Chapter Text
273
Lord Tywin Lannister had come home because his wife had to be buried. He had been married to Joanna for eleven years but he had known her for her entire life. She had been beautiful, smart, witty, charming, and graceful. With hair of gold and eyes of green, she was the most beautiful women in Seven Kingdoms. He had loved her.
Joanna had been perfect in every way except one. Though he tried hard not to mention it, Joanna had a hard time getting pregnant. In eleven years, she had only been pregnant twice. Six years ago, she had given birth to twins, Cersei and Jaime. In one birth, she had brought two healthy children, a boy, and a girl. That was no small feat. However, it had taken her four years to get pregnant with the twins. Tywin hadn’t needed to have more children but he started to notice that his brothers and cousins had more and more heirs and he only had the two.
He had mentioned it to her once and noticed the way her jaw had set tight. It seemed that Joanna had also thought about why she hadn’t had more children. However several moons later, after six years, she had told him in a letter that she was expecting. He had been happy and excited. After all, another son for House Lannister would not be a bad thing.
Now, as he walked through Casterly Rock’s gates, he wished to himself that he had never said anything, that he had never asked for another child. Joanna was dead and he would rather have her back than an infant.
His brother, Kevan, had sent word that he would arrange for the service and the burial. Since it was winter, they could wait until Lord Tywun returned home. However, because of the winter weather, the roads were bad and the Bay had started to freeze. It had taken Tywin several months before he could leave the capitol for Joanna’s burial.
It was late at night when Tywin returned to the Rock. Kevan had gotten up from bed to welcome his brother and Lord, but everyone else was still abed. Tywin had told his brother he would be retiring and that he should return to his own quarters.
However, Tywin found that he could not sleep in his room. Every inch of that room reminded him of Joanna. She should be there sleeping beside him, not in some stone crypt waiting for burial. Restless, he went to his children’s rooms to look in on his children. He needed some comfort and perhaps, a glimpse of the twins would help. Joanna had moved Cersei from the nursery last year. Cersei had a room near the Lady’s rooms. Briefly, Tywin had wondered why she had moved his daughter from the nursery. After all, Cersei was barely six, still young enough to share the nursery with her brother. The only explanation she had given him was, “Our daughter might be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps we should get her used to her own rooms. “
Tywin was not usually sentimental and he blamed it on his grief. He woke Cersei’s nurse when he opened the door. For a moment, the old woman was preparing to shriek out for help. But when she saw that it was Cersei’s father, she started to wrap her robe about her and leave the room. Tywin spoke dismissively, “There is no need for you to leave. I have only come to check in on my daughter."
Cersei laid in her bed and looked like Joanna had when she was small. Her mouth was slightly open and her hair looked like spun old in the firelight. As sweet as the Maiden, Cersei’s face was delicate in repose. Tywin almost smiled to see her. Instead of watching her sleep, he continued to the nursery.
Tywin knew the steps to the nursery instinctively. After all, he had lived there until he was sent to be a page to King Aegon V. He had remembered the rooms fondly and his own mother had often spent a great deal of time there with them.
There was a guard at the door and Tywin had been pleasantly surprised to not find him sleeping at his post. Though if he had been sleeping, Tywin would have ordered the man whipped. His sons were sleeping in this room and they needed to be protected.
Opening the door, he saw that Jaime lay in the bed closest to the door. Across the room was a cradle. Beside the cradle, there was a young woman nursing his infant son. Tywin regarded the wet nurse and went to look at his eldest son. Tywin had received word that Jaime was not progressing in his studies as he should. He seemed to have problems with letters. It would have to be addressed and overcome. After all, Jaime would be the Lord of Casterly Rock and he would need to read and write, as well as do sums.
Sleeping in his bed, Jaime looked identical to his sister. He had heard stories of the twins switching clothing to play tricks on the staff and deceive them. Tomorrow, he would have Jaime’s curls cut short and that should solve the problem. He would not have his son in his daughter’s clothes, even if it was for a jape.
Gently, so the boy would not wake, Tywin touched his son’s cheek. Tywin had heard reports that Jaime was an excellent athlete and horseman. The reports talked of his natural skill with a sword and shield, even against boys twice his age. Tywin was certain Jaime would be a good Lord of Casterly Rock.
Slowly, Tywin walked to the wet nurse. He could tell that the woman was nervous and did not want to offend the Lord of her new charge, but was uncomfortable in the presence of Lord Tywin Lannister. Tywin did nothing to soothe her. Because of her nervousness, his infant son began to cry.
Tywin spoke, “Let me see him."
The woman did not hesitate, even if she looked fearful. Gently, she handed the child to him.
In the firelight, the baby seemed well-formed. He had received word of the baby’s head being too large and it had torn Joanna. But the child’s head did not seem overly large to him. In fact, besides that first report, all other letters spoke of Tyrion being healthy and well-made. His youngest son seemed to have the same fine Lannister features from what he could tell. His hair was so blonde it almost seemed white in the light which had been the same with Cersei and Jaime when they were small.
The baby fussed, eyes closed, from being separated from his wet nurse. Tywin spoke to his youngest son, “ So, Tyrion Lannister, you are the man who killed my wife.”
At that moment hearing a strange voice, Tyrion opened his eyes to look at who held him. Tywin noticed what appeared to be the only defect his newest child had. It seemed his right eye was classic Lannister emerald green and his left eye was black.
Tyrion began to wail for his nurse, and her milk and care. The different colored eyes of his son were troubling to Tywin but he could not put his finger on exactly why it troubled him. He handed Tyrion back to his nurse and never again returned to the nursery while Tyrion resided there.