RM: The Lion Bearded III

Tywin Lannister was apoplectic. It had all come to this, everything he had done for his family, all the sacrifices he had made for his Legacy, and this was what it amounted to. Stuck in a second-rate keep like that of the Crag's, his forces shattered, his family imprisoned, and his enemies about to break in and capture him. Even in the darkest days of the past three wars he had been part of, when Euron Greyjoy had burned the fleet at Lannisport and ravaged the docks of that City, when Aerys the Mad seized his son, Jaime, and demanded Tywin pay him immediate fealty or else, and when his Uncle, Ser Jason Lannister, had been killed in the disastrous first landing on Bloodstone, Tywin had not faced such despair.

"I should have killed the Seawynd Boy when I had the chance. Without him, Stannis never could have mounted such a broad coalition." Growled Tywin as he paced back and forth in the Solar he had commandeered from Lord Gawen Westerling.

It was true, and Tywin had allowed two separate chances to do so slip from his grasp. First, during the Tourney at Lannisport, when the Seawynd Boy was a mere stripling who had yet to become more than a minor retainer of House Martell. He'd had the Boy in his power during the Tourney then, though he could never have realized just what a problem the Boy would have become at that juncture. The second time had been back before King Robert's death, when the Seawynd Boy had spurned his demands for snaplock technology as compensation for the maiming of Ser Gregor Clegane. He should have pressed for war, then, instead of allowing distance to stay his hand.

The Death of King Robert was another issue. His daughter had forced Tywin's hand there and brought Stannis into prominence politically in a way that he would have never been able to become had King Robert died of natural causes some years down the line. Tywin's Grandsons would have had time to grow into manhood and become more permanent fixtures of the Court had Cersei not decided to begin weakening her Husband's heart with successive doses of poison in his wine. She had confessed to Tywin that she had done so shortly before her capture. It had been meant to be a slow, unsuspicious death, but the timing, when added to everything else, could not have been worse. Of course, that did describe Cersei aptly enough. His daughter always did imagine herself to be far more clever than she was.

"There is no sense bemoaning the past, I suppose. I will simply have to forge ahead as best I can. Kevan still holds the Rock with Tommen. If I can escape this rat trap I seem to have found myself in, I may yet be able to rally a final force there to hold out. The Rock has never been seized by assault, after all." Mused Tywin.

Of course, the unspoken question was what would happen after he had done so. It was swiftly becoming clear to Tywin that he could not win this war by force of arms. Not anymore, at least. He would need to find some alternate method of victory, or at least something that would allow him to negotiate a peace settlement. It was then that he hit upon an idea. It was a variation of the one that he'd hit upon during the Sack of King's Landing, but it was one that just might work. Of course, it would need to be done swiftly. Even if Tywin managed to smuggle himself out of the Crag and hole up in Casterly Rock, that would only work so long as supplies held out. The Rock was well provisioned, of course, but even that would not last indefinitely.

Turning to one of the two guards at the door of the Solar, he inclined his head sharply to get the Man's Attention. This one was one of his, in Lannister Red, not the one in Westerling Tan, though he had allowed Lord Gawen's men to mix duties with his own guards as a courtesy to his host. The Lannister Guard stood to attention as Tywin spoke to him.

"Bring me First Ser Amory Lorch and Second, Maester Tylett." Intoned Tywin.

The Lannister Guard saluted and hurried out of the Solar to find a page to bring the requested people to the Solar. Maester Tylett, the Maester of the Crag, was Tywin's Cousin. A son of his Uncle Jason, and thus the Younger Brother of his Cousin Ser Stafford Lannister. Furthermore, Tylett looked enough like Tywin that the two might be mistaken for one another with just a touch of the Mummer's Art. Fortunately, Lord Gawen had taken in a number of former Mummers who could utilize make-up and costumery to make Tywin resemble his cousin enough that the two might be mistaken for one another in poor enough light, including his current Chamberlain, a Man named Rhys who had run a Mummer's Troupe for some years before deciding to turn to a more respectable profession.

The plan, such as it was, was simple. Tywin would disguise himself to appear as Tylett, using some of the Mummer's Arts that Lord Gawen's Chamberlain possessed. Then, when night fell, he would attempt to escape the siege disguised as Tylett. He would leave Lord Terrence Kenning in command here while Tywin made haste for the Rock under the cover provided by his disguise. It would take Tywin one week to travel incognito from the Crag to the Rock, so Lord Kenning would have orders to hold the Keep for at least that long, longer if he could, to give Tywin time to muster the Rock's final reserve of men to hold against the onslaught.

As for Ser Amory Lorch, well, that was a different matter. Tywin would never have consented to attempting to travel through the sewerage system like some common Gong Farmer. Even if Stannis' Men had no such compunctions, that was too much for the Lord of the Rock and Warden of the West to Countenance. He was only begrudgingly deciding to so much as attempt to leave disguised as his cousin, after all. However, Ser Amory Lorch was another story. A man such as that would not stain his honor any further by traveling through such foulness. The reason that Tywin would send Ser Amory through the sewers was quite simple. He was sending the Man on a mission, one which Ser Amory had accomplished before.

Tywin was sending Ser Amory Lorch to take ship for Dragonstone, infiltrate the castle, and capture Stannis' Daughter, Shireen Baratheon. The only difference between this mission and the one that Ser Amory Lorch had undertaken alongside Ser Gregor Clegane at the end of Robert's Rebellion was that instead of killing Shireen, he was to steal her away so that Tywin could utilize her as a bargaining chip against Stannis. Stannis was a hard man. There was no doubt of that, but even hard men cared for their children, especially when that child is Stannis' sole heir.

Between that, agreeing to lay aside Tommen's Claim to the Throne, and Tywin's position in control of the Rock, it may just about be possible for Tywin to come out of this without losing his head and retaining at least some of his lands. If he negotiated well, that is. That would have to be enough to secure his Legacy. If it were not, Tywin wasn't sure what he would do next.

He would just have to burn that bridge when he came to it. . .

XXXX

Stannis Baratheon had largely been reviewing reports from the ongoing siege of the Crag. The Outer and Middle Wards had been captured, leaving only the Main Keep and Inner Ward in the hands of the Lannisters and their lackeys. One might think that such things meant that victory was all but assured, and that a certain laxness might be called for. One might think that, but Stannis was more experienced than that. After all, had not that very same attitude doomed Mace Tyrell at the Siege of Storm's End? The Man had insisted on throwing lavish banquets in view of the walls every day, while inside, Stannis and his men starved. Such banqueting had only bred a lax attitude amongst the Reachmen, one that had served them all poorly when Eddard Stark came south to lift the Siege.

Stannis was no Mace Tyrell. He would not be caught out by some trick from Tywin Lannister because of inattention or laxness. Such dereliction of duty was anathema to him, after all. So, when not planning assaults on the Inner Ward of the Crag, Stannis was reviewing reports. Reports of the Supply situation for his Army, Reports from the Iron Isles that Rodrik Harlaw had sent him, reports from the Riverlands from Lord Seawynd, even reports from Lord Stark at the Wall and the ongoing situation there with the Wildlings. Always, there was more to do in order to end this conflict in a timely manner. It was because of such insistence on diligence that Stannis was able to give an audience when Lord Westerling's Chamberlain had snuck out of the Inner Ward with information for Stannis.

Now, as the sun began to set over the Crag, in the midst of the modest Guardhouse in the Middle Ward that Stannis had taken for his Headquarters, he sat listening to the report from Lord Westerling's Chamberlain. The Man, one Rhys of Wyndhall, was dressed in sandy hues of tan and off-white. Likely, the Man had come straight from serving Lord Westerling, with only the rather large hooded cloak he wore to disguise him. Stannis was sure the shave-headed Chamberlain's information had been the cause of his haste, though whether or not he could trust said information was another matter altogether.

"And you say that Tywin Lannister will attempt this escape tonight?" Questioned Stannis.

"Aye, Your Grace. Under cover of darkness." Confirmed Rhys.

"How do you know this?" Queried Stannis.

"I used to be the head of a Mummer's Troupe, Your Grace. Lord Tywin had me use those arts to disguise him to resemble his cousin, the Maester of the Crag." Informed Rhys.

"And he will attempt to use that disguise to ensure his escape?" Asked Stannis.

"As I said, Your Grace." Nodded Rhys.

"I don't believe it. Tywin Lannister lower himself to escaping under a disguise? It doesn't seem possible." Huffed Ser Cortnay Penrose.

"Agreed. It would prick his pride too much." Nodded Lord Duram Bar Emmon.

"Perhaps not as much as a loss here would, though." Mused Lord Rupert Crabb.

"Indeed. It would definitely be preferable to being captured." Added Lord Triston Sunderland.

"I agree with Lords Crabb and Sunderland. Tywin Lannister would not allow his Legacy to end like this. The Man has sacrificed too much for it." Intoned Lord Monford Velaryon

"What say you, Ser Davos. You were a Smuggler. Could such a thing be done?" Questioned Stannis.

"It might at that, Your Grace. If Lord Tywin looks enough like his cousin to begin with, that is." Frowned Ser Davos Seaworth.

"Does he look like his cousin?" Queried Stannis.

"You mean Maester Tylett, Your Grace?" Asked Rhys.

"Of course." Nodded Stannis.

"Aye, Your Grace. He does, at that. My make-up and costuming will also help to disguise him." Confirmed Rhys.

"In that case, anyone trying to leave the Inner Ward of the Crag whilst claiming to be Maester Tylett is to be captured and detained. Should this information prove true, you will be richly rewarded." Intoned Stannis.

"Thank you, Your Grace." Bowed Rhys.

The audience concluded, Stannis stood to return to his reports, even as the various Lords that had been present filtered out of the Guardhouse to disseminate Stannis' new orders to the men. It would not be until close to midnight that such orders bore fruit. Stannis had to be roused from sleep by one of Lord Caspar Wylde's Messengers. It seemed that they had caught Tywin Lannister attempting to use his disguise to trick his way past some of the Levies that Stannis had guarding the Piemaker's Passage, a small alleyway that led from the Inner Ward of the Crag to the Kitchens of the Middle Ward. Stannis' orders had taken precedence, and had allowed the Levies to stall the supposed Maester for long enough that Ser Justin Massey was able to arrive to take him into Custody.

Now, Stannis dressed and prepared to meet with the man he suspected to be Lord Tywin Lannister, who his men had locked in a cell in the base of a Guard Tower in the Outer Ward. As Stannis finished dressing, and his Squire began to armor him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety at the thought that he could be mistaken, forcing him once again to grind his teeth, even though by now he understood that such things were detrimental to his health. He would find out soon enough whether Rhys the Chamberlain's information was correct or if it was all some massive ruse.

Fully armored, Stannis buckled on his swordbelt and made his way out of his commandeered chambers toward the Guardhouse-turned-prison, flanked by guards. Not just his own, but also Guards from Houses Crabb, Velaryon, Wylde, and Sunderland. No doubt all would tell their Lords of what transpired at the Guardhouse as soon as the event ended and they could make their way back to their Lords, but Stannis didn't mind.

After all, Stannis would tell them himself soon enough. . .

XXXX

The Prisoner in the Cell was clearly Tywin Lannister, shaved of his iconic muttonchops and given a false mustache, with a bit of make-up approximating a birthmark on his left hand to match the one that Maester Tylett had, among other things. He was also dressed in the Robes of a Maester, with a Maester's Chain, instead of in his armor or normal crimson and cloth of gold ensemble. However, as Stannis had one of his men, a Guardsman with Lord Crabb's forces, bring a torch closer to the Prisoner to show the man in much better light, the lie of the Mummer's Arts was quickly revealed.

"Tywin." Intoned Stannis.

"Stannis." Scowled Tywin.

"That's Your Grace, to you." Snarled Lord Crabb's Man.

"I think not." Huffed Tywin.

"You still deny my claim? Even now?" Questioned Stannis.

"You already have me captured. What good would acknowledging it do at this late hour?" Queried Tywin.

"I suppose that is a point. However, you are not doing much to make the case for being allowed to keep your seat by doing so." Intoned Stannis.

"I care not for me, Stannis. I have always done everything for my family." Insisted Tywin.

"For your legacy, you mean." Scoffed Stannis.

"Either way, I would ask you to allow my Grandson, Tommen, to take the Lordship of Casterly Rock after me, if you intend to exile me, send me to the Wall, or Execute Me." Pleaded Tywin.

"Tommen Waters is no true Lannister. He is a Bastard born of incest. Why should I do so? Why should I even keep the Rock in Lannister Hands at all?" Asked Stannis.

"Because only a Lannister can truly rule the Rock. The Bargain that Lann the Clever made to become the First King of the Rock demands it." Answered Tywin.

"Superstition, Tywin? I never knew you to be a Man to go in for such things." Remarked Stannis.

"I am not. However, that superstition has guided my Family's policies for generations. You will find no one who can administrate the Rock like a Lannister can. It is a complex machine, one that cannot be bartered away like a cow or chopped up like cabbage. Not without problems occurring." Pressed Tywin.

"Tommen is a child. Even if I agree to legitimize him in order to keep the Rock in Lannister Hands, he knows nothing of such things." Pointed out Stannis.

"True, he is a child, but his Uncle knows enough of the workings of Casterly Rock to tutor him. Kevan was my aide for a long time, after all." Retorted Tywin.

"Kevan Lannister will not be allowed to go free. He is just as culpable in this war as you are." Frowned Stannis.

"Unless you wish the Westerlands to go to ruin once I am gone, you will need to keep him on. My Son knows nothing of running the Rock. Even were you inclined to keep Jaime in Westeros instead of sent into Exile or the Wall, he was taken from my care by Aerys too soon for any of those lessons to have truly begun. None of my cousins has the requisite knowledge, and unless you have managed to somehow magic up one of my other brothers back from the dead, Kevan and Tommen are all you have to avoid a disaster." Intoned Tywin.

"There is always Tyrion. I am told the Imp has a keen mind, one that is tempered by enough wisdom not to revolt. He has also been a model prisoner thus far." Mused Stannis.

"The Imp will never inherit the Rock!" Snarled Tywin, losing his composure for a brief instant before mastering himself again.

Stannis was taken aback at the brief but sudden loss of control. To his knowledge, Tywin Lannister had not lost his composure like that for decades. Did he truly think so poorly of his son? True, Tyrion was stunted, a bit more fond of Wine and Women than Stannis would have liked, but he had no idea that Tywin Lannister held such disdain for his own son. Especially not when he held his other son in such high regard. Perhaps it was the death of Lady Joanna in Childbirth that had caused such intense emotion? Stannis knew not. However, there was one thing that was abundantly clear to him.

"You are in no position to demand such, Tywin. However, I shall take your. . .advice into consideration. In the meantime, I will be holding you to ensure a speedy end to this war. Your judgment, and that of your family, will happen afterward." Intoned Stannis.

And with that, he left with his guards, returning to the siege of the Inner Ward now that he was awake. Stannis was determined to wrap this up and move onto the Rock within the next fortnight. Once he had done that, only the area under the Control of Lord Baelish would remain to defy him.

And from the reports sent to Stannis by Lord Seawynd, that front would be closing shortly as well. . .

XXXX

Meanwhile, alone in his cell, Tywin Lannister let out a breath of frustration. Stannis had been correct, of course. Tywin was not in any position to make demands now that he had been captured. Stannis would likely disregard his suggestions and possibly even exile or kill his entire family if nothing changed. Of course, that might not come to pass at all. After all, nothing that Stannis had said or done at all indicated he even understood that Ser Amory Lorch had also escaped the Siege of the Inner Ward of the Crag. There was still the hope that Ser Amory would be successful in his mission, that he would be able to make it to Dragonstone and capture Shireen Baratheon.

If Ser Amory Lorch could do that, if he could capture Stannis' sole heir, then Tywin would likely be able to bargain for Tommen gaining control of the Rock under Kevan's tutelage. It would not be enough to save him, and likely would not save his Children either, nor did Tywin believe that their lands would remain completely intact. However, it would preserve at least some of his Legacy intact, even if House Lannister lost vassals and territory and he found himself, Cersei, and Jaime forced into exile.

And that, Tywin reflected, was enough for him. There was no full victory available to him now. He had to make his peace with that. However, this victory of survival for his family and legacy might yet be gained. It would have to be enough for him, because there simply was no other way. Besides, it was unlikely that even someone as keen on reform as Stannis was would completely uproot the House of a Lord Paramount. After all, if Balon Greyjoy had been able to keep his seat after his ill-advised revolt, surely House Lannister would still be ensconced in the Rock when all was said and done? Especially with the negotiating leverage that Ser Amory Lorch could bring to him. That had to be correct. After all, Tywin Lannister refused to countenance the only other option, total attainting of his House and Legacy.

It was simply not a thing that Tywin Lannister was willing to think would happen. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Tywin is now in Custody, but Tommen and Kevan are still holding the Rock with the Lannisters' last muster, while the Inner Ward of the Crag is still under siege. Meanwhile, Ser Amory Lorch is on his way to attempt to kidnap Shireen to try and give Tywin negotiating leverage with Stannis to keep Tommen as Lord of Casterly Rock. It may or may not work out the way he wants, though. It is a long shot, after all, but at this point, Tywin is down to the Hail Mary play, if I were to use an American Football euphemism.

At any rate, the next chapter will have us returning to the Iron Isles for the Battle of Hammerhorn, before finally returning to Ricasso's POV for the next part of the Battle of Maidenpool. Then we'll get more of Ricasso's POV afterward.

Stay tuned. . .