EDITED: 8th Jan 2022

273AC

It was two months after Tyrion was born that Tya returned to her work. Seven weeks too long in her opinion, and two months too soon in Pycelle's. Even so, after that first day back on the small council, she understood why the maester warned her to be careful; everything was still so much more tiring, and she was still very sore in certain places.

Aerys seemed delighted to have her back at first, though that quickly deteriorated. It seemed two months away from her influence had got him used to walking all over the small council and doing whatever he liked.

In the early days of his reign, she had merely had to curb his ridiculous ideas - such as building a new Wall a hundred leagues north of the current one to extend his kingdom, or digging an underwater canal to make the deserts of Dorne fertile, or building a war fleet to 'bring the Titan of Braavos to its knees' - but that was easy enough seeing how fast he lost interest in such things.

Things had soured enough over the years that by now the king openly did the opposite of whatever Tya suggested, which made the next two years very trying indeed. Aerys had always been changeable, quick to laugh but quick to anger, and very proud as well, but this went beyond that, into suspicious and paranoid.

In the later months of 273AC, Myr and Tyrosh became involved in a trade war against Volantis, a matter that shouldn't have even concerned the King of the Seven Kingdoms. Aerys was showing too much interest, however, prompting Tya to suggest that they remain neutral. Of course, this made the king order gold and arms to be sent to Voltanis as a gesture of their goodwill.

Early the next year, the ridiculous millennia-long feud between Lords Bracken and Blackwood reared its head again over some a border dispute. Tya wished to favour the Blackwoods - it would be more useful in the long run, and the king's own grandmother had been a Blackwood - so in response Aerys sided with House Bracken.

But by far the most irritating incident was when Aerys doubled the port fees for Oldtown and King's Landing and tripled them at all other ports in Westeros, including Lannisport. Trade obviously suffered drastically and a delegation of merchants came before the Iron Throne to protest these laws. Tya had been ready to oblige them and be smug knowing that she was right, only for Aerys to lie, blaming the mess on his Hand and changing the port fees back. He gained a lot of popularity for that, whilst Tya was afforded nothing but scorn.

All those ill-advised jokes and slights towards her in public still continued, of course. A month or so after she returned to her duties, the king was heard to have said that Tya had begotten a monster from the gods who nearly ripped her apart 'to teach her some humility at last'. That had destroyed any tiny semblance of friendship they may have had leftover from childhood. She hadn't even confronted him about that despite knowing he definitely said such a thing, she was so angry.

It didn't end there, however. At one memorable feast, Aerys drunkenly asked her if nursing her 'monster of a son' had ruined her breasts. Her rivals in court laughed at every jape out of the king's mouth against her, even joking about her themselves to gain the king's favour. Never to her face, though, which was satisfying in its own way.

There was only so much Tya could do about such things in public. Largely she bore the jests in silence, never showing any public display of weakness. Jason sometimes commented when the king went too far, but he was limited to keeping his tone light and joking, never openly chastising or reproachful.

She continued to serve the realm as Hand - not really having much choice unless she wanted to fade into obscurity - whilst Aerys grew more and more suspicious and erratic.

*

274AC

Jaime left at dawn.

Tya hadn't expected to feel so... so much. She loved her son, of course, but had never balked at the idea of the natural way of things. She had arranged with Kevan herself for him to foster at Casterly Rock at the age of nine, taking lessons alongside the Lannister heir Gerold and spending time in his family seat, serving as a page for now and a squire later on.

Yet the reality of sending off Jaime, her eldest boy, was a lot harder than she thought it would be, and was glad that Jason was going with him, at least for the journey. She didn't cry, of course - aside from Tyrion's birth, she hadn't cried since her mother died - and neither did he. He was excited, as all young boys are to go out into the world, but was clearly saddened at the same time to leave his parents and siblings. Particularly Cersei.

Tya's eldest daughter had predictably thrown an enormous tantrum when she found out her twin was leaving her. She was still sulking now, and clearly trying not to cry as Jaime rode off after a long hug, but Tya was glad to see she didn't shed a tear.

None of the children were best pleased; Jaime was the favourite of every single one of them. Rohanne, aged six now, had taken her brother's departure as stoically as she took everything else - it wasn't the same coldness that Tya had at that age, she realised now - whilst Damon had cried a lot, though he was only two so that was acceptable. Tyrion, an infant still, obviously hadn't known what was going on.

She couldn't say that she was pleased to have a dwarf son. Not in any way, shape or form. But she was more used to the idea now than she had been after his birth; if anything, the taunts of Aerys and the cruel whispers of the court had warmed her up to her son as something worthy of her defence.

Much of the reason Tya was so cold was the ordeal of his birth, the awful pain, the fear she'd die just like any other woman. Realistically, that wasn't the baby's fault, even if the memories would stay with her forever. Though she knew she treated Tyrion differently to all her other children, and could admit to herself that he was her least favourite even if she wouldn't say it aloud.

Jason treated Tyrion just like the others, however, hopefully covering any failings on her part and giving her sharp looks or reprimands when she acted too cold with the boy. Jaime and Rohanne loved their brother without question, and Damon would grow up alongside Tyrion, whilst Jason's easy acceptance of the dwarf child had led to Cersei not outright hating him. She still eyed him warily, with some disgust, but never said a cruel word and challenged anyone who did aggressively.

If an overly-emotional nine-year-old could deal with it, hopefully so could Tya, in time.

*

"You can't let him do this. Tell him it's not right, she's his queen,"

Tya raised an eyebrow at the young man stood before her.

She had never had much to do with Prince Rhaegar before despite being friends with his mother the queen. The boy was bookish and solitary, spending much of his time in the library, in his own company, and had suddenly grown from a quiet child into this solemn youth of fifteen who had requested an audience with his father's Hand for the first time.

They were in her solar, Tya sat behind her desk whilst the prince sat before her. In truth, she was rather glad he had the guts to speak to her like that. She had always considered him rather weak before now, with his head in the clouds, but his voice only held hints of childish anger; he came across as surprisingly cold and collected, though his intense glare could rival Cersei's when she didn't get her way.

"You should know better than anyone that no one can tell your father anything without him doing the exact opposite," She said. A flash of something - resentment, certainly - passed across the young prince's face.

"He listens to you better than anyone,"

"Listened," She corrected, continuing as she saw his mouth start to open. "Your mother is one of my closest friends, which I have few enough of. If I thought there was anything I could do to improve her situation, I would do it. As it stands, any appeal I make to the king will only make things worse for her,"

"She didn't kill the babe," Rhaegar shook his head. "Of course she didn't. Neither did any of the servants. He was just sickly - no doubt because he has one set of great-grandparents," Or perhaps because his father has ruined his mother's body by forcing too many pregnancies in too little time since the age of fourteen.

The death of the six-month-old Prince Jaehaerys had put Aerys in a black mood these past days. He was the fourth of Aerys' children to die in the cradle, joining Shaera, Daeron and Aegon, along with Rhaella's numerous miscarriages. Not only had the king beheaded the wet nurse for murdering his son, he had also accused his wife of being unfaithful, thereby bringing down the wrath of the gods and cursing her with dead babes. The queen had been confined to Maegor's Holdfast ever since, and watched at all hours. Tya had visited her, offered to do anything, but Rhaella had insisted it would just make it worse.

"In which case, you should be grateful that your mother didn't lose her head like the wet nurse,"

Rhaegar glared at her.

"Surely you can do something. Everyone says my father feels for you - " He broke off at the look on her face. "Apologies, my lady. That was impolite. I didn't mean to imply - "

"That I should make a whore of myself to a man I've been refusing since before you were born and who has spent the past years doing nothing but slight me?" She raised an eyebrow. Prince or not, he wasn't getting away with that. "Your father desires what he can't have. No doubt if I were to offer something in return for him releasing your mother, he would do it, but it shouldn't surprise you that I'm unwilling to,"

There was a pause.

"It's beyond me why he does that," Rhaegar replied. "Slight you so much, I mean. Many people don't like you, but you are a good Hand regardless. And powerful. Insulting you is foolish, and ignoring your advice even more so,"

Was he trying for flattery? He seemed to be in earnest... Even so, she would settle this matter now.

"I'm glad you think so,"

Another pause.

"Four years ago, when Prince Aegon died, his Grace wished to do the same thing he's doing now," She said in response. "Lock your mother away in Maegor's for fear of her non-existent infidelity. I talked it out of him then, barely. There's no chance of doing it a second time. You'll have more luck waiting until the king's mood changes and he's proclaiming her the most noble and gracious woman in the world,"

"Very well," Rhaegar didn't look happy, but he never did. "Thank you for your time, my lady," He inclined his head graciously.

*

A week later, the king had pardoned the unfortunate wet nurse, rescinding the accusation of her murdering the baby prince. Seeing as the woman had already been beheaded, the pardon fell somewhat flat. Tya wondered why he had bothered, until he announced that the real culprit was his mistress Anilda, the girl she had seen him in the gardens with after Ser Ilyn lost his tongue.

The girl was a knight's daughter, strikingly pretty with her big green eyes and Valyrian blonde hair. Despite being seven-and-ten, she looked half a child, with her small and delicate frame.

Tya had been in the king's solar when the poor girl had escaped her guards and run screaming and sobbing down the hallway from her chambers, begging to see the king, to convince him she had never done such a wicked thing.

Aerys had indulged her for what just seemed like sadism's sake, and the guards let her in, where she fell to her knees sobbing, begging, pleading, and kissing his feet, such a pathetic sight that Tya had almost wanted to look away. She didn't, of course.

"Your Grace, she is barely more than a child," Tya spoke up more to irritate Aerys than out of any concern for the pitiful girl, She knew that her own daughters would never humiliate themselves this way; Cersei would sooner spit in the eye of her executioner than kiss his feet, whilst Rohanne would likely punch him. "Far too empty-headed to have poisoned the prince - she didn't have access to him, besides,"

"Of course you'd vouch for this whore," The king sneered. "Murderous wretches, the both of you,"

She should've remembered he'd do anything to go against her.

"Lady Lannister," Anilda turned her red-eyed, puffy face to her now. "My lady, please, I beg you, I've done no wrong. I can't die, my mother - "

"Don't touch me," Tya didn't need to fake her disgust as she tore her skirts out of the girl's hands, but it had the benefit of distracting the king whilst she shook her head pointedly. Hopefully the stupid girl would get the hint. If Aerys heard she had a family, he'd come for them too.

Thankfully the girl wasn't too stupid to understand and clamped a horrified hand to her mouth, collapsing back into the sobs of someone who knows they're dead.

She wasn't just dead, though. When Tya heard, a week later, that Anhilda was still in the dungeons at the mercy of Aerys' torturers - and had confessed to killing Prince Jaehaerys, with a dagger, and a pillow, and three poisons (making it abundantly clear she was just saying anything to get the pain to stop) - she sent down a discreet man of her own to put the girl out of her misery and make it look like her heart had given out.

For Tya Lannister, that was positively a good deed.

*

275AC

Aerys had another change of heart a month later, just after the new year. He decided that the prince's death was a result of him breaking his marriage vows with countless women, and the gods had cursed him as punishment. The way to fix this was apparently announcing to the entire court that he would remain faithful to his wife, swearing off all other women, and fasting for a fortnight.

"He'll keep that vow when the sun rises in the west," Jason muttered under his breath as they left that audience.

That wasn't all, though. Tya was torn between laughing and tearing her hair out as at the end of those two weeks, Aerys set out from the Red Keep at dawn, barefoot and clothed in an itchy roughspun shirt and breeches, for his walk of repentance across the city, to the Great Sept of Baelor where he would pray with the High Septon.

"Gods," Disgust dripped from her tone as she watched in almost perverse fascination. "I always thought he was just an erratic fool, but I truly think he's gone mad,"

"You're only just realising?" Her husband chuckled, stood beside her. He was very amused by the whole affair.

"He always liked to make a spectacle of himself, but this..."

"Repentance is all well and good," Jason said. "Particularly for being unfaithful to your wife. But the dead wet nurse and tortured mistress do put a dampener on it a little,"

"Oh but they were pardoned," She turned to him, putting on an uncharacteristically wide-eyed expression and innocent tone. "Our gracious king granted them forgiveness in death. Innocent after all!"

Jason looked deeply unsettled.

"Twelve years of marriage and you've never looked like that before,"

"Like what?"

"Like a breathy... girl," He grimaced.

"Don't tell me you prefer it," She returned to her normal dry voice, flashing a faint smile.

"Certainly not. Although I would pay all the gold in Casterly Rock to see you act like that when you next hold court. Who knows," Jason grinned. "Perhaps you could get more out of people by acting sweet and innocent,"

"It's your job to be everyone's friend, not mine," She replied, making him laugh.

"It's easy to be everyone's friend when they don't see you as a threat. The fact that you are Hand of the King, feared and respected across Westeros, seems to make me less of one because I'm outranked by my wife. I'd have thought it would be the opposite, but that's stupidity for you,"

"Do you not mind being outranked by your wife?" She asked curiously.

"You asked me that question before we married," He replied. "My answer stays the same. I was born the second son of a fourth son - most matches I would've made would involve my wife outranking me. Admittedly most of those matches would not have involved me taking orders from my wife in public, but you should know by now that I care little for what other people think. Unlike you," He added with a smirk. "You have always hated being outranked by anyone, even the king himself,"

"So you married me for ambition," Tya raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Not quite, though it certainly wasn't your sweet smile or gentle words,"

*

Gerold Lannister, son of Kevan and heir to Casterly Rock, died that year at the age of nine.

The boy had become known for being wild, rebellious and defiant, and foolishly insisted on doing things like climbing the cliffs, jumping off said cliffs into the sea and exploring the old mineshafts under the rock by himself. He had slipped away from his attendants to do just that, and had caused a panic when he hadn't returned hours later. His body had been found by a guardsmen, crumpled at the bottom of an abandoned mineshaft.

Tya felt for her brother. The idea of Jaime dying in such a way was truly awful, not that Jaime would be so stupid. Her son was reckless and often foolish - he and Gerold had always gotten along well, particularly since Jaime had started serving as a page at Casterly Rock - but thankfully he wasn't lackwit enough for that.

But now that left the heir to Casterly Rock as Kevan's only daughter Janei, a sweet but delicate child who seemed terrified of her own shadow and had recently expressed a desire to become a septa when she came of age. Tya's brother had been inclined to agree, and now even Tya was not so sure she disagreed with that decision; if there was to be a Lady of Casterly Rock, it couldn't be that timid girl.

Next in line after Janei was Tygett, who was yet to have a child with his wife Lady Alinor; either she was barren or they did not share a bed, either of which was possible. After him it was Gerion, who remained unmarried as his betrothed Lady Elissa Serrett was not yet sixteen. The only one of her siblings who had a living son - save Genna who seemed to be steadily birthing a new Lefford every two years or so - was Tya. She had three, in fact, even if one was a dwarf.

Part of Tya wanted to berate Tygett into having a son with his wife, the same part that wanted Gerion's marriage moved forward (never mind that the girl was only fourteen), the same part that wanted an unfortunate accident to befall Lady Morya so Kevan could remarry and give him another son (not that he would, he had grown to love his wife).

Yet part of her wanted to do nothing at all, for now at least. She knew neither Tygett or Gerion had any interest in lordship, certainly not enough to depose their niece for the sake of any hypothetical children they may or may not have. She would never be Lady of Casterly Rock herself - all three of her brothers would have to die childless for that, and she was not near so desperate or disloyal to arrange that herself - but if she could convince Kevan to betroth Janei to Jaime...

Her son didn't seem very interested in lordship either - from what she had observed, he was capable in his lessons, just not willing to apply himself - but Tya could advise him, as could Kevan. If Aerys grew tired of having her rule his kingdom, or if he died and Rhaegar wasn't inclined to keep his father's Hand, then she wouldn't just fade into nothingness.

Nothing could be set in stone now, but it was a good idea, and not just beneficial to her; it could prevent Casterly Rock being ruled by someone outside the family, whichever house Janei's husband came from. She would write to Kevan with the potential idea, and get her brother to pay more attention to her son's lessons.

Or perhaps she would wait a few months. His own son and heir had just died, and even she could see how that would be rather insensitive. Tya refused to act as the evil, scheming, overly ambitious sister in the background trying to steal her niece's inheritance, although everyone would no doubt paint her as such regardless.

So far Jaime had been taking Gerold's lessons alongside his cousin, and had been taught by her beforehand, so he wasn't completely ignorant in such things. Kevan had even written to her previously saying that with some encouragement, the boy had revealed a surprising talent for diplomacy and reading situations where it might be needed. No doubt Kevan's encouragement was somewhat softer than her own; not that Jaime was soft, more that he didn't respond so well to being told what to do outright.

Tya was under no impression that her son was much like her, and unlike Cersei, he didn't want to be. It was likely better that she wasn't the one to instruct him in potential lordship, lest she drive him away from it altogether. Drive him away from her.

She was hardly what one would call a warm and attentive mother, but she loved her children nonetheless.

*

So a lot went on in that chapter. All of the shit Aerys pulls is canon by the way; although in canon he tortures and kills his mistress' family as well, and they all confess to killing the prince, each one saying they did it a different way.

Just to clarify, Kevan had two children, Gerold and Janei. No more as Janei's birth nearly killed his wife. Now Gerold is dead, Janei is heir which is far from ideal. For everyone except Tya, at least.

I'm trying to balance the (very slightly) softer side of Tya with the monster that Tywin is; I do think she's a more sympathetic character than he is. Not sure if that's because I've written her too soft, or that we never got a Tywin POV so never saw into his head like we do Tya's. Obviously it is a massive difference that she still has her version of Joanna; I remember the books mentioning that any good in Tywin died with his wife. What do you think?

Thanks for reading, and for all votes/comments/reviews!