The sound of waves crashing against the Rock and the occasional seagull dominated the regularly silent room, though this silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I didn't need to look up to know of the ever-hardening glare directed towards Tyrion and I. Tyrion kept his head down beside me in a melancholic manner, he has been like this ever since Tysha left a few days ago, not that I blame him for feeling the way that he does. I held his wrist in a comforting manner, someone had to be there for him and I was the only person able to do that for him.
I look up to meet the stare. I know I have said this many times before, but Tywin really was a man of little emotion, on his face at least. All it took was a look into his eyes to see the anger... the wrath boiling inside them. No-one had said a word since we were dragged into his study, not that they were needed, you could almost feel what he wanted to say to us.
I didn't know who told father about Tysha, it might have been one of his spies, true, we weren't all that inconspicuous with Tyrion with us. But there is a chance that one of my men told father instead and that is something I must investigate to ensure my security, after all, if one of my guards betray me once then they can do it a second time. Alysanne was currently looking into whoever it was who sold us out to father.
"My father was never meant to inherit the Rock." Father says to the both of us, sat down at his desk. "However, after the deaths of his older brothers, Tywald and Tion, he found himself coming into the title of Heir."
"He was never taught how to rule. He was weak-willed, eager to please and quick to forgive. Not to mention how trustful, he was of strangers." Tywin spat out, a sneer on his lips. "'The laughing Lion' they called him, though after the death of his wife, my mother. That soon changed to the 'Toothless Lion'. Our enemies sneered and snickered at us, whilst our allies plotted within these very halls."
"Whilst your uncles and I were fighting in the War Of The Ninepenny King's, your grandfather took Gerion's wet nurse as a mistress, rather than ruling the West he sought to retreat into the arms of a common girl." Father tells us, his eyes focusing on Tyrion. "It wasn't so long after that we came back and put down the Reynes and Tarbecks. My father's whore died of a fever, in the middle of the night. Of course it didn't take too long that he found himself wrapped around another woman's finger."
"A daughter of a candlemaker. One would think she would be nervous sitting and eating within the great halls of the Rock. Though she helped herself to my mother's old jewels, spitting on her memory. She even ruled in his stead when my father couldn't get out of bed, the last few years of his life he spent gorging his mouth with food."
"She had the Lord's room and Lannister apartments moved to the top of the very highest tower, though that decision she would soon come to regret as my father had a heart attack trying to climb his way up the stays to see her." Father scoffs at the image in his head, even if the man was his father.
"She was a thief and a harlot, I told her so and made sure everyone knew it. She was stripped of the clothes on her shoulders and forced to march throughout Lannisport, confessing to everyone she met for a fortnight. Afterwards, feet bloodied and blistered, covered in stains and excrement, I exiled her from the docks, sending her on her way towards one of the Free Cities." Tywin finishes, a small look of satisfaction on his face.
Father stares at Tyrion with a look of contempt in his eyes, "This whore you sullied yourself with was nothing more than a would-be-thief and harlot. A common girl reaching far too high above her station."
Tyrion lifted his head up defiantly at those words, "I love her!" He tells father, though the man he spoke those words to merely sneered.
"Hmph, don't be so pathetic. People in our position don't wed for love, what use does it have against armies? Does love give soldiers, food, ships?" Father raises an eyebrow in derision. "No, it doesn't. Our family's legacy is built be the actions we take today. Running around with a common girl you've only known for a few hours, proclaiming that you 'love her' does not instil a confidence in me that you can contribute to the future of House Lannister."
"But you loved mother did you not?" I ask, noting the hypocrisy in his words "Surely she didn't bring many soldiers, food or ships as your cousin."
Father ground his teeth, "House Lannister was at its weakest. My father's softness had driven away the other branches of the family. In order to ward off enemies, then our House had to have been united and show a strong front."
Father remained silent for the next few minutes, before looking towards Tyrion "I'll have to find a suitable punishment for your foolishness, a lesson for you to learn from your mistakes."
"I love her." Tyrion replies, "Why can't you understand that? just like how you loved mother, surely she would want me to find love."
"Do not speak to me as if you know her!" Father roars, fists tight enough that they slowly turn a shade of white. "You killed her, the both of you." He looks between the both of us before looking back to Tyrion. "You do not deserve love. Not the half, misshapen child that you are. Go, leave us."
I rest my hand upon Tyrion's shoulder, trying to comfort him from the harsh words spoken by father. "It's alright. Go on, I'll be out in a minute." Tyrion nods his head towards me and walks out of father's study dolefully with his head down.
Tywin focused his attention back on me as Tyrion left the room, staring at me in silence as the anger in his eyes diminishes slowly and his fists relax. Fully calmed down now, Tywin slowly gets up and heads towards one of the corners of his study, picking up a large, familiar box and placing it down on the table in front of me.
"It has been a while since we have played, has it not?" he asks me as he unfurls the Cyvasse board and starts handing me the black pieces. Similar to chess, white plays first and normally I leave it up to father to decide who is who.
I nod my head and lay out my pieces in the same kind of style I normally do. I never liked sacrificing pieces, though I would if necessary. Father was the opposite, he had no qualms about losing pieces, though that shouldn't come as a surprise.
"I know you are responsible for sending that... girl away. It is not wise to scheme against me." father said as he managed to take out one of my elephants with his dragon.
"I did not plan to send her away with the idea of going against you, father." I lie to him, judging by the look he sent me at my words, he probably saw through it.
"You're far too trusting." I am told, this time I take my time to reply as I fully concentrate on the board. "If I trust no-one, then it wouldn't be long before I start behaving like the Mad King.
Father shakes his head at my words, "I said 'You're far too', not that you shouldn't trust at all. It takes more than a single man to rule, he must delegate to his subordinates, those who he trusts. Trusting too much will result in your downfall."
"I prefer to see the best in people." I tell him, "Besides, if my men do not believe that I trust them with my life, then why should they trust me with theirs?"
Father scoffs at my words, "It's human nature to be selfish, you may be there when they need you, but they won't when you need them. Whether it's the collision of a cavalry charge or facing a force of insurmountable numbers, they'll abandon you first chance they get in order to save their own skin."
I have no reply to that, chances were that he had a reply to any sort of argument I had, at the end of the day we both had different views on life. With me not replying, we both put all our focus on the game, taking and sacrificing pieces from both sides of the board.
"So long as I am at Casterly Rock, you are to spend two hours a day with me, watching and learning from me and what it is like to be a Lord." Father tells me, I go to argue, but he holds his hand up, "I don't want to hear it, consider this your punishment. Be grateful that is all I'm asking for, were you not my heir then the consequences of your disobedience would be much more severe."