Morning came with a mixed mood.Last night's sex had relieved the built-up stress, yet the feeling that I had done something wrong - refused to leave me - that I abused Marta. Still, I pushed those thoughts aside. Far more serious matters awaited me than moral reflection in the era of the late Middle Ages.
After long deliberation, I came to one simple conclusion: a long-term plan would not work in my case. I had no intention of following canon events. That left only one option-to set a goal and move toward it, acting according to circumstances and being mentally prepared for the fact that everything could go to hell at any moment.
Soon Marta woke up. Irritation, shame, and a storm of other emotions were written all over her face. Strangely enough, I found it much easier to read people's emotions than the original Tyrion ever had. I ordered her to get dressed and put herself in order, and then to help me dress as well. I also told her that soon she would begin training in the duties of a servant and in etiquette. She froze, unsure how to react.Why did I do it? Probably so as not to be a complete bastard and to give the girl at least some chance of surviving in the future.
Before long, there was a knock at my door - it was the maids. I told them to come in, and they began cleaning while I, already dressed and ready, set off to attend to my affairs.
First, I had to meet with Joffrey and convince him to release Eddard Stark's remains. Next, I needed to discuss the issue of refugees at the Small Council. And finally, with the help of Grand Maester Pycelle, I intended to find the books I needed in the library. I required knowledge on many subjects, from the art of warfare to myths about wargs and the Children of the Forest. It would also be useful to improve my High Valyrian. Tyrion's knowladge of it had been rather poor, after the fall of House Targaryen, there had been little need for it.
When I stepped out of my chambers, a pair of soldiers already stood guard at the door, clad in the armor of my house. I must admit, I like Lannister design. After greeting me, they fell in step behind me.
As I walked through the corridors of the Red Keep, escorted by soldiers, everyone I encountered - guests and servants alike bowed to me. News of my appointment as acting Hand had spread quickly. I felt like an important figure, which, in essence, I was. The main thing was not to let it go to my head and to keep it there - on my shoulders. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Asking the servants about the king's whereabouts, I learned that he was in the throne room, overseeing work on the "renovation" of the hall. I headed there immediately, hoping to arrive before my sister. Surprisingly, Cersei was not there, and the little sadist was in a good mood. He watched the stonemasons with open enthusiasm. With a sense of relief, I approached my nephew.
"Your Grace, I'm glad to see you in high spirits. I see you've decided to change the interior of the throne room," I said with a faint smile.
"Uncle? Yes. I want to restore the hall to its proper appearance. Whatever people say about the Targaryens, they were conquerors and this throne is a conqueror's throne. The hall shouldn't be full of flowers," my nephew replied. He was surprised and wary when he saw me, but to his credit, he quickly composed himself.
"Your right, my dear nephew. As you've probably guessed, I've come to you with a request."
"And what does the Hand need from me?" Joffrey asked, now with a hint of interest.
"Your Grace, I ask for permission to remove Eddard Stark's head from the spike and send his remains to Harrenhal - for a possible exchange," I began, preparing myself for a tense conversation, well aware that he would not give up his favorite 'toy' without resistance.
"Eddard Stark is a traitor, and his head belongs on a spike," Joffrey replied excitedly, just as I had expected.
"I don't dispute that, Your Grace. However, the remains of this traitor can help free your uncle Jaime from captivity. I believe the life of a loyal knight and commander is far more valuable than the head of a traitor," I said, hoping my words would reach him.
"Tch! Because of Grandfather's mistake, we have to take the traitor's head down… It's his fault Uncle Jaime was captured!"It seemed I had managed to get through to him. He was ready to cooperate, even if it clearly pained him to lose his beloved 'toy'. To my surprise, he proved more reasonable than I had expected.
"It is war, Your Grace, and in war not everything goes according to plan. We all make mistakes - my father included. I admit, he underestimated Robb Stark and paid dearly for it. Though he tries to keep himself under control, my brother's capture has affected him deeply."
Joffrey listened in silence, thoughtfully. He was trying to grasp the logic of my argument, and more importantly, his anger was beginning to subside.
"Tywin Lannister is your loyal lord, ready to defend your interests in this war. At present, he stands alone against the traitors of the North and the Riverlands. Who knows - he may soon have to face the lords of the Vale as well. And we must not forget the other threat. Your uncles, Stannis and Renly, are gathering banners to depose you. The Reach has chosen to support Renly Baratheon, and as for Dorne - it hardly needs mentioning. They hate both Baratheons and Lannisters. I'm certain they're waiting to see how the war unfolds, and if we weaken significantly, who knows what they might decide to do."
For a moment, realizing the gravity of the situation, my nephew visibly grew nervous.
"But rest assured, my king - we will win. Tywin Lannister has invaluable experience in crushing rebellions, and I am confident of his victory. Allow him to free his son, your uncle Jaime, so that he may continue fighting for you."
"…Very well. You may take the traitor's remains," Joffrey finally agreed after a minute of silence. Surprisingly, he had been far more compliant than I'd anticipated. Yes, he was a cruel, egotistical sadist with delusions of grandeur, but he was not stupid. Lay everything out plainly, and he could put two and two together. And Joffrey had embraced the role of king so completely that when addressed with proper respect - made to feel important - he became far more receptive and attentive.
"I assure you, you won't regret it," I said with a smile and turned toward the exit.
"Wait. As Hand, what do you plan to do about the threat closing in on us?" Joffrey stopped me with an unexpected question. Full of surprises, that one.
"I know your uncles well, Your Grace. Knowing Stannis and Renly, I'm certain they're more likely to fight each other than unite against us. In any case, we should wait for the outcome of their confrontation and act according to the circumstances," I replied calmly.
"So you intend to do nothing and simply wait, hoping my traitorous uncles kill each other?" Joffrey was clearly displeased. He looked anxious and unsettled.
"No, Your Grace. While waiting for Renly and Stannis to clash, I intend to strengthen the capital as much as possible. I have a great many matters to attend to, my dear nephew. I understand your concern, but sometimes waiting is the hardest and the most right decision."
"And if things don't go the way you expect, uncle? What will you do then?" he asked after a brief pause, staring straight into my eyes. From his gaze, I could tell he was ready to trust me.
"Then I will do everything in my power to secure your victory. And if that is not enough, I am prepared to stake my own head."
Joffrey fell silent. He clearly hadn't expected such resolute words.
"With your permission," I said, choosing the moment to take my leave. I had far too much to do today.
Leaving the throne room, I headed toward Grand Maester Pycelle's chambers. Along the way, I reflected on Joffrey's unexpectedly rational behavior. It turned out that reasoning with him was quite possible - at least for now. Power is worse than any drug, and sooner or later he would become yet another mad king-dictator. Still, that suited my purposes perfectly, for my ultimate goal was Daenerys Targaryen. She would command dragons - creatures destined to play a crucial role in the war against the Night King. I would take her side and help her hold the throne. And I would make sure she became a worthy ruler.
Reaching the chambers of the foremost scholar of the Seven Kingdoms, I knocked on the door. Pycelle's agitated old voice asked who was there. After I announced myself, he replied just as nervously that he would open the door at once. As expected, he was not alone - there was a rather young girl with him. A pity I couldn't throw the bastard into a prison of my own time, where he would be punished properly/anally. But that wasn't why I was here. I needed this depraved old man to help me find the books I sought.
Pycelle was impressed by my thirst for knowledge and, without unnecessary questions, escorted me to the Red Keep's library. His assistants began gathering the books I needed - there were quite a lot of them, around twenty. All were massive tomes, heavy enough to kill a man if used as a weapon.
I told him I would send my men to collect them, and he ordered his assistants to place the books on a separate table. After thanking him, we soon headed together to the Small Council meeting. All the remaining lords were already assembled, waiting only for us. Cersei's взгляд toward me had changed - she no longer seemed eager for my swift demise. As for Ser Janos Slynt, he looked at me like an enemy. But I couldn't care less. Soon enough, he would be sent to the Wall.
As soon as we all took our seats at the table, the meeting began. I started with the refugee problem. There were around twenty thousand of them, and their numbers were steadily growing. To be honest, neither I nor Tyrion had ever dealt with an issue of this scale before. I heard no worthwhile suggestions from the other members of the council. In the end, I had to look for a solution myself.
First, I decided to sort the refugees according to their professions. For that, I needed soldiers and scribes. Lord Baelish and Maester Pycelle volunteered to provide the necessary people. The commander of the City Watch, Ser Janos Slynt, on the other hand, showed little enthusiasm for cooperation and even suggested solving the problem by force. Eventually, he agreed to assign his men, but only after Cersei supported me. Who would have thought my sister would ever back me on anything?
After discussing a few more minor matters, the meeting concluded successfully. The lords left the chamber, and once I was alone with my sister, she began pouring me wine. I knew she wanted to talk, but for her to pour me a drink herself… She would only do that if the wine were poisoned. For the first time in two lifetimes, I suddenly had no desire to drink alcohol.
"Relax, it's not poisoned. Gods, I never thought you could be scared so easily," Cersei said with a satisfied smirk.
"I didn't expect such behavior from you, so I'm cautious. There's nothing shameful about caring for one's own well-being," I replied, automatically taking the cup - then setting it back down.
"I'm not the only one full of surprises. You managed to convince Joffrey to give up Stark's head. You know, after your conversation, his opinion of you actually improved," she said with interest. For the first time, I sensed a hint of approval in her gaze, and it felt damn strange. Had I become some kind of empath?
"Did you think I'd go argue with and lecture a man who could order my execution at any moment? I'm not drunk enough yet to attempt something that insane," I replied with a smirk.
"Or perhaps you've finally started thinking with your head instead of what's between your legs. Either way, I'm glad to see this change… Do you think Father will manage to exchange Stark's remains for Jaime?" Cersei asked anxiously. Strangely enough, she really was beginning to trust me - if not completely.
"Most likely, they'll agree to exchange him for Eddard Stark's remains and a living Arya," I answered calmly.
"You think she truly is traveling with the Night's Watch caravan? Then why didn't you send soldiers after them?" she asked, a mix of suspicion and curiosity in her voice.
"The Starks have good relations with the Night's Watch - they were Eddard Stark's only allies in the capital. There's no need to send men after them; they'll reach Father's forces on their own. I already sent him a raven with this information - though you know that already," I explained evenly.
"So all that's left is to wait and hope your assumptions prove correct," Cersei said in a neutral tone.
"Exactly. Waiting is often difficult, but I'm confident in my decisions. I understand your concern for Jaime. It may not show, but I worry about my brother as well. There's no one in this world more dear to me than him," I said quietly, meeting her eyes.
"…I hope you're right," she replied. When our gazes met, I saw that my sincerity had reached her, and she left.
As for me, I returned to my chambers, where my hired sword Bronn and Podrick Payne - whom I recognized from the series - were already waiting. After exchanging greetings, I learned that Podrick had been the squire of a knight named Ser Lorimer, who had fought on the Lannister side. One evening, Ser Lorimer got drunk and stole a ham, which he shared with Podrick. They were caught the next morning. The knight was executed, but when it was discovered that Podrick belonged to House Payne, Tywin Lannister spared him and, as punishment, assigned him as my squire.
Just like in the show, Podrick was shy and lacking in confidence. Which was understandable - he had narrowly escaped death not long ago. Bronn told me he had already tested the boy in practice, and the result was poor. In the end, I ordered Bronn to train Podrick in the art of war—for extra pay, naturally. Before leaving, Bronn mentioned that I had a visitor. Some bald, fat man was waiting for me in my chambers.
And what does the Spider want from me? I thought, opening the door.
"Hee-hee… it's true…" For the first time, I heard Marta's soft laugh, but the moment our eyes met, her expression changed. That eunuch truly had a remarkable talent - managing, in such a short time, to find common ground with a victim of 'violence'. Impressive.
"Lord Tyrion, I've been waiting for you. Fortunately, your servant was kind enough not to refuse me her company," Varys said with a smile, carefully watching my every move.I see… a test. He was probing me, trying to understand what kind of player I was.
"Well then, that's good to hear. Marta, be so kind as to leave Lord Varys and me alone," I said.
"Yes, my lord," Marta replied immediately, rising, bowing, and leaving the room.
"Your tastes are rather interesting, Lord Tyrion. Still, thanks to you, she is alive and well," Varys continued.
"That doesn't change the fact that I abused her. So, what do I owe this visit to? Care for some wine?" I asked, offering him a cup.
"Thank you, but I'll decline. I came to express my admiration for your skills. You managed to convince the king to part with his favorite toy. Remarkably, by the end of your conversation, good-natured Joffrey was not enraged," Varys said.
"I suppose there are advantages to being bloodly related to the king. The chances of your head ending up on a spike are considerably lower," I replied with a smirk.
"If only it were that simple… Still, it seems you left a favorable impression on him. He has begun to listen to you, which is encouraging," the Spider said.
"Though it's unlikely to last long enough. Power intoxicates more strongly than any wine and corrupts faster than the most beautiful whore," I said skeptically.
"An unusual comparison, but I must admit - it's accurate. I wonder how quickly power will have the same effect on you?" Varys asked, studying me closely.
"I'm well aware that my authority is temporary. You're probably curious about what I intend to achieve as Hand. I'll answer honestly - to prevent madness from consuming the capital," I replied firmly.
"In that case, I have nothing to worry about - our goals align. By the way, you may count on my assistance. It would be an honor to help you," the Spider said, giving a slight bow before heading for the exit.
Damn… it had been a long day - or rather, half of one. I spent the remaining time with the books my soldiers had brought me. I decided to begin with a volume on military tactics and strategy. Toward evening, I devoted some attention to my servant. There was no intimacy today - I simply tried to get her talking with the help of my good friend, wine, and I succeeded. I learned about her past, and in the end, drunk and exhausted, we went to sleep together.