The effect was immediate. Catelyn stood up so fast her chair scraped the ground. Robb Stark's cold mask dropped. Tywin had hit a nerve with both of them, and it revealed their weakness.
Now, it was time to see just how useful a pawn Arya Stark could be.
It had been nearly a year since Arya had seen her mother, and she wanted nothing more than to run to her. The moment her mother stood, Arya stepped forward without thinking. But Tywin grabbed the back of her tunic and pulled her to his side. His hand was like a steel trap; she couldn't hope to get away.
I will not be afraid, she told herself. I will be strong.
But her hands were shaking.
"Arya." Her mother's voice cracked, and tears filled her blue eyes. But those tears burned like fire when she looked up at Tywin. "If you've harmed her—"
"Calm yourself, Lady Stark. I haven't harmed her," Tywin said. "You can ask her yourself if you wish."
Robb clenched the edge of the table, looking like he wanted to flip it over. But he stayed in his seat. "Arya... have you been mistreated?"
"No," Arya replied, her voice small. "I'm all right. I promise."
"There, you see?" Tywin said. "You can't say the same for some of the Lannister hostages you took. Your men killed them."
"And I punished them for it, as you might have heard," Robb shot back.
"I know. Which is why I didn't punish the girl for their crimes," Tywin said. "Now, let us be clear: I hold every card. I have two Stark daughters, one in King's Landing and one here. I have a larger army, now that we've allied with the Tyrells. I have more food and supplies for the winter. This is my last offer." Arya felt his grip tighten on her tunic. "If you don't accept my terms of peace, I will keep Sansa as a hostage. I will kill this one. And I will destroy your house."
Arya's mother looked like she might leap across the table and claw Tywin's eyes out. "My daughters are innocent! You will not—"
"Wars are full of innocent deaths. If it means fewer Lannisters die, I will gladly kill an innocent," Tywin said flatly. He was calm as ever, inevitable as a storm. There was no bluff in his voice. He would kill her. Whether he "enjoyed her company" or not, he would slit her throat if her brother refused his terms.
Robb.
Arya looked at her brother. Robb used to help her practice with her bow and arrow when the septa wasn't looking. He always told her she was good at needlework even when it was awful. When she was little, he used to give her rides on his horse because he knew how much she loved it.
Now she was being used as a weapon against him, and she hated it. She hated Tywin Lannister for making her his pawn. She could see the pain in Robb's eyes as he thought about the terrible choice he had to make. But if he didn't take the deal... it wouldn't just be her life. He would die, too. Her mother would die. She had no doubt that Tywin Lannister had a way to destroy them all.
"What are your terms?" Robb finally said, his voice strained. "Exactly."
"You will end this rebellion and pledge your loyalty to King Joffrey as Warden of the North," Tywin said. "You will take your soldiers and destroy the Greyjoy rebellion. If you accept, I will return Sansa Stark home."
"And Arya?" Robb asked.
"I will take Arya as my ward, to make sure you stay loyal," Tywin said. The words felt like a death sentence to Arya. She knew this was his plan all along, but it still terrified her. "She will be treated well enough. But if I hear any more talk of Northern independence, she will suffer for it."
Her mother let out a shaky breath. She must have known a hostage would be part of the deal. Still, the reality of it seemed to crush her.
"How do I know Joffrey won't kill me like he killed my father if I go to King's Landing?" Robb asked.
"He won't," Tywin said. "I'll be there this time. My daughter couldn't handle him, but I can. If you bend the knee, you will return to the North unharmed."
"King Aerys said the same thing to my grandfather and uncle," Robb reminded him.
"I'm not King Aerys," Tywin replied.
"No. But you're a Lannister. I don't trust you either," Robb said. He shot a cold glare at Jaime. "You lie and plot. You break oaths."
"What an awful oath to break, wasn't it?" Jaime muttered. He had been quiet for most of the meeting, letting his father handle things. "A shame I killed such a kind man. King Aerys, the kindly king."
"You're still a man without honor," Robb retorted.
"Honor." Tywin laughed once, a dry, joyless sound. "Honor is idealistic nonsense, boy. A trick that men use to justify their actions. A trick they use to go to war. But the world doesn't follow the rules of honor. It never has. The reason the Lannisters have survived for so long is because we understand that. I suggest you do the same."
Robb's jaw tightened. He looked from their mother, to Arya, to Tywin. She could see the war inside him—his honor fighting against his love for his family, threatening to tear him apart.
"Robb," Arya whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. He looked down at her. "Father died for honor, too. You need to live. The North needs you."
Robb closed his eyes and rested his forehead in his hands. Tywin didn't say a word. He didn't need to. He truly held all the cards.
"I..." Robb breathed out. "I'd like some time to think about your offer."
"You have until dawn," Tywin said. "No longer."
"May I speak with my sister alone?" Robb asked.
"No," Tywin said immediately. "You may speak with her after you've given me your answer. For now, she stays with me."
Arya's mother gritted her teeth. "You truly are a monstrous man, Lord Tywin."
Tywin looked back at her, completely unmoved. "Yes. That is why I'm still alive." He turned Arya toward the tent exit. "I'll return at dawn for your answer."