The Other Lannister * Discontinued*

Chapter 1: Thunder Rolls

Tywin was angry. The guards had sent him to his office like he was a petulant child. He was a Lannister for god's sake; a lion, The Great Tywin Lannister - hear him roar.

His second wife, Lady Mariana, was in the birthing chamber. She'd been in labor for many hours and, throughout the whole experience, Tywin had dutifully paced outside the door waiting to hear the cry of his newest addition.

The Maester had told him that he should go get some work done; told him that all the pacing he was doing would put a hole in the stone floor.

His heart raced as his office door burst open, a loud BANG ringing out as the door slammed into the wall. Hard. His heart dropped into his stomach as he saw the all-to-familiar look.

'Not again.' Tywin thought sadly in his head. He sighed.

He looked into the man's eyes and saw hope. Tywin hoped and prayed to the old gods, and the new, that his young wife and newborn babe were in good health.

"Lord Tywin, would you please follow me. Your wife is asking for you." Tywin did something completely uncommon to the people around him, he smiled. His smile was so big and joyous, it looked like his face might split in two. His Lannister-green eyes lit up with happiness for the first time in ages.

"Well, let us go then! Best not keep the lady waiting," Tywin said, hurriedly. He rushed down the hallway with great excitement.

They reached the door and Tywin hesitated before turning the knob. After a second or two he opened the door slowly. The sight shocked him, his smile faltered, losing some of its brightness.

The large cot sat in the middle of the room. His wife was sitting in the middle of the bed cradling the crying babe to her breast. Tears welling in her eyes in frustration and disappointment as she tried and failed to soothe the newborn.

He slowly walked to the cot and sat down on the edge. He reached for the babe cautiously, not wanting to anger or spook the wailing lioness. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked up at her father, mesmerized by his loving stare.

Mariana carefully passed the shrieking babe to Tywin, not wanting to jostle him. Tywin's gaze shifted from his beautiful young wife to his even more beautiful young daughter. She was screaming her head off; her face red as ever, the veins in her neck and face bulging vehemently.

Her eyes connected with the pair looking down at her. Tywin's face beamed with pride as he stared into his newborn daughter's eyes; the same beautiful emerald green as his own. 'A true Lannister,' Tywin thought to himself.

 Silence filled the room as Tywin took hold of his daughter and almost instantly the cries came to a halt. Mariana glanced at Tywin in awe, her ice-blue eyes looking him over lovingly. Tywin took no notice, continuing to rock and coo at the newborn as if it were only the two of them in that moment. 

Tywin examined the babe; she had a chubby-round face, with rosy red cheeks. The Lannister look completed by the small patch of wheat blonde hair that rested on the babe's head. Slowly, Tywin looked up and asked,

"Have you chosen a name?"

"Not yet, I haven't." She responded.

"What do you think of Victoria?" Tywin asked slowly, in a coy manner, fearing rejection. Much to his surprise, she quickly responded: "That's a beautiful name for such a beautiful little girl." 

Tywin's smile became even more blinding.

He shifted the infant back into the arms of her mother before moving to sit behind the pair. He pulled her body towards himself so that she rested comfortably against him, the child nestled sleepily against her breast.

He ran his fingers through his wife's lustrous blonde locks in a soothing manner, her breathing evened out as she and the babe fell asleep against him. He let out a small sigh; content, happy and full of love. His gaze slowly shifted as he began to doze off.

A few short hours later Tywin is woken up by the slight squeak of the door's slow opening. Tywin glanced up to see his youngest son, Tyrion, looking slightly fearful to enter the room. Tywin raised his hand, motioning to his son to join him. Tyrion's four-year-old form approached the bed slow and unsure, looking like he wanted to turn and run away. He was not used to his father being nice to him.

When Tyrion got to the cot Tywin swiftly lifted him up, placing him snug against his side. The little boy nestled into Tywin happily. Shortly thereafter, the door burst open again - this time to reveal the twins.

They may have looked alike, but in reality they couldn't be more different. Cersei was calculated, she was extremely short-tempered and stubborn for an 8-year-old. Jaime was a sweet young boy, he was very intelligent and calm mannered. Jaime often took a back seat to Cersei in their twin-hood, as she was the dominant twin and could easily persuade him to do nearly anything.

Unfortunately, Cersei was much like her father. She admired him, and always watched the way he acted and behaved in certain situations so that she could mimic him. Jaime, on the other hand, was nothing like their father. He was warm and caring, where they were cold as stone.

Tywin resented his son Tyrion for the death of his first wife, Joanna. She died giving birth to Tyrion, her youngest and last child. Joanna looked much like a Lannister, though she was not. She had beautiful long blonde hair and the most gorgeous sage-green eyes. Losing Joanna was hard on Tywin and in this moment he began to regret blaming Tyrion all this time.

Cersei paid close attention to the way her father treated her youngest brother. She watched as Tywin would yell at Tyrion, for the littlest of things, and neglect him. He never had much care for Tyrion, so she decided she must not either. She would have nothing to do with that monster that killed her mother and wrecked her father.

Tywin was ashamed to say that he was the reason for Cersei's hatred of Tyrion. He never intended for that to happen but he just couldn't bare to look at him, as he was always reminded of Joanna's death. It was Joanna's death wish that Tywin take care of their young son, but in his mind keeping him alive was doing just that.

Just like before he motioned the twins to the cot. Cersei crawled onto the cot and rested her head against Tywin's leg. Jamie approached him quietly. Tywin lifted Jaime placing him on the other side Tyrion, who was sleeping quietly nestled into his father's warmth. Jaime shifted his body around Tyrion, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy.

"What's her name, father?" Jaime questioned quietly.

"Victoria," Tywin stated. Jaime hummed sleepily in acknowledgment.

Tywin sighed, from now on he was going to be better. He was going to be better for his wife and children, and for Joanna. She was such a sweet woman, she would never want her death to be the reason he turned mean and hateful. He was going to be the best for his kids. He'd do everything in his power to give them the world. He let them pick their marriage; he'd let them pick their future.

Outside the castle, the waves came in roughly and crashed loudly against the rocky beach. Thunder rolled across the sky and lightning struck the water. A child with the sight had been born for the first time a thousand years.