"Your Grace, if I may." There was a moment of silence, before Stannis Baratheon nodded his assent. "We have in our custody the Lord of Casterly Rock. Tywin Lannister will never betray his grandchildren - his goal remains to see them recognized as your brother's children and in control of all the lands he ruled over."
"I am aware of this-"
"But his youngest son is perhaps not so inflexible." You paused to collect the right words, well aware that misspeaking here could cost much. "Tyrion Lannister is his father's heir, with the Kingslayer having abdicated that role to join the Kingsguard. Yet Lord Tywin has never recognized him as such. You could."
The Onion Knight frowned. "Offer him Casterly Rock if he pulls out of the war?"
Stannis looked as rigid as ever, his jaw tight with annoyance. "Tyrion Lannister took up arms against his rightful king. Am I to forgive and forget?"
"You should do neither, Your Grace. But Tyrion Lannister did not know you were his rightful king. And he has had no opportunity to declare his loyalty or opposition since learning that truth, rotting in a cell as he is. And of equal importance is his... condition. The Lords of the West respect and fear Tywin. They will neither respect nor fear Tyrion."
His hand ran down through his beard, and clenched into a fist beneath his chin. "Then how is he to take command of his father's men? They will not respect him as they would a whole-bodied man, and they will not swear to him should they believe him a traitor to his family."
"They will if they believe it is their only hope. If you offer them amnesty and your forgiveness in exchange for fealty and the end of their rebellion, they will abandon Tywin Lannister. They feared him once, respected him once, but now they have seen him broken and laid bare. Many of their number share his condition. They long to return to their families, to forget the defeats they faced."
The (arguably) one true King of Westeros looked away. Perhaps you had caught him in a good mood. "See to the Imp, then."
You paused. Should you push your luck? "There is also the matter of Lady Cersei's children-"
"The Kingslayer's spawn have been proven abominations of incest and usurpers of House Baratheon's throne."
Right. There would be words later when he learned Myrcella was not in the city.
---
The Imp pressed a single finger into his cheek as he paced from one end of his cell to the other. His hair was filthy with grime, but he seemed in somewhat good spirits. "You're asking me to betray my father. To betray my brother and sister. All for a mountain of gold."
You shrugged. "Some men would do it for free."
"I am not some men. I'm not even all of one, you might have noticed." The pacing continued. "I am not a fool. We won't win this war, whatever my father thinks. The defeats you inflicted on us took away that possibility. I never had a chance to congratulate you on that." He offered a mock bow. "Congratulations. You have felled the old lion in the final act of his career."
"King Stannis is disinclined to be merciful to your father. To your sister. To your brother." He looked away at that. "I am offering you a chance to protect the rest of your family. Because without you, the Lannisters are done in Westeros. Stannis is no Robert. He'll see the lot of you attainted and spend the rest of his life besieging the Rock to hand it over to some loyal man."
He smiled at that. "It'd certainly be a chance of decor - all those lion statues and tapestries replaced with marble and silk onions. But you aren't offering a chance to protect all of my family." You opened your mouth, but he continued. "I do not love my sister. And for her stupidity perhaps she deserves to die. And perhaps for his, Jaime does too. But I do love him, and that means I cannot forsake him and his children."
"There's no happy ending for your brother after what he's done."
"Perhaps. But I have been to the Wall. I accompanied your bastard brother there when I first left Winterfell. Skilled swords are always needed to shield the realm for grumpkins, snarks, and wildling hordes. It will not be a lavish life for him, but it will be a life." He looked down. "And the same should go for Joffrey. He is a repulsive boy but an unwitting usurper is not the same as one who conspired to do so. And Myrcella and Tommen have done nothing."
"Stannis disagrees." Was it mere superstition that made it feel as though there was an axe inches above your neck. "But I do not. Your siblings' youngest son could live a long, unthreatening life as a Maester or Septon. He could forswear his claim to the throne before the lords of Westeros and the High Septon, on penalty of his immortal soul. It would be enough for some men."
"But not for the King of Westeros. Not for Stannis Baratheon. I spent years at Robert's court and I know the man."
"No. But my father took Myrcella into his protection. Perhaps I could do the same for your nephews." Joffrey did not deserve such kindness. But Tommen... you remembered a pudgy boy with a shy smile who had blushed at both of your sisters and looked so unremarkable next to Bran. "I am to wed His Grace's daughter."
"Congratulations yet again," he offered dryly. "I wish you a gaggle of blue-eyed babes."
"I cannot predict the future, Tyrion. I can only say this."
[] "I will protect the innocents of your family."
[] "I must obey my king."
