aeternus | tywin lannister

IV

"Margaret?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"What do you know about Lord Tywin Lannister?"

The old handmaiden stopped brushing the girl's hair to look at her in the mirror, "Nothing special. The maids don't speak a whole lot about him. He's quite reserved."

She started brushing her hair again and Halaena frowned, watching another handmaiden making her bed through her mirror, "Is that so?"

"Yes, my lady. Sometimes we speak about him, but it's not something very specific. We just think he is extremely successful, especially when he is still so young."

"Do you remember when he came to King's Landing a few years ago? He was a mere royal page and yet he became one of my brother's closest friends. I didn't really like him at the time, I still don't. I don't trust him and I don't think I ever will. My father made him a knight when my brother asked and he went to battle right after. I knew he would come back sooner or later, those ambitious lords always do."

Margaret heard the young Targaryen and made a small smile, "You remember some things about him, my lady."

"Of course I do. It's extremely important to know the people who surround us, especially the ambitious ones. Here at King's Landing, we can never be safe and that is why knowing rumors is so important. You can always hold them against those who hurt us."

"You are right, my lady. Your hair is done."

Halaena got up from the chair and looked once more at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves and her long hair braided carefully.

"Alright, it's my nephew's name day and I can barely wait to see one more of those silly tournaments."

Margaret opened the door for her and followed her outside her chambers. Her door was always guarded by two men of the Kingsguard, but that day she found four men standing outside her door and none other than Tywin Lannister speaking to a man with a heavy black cloak.

She frowned, wondering what could they possibly be doing in the hall outside her chambers.

"My lady," the man in black approached her and took her hand in his, leaving a soft kiss on her skin right after, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. You're as beautiful as the songs tell."

"Thank you. Pardon me, but who are you?"

"I'm Kegan Mudd, a member of the Night's Watch and I came to the Capital to gather new recruits."

She still didn't understand why they were standing outside her chambers. Thankfully Tywin understood her confusion and intervened, "I found him talking to your guards when I came here to escort you to the tournament," he explained, "But he was just about to leave."

She nodded her head and looked at Kegan Mudd again, wondering what he had done to end up in the Night's Watch.

"Fine. It was a pleasure to meet you," she said to the man who smiled at her.

Tywin approached her and she naturally laced her arm in his, "I didn't know today I was to be accompanied by you, my lord."

He started walking with her by her side, her handmaiden and two guards following them, "What are you expecting someone else?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone at all," she answered, surprised he had thought about escorting her. Maybe he wouldn't be such a terrible husband after all, "But I'm glad you're here. I need to speak with you. Privately."

He nodded his head at the three people following them and he didn't need to say a word before they started walking the other way.

"What is it?"