EDITED: 7th Jan 2022

268AC

Tya was not particularly thrilled when she learned she was pregnant again. Aerys had been growing more and more... abrasive as the years passed, towards her in particular. He had heard the snide whispers that it was his Lady Hand who ruled the kingdoms in truth, whilst the king drank and whored and commissioned plays and paintings, and of course took this out on Tya.

Nothing drastic, for he understood well enough that she was the best person for the job and performed her duties better than almost every Hand before her. Aerys didn't tend to interfere much in her day-to-day running of the kingdoms, thankfully.

But there was certainly a sizeable part of the king that resented Tya for not having indulged his obvious fancy for her after almost fifteen years of friendship, and was glad for an excuse to send snide or crude remarks her way during small council meetings, or making a point of overruling her publicly about inconsequential matters, or be even more obstinate and foolish when it came to ideas she suggested.

Given the current situation with Aerys, it was no time for her to be bed bound for any considerable amount of time. She could put up with minor slights and scorn from the king, but could not afford to miss any more of her duties than completely necessary, lest the other lords start to talk, and plot about how to twist the king's apparent growing animosity towards his Hand to their advantage.

So, like with her first pregnancy, Tya remained out of confinement until the very day she went into labour. This time it was quite literally just after she had finished holding court, sitting the Iron Throne herself as Aerys had apparently come down with a head cold which left him bed-bound all day. Having felt the first stirrings of labour since she woke up that morning - and having brushed it off - Tya had left the hall and rounded a corner into a blessedly quiet corridor when the now-familiar feeling of her waters breaking came over her.

She was rushed to the Tower of the Hand by those attending her; or rather, she walked briskly there herself, refusing to be carried by either of their guardsmen - Jason hadn't offered - as the pain was nowhere near that bad yet.

This birth was much easier than Jaime and Cersei's had been, perhaps because it was her second, or perhaps because it was just one baby, not two. Unlike the twins, her infant daughter was born with a fine fuzz of red hair - like Tya's own mother, Lady Jeyne - though her eyes were a brilliant green colour. Rohanne, Tya had named her before Jason even entered the room, after their grandmother who also shared the same hair colour.

Her husband had brought the children with him to meet Rohanne, and though Tya hadn't requested their presence, not particularly wanting them to see her so exhausted and not put together, when they both ran in she found she didn't mind at all.

Jaime seemed fascinated with his new baby sister, smiling at the child and extending his chubby three-year-old hand. Cersei had sulked initially, saying that she didn't want a sister, that she didn't want to share Mother and Father and Jaime with anyone, until Jason had coaxed her out of her mood by saying surely little Rohanne would grow to look up to her as she was the elder sister, and would follow her example. The girl had brightened then, warily stepping forward and even cracking a small smile when the baby had grabbed her finger.

"You're surprisngly good at manipulating children," She told her husband.

"It's not so different from dealing with the small council," He had shrugged.

Three days of Jason reporting back to her on the goings-on at court later, Tya was out of bed and back to work herself. Her first day back on the council was the same day the king returned to his duties as well.

"Fully recovered, your Grace?" She enquired rather dryly as Aerys entered the room. In answer to her question, the king blew noisily on a handkerchief drawn from his pocket.

"No," He sniffed. "I still feel like death. The last few days have been miserable,"

Tya glanced at Jason, which was a mistake as her husband was clearly trying not to laugh. She found herself biting back a smile as the king sat.

"A shame," She said, sitting down herself and determinedly not wincing at the pain. "It must have been hard for you,"

Aerys narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering if she was mocking him, but her stony expression must have convinced him otherwise. Either way, he seemed to realise that she had just given birth not three days before, and he was complaining of a head cold.

"I heard you had a daughter," He adopted the same grudging tone he used whenever he spoke of her children with Jason. "Rhaella sends her congratulations,"

"My thanks, but I saw her Grace yesterday," The queen had visited her in her rooms and cooed over little Rohanne, though there was a look of longing in the woman's sad eyes; Rhaella had still not managed to conceive a child after Prince Rhaegar's birth nearly ten years ago.

"Hm," Aerys grumbled. "You should give her some advice on childbearing, seeing as you've popped out three healthy babes with no issue at all and left your bed days later,"

She was very tempted to reply to that with 'well the realm won't run itself' but knew better.

Tya had previously said to her friend - rather bluntly, but the queen was used to it - that her fertility problems were likely due to being wedded, bedded and birthing her first child at the age of fourteen, much too young as everyone agreed. Not that that was Rhaella's fault; the rather bitter look that overcame the woman's normally carefully polished expression showed that she blamed her parents for that still. And Aerys; trying to constantly force a pregnancy after a miscarriage every year was surely not healthy either.

"I wouldn't have said popped out," Her lip curled slightly at the rather crude analogy.

The king, rather worryingly, smirked.

"It's hard to picture you screaming and crying in the birthing bed like any other woman," He said. "Perhaps next time you're ready to whelp another landless Lannister, I'll wander past to listen,"

At least two members of the small council - sat there silently, wondering how yet another tense conversation between King and Hand would play out - winced. Most ladies would have been rightly unsettled by that comment. Jason's eyes had narrowed, though he knew better than to challenge him, knowing it would only make it worse.

Tya was used to it from Aerys, but that didn't mean it didn't rile her. More so the reminder that her children would inherit nothing than the weird suggestion, though that was disturbing the more she thought on it.

"Please don't," Was her only reply, tone considerably colder. She had prepared for Aerys to lash out in response, though thankfully he just laughed.

"You're so easy to anger," The king blew his nose again, tossing the very much used handkerchief to an attending servant, who rather admirably only showed disgust for a fraction of a second. "On with the meeting then,"

*

270AC

The good news was that Kevan's wife Lady Morya had finally given birth to a second child that year. The bad news was that the child was a girl (named Janei), who was small and rather frail, and that it was a miracle Morya had survived the birth given how it had completely devastated her body. She would be unable to bear any more children or even get pregnant again.

A son and a daughter for Kevan was better than no heirs at all, but it wasn't ideal. For this reason, Tya managed to get her brother Tygett's marriage pushed forward a year; the bride was now six-and-ten, there were no real excuses not to.

Tyg's face was stormy throughout his wedding, particularly when he glanced (glared) at Kevan and Tya, however he seemed to bear no resentment to his young wife, Alinor Lydden, and thankfully the pair seemed to get along rather well. Whether he was interested in women or not, hopefully her brother would do his duty and get at least one son on the girl. His children would be next in line after Kevan's, after all.

As a favour to her younger brother - not an apology - and an attempt to increase the Lannister presence at court, Tya pushed to name Tygett as master-at-arms at the Red Keep shortly after the wedding. The appointment was all but finalised until Aerys got wind of it and instead chose Ser Willem Darry for the post.

It wasn't the first of her decisions he had overruled, but it was the most significant, and most public. Aerys knew full well that woman or not, the people - lords and commoners alike - were starting to respect Tya far more than they respected him. And he hated it, but not enough to sack her - whether that was due to her competency or more distasteful reasons - so showed his displeasure in petty ways like this.

Either way, she was furious.

"What was the point?" Tya asked coldly. She stood before Aerys' desk in the solar he barely used, hating the fact that he refused to stand as well, instead lounging in his chair. "I cannot think of any possible reason to not appoint Tygett to the post other than to spite me,"

"Don't be ridiculous," The king's amused attitude belied his words. "I chose Ser Willem because his house is very loyal and deserves to be rewarded. He is also an experienced knight, not a green boy like your brother,"

"Tygett has been fighting the outlaws and bandits of the Westerlands for years, now," Tya gritted her teeth. "He's no green boy. Not to mention the fact he was knighted at sixteen, and has ridden in - and won - countless tourneys, melees too,"

"Well, I suppose Ser Willem is just better," Aerys shrugged, smiling in a way that all but said that he wasn't going to listen to a word she said.

Tya narrowed her eyes.

"You barely know the man,"

"I barely know your brother,"

She took a breath.

"Is this meant to put me in my place?" She sneered, using the fact that she was standing and he was sitting to her advantage. "Do not insult me by denying it. You've never given a damn who was Master of Arms until now,"

"And so what if it was?" Aerys finally stood, and to her eternal annoyance, he was taller than her by two inches. He moved around the desk, and around her, so she was forced to turn around, not wanting her back to him. The king smiled falsely and took her hands gently in his. She fought the urge to rip them away, seeing the rage dancing behind his eyes. "You're always sure to remember that I am the king, not you, Tya?" I never forget, unfortunately.

"What kind of question - "

He kissed her. Her instinctive reaction was to try to step back, but he only followed, and then the backs of her legs were against the desk, and she tried to shove him away but his hand held her wrists far more strongly than she would've thought him capable. Tya tried to wrench her head away, but his other hand was caught in her hair.

She liked it when Jason kissed her roughly, doing all the same things, but because it wasn't him, she was only repulsed.

Perhaps anticipating her next move, the memory of her bedding ceremony still fresh, Aerys let out an indecent noise and moved his lips to her neck. Tya stood there, still and unresponsive as a statue, but managed to force a few words through her teeth.

"If you carry on, you'll regret it," I will tell my brother you violated me, and the West will go to war. I will betroth Cersei to an Arryn, Jaime to a Tully and Rohanne to a Stark and we will march on this keep and burn it to the ground. Baratheon never quite forgave your family for the follies of Prince Duncan, whilst Princess Loreza of Dorne is my friend, and her kingdom has been a viper waiting to strike since the conquest. The Tyrells are cowards and would always go with the majority.

Perhaps some of her vicious thoughts showed, for Aerys finally stepped back and she unwillingly let out the slightest breath of relief. They were alone in the room, and though there were Kingsguard outside the door, they would hardly have gone against their king for the sake of a woman most saw as a ruthless bitch who didn't know her place.

"For gods sake, Tya," He practically whined, but let go of her wrists, which he'd been holding so tight they would no doubt bruise. "I'm the king. For one, you can't threaten me! And if you could get away with an affair with anyone, it would be me. Your husband is my friend, I know he's hardly the vengeful sort," Then you barely know him at all.

There was so much wrong with what he'd said that she was ready to burst with anger.

"I'm your Hand, not your whore," Her tone was icy cold instead. "I'm not the kind of woman who will smile and blush prettily as you bend me over a desk,"

"And that's why I want you," He tried for a charming smile, which faded at the look on her face. "I thought people said that whilst you rule the kingdoms, your husband rules you in private,"

"They talk of my husband, not of you. If you tell anyone of what you just did - "

"I won't, I won't," He said rather irritably. "What if I'd married you, instead of Rhaella? Would you have said yes?"

"If you'd asked me then, I would have," Tya replied with surprising honesty. Perhaps he had shaken her more than she would acknowledge to herself. "Marrying the heir to the throne would have been far better than marrying a Frey or some old lord from the west,"

"What about now," There was a surprising note of desperation in his tone. "Say Jason died in some battle - not a threat, just a speculation! - and Rhaella died with her next miscarriage. Would you let me name you queen? I'd let your brother have that stupid position. I'd find land and good marriages for all your children. Your children with me would be heirs, after Rhaegar - one could be queen herself,"

The idea of having a babe like Rohanne or Cersei and forcing her to marry her decades-elder brother was sickening. So was the idea of letting Aerys get her with child. And the fact that in the next to impossible event that she became queen, she'd have to get rid of her friend Rhaella's beloved son so her own could be king. Tya had no desire to become the next Alicent Hightower.

"Hand of the King has more power than a queen ever could," She said flatly. "I'm not the kind of woman to stand sweetly at your side and spend my days embroidering either," Or give up my right to refuse your vile presence in my bed.

"So this is why there's never been a woman in such a high position before," He muttered, but she wasn't in the mood to indulge him.

"Never do anything like that again, Aerys," Or you'll end up with a knife between your ribs. Tya looked him dead in those violet eyes, hoping that came across, but even she didn't dare threaten the king's life out loud.

"I'm hardly going to force you," He grumbled like an indignant child. No, because that would ruin the fun if I'm kicking and scratching underneath you.

"You just held me in place to force a kiss, even as I tried to pull away," She replied coldly. "Forgive me for feeling the need to clarify,"

Again, he opened his mouth in outrage, but she could stand to be alone with him no longer and turned away to leave without waiting to be dismissed.

If the Kingsguard had heard anything, they said nothing to her as she stormed out of the room, leaving the door open in her wake. The walk back to the Tower of the Hand only gave her a chance to get over her initial reaction to what had happened and work up a true fury, not the anger limited by shock that she had shown to Aerys.

Servants and nobles alike scurried out of her path. Her own children ran up to greet her as she entered their living quarters - Jaime and Cersei were five now, Rohanne two - but even they stopped dead at the look on her face.

"What's wrong, Mother?" Cersei asked with a rather too innocent expression. They had seen her angry before, and had been on the receiving end, but nothing like this.

"Where's your father?" She asked, trying to hide her heavy breathing. Normally she could handle Aerys, but normally it was just crude jokes and making a nuisance of himself. The only time he'd tried anything like this was on her wedding night, and that had been in public, with no danger of things going any further. The longer she thought on it, the more it hit her that it could have gone a lot worse that day.

She stopped that line of thought abruptly. Tya despised feeling powerless, and what she had felt in Aerys' solar that day was bordering on it. If she hadn't been able to talk him out of it, he'd have had her there and then on the desk. No, he wouldn't. I'd have scratched his eyes out first, attacking the king be damned. Still, it was the principle of the thing. Above all, she despised that he'd made her feel as weak as any other woman.

"Upstairs," Jaime replied to her quickly. "We were just sparring," Her son had been meant to start in the training yard aged six, but had been so eager that Jason had been giving him a few basic lessons beforehand.

Tya suspected that he taught the wilful Cersei too, without telling her - he had openly taught her to use a small bow - but seeing as they were so young she had said nothing. Perhaps that was why her daughter looked like she was hiding something.

"Promise me," She held out her hands, and both twins obliged her, as children did, and took hold of one each. "That neither of you - nor Rohanne - will ever be alone with the king,"

Jaime and Cersei looked bemused

"I promise," They both said as one in that almost eerie twin way of theirs.

"Why?" Cersei asked immediately.

"Did the king do something wrong?" Jaime furrowed his brow.

"Do not repeat any of this to anyone," Tya looked at each of them, deadly serious. They wouldn't; they knew better than to disobey their mother. "The king is to be respected and served - he is the king, and can do many things for our family. That doesn't make him a good man,"

"But he's the only one who tells you what to do," Cersei seemed distressed by this. "If he's not a good man, it should be the other way round. You should be Queen and he should be Hand,"

Tya smiled tightly.

"My thoughts exactly," She said, and her daughter practically glowed. "Though don't repeat that either - the king will almost definitely take it as treason,"

Cersei nodded solemnly.

"What did the king do to you, Mother?"

She blinked at Jaime's question. Cersei was clever, it was clear already, and had Tya's ambition even at five years old. Jaime did not seem so interested, yet sometimes - like this occasion - was surprisingly astute in working out what people were hiding.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with," Her tone lacked the sharpness she usually spoke that phrase with, as she saw Jason come down the stairs. "Now go on, both of you. Didn't the maester set you both practicing your letters?"

"What is that?" Her husband asked with narrowed eyes, staring at her neck. Oh Seven Hells. The one day she didn't wear a high-necked gown...

"Not here," She swept past him up the stairs and he followed to the solar. Tya didn't sit, merely glanced around for a mirror. "Is there a mark?"

"A lovely blooming one. Dare I ask where you got it?"

"Aerys," He didn't look surprised. "And before you ask, no, I did not fall into his arms. He pinned me against his desk with a hand in my hair," She wondered why he looked so furious still.

"Was it only a kiss?" Jason asked, voice carefully controlled. She suddenly realised what he was thinking.

"Yes," Her words came out sharper than intended. "If it had been any more, I'd be raising an army or named Kingslayer already. He just kissed me, and I made it clear he would not be doing such a thing again,"

"He's the king, he can do what he likes if he feels like it," His tone matched hers. "If he wanted to drag you kicking and screaming to his chambers, he could. He hardly treats Rhaella much better than that,"

"As if he could - we have over a hundred loyal men here,"

"He has a whole garrison, and the city watch,"

"Even Aerys isn't foolish enough to risk war with the west, over a passing fancy,"

"I'm not sure how many passing fancies last through a marriage on both sides, Tya. Or for over ten years,"

"Do not speak to me like I'm a naive child," She snapped at him.

"Then don't act like one," He sneered. "Believe it or not, I mislike the idea of my wife being kissed against her will by the man who has lusted after her since she was three-and-ten, let alone raped. Oh I have no doubt that the king would pay for it if he tried anything like that, but that doesn't take away from the fact it would have happened. Gods know I'm not saying resign your post, but least don't meet with him alone again,"

She wasn't sure why she was arguing with him over this. It was a reasonable suggestion, and he was voicing reasonable concerns, albeit more extreme than she herself believed were realistic. Perhaps she just wanted to shout at someone, anyone.

Tya didn't reply, merely went over to the window, staring outside. After a while in silence, her husband came to join her, ignoring her glare.

"You're going to regret calling me a child," Her tone wasn't exactly friendly, but not hostile either. "I'll bring one guard in with me when the king is alone," Because she didn't particularly want to be alone with the king either. He had reminded her that day that she could be as vulnerable as any other woman, and she despised it.

*

272AC

It was two years later, whilst Tya was big with child for the third time that Aerys dealt her the - well, perhaps not the worst, after that day in his solar, but certainly the most public insult so far.

It was at a tourney being held in honour of Prince Rhaegar's birthday. The king had stood up to make his opening speech, finishing on a note of congratulations for the recent marriage of Lord Chelsted and his new bride. While doing so, he glanced slyly at Tya where she sat in the same box as him, and she already dreaded what would come out of his mouth.

"And if one as cold and frigid in bed as our Lady Hand could manage to get with child yet again, no doubt the two of you will have no trouble producing an heir before the year is out," Aerys smirked.

There was some scattered laughter and snickering in the crowd which quickly quieted at the dangerous look on Tya's face. Beside her she felt Jason stiffen, and his smile turn rather sharp.

"Oh dear," The king chuckled, eyes alive with spite. "Have I roused the lioness' anger?"

In a cloak of gold or a cloak of red, a lioness still has claws. And mine are long and sharp, my lord, as long and sharp as yours.

She wasn't going to get up and leave as many ladies might, and would be justified in doing; to not only have their marriage bed joked about in front of an entire tourney, but also for it to be implied that they had slept with the king would be mortifying for most.

Instead, she sat through it with a stony expression, though approached Aerys during the feast later that evening, Jason's questioning look following after her though he did not leave his seat.

The king clearly recognised the cold fury on her face for he grinned.

"No need to look so aggrieved," He said. "It was just my little joke,"

"If you mean to speak to me like that in front of a crowd again in the future, your Grace, that will be the last time you do so with me as your Hand," She replied flatly, loud enough that people around them - who had been subtly listening in - dropped all pretences and turned around to gawp. "I will not stand to be insulted so publicly,"

Aerys clearly hadn't expected that, and clearly was not pleased, eyes flashing with anger.

"Do what you like," He snapped irritably. "Another reason why I should never have made a woman my Hand - you're all too highly strung and can't take a simple jape," It was said far too viciously to be viewed as a joke. No one laughed.

"Then I will burden you no longer, your Grace," Tya said coldly. "You are free to find another Hand who is less highly strung. I wish you luck finding a man who will accept you publicly implying you shared his bed,"

As predicted, Aerys finally took her seriously, though was not happy about it.

"You will not resign," He glowered at her. "I won't let you,"

"Then do not ever slander me in front of a crowd again,"

"Fine," He waved a hand impatiently. "Fine, fine, I won't,"

*

She should've known it would not be that easy.

Though Aerys had started the whole debacle by publicly insulting her, and she had responded rather reasonably, it was him who had to finish it too, as payback for her manipulating him in front of the whole court.

People had been saying for years that Tya ran the kingdom while the king spent money on feasts, paintings, plays and whores. Aerys had even joked about it at one point, in private of course. No one said such things to his face, but he was always aware of the whispers and muttering. It seemed to bother him more and more as the years went on.

Only now she'd irritated him enough that he finally decided to pay attention.

Tya had gotten there too late.

The captain of her personal guards was already howling in pain when she slammed open the door to the cell, blood pouring from his mouth as the gaoler held his severed tongue in between pincers. Jaime and Cersei, who were both with her that day seeing as there was no small council meeting, both let out small noises of shock, though thankfully neither clung to her skirts. Good; seven was too old for things like that.

"I was only following orders, milady," The gaoler blanched slightly at her furious expression. "He made a joke about the king, see, and the king heard,"

Tya ignored him, even as blood from the screaming, writhing man splashed onto her skirts.

"Someone get the maester here for Ser Ilyn," She snapped at the men behind her. "He is to receive the best of care. Take him to the Tower of the Hand and make up a guest chamber for him," Never let it be said she didn't reward loyalty, even if she wasn't in time to stop him losing his tongue.

"Are you not coming with us, milady?"

"No," Her jaw set. "I'm going to see the king. Children, go with the guards,"

She must've looked a sight, striding through the godswood where Aerys was entertaining his latest mistress, eight months pregnant with blood splashed across her skirts; of course, today was the day she had chosen to wear gold instead of her usual dark colours where it wouldn't have showed. This hardly counts as being alone with him, surely.

"Your Grace," She ignored the fact that his hand was up the skirt of the giggling girl in his lap; he seemed to delight in the fact, looking at her with an expression that seemed to say 'this could be you'. "I'll thank you to inform me of any misdeeds my men have committed in the future so I can punish them adequately myself,"

"Did you not think I gave the man adequate punishment?" Aerys raised an eyebrow. "I thought having his tongue torn out by hot pincers was enough, but if you think I should've been harsher..."

"I do not," She said firmly, not wanting to say anything more on that, for if she said that she thought he'd been too harsh, he would ask her if she agreed with what Ser Ilyn had said, and that was a dangerous route to go down. "I merely request that in the future you inform me before such measures are taken,"

He didn't answer, merely glanced at her skirts.

"Is that blood?" The king's eyes lit up. "So you nearly got there in time to go against me, but not quite. Ha," He laughed. "You should wear bloody clothes more often, Tya. It suits you," Her lips twitched involuntarily and he grinned further. "I know you're angry about your captain. Tell you what, I'll give him a position to make up for it. How does King's Justice sound? The current man's getting so old he botched the last few executions anyway,"

She knew what he was trying to do. Trying to teach her that if she was pleasant and obliging then she would be rewarded. It angered her, but not so much that she would act the fool and turn this down.

"I'll accept your offer on Ser Ilyn's behalf," She said. "Though it would be a lot more compelling if you made it without a whore squirming in your lap,"

The girl flushed and looked down. Aerys just laughed.

"Another disadvantage of having a Lady Hand rather than a lord,"

*

Tya's second son and fourth child, Damon Lannister, was born several weeks later.

*

The reason Tya and Jason have more children than Tywin and Joanna is because they both live in King's Landing, not on different sides of the continent. I thought it would be strange if they only had the twins in seven years. So far they have Jaime and Cersei, born in 265AC; Rohanne, born in 268AC; and Damon born in 272AC.

In canon, Aerys insulted Joanna at the tourney in 272AC and Tywin threatened to resign, although no doubt the king wanted to insult Tywin through his wife. I thought in this case if it's Tya who he wants, and Tya he wants to hurt, have him saying it to her directly instead.

The scene in Aerys' solar was tricky to write. Obviously Tya wouldn't put up with anything like that, but despite everything Aerys does, she still wants to remain Hand so cannot just leave. If he went any further it would be a different matter.

Oh and in canon Ser Ilyn was only made King's Justice after the rebellion but this is fanfiction so I thought I'd change a few things.

Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!