Sit Still Look Pretty / Tywin Lannister (2.5)

23. Fortnight

Loving yous a little bit hard sometimes / Bruce Banner out now!

"When will the wedding take place in your mind?" Tywin questioned curiously. Cersei wanted to call out to Rieka and beg her to talk some sense into Tywin. The Tyrells were not to be trusted either. Not for her baby Tommen. 

"As soon as decency permits. After we've allowed Tommen the appropriate time to mourn his brother and Margaery to mourn her husband." Cersei answered.

"A fortnight?" Tywin offered.

" That seems reasonable." Cersei agreed.

"No jugglers, no jousting dwarves, no seventy-seven-course meals." Tywin demanded. "And your wedding to Loras?"

"Shortly after Tommen's." Cersei murmured.

"Shortly?"

"A fortnight." Cersei grumbled.

"What's happening in a fortnight?" 

"Tommen's wedding." Cersei answered. 

"And then Cersi's wedding." Tywin added. 

"Who is Cersei- ohhh right." Rieka agreed. "Are we sure about that? I mean too much Tyrell is like giving them all the power in westeros." 

"She has a point, listen to your wife." Cersei urged. 

"I know you don't like them. I didn't like your husband. Used to pat me on the back a lot. I didn't trust him." Tywin remarked.

"We had that in common." Cersei agreed.

"As you both know You don't need to make formal alliances with people you trust." Tywin reminded. "Rieka probably tried to kill me before we were wed and I'm just unaware of it." 

"I mean..." Rieka thought on that. "I didnt know you enough to have you killed." Rieka countered. "To debate it- yes but more so after we were wed. Many times I debated it." She admitted. Tywin cleared his throat. 

"See?" Tywin agreed moving to Rieka and kissing her temple. 

"Then whom can we trust?" Cersei countered. 

"Ourselves alone." Tywin answered. Tywin moved pouring wine for the both of them he held out a cup to rieka she took a long sip. SHe had come to talk about Tyrion to tell them this is ridiculous but there was no point right now not when it was cersei time. "The Tyrells are our only true rivals in terms of resources and we need them on our side."

"Robert wasn't particularly rich." Cersei reminded him. He wasn't rich at all. He was so far in debt to Tywin he would never undig that grave.

"Robert had me funding him. Wars swallow gold like a pit in the earth."

"I suppose that explains why we did so well in the last one." Cersei agreed.

"Do you know how much gold was mined in the Westerlands this past year?"

"Haven't a clue." Cersei countered.

"Go on, your best guess." Tywin countered.

" Pounds, tons, ounces?"

"Rieka?" 

"You are on the lo a lot since the trial started so I'm guessing tons." Rieka teased, Tywin's gaze shifted to her. She gave him a cheeky smile. 

"Doesn't matter. The answer is the same." Tywin informed them. 

"That can't be." Cersei corrected confused.

"How does... what?" Rieka agreed. 

"Our last working mine ran dry three years ago." Tywin informed her and cersei gaped back at him.

"Well shit." Rieka declared. 

"Then how do we pay for anything?"

"You dont." Rieka realized. 

"The crown owes the Iron Bank of Braavos a tremendous amount of money." Tywin informed her simply.

" How much?" Cersei questioned.

"A tremendous amount." Tywin repeated.

"We are in so much debt the iron bank is going to come for us and start taking limbs and children as payment." Rieka decided. 

"Your mind is a dark place." Cersei countered. 

"So is yours." Rieka reminded her. 

" There must be someone at the Iron Bank you can speak to, come to some arrangement." Cersei offered.

"The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank. There is no someone." Tywin corrected.

"Someone does work there. It is comprised of people."

"And a temple is comprised of stones. One stone crumbles and another takes its place. And the temple holds its form for a thousand years or more. That's what the Iron Bank is... a temple. We all live in its shadow and almost none of us know it. You can't run from them. You can't cheat them. You can't sway them with excuses. If you owe them money and you don't want to crumble yourself, you pay it back. Vesting the Tyrells in the crown will help a great deal in this respect."

"It's for the good of the family, I understand that. I'm not sure my brothers do." Cersei murmured.

"Speaking of brothers-" Rieka thought it was as good a segway as any. 

"I know you're building a strong case against Tyrion. And as a mother, that is your right. But as a judge, I cannot discuss the trial with you." Tywin remarked.

"You can discuss it with me." Rieka agreed. "I think this is stupid and you both know Tyrion didnt kill joffrey!" 

"Rieka not now." Cersei corrected. 

"You know I'm right and yet-"

"We don't need to discuss it." Cersei assured as she rose up. "The Lannister legacy is the only thing that matters. You've started wars to protect this family. Turned your back on Jaime for refusing to contribute to its future. What does Tyrion deserve for lighting that future on fire?"

"He didn't!" Rieka turned to Tywin as Cersei left. "You know that right? Some part of you believes this is so fucking stupid?"

"The trial will get the truth." Tywin assured, kissing her gently. 

"And if the truth is concocted of what Cersei lies on stand about?" 

"Then... so be it."

+

Rieka didnt like the trial, she couldnt bare to see people lying about Tyrion. She went to the cells to visit him afterwards to check on him.

Shae, who the fuck was shae?

"Bronns girl."

Enough said. She understood now.

Tyrion loved RIeka, possibly the only girl in the world he loved.

"Your champion?"

"I havent found one yet." Tyrion admitted. "Who did Cersei pick?"

"Gregor the mountain man." Rieka admitted.

"Wonderful, not even the hound could stop him..."

"Sandor ran off a long time ago, besides would he really stand for you?" Rieka countered.

"Good point."