AN :
The story needs more power stones...
In the Game of Stones, you either win or you wait. The more Power Stones you offer, the faster the chapters come.
...
( Tywin Lannister POV )
The Hand of the King was not a man particularly prone to headaches. No, quite the opposite he had quite a sturdy constitution, and yet, the past 16 hours had been one headache after another. Quite a feat, given that he was more than used to cleaning up over King Aerys' messes in a careful fashion.
Tywin stared under heavy eyebrows, a frown plastered firmly on his face as his eyes slid to the side, back to Ser Clegane, who, thin-lipped and pale, had just finished giving his report on the… mess, at the tourney stands.
"You're certain that Cersei struck first?" Tywin asked cooly, his face tight with restrained anger as he tapped his finger on the side of his chair. He was sitting in the half-light of his red and gold tent as he stared down his children like a viper waiting to strike.
"Yes, My Lord, she was very angry at the perceived insult towards Lord Callum." the man swallowed visibly, but in truth, he had no reason to be afraid. Tywin was not one to punish the bearer of bad news, and from what he'd heard, Ser Clegane had ultimately resolved the situation as best he could. "She struck Princess Elia in the stomach, very hard, and Princess Elia slapped her face in turn."
Tywin exhaled through his nose, turning his gaze back to Cersei, a red handprint still visible on her face, looking painful. He supposed she might learn something from that, but from the defiant expression on her face, he doubted it. His frown deepened as he stared at her, and she matched his gaze with her own, her hands on her hips. Cersei had a strong will.
He didn't know whether it was her mother's or his that she had inherited, but whatever the case his daughter would not take simple chastisement, not unless she was made to understand exactly why she had been foolish. Furthermore, she had not been entirely wrong to act as she had. Merely premature.
"Cersei." His daughter's spine straightened as he spoke, despite her unflinching stare. "Acting to protect Callum was well intended." Tywin chose his words carefully. "Have you considered the potential consequences for your brother, however?"
Cersei blinked. "Well- of course!" she said quickly. "I don't want him to be married to that snake of a woman Father! She lied to his face and then practically called him ugly! Said that he'd never be a knight or a handsome man!"
Tywin's frown deepened, as he glanced back over at Callum. The boy bore a frown much like his own, though it looked so strange on Joanna's features. The boy gave Tywin a short nod, though he couldn't place quite what his son was thinking about now.
He had come to Tywin when the intermission started and asked to go speak to Princess Elia alone and calm the situation. From what Ser Clegane had said, he had been on his way there, despite the potential insults, when Cersei had burst in. Tywin turned his gaze back to Cersei, leaning forward as he spoke. "Cersei, you have done more harm than good. Think about what breaking your brother's betrothal would mean for him." Tywin raised a finger as she moved to speak.
"Do not think about how much you hate Princess Elia, or whether she insulted him." Tywin corrected, and she shut her lips, looking somewhat confused. "Think about what Marrying her gets him, and what it gets House Lannister, then consider whether an equally beneficial match is readily available for him." Tywin's frown deepened.
"Callum is not my heir, a second son of Casterly Rock, yet because of your mother's friendship with Princess Enella, I was able to secure him a marriage to another great house. Do you think that it would be so easy to manage it a second time? Especially after all this scandal?"
Cersei stopped moving for a moment, a strange expression crossing her face. "I… you think…" she glanced over at Callum, who looked back at her with a tired frown. "But… no Father! Even if he were to marry someone of lesser standing, wouldn't it still be better than a wife who would manipulate him?" Cersei spoke with passion, and also as if she were clinging on to a rock in the ocean. "Callum has a kind heart, to let someone twist and tear at it with poisoned words, I don't wish for him to suffer such a fate!"
Tywin raised an eyebrow. An interesting notion Cersei seemed to have about her brother. Tywin had never read him as especially soft-hearted. More so than himself granted, but Callum still had steel in his heart, his reform ideas were proof enough. His gaze returned to his son. "Callum, this is a matter affecting you, what do you believe?" There was only one right answer of course, but Tywin knew his son well enough to expect him to answer properly.
He wasn't disappointed.
Callum straightened up and spoke, pushing his hair back out of his face. "Regardless of whether I particularly like Princess Elia right now, the betrothal must go through." He nodded quickly. "Firstly for the sake of forming an alliance with House Martell that will benefit House Lannister substantially, and secondly to honor my mother." he chuckled bitterly.
"Princess Elia seems quite distressed to be marrying me, and I suppose she wanted me to share her pain with this whole mess, I confess I'm not much enthused to be marrying her anymore, but I believe we can mend our relationship, given time and effort." He frowned a bit at the end there. "If you talk to Prince Doran though father, please tell him to send her back to Dorne with all haste. I don't doubt the honesty of her promise to avoid Prince Rhaegar, but if the Prince seeks her out-"
"He won't," Tywin said firmly. "Aery's hatred for the Dornish has seen to that. Our king is rather angry with Prince Rhaegar."
Callum winced as he spoke. "Even so, Prince Rhaegar is known to be taken with passion… if he slips his father's grasp then I would not put it past him to charm Elia anyway. If they eloped it could be construed as romantic." He stopped speaking for a moment as if to let Tywin digest his words. "Please have her sent home, the sooner the better."
Tywin considered his son for a moment, deciding that he'd think on the merits of such a plan later. On the one hand, it might make rumors of the supposed scandal spread further, and do more damage to House Lannister and House Martell, but on the other, it could cut off a more severe scandal before it started. He'd take his due time deciding which route was better. His eyes went back to Cersei. The girl seemed to have stiffened, looking much more quiet. He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking as she looked down at the floor.
"I-is it true that Prince Rhaegar is in love with Lady Elia as well?" Cersei asked, her hands bunching up her dress as she turned to look at him. Tywin could only sigh as her gaze burned brighter than before. "Is that true father?"
"He certainly… expressed affection towards her at the feast, but love is not formed in an evening Cersei," Tywin said, again being forced to choose his words carefully, lest he set off his temperamental daughter or convince her to do something foolish. "I doubt his heart is set on her as his only love."
Cersei narrowed her eyes. "It had best not be." She said quietly.
Tywin breathed slowly, preparing a new argument for his daughter, before he heard the distant blare of the trumpet and let out a final sigh, standing from his chair, he walked over to his children. The mood was sour, even by his own standards, but he was not above some minor show of pride either. Whatever their failings, his children still behaved as Lions in their own ways. He leaned down and placed his hands on both of their heads.
"Cersei!" He snapped, and he felt her spine straighten, pushing her head up into his hand. "Protecting your brother from insult was admirable, but you acted prematurely and rashly. Next time, think about the consequences before you brawl with someone from another Great House."
Cersei nodded. "Yes, Father."
Tywin gave her a nod in turn before he turned to Callum. "Callum, I am not disappointed in your efforts, despite the position your betrothed has placed you in." Tywin gave him a short nod. "You are behaving as expected of you."
"Of course," Callum said, staring up at him, before glancing over at Cersei suspiciously. Tywin chalked that up to the rather odd notions of his soft-heartedness, she'd been speaking.
Tywin let both of them go as he walked forward, sending a small nod to Ser Clegane. The man had been performing well enough as Callum's bodyguard on this trip, and his handling of this latest mess was well done also. Interposing himself between Cersei and Princess Elia was probably the only thing that had prevented it from becoming an all-out fight between the two, and it had been a near thing as is. He'd see that the knight was rewarded upon their return to the Westerlands.
"Very well," Tywin spoke. "I'll hear no more of this for the moment." he felt his headache ease a bit as he walked out of the tent, making his way briskly toward the tourney grounds. It would be a balm to watch Jaime win his first tourney.
Of course, once he had situated himself in The Hand's box once again his headache started to come back quickly.
Down in the ring, Jaime leaned on his padded arming sword with a cocky grin on his face, one hand extended to point toward the tallest boy in the arena with him.
"Tyrell!" Jaime challenged unflinchingly. "Mace Tyrell, I heard your mother told you to lose!"
Tywin felt his blood rise a bit as his son decided to do exactly the opposite of what he needed to win. Instead, he challenged the biggest boy there, in a manner that the Tyrell heir couldn't refuse. He didn't quite know why Olenna Tyrell would advise her son to lose, or if it was even true that she did, but he would have preferred Jaime let it happen rather than call it out before the whole of the tourney grounds.
Jaime continued pointing at young Mace, who looked a bit shocked at the accusation. Shocked and a little angry. "What say you ignore her and we have a good bout instead?"
Tywin grimaced as the larger boy seemed to find his footing, answering Jaime's challenge and beating his sword against his shield. "Sounds fair to me Lannister." he advanced, the other boys in the melee clearing a path between the two.
"Word of warning though," the older boy grinned, his lanky form towering nearly a foot over Jaime's. "I've been holding back."
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