After everyone had been dismissed, many moved to leave. Since the Northerners were closer to the door, they were the first to leave and soon everyone else did. The Pride moved almost in sync but one would be a fool not to catch the silent looks Tywin was giving Visenya, and she was picking them up.
This time, though, Daenerys also took notice. Remembering what happened the last time after they had returned together during Visenya's very first dragon ride, the Mother of Dragons chose to follow them; for she was ready to speak back to her terrifying good-uncle.
Outside the Main Hall, Tywin came to a halt and turned to face Visenya; who had the stone wall blocking her path and being too close to her back. He made no move to grab her for it was not needed because she had long been expecting his argument; ever since he sent her that first look during the War Meeting.
"This is a reckless plan. You never fought from a dragon before and a few times riding one, doesn't make you qualified enough for this plan," he argued, staring her down.
She stubbornly stared back at him.
"I never would with how little time we have, but it is the only shot we have. Dragons need riders for this complicated battle and I do not see anyone else capable."
"They have one and she seemed to have no trouble when she had three under her command."
"And now she has two, as you saw yourself," she argued, their tone civilised but their looks were challenging. "Where would you want me to be, Tywin? In the tunnels with the rest?"
He tilted his head faintly.
"I am clearly debating it right now," he answered her honestly, making her narrow her eyes faintly.
Do not dare, her gaze told him as she craned her head to look up at him.
You are forcing my hand, his stance was saying as neither refused to look away from one another for that would mean defeat.
To anyone passing by, this was an odd show for they had not truly seen the couple arguing. Those who knew them were aware that Visenya was rather defiant and could talk back to her husband; although most of the time they both agreed on the same topic.
The Lion Pride was watching them from a few feet away, exchanging looks and wondering who would be the first to snap. Would it be Tywin, who would actually force her to stay with the non-combatants or would it be Visenya; who would go behind his back and ride that dragon if he left her with no choice?
"They are wild animals, Visenya," Tywin reminded her. "One wrong move and they will send you straight to your death."
Surprisingly, it was not the Dragoness, who spoke up and argued but someone else.
"They are my children and they are far better than some men I know," Daenerys argued as she made her way towards them.
Her words, her tone, and her sudden appearance made many of the Lions exchange worried looks. That was a big no-no when it came to their Father and she had crossed three different things off the no-no list.
While she did have, technically, every right to interfere; it did not mean she should. Tywin Lannister did not take it kindly upon those who interrupted him, especially when he did not like them in the first place.
Tyrion tried to grab her clothing and somehow stop her but he was too slow, as the young Targaryen walked towards the couple with her chin held high.
"This is a family matter, girl. It does not concern you," Tywin snapped back, glaring at her and not hiding how displeased he was with her presence.
"And she is family, to me," Daenerys argued as she came to a halt, looking up at the cold-hearted old man. "You talk of my children as if you know them but you do not. You talk as if you have seen my aunt ride a dragon but you have not," she continued, throwing verbal fire without a single hint of fear in her violet eyes.
"And you think you do? Hmm?"
"I know my dragons and they will not let her fall. I have seen her ride and she was born to do so, it is her birthright," she argued. "This is what she was born to do and if you truly cared for the outcome of this battle and your stupid legacy, you would let her fly and do her part in the battle, as we will all."
"Daeny," Visenya called her name, looking at her niece with surprise written on her face.
She did not expect the young girl to puff her chest and voice her opinion in such a way, against Tywin of all people. She knew she was not accustomed nor did she know of how things were around the Old Lion but even then, she did not expect her to pull such a move.
By now, the Old Lion had fully turned to face her. His hands were behind his back, his shoulders kept straight as he literally stared her down since she was even shorter than his daughter Cersei.
His golden-flecked green eyes had narrowed dangerously, reminding others more of the gaze of a dangerous predator than a man of his age. He did not hide his displeasure or his annoyance, letting it be seen on his face that had this strictness that only few could truly match.
"You can stare me down all you want but I am not backing off," Daenerys continued, doing her best to keep staring at him and fight the urge to look away even for a second.
Seeing the tension rising between the two of them, Visenya chose to interfere before things got out of hand. She placed her hand on the shoulder of her husband, feeling the stiffness of his muscles through the fabric.
"Tywin," she said, her voice stable and calm. "It has been decided now and it is our best shot at this," she continued as the Old Lion finally turned to look at her.
His gaze was still hard and cold but the ice was slowly melting as he was staring back at her with each passing second.
Everyone held their breaths for a moment, the Lion Pride included, as they waited to see what would happen next. Surprisingly, at least to Tyrion and Daenerys; the Old Lion let out a sigh that might have the faintest of growls behind it.
"If you are to ride, then we will discuss what to do should certain scenarios arise... in private," he added last, sending a passive glare at his good-niece. "Come," he said and as she turned her body, he placed his hand on her waist and the two of them started to walk further away from the Lions and the Young Dragon.
Once they had taken a turn and were no longer in sight, the three Lion siblings and even Kevan let out a heavy sigh; drawing the attention of Daenerys.
The one to speak first was Tyrion.
"Are you mad, Your Grace?" he asked, looking up at her. "You cannot just go like that and speak your mind to Father, let alone interfere when he is talking to someone else."
This only puzzled the young girl.
"He was undermining my aunt and openly disagreeing with my idea. Was I supposed to just sit there as he tries to control her and risk the outcome of this war?"
"Yes!" all Lions said at the same time, surprising her.
Trystan passed a hand through his hair. He had come to meet Daenerys, eventually, thanks to his Mother. They had talked a little bit but there was this little awkwardness between them since they literally did not know of the existence of one another until a few months prior.
After that, they did not truly have much of a chance to talk since Trystan was rather occupied. Daenerys, though, would occasionally catch him talking with Missandei or Grey Worm; who both spoke good things about him.
"Father has almost lost Mother to battles, wars, and plans more times than I can count. It is expected that he will try to prevent another such scare from happening again," he explained to his cousin.
"Let's be honest, he keeps trying but each time she manages to persuade him," Kevan commented, having been witness to how those two thought and worked since before they even got married. "She would eventually change his mind, one way or another."
Tyrion did not truly agree with that, not sure it would be that easy, but he did not comment. His uncle did know his brother better than anyone and he did know Visenya as well, longer than anyone else currently in their little group.
He had seen things and was most likely aware of things the others did not know of.
"I will admit," Jaime started. "I do not think I have ever seen anyone staring back at Father for so long and not looking away. That was... incredible," he confessed.
The Mother of Dragons looked at him, surprised to hear that he complimented her. Yet, as his brothers nodded their heads in agreement; she could not help but feel this sense of pride within her.
She indeed had managed to stand against the terrifying Old Lion and not look away, which was quite a rare accomplishment.
"I still think it was the right thing to interfere. He can mistrust me all he wants but even he cannot know everything, especially about my children," she said and the boys hated to admit it but she did have a valid point.
"Well, Your Grace," Tyrion said. "Whether it was right or wrong remains to be seen. Who knows, you might have actually even won some of Father's respect with your bravery to stand up to him."
"Or more of his hatred," Kevan added next.
Winterfell, The North - Westeros - Late Nightfall, Same Day
The dark castle of Winterfell was rather quiet once again, the time late enough that no reasonable human or animal was awake; except for the few predators existing in the forests of the Northern Plains.
The wind howled like a lonely wolf, carrying snow and cold with it as it passed through and over Winterfell. A single figure could be seen awake, sitting by wooden steps leading from one wooden bridge to another one; a level below.
The familiar red cloak with the lion and the dragon was a sign of who that lonely person was, as the material was keeping them warm in extreme weather conditions.
A single Lannister Guard stood a few steps behind her, one hand on his sword and his gaze forward; although his brown eyes would often go to her sitting figure to ensure that she was alright and did not need his assistance on the matter.
"Looks like I am not the only one having trouble sleeping tonight," a familiar voice was heard as Tyrion seemed to make his way towards her, a water pouch held in his one hand; although Visenya doubted it had water in there.
Upon hearing him, the silent guard moved to block his way and his hand was about to pull his sword out; since Tywin had made it clear to kill the dwarf upon sight if he was spotted around their Lady.
"Leave him, Ser Prole," the Dragoness said, tired eyes looking at the guard.
"But Lord Tywin—"
"I know what he ordered but there is no need. Let him approach and if he tries to harm me, then you can take him down," she said, her voice sounding far less commanding than usual. "Please," she added next, surprising her stepson.
"One wrong move, imp," Ser Prole said and moved to stand back in his place but his brown eyes remained locked on the form of the short Lion.
"Must give it to my Father, he knows how to pick his guards," Tyrion commented and approached her. "Mind if I join you in whatever brooding you are doing so late?"
His attempt at a joke made her scoff faintly in amusement and she moved, to make space for him.
"Go ahead. I promise I won't harm you."
Tyrion made his way to her and then sat by her side. He offered his waterskin pouch.
"Wine?" he asked, clearly seeing the tired look on her face and the fact that she generally seemed in desperate need of a drink.
"I will pass. It only makes my dreams more vivid," she confessed, leaving a small sigh.
"Really? Sounds like torture to me," he said, casually talking to her as if there weren't any misunderstandings between them.
He took a few sips of the wine that somehow Oberyn had brought with him and was kind enough to share with the dwarf. For some reason, the wine served at Winterfell simply did not feel the same and the Northerners seemed to prefer ale more than wine; which was one thing Tyrion could never understand or get used to.
He stole glances at her, seeing that distant tired look in her eyes. Her hair was loose, tangled from sleep by the looks of it and she did not seem to be wearing normal clothes but rather simple pants and a tunic, most likely what she used to sleep in when not in the comfort of her own chambers.
Visenya seemed to be thinking or mentally debating about something but it took a few more silent passing minutes before she brought it up. She pulled a piece of paper from one of the pockets of her pants and handed it to him.
"Here."
"What is this?" Tyrion asked as he unfolded the paper and saw the name of what he supposed to be a tavern on it.
"The name of a tavern in Braavos," she explained, earning an arched eyebrow from him. "The owner is a lovely woman with a very sweet singing voice, who performs her own songs while her son serves the customers... the most famous of her songs is 'The Dwarf & the Maiden.'"
Tyrion stared at her profile for almost a full minute, in complete silence.
Her words seemed to connect dots in his mind as slowly a far clearer image started to be formed. His facial expressions changed from confusion to that of shock.
He parted his lips to say something but he found himself unable to put his now chaotic thoughts into order, let alone into words. He just stared at her like a little child, mouth open and eyes misty.
She offered a sad smile, glancing at him as she rubbed her hands together.
"I couldn't stop your Father from harming that girl back then but I knew I could help her afterwards," she confessed. "I gave her more money and a place to stay in the servant quarters, without your Father knowing. Once she had recovered, I sent her to a friend of mine in Braavos with enough money to settle in. Kept a tab on her over the years, learning how popular her tavern became and how she got some powerful customers keeping her safe from any threats."
Once again, her stepson took a moment longer to process everything. It was not that it was hard or confusing but rather, unexpected. It sounded so good that after all the terrible things that had happened to him, he could not truly believe it. A part of him thought she was lying but he could see it in her eyes, that she was being truthful.
"All this time..." he tried to say but was not sure what to say exactly.
"I apologize, Tyrion, for lying to you. I did not let you know of Tysha's new life, afraid you would try to go find her and enrage your Father even more... I did plan to tell you when you came into our chambers that night with the crossbow... didn't manage to, I am afraid."
He scoffed.
"No need to be so humble, I did not let you continue and almost shot you on the spot," he corrected her, as he slowly got a grip on himself. "All this time... I truly thought..."
She offered him a sad small smile.
"You had every right to do so and I do not blame you. Had I been in your place, I know I would have done the same," she comforted him but did not dare to make a move, for it was uncertain whether he still wished for her presence or not.
"You said something about a son... is he..." he could not find himself able to even say it out loud, the idea sounding simply too crazy.
"He is around six or ten; tall, brown hair... mismatched eyes..." she answered him, looking forward again. "The age matches up and yes, I do suspect he is yours."
Tyrion found himself emptying the full pouch in one go, almost drowning himself with how fast he swallowed it. Once he had emptied it all, he took a deep breath as he processed everything.
"A son... who would have thought..." he looked ahead, shaking his head a few times in disbelief.
"When this is all done, perhaps you can pay it a visit," she suggested, making him look at her again but this time, he looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Braavos is only a small ship trip away from Meereen."
He shook his head again.
"Mayhap... one day..." he agreed and yet he could not help but have this small silly smile on his face.
He never expected it, not even in his wildest dreams and now... it was all a reality and he had the chance to truly live a life he had barely imagined while growing up.
Visenya observed him, more than happy to have told him the news and made him see that there was some light and a new chance for him in this life; not necessarily him being Hand of the Queen for her niece.
She took a deep breath, for the second time since he joined her for a talk.
"I am sorry, Tyrion," she said, her voice low and her gaze cast downwards. I failed to protect you from your Father when I should have.
The dwarf parted his lips and then spread his hand, placing it on top of her knee. This made her look at him.
"I should be the one to apologize," he said, looking into her eyes. "I spoke some bad things about you and judged you too quickly... they were right, you know... you have done a lot for me and yet I never appreciated it."
She placed her hand on top of his, gently squeezing it.
"That's okay. You were under a lot of stress, we both were... it happens. It is part of being in a family."
Her last comment amused him and he scoffed.
"Part of being in a dramatic and rather fucked up family such as ours," he corrected her. "But you did do a lot for me over the years. I should at least say a thank you."
She offered him a sweet smile and moved her hand, before wrapping it around his shoulders and gently pulling him closer to her for a motherly side hug.
"You do not have to thank me for anything, Tyrion. You are my son, whether you might not always believe it."
He smiled sadly but accepted the caring but also rare chance, leaning his head on her as he was pulled into the side hug. He enjoyed the feeling and took his time to memorize the moment, for he was afraid that he was not going to get it again; not with how things were unfolding.
After a while of the two of them just sitting there, Visenya pulled her hand back gently.
"I should get going. Your Father will not sleep until I return," she explained, watching him pull back.
"Of course," he said, a little disappointed but understanding that the hour was rather late. "I never asked, what dream made you go out in the freezing cold in the dead of night?"
She offered him a pained smile, feeling a little too forced as she slowly pushed herself to stand.
"My death," she said, those two words making him pale faintly and look at her; expecting her to be joking. "Falling off a dragon, it is how I go apparently."
This made him jump on his feet faster than ever.
"But you agreed today to ride on a dragon for the battle. Good-Mother, if this dream is talking about that battle—"
"It may not," she interrupted him, being rather calm considering what she saw. "That's the beauty of them. Nothing is clear and I could not tell if it was in this battle or mayhap during some random time in the future."
This seemed to make him slightly relieved but not fully.
"Mayhap you should change your plans and fight from the ground."
"Dreams don't change, Tyrion. Trust me, I tried more than once but they do not change. If it is meant to happen, it will happen."
"Then I pray that this dream talked of somewhere in the future, where you will be old and weak and have enjoyed the rest of your life."
She smiled at him.
"Mayhap that might be," she said with fake confidence, to ease his worries.
Truth be told, she knew that dream talked of the big battle. For there were key details in her dream that she could not ignore, no matter how hard she tried. The two dragons falling with her, the snowy winds whipping her skin during her free fall... the land covered by endless snow as a battle was taking place beneath her...
She knew it was referring to this battle because that was the only thing she had been dreaming of. Different views of the battle but it was the first time she ever dreamt of her death.
The concept scared her, which was why she had chosen to just sit in the cold to try and ease her racing heart. Yet, she slowly started to accept the situation. If this was meant to be how she would die, she knew at least that she would have a Dragon Rider's death; the highest honour.
One tiny part at the back of her mind, though, refused to believe it.
It kept bringing up the fact that she never saw her body crashing against the ground, although she did wake up almost when she was about to hit the snowy lands.
Like with Tywin and the arrow, mayhap there was a detail she did not see or know; something that would change the final outcome of the dream and prove she had simply misinterpreted.
This tiny thought was the only thing keeping her rather calm and sane.