32 Chapter 32
- Lannister Encampment - Sometime Later -
They were a few days away from Harrenhal. It had been a demoralizing time for Tywin Lannister and he couldn't remember a time when such a thing had happened to him. His opponent was some wolf pup from the North who had yet to see any kind of battle. But to his surprise, Robb Stark had not only captured his son Jamie, but had won in practically ever single engagement against Lannister forces.
It was truly vexing.
At least his second son Tyrion had been able to provide them with additional forces using the tribesman of the Vale. They maybe savages, but they did make a descent vanguard to use in a fight when properly armed. The only cost to him was weapons, some supplies, and Tyrion leading them into battle to prove his worth.
The last part Tywin had no problem with since there was a chance his dwarf and failure for a son would die fighting the North's forces. He couldn't kill his own son himself for obvious reasons despite part of him saying it would be worth it in the end, but there were ways around that situation. This situation in leading the Lannister vanguard being one of them, which his son would not die by his hands, but by those of the enemy.
But right now, Tywin needed to discus the issue about his eldest son being captured by the Northern forces. His brother, Kevan Lannister, was beside him, supporting as always, but it wasn't support Tywin needed right now. He needed ideas. Good ideas. Ideas where he could win this conflict and get Jamie back by his side.
Unfortunately, it seemed they were short on ideas right now.
"The Stark boy has been surprisingly good at leading his army. I hear the Blackfish has taught him quite a bit and the Northern Lords with him have helped along the way by giving their own advice," said one Lord in the battle tent.
"I hear his dire wolf is nearly as big as a horse. The damn beast ripped nearly thirty men to pieces in the last battle from what I was told. It is also rumored to have killed twice as many horses," remarked another Lord worriedly.
"What of Jamie?" asked Tywin while turning to Kevan.
"They keep him with the army under watchful guard. Robb Stark doesn't dare consider leaving him in any castle within Riverrun they've taken back. He clearly knows better," replied Kevan with Tywin nodding since he understood why the boy was doing it.
While these men were loyal to the boy, it only took one person, a handful of people, or even a Lord of that castle willing to turn their cloak for a descent amount of gold House Lannister could provide for Jamie's safe return. That and some kind of guarantee of their House not being destroyed by the Lion when the time came to crush the wolf pup. With Jamie a prisoner within the army, he was under guard every moment of the day and night.
"We should sew for peace. Or offer something in exchange for Ser Jamie," offered one another Lord hopefully with Tyrion nearby throwing his goblet on the floor.
"There is your peace. You would sooner get the wine now on the ground back into this broken cup over getting the North to agree to any terms. They have been winning battle after battle and have my brother as a prisoner. Would you accept peace from the North if roles were reversed?" countered Tyrion with many of the Lords looking away since they knew the youngest son of Tywin was right.
"My Lord! My Lord! A message was sent from the Capital!" said a soldier running into the tent and quickly bowing before handing the message to Tywin.
"Who sent this?" asked Kevan while Tywin saw the seal and his face went pale before he slowly broke it to unfolded the message.
"I don't know my Lord. It was dropped off my a single messenger who handed it to me and ran off," replied the solider before he was dismissed by Kevan while Tywin read it.
"Father?" asked Tyrion before Tywin slammed the message down on the table and got out of his chair to get a drink.
"Out! Out all of you, except Kevan and Tyrion!" commanded Tywin before going for another cup and drank some more wine.
Meanwhile, Kevan read the message in his hands, and Tyrion motioned Bronn to go wait outside of the tent since this was clearly something above his pay level.
"This...This cannot be right," whispered Kevan, who took the message an read it.
"What does it say?" asked Tyrion before he read it.
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To Tywin Lannister and his House,
This message is to inform you that House Targaryen has returned once more to Westeros to claim what was stolen from us. As to who I am Lord Tywin, I am the trueborn son of Rheagar Targaryen. While you feel this is a lie and I am a mummer pretending to be the dead baby who died at the hands of the Mountain, such thoughts are not true. I am every bit Rheagar's son, but not the son you think I am. I am the son of Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Yes, you have read this correctly. Lyanna Stark is my Mother. Unlike what the Usurper and the late Lord Arryn said during the war, my Mother was not kidnapped or raped by Rheagar. They married prior to the Usurper's rebellion and I have the proof to back it up so any contestation to my claim can be put to rest.
As you read this, know that I have taken King's Landing and sit on the Iron Throne as the new King of the Seven Kingdom. The people are with me. The City Watch is with me. All of House Lannister's supporters, whether they are House bannermen or those bribed by your daughter among the City Watch have been killed. Down to the last man. Speaking of supporters, Pycelle is dead. Janos Slynt, the Lord Commander of the City Watch is dead. Meryn Trant of the Kingsguard is dead. Lord Baelish along with your daughter and mad Grandson Joffrey are my prisoners in the Black Cells. Each of them will be charged for various crimes against the Crown, both before and after I took it for myself. Tommen and Myrcella are being kept under watchful guard and will not be harmed so take comfort in that fact I am not you in being cruel to innocent members of my enemy's family.
The same however, will not be said for you or the rest of your House. I know of all your crimes against my own and will not allow them to stand. You and the majority of your family will face the dragon's judgment and wrath one way or another through fire and blood. As such, should you survive the coming assault I intend to unleash on your forces, you will come to King's Landing with what is left of your family. I will see to it you pay your debt to the dragon until there is nothing left. If you do not come to King's Landing when called upon, I will ensure your family legacy is nothing but fire and ashes blowing in the wind.
Fire and blood.
King Aegon of House Targaryen
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"A Targaryen? Here in Westeros?" asked Tyrion while Tywin was deep in thought.
"It doesn't matter. I will crush this dragon like we did the last one. And unlike Robert, I will make sure none of that House escape me. Even if I have to do it myself!" declared Tywin while confident his forces could take King's Landing if they marched now.
Only for a roar to echo outside of the tent and Bronn running in.
"You're not going to fucking believe this, but there is a big fucking dragon flying over us right now!" exclaimed Bronn before another roar was heard and screams of people soon followed from being burned alive by the dragon.
"We need to get out of here!" exclaimed Kevan while grabbing his brother with the two running and Bronn actually picking up Tyrion before running out of the tent.
And saw only chaos around them with fire coming down on them from a massive dragon not seen since the days of old when the Targaryens were in power. The mighty dragon was merciless in its assault on the Lannister army, Vaderon letting off another wave of fire, burning everything in its path on the command of his Father, and loving every single minutes. The great beast had sensed his Father's rage over these humans bearing the mark of the furred animal so many seemed to fear. It actually irked Vaderon that such a symbol on these flesh creatures was more feared over the symbol of his Father's own. It was an insult to his pride as a dragon and the pride of his sire that such people follow this furred creature's likeness over its own.
And his Father had commanded him to make these enemies of the dragon pay with fire and blood. Vaderon had every intention of seeing the order carried out to the last detail.
Below the mighty dragon, what Lannister men could get on horses rode out of the camp site to Harrenhal with Tywin out in front with his brother Kevan. Tyrion was on a horse with Bronn taking control of it and pushing the horse to move as fast as possible to the castle. But unlike the others fleeing, the Sell Sword also stayed near the trees in the area so they had to go in there to hide from the beast flying above them. The dragon would occasionally dive, grabbing men and horse in one shot before flying high into the air, and drop them from a height where the impact left little in terms of identifiable remains.
The damn beast nearly got him and Tyrion if they hadn't moved closer to some trees and the dragon moved to some more open field target. One poor soul had half his upper body bitten clean off with the horse rising with only the lower half of the Lannister man to take back to Harrenhal.
By the time the dragon called off its pursuit and went back to the burning Lannister camp to find more straggling victims to eat or burn, only a handful of men made it to the castle. Tywin Lannister, Kevan Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Bronn, and three more men were all that was left of thousands of the Lannister army.
For Tyrion, he was glad that the camp follower Shae had left the camp a few days ago for the Capital at his recommendation where he assumed the woman would be safe until his own venture to the Capital. He also knew how his Father was aware of his activities with Shae and did not tolerate them being together. The last thing Tyrion wanted was for his Father to do something to her like what happened to the last woman who had earned the man's disapproval.
Though that was definitely the last thing on Tywin Lannister's mind at the moment.
After nearly killing their horses, the group made their way to the might castle, and to the war room within Harrenhal, the Lannister men plus one Sell Sword stormed into to catch a much needed breather. Kevan was breathing in and out, holding onto the table like it was the only thing keeping him standing. Tywin moved for a cup and drank some more wine from what was in the room, ignoring the bitter taste since it had gone bad. As for Bronn, he had slumped himself into the nearest chair before staring at the wall in front of him, though the image of the fire breathing dragon, and its action forever burned into his mind. Tyrion was closest to the door and simply walked over to a chair close to Bronn while being incredibly silent.
Until finally, after what seemed like long hours into the day, Kevan decided to speak.
"What do we do brother?" whispered Kevan before he turned to see Tywin was at a loss on what to do right now.
It was the first time he had ever been lost in anything. Tywin always tried to outthink his opponent first before outfighting them. But right now, the might lion could do neither. It lacked the mind or the might of this new foe that had descended upon them with all the power the stories claimed dragon's possessed. At first, Tywin had thought this would-be Targaryen was a mummer, a pretender trying to seat himself on the Iron Throne, just like everyone else believed. But no one knew about the dragon that just destroyed half of his army and was clearly being controlled by this Targaryen now in King's Landing.
As his mind processed what happened, the old lion recalled the letter sent to him about how if he survived the coming attack, Tywin was to come to King's Landing to stand trial for his crimes. The old lion also didn't have to read between the lines of the letter to know what would happen if he nor his family refused to show up as ordered.
That one dragon could burn down all of Casterly Rock. And what if there was more then just the one? What if this Targaryen had the other dragons? Didn't' Varys reveal that there were three dragons? The House sigil was a three headed dragon after all and sending one lone dragon without having another or more watching over King's Landing would be reckless. No. There was more then just one big dragon to worry about. Tywin was sure this was not the end of it. This Aegon Targaryen just needed to unleash the one beast to make his point while the threat of two more possibly being around to back it up played on his mind.
He was beaten. Deep in his heart, Tywin Lannister knew he was beaten. No amount of gold would appease this dragon. No whores to distract him. This wasn't the bloated Stag that was the late Robert Baratheon. This was a Targaryen with a sharp mind and a strong will to use whatever method was available to bring about victory.
"Find out where our men are located in Riverrun. Tell them to withdraw back to Casterly Rock," whispered Tywin at last in reply.
"We're surrendering Father?" asked Tyrion with Tywin nodding since it was the only real thing they could do.
"It is for the best Tyrion. If just one fucking dragon could do that to your Father's army, can you imagine what they would do with more under this Targaryen's command?" asked Bronn with Tyrion shuddering and Kevan was breathing heavier.
"He'd crush us. No! Burn us all," whispered Kevan fearfully while thinking of his son still in King's Landing.
"Bend the knee. Save what we can. Even if what is left becomes barely anything. As long as one Lannister lives, the House survives to still grow strong again," commented Tyrion with Tywin nodding in agreement.
"But will this Targaryen allow this. Judging from the letter, he may not let any of us walk out of King's Landing alive," warned Kevan with Tywin continued to think.
"If we don't go, the dragon that nearly killed us will come back, and I have no doubt the beast will bring two more to help finish the job!" protested Tyrion with Kevan sighing in defeat with his head now on the table since no matter what they did, their lives might be forfeit.
"We will go to King's Landing. Send a raven to this Targaryen. Tell him we will be in the city when he wishes it. Tell him I wish for a temporary truce with House Stark in order to get our affairs in order before we head for King's Landing," said Tywin with Kevan now nodding and slowly rose from his chair to carry out the order.
