It took me a second to catch up to his sudden shift in tone. "You knew I was the one coming and not my father," I blurted out.
"Yes."
"You were testing me," I said, and then I realized my mention of Tarth's slight success had not seemed a surprise for him either. Not even a twitch in his expression.
It made sense too. Varys himself was not in Aerys' small council quite yet, but considering that Tywin had been the Hand for more than a decade already, he must have built a considerable network of eyes and ears to keep him informed.
Granted, if anyone had mastered the art of the poker face, it was Tywin Lannister, so he could just as well be pretending to come off as better informed than he really was.
"I would not want to waste my time with a spineless fool," Tywin said. "Spineless you are not, even if the latter part remains to be seen."
Then he rose, the pile of documents in front of him finally forgotten.
Walking up to a small counter where some cups and a golden pitcher sat, he poured himself some watered wine and returned back to behind his back. He did not sit back down.
"Now tell me," Tywin began, "what was so important you needed to meet with me personally?"
I had to give it to him. A half-compliment followed by the snub of not offering me a cup of my own. Very classy, Twyin.
I also imagine the only reason he even humored this meeting in the first place was due to Lord Baratheon's insistence.
The two of them and the king had been friends since they served as pages in King's Landing together, and their own relationship hadn't been strained to breaking point like Tywin's had with Aerys.
Father had likely used a favor with Lord Baratheon, and the man had used one himself with Tywin. An exchange where Steffon came out at a loss, at least at face value.
A favor with the Hand of the King was not worth one from the Lord of Tarth.
Either father had offered something else in exchange, or I had underestimated Selwyn Tarth's relationship with his liege lord.
"My reason is simple, my lord," I said. "Ships. Everyone knows the Lannister fleet is building itself up. I saw it for myself in Lannisport. But there's only so many experienced sailors to go around, even in such a large city, and I expect you'll be taking them away from your older vessels to man the new ones. I hoped, then, to take some of these older ships from your hands. For a fair price, of course."
His face darkened. "Perhaps you are a fool, or you intended to make me into one all along." He drank from his cup and put it down harshly on the table. "That you'd waste my time and a personal favor from Steffon to talk about buying ships."
Disdain dripped in his voice like venom from a snake's mouth. I did not let that shake me.
"You are right, of course, Lord Tywin." I stepped closer. "The simple matter of purchasing ships is not something I needed to have bothered you personally. But I wanted to come to you for the same reason I came to buy ships here instead of in the Arbor or King's Landing. Or even Braavos."
I only stopped when my hips touched the table. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a dusty piece of dark blue silk that had been twisted into a sort of ribbon and placed it on the table halfway between the two of us.
He stared at the piece of cloth for all but five seconds before his gold-flecked green eyes snapped toward me.
"You're this… sapphire knight." And here, his previously thunderous expression sharpened into something resembling interest.
I nodded. "Indeed, my lord. I'm the mystery knight the commons have taken to calling the Sapphire Knight. I am also, as you said, a boy still, but a boy who wishes to see the rise of his house within his own lifetime. So I came here to win this tournament. To buy some ships. And to extend a hand of friendship."
Leaning a bit over the lip of the table, I fixed my eyes onto his. Finally, finally, I could make my true pitch.
I knew there was only one thing I could use to sway Tywin into not only selling me ships cheaply, but to arrange for favorable trading agreements for our merchants in Lannisport. Something he just advised me on himself.
The family name. That simple concept underpinned Tywin Lannister's whole life. All his actions, his achievements, his cruelties. It all revolved around the name of Lannister. And yesterday, Aerys spat on that name. By proxy, Rhaegar spat on it too.
"I have two sisters, my lords, and a mother still young. Were I to win the tourney, I'd be well supplied with women to crown as the tournament's queen of love and beauty. Or, after unhorsing the prince and one of Aerys' kingsguard, I could crown your daughter, my lord, and then this would not be the tourney where Cersei Lannister was spurned by the king as not good enough for his son."
I shook my head.
"No, it would be the tourney where Cersei Lannister was crowned queen of love and beauty by a dashing mystery knight in front of the very king who denied her, restoring her honor before the whole of the realm."
Tywin seemed to be engrossed with my words right until the end. Then his eyes tightened again.
"My daughter's honor was never lost, as it was never the king's to take," he said, grinding out the words through gritted teeth. "Do not forget that."
Should've known he'd take issue with that. So, humbly, I inclined my head in allowance. Lion's pride, do be soothed.
And after a moment of quiet, he spoke up again.
"Very well." I looked up again, and he motioned across from him. "Take a seat, Galladon of Tarth."
xxx
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