the king of casterly rock remained silent in reaction to the woman’s first retort, his facial expression remaining as deadpan and uncaring as ever; and perhaps that was what had first drove the initial wedge between them, how helena had a smile as bright as the sun of the reach itself, all feeling and encompassing in the emotions that drove her. one would hear her laughter within the great hall above her courtiers; all whilst her king remained as silent and quiet as ever, their very personalities as opposite as one could ever be, and in this circumstance it was only a matter which drove them further and further apart. tyland understood little of what made helena happy, no doubt a result of his own lack of personal engagement in a marriage that was for dutys sake, but also due to the stark differences between the two. and yet at the end of the day, despite all the disappointments and the pressure that came from attempting to ensure a male heir was able to obtain his crown when the time came, he had been blessed with his daughter.
picking the letter up, his hand as gentle as though he were truly taking her hand, he looked upon his daughter’s handwriting and a sense of emptiness seemed to grow deeper within his stomach, an aching pain that came with not having seen her for many months. and he would not, for many more, not as a result of his own plans and what he wished to push into motion. the man always picked the westerlands first, ensuring to cement their solid strength and diminish the strength of those they deemed an enemy, and thus he would ensure the pearl of his world remained within the safe rolling hills of the reach and within highgarden, where any consequences could not befall her. gods knew, he would not allow his daughter to be in a position where she could be kidnapped or slip from either of their grasps.Â
“keep her with you.” tyland spoke, his tone strangely quiet at this point - it was without the usual dismissive tone that came when addressing helena, but a sense of seriousness. there was no explanation for his change in stance, only that he wished for her to do so. “i will send for her return to casterly when the time is right.” and when will that be? once he was done spilling all the blood he deemed needed? the blood that was his right to spill? he remained sat within his seat as she moved on to her next choice of conversation; as he knew deep down she would, due to the close bond the two women shared during helena’s time at casterly rock.Â
even that was not enough to gage a reaction for him, for gods knew his mind thought of other things than the falcon court as of this moment; for now, until it was time to acknowledge the choices that had been made. “it is not your concern, nor is it your right to discuss.” tyland spoke, looking her directly in the face - she was no longer a woman of this family, and thus it was was no longer her issue. it dawned on him that she probably knew all along, and it was then a slight flare of irritation seemed to sit within him; if she truly cared for the woman she came and spoke for, she would have told her how it would never work, how they would never be truly happy, how the past and choices made will always sit between them. “she made her choice.” and she did; for none seemed to know of the final words uttered between the son and daughter of tymond lannister, the final words that sealed fate. “she knew the consequences.”
one could not claim that the lion king did not love his own kin - in fact, helena had zero doubts that tyland did not share the same unconditional love for their daughter. cerenna lannister was the one and only blessing that came from their marriage. despite the toll the multiple miscarriages and stillbirths had on her, the day her daughter was born was all helena needed in order to find her will to move on; to move past her guilt and grief and to do her best to make up for the love that her daughter would likely not receive from her father. while tyland lannister kept his distance from their daughter due to his unyielding sense of duty and his inability to put anything else first except the westerlands itself, helena wanted to shower her little one with love.Â
in the long run, the lannister king was building a legacy in which cerenna would benefit most from; he was creating a future for her where she would be well provided for and flourishing. helena was grateful for this. but while his duty would prevent him from being able to put cerenna first, helena always ensured she would do the opposite. it resulted in her and her small lioness to form an inseparable bond. so when tyland gave permission for cerenna to remain in the reach, helena would not dare question it. but with tyland, there was always a reason. and in this case, she knew very well it was not out of the kindness of his heart for her to be allowed to keep her daughter by her side; but rather because of another reason. “very well.” she answered. “whatever you are planning, tyland… please be safe. for cerenna’s sake. she needs a father.”
“it is my right.” her tone sharp, “we may no longer be married, tyland, but i still consider house lannister as my own. i do not toss aside my loved ones when they no longer suit me.” she retorted, her dark orbs fixed on him, her comment referencing his banishment of his little sister. “and what of your choice? what will the consequences be for ostracizing your sister? you act as if this is all on her, but it is your response -- your inability to be merciful -- that is causing such turmoil on your family. your inflexibility is one of your greatest weaknesses.”
