Chapter 31: Reactions (II): Casterly Rock

Genna Lannister tiredly sat down in the study of Casterly Rock, with her head throbbing slightly due to lack of sleep in the last few days making her sluggish. Just as everyone, else she had gotten only a few short hours of sleep after two days and one night of ceaseless activity after the news of the decimation of Bitterbridge broke out. First the sheer shock of the scale of the calamity at Bitterbridge and then the disaster control had required her complete attention, but now it was time to take stock and make decisions. She already knew things were beyond bad; the question was exactly how much.

Apparently, she was the first one to arrive at the chambers, meaning she had a few minutes to relax. Dim light was entering through slit-like windows and the sound of heavy rain was clearly audible. Looking around, Genna observed the room and took a dim view of the spartan setting that Tywin indulged himself in. The room was admittedly austere but nevertheless decorated with several rare objects, indicating a high standard of living.

One by one the people invited to this meeting filed in. The normal members of House Lannister's great council had been much reduced in number. Of the original members only she as the sole woman, and Stafford Lannister, the Castellan of Lannisport and the acting commander of the Western Armies, were present. Conspicuous by their absence were Kevan and Tygett who were now both dead.

Soon, Gerion Lannister entered and took a seat at the head of the table as the sole present male member of the lineage of Tytos Lannister.

"Why isn't Tywin here?" Genna asked curiously, even as Stafford looked at him in surprise.

"That is what we are here to discuss," Gerion replied with a clipped tone, as if he was struggling to express himself properly.

"Tywin has ceded the lordship of Casterly Rock to me and my line for perpetuity," Gerion observed, even as the eyes of the other two members widened in absolute shock.

"What … how …. when?" Genna blubbered in shock, while Stafford seemed agitated, even as Gerion sank into his chair listlessly.

"If House Lannister is to survive as the overlord of the West, then this was the only possible way out, as per his words," Gerion replied with a tone laced with sadness while Genna fell down to her seat unable to stand at the shock she had received.

"You do not yet understand the scale of the damage we have suffered, Genna! This is the greatest defeat the West and House Lannister has ever faced in our thousands of years of existence. Not even in the age of Heroes and the Field of Fire, were we pressed to such dire straits. Tywin has led not only our house but almost every single noble house in the West to extinction. The only reason why they have not mutinied to put every single member of our house to the sword for this disaster is because they lack the strength to do so. But regardless, there is not a man alive in the West apart from those in Lannisport and Casterly Rock who will listen to Tywin, not anymore," Gerion spoke the grim truth while Genna stifled a gasp of shock before nodding in acceptance. That was another piece of bad news. She had heard of some of the difficulties Tywin had started to face in holding the slowly fracturing Westerlands together.

Soon, there was a knock at the door, and the page at the door entered and after a nod of approval from Gerion, walked out and soon guided another person in. Phillip Plumm, the sole surviving leader of the Western Army from Bitterbridge.

Plumm limped into the room supported on a cane. The old man didn't have any obvious injuries, but he obviously wasn't in good shape. He took his place with careful, measured movements, new bandages covering the side of his head and body. From what Genna had heard his fight against one of the Reach Commanders leading the invasion had been a close thing. The good luck in this whole series of unfortunate events was that he had lived while his opponent had lost his life. Even her husband had not been spared. Poor Emmon. He was really not built for this life.

Gerion cleared his throat. "Now that we are all present, we can begin. As I have stated, Tywin has relinquished command of the West to me. As the new Lord Paramount, I will take over the leadership of House Lannister and the Westerlands." When nobody spoke up, he turned towards Old Lord Plumm. "Lord Plumm, please explain to us in detail as to what happened in the Battle of Bitterbridge? I believe in light of the recent events we have been given good enough reason to seriously consider surrender to the Dornish-Reach Alliance, if Robert Baratheon fails to prevail."

He did not speak of what he and Tywin had discussed in secret to the others. Now was not the time. Sighing, he leaned forward to hear old Plumm talk of what happened in that ill-fated battle.

Meanwhile, in his private solar, at the same time, Tywin was speaking to his two remaining children, Cersei and Tyrion.

Both of them were subdued as they took in the broken form of their father, who seemed to have aged by thirty years in a short span.

Of everyone present, Tyrion, the nine-year old son of Tywin was the most apprehensive. With the death his elder brother Jaime and his uncle Kevan, all the people who treated him humanely in his family were now dead. There was no one left to help him if his lord father decided to cast him out now. Cersei, on the other hand, was quiet. She had been like that since Jaime's death.

"Cersei, Tyrion, sit, I have not much time to speak to you," Tywin spoke softly while the two of them jumped. Tywin had never addressed them in such soft tones, even when he spoke kindly, it had always from an authoritarian tone, not like this.

"Tyrion, Cersei, I have failed you," Tywin admitted bluntly while the two of them looked at him petrified in shock. Tywin Lannister admitting failure! What?!

"Over the last few months, I have come to regret many things," Tywin continued, even as he closed his eyes for a moment, "But above all, I regret my decision for getting rid of the Martell girl and her children."

Breaths were sucked in around the room. "I have always been a prideful man. I have never forgotten a slight and have always repaid any slights with a vengeance hundredfold in return. Kevan always said that my pride had turned to arrogance and that I believed myself untouchable and one day it would lead to disaster for me! He was right, but at the height of my power I did not heed wise counsel and now all is lost! My hatred for Aerys spilled over and I miscalculated. Yes, that poor girl and her children could have been spared, but in my arrogance and in my desire to ensure that there were no threats to Cersei's future as the queen and to secure her lineage I went … too far. My hatred for Aerys had blinded me to reason and now it has become the root of all our misfortune!" Tywin sighed as he leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes.

Cersei and Tyrion were petrified and looked at each other helplessly not knowing what to say.

"Father," Cersei asked hesitantly, "What is going on? Why are you so …," she tried to speak when Tywin raised his hand and interrupted her.

"Listen to me, both of you," he continued.

"Elia Martell's death has now become a death sentence to our entire house. Her foster-son will not stop until he kills me. Even if he has to burn the world to ashes, he will not hesitate. He will not sleep, he will not eat, he will not drink, he will never rest until he has killed me, and I … I am no match for him. I now understand that I never was!" Tywin admitted bitterly.

"Had I known that the boy was someone of this caliber, forget that fool Rhaegar, I would have offered your hand Cersei, to him. But that is all moot. The fact of the matter is, Quentyn Martell is not going to stop until he has killed me. I now understand this. The only reason why he and his allies are not marching on Casterly Rock right now is because they have stopped to consolidate their gains. Once their preparations are complete, they will fall upon us like a tidal wave and wash us away like flotsam in front of a flood. Steps must therefore be taken to ensure the survival of our house and the West!"

"Father, you are scaring me," Cersei whispered, while Tyrion was looking wide-eyed and petrified at seeing this side of his father.

"Good! Then you understand the seriousness of the situation! Tyrion," Tywin continued, as he looked at his son, "Forgive me," he said with a short bow to which Tyrion squeaked and almost fell of his chair in shock.

"I … have not been a good father to you, and now, with the loss of your brother, it is too late for regrets. Your brother was a great warrior and in time would have become the greatest in Westeros. Yet, he fell, for a single vile trick by our enemies. I expect you to take this knowledge to heart and grow further. Against our current enemies, it is wisdom and not strength, that has a chance of success. After all, Quentyn Martell, our mortal enemy, is a man with talents at an unprecedented level. We have well and truly been beaten decisively by him, this time. What a pain! Those who always stand at the top will be overthrown by those who are even stronger from the next generation. It seems that for the foreseeable future, Westeros and its future will revolve around that boy at its center. However, even that will last only until he is overtaken by the rising star of the next generation," Tywin spoke enigmatically as he looked at Tyrion, whose eyes went wide.

"For now, let me tell you what is going to happen. Because of the calamity of Bitterbridge, my rule over the west is at an end," he concluded, while Cersei and Tyrion shot up to their feet in alarm.

"Father, this cannot be! Are the houses rebelling against … you?" Cersei almost screeched in anger and frustration, while Tywin shook his head.

"It has gone beyond the point of Rebellion, Cersei," Tywin spoke out softly. "The decimation of Bitterbridge has depopulated the West by half. If they were able to muster any strength, they would have marched on Casterly Rock and bound me hand to foot and would hand me to Quentyn Martell themselves, to save their own lives. Fear, trumps everything. Even Loyalty. For years, the fear that I would subject them to another Castamere kept them loyal to me. Now, the fear that Quentyn Martell will subject them to another Bitterbridge is all that hovers in their minds. They no longer fear me. They fear him. Only their lack of strength stops them from open rebellion, which gives us time to plan for our future."

"But …," Cersei struggled to speak, when Tyrion shook his head indicating her head to stop.

Nodding appreciatively at his dwarf son, Tywin continued, "In this climate, I have taken certain steps to ensure what is the best possible scenario for us and our house. Accordingly, I have ceded the rights and titles to Casterly Rock for myself and my line and handed it over to Gerion. From now on, Gerion and his children henceforth will rule the West. The bannermen will never obey me or anyone from my line ever again. The battle at Bitterbridge has seen to that," Tywin dropped the news like a thunderbolt to his children who looked stunned.

"Tyrion, above all, this is an injustice to you, I know that," Tywin addressed his son, who was looking dejected. "With Jaime's death, Casterly Rock and the West should have been yours, but it is not to be. I have spoken to Gerion, and Castamere and Tarbeck Lands will be merged and given to you. In the eyes of the world, giving Castamere to you could be seen as mocking me, but in reality, Castamere is the second wealthiest land in the west. The mines in Castamere are as good as that of Casterly Rock and they have not been as deeply mined as we had not given the Reyne's and Tarbeck's the rights to mine them. So, you will have a fief that is not lacking for resources. It will be up to you and your descendants in the future to avenge all that has befallen us today. Bide your time, build up your strength, pass on the truth and stoke the fires of vengeance within the future generations, and in another twenty years, ensure that the blood of the west boils and that the Lions roar their vengeance to the world."

"As you say, father, Jaime and uncle Kevan's death must be answered for. We will pay our debts," Tyrion clenched his fists, while Tywin nodded.

"Cersei, I know that you and Tyrion have your differences, but, bury them, bury them deep. The only person you can depend on in the future will be Tyrion and likewise for him as well. Gerion and Genna will not let any harm come to you, but they will not live forever. It is up to you two to handle the future," Tywin advised his headstrong daughter, who was now weeping relentlessly.

"Cersei, once I had hoped to make you queen, which has led to this chain of events. But now, even in my end times, I am still not a man without resources. I have called upon some old acquaintances and they have agreed to aid me one last time. Soon, Catelyn Tully and her unborn child will die, and then, Gerion will offer your hand to Eddard Stark and ally the West with the North. Agree to it. That is the only way you and the Westerlands can survive. In the entirety of Westeros, Eddard Stark is the only man who can match Quentyn Martell strength for strength. With the might of the Northern Alliance behind you, you will be safe," Tywin advised his daughter who looked at him in shock.

"But … father, why are you speaking like you don't expect to survive at all? You have been talking about us and the future, but what about you?" Cersei asked tremulously, to which Twyin gave a wan smile.

"That is because I don't expect to survive," he candidly admitted. "Soon, I will depart for Kings Landing and join the army that Robert Baratheon is raising to fight the Martell-Reach alliance. It is a foregone conclusion that Robert Baratheon will fall. If what I have heard is correct, the alliance between Robert and Eddard Stark is all but over. Stark disapproved of his friend's behavior over the death of the Martell girl and her children, and with his own sister most likely being dead, he will not risk his men further needlessly. Without Eddard Stark by his side, Robert is lost. He is known as a great warrior but with Arthur Dayne on his side, the prince of Dorne is not without counters as well. And as far as battle tactics and strategy is concerned, Robert is no match for the Prince. So yes, that army will fall, and as part of that army, I too … will fall. With my death, Gerion will ascend to Paramountship officially, and all we have discussed will come to pass. With my death, Quentyn Martell will not persecute you two or the West anymore."

"Father, you can't," Cersei shot up to her feet and screamed hysterically, while Tyrion clenched his fist so hard that his nails cut into his palms and they started bleeding. He may not have liked his father, but to see his father so broken, so beyond despair, was gut-wrenching, even for him.

"Cersei, what choice do I have? The Prince of Dorne has left me no choice. If I don't do this, all is lost. Ahh … Aerys, you finally have your vengeance for my betrayal. No, this is the God's means of punishing me for my pride and my foolishness," Tywin sighed as he consoled his hysterical daughter while looking morosely at the painting of his beloved wife. I will see you soon, Joanna.

Author's Note: Next, HighGarden