remembered what Ser Barristan had told him. Often, the young squire brought wine to the King and he even did so before the hunt. He then eyed the eldest of the two, who was silently studying him back.
The Boar would have mutilated Robert if Trystan had not ignored his initial orders and rushed to take down the animal. His actions were followed by the rest of the guards and the animal was eventually killed, while Robert remained alive.
"Did he request that wine in the hunt as well?" he finally asked the squire.
He gave a few quick nods to his head. "Yes, Lord Hand. He always asks me to bring him from his stack. It is a type of wine he prefers the most" the boy explained innocently, evident that he was not responsible for anything.
Yet, Ned could not settle on something. Robert was known to drink but he could not have drunk so much to actually face a boar alone; when he had done it a couple of times in his youth.
"Did his Grace write a Will?" Trystan asked out of the blue, having noticed the paper in Eddard's hand.
"It is not official yet. When and if the time comes for it, you will be informed along with everyone else" Ned told them.
"Of course, thank you, Lord Hand," the young knight said and watched him go, his green eyes locked on the paper in the lord's hand for a moment longer.
"Cousin?" Lancel's voice snapped him from his staring and Trystan turned his head to look at the younger boy.
"Of course, you go ahead to give the wine. I will wait outside" he told him, the squire doing as he was told.
The Casterly Rock heir placed his hands behind his back, a recent memory flashing into his mind.
It was the night before the hunt and he was in his private chambers. He was sitting behind his desk but had turned the chair to face the window not so faraway. In one hand he held a letter, his mother's neat handwriting with specific loops around Os and As was hard to miss.
He was deep in thought, his gaze hard and his jaw tensed while his legs rested on an ottoman. In his other hand, he held a small vial, filled with a transparent liquid as both things had arrived at the same time.
He stopped messing with the bottle and stole it one last glance. The amount was small and he did not know details about it but he knew this day was coming. He had spent years playing the perfect knight, spying on the King on behalf of his sister and mother.
Now, all those moments he had to fake a smile, all those moments of silently watching him ruin his sister's reputation; all those times he had to hear him gloat of his victory in the Trident...it was all worth it.