The Shadow Queen of Tywin Lannister

VI. No Rest For The Heroes

[A/N] - One may notice that the Chapters do not have a certain length or word number. Some will be bigger and some shorter, depending on the content and the narrative. But I try my best to make it all as much enjoyable as I can.

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273 AC - Casterly Rock, Westernland - Seat of Power: Aerys II Targaryen

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It has been a dark year for the Proud Lion of Casterly Rock, although the beginning of it had started much brighter. His wife had him pregnant again and a new heir was in the way but something went wrong during labour.

Complications arose and in the end, the baby was born but his mother perished in the process. Tywin had felt his heart breaking upon seeing the pale corpse of his wife, lying on bloody red sheets. At that moment, he truly despised the colour red despite being the colour of his house.

One would say that at least he got a second heir but the Gods seemed to have chosen mockery over blessing. The child was deformed, an abomination in the eyes of many; including his father.

Short-limped and asymmetric, even his eyes did not match. If Tywin did not fully trust Joanna for her loyalty, he would have thought this child belonged to another but that was not the case.

This creature had been born and taken the life of the only woman Tywin ever truly felt love for. His hatred for the baby only grew from the day of his birth, his lips forming nothing but a scowl as his temper started to flare at random moments.

Due to the birth and the loss, he had remained away from King's Landing for almost a full moon rotation but he knew he would have to return to that foolish King once again.

He sat at his desk and glared holes at the papers in front of him. A lot had to be done but he was in no mood to deal with any of this, not now and not anytime soon. As he pushed the papers and scrolls to the side, his eyes fell upon a closed letter.

While there were many others, this one stood out for one thing; the Seal.

Instead of the normal Targaryen Seal or any known house seal, this one was different. It looked like an abstract version of a dragon seen sideways, the wings a curved detailed line. The design was simple but recognisable to someone like him.

The symbol of a Dragon Whisperer, he thought and broke the seal before unfolding the letter.

His green eyes fell on the neat words, spread equally across the paper and as he was reading it; he could almost hear the voice of Visenya in his mind.

Dear Tywin Lannister,

The news of Lady Joanna's passing reached King Landing and me as well. My deepest condolences, for the loss of a loved one, is never easy; a wife nonetheless.

I write to you in order to inform you that your stay at Casterly Rock has been extended by half a moon rotation by order of the King. I persuaded him to give you such privilege to properly mourn her loss and refocus back on the game.

For if you plan to return to King's Landing any sooner, make sure that your head is clear, My Lord. Grief often brings unresolved temper and in our position, it is almost impossible for us to express it.

I fear the King might try his antiques again or not properly respect the situation. It is why you should be ready by the time of your return to the Capital.

I will see you from close once you return.

Sincerely,

Visenya II Targaryen, Princess of the 7 Realms.