Untouched Gold / Tywin Lannister / Avalon Targaryen (1)

66. Ghosts

Red /Otto Hightower out now!

Ned had to talk to the lannisters. Avalon was tucking Nora in when Ned found her. She closed the door and knew something was wrong when she saw Ned's pursed lips. 

"Is this a talk best had with wine?" Avalon suggested. 

"Probably." Ned admitted. 

"Come on then." Avalon agreed. 

Tywin opened a bottle of wine and Avalon sat beside him, her feet tucked under her and her knees leaning into Tywin. Ned sat opposite them and didnt know where to start but Avalon didnt seem mad at him. If what Yoren told him was true, she didnt seem vicious. Tywin kept an arm around her shoulders holding her closer as she took a sip of wine. 

"Whenever you are ready Ned." Avalon assured. "Oh, honey, did I tell you Ned remembers me?" 

"No." Tywin said shortly. 

"He does and he has agreed to keep his mouth shut." Avalon offered. "Isnt that sweet?"

"I would have to kill him if he spoke so yes, sweet." Tywin agreed holding Neds gaze.  Ned cleared his throat before taking a song sip of his wine. 

"I heard what happened on the kingsroad." 

"I heard that you had trouble as well and now we have a pet Direwolf." Avalon agreed and Ned faltered that wasnt what he was expecting. 

"Nymeria?" Ned realized. 

"Draco and Arya apparently ran them to the rock before making their way back to camp. Nora has been tending to her right under Tywin's nose." Avalon tapped Tywin's nose, smiling sweetly back at him. 

"Well... I'm..."

"You wanted to talk about your wife assaulting mine." Tywin agreed. Avalon moved her legs over Tywin's trying to keep him in place. 

"Yes... I dont know what came over her." Ned admitted. 

"Neither do I." Avalon agreed. "Goodness, I haven't seen Cersei or Jaime since I got back." she realized softly. 

"Your wife attacked mine, you are lucky Avalon is kind woman and already talked me down from killing you both." Tywin remarked. 

"That's understandable." Ned admitted. "She visitied the capital and... she was convinced that the- the lannisters- your children were responsible for Jon Arryn's death and Bran's fall." Ned admitted. 

"Why would we want to hurt Bran-" Avalon began.

"Not you but... your children." Ned offered softly. 

"Nora loves Bran." Avalon objected. "Besides what good does hurting an innocent little boy do? nothing, they wouldnt hurt him." Avalon assured. 

"Jon Arryn? The last hand?" Tywin countered. "Why would we care about him either, we live on the rock." 

"Maybe Cersei wanted her father back as hand." Ned offered meeting Tywin's gaze. 

"Like I would want to be hand of the king to Robert." Tywin scoffed. "That man whores and drinks, drinks and whores, he is no king." 

"I dont like the capital anymore." Avalon added. 

"You dont?"

"My family and yours were burned here." Avalon reminded him. "I dont know that the capital will ever be the same for me."  Ned looked at her silver roots showing through the dyes and Avalon's hand unintentionally went to her hair. 

"You are the princess, you should be the queen, you would be better than Robert." Ned remarked. 

"Yes she would." Tywin agreed. 

"I dont want it." Avalon corrected. 

"No sane person would." Ned agreed. 

"You turned down the throne didnt you." Avalon recalled. "Gave it to Robert even after all he did. They called my brother the mad king but Robert is a fool. He is a kingdoms worth in debt to Tywin, he spends money he doesnt have and everyone looks to Tywin for a pay day. He isnt a good leader, he is a wicked man still intent on avenging Lyanna." 

"Lyanna wasnt raped by Rhaegar." Ned remarked and Avalon shifted on the couch. 

"He was always a good boy, he was smitten with her." Avalon agreed. 

"They got married." Ned added and Avalon faltered. 

"What?" She rasped. 

"I found my sister, in the tower of joy, she... she..." Ned's breath caught. "For the longest time I couldnt remember that day, I just remembering finding her and seeing her... holding her hand as she bleed out. I made her a promise and blocked the rest out of my mind. But Lyanna loved Rhaegar, seeing you again it all came back to me clearly." Ned remarked. 

"He was a handsome man." Avalon agreed. "He was a sweet talker," she chuckled. 

"They married and had a baby." 

"What?" Avalon rasped. 

"I..."

"Jon." Avalon realized. Ned nodded. "He's not your bastard, he is a Targaryen." Avalon couldnt breathe. "And I fucking left him at the wall!" She shouted jumping up. "Hell. He's family and your bitch wife treated him like shit for years when I could have-"

"I didnt know you were alive." ned reminded her. Avalon settled back into her seat. 

"At least he was safe from Robert..." Avalon offered, Tywin ran a hand down her back. "I knew there was something special about Jon." she admitted. "I couldnt put my finger on it but I thought he had Rhaegars nose..."

"You did?" Ned whispered. 

"I'm a fool, I should have spoken more to you about it then, Jon doesnt know his mother... why didnt you tell him?" Avalon pondered. 

"Lyanna made me promise." 

"Promises are meant to be broken when it can save a young man from living his life out on the damn wall." Avalon corrected. 

"I knew Benjen would look after him, Catelyn didnt want him at winterfell, I couldnt take him here, being around Robert this much." Ned reminded her. "Thats why you stay away isnt it?" 

"Yes." Avalon agreed looking to Tywin. "And Casterly rock is my home," Tywin smiled down at her. 

+

"Stop your moping." Tyon demanded. 

"I'm not moping," Davina corrected. "You are just slow tonight." 

"I'm slow because I'm tired and dont want to spar at midnight!" Tyon barked back. 

"Careful you are going to start sounding like a Stark, woof, woof." 

"Says the girl pining over a Stark bastard." Tyon corrected. Davina rolled her eyes her blade spinning through the air, Tyon ducked just in time. "DAV! I'm done, I'm fucking done." Tyon grumbled letting his blade fall to the ground. 

"You know Sansa has been staring at you since we got back." Davina called after him and Tyon spun around to face her. 

"Is that so?" Tyon failed at sounding disinterested. 

"You were tired though, night Ty." 

"Bitch." Tyon grumbled as he headed back. 

"Love you too!" Davina agreed. 

"Davina!" Tyon shouted as he landed with a thud on the ground. 

"What? I'm over here... what are you doing on the ground?" 

"YOu fucking tripped me!" Tyon shouted brushing himself off. 

"I did not, I'm over here- whats... that?" Davina countered squinting in the moonlight. 

"Yeah, yeah, blame it on the monsters that lurk in the night." Tyon grumbled. "I'm watching you." He warned. 

"Ghost?" Davina questioned dropping to her knees when she saw the red eyes. "Ghost- Jon..."