60Chapter 8 The old Lion
Lannister Camp harrenhal:
The Lannister encampment was in a buzz with activity, with news of the death of Renly Baratheon and his crushing defeat by the French army it became clear that Emperor Napoleon was set on bringing Westeros to heal.
Already the stormlands have fallen into civil war with Stannis gone and Renly dead claimers were fighting for the right of rule. Tywin himself was not happy with the situation, pinching the bridge of his nose as his vassals argued on what to do with the new enemy.
"I say we send ravens to the westerlands. We need more men or else the Stark will crush us." Lord Crackhall said with many nodding at his words.
"It will take weeks, let alone these will be green boys and old men, hardly more than fodder." Other lord shouted. Again arguments counted back and forth until finally Tywin had enough.
"SILENCE!"
The room was silent as Tywin saw that everyone was finally under control he began.
"As of now the Stark boy is still rallying the River lords that will take time as of now." He paused before looking at his brother Kevin Lannister. "What about the news of the King?"
Kevin signed "Nothing…from what any surviving Men at arms and Goldcloaks was seeing the Banner of the French over the Red keep."
Again mummering was heard again around the council and worse of all was the look of weariness on the lord's faces, with the capitail gone and the Reach and Sormland host battered with nary a loss from the french have proven troublesome.
"My Lord, a group of riders are coming forth!" a guardsmen burst through the tent flaps as lords and Tywin looked at him. "What is the banner?" Tywin questioned his eyes, boring holes into the man's soul.
"Lannister my lord, it is the Queen and lord Tyrion."
Tywin without a hesitation looked at the lords before speaking " Leave us will shall discuss our strategy in hour have our soldiers and levies rotate in shifts, send my son and daughter in."
The lords of Westerlands knew better than to argue or protest the order of Tywin lannister.
Tyrion and Cersei were brought in though they had seen better days their clothing was ragged and with dirt and mud. They both took their set at the table before their father was already jotting down on his parchment.
"Farther I see you are well." Tyrion said, grabbing a goblet full of wine, not before Cersei spoke up. "Farther we must rally more people joff–.
"ENOUGH!" The lion of Casterly Rock roared out to his kids who looked taken back by his outburst. Standing up as he slammed his hands down on the table.
"I gave you one simple job to rule in my stand as Hand of the King and what have you done!." he said, pointing his finger at Tyrion.
"You failed me, you let the capital fall into a foreign empire's grasp…and you have the gull to come in as if nothing happend!"
Tyrion took a swig of the wine he held in his hand "And what would you have me do? The French had weapons and soldiers twice our own and had destroyed the walls before we could even mount a resistance!"
"And yet you held off Renly's army." Tywin jabbed at the imps' words.
"And you Cercei could you not keep a hold of Joffrey." he said while Cercei was enjoying seeing Tyrion get verbal abused it seemed she came to realize she was next.
"Farther i-"
"Stop'' he said, holding his hand up.
"The North is Rebelling because Joffrey broke the promise of allowing lord Stark into the night's watch. You had to keep him under your control yet instead you let him go around shooting starving smallfolk beating the courtiers…and from what I was informed he took dealt in beating and nearly killing lord Stark's daughter." Tywin finished as he tried to keep his anger in check
"She wa–" Cercei was caught off as Tywin again slammed his hands down on the table, the pitcher of wine spilling onto the earth below.
" She was the only thing keeping the starks from marching any further." He shouted and Cercei flinched at her fathers yelling.
"And let me guess you left her at the capital with it in the grasp of our new enemy."
The silence from his children was enough to tell him, he sat back down before finishing his letter.
"With Sansa Stark gone and along with the capital were in a dire situation, the reach is weakened and the stormlands are squabbling on who will be the next storm king, the North are taking back keeps that we had under our control. We have some crownlander lords who have rallied to our side but not many." Tywin said as he finished the letter standing up before looking at his two children.
"You had better hope and pray to the old and new gods that we come out of this for my entire legacy is now going to be shattered." he walked leaving the two in the tent alone.
The war camp had quite a few muttered whispers and the sound of hammers on anvils, Tywin walked to the stables as his brother Kevin was saddling his horse along with a few guards for protection.
"Here." Tywin said as he handed the parchment to his brother who looked at it in curiostiy "What will I do with this brother?" Kevin asked while looking at his brother, Tywin simply scoffed as he said "Simple before you had to the Westerlands you are to hand this to the Mountain and he will do the rest."
Kevin looked at his brother in shock as he opened the letter and read it feeling his blood run cold. "Brother you can't be serious th–this is brutal beyond measure even by your standards!" his stammered out as brother gave him his cold look.
"This is war Kevin, these French are strange and fight differently from any warfare that we know of. The Battle of Tears tells us that we must adapt or die." He said as if it were nothing but schooling a child.
"But Tywin, you give orders to burn crops and kill livestock to slow them down…the smallfolk let alone the lords who may be willing to join us will never agree to such a thing." Kevin said aghast of his brothers brutality
"It is a necessity Kevin the traitor lords must be shown the price of treason and suffer for it. I will have nothing more out of this discussion you will do as commanded by your lord." He said sternly as Kevin's face gave a look as if he had eaten something sour.
"Bu—-"
A whistling sound was before the explosion hit one the towers of the crumpling Harrenhal as men and horses alike were scared out of their wits Tywin and Kevin quickly took cover as more explosions and impacts to the wall. Men screamed as some blew apart or off the walls of the castle.
Tywin regained his composure and the hiss of a steel out of scabbard was heard as Tywin motioned his sword in a circle. "TO ARMS TO ARMS RALLY TO ME!"
The Lannister and Westerman rallied as they began to organize their sleeves, archery and crossbows took positions on the wall spearmen and levies made into a loose shield wall as the sound of trumpet was heard along the hooves of a thousand horses.
"Enemy horsemen!" a Knight said
"BANG"
The said knight was killed as he fell off the wall, Tywin looked at his brother Kavin looking in shock from the attack.
"Gooo get the Royal children to safety!"
Kevin noded as he and his retinue ran into the castle of Harrenhal. Tywin gathered his strength as he had his knights gather around him as a honor guard. "Men of Westerous the enemy is upon us to prepare to fight for your lives and homes."
Westermen steady themselves with swords and spears ready at the entrance of the castle all the outside men at the camp were screaming as guns and sabers clashed with sword and arrow.
"CHARGE POUR L'EMPEREUR!" the shouting of a French Dragoon as carbines peppering the Lannister and levies, men fell over and some fell off the ramparts of the castle. Morale was steadily dropping as men began to fear.
"Counter volley, lose your bolts and arrows" Lord Crackhall bellowed out as archers and crossbowmen returned fire hitting a few of the carabiners and dragoons.
"Look!" a bannerman said as a bear of torches was seen over the forested area and while confused at first Tywin quickly realized what the french were doing.
"TAKE COVER !" The old Lion shouted out as cannonball bombarded the walls and camp fields, the Dragoons and carabiners retreated away as the bombardment continued the westerman hunker down before the cannon fire stopped.
"Are they gone?" a random guard said as Tywin looked over the wall defenses as he saw the French forces falling back into the forest as if they were one with nature. The bannerman all signed in relife as the attack was over but many felt fear of what will happen next.
"Lord Crackhall!" Tywin called out as the westerman came to his side.
"Yes My lord?"
"Have your bannermen scour the camp and find any provisions and weapons that havent been destroyed by the French, get a raven sent to Lannisport and have them gather the remainder of our levies." He ordered and Crackhall bowed and went to do his task. As Tywin looked at the carnage brought by the french army he had a sinking feeling…something he never felt before in his life…..Fear.