41So, I'm very glad to see the popular reception this has gathered so far! No need for a drawn-out note, let's get to what you're here for.
Tywin Lannister thought of himself as a man incapable of shock or surprise, living to his age and having fought in Essos and ruled the long years under Aerys before their relationship soured and he had to put up with his degradation at court and the people, he had treated with and met with lords and royals from all over his country and abroad in Essos and beyond in his younger years, seen all manner of strange things from even stranger people, from the drug-addled mystics of Quarth to the horrific shadow binders of Asshai, but walking behind the behemoth that was Ainz Ooal Gown, and seeing the lavish glory of his courtroom putting the highest decadence of the Targaryens and even his own seat of power at Casterly Rock to shame.
The duo walked in silence, before arriving at a throne that the lord of House Lannister could describe as nothing short of magnificent, being broken from his gazing of the room by Ainz speaking.
"My Lord Tywin, I would like to apologize for the capture of your vassal, I had hoped to take him alive and unspoiled, but he tried to fight and forced one of my warriors to defend themselves, and was taken by her in the fighting."
"Taken?" Tywin asked, taking a seat brought to him by the woman called Yuri Alpha to sit across from Ainz's throne. "I was informed he fell in combat."
"Ah, in a sense he has fallen, and is lost, but he has yet to die."
"I see… where is he being held? I would care to meet with him."
"Very well," Ainz turned his head, mask fully covering the front of his face from Tywin's eyes and hand raised to one of the pillars nearest the throne. "Solution, bring Lord Gregor Clegane to us."
"As you wish, my lord!" Tywin turned now, to gaze at a blond bountiful woman wearing a uniform in the style of the Pleadies he'd seen previously walk into the courtroom, and was unable to fight down the urge to leap from his chair as the mutilated and half-melted form of what could only be Gregor Clegane violently fell from her body as if she was made of water, taking a step back in horror as the shape lifted an arm toward him, bone sticking out of the elbow and only two fingers not missing from the outstretched hand, one eye staring bloodshot and pleading as the other leaked down his face like a fluid.
Somehow sensing his revulsion at the sight, the lord of Nazarik spoke up.
"I will see to it that he is healed of his wounds and returned to you if you wish, from what I gleaned of his maester, you were well rid of a deplorable man like that." Tywin's eyes shifted to Ainz at that, and then back to Gregor before he sat back down doing his best not to look at the poor man and ignoring the beads of sweat inching down his brow.
"I would be grateful to you if you would do such…he has use to me still" He answered, before sitting and ignoring the guttural cries and groans that came from the tortured man being taken away, and the approach of two beings, one with a strange device on the bridge of his nose, while the other was the most breath-taking woman Tywin had laid eyes on since he met Joanna, taking place on either side of the lord of Nazarick's throne.
"Now then," Tywin began, "In the interests of peace and stability, what can I ask are your demands of me?"
"Demands? Lord Tywin, what makes you think I would demand anything of you?"
'I see. You think yourself to be in such a position of power, that you don't have to treat with me? If his 'maids' are a sign of what this man can bring to battle, coupled with the ability to raise the dead, he would be a foe destined to destroy all those before him in the field of war.' Tywin thought, taking a moment to consider further what to say and drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair he sat on.
"Your guard claimed you to be the 'Lord of the great tomb of Nazarik', but my family has ruled the lands you are in for centuries, there has never been a mention or record in all the history of the Westerlands of your holdings. So, with that, I ask, where have you come from, and what caused your appearance here?"
Ainz was quiet, the man to his left seemed to stare at Tywin, a slight grin on his lips and arms behind his back at attention, while the woman, who on second glance had not an ornamental crown, but actual horns on her head, and a pair of idly moving wings at her exposed hips, gave him nothing but a look of derision and distaste.
"A true statement, lord Tywin, this tomb and all that reside in it are not in fact of your realm, What brings us to your realm is unknown to me, as such I sought to investigate my surroundings and thus inadvertently acted against your holdings with hostility, I would wish to improve the relations between our two powers, in as you say, the interest of stability." Before Tywin could speak up, Ainz continued on. "In the interest of such, what would you ask for as reparation for claiming your vassal's keep and the loss of life that occurred in it?"
Again Tywin was silent, before testing the being before him with his answer. "A million gold dragons would suffice."
"Gold dragons?" Ainz asked, but it was the man next to him that answered before Tywin could.
"They are the highest unit of currency in this nation, my lord, I believe the other forms are 'Silver Stags and Silver Moons, with the cheapest being the 'Copper Star, Groat, Halfgroat, Penny, and Half Penny' respectively, according to the information the tax collection agent, this human sent here explained to us."
"I see. Thank you, Demiurge!" Ainz said, turning to his aide before going back to the man seated before him. "I will have to visit my treasury, Albedo, see to it that Gregor Clegane is healed of his injuries, and prevent him from causing acts of violence should the need arise, but do no damage to him, Demiurge, take the tax agent from his room and bring him to meet Lord Tywin and myself at the treasury."
"My lord!" The two bowed in practiced sync and did as commanded, the beauty known as Albedo left the room while Tywin stood and moved to follow the other two men, and once again was forced to do his best not to let the wealth and magnitude of Nazarick's splendor distract him as they walked down the long ornate and perfectly designed corridors.
"Do you still have the artisans and crafters that created this structure, lord Ainz?" Tywin asked after a few moments and multiple turns. "I would be willing to pay a high price for their services in my own keep."
"I regret to say I do not, this tomb and all nine levels were a creation of myself and my comrades, many many years ago, I am the only one that remains."
"That indeed is unfortunate." He replied, unsure what to make of the tone the man-made. Almost running into the back of Ainz as the two before he stopped abruptly.
"We have arrived, Welcome to the entrance to the great treasury of Nazarik Lord Tywin, you have the honor of being the first to view it outside my comrades and the treasurer of my guild." The great double doors before them opened and the warm color of the hall from before gave way to an ominous red, purple light spilling up from the bottom of the walls while forty statues were erected and placed upon perfectly carved sections of the wall, each standing above an unknown sigil and staring down at them as they passed.
If not proof of his current location being not of this world, the trio reached the end of the hall of statues and Tywin found himself walking down a now smooth dark purple stone floor, pulsing lime green lines illuminated the hallway with perfect squares displaying various exotic and powerful looking weaponry, until they reached the end, Tywin doing his best to take in the sights of the strange room he found himself in and listen to anything his host could say, and found himself not waiting long.
"Lord Tywin, I have to cast a spell on you to have you be safe from the poison air in the treasury." A wave of light yellow covered his vision for the blink of an eye before suddenly the door leading to Ainz's treasure parted open, and Tywin was barely able to stop the gasp leaving his throat, merely letting his mouth open in shock at the massive mounds of gold coins, rare jewels, and exotic weaponry on the ground floor alone reaching far into the air, the walls surrounding him were laid with displays of further amassing of gold and other valuables with chests and crates dotting the displays promising even more in decorative walls leading beyond what his eyes could see…
'To the seven hells with his strength at arms, he could plunge the realm into ruin or subdue us with his treasury alone…'
"I will have my Treasurer prepare a million of the equivalent of the Gold Dragons you requested to be ready for you by the end of the day, would that be sufficient time?"
Taking a breath through his nose and putting his best indifferent face on for display, Tywin nodded the affirmative, not ready to trust his voice over such an obscene wealth before him.
'Money, military might, magical abilities, and inhuman beasts at his command… What could I dare to offer this man…' The Lord of the Westerlands mused before speaking. "Yes, that will suffice, thank you Lord Ainz, I will have to send a raven to Casterly Rock, to have them send carriages to carry the gold back to my own treasury. In the meantime," He paused, looking from Ainz to Demiurge, and back to Ainz before speaking. "It appears that there is little I can offer you for a negotiation, but would you accept an alliance with me?"
"You dare to ask the Supre-" Demiurge spoke, tone rising to show what he thought of such a proposal only for a gauntlet-clad hand to raise, silencing him instantly.
"An alliance you say, and what do you see a need for me to ally with you?"
"Before we begin, may I make a request?"
"You may."
"Would you remove your mask so I can see the man I am speaking to, not a metallic visage?" The Lord of the Westerlands felt a long tense moment follow before Ainz let out a quiet chuckle and lifted a hand to his mask, removing it from his face to show a firm and regal visage, lightly tanned and unblemished skin with deep red eyes staring intensely back at the Lannister lord who had to resist the urge to look away from them.
"Does this suffice?" Ainz asks, face as impassive as the steel that once covered it.
"It does, to the matter of making an alliance, as your arrival placed you within my territory, I would normally request a matter of submission to my rule and the rule of my house under his grace, King Robert Baratheon, but." He emphasized, seeing Demiurge tense ever so slightly, "Seeing as you're capable of fielding warriors beyond anything I am any force I can raise, I would like to come to terms with and have a fruitful relationship with your kingdom."
"I see. But would you make an alliance with me not put you at odds with your king, Robert Baratheon?"
"It could… his majesty is not known to be of tolerance and diplomacy to perceived insults, but he has capable men serving to advise and guide him from letting his temper run wild."
"So I have heard, the way he won his crown is indicative of that alone. However, I would prefer not to be drawn into an unnecessary conflict, no matter how trivial it would be to resolve, conquest is not my objective with your lands."
"A fact I can appreciate if what I've seen already is an inclination of the dangers you could pose on the field of battle. Regarding this alliance, I would like to bring you to my hold and solidify your standing in the kingdoms, given the debts his grace owes me for funding his rule, I believe I can sway him more than almost any other in the kingdoms to accept you as a lord of the realm without unnecessary bloodshed."
"Excellent, and what would be my designation in our alliance?"
"One would typically be a Lord of the Realm, but what titles do you already have?"
"I am supreme overlord of life and death, greatest of the supreme beings, most powerful magic caster in the annals of time, greatest and most benevolent of the ruler of the great tomb of Nazarick, master of the highest magics, he who sits on the throne of Kings, Ainz Ooal Gown." What had to be magic was used to give the words such a dreadful booming impact on Tywin's nerve, a light sweat breaking out on his back and chest, hands lightly shaking before he recovered and nodded when Ainz raised a hand to his head.
"Now then, I will have you brought back to your men, who I am being told are growing worried about your condition."
"How would you know this so soon, I've seen no new messenger come to bear this news to you."
"Magic has many uses Lord Tywin, and many more you can barely dream of, I've been in contact with my Pleaides since we left Clegane Keep."
"I see… very well then, I will go put their minds at ease and put them back into order. If you would guide me back to them."
"But of course, follow me." Another swirling magic doorway opened behind Ainz and the taller being turned to enter it, Tywin followed him soon after to see the sun beaming down on him, and the thunderous cacophony of his soldiers calling his name, silenced when he raised a hand to gain their focus.
"We shall be returning to Casterly Rock," Tywin kept speaking but let his eyes roam over the assembled knights and men at arms before him and to the Pleaides that surrounded them all in perfectly placed positions so no one man could escape their notice. "Lord Ainz Ooal Gown will be accompanying me, and I will be an additional granting ten days' pay to everyone present and an additional two gold dragons. Gather yourselves and prepare the horses for the return journey."
Without a word, the men went to their task, mounting horses and preparing for their return journey, and waiting for the command to leave from their liege lord, their wait being nothing but daunting as the Pleaides maintained their positions and never so much as twitched or even spoke to each other in the near two hours four massive carriages appeared from another swirling portal, with the lead carriage coming to rest before Ainz and Tywin
"Shall we?" Ainz said, moving to the carriage and stepping into the door as a tall man with grey hair and a beard wearing a similar style of clothing as the being called Demiurge appeared seemingly from nowhere to open the door for his lord, entering after Ainz and Tywin entered the carriage.
The ride began in relative silence, Tywin staring intently at Ainz and the older man sitting next to him who stared back while Ainz was busy looking out the window, seemingly entranced by the forest they were passing.
"Your woods are inspiring, Lord Tywin. I've never seen such healthy trees in my homeland."
"You grew up without forests or woodlands?"
"Yes, by the time I was born, they had been mostly destroyed to make way for various industries, which polluted most of the water and air, to survive we had to wear special masks to breath or remain in sheltered areas, If we have time, I would be most grateful to see your waterways and ocean."
"Time you shall have, lord Ainz."
"You have my thanks, now then, your tax collector and the maester of Clegane Keep were very knowledgeable to the workings of this realm, but they had a slight lack of knowledge of the political goings on of your land to date, apparently, your lord Gregor only allowed his maester access to medicinal and healing supplies…"
Tywin gave a low nod and grunt at the news, 'Damn that Clegane…' before taking hold of an idea brewing as the carriage rolled on.
"As of yet, the realm is at peace, The North, Riverlands, Reach, Vale, Westerlands, Crownlands, Dorne, and Iron Islands have lived in relative harmony after the last rebellion was put down under King Robert's rule many years past, only the Dornish have proven to be problematic over the way it ended."
"Yes, murdering women and children from a noble house would have that effect I suppose," Ainz answered with one eye staring back at Tywin while the older aide sitting across from Ainz gave a light stare at him.
'Ah, I've not seen that stare since lord Eddard left to return North.' The Lannister thought, making a note to himself to avoid the man in the future.
The remaining trip passed in silence as they sped toward Lannisport and were quickly making their way to Casterly Rock, the forces Tywin had taken with him following the carriages into the massive fortress and standing at attention to await his orders, the moment he let them loose upon Lannisport, he knew eventually word of what they witnessed would make its way into Vary's web of informants.
'Speaking off, would it be wiser to use a messenger on a horse to deliver news regarding this? The Spider has access to all of the Ravens in the Red Keep and would no doubt read any contents I send first, but that barely gives me time ahead of his spies reporting back by their own means….'
Thinking the matter over in his head, Tywin stepped out after the man Ainz idly introduced as Sebas Tian opened the door for him to exit the carriage and step foot on the ground of his courtyard.
At once Kevan and Ser Addam Marbrand approached him for orders and an update on what happened with Gregor.
"Lord Gregor is fine, Ser Addam, speak with this one about a deposit to the treasury, and triple the guard for its transportation. Lord Ainz, would you accompany me to my Solar to review the agreement?"
"Of course," Ainz said as he exited the carriage and drew every pair of eyes on him, Tywin couldn't blame them between his sheer size and strange dress, he was a sight to behold.
"Excellent, Kevan, have the maester bring all the up-to-date maps to me."
"My Lord." With a curt bow, his brother left, heading toward the keep to fall to his command. Tywin gave no heed to the paused scribes and nobles as he and Ainz strode through his keep, bowing to acknowledge their lord or to stare at his strange-attired guest, soon enough the duo found themselves to his private solar.
"I must say Lord Tywin, you have a well-kept house, the respect your people have for you is impressive."
"Thank you, after witnessing the splendor of your own keep, I take that as high praise."
Before they could continue the door opened, and Kevan with the Maester of Casterly Rock entered, holding a collection of eight maps between the two of them.
"The maps you requested my lord!" The maester, a relatively younger man said, not often those picked to represent the citadel amongst high lords, but Tywin took special care to pick on that valued his privacy more than the Spider's coin, like his last maester, who Tywin idly recalled had in fact been sent to the care of Gregor after being caught copying messages from the ravens.
"Good, set them on the table and leave us. Kevan, meet Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, the new Lord of Clegane Keep.
"My Lord," Kevan said bowing his head alongside the maester who left after setting the requested materials before them, how one would take the house of a man like Gregor Clegane was left unsaid and evident to all present.
"Thank you, as Lord Tywin and I were about to discuss, I being a new Lord of this realm am to be given an updated lay of the lands I am to rule and those of the neighboring countries, as such may I see the map of the Westerlands?" The conversation drifted back and forth with Kevan answering questions while Tywin seating himself and wrote down a message to send to Robert of the appointment of a new lord, eyes taking every chance of watching all movement he could of the being standing and idly conversing with his brother as they went over the maps of Westeros and histories of the major houses. He was just about to hand the letter to Ainz to read over and put any requests for correction when the maester handed him a letter of his own, bearing the royal seal of King Robert.
"This arrived for you shortly after your return my lord."
Idle thoughts of financial reimbursement once again being proposed for lower rates of return were dashed when he saw the news.
Jon Arryn had died, and his grace had left King's Landing the appoint Eddard Stark as hand of the king in his stead.
This changed much, and despite doing his best to hide his disbelief Ainz somehow saw through it.
"Is something the matter lord Tywin?"
"Yes, the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn has died, and King Robert has left to the North to appoint Eddard of House Stark as his new Hand."
"I see, I assume this Jon Arryn was one of the 'men of quality' keeping King Robert's impulses in check for the most part?"
Tywin spared his guest a glance, before nodding "He was. As such I'll be sending the message to his grace in the Riverlands, if timing is on our side, it will arrive there before he does, and given his affection for Lord Eddard Stark, he will let the matter be brushed aside to focus on reuniting with him."
"Then we best hurry, I will have to visit your lands in detail another time. Now that your brother has told me of your lands in detail, and pray tell where does the jurisdiction of the Clegane Keep end?"
"The Clegane lands as you see are relatively miniscule in their holdings, with only a single tract of farmland, but given the proximity of the… The Tomb you claimed as your territory, it can be extended to include that as well." Tywin answered, having Ainz point out the rough location the Tomb of Nazarick had to be located at and encircled it from a nearby mountain side it had appeared near to be looped into the former Clegane territory.
"Well, that is all for now, if you excuse me lord Ainz, I would like to adjust to the news of Lord Arryn's passing."
"Of course, thank you once more lord Tywin, I will take to set my affairs in motion as well, with my attendant."
Nodding, Tywin left the room, leaving his brother alone, resisting the urge to give one last glance to the last brother he had along with monsters beyond his understanding, making his way down the winding halls and stairwells until he was below the keep and in the family tombs, standing before the crypt of his dead wife.
For a moment, Tywin was unsure how to proceed, a sense of shame overtaking him when he recalled his last visit to her grave before he powered through, forcing the words out of him.
"Joanna, I wish you were here, now more than ever, I find myself tested in ways I never thought possible, and I don't know what to do."
As he knew, the silence was his only reply and he leaned forward, resting his forehead against the statue in front of her casket, cold stone cooling his skin as he took a deep breath in.
"What I would do to have you back at my side and giving me your wise counsel once more…."
"Well," A voice cut through the silence he expected, like a scythe through wheat, and Tywin whipped his head to the left, seeing the visage of Ainz slowly approaching him. "What would you do to have her back at your side Tywin?"
Another stunned silence fell on him, his indignation at such a private moment interrupted quashed as the present threat of what Ainz could do, and what he could possibly do taking over his anger.
"What would you give me to return your wife to you? Death is nothing to me, I can return her to you, whole and healthy if you wish it so."
A bead of sweat formed on his forehead followed by another before they trailed down to the bridge of his nose, the cool air doing nothing to counter the sweat growing about his body as he started to breathe faster and opened his mouth wordlessly. "How can…How can you do such a thing, my Lord, she has been dead for so long…"
Before Ainz let a sigh out, placing a tanned hand against an immaculate face. "Perhaps I should share a truth with you lord Tywin, I am not human, as I'm sure a man of your intellect has surmised, but so much more than that, I am the Dark One, the Overlord of Death, the last of the forty-one supreme beings of the Great Tomb of Nazarick." He paused dragging the hand from the top of his head to his chin, skin fading away in shimmers of green light to reveal bleached white bones, eyes vanishing to reveal sockets dark as the night but lit in the center with red fires, and an inhuman elongated chin with an ever grinning face of the dead skull staring at him, Robes parted to reveal a glowing red orb floating right underneath his bare ribcage and finishing with his meaty hands giving way to bony fingers, each adorning the same rings on each digit. Tywin fell back a step, a hand on his chest and taking to a knee as The Stranger stared him down.
"I am Ainz Ooal Gown, and I offer you the life of your wife." The stone sarcophagus cover lifted without warning, the bones of his wife suddenly floating out and lying down between him and Death. He waved a hand and uttered a word he didn't hear over her remains, glowing purple briefly before suddenly bloody veins began to grow, sheathed by layers of muscle, fat, and skin, before hair began to grow, in barely the time he could witness such a miracle take place, his wife's body, restored to flesh lying on the cold stone ground naked before his eyes until a cloth was laid on her by the Stranger to cover her.
"No, not the Stranger, this is something more…" Tywin thought, falling to his hands and knees to reach a hand out to touch her perfect face, letting a shuddering gasp out at the feel of her flesh
"Restoring her body to flesh is nothing to me, but to bring her soul back to her body, that will require something more, I ask you again, lord Tywin. What will you offer me for her life?"
"Everything, my life, my kingdom, my people, my nation, I will offer them all to you, my lord, no, my king. I offer my all to your service!" he said instantly, and earnestly, ready to sacrifice all he had to see his only love returned to him.
"Good… Now," Flaming eyes turned from his own, to look down at the still corpse between the two. An ornate white staff with a gold jeweled cap appearing in it's skeletal hand, as it pointed it at her body and uttered aloud "Resurrection!"