Chapter 4
-Of course, Lord Arryn. - - Tywin smiled. He put the pendant on the table and took a drink. Lord Arryn took the pendant and examined them with delicate fingers. It wasn't expensive at all. A wooden eagle on a leather cord, but Jon Arryn himself had carved it for his wife. The woman wore it every day of her life and on her deathbed she asked her husband to wear it to always have her by her side. She had never seen Lord Arryn without his pendant.
-I'll have a drink too- Hoster Tully approached- His Highness, I guess this is no coincidence
They all looked at Rhaegar.
-No, this meeting has been carefully prepared. It's open though, let's sit down and enjoy the wine. Let them see us celebrate and laugh.
-I understand- Lord Tully smiled and hugged Lord Stark with a playful gesture- It's time for you to meddle in politics, you can no longer take refuge in the north
Rhaegar waited for everyone to take a seat and Lyanna was safe with her father.
- I have decided to take the crown
Lord Stark straightened up.
-My family will remain loyal to the crown, I will not betray the king
-Three- Rhaegar looked at Lord Stark- That is the age of the last child my father burned. And my father burned him because he fell and cried in one of the halls and disturbed him. His mother hanged herself two days later and my father burned the woman's husband to reunite the whole family- Rhaegar squeezed his cup- The king is just a nightmare rumor in Winterfell. But I can swear that it's worse than the rumors say
-I can confirm it, old friend. Especially since Tywin ceased to be the hand of the king
- Even I have my limits. But I saw how he looked at my fifteen year old daughter. Cersei is a lady of a noble house, she will not be the king's mistress even if he wants to. Why he couldn't have Joanna. And my youngest daughter is even more like my wife. Do I have to let the king take my daughter until he decides to kill her as he has done with other of her mistresses?
- And what is the plan?
-A coup, covered with a civil war. Lady Lyanna has volunteered to be kidnapped by me. Then Lord Stark will gather his bannermen to come stop me. No one will suspect an army that comes to save a lady in distress, no one will think that the reason for the gathering of that army is other than the salvation of the lady.
Lord Stark looked at the prince harshly.
-Even if you don't really touch her during all this, Lyanna will lose her marriage. She will be ruined in the eyes of the seven kingdoms
-To compensate Lady Lyanna I have offered to take her as second queen- Rhaegar looked at Elia
-I approve it. Lady Lyanna is a lovely person and I wouldn't mind sharing my husband with her. And I will not let my children near Aerys. He is realizing that Rhaenys has more Dornish blood than Targaryen. I fear that he will execute her to keep the bloodline pure. – Elia's hands trembled, it was a real concern.
-We will not break the marriage commitment with the Baratheon. Robert is a good gentleman, he won't do that to you.
- Isn't it one of your house rules not to allow bastards?
-That's right- Lord Stark stood proudly
-Robert already has a bastard daughter, and tonight a maid warms his bed. - Lyanna said seriously - How many bastards do you think my fiancé has, father?
-Only one, and it is normal to commit some slip in youth
Lord Arryn laughed. Jon Arryn loved Robert and Ned as if they were his own flesh and blood, but he was not blind to the boy's flaws. He was a lecher who he had had to get out of the brothel more than once since he lost his virginity. Ned had only lost his virginity and since then he had only visited the brothel three times.
-Seven, counting that girl. - Everyone looked at the man- They were born in winter, sons and daughters of prostitutes, most of these children did not live more than a few months or days.
Lord Rickon was furious. They had lied to him, he valued fidelity above all else. If Robert already had so many bastards, he didn't even want to imagine what it would be like for his poor daughter to be married to such a man.
In Nest of Storms, surrounded by children of maids with black hair and blue eyes. Surrounded by Storm children. It was better that she was a second queen at that, so he settled back and asked that the explanation of the plan continue.
-And, of course, Lord Tully and Lord Arryn will join forces with their ally while Lord Lannister remains neutral. We will meet at the trident and as a united front we will go to besiege the red fortress. Most of the soldiers are loyal to me already, my father tends to kill the families of his knights too often to retain his loyalty.
Rhaegar continued to recount the plan and the Lords nodded in agreement, admiring the prince's abilities.
But four people in that tent knew perfectly well that the plan was the work of a golden-eyed girl, not the prince. A part of them felt as if they had fallen for a girl's game. Innocence turned into cruelty by the ignorance of youth
They just hoped the game would end well
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Tywin Lannister entered the room where his daughters were embroidering.
-Tianna, your nanny wants to measure you. You have to adjust your clothes
- And that's why father comes looking for me?
-I needed a few moments of rest- Tywin took his daughter's hand. Within weeks of Lyanna's "kidnapping" and Robert Baratheon's fury was echoing throughout the seven kingdoms as he claimed that his fiancée had been kidnapped and raped.
Tywin took the raven message that had just arrived.
-Aerys just sentenced his head
- Has the king done something to the Stark heir?
-Lord Rickon sent a messenger and requested a trial by combat for his son while he continued to advance with his forces discreetly. - Tywin looked at the messages placed on his table. He only had the information before, it was not something private domain. - The king's paladin was the Valyrian fire. And after the fight, he executed all the Northmen. The king has also requested the heads of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark, to ensure the loyalty of Storm's Nest and Winterfell.
-The crazy ones are so entertaining- Tianna approached her father. – I can more or less predict how all the people except the crazy ones are going to move. I hope Lord Rickon sticks to the plan
-He will, he has sworn it and a Stark never goes back on his word
-But this is not a Stark, he is a man who has just lost his firstborn, along with the children of many of his friends. The daughter he adores is missing and we both know that Prince Rhaegar will have already put his hands on her. This is a man broken with pain.
-Then we will have faith
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Tianna got up from her bed in the middle of the night and breathed a thread of magic to her nanny. The woman would not wake up. Tianna dressed quickly, then walked over to the fireplace. They were still getting rid of the last winter and the nights would remain cold for another couple of months.
-Fawkes- The phoenix came out of the flames with a soft trill that would only be heard in this bedroom. Tianna smiled and opened a chest, taking a gold chain from which hung a stone so black that it seemed unable to reflect light- I need you to take me to Rickon Stark. He will surely be alone in his store. Can you do it quietly?
The bird crooned and flames engulfed her. She instantly apparated to a store where Rickon Stark was on a table crying bitterly. It was the saddest thing Tianna had seen in her life, this man, this warrior was collapsing because of the death of his son. He turned at the flash of light and stared at her, wiping tears from his eyes.
-The girl of pure gold, the daughter of Tywin.
- I regret the death of Brandon, Lord Stark. But I have come to give you a gift, an opportunity to say goodbye. In my past life I was a witch of great power, and I still have a couple of gifts- Tianna touched her lips with a mischievous smile
-What?
-- Extend your hand to me, Lord Stark. -- The man did that and Tianna put the stone in the man's calloused hand turning it three times. Instantly the figure of Brandon Stark appeared as a silver ghost
-My lady…- -- said the ghost before turning to the man- Father- her voice was choked with emotion
- It will last half an hour, Lord Stark. Farewell to your son.
Tianna stopped at the side of the room, where Ice was. It was a beautiful sword, yet it ran threads of magic through the metal. To increase sharpness, wielder's determination and force of blows. Ice was now more lethal
-Goodbye, my son. I will always be proud of you.
-Goodbye father. Mother and I will wait for you on the other side
Brandon's figure left and Rickon sat down.
-Girl of pure gold, if I had been there… would he be alive?