Lord Tywin Lannister had been to Winterfell in the North and had seen the ruins of Winterfell.
The Tower of Ruins was a watchtower built by the ancestors of House Stark and was the highest point in Winterfell. It was later struck by lightning, which caused a fire that caused the top to collapse inwards, and the upper half of the tower was charred black. Since then, no one has climbed the watchtower, and it has become the Tower of Ruins that House Stark stands today.
Why did the wolf cub climb the ruined tower?
Tywin didn't know.
Why is the lion also inside the tower? Which lion is inside the tower? Jaime? Tyrion? Cersei?
Even Duke Tywin didn't know.
Since the lion pushed the wolf cub off the cub, which constitutes murder, what did the wolf cub see that made the lion feel compelled to kill it?
Duke Tywin Lannister was even more unaware of this.
He was not a prophet, not an alien, and not a wizard.
He cannot see the truth in other dimensions.
Duke Tywin decided to seek help from the witch.
The Starks in the North are not to be trifled with. They are also allied with the Tully family of the Riverlands to the east of the West. If war breaks out, Riverrun will definitely join the North. The Vale, ruled by House Arryn in the far east, is also the son-in-law of the Tully family of Riverrun. They are also closely related to the North. If war breaks out and the three places join forces, the West will be in a situation of fighting three against one.
Although the King was the son-in-law of the Westerlands, he and the Starks of the North grew up together and were closer than brothers. This can be seen from the fact that the King traveled thousands of miles to invite the Starks to be the King of the Kingdom rather than his father-in-law Tywin Lannister. The King was more willing to trust and support the Stark family.
The situation is very unfavorable for the western border.
Due to the political alliance of marriage, the territories of the three dukes of the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale became one family.
Catelyn Tully, wife of Eddard Stark, Duke of the North, is the eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun in the Riverlands; Lord Hoster Tully's second daughter is Lady Arryn of the Vale. With the sudden death of Jon Arryn, Lord Hand of the Vale, who was serving as Hand of the King at the palace, the true power in the Vale now rests with Catelyn's younger sister, Lysa Tully.
If the North and West go to war, it will create a disadvantageous situation of one against three.
The western border has no allies.
If Storm's End is unwilling to cooperate, the Westerlands' only potential allies are the Reach to the south and the Iron Islands in the sea. Dorne, in the far south, is also a potential enemy of the Westerlands: sixteen years ago, Tywin Lannister ordered the Mountain to rape and murder Princess Elia Martell of Dorne in the nursery of the Red Keep in King's Landing. This is a blood feud that has yet to be settled.
After careful consideration, Lord Tywin Lannister concluded that the war could not take place.
At the very least, a full-scale war must be avoided.
Why would a lion push a wolf cub off a ruined tower? That's the key question!
Duke Tywin needed to know the specifics.
From Lord Tiger's letter and the witch's prophecy, it's clear that the Lion did indeed push the cub off the ruined tower, but no one in Winterfell knew this. This is the fundamental reason why the Lion could still safely reside in Winterfell in the North. If future wars arise because of this, it means that the truth will eventually be known to the Stark family.
How can I know?
The most likely scenario is that the comatose wolf cub wakes up and reveals the truth, thus sparking conflict and triggering war.
Tywin could no longer find peace.
Fortunately, Sir Gregor had a grandmother, a witch, who lived in the sanctuary he built, and who could accurately see fragments of time and space and give him a priceless prophecy.
In the face of an inevitable war, whoever prepares first and foresees the future will be the victor.
Now that Duke Tywin Lannister has received the news first because of the witch's prophecy, he will surely make preparations for war first and gain the upper hand.
Militarily, Tywin Lannister looked down on Eddard Stark, the Duke of the North.
Ed's other wolf cubs, the oldest of whom was not even sixteen years old, were all children who knew nothing.
The only problem now is the king's attitude.
If war is inevitable, what will the king's attitude be?
Tywin is unpredictable.
But that doesn't matter, because Sir Gregor has a witch grandmother, a truly capable sorceress whose prophetic abilities have already been verified for the first time.
*
"This is the reward for the first prophecy: three hundred golden dragons," Tywin said.
The accompanying steward, Yarman, took out three bags, shook them, and a clattering sound of gold coins filled the air. Yarman was Duke Tywin's treasurer, and he placed three hundred gold dragons before the witch.
The witch remained expressionless, showing neither sorrow nor joy.
Jenny, the assistant beside the witch, accepted the three bags of gold coins on her behalf.
The heavy golden dragon felt substantial in my hand.
"I still need to verify the second prophecy," the Duke said.
The witch remained silent.
"Witch, I am eager to know something." The Duke gestured, and the accompanying steward took out three more bags of golden dragons and placed them in front of the witch.
The witch shook her head: "Duke Tywin, once you've captured Lord Petyr, you'll know everything just by asking. There's no need to spend money to ask me."
The Duke pondered for a moment and said, "It would be a month before Lord Petyr arrives, and I cannot wait that long."
The latest novels are first published on 69shuba!
If war is inevitable, then time is the most important military resource. Many things must be prepared thoroughly in advance. Before making preparations, it is essential to understand the causes and consequences of the war.
Yarman pushed the money bag closer to the witch.
"Alright, Your Grace, I know the answer to your question, and I will certainly tell you."
"Who pushed Bran Stark off the ruined tower?"
The witch remained silent.
Sir Gregor did not tell her this. He only told her the cruel fact that the wolf cub had been pushed off the broken tower by the lion, breaking both its legs and never being able to stand again.
"I cannot answer your question," the witch said calmly.
Duke Tywin was immediately very disappointed.
The witch refused to answer.
Should we threaten her to reveal it, or respect the witch's wishes?
Tywin chose the latter.
Because of the disrespect shown to the witch, she may make slight modifications to crucial prophecies in the future, which will have incalculable and serious consequences for Lord Tywin's plans based on the prophecies.
"I must pray first. If God allows me to speak, I will tell you. Duke, come again tomorrow morning!"
"Yes, Priestess!" Tywin's authority remained, but his tone became respectful.
Yarman reached for the bag of gold coins, but Duke Tywin stopped him: "Sir Yarman, put it down."
He absolutely must know the answer!
Pay the money first, then we'll talk.
"Father…" Jenny said, picking up the bag of gold coins to return to Sir Yarman, but a glance from Duke Tywin made her stop.
Tywin arrived early the next day.
This time, Jenny, the assistant, was not in the witch's room.
"Your Grace, please have the Maester, Earl Kevon, Sir Yarman, and your centurion guards all leave!"
Lord Tywin Lannister glanced back at the people around him, and they all left. Grand Maester Potter was the last to leave, and he quietly closed the door.
"This matter is very serious, Your Grace. You must guarantee that you will not cut off my head if you uphold the honor of the Seven Gods and the Lannister family before I dare to tell you the truth," the witch said, staring at the duke.
The witch's eyes held a mysterious yet terrifying aura.