Tyrek Lannister was scared. More scared than he had ever been before. Because he didn't want to die. He really really didn't want to die. But there seemed to be no other way out of the situation he was in. He was trapped. Standing on a field outside Highgarden, about to face an army twice the size of his own. With an even bigger army about to come up from behind.

He knew that he and his armies would die right there, where they stood awaiting the coming onslaught. On a green field sprinkled with daisies and clover. Surrounded by lush hills covered in grapevines. With the sun shining down on them. The beautiful surroundings were of no comfort to Tyrek.

The ground trembled as the 10 000 men of the Redwyne army came towards the half as many Lannister men. Tyrek's hands were trembling too, clasping his sword tightly.

As the Redwyne soldiers closed in on them Tyrek raised his sword in the air. 

"For House Lannister!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Hoping that his voice would carry, that it wouldn't break. Trying not to appear to his men like the scared boy he was.

The men behind him screamed as well. They all raised their swords in the air. They would all fight for their lives. Even though this was a battle they couldn't win. Even though it seemed like they all would die within the next few hours.

There had been about a dozen people before Tyrek Lannister in line to be Lord of Casterly Rock and Lord Paramount of the Westerlands. But through war, politics, and circumstance they had all met their demise. And so Tyrek had ended up where he was, leading the Lannister army into a battle they would lose.

Tyrek's father Tygett had died before he was even born and when his mother passed away as well he was taken in as a ward by his uncle Tywin in the capital. There he had become a pawn in the Lannister schemes and games. Tyrek was made a squire of King Robert to give Tywin intel on the king. Then he was married off to a bride way too young to claim her lands. And finally, he was sent off to hold Storm's End. All in the name of House Lannister. Tyrek's destiny was to become a knight, just like his father before him, and to defend his house on the battlefield. Forever a pawn for house Lannister.

Through luck and circumstance, Tyrek had become the head of his house. But he was still a pawn. Now under his cousin Tyrion, the hand of the king. Tyrion had a soft spot for his young cousin as Tyrek's father had always treated Tyrion with kindness. That's why Tyrion had decided to save Tyrek from the Dragon Queen and to rule the Westerlands through his cousin.

Tyrek's role was to look the part of a Lannister, and he certainly looked like one with his blonde curls, green eyes, and pretty smile, and to sire Lannister children that looked just like him. Tyrion seemed to doubt his own ability to sire those children. Tyrek knew his role and he had agreed to play it. There were worse roles to play.

But this was the last day Tyrek Lannister was a pawn. This was the last day he would play that role.

Tyrek had been tricked. He realized that now. Tricked by the king. And so had Paxter Redwyne. They were both pawns in a game they had no idea they were even playing. And they had both walked into traps.

That's why Paxter Redwyne was now held captive by the king's forces. And that's why Tyrek was about to fight a battle he would lose.

It was on Tyrion's orders that Tyrek had marched with his armies to Highgarden. To support the king's armies in trying to take Highgarden from the supposed usurper Paxter Redwyne. When Tyrek had arrived with his forces to Highgarden Lord Redwyne had decided to parlay with Ser Bronn, who commanded the king's forces, since the arrival of the Lannister forces meant Lord Redwyne was outnumbered. But he had already sent a raven to his son-in-law Robin Arryn to come to his aid. And Robin's forces, the Knights of the Vale, were larger than all the forces gathered at Highgarden combined. When Robin came there the battle would be won for Lord Redwyne, both sides knew that. So Lord Redwyne figured he was in a position to negotiate.

But Lord Redwyne had walked into a trap. When he arrived for the parlay Ser Bronn put him in chains and took him captive. Then the king's forces retreated and took Lord Redwyne with them. Leaving Tyrek and his small army to face the charging Redwyne army, now controlled by Lord Redwyne's twin sons Horas and Hobber.

Tyrek hadn't realized what had happened until it was too late. And now he and his armies were trapped. Ahead of them stood the Redwyne army and behind them would soon the Knights of the Vale stand. There was no way out. There was no way to win.

As Tyrek saw the enemies approaching he put up his sword and his shield, ready to fight. Even though he would lose.

In the last moments before the onslaught, Tyrek cursed his cousin Tyrion who had told him to go to Highgarden. Because Tyrion must have agreed to the plan that trapped Tyrek and his armies. And Tyrek cursed himself for being a pawn in his cousin's games.

***

Tyrion hadn't agreed to the plan. Because he had not been asked at all.

In fact, he didn't know what had happened until Bronn and the King's armies arrived back in the capital with Paxter Redwyne.

Then Tyrion walked into the throne room and asked the king what was going on.

"I told them to back off as soon as they had Lord Redwyne, I need him here," the king said as he sat in his wheelchair, staring into nothing as usual.

"Why do you need him?" Tyrion asked.

"It will all become clear soon," was all the King said in reply.

"And the Lannister armies? You told me to have them go to Highgarden."

"They're still there, where I need them to be."

Tyrion looked upon the King in despair. Like he suddenly realized that despite being the hand of the king he had really no control of the kingdom at all. Because the king controlled it, and the king seemed to have a plan that Tyrion was not privy to. A plan that might mean the end of House Lannister.

"You left Tyrek and the Lannister armies at Highgarden? To fight against a force twice their size? And that is before Lord Arryn arrives there... They won't stand a chance."

"You're right, they won't. But they'll stall Lord Arryn for a while. Otherwise, my forces wouldn't have been able to get here before him.."

"So Tyrek and his armies are trapped between two enemy forces, fighting a battle they can't win... Why didn't you ask me about this plan beforehand?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't agree to it."

"Of course I wouldn't have agreed. Because Tyrek won't walk off that battlefield alive! He is the future of my house, you can't just leave him to die! You are dooming that boy and my whole house!"

"You're right, he won't walk off that battlefield. But it won't be the end of your house. I've seen it."

The king said nothing more, he just stared off into the distance again.

Tyrion realized now he had made a mistake. A grave mistake. A mistake that was about to doom his house. A mistake that was about to doom the kingdom.

He had made a mistake when he nominated Bran Stark to be king. Because the person ruling them was not Bran Stark at all. It was something else. Something evil. Something playing a game that Tyrion had no idea how it was played, and Tyrion was usually good at playing games.

But he couldn't change anything now. He couldn't go back. All he could do was play along.

***

Tyrek was a skilled swordsman, he was destined to be a knight after all. Not as skilled as Jaime Lannister, his cousin who everyone told him he looked like, but skilled enough. But Tyrek had never actually got to use his skills in a real battle. Not until now.

It was Tyrek Lannister's first battle, and it would also be his last.

The enemies made it through the first line of the Lannister armies quickly. Blood splattered. Swords and shields clanked. Bones shattered. Men screamed.

Then suddenly the battle was right in front of Tyrek. A sword pointed right at him. Tyrek didn't flinch, he parried with his shield like he was taught to do. And he quickly thrust his sword into the abdomen of the oncoming soldier. It was a weird feeling, it felt soft and hard at the same time, as his sword hit bones and organs. Blood streamed out the man's mouth and it sprayed out of the wound all over Tyrek.

For a second he was overwhelmed. It was the first man he had ever killed. But this was not the time to ponder mortality. So Tyrek pulled his sword from the man's belly and continued to fight. He parried the next attack with his shield. He thrust his sword into the next soldier. He got showered by another gush of blood. Maybe he was going to die today, but he was not going to go down easily. Tyrek Lannister would fight until he could fight no more.

And fight he did, for hours it seemed. Blood splattered all around him. Blood from his enemies and his allies. Eventually covering him from head to toe. It soaked his blonde curls and plastered them to his face. The scream from dying men rang in his ears and the smell of death lingered in his nostrils. But yet Tyrek Lannister lived. And he started to think that maybe, just maybe they could win. Maybe he would walk off that battlefield after all.

But he wouldn't. Just as the king had predicted, he would not walk away.

Because that's when he heard a warhorn sounding behind him. And Tyrek turned around to see the blue banners of House Arryn approaching. Thousands upon thousands of men on horseback attacking them from behind. Swirling around them, circling them, trapping them. There was no chance of victory now.

The arrival of the Knight of the Vale made Tyrek lose focus for a second. And that's when he felt a blow to his left leg. He didn't feel pain but it made him fall to his knees. His closest men gathered around him as he fell. The only thing left for them to do now was to protect their lord. The remaining Lannister soldiers gathered in a ring formation around where Tyrek had fallen as they were now surrounded on all sides. They couldn't escape, they couldn't win, they could only go down honorably.

Tyrek was down on his knees in the middle of the huddle. His sword put down on the ground in front of him. He didn't know what was happening around him.

Suddenly it all got quiet around him. And he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Tyrek Lannister, are you still alive?"

It was the voice of Robin Arryn. A boy who Tyrek not many months earlier had been engaged in a childish squabble with on the floor of a tavern. A boy who Tyrek despite that considered his friend. A boy who commanded the largest army in the kingdom.

Tyrek gestured to the men surrounding him to move out of their way and they obliged. And he saw Robin coming walking towards him, through the lines of men, with his hands up. Dark hair, serious eyes, way too young to be there.

"I'm still fighting, Robin," Tyrek replied, still down on his knees with his hands on the sword in front of him. His shield was on his back.

As Robin got close Tyrek reached for his sword and lunged towards him. Forgetting that his leg was injured. So when he put his weight on the injured leg he fell to the ground instead, his sword falling next to him.

"Tyrek, you don't want to hurt me," Robin said. "Because if you do, my armies will annihilate your men in seconds."

Tyrek slowly but surely rose again. Well, on his one leg. His left leg didn't cooperate with him at all. He supported himself on his sword on the left side instead.

"We're all about to die anyway," he replied. "What does it matter?"

"You don't have to die, Tyrek. I don't want to hurt you," Robin continued. "I want to save you. You're already hurt, you won't be able to fight much longer."

Tyrek realized now how much blood he was covered in, as he looked down on his arms and legs. He pulled his hands through his hair and realized it was soaked as well.

"It's not my blood," he said before looking down on his left leg where blood was gushing out. "Well, I guess that is..."

Suddenly he felt very faint and his right leg, that he was standing on, felt wobbly. He started to feel the pain from the injury on his left leg.

"Is it alright if I sit down?" he asked Robin. "I don't feel too well."

Before Robin could reply Tyrek crashed down on the ground and Robin kneeled down next to him. The grass on the ground was no longer green, it was red from all the blood that had been shed.

As he sat there Tyrek could for the first time assess the injury on his leg. It did not look good, not at all. A huge gash went across his left calf and there were bone shards sticking out.

"Fuck", he yelled out. "I guess I won't be walking on that again soon. Or ever..."

Tears started streaming down Tyrek's cheeks as the pain of his injury and the severity of his situation set in. The tears formed streaks on his blood-soaked face.

"But you don't have to die, " Robin said and put his hand on Tyrek's shoulder. "I don't want you to die. So I've come to make you an offer."

Tyrek could only nod in reply. His leg was hurting like hell now when he had sat down and calmed down a bit. Of course, he didn't want to die, but he couldn't let himself hope for another way out. Death was all that was left.

"Tell me where my father-in-law is and what the king intends to do with him, and I'll let you and your remaining men go home to the Westerlands," Robin said. "My brothers-in-law told me Lord Redwyne went to parlay with Ser Bronn and never came back."

"The King's men took Lord Redwyne to the capital, that's all I know. I swear, Robin," Tyrek said through the tears that kept falling. "I don't know what they intend to do with him. They tricked me, just like they tricked him. They left me and my men to die... and I don't want to die."

Robin looked at Tyrek for a moment, like he was trying to assess if he was telling the truth. Then he put his arms around Tyrek, embracing the poor blood-covered crying boy. Getting the blood all over himself too. Robin didn't seem to care, he just wanted to comfort his friend for a moment.

"You don't have to die, Tyrek," Robin said as he let go. "I believe you. I believe you were tricked."

"They will try to trick you too," Tyrek replied. "If you go to the capital. So be careful, Robin."

"I don't care, I need to go there anyway. I need to get my wife's father back, she won't forgive me if I don't."

A hint of a smile was seen on Tyrek's face, through the pain and tears.

"You love her, don't you? Sorry that I once told you I would marry Desmera instead, I was only teasing you."

"I do. I love Desmera. I will do anything for her. That's why I need to go to the capital. But I will let you and your men go first."

Robin got up and reached his hand out to help Tyrek up as well. But Tyrek didn't take it. Instead, he fell backward onto the ground. Passed out from pain, exhaustion, and blood loss.

Robin waved to some of the Lannister soldiers to come to carry their lord off the battlefield.

Tyrek Lannister had been tricked. And he would lose something because of it.

Robin Arryn was about to be tricked as well. And he would also lose something because of it.