Lord Tywin had been to Winterfell in the North and had seen the Broken Tower there. The Broken Tower was an old watchtower built by the Stark ancestors and stood as the highest point in Winterfell. It had been struck by lightning long ago, sparking a massive fire that caused the top to collapse inward. The upper half of the tower was charred black by the flames. Since then, no one had dared climb it, and it had become known as the Broken Tower of House Stark.
Why had the young wolf climbed that broken tower? Tywin didn't know.
Why was a lion there as well? Which lion had been inside the tower? Jaime? Tyrion? Cersei?
Tywin Lord didn't know.
If a lion had indeed pushed the young wolf from the tower, that was murder. So what had the young wolf seen that made the lion feel he had to kill him?
Tywin had no idea.
He was neither a prophet nor a shapechanger or a sorcerer. He could not see the truth hidden in other times and spaces.
Tywin decided to seek help from the witch.
The Starks of the North were not to be trifled with. Moreover, through marriage alliances, they were tied to the Tully family of the Riverlands to the east of the Westerlands. Should war break out, Riverrun would undoubtedly side with the North. Even the Arryns of the Vale, the Tullys' relatives through marriage, were closely connected to the North. If war erupted, these three regions would unite against the Westerlands, turning the conflict into a one-against-three battle.
Although the king was married to the Westerlands, he grew up with the Starks in the North, sharing a bond closer than brothers. That was why, rather than summoning his father-in-law Tywin, the king traveled thousands of miles to ask the Stark lord to be his Hand. The king clearly trusted and supported House Stark more.
This situation was dire for the Westerlands.
Due to the intertwined marriages, the North, Riverlands, and Vale had essentially become one family.
Eddard Stark, Lord of the North, was married to Catelyn Tully, eldest daughter of Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun in the Riverlands. Hoster's second daughter was married to Jon Arryn, Lord of the Vale. When Jon Arryn suddenly died, his widow, Lysa Tully, Catelyn's younger sister, held true power over the Vale.
If the North went to war with the Westerlands, it would be a three-front disadvantage.
And the Westerlands had no real allies.
If the king's seat at Storm's End refused to help, the Westerlands could only ally with the southern Reach and the Iron Islands in the sea. Even Dorne to the far south was a potential enemy because sixteen years ago, Tywin had ordered the Mountain to rape and murder Princess Elia Martell in the Red Keep's nursery in King's Landing, a bloody feud still unresolved.
After careful consideration, Lord Tywin was certain this war could not happen. At least, it could not escalate into full-scale war.
Why did the lion push the young wolf off the Broken Tower? That was the key question.
Tywin had to know the full truth.
From Lord Tyger's letter and the witch's prophecy, it was clear the lion did push the young wolf down, but no one in Winterfell knew this. That was why the lion could still safely visit Winterfell as a guest. If war were triggered by this secret, it would mean the truth would eventually come to the Stark family.
But how?
Most likely, the unconscious young wolf would wake and reveal the truth. Then conflict would erupt, and war would break out.
Tywin could no longer remain calm.
Thankfully, Ser Gregor had a witch grandmother, who lived in the chapel Gregor built. Thanks to her, the prophecy was precise and priceless.
In a war that was bound to break out, the one who prepared first and foresaw the future was the one who would win.
Now, armed with the witch's prophecy, Lord Tywin had early warning. He would prepare first and seize the advantage.
Militarily, Tywin looked down on Eddard Stark. The other Stark children were barely teenagers who understood nothing.
The only question left was the king's stance.
If war was inevitable, what would the king's attitude be?
Tywin could not predict that.
But it didn't matter, because Ser Gregor's grandmother was a powerful witch, and her prophecy had already been proven true once.
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"This is the payment for the first prophecy: three hundred gold dragons," Tywin said.
The accompanying steward, Yarman, pulled out three bags, shaking them to let the gold coins jingle inside. Yarman was Tywin's financial steward, placing the heavy bags before the witch.
The witch showed no emotion, neither joy nor sorrow.
Her assistant, Jeyne, took the three bags from her.
Heavy gold coins.
"I still need to verify the second prophecy," Lord Tywin said.
The witch said nothing.
"Witch, there's something I urgently want to know." Lord Tywin gestured, and Yarman produced three more bags of gold coins.
The witch shook her head. "Lord Tywin, after you catch Lord Petyr, you can ask him directly. There's no need to pay me to ask."
Lord Tywin hesitated, then said, "It will take a month before Lord Petyr arrives. I cannot wait."
If war was inevitable, time was the most precious resource. Many preparations had to be made well in advance. Before preparing, he needed to know the cause of the war, the whole chain of events.
Yarman pushed the bags closer to the witch.
"Very well, Lord. If I know the answer, I will tell you."
"Who pushed Bran Stark from the Broken Tower?"
The witch was silent.
Ser Gregor had not told her the full truth. He only said the young wolf had been pushed by the lion and had broken his legs, he could no longer stand.
"I cannot answer that question," the witch said calmly.
Tywin's heart sank.
She refused to speak.
Should he threaten her or respect her?
Tywin chose respect.
If he disrespected the witch, she might alter crucial prophecies just enough to ruin his carefully laid plans.
"I must pray first. If the gods allow me to speak, I will tell you. Come again tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Witch." Tywin maintained his authority but his tone softened with respect.
Yarman reached for the coin bags, but Tywin stopped him. "Yarman, leave them."
He had to know the answer, money came second.
"Father..." Jeyne said, picking up the coin bags, wanting to return them to Yarman. A glance from Tywin stopped her.
The next morning, Tywin arrived early.
This time, the witch's assistant Jeyne was absent.
"Lord, please ask the maesters, Ser Kevan, Yarman, and your captain of the guard to leave."
Tywin glanced around. One by one, they all departed. Maester Harry was last; he gently closed the door.
"This matter is grave, Lord. You must swear by the Seven and the honor of House Lannister that you will not behead me, before I dare reveal the truth," the witch said, her eyes locked on Tywin.
There was a mysterious and terrifying aura in her gaze.
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