Untouched Gold / Tywin Lannister / Avalon Targaryen (1)

72. Succession

"What are we going to do?" Avalon questioned as she paced her chambers.

"Go home and ignore the capital?" Tywin offered. "First thing in the morning we leave, say fuck it and go back to the rock, we were happy there. You went to winterfell and trouble followed you back." Tywin remarked.

"I understand how you might think that." Avalon agreed slowly.

"Yeah? You do?" Tywin mused.

"Tywin, they are our children, we can't just abandon them."

"Cersei and Jaime made their mistakes, Cersei wanted to be queen and raising monstrous little cunts like Joffrey just so happened to be a part of that for her." Tywin offered.

"I agree, of course I do, Joffrey is... he needs the wall. He needs to be far away, but... we can't just leave our family."

"You are my family." Tywin reminded her. "I am worried that staying here will reveal who you are and put you and the kids in danger. Ned Stark is poking around and if he decides that he doesnt like the outcome from his little pissing match with Cersei then he might threaten to tell your secrets too." Tywin declared. "And I won't lose you, Avalon."

"Then I talk with Ned Stark." Avalon remarked. "I talk to him and we find common ground." She offered.

"Yes and if he doesnt like that? If you can't find common ground?" Tywin countered.

"I think he is a man of honor, I think we can work something out." Avalon corrected. Tywin sighed heavily as he ran his hands over her arms.

"And if you can't? Then we go home and put our guards up and say fuck off to the capital for a while until things settle down?" Tywin begged.

"Deal." Avalon agreed. "Seal it with a kiss or it doesnt count." she added getting on her tip toes to kiss him.

'lord stark a moment,' renly requested. 'alone if you will?' ned followed Renly off. 'he named you protector of the realm. She won't care. Give me an hour and I can give you 100 men.'

'what can I do with 100 men?' ned questioned.

'attack, in the night, we take joffrey into custody. every moment you delay gives cersei time to prepare. By the time Robert dies it will be too late for us. We can take Tywin's children as well, leverage.''

"No, no, no," Ned corrected shaking his head.

"Yes." Renly countered.

''what about stannis?'ned questioned.

''save the seven kingdoms from cersei and give them to stannis?' He asked incredulously. 'You have odd notions of protecting the realm.''

''stannis is your older brother.' Ned corrected.

''the line of succession doesn't matter, it didn't matter when you rebelled against the mad king.'' Renly reminded him. 'It shouldn't matter now. what's best for the kingdoms what's best for the people. We know what stannis is he inspires no trust or loyalty. I do.' Renly told him. Succession.

"Succession." Ned agreed. "Thats right, we fucked up then when Robert took the crown, we said fuck it, Targaryens are bad but we didnt have all the facts then."

"And we do now?" Renly countered confused. "Stannis is not the king we need."

'Stannis is a commander. He's lead men into war twice, he destroyed a Greyjoy fleet.' Ned reminded him but that wasnt the succession Ned was thinking about.

'yes he's a great solider so was Robert tell me do you believe good soldiers make good kings?' Renly countered.

'I will not honor Roberts last hours by shedding blood in these halls'. Ned informed him. 'And dragging frightened children from their beds. No one touches the Lannisters. I need to... talk about succession with someone that has some skin in the game.'' Ned realized as he walked off, Renly gaped back at him confused.

+

"Of course I know, a mother knows these things." Avalon remarked and Ned nodded of course she knew her grandchildren were that of incest, a mother knows these things. "Tywin doesn't. I don't think he does. He knows but he has forced ignorance. He chooses not to see it. I don't want Joffrey to be king. I am fine with you being lord protector." Avalon rambled.

"Thank you." Ned agreed.

"But I'm not in charge." Avalon reminded him. "You have to get Cersei to agree. She is the queen."

"So we are at an impasse again?" Ned countered.

"No. I will speak with cersei-You know you never fucking tell the person you know their secrets its like waiting for death." Avalon remarked.

"I told you."

"Well I'm not a bad person."

"And Cersei is?" Ned countered and Avalon let out a long slow breath her face pinched.

"I love my children, those of my womb and otherwise." Avalon reminded him. "Ned you don't want to make an enemy out of me."

"They are no heirs they are bastard, if you want the crown, you should take it." Ned declared.

"I could but I never wanted the crown." Avalon corrected. "I just want my family to be safe. You understand that. Now lets work something out that we can all agree upon."

"You." Ned declared.

"Me?" Avalon whispered shaking her head.

"You are Targaryen, you should be queen, you would be the next in the true line of succession." Ned reminded her.

"No, Jon would be." Avalon altered.

"No. You."

"Men-"

"Dont you know your Targaryen history?" Ned mused. "Arya does. She could fill you in." Avalon chuckled shaking her head.

"Rhaenyra Targaryen was named heir, but she scarcely sat the throne." Avalon recalled. "The throne was stolen by a man, because they all wanted a man to rule."

"Times have changed." Ned reminded her. "I think if the people knew-"

"Or it puts a target on my back, on my childrens backs and I'm not willing to do that." Avalon corrected sternly.

"I saw you in the throne room." Ned remarked. "You were calm and commanding, you were just." Ned reminded her.

"I sat through a lot of Tywin's meetings when I was younger, so I could be by him." Avalon admitted softly.

"Avalon, you will be a good and just queen I know it. You said it yourself, your husband was hand of the king, he knows this world, he knows the kingdoms and..."

"You would be my hand." Avalon remarked. "Tywin would be my king, you would be my hand."

"You want me as hand?"

"I made a habit of not trusting anyone for a long time. I trust you. I want you as my hand."

"Thank you." Ned felt more honored with Avalon offering him the position than he had with Robert. "So does that mean you will step forward? Take the crown?"

"I have to talk to Cersei and I dont want her children getting hurt, I love Myrcella and Tommen, they are innocent in all this."

"Of course." Ned agreed.

"Oh and another thing, I hate your wife and if she tries anything I am taking her head like Joffrey would have done to you if he ever became king." Avalon informed him calmly.

"Understood, I will keep her in line."