Martyn Lannister
It was cold, that much was for certain. A certain chill seemed to be constantly present at Casterly Rock, ever since winter had arrived on white wings some four years ago. It was only fitting Martyn thought, that this winter should be the coldest one Westeros had experienced, considering the summer that had preceded it had been the longest and the warmest. Still there were certain benefits of this winter, one of them being that when the King had marched north to deal with the threat at the wall, he had instructed Martyn to keep his men poised and ready should the beasts he was dealing with advance further south, as they hadn't Martyn and his men had been spared the pain of marching through the cold and the snow, and now were nearly back to their strength from before the war, that maesters were calling the war of the kings.
Speaking of kings, Martyn found his thoughts wandering as they so often did these days to the raven that had come from King's Landing some time ago, announcing that Jon Stark, now Jon Targaryen the Lord of Winterfell had been confirmed as Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne, until a son was born to the king. This news had caused Martyn many restless nights unable to sleep as he worried over what would happen to his family should Jon Stark become king. After all it had been Martyn's cousins and their foolish actions that had started the war in Westeros, and their actions that had cost Lord Stark most of his family, Martyn had met Lord Stark once, when he had gone to King's Landing to discuss some business with the king, and the man had been just as cold and as fierce as the stories of the northern lords Martyn had heard as a child painted him to be. Martyn feared that should Stark take the throne there would be some sort of retribution for the acts his family had done, and that was something he dreaded mightily. For whilst the Westerlands and the Reach were tied together through Martyn's marriage to Margaery, Stark had become something of a war hero, and held the north and the Riverlands and more than likely the Stormlands as well, if the man became king and took it into his head to see off the Lannisters, then there would be nothing Martyn could do.
There was of course yet another thing about Lord Targaryen that surprised Martyn and even Margaery- his wife who always seemed so sure of herself that nothing could baffle her- when the raven had arrived announcing Lord Jon's wedding to his cousin Sansa Stark there had been much whispering in the Westerlands, in Casterly Rock especially. For it was common knowledge that during the last few months of Tommem's reign on the Iron Throne, Margaery's brother Willas had spent some time in Dorne with the Lady Sansa at Starfall getting to know her, and wooing her, for as Margaery had told him when news of Lord Jon's betrothal came through, her grandmother had wanted to keep one hand in the Stark camp should King Aegon appear less forgiving to Lord Jon who had at the time been for Stannis Baratheon. And from what Margaery had told him, Martyn had gotten the impression that though the betrothal between her brother and Lady Sansa was not official, had not been sealed in writing, it was as good as official, as according to Margaery and some of the spies Lady Olenna had, both parties were quite smitten with each other. And so as a result both Martyn and Margaery spent many an hour discussing both Lord Jon's ascension as heir to the throne and his betrothal to the Lady Sansa and what it could actually mean. "He must be doing it to protect the north. After all his family was scattered by the south and the nest of vipers that is King's Landing. He must not want his family to be torn apart anymore." Martyn had said upon hearing the news, feeling a twinge of guilt, for it had been his family that had caused the destruction to fall on the Starks.
"Yes but even so, an alliance with my father would have benefitted the Starks, as it would have meant that there would be more common ties between the north, the south and the west. Still it might have been wiser for him to marry Sansa off to a northern lord loyal to him, so as to ensure they stayed loyal." Margaery had said.
"Aye but this a Stark we are talking of, they do not often seem to have much common political sense my love. That is what my father always said, and what Lord Tywin always said. Perhaps he simply did it because he loved her." Martyn had replied then.
His wife had laughed then, and cupping his cheek lovingly, she had said. "Oh Martyn my love, you are smart and brave, but still naive. Lord Jon is heir to the Iron Throne now, even if he does not know, his brother and his adopted mother will know just how important it is that he has a wife who understands the south and how it works. And though she was just a girl when she was in King's Landing, Sansa has a better understanding of southern politics than anyone thinks she does. If Lord Jon becomes king, Sansa will be his southern queen and there is nothing we will be able to do."
At her words Martyn had felt an old panic spring up in his chest. "And that does not bother you? I know you were wed thrice to kings, do you not wish to be queen once more?"
Margaery had kissed him on the lips then and said soothingly. "I was wed to three kings aye. But none of them were as kind or as brave as you. I do not want to be queen Martyn, for with you and our children I am as queenly as can possibly be, without needing some lofty title or some foolish crown to go with it."
Martyn had merely nodded then and they had spoken no more of Kings or betrothals or what ifs. Until yet another raven had come from the Vale, written in the neat and precise hand of one Lord Petyr Baelish, the Lord Protector of the Vale, declaring the arrival of Danaerys Targaryen the rightful Queen of Westeros, and demanding that Martyn come to the Vale to bend the knee to her. Stories had already been reaching Martyn of Daenaerys Targaryen, some of them claimed she was her brother Prince Rhaegar come again spreading justice and peace like the Prince would have done had he ascended the throne, others claimed she was as mad as her father the mad king, and that she had brought nothing but death and grief to the lands she had ruled in Essos. One thing the rumours all did agree on though was that she had two of the four last living dragons in the world, and one of them was said to be as black as night and the Black Dread come again.
Martyn did not reply to the letter, giving neither confirmation or denial of what Lord Baelish had written, as advised by both his wife and his aunt. Instead he waited for news from King's Landing, from his cousin Daven who was serving as master of coin. He wished to know what the King's reaction would be to the news of his aunt's arrival and her declaration. He already knew about Baelish, a letter from Varys had explained all. The treacherous weasel that was Petyr Baelish had played off on the long standing tensions between Lord Eddard Stark and Martyn's uncle Lord Tywin and had used Jaime and Cersei's foolishness to ignite the war that had torn Westeros apart for two years. The man had also whispered in Martyn's cousin Joffrey's ear about having Eddard Stark executed, and that in itself had made Martyn furious. The man's blind ambition had cost Westeros whatever semblance of peace it could hope to have as well as costing Martyn his father, his brothers and friends and other family of his, his own mother had died two moons ago from a fever, leaving Martyn an orphan having to care not only for his own two children- Martha and Loren- but also his baby sister Janei who would have no memory whatsoever of their family when she grew up, it was enough to make Martyn truly wish Baelish was here right now so he could kill the man.
Four moons past from the raven from the Vale when another raven came from Riverrun, Martyn and Lord Edmure had picked up a sort of unlikely friendship, borne of a desire to rid the world of Freys and loathing of what Jaime and Cersei had done to the kingdoms with their stupidity. The letter contained details of how Nestor Royce had come to Riverrun to try and get Edmure to bend the knee to Danaerys and how Edmure had refused, and now Edmure wrote of how there were bandits raiding his lands, most likely in the pay of Littlefinger, but of how any attempts made to catch them often ended up turning empty as they would not be found. The letter also spoke of the madness of Daenaerys Targaryen's proposals, and after reading that Martyn had to call a meeting with his advisors, Margaery, Aunt Genna and Maester Creylen. Martyn stated the contents of what Daenaerys Targaryen had offered Edmure, and then said "It seems clear to me that the woman has no clear understanding of what is wanted in Westeros. It seems Lord Baelish has been filling her head with nonsense."
Aunt Genna spoke next. "Aye your father and Tywin did always say that Baelish though capable, was a snake and a dreamer. Some of what he says will be told with a pinch of salt, to sweeten the girl to what it he wants her to do. I say we ignore whatever attempts she makes at getting us to bend the knee."
Maester Creylen ever the voice of reason said. "It is likely that Lord Baelish is withholding the truth from Daenaerys Targaryen about her father and her brother, and what the Lords of Westeros truly thought of her family before the rebellion."
Martyn looked at the wizened old maester who had been serving at the Rock since his father had been a young man and asked him. "And what was the view of House Targaryen before the rebellion Maester?"
It was his aunt Genna true to the point as ever who answered. "Aerys was mad all knew that. Tywin was the only person who could reign in his madness, though Aerys began to think Tywin was plotting to overthrow him, that he was going to have Rhaegar installed as king. That blasted Tourney at Harrenhal did nothing to help relations between the two of them. Tywin was always to proud for his own good, he wanted some sort of recognition for all the years of hard work he had done for Aerys, and Rhaegar was willing to give it to him. Rhaegar, the silver prince, the one who everyone thought would bring House Targaryen back from the abyss and to greatness once again. It was a shame we were all so wrong."
Martyn looked at his aunt then and said. "Is that why the Westerlands did not fight during the rebellion and merely took part in that atrocity known as the Sack?"
His voice had turned harsh, it must have done for he felt Margaery gripping his hand tightly, and he had seen the slight flinch that had crossed his aunt's face at his words. Still her voice was strong when she spoke. "Aye that is why my lord. Tywin would have supported Rhaegar had he attempted to call a Great Council, but once he absconded with Lyanna Stark, Tywin knew that there was barely any chance Rhaegar would have any credibility if he emerged from the rebellion unharmed. And so he waited and when news came from the Trident he marched, and the sack happened."
Martyn felt Margaery gripping his hand tighter then, and he realised he was shaking. His uncle had always been something of a hero to him growing up, he had heard the stories from his father of how Uncle Tywin had raised their house back to greatness once more. But now to hear that his uncle was nothing more than a brutal killer, it shocked him. "And so with one foul act, desperate to please the new fat oaf we had for a king uncle Tywin killed Princess Rhaenys and had us all believe he killed Prince Aegon, and then he did not kill Gregor Clegane and Armory Lorch when he had the chance. And so our house's reputation was forever ruined, the thing he had worked so hard to improve. Ruined because of some grudge he had against Aerys."
He heard his aunt sigh then and she sounded sad when she said "Aye, but it is not different to what you are doing with Jaime and his woman now, keeping them in the cells of the Rock."
Martyn felt his heart drop then and he felt himself go cold at his aunt's words. Jaime Lannister, his cousin, his hero, the betrayer of the family, was sat in the dungeons of Casterly Rock awaiting Martyn's decision on whether or not to give him to the crown for justice or not. Margaery was gripping his hand even tighter now, and he was reassured she was still there with him, that she still loved him even though he had done some horrible things to his cousin and Brienne of Tarth. His voice was cold, when he spoke. "Ser Jaime is an oathbreaker and a liar, who brought war upon Westeros because he could not keep his cock in his pants. And because of that the lives of thousands of people are on his shoulders. He broke his oath to Catelyn Stark to find her daughters and to not harm anymore of her blood. He was off gallivanting round the Riverlands with that woman instead of finding what he had set out to find. By all accounts he should be dead, hung like the traitor he is."
His Aunt Genna sighed once more and said "And yet you keep him and his woman alive. Injured yes but alive. And why is that if not to make sure that no more Lannisters die during this war, to Targaryen madness. You are more like Tywin than you think Martyn. Release Jaime but do not allow him to leave the Rock and tell the King that Jaime will never be a threat to him, and you will be free. Aegon owes you his crown."
Martyn was silent for a long moment, and was about to speak when Margaery said. "Perhaps there is a way for Ser Jaime to remain here but without anyone outside the Rock knowing he is here." Martyn looked at his wife, and then she went on. "Only myself, Martyn, and yourselves know that Ser Jaime and Lady Brienne are here. If we were to tell them truthfully that Lady Sansa is safe in Winterfell and that Lady Stoneheart has died her final death there would be no need for us to tell them anymore, simply that their oaths had been fulfilled and that they should stay here for their own safety. Would Ser Jaime agree to that?"
Aunt Genna nodded. "Aye Jaime would, he would never wish to do anything that would go against you Martyn, he does not even want the Rock. But it is that woman of his that will be the problem, she will insist on going to Winterfell to see for herself."
There was silence and then Maester Creylen spoke up. "Could we not simply show her the letters that came from King's Landing and from Winterfell, showing her the proof of what Lord Martyn says?"
Martyn remained silent and Margaery said "No, she will not believe us. She thinks we are all liars, as Aunt Genna said. Only seeing Sansa with her own eyes will make her believe, and we cannot afford to let her go, not with two Targaryens in Westeros."
Martyn finally spoke. "Then she will never leave the dungeons. And if Jaime does not like that, then he can go and join her."