Casterly Rock was one of the most majestic castles in Westeros. Standing tall with a tint of arrogance on the shore of the Sunset Sea, it was the pride of House Lannister. It was said that there was no army in the entire world that could capture this castle.
Tywin Lannister was the current lord of House Lannister. And in the centuries-old lineage of the Lannister family, he was one of the most competent lords they had ever seen. Before Tywin had taken the lordship of House Lannister, it had been in decline. Its influence had been waning, and even the vassal houses had stopped fearing or respecting their lord.
The situation had worsened to the extent that a vassal house, House Reyne of Castamere, had rebelled against Tytos Lannister, Tywin's father. It was then that Tywin took matters into his own hands. He wiped out the entirety of House Reyne and flooded their underground halls. Tywin's reputation as a ruthless man was established. He instilled fear in the hearts of his vassal houses. His streak of cruelty became known to the world.
Over the years, Tywin and House Lannister faced quite a few hardships and upheavals. The entirety of Westeros went through monumental changes. A rebellion rose. House Targaryen was removed from the throne, and Robert Baratheon became the new king.
But through all this, Tywin held the reins of his house firmly. His house barely suffered any losses. He did not even commit his forces to any side in the war until the very end. But in the end, he emerged as one of the biggest winners of the rebellion. His daughter married the king, and years later, a man with Lannister blood in his veins and Lannister ways in his mannerisms would occupy the throne. It was the legacy that Tywin was dreaming to leave behind him.
But all of a sudden, an eclipse was threatening to overshadow the rise of the Lannister family.
Tywin Lannister was sitting in his solar in Casterly Rock with his brother, Kevan Lannister. He had just received a parchment, and as he read it, the expression on his face changed. Anger crossed his features, and Kevan, sitting across from him, could spot the flicker of disappointment on his brother's face.
"What is it?" Kevan asked. "You did not take whatever was in that parchment so well."
"It is from Essos," Tywin sighed, regaining his composure.
Kevan raised his eyebrows but did not speak. He waited for his brother to reveal things at his own pace.
"It is from my man in Essos," Tywin continued. "The spies I had sent to infiltrate Qohor, there is no further news from them."
"According to him, they have most likely been discovered and killed," he said, sighing sharply. "He says that this is the third failure in three weeks."
"He says that it will not be possible for him to continue sending spies anymore. He fears that if he continues with this endeavour, it is going to come back to bite him."
Qohor. The name struck Kevan Lannister. Rhaenys Targaryen. She was the new ruler of Qohor. He very well remembered the day he had heard of a lady taking over the city with five dragons. But the most important thing was that she had been claiming to be Rhaenys Targaryen. The very same Rhaenys Targaryen whom they had believed to be dead. Killed by Amory Lorch. Their bannerman. It had shaken Tywin.
Kevan himself remembered the brutal murder of Elia Martell and her children. And if Rhaenys had truly risen from the dead, then she was surely going to come for the Lannisters.
"Do you think she really is Rhaenys?" Kevan questioned his brother.
"Why does it matter?" Tywin asked. "It does not matter. If she is claiming to be Rhaenys Targaryen, then she will fulfill all the roles that are expected of her. She will lay claim to the Iron Throne as its rightful heir. And she will seek retribution against a few houses. House Lannister will surely be at the top of the list. She will demand personal vengeance against our house. She will come for us. Whether she is truly Rhaenys is irrelevant."
Kevan nodded. This was true. He had harbored similar thoughts.
"But why would the Faceless Men reject the contract for her assassination?" he asked. "I have never heard of them rejecting an assassination."
"Neither have I," Tywin responded.
Tywin remembered when Cersei had written to him, informing him that the people in the Red Keep were also worried and tense about the sudden emergence of Rhaenys. She had told him there was chatter about dealing with her through an indirect assault. An assassination.
Tywin had instantly agreed. He had suggested she go to the Faceless Men. He had offered to pay for the assassination himself. Whatever the price, he had been willing to meet it. But to the shock of everyone, the Faceless Men had rejected the contract.
They had cited some gibberish as an explanation. It was all nonsense.
Tywin did not care at all. The rejection itself was all he cared about.
And now, he was not able to place a single spy near her. There was no information about her at all. Nothing. Absolute zero. Whatever he heard about her were only rumours that had been spreading in other cities of Essos. Every attempt of his was met with failure. He could barely believe it.
"How is it that not a single spy is able to get close to Rhaenys?" Kevan asked. "Are you sure your man is trustworthy? What if he is just taking your coin and trying to fool you?"
"No," Tywin shook his head. "This same man gave me all the information about Oberyn and Arianne Martell going to Qohor. But the moment they entered the city, the spies tailing them vanished as well."
"He is not fooling me," he added. "He is telling the truth."
Kevan looked thoughtful. He could fathom none of it.
"Brother," he said after a moment of silence. "When do you think she will make her move against us?"
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