- Tom of Sevenstreams

Kevan could never have imagined witnessing the fragmentation of Westeros in his lifetime.

Well, the decision to break apart had not yet been finalized, but in Kevan's eyes, it had already become inevitable. The idea had already gained the support of many lords, both rebel and loyalist. In truth, Kevan shouldn't have been surprised—he should have foreseen it. The political and economic center of Westeros had been destroyed. Keeping the realm together would be a difficult and hopeless struggle.

The nobles of the Westerlands had mixed opinions. Some were drawn to the allure of returning to the days of the Kingdom of the Rock, stories they had grown up hearing since childhood. Kevan, deep down, was among them. The thought of the Lannisters once again ruling as Kings of the Rock, answering to no one, was a tempting tale. But in the end, it was just that—a tale. Independence for the Westerlands would bring risks along with it. The greatest problem, without a doubt, would be the Iron Islands. Those savage barbarians would certainly take advantage of Westeros' fragmentation, seeing the shores of the Westerlands and the Reach as a grand feast laid out before them.

A significant portion of the Dornish lords already supported the idea. Though they were part of Westeros, they had always been looked down upon and treated with disdain by the other kingdoms. Returning to the days of their former independence, where they answered to no one, was an appealing prospect.

The Reach would undoubtedly suffer the most from the realm's fragmentation. The Tyrells had barely managed to hold onto their Lord Paramount title for 300 years—but they had managed. But to become kings? That was an entirely different story. Would the lords of the Reach truly follow a steward's bloodline as their royal house? Kevan wouldn't place bets on it.

From what Kevan had heard, Olenna Tyrell was utterly horrified upon learning of the plans for fragmentation and was doing everything in her power to prevent it. She frequently met with rebel lords, attempting to "reason" with them. She had even tried to arrange a marriage between Robert Baratheon and her daughter Janna, but the Stormlord rejected the offer, citing his betrothal to Lyanna Stark.

The rebel leaders chose to remain silent on the matter of fragmentation, conducting secret negotiations among themselves. Robert Baratheon was eager to become the Storm King, but if the other two Lords Paramount decided otherwise, he would stand with them.

The rebel lords—especially those in the North—already supported the idea of breaking away. And why wouldn't they? They would separate into three kingdoms, forging military and trade alliances. While the rest of Westeros was embroiled in conflict, they could tend to the wounds of war, turn the absence of King's Landing into an opportunity for trade, and sit in peace, adapting to the new order while the realm burned in chaos.

The decision to fracture Westeros was far from the best course of action—it promised a new era of disorder. But for the rebel lords, it was undoubtedly the safest and most secure path. To be honest, if Kevan had been part of the rebel alliance, he would have supported fragmentation as well. The alternatives—electing a king or being ruled by a council—were not nearly as safe.

If the realm truly shattered, the rest of Westeros would not dare to attack the rebels. Challenging three united kingdoms at once would be outright madness. The lords, even before an official agreement had been made, had already given it a name—The Three Kingdoms Alliance.

Kevan was regretful, truly regretful. His brother Gerion had insisted on joining the rebel side when Robert's Rebellion began. If Kevan had listened to him, the Three Kingdoms Alliance would have included the Westerlands, making it a Four Kingdoms Alliance. This would have solved many of the potential problems that would arise from the Westerlands gaining independence—especially the issue of the Iron Islands. The Greyjoys would have thought twice before attacking the Westerlands' shores, and even if they did, they would have had to face a powerful allied army.

Kevan, for neither the first nor the last time, asked himself, "What would Tywin do?" It had been over a year since his brother's death, yet Kevan still sought his wisdom. Tywin had been born to lead, while Kevan had been born to assist him. That was the fate written for both of them since birth. But when there was no true leader, what was the 'assistant' supposed to do? Jaime was many things, but he was certainly not a leader.

Thinking about his brother stirred his anger once more. Kevan would never forget that day at the Harrenhal tourney—never. They had been humiliated by Aerys in front of all of Westeros. The mad king had laughed as he mockingly described the pitiful details of Tywin's death, and his sycophants had laughed along with him. But that wasn't even the worst of it. Before making the official Lord Paramount declaration, Aerys had dined with the Lannister family. During the meal, he had gazed at Cersei with lust, licked his lips, and asked her to sit beside him. If Rhaegar hadn't been there to intervene, a rebellion would have started right then and there. Neither Jaime nor Kevan were the kind of men to sit idly by and watch Cersei be harassed.

When news of the rebellion broke out, both Tygget and Gerion wanted to join, eager to punish the Targaryens for their insults—to make them experience their own version of "The Rains of Castamere." Kevan hadn't been surprised by his brothers' burning hatred for the Targaryens. What had surprised him, however, was that Jaime had more or less agreed with them. Jaime had always had good relations with Rhaegar and Arthur Dayne. When Kevan later asked him about it, his nephew had muttered through gritted teeth, "What they wanted to do to Cersei… I can never forgive it."

Regardless, Kevan had calmed his family's fiery rage and convinced them to take the most cautious path for the Westerlands. A Westerlands army gathered at Golden Tooth, but it was not meant to support the Targaryens. Not a single member of the main Lannister family had even considered fighting for them. If Jaime had made such a decision, he would have faced immense backlash.

The Westerlands' position would be decided by the course of the war. If the rebels were crushed, they would offer some excuse like, "We wanted to act, but we had no opportunity." If the Targaryens were defeated, they would join the rebels and help wipe out the remaining Targaryens. If the war dragged on without a clear outcome and the Westerlands had the power to tip the scales, they would side with the rebels and take the opportunity to give the Targaryens a proper beating. After all, the Lannisters always paid their debts.

Then, they heard the results of the Battle of the Trident. Jaime was somewhat saddened by Rhaegar's death but was generally pleased with the rebels' victory, as was the rest of the family. Soon after, the rebels sent an offer of alliance. Under Robert Baratheon's rule, the Westerlands would receive various concessions and tax reductions. They also offered Benjen Stark as a match for Cersei. Jaime ignored the marriage proposal but agreed to join the rebels. If the Tyrells remained loyal to the Targaryens, he declared that he would take great pleasure in crushing them. He was young, his blood was hot, and a great war had taken place right beside him, yet he had not taken part in it. That frustrated him. Still, Kevan couldn't blame his nephew. Even for someone as old as himself, the prospect of glory in battle was tempting.

If he had been at the Trident, Kevan could imagine himself tearing a hole through the famous Dornish shield wall. Lewyn Martell, Jonothor Darry, and Barristan Selmy—he could see himself facing them one by one on the battlefield. He was certain he could defeat the first two. Barristan, however, was another matter entirely. But to die at his hands would not be a dishonorable fate. What a glorious day it would have been! A tale for his grandchildren to tell for generations!

Kevan, after receiving his nephew's approval, had written a letter declaring his acceptance of the rebels' offer. He had also ordered the Westerlands' infantry to prepare in case the Tyrells acted foolishly and continued the war. However, before Kevan could send the letter of support to the rebels, they received the dreadful news—Greendoom.

Kevan had no close relatives residing in King's Landing—thank the Seven—but he had acquaintances and friends there. Real men, honorable men, and women of incredible willpower that could humble even the strongest of men. They had not deserved such a death. Kevan mourned for his friends, wept, and prayed to the Stranger to grant peace to their souls.

At times, he still wondered—what if Tywin had lived? Or if they had joined the rebellion from the very beginning? Could they have prevented Greendoom? Was that truly a possibility? It was a question Kevan would never have an answer to, and besides, it was a pointless curiosity. He swiftly pushed such unnecessary thoughts from his mind.

On the first day of the Maidenpool council, Kevan was among the few who listened attentively to Archmaester Walgrave's speech, hearing in full detail the Targaryen family's 300-year history of catastrophe. The daughter of the Old King and Good Queen Alysanne, Daella, had been considered a simpleton, afraid of books and animals alike. Aegon II's son, Jaehaerys, was born with six fingers, while his sister was mentally impaired. Good Daeron's son, Prince Rhaegel, was prone to fits of madness and sickness—once found dancing naked through the halls of the Red Keep. King Maekar's son, Aerion, had believed himself to be a dragon and drank a cup of wildfire. Baelor I had been killed by his own uncle for attempting to launch a crusade. The list went on, and the most terrifying part was that all of this had happened within just 300 years. No other noble house had suffered so many stillborns, physically or mentally afflicted children—not in such a short span of time. As Kevan listened to the Archmaester, he became convinced that the man was right. The Targaryens' blood was tainted and cursed.

Rhaegar had shown the potential to be a good leader, but so had the young Aerys once. Kevan now understood—Rhaegar had been just as mad as his father, only of a different breed and better at hiding it. Abducting a Lord Paramount's daughter was something even the lecherous Aegon IV would never have dared to do. Supporting the Targaryens had always been a great gamble. Yes, they had rulers like Jaehaerys I and Daeron II, but one could never predict when a Targaryen would go mad. At least now, they would never have to deal with them again. Good riddance.

Kevan had already begun preparing for an independent kingdom in the Westerlands. If possible, he wanted to join the Three Kingdoms Alliance, which would largely secure the kingdoms. He considered Robert Baratheon's hand for Cersei, though Lyanna Stark must have already passed away by now—the poor girl. As for Jaime, Janna Tyrell would be a suitable match. This way, the kingdoms of Westeros could at least be united through marriage. These unions would help make the chaos after the split much less painful.

The real problem was Jaime. He had completely rejected all marriage proposals for both himself and his sister, showing a firm, unwavering stance on the matter. Cersei leaving Casterly Rock was out of the question. Moreover, Jaime already had a woman he wanted to marry. After telling his uncle this, Jaime had looked at Kevan and asked, "Uncle, if I become king, my word is law, and everything I want will happen, right?" There was a strange gleam in his eye. Kevan began to fear what his nephew might do. He wished again that Tywin were here to bring his son to his senses.

On the seventh day of the Maidenpool council, the grand council convened again, and Rodrik Ryswell carried out a highly effective propaganda campaign, almost guaranteeing the fragmentation of Westeros. Kevan had to admit the man was a very skilled politician—he knew how to rile people up. At the same time, he was cleverly exaggerating the glorious period when Westeros had been seven kingdoms, using it to stir up further sentiment.

In truth, the things the man said weren't lies or mistakes, just an exaggeration of numbers. The 18,000 soldiers that Eddard Stark had gathered for the rebellion had been a hastily assembled infantry force, and the Westerlands could have mustered at most 20,000 under similar circumstances. Still, Ryswell was right about the North's dependence on the South for grain—Targaryen's gift of the New Gift to the Night's Watch had been a significant blow, greatly reducing the North's already limited grain production. The "Adder Lord" —this was the new nickname for Rodrik Ryswell—was skillfully blending truth and lies.

The Tullys were another source of concern. The region they ruled, the Trident, was always at risk of war. There were seven kingdoms in Westeros, and when two of them went to war, the impact always reached the Riverlands. The fragmentation of Westeros would spell disaster for them. Yet, their situation was not as dire as the Tyrells because their family had two queens. Now, the Tullys had two choices: join the North Kingdom or join the Vale Kingdom. Independence was certainly not an option. Kevan thought they would join the Vale Kingdom, as they were culturally closer to them, and if the Riverlands were attacked, the Vale army could respond much faster than the North. Hoster Tully's decision remained uncertain, but he needed to stop cursing Rodrik Ryswell and seriously consider the matter, as he didn't have much time left to choose.

In this time when the fragmentation of Westeros seemed inevitable, Kevan Lannister's choices were becoming increasingly difficult. With every step, he felt the weight of responsibility for both his family and the kingdom's future on his shoulders. But no matter how careful he was, he had to accept that every decision came with a price when walking a road that led to an uncertain end. Ultimately, as hard as it was, there was no other choice but to follow his own path if the Lannister house was to survive the storm.