A Lioness Still Has Claws | Female Tywin Lannister | ASOIAF/GOT

The Lost Heir

EDITED: 8th Jan 2022

273AC

It was two months after Tyrion was born that Tya returned to her work. Seven weeks too long in her opinion, and two months too soon in Pycelle's. Even so, after that first day back on the small council, she understood why the maester warned her to be careful; everything was still so much more tiring, and she was still very sore in certain places.

Aerys seemed delighted to have her back at first, though that quickly deteriorated. It seemed two months away from her influence had got him used to walking all over the small council and doing whatever he liked.

In the early days of his reign, she had merely had to curb his ridiculous ideas - such as building a new Wall a hundred leagues north of the current one to extend his kingdom, or digging an underwater canal to make the deserts of Dorne fertile, or building a war fleet to 'bring the Titan of Braavos to its knees' - but that was easy enough seeing how fast he lost interest in such things.

Things had soured enough over the years that by now the king openly did the opposite of whatever Tya suggested, which made the next two years very trying indeed. Aerys had always been changeable, quick to laugh but quick to anger, and very proud as well, but this went beyond that, into suspicious and paranoid.

In the later months of 273AC, Myr and Tyrosh became involved in a trade war against Volantis, a matter that shouldn't have even concerned the King of the Seven Kingdoms. Aerys was showing too much interest, however, prompting Tya to suggest that they remain neutral. Of course, this made the king order gold and arms to be sent to Voltanis as a gesture of their goodwill.

Early the next year, the ridiculous millennia-long feud between Lords Bracken and Blackwood reared its head again over some a border dispute. Tya wished to favour the Blackwoods - it would be more useful in the long run, and the king's own grandmother had been a Blackwood - so in response Aerys sided with House Bracken.

But by far the most irritating incident was when Aerys doubled the port fees for Oldtown and King's Landing and tripled them at all other ports in Westeros, including Lannisport. Trade obviously suffered drastically and a delegation of merchants came before the Iron Throne to protest these laws. Tya had been ready to oblige them and be smug knowing that she was right, only for Aerys to lie, blaming the mess on his Hand and changing the port fees back. He gained a lot of popularity for that, whilst Tya was afforded nothing but scorn.

All those ill-advised jokes and slights towards her in public still continued, of course. A month or so after she returned to her duties, the king was heard to have said that Tya had begotten a monster from the gods who nearly ripped her apart 'to teach her some humility at last'. That had destroyed any tiny semblance of friendship they may have had leftover from childhood. She hadn't even confronted him about that despite knowing he definitely said such a thing, she was so angry.

It didn't end there, however. At one memorable feast, Aerys drunkenly asked her if nursing her 'monster of a son' had ruined her breasts. Her rivals in court laughed at every jape out of the king's mouth against her, even joking about her themselves to gain the king's favour. Never to her face, though, which was satisfying in its own way.

There was only so much Tya could do about such things in public. Largely she bore the jests in silence, never showing any public display of weakness. Jason sometimes commented when the king went too far, but he was limited to keeping his tone light and joking, never openly chastising or reproachful.

She continued to serve the realm as Hand - not really having much choice unless she wanted to fade into obscurity - whilst Aerys grew more and more suspicious and erratic.