3 MONTHS LATER
***TYRION***
He was seated at his desk inside his office chamber with the dwarf helping goddess erected behind him. Tyrion placed and lit a silver wax candle as an offering for her. On his desk were plates with sliced apples and oranges that he enjoyed. Seated across from him was an old lord from a low house on the brink of fading into obscurity in The Westerlands.
"Forgive me Lord Tallgrass, I don't mean to interrupt you so much, it's just that these apples and oranges you brought for me are delicious. I forgot, why are you called Tallgrass again, I can't say I've ever seen you or heard about your house recently."
"Lord Tyrion, I am happy you are enjoying the fruits. My house is called Tallgrass for the Tallgrass where prides of lions used to roam when they were still alive and plenty in The Westerlands. The houses including mine that lived in the tall grasslands have all but gone extinct, save for mine. We were in charge of capturing the lions and even training them to use in battle in the days of ancient. Please, as I was saying, my house and family are the last of the tall grassland houses that still exist. If my daughter who is sixteen years of age can't marry The King as one of the two queens he has allowed himself, then my house and line will vanish into history. Please, my lord, grant this old man who is still loyal to you this request."
"Marrying your daughter or any noble lady from the Westerlands to the King would not only elevate the house she belongs to. to royal status, but it would undermine my position as Lord Paramount of The Westerlands and warden of the west."
"My lord, I do not wish to undermine your rule but only to save my house, nothing more."
"Then why not wed your daughter to me, I did ask all the houses in The Westerlands with eligible daughters if they would be willing to unite their house with mine. If it's money you want, I am the wealthiest man in all of Westeros. What do you think?" Tyrion asked, clasping his hands together, focusing on Lord Tallgrass.
"Well, you see, about that, it's not about the wealth--"
"I see, it's not about the money, your house has lost its purpose and you would like for it to regain some semblance of glory and purpose. I hear Robyn Arryn is single and head of a very large standing army."
"Lord Arryn is said to have his eyes on a Stormlander girl. I would prefer someone who will be good for my daughter and love and respect her as the pure maiden that she Is." he insisted.
"Very well my lord, I will speak to the king for you and ask him to consider Giana Tallgrass as a candidate for his first or second royal wife. But I can't promise you anything, The King knows what is best for the realm and he is his own man with his mind. Now I must ask you Lord Tallgrass to leave as I have other matters to attend to."
Almost as if by divine intervention, Maester Donald walked in with news. Lord Tallgrass nodded his head and walked out with a hopeful smile. Lord Donald closed the door behind him and made sure the door was locked.
"My Lord paramount, she has arrived, your bride from Ibben. She has arrived with ten galleons along with her private ship, she and her people are waiting for us in Lannisport. All the houses who support you are there, sadly there aren't that many."
"About how many?" Tyrion asked.
"About 5. House Vikary, House Tallgrass, House Yew, House Sheep, and House Iron Fist."
"And about how many soldiers is that in total? I ask because my family, the other Lannisters who make up House Lannister, refuse to reply to my summons to meet me and talk to me. Their only reply is 'The King has still not chosen a queen from amongst our female house members.' I keep telling them that I cannot choose for the king. Who he chooses for his two future queens, is because it is for the best. I am afraid Lord Donald, for the first time in my life I fear that The Westerlands is going to spiral into civil war."
"With these five loyal houses and the few Lannister knights who support you, that's a combined might of two thousand five hundred fifty-seven. House Vikary has a total of 700 knights. House Yew has 500 knights. House Sheep has 300 knights. House Tallgrass has 50 knights and House Iron Fist has 900 knights. About 100 knights from House Lannister see you as the rightful heir of Casterly Rock and Lord Paramount of the West and lastly your seven blades for a total of two thousand five hundred fifty seven."
"In a total war, The Westerlands can muster up a total of fifty thousand soldiers and that's if all of the houses theoretically rally against us. But house Lannister alone can effortlessly generate ten thousand fighting men if need be. The odds are not in my favor. How many fighting men has my bride brought with her, if she even brought any" Tyrion asked.
"She told one my little ants that she brought three thousand fighting men and one thousand witches. So that bumps up your standing army to 6557. we also can't forget about her 'world's largest invisible army' so...numbers are yet to be determined. Shall we be on our way my lord?"
"Yes Donald, let us not keep my wife waiting." Tyrion sighed, anxiety trailing his tone.
Tyrion, Donald, and the seven blades waiting outside of his office chambers headed out to travel to Lannisport together.
Waiting for Tyrion at the main harbor was the main galleon Anaissa traveled in. Her house and faith banner was a pair of eyes with a crescent moon above them on a dark purple background. The lord of the houses supporting Tyrion was present. A column of men and women wearing dark purple hooded cloaks stepped out of the main galleon and stood across from each other as a circle of purple-cloaked followers of Anaissa came out with Anaissa walking in the center. Tyrion saw that Anaissa was a tall girl, covered from head to toe in a black cloak with a hood that covered her face and left only her nose and black-painted lips exposed. A crown made of crystal amethyst rested around her head, further pressing the hood down on her face and keeping her eyes hidden from being seen.
Her circle of followers opened as Tyrion approached her. Anaissa stepped forward, and on her feet she wore amethyst crystal heels. Tyrion stood before her and smiled, offering his hand to her. "I am very happy to finally have you here with my lady."
Anaissa's black-painted lips smiled as she took his hand and the two walked into a carriage waiting for them. "I Hope it is okay with you that I have brought my entire temple inhabitants, servants, priests, priestesses, and guards too."
"You're home now my lady, there will be accommodations for you and all of your people, I promise."
The lords in support of Tyrion wondered what this priestess looked like. From what they could see, she was tall, slender, gifted in the chest area and by the look of it, in the back area as well. Her hands were pale, perhaps painted white. Her nails were painted black and adorned with strange twinkling black-linked pearls.
"It is still midday. We arrived quite earlier than anticipated. The wedding will be taking place at night. Is that alright with you?" Anaissa asked.
"At the beginning of the world or at the end of it, whatever works for you," Tyrion answered with a soft smile.
"Hah hah, I like you, you're very funny," Anaissa answered, her accent was foreign but sweet like honey and serene like a dream.
"Well, you would be the first to mean that."
Back in Casterly Rock, Anaissa was brought to her private chambers, which had been prepared ahead of her arrival. She took a seat on a chair near a large arched glass window. She sat down and looked around despite still having her crystal crown over her hood covering much of her face. How on earth could she see anything?
"Would you like some wine my lady, or something to eat, maybe you would like some rest?" Tyrion asked, rubbing his hands in anticipation of an answer.
"I seldom drink, but after we are married I will have some. I will eat after we are married and I will get some rest after we have consummated our marriage. This is a very large room, very large indeed. It's so opulent and warm. A welcomed change from the normally cold air of Ibben.
"Right. Well my lady, would you like to remove that crown and hood off so you can see just--F"
"f--I can see just fine my lord. I couldn't take this crown off even though I had had the world's strongest man pry it off me, only my promised husband and future God King will be able to take it off me."
"I see," Tyrion said softly. He pulled a chair to sit right in front of her. "My lady, I am marrying you only for love, well I suppose we have to get to know each other first before I can start using that word so casually with you. I have a lot of love to give and I would love to see our children roaming throughout the castle. I don't know anything about God Kings, or this prophecy. I'm not all that religious of a man, but I am grateful to the dwarf helping goddess for uniting me to you."
"You have a lot of enemies my future husband from within and from outside. It brings me great joy and relief to know your intentions are sincere and I would love to give you everything that was ripped from you and denied to you in your past by your father Tywin, your sister Cercei, and from unfaithful and untrustworthy women. But if you have any shred of faith, I need you to have faith in my prophecy that has brought me to strange lands to wed me to you."
"Tell me about this prophecy, my lady"
"My name is Anaissa, I am eighteen years of age. I was a member of the shadow council, the main ruling body of Ibben. I am also a shadow priestess not like those from Asshai who worship the lord of light and see prophecies in the fire. Shadow priestesses and priests are not born or inducted or even initiated into this faith, we ARE children of the moon, our souls are from the moon, and we are the many faces of the moon, do you know which face I am, my lord?"