I'll tell you a story one that the bards no longer sing about, one silenced by fear and gold. A story of three great houses, three seemingly great boys, now all turned men, a story of how Tywin Lannister became the Great Lion, Aerys Targeryen the Ma...
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Tywin Lannister, the golden heir to the crumbling Casterly Rock slept soundly in his quarters, only to be woken by the ruckus that lay outside.
He bolted up, and like the lion he proclaimed himself to be he went on the prowl for what caused his unrest. And what he saw, well that flabbergasted him.
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A girl, older than Gemma, a little red headed girl.
"Do not cry." A knight with a Targeryen sigil forged on his chest plate kneels down to a girl. A girl, younger than he by a few summers, with hair the color of the rubies in his mother's jewelry.
"I do not wish to part from you!" She holds onto him tightly, "Please, Duc! Please, don't leave me!" She screams beating her tiny fists on his breast plate, Tywin feels a pang of sadness wash through him. Poor girl, all alone.
He attempts to calm her my stroking her long red hair, "My little red posey, you know I cannot take you back with me. You will be safe here." The knight, whom he now knows to be the King Who Never was Duncan Targeryen.
"Duc, will I see you again?" She asks, her little fingers tracing the three headed dragon on his breast plate not daring to look up at him.
"I will, both Jenny and I will write to you posey." He holds her little chin under his finger.
She smiles, "Duc, I love you!"
"And I you, posey." He pinches her cheek before turning his attention to Tytos Lannister.
"Thank you Tytos for fostering her, Jaehaerys and I will be sending monthly allotments for her needs." Prince Duncan says as he nuzzles the little girl's head with his larger hand.
Tytos looks from the small child and smiles at her, then to the Prince, "I assure your brother and you her happiness, she will be cared for by the Septa's of the Rock."
"Her education I want her to be tutored along with your son."
"But, she will be a gentlewomen-"
Prince Duncan interrupted his oaf of a father's explanation. "A woman has a right to an education as much as any man," Prince Duncan then looks to the child, who seems to busy surveying the Rock to realize what the men spoke of, "Besides, Gwyneth is the last Gardener, when she comes of age Lords will be clawing for her hand."
Tywin froze when he heard the lineage the girl bore, the Maester told him House Gardener died out long ago. Highgarden belonged to the Tyrell's now? Did it not?
"House Gardener is extinct." Tytos says looking at the Targeryen Prince as if he lost a few marbles.
Prince Duncan only chuckles, "I assure you, Posey here," This makes the child look at the Prince, "is very much a Gardener."
"The Tyrell's-"
"Want her dead." The Prince finishes his father's sentence and Tywin cannot believe a rare bloodline would drive someone to kill this dopey girl.
"Why not have her at the Red Keep if your brother and you are so keen to keep her safe?" His father questions, and Tywin rolls his eyes. Idiot.
"As you know, like my parents, my siblings and I have married for love creating unrest in the seven kingdoms. Unrest leads to rebellion, which will come again and again, I promised someone very special to my brother and I, we would protect this child with our lives. As much as we will miss her being raised away from the intrigues of court and away from the eyes of the Tyrell's remains the best solution for her." Prince Duncan says with a sad longing in his eyes, as he thoughts dwell on something Tywin cannot pin point and then his eyes flutter down to the girl.
He kneels down taking her small hands in his, "Remember no matter how lonely you feel, remember that wherever you are to look up at the moon and know I am looking at that same moon thinking of you." He kisses her on the cheek, "I love you more than all the stars in the sky, posey."
Life for Tywin Lannister would never be the same, after that night, Gwyneth Gardner filled his every waking moment. She, like Kevan annoyed him to no end. Though Kevan seemed to find a friend, seven knows he needed one, and sweet Gemma loved her more.
But, what annoyed him more than anything? The fact that someone he encountered was smarter than he, even the Maester said so. He praised her intellect, even having the two debate each other. The Maester told his father the debates where for the children's benefit as upcoming political leaders in a dangerous climate, but Tywin knew the Maester liked to see him squirm when backed into a verbal corner. Bastard.
The King lavished her with gifts, like she belonged to him, a bastard child. Necklaces of the Targeryen sigil with rubies incrusted, the King wrote in a note that it would match your hair. Then he gifted her with an emerald ring, House Gardener colors no doubt, with a note that said to match your eyes! At times, Tywin suspected but his doubts were squashed, because every time the King would send a gift his brother and wife would visit. Gwyneth Gardener remained a mystery, one he was hellbent to unfold.
