The first time Tywin Lannister met his betrothed was the just beyond the Lion's Mouth, she had stepped out of a silver carriage the color of her hair, swathed in a crimson gown with dragons dancing at the hem. Her eyes were not the lilac of her sister, Rhaella, but a dark purple, the color of royalty. "Presenting: her grace, the Princess Rhaella the house Targaryen of Dragonstone, and her grace, the Princess Diana of the house Targaryen of King's Landing." The crown princess had wed her elder brother, Aerys the year before, Tywin frowned remembering the lavish gifts his father, Tytos, had given to the couple for their wedding. The royal family had no need of golden saddles too gaudy to ever actually use, not to mention the twenty thousand dragons the Lannister's had shelled out to travel with such a large retinue from Casterly Rock to King's Landing, stopping at every inn along the way. The wedding seemed more of a funeral, the prince was charming, but flattered easily, which made him easy for Tywin to befriend when he was but a squire.

Diana Targaryen was a maid of sixteen, two years younger than himself, but she came to his chin only, he noticed. Both princesses had small tiaras in their hair, with shining red rubies, Rhaella's had a slightly larger center stone. As the Lannister household bowed before the royals who had arrived as representatives of the royal family for his sister's name day feast, Twin stared down the younger sister. Rumour had it that Diana was the favorite grandchild of King Aegon the fifth, mainly because she was rumoured to have dragon dreams as they were called, the same that her ancestor Daenys the Dreamer had. This favoritism made Diana and Aerys rivals, so the decision had been made that it was time for Diana to be wed, and her father had sent her to the tourney to choose a husband out of the nobles, preferably a great lord or an heir of one.

"Your majesties." Tywin said politely, bowing once more for good measure. "On behalf of house Lannister, I welcome you and offer you the hospitality of Casterly Rock."

"Thank you, Lord Lannister." Rhaella offered in reply, "We are weary from our travels, but are happy to celebrate your sister's twelfth name day."

"Where is your father?" Diana asked, scrutinizing gaze unyielding. "He is the Lord of house Lannister, is he not?"

Tywin wished to snarl in outrage, but refrained due to the fact that he was addressing a princess, not a cheeky servant. "He would have been here to meet you, your highness, but is in talks with Lord Frey of the Crossings." Talks of trade, he assumed.

A frown marred her regal features, but she said nothing. "If you would follow me, princesses." Tywin stated, "I can show you to your rooms." The maids had been making up rooms overlooking the Sunset sea for the past week, the finer rooms saved for the more important guests.

Once the princesses were settled in their rooms, Twin walked through the Rock and into the inner hallways, where the lord's chambers and those of his family were. His rooms were next to Kevan's, followed by Tygett and Gerion, who were still in the nursery, with Gemma's sharing a wall with his parent's, whose door was directly across from his. The welcoming feast was set to begin in a few hours, with the lord of the Stormlands, the Prince of Dorne, half of the Westerlands and a few minor lords and hedge knights from various kingdoms hoping to curry favor all in attendance. He made quick work of changing into finer clothing, befitting the heir of the Westerlands. His father had been slowly giving more and more of lordship responsibilities to him, using the excuse of practice for Tywin to allow his father to whore and gamble.

He had just finished adjusting his scarlet tunic with a roaring lion on the breast when a knock resounded, "Enter." He stated plainly, walking towards the table with wine upon it. His black pants tucked into fresh leather boots, which he had yet to completely break in. To his surprise, a handmaiden he did not recognise entered, followed by Princess Diana.

"Your grace," He said formally, bowing just enough to be respectful, "What can I do for you?" He had left her not two hours ago.

"I went to see your father, but his page made it clear that he was not to be disturbed in the south tower, and that you were acting lord, should anyone need anything, you have full authority. Is that true?" Diana asked plainly, smirking in amusement when the rage flashed in his eyes. Twin knew what his father did in the south tower, or rather with whom. The whore who wore his mother's jewels resided there, drinking casks of Arbour gold with his father, had he even met with Lord Frey first? It appeared as though Diana knew as well.

"That is correct." Twin ground out, "What do you need, Princess?" His brows furrowed as her handmaiden silently handed him a sealed scroll, the three headed dragon seal unbroken.

He read the letter once, twice, thrice. The King had written to his father, seeking a betrothal of his heir with the princess. There were several stipulations included, written in a more feminine scrawl embedded as well, a lady of house Lannister would become her handmaiden, a woman the princess would choose during her stay, a lower tax rate would be given between the crownlands and the westerlands for the first five years of Diana's marriage, and her dowry would include enough grain to get them through the winter that was fast approaching. The letter ended with a simple note that should the offer not be accepted, Diana was welcome to present the same terms to another suitor of her choice, a veiled threat should he refuse. "You knew of this?" Twin asked, frowning when he saw her grin.

"I selected you, the servants whisper of how the little lord holds more power than the laughing lion." Diana laughed when he saw the rage dancing in his eyes, "Tywin, you are shrewd, something your father is not. He will wed his children to the first person to ask to curry favor, imagine if a tourney winner asked for your sister's hand? What would your father do then?"

Twin wished to say that his father would kill any man beneath his sister who asked for her hand, but he knew that he was not his father. "What do you mean, you selected me?" Was all Tywin would respond with.

"My father had only one request of who I would wed, that I select from his list of suitors." Diana replied honestly, "Should you not accept, I shall see if my cousin Steffon can break his betrothal with the Estermont girl to make me Lady of Storm's End instead."

They stared at each other for a moment, a princess and a Lord. "Why me? Why not Prince Mors Martell, or Steffon Baratheon?" Both men were already at the Rock, the Prince there with his elder sister, Rhaella's handmaiden if he remembered correctly. Tywin had a few ideas as to why the princess chose him as a potential betrothed, but wished to hear it from her own mouth.

"You are a death away from being the second most powerful man in the seven kingdoms. Prince Mors is not the heir, Princess Elia is. And I think Steffon actually loves that Cassana girl." She replied matter-of-factly, "My brother bears no sisterly love for myself or Rhaella, and proven so time and time again, he speaks as if he wished to be the next Aegon the Conqueror or Maegor the Cruel. Rhaella is mindful of her duty though, I know an heir will be produced soon enough. So I must do my duty as well, wed and have heirs." Her tone when describing her own blood was cold and sharp as steel. Both kings had taken two wives, and were none too gentle with them either.

"And what would gain by being Lady of Casterly Rock? I am the Lord." Tywin knew that his father did not have to die in order for his wife to become Lady, Gemma had been trying to take on the role in the past few years, but was still too young.

"You will be the Lord." Diana chided, "I am a Princess of the Iron throne, a feat bought with fire and blood, yet we have destroyed both. My Grandfather agrees that the practice of marrying brother to sister must come to an end, but allowed my father to marry my siblings." Her purple eyes flashed, "In an attempt to make up the betrayal of beliefs, he has given me the right to choose my husband, while my father insists he be of noble birth. If I am to share my bed with anyone who is not a dragon, it might as well be a lion."

She was blunt, but her logic was sound, and a Targaryen had not wed into house Lannister or vice versa in generations, it would also show the crown's favor to the lions. "I shall have my Maester draft up the betrothal contract."

AN:

Thanks for reading! This is my first ASOIAF fic, I aged up the plot line a bit. For those curious as to why, the event at Gemma's seventh name day in canon will be used in the next chapter.

Aerys is 18, Rhaella is 17, and Diana is 16. They were conceived in rapid order due to Jaehaerys II wishing to have ample heirs after the Blackfyre Rebellion decimated his extended family. A dragon alone in the world is a terrible thing.