Ameliorate
Otherwise know as 'advancement', 'betterment', 'melioration', 'refinement', 'revision', 'enrichment', 'progress', 'reform' or 'upgrade'.
The definition of ameliorate is to improve or make better.
a·mel·io·rate
Nothing related to 'A song of Ice and Fire' belongs to me.
This chapter will be revised later, but for now, I guess you guys will have to stay with the un-revised version. I'm sorry.
Family
Joffrey was a normal kid. He had a normal development, contraire to my own. In an ideal world, the Court would probably focus on me, the extraordinary and older twin, and I would be pointed as the heir to the throne. But Westeros was the last thing someone could ever relate to as an ideal world. Thus, as it came clear that Joffrey hadn't the same rapid growth as mine, frustration seemed to only increase from every man that was contracted to give us lessons.
The King called many a maester in his search for someone that would make Joffrey 'evolve'. Of course, with the repetitive lessons, Joff was going to be very well knowable, as could be seen from the very rare results from his lessons.
I, on the other hand, was both praised and hated.
It was…mind opening, I could say. Mother and all those I thought on her side of the Royal Court seemed to praise me. They saw me as miracle child and a perfect sibling for the future king. They talked of potential and some of the more idealistic bunch whispered of revolutionary.
On the other side, my popularity when coming from all the rest of the Court, was way down the line. Mothers were displeased, their daughters now had a much more stronger competition. The princess was smart, if I grew to be as pretty as mother then I was an big obstacle for other Houses trying their luck on the game.
Honestly? I played the ignorance card.
Why? Well, the maids gossip more freely when they think I'm not paying attention to them and, well, for more a prodigy that I could be, I still was a kid.
I listened, but I wasn't interested on it. I know perfectly what was to come, but being so distant from such events, I couldn't bring myself to care much more than flinty thinking of fear and haplessness.
And there was the memory overload to deal with.
Ok, so, remember that thing about me suddenly noting my much developed and super ultra over-4K memory thing where I could remember my previous life as detailed as if I closed my eyes and lived it all over again?
So, it got worse.
The influx of information was of apparent infinity.
With each passing day my mind seemed to download a shit whole of information as I slept. Day after day I would woke up to look at things and relate them to articles I had briefly seen on magazines when doing grocery with my parents when I was five. And that would come naturally. I couldn't think, because as much useful information I had, I remembered that I didn't used to think like this, so I couldn't think things like that and itwastoomuchtoomuch-
Days, months passed and our nameday approached.
I completed all the classes mother succeeded to make father agree to put me in. Because as much of a smart girl I was, I was still a girl and thus didn't needed that kind of pampering. Joffrey was getting more and more classes and was very grumpy because of it.
After I completed the classes, I had much free time and was soon following wherever mother headed to. I was the sole constant companion of mother's. Jaime many times would come along to 'guard' us and would end up playing with me as mother completed her Queen duties. And there aren't that many of them. For more that father seemed to be hunting and partying, Jon Arryn was an organized man that kept the Kingdom together. Barely, in my humble opinion that may or may not be biased.
It was good.
I…I loved those moments. When I could forget about kingdoms and games and blood, and just let myself imagine that the strong Jaime was my dear father and clever Cersei was my beloved mother. Later on the noon Joffrey, the grumpy brat that he was, would join us and soon would be all grabby and squeaky with me. Jaime would joke about us and give those looks at Cersei as she smirked at him with a warm light on her eyes.
It was a good, perfect, illusion.
It fooled me for many years.
I liked Jaime.
He was a nice dude to us. A sarcastic man with a charming smile and handsome face that charmed every woman he came across. He had that mystery vibe along with Prince Charming and Knight on the White horse thing going on, which made him the perfect target for sighs and dreamy looks from all maids and nobles.
But he was also funny, gentle and so damn loving.
I mean…It wasn't without reason that Myrcella, our future sister, (I was absolutely sure that we would have siblings. Cersei and Jaime banged a lot. Outrageously.) said that she preferred Jaime as her father and didn't care that mother and him were siblings.
Robert wasn't bad. He just didn't care much. He wasn't present you know? Sure, there was the tense moments when we would eat together, but…He wasn't a dad.
Jaime was. He was a friend, he was a dad and I learned to love him so much. So, so much.
When our nameday came, and the King held another unnecessary event, a Tourney this time (That we didn't go to) and a after party that, according to The Maid's Network of Social Information, was absolutely crazy. (Which, again, we didn't go to, because we were BABIES! And why was he doing those kind of parties for BABIES?) When that day came, Jaime came to our room, with his sleeping clothes, (They banged. I knew it. I just knew it.) he stood over my crib, he saw me looking at him, put me in his arms and then proceeded to make me wish for nothing more than to call that man father.
"You know, little one… At first, I didn't know what to think of you. You were so obviously different from me, having mainly Cersei in you and I doubted, still doubt, of my claim on your making. I don't know if you will remember this," He smiled hesitantly at her, eyes shining with mirth. She was sleepy, but still managed to smile back at him. "but I want you to know this. You and your brother are my world. You are Cersei's, and as long as I have her love and you both healthy by my side, I think I can surely say that I am, and will be, happy." At this, his smirk turned a mocking thing. "At least, if this damn idiot seated on the throne keeps the peace of the kingdom, which is very much doubtful, my dear."
I was now fully awake and staring at him.
"Uncle Jai?"
He looked at me with such a serious look that I felt myself tensing.
"Yes…" He blinked slowly, as if waking from a deep slumber. "Uncle Jaime…" He closed his eyes harshly, a frown marring his handsome face. He looked at me, sadness and resignation in his eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He embraced me, surrounding me with his arms and bring his nose on my short locks of hair. "Uncle Jaime loves you very much." He walked towards Joffrey's crib as the boy started to fuss, he would soon wake up and demand to be put with me, as every night since we gained our own bigger cribs. He put me at my brother's side, Joff latching at me almost immediately. "Uncle Jaime loves you and Joffrey. And I promise, I will do my very best to protect you both." He smiled at me, and ruffled my hair. "Happy Nameday, little lions."
Joffrey was a fucking brat.
As months passed, again, Joffrey grew up. And let me tell you, it was not a pretty thing.
He was whining, demanding, arrogant, possessive and completely delusional. He thought everyone loved him. He really thought that. Which was absolutely insane, it was very much obvious that the only loving person towards him was mother. Of course, I still held my ground and tried, with a saint's patience, to be on his good graces.
But, oh by Tony Ramos' hairy chest, the kid was awful.
He had this strange, inexplicable attachment of me. He kind of hated me sometimes because of the pressure that everybody had on him, but then he would think about how we, the Twins, were superior to them and it only showed on how we were created and treated.
The good thing about growing up was that he demanded my presence on all his classes. That was useful.
Well, I hope that when he started fencing, he would demand my presence there as well. Sword fighting was useful skill in this world.
Yet, for all that he disgusted me, annoyed me, he was my companion. The one who was by my side since my coming to this new life and I learned to…love…to love the child who would only bring disgrace and be the kind of person that I hated.
Oh, I still was annoyed and sometimes even hateful to him. But I was playful, I was caring, and I was a friend. When nightmares came, I was by his side.
But still, he was a whining brat.
"Joff, stop crying."
"I wanna new toy!" He sobbed, banging his tiny first on the floor. "Toy bad, Gwen! Toy bad!"
"It is just broken. Don't be silly."
"No silly! I no silly!" He got up on his feet, stomping his foot and frowning cutely at me. "Toy silly! Want 'nother!"
"Mother gave this one yesterday!"
"Old! Silly Gwen!" He proceeded to run as fast as his little legs could take him, pulling Karena's skirt and ordering to be led to mother. Karena looked at me and I sighed, tiredly nodding.
I took the toy Joffrey was gifted. It was a beautiful wood deer. Painted in gold and red, a mix of our houses. Its neck was broken by Joffrey as he passed all our morning playdate throwing it at a wall and laughing. It was a waste, the piece was a truly marvelous work.
"Strange that your caretaker seeks out your permission when regarding yours and your brother's wishes."
I looked up, but not much, because in front of me was a dwarf.
Tyrion Lannister.
"You probably, if those rumors about your oh so said genius are true, already know whom I am." His mismatched eyes, black and green, gazed at me with morbid curiosity. "You are quite the little celebrity. People are curious about you. And your brother. I think. Well, he doesn't seem to be much, in my humble opinion. But, I can't say much because, really, I'm not much as well." He sat on the rug I was sat on, toys spread around us. "But I guess manners are needed when ones first meet their princess niece." He tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm your dwarfish Uncle that you never know you needed, Princess." He bowed deeply and mockingly, his forehead touching one of the the toys in between us. "Tyron Lannister, at your service."
That was one way to make an entrance. Shame his only public was a toddler.
Still, I was not a normal toddler. And this was the most amazing dwarf to ever exist. I had to impress him. Let's play.
"Enchanting introduction." He had shot up from the ground, correcting his spine and looking alarmed at me. I smirked slowly, like my mother when everything was happening according to the plan. "I guess I do already know about your existence. I will have you know that I do my research and those books beside my crib aren't just for show." He looked to the more feminine structure of my crib, decorated with gold while Joffrey was filled with red. It was surrounded by piles of books. "Ignorance is better when it is just a mask to be used, don't you think?"
His smile was slow and his eyes shined with wonder as my childish voice contrasted with my mature words.
"Princess, I think I know with whom my favor lays when regarding the throne."
Meeting Tyrion was good. He was an amazingly intelligent man, and we talked for a long time before he left.
But the meeting happened only once, and I had hunch it wouldn't exist a second time until I could walk alone through the Keep's halls.
Which I couldn't do for a long time. Like right this moment, where I'm walking towards the gardens with Meira, one of our caretakers and Karena was carrying Joffrey. My dress is pretty thing, white and gold, it made my childish features beautiful. At least that was what mother said. I didn't see myself on a mirror, I never did and wouldn't until I would truly be presented as princess. Right now, my caretakers and mother would control my appearance. Also, I didn't fuss much about it.
When arriving at the gardens, there was a man standing on the grass. Meira and Karena curtsied as he walked toward us, his clothes and posture marking him as a noble man.
And he was a Lannister, the red and gold carefully maneuvered on the cloth were enough to tell. A there was the lion emblem, of course.
"So these are my grandchildren."
My grip on Meira's hand tightened as that man, Lord Tywin Lannister, smiled at us. His smile was calculated, I could tell. A small thing that was a perfect companion to his searching eyes and mocking voice. I curtsied slowly, never taking my eyes off him and I could almost see the way that Karena tried to make Joffrey bow as well. She wasn't successful.
His eyes turned to Joffrey and his eyebrow arched perfectly. I could smell the way he was unimpressed with my brother's behavior. His eye were slightly narrowed and lips pursed, his slight smirk never leaving and hands carefully clasped on his back.
"No touch. Stop, dumb maid!" I gritted my teeth and took my hand out of Meira's, turning to Joffrey with anger plastered on my eyes.
"Joffrey." He stopped, his hand still pushing Karena's face and pulling at her hair. "This is our grandfather. Lord Tywin of the House Lannister. Greet. Him. Properly." Turning to my grandfather, bowed my head and kept my face perfectly schooled. "I ask for your forgiveness, my lord. My brother is still a child and knows not what his actions could cause."
"Put me floor! Floor!" Karena hastily put the crowned prince on the floor at my side and he bowed, more than he should and with less grace than he should. "Greetings."
Gingerly putting my hands in front of my hips, I kept my chin high, even if I barely reached the man's knees, I kept my eyes glued to his.
"I see…" He stared at us, amusement in his eyes. "And are you not of the same age as your brother, child?"
I nodded, pursed lips the only thing showing my displeased with my choice of words.
"Then he has no excuse to such behavior. If his sister can, then the Crown Prince must." His eyes didn't turn away from me as he spoke, and I did my best to not turn away.
"Yes, grandfather." We chorused in synch.
"Good." He turned away from us, leaving the gardens and us behind without even looking back.
And done!
That Tony Ramos reference is about an famous Brazilian actor who seems to be a werewolf, so hairy is his body. He is some seriously haired dude and is kind of a Brazilian joke. Yeah. Google it. Go.
Holly molly, that was two weeks late, guys!
And we reached a hundred followers! Oh, you guys making me all mushy. So happy!
I was kinda take over by my Harry Potter x Avengers one-shot. So many plot bunnies. If you have read it, what do you think about the idea? Wanna write something with it? Have you read something like it?
Well, in this chapter we have an inside of Gwen's family. At least the mother's side of the family. And we touch on the memory thing a little bit. (AND TYRION! GIRL, YOU'RE SO AWESOME! I'M TEAM DANYXTYRION! BEST. PAIR. EVER.)
Next chapter we shall approach the subject of Robert's side of the family. I think. Probably. If I don't have another idea.
And that season end though? Replay is the best bae.
Thanks for all the reviews:lemlem87, Elizabeth, Mari Wollsch, UniCryin, Carly Carnations and Guest.
JimmyHall24, I haven't seen it. But I searched for the trailer, seems like an awesome movie.
FuZzvKiNgZz, it was awesome talking with you. We had an amazing discussion.
Sceonn, Don't worry, I will approach their behavior and will try to explain their reasons.
A thanks to all of you guys who favorited, followed and viewed!
Farewell,
~MariDark