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Chapter One: Lion's Roar

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Words cannot describe how frustrated I am. I spent years toiling, studying, doing everything I could to get accepted at any med school in the country. People really don't think becoming a doctor is tough at first glance, it takes discipline in every meaning of the words to get even so much as a glance at your application.

So imagine my frustration when I looked into the mirror in this bedroom.

Before me stood, me. A thirty some odd year old Tywin Lannister wearing a badge of Hand of the King.

I knew what that meant, I knew who I was. The only question was.

Why was I here!? God's sake I spent my entire twenties avoiding parties, only dedicating myself to my career and this is what I get. What should I be grateful for this?

Great job Jordan! You get a gold star and a massive screw you for finally getting in! Have fun dying.

I rubbed my face with a sigh.

There were worse things that could happen obviously. Fate was telling me I shouldn't become a doctor. Tywin's handship was not going to be fun.

In fact, it would be similar to how much I studied for the MCAT ironically. Except the bureaucratic wheels of the Seven Kingdoms would all spin in harmony because of me.

I still felt like smashing something because I was really pissed off.

I really wished someone would tell me why. Why was I here? I was literally going to sleep the day before the first term of med school began and I woke up somewhere in the Red Keep of King's Landing. I know this, because the room looked exactly as it did in the show.

I flashed back to the countless hours I spent studying, working, and every bit of stress I was under to finally, finally get accepted into medical school.

I grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it against the wall.

With a sigh, I looked at it.

I could either accept my new fate or act like a baby.

Since becoming a doctor was out of the question, I would have to somehow run Westeros with the finesse Tywin Lannister had when the only thing I had knowledge of was completely useless.

Cellular and molecular microbiology? Useless. Advanced Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus. Useless.

The only thing that could maybe be useful would be math, and I guess the few civics classes I took.

Which really just made me even more frustrated. Why was I here!? Could someone please tell me why I was pulled out of the most important part of my whole life just to become Tywin Lannister.

There was a knock at the door. "Is everything all right my lord?" I heard a voice say.

Sighing as I rubbed my eyes. "No. Come in." A blonde haired boy who looked about fifteen walked in. "I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked.

The boy looked at me strangely. "My lord?"

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Your squire my lord."

I squinted at him. "I don't remember ever having a ward."

"I'm not your ward Lord Tywin." the boy said. "I'm only to pour you wine and do your bidding."

"So if I was in a meeting of the Small Council. Would you be there?"

He shook his head. "Only if your lordship commands."

"Your name then?" I said understanding.

"Oryn Lannister." he bowed his head.

I nodded. "Hm. Clean this all up." I waved a hand towards the shattered vase.

"Yes my lord."

I looked back towards what I assumed to be the Narrow Sea when 'Oryn' left after having swept up the vase.

I mulled over everything in my head.

Despite how frustrated a whole decade of my life now was, my path was clear. Be the best Tywin I could. I loved Tywin's character in the show. He was a brutal and unfeeling man, but he commanded respect. Ironically he was too blind to stop Jamie and Cersei from well, committing incest that would drag House Lannister to ruin.

There would be two huge obstacles to the existence of House Lannister, or well, countless, and watching the shimmering Narrow Sea in front of me helped all my thoughts simmer as well.

The first would be that the Westerlands would run out of gold. If I assumed correctly, Jaime and Cersei were in Casterly Rock at the age of 6, and Tyrion was 2. Meaning Joanna would unfortunately be dead. So I had a solid 25 years or so to avoid financial disaster.

I didn't know much about money, least of all how it worked in Westeros, but the best I could do would be to invest Tywin's massive wealth in things that wouldn't run out before the Westerlands stopped making money.

Another thing I had to avoid was the Crown going bankrupt. This was almost as bad as the Dragons, and the White Walkers, and the Dothraki. Not to mention the Wildlings. Namely, Westeros was for lack of a better word, doomed unless I saved it.

Robert's Rebellion wasn't going to happen in about fifteen years if I was thirty, actually.

"Er." I said trying to remember his name. "Oryn!"

The squire opened the door. "My lord?"

"What year is it?"

Surprised by another strange question the boy spoke after a bit. "Well. Two hundred and sixty four years after Aegon's Conquest my lord."

"Thank you."

"Will that be all my lord?"

I needed something else. The current king was going to go mad, I needed someone to check on his mental health. "Get me Maester Pycelle."

"Maester Pycelle was just sent on business to the Citadel. Shall I get Maester-"

"No it's fine. That'll be all." I said as Oryn bowed his head and left.

Now that I had a clear year, I could begin planning properly.

I had fifteen years, or well, sixteen before Robert and Ned properly destroyed the Targaryens. The question was, do I stop them? Help them? Prevent it from even happening?

What do I really want?

The people of Westeros meant nothing to me, I owed nothing to them. But I did want to be a doctor, I owed them their safety and health. If I truly gave a rats ass they would probably all die horribly in about thirty years in about ten different ways.

However, I had important things to note.

The first was I could introduce things like crop rotation and better agriculture to boost Westeros' economy. I would also have to try and keep things stable.

The current lords of each of the Seven Kingdoms all were loyal to the crown for the time being. If Aerys just didn't go crazy, or Tywin, me now, didn't resign as hand, things would become quite different.

If Daenerys is never gifted those dragon eggs, then she never becomes a threat. Knowing the truth about Jon Snow's birth was also crucial to the survival of House Targaryen as well.

In fact, if I stayed loyal to her father, and somehow made sure Daenerys got her Dragons, the war against the Others would be less impossible.

I remembered key lines from the books. The Others were basically overpowered gods that only really brave men and certain weapons could destroy. They were the biggest threat to Westeros.

So I had a million different questions. How do I stop the Wildlings from migrating south? How the hell do I defeat hordes of unstoppable undead? While the Night King didn't exist in the books, he sure as shit existed here.

Only a united Westeros could stand against the dead. And Cersei and Jamie would royally fuck everything sideways.

Speaking of which they must still be young enough to stop from, well. Ugh.

I spoke again. "Oryn! Boy!"

He answered the door. "My lord?"

"Quill and paper. Now." I said.

"At once my lord." he bowed his head before leaving.

As I waited for Oryn to return with it, I knew that after calling them to King's Landing would take a few weeks. Wait, didn't Tywin take Jamie with him to the capital?

I shook my head, I could see him in a second, I needed to still strategize first.

So I would have to overcome the gargantuan task of keeping Aerys sane long enough to stop the Targaryen dynasty from collapsing. Stop the Lannisters from going broke. Stop the Crown from going broke. Stop Cersei and Jaime from having kids. Stop Daenerys from becoming a threat. And beat back the Others.

Lovely. Where should I begin?

Aerys was going to be a huge problem. In fact he'd be almost impossible to keep sane. Assassinating him would be a shit idea, if anyone ever found out I'd be fucked and a civil war would be inevitable. Not to mention Viserys would be an even worse king.

Then Jon would be a problem too. Only Ned would know the truth about him, and while he was the rightful king, proving it would be a pain in the ass. Westeros would never accept him, a bastard as king while Viserys was alive.

Rubbing my face I groaned.

Ahhhh! This was hard.

Dany would never be queen. Again not while Viserys was alive. Killing both of them would be a bad idea too? Maybe? Save that for later too.

Oryn returned with the paper I had asked for. "My lord. Will there be anything else?"

"A flagon of cold milk please." I was hungry as I had just woken up. "And a plate of um. Mutton." I laughed knowing what I'd said.

He looked at me. "But. You hate mutton."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did I stutter boy?"

"At once my lord."

Dabbing my quill into the pen, I wrote on Tywin's desk.

To my daughter Cersei,

Come at once to King's Landing. It is time you learned the ways of the court like a proper lady. Bring as many handmaidens and dolls as you see fit. But this is a serious undertaking. I understand how badly you insisted I take you and not your brother from Casterly Rock.

Sincerely, Lord Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King.

I rolled up the paper and used the seal on the desk to stamp it.

Then I wrote another letter, knowing she would still be alive for another two years.

To my dearest wife Joanna,

I miss you very much so, and I wish for you to accompany Cersei on her journey to King's Landing. Please, you know how much the girl loves you. The court here at King's Landing requires you as do I. And I hope that the roads are kind to you this time of year.

With love, Lord Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King.

I rolled and sealed it as I thought about another crucial decision I'd have to make.

Do I um. Sire? Tyrion?

Oryn returned with my breakfast.

"That was fast." I said.

Oryn nodded placing the plate on the small table I had in my room. "The cook already had your meals prepared ahead of time. The freshest cut of mutton had already been delivered yesterday my lord."

"Thank you. Give these to the Maester." I said handing them one at a time. "The names for who they are for are listed on them already."

"At once my lord." Oryn bowed his head and left.

Even though I loved Tyrion's character, if I had him, he'd most likely kill Joanna in childbirth. Cersei would hate him and probably want him dead for the rest of his life. And I couldn't change that.

I'd have to decide that later, I had about a year or so before I decided if I'd um, have Tyrion with Joanna pretty much.

As I chewed it, I saw why Tywin hated mutton. Still I kept eating as I thought.

Daenerys would be the best candidate to sit on the Iron Throne. Unfortunately this would be hard for many reasons. Not just because she was a girl, but because assassinating Aerys and then Viserys wouldn't be fun.

In fact it could probably stir up enough political intrigue that it would put Cersei and Jamie's children to shame in a way.

I don't remember if Rhaegar was a good person or not in the show. But honestly keeping him alive would be another risk. Half of the Targaryens went crazy. Killing his father wouldn't make him too happy, but even if he found out I killed him because he might be crazy would likely bring the entire country against me.

Rhaegar was a good singer, but his father was just as calm when he was young before he went completely mad.

I could avoid the incident at Duskendale by staying as Hand, but at that point, it'd be like keeping a mad dog on a leash.

I took another bite of my mutton as I kept thinking.

The Targaryens were too much of a wildcard. With the return of the dragons, it'd be the medieval equivalent of arming anarchists with nuclear missiles based on a fifty fifty chance of a "coin flip."

Jon Snow was practically impossible. Robert had no interest in rule. Neither did Ned. And the only people who desired to rule were schemers like Littlefinger.

The question remained, why not sit on the thing myself?

Well I had no claim, not to mention usurping the throne would cause so enough turmoil on par with Robert's Rebellion. So that wasn't happening.

Let Robert win and then have Joffrey take over when he dies? Yeah no, especially when I'm trying to avoid the collapse of House Lannister. An alliance with the Tyrells wouldn't be fun knowing how power hungry Margaery and her grandmother were.

Stannis? The guy had more rights than anyone, but he had the emotional range of, to quote Littlefinger, "a crab." Or was it Renly? Can't remember. Either way he wouldn't do.

I sighed. Taking a chance on Rhaegar would be my best bet unfortunately. Even if his little sister would be a better option, hopefully he could be a good king. Maybe?

Assassinating each Targaryen when he went postal was a bad idea for many reasons. Especially since I'd need dragons in the second war against the Others.

I had already finished my breakfast and I'd sort of solved the proper idea of king. I had put a pin in it more than anything.

Oryn spoke to me when I left the room, surprised to see a middle aged Barristan Selmy walking towards me in the hall.

"Ser Barristan!" I said in surprise.

"My lord Hand." he bowed his head.

"Where's my son?" I said.

He cleared his throat. "Jaime is already training in the yard. Never seen a boy as dedicated to anything as he is to a sword."

"The morning Small Council meeting is about to begin, yes?"

"It is." Barristan said.

"Shall we walk together?" I asked.

He nodded. "We may."

I spoke. "I just called for my wife and daughter from Casterly Rock."

"Did you? I look forward to meeting the Lady Joanna and your daughter." Barristan said.

"I believe you have. At the Tourney at Lannisport?" I asked, trying to remember.

He smiled a bit, his golden armor clinking as I realized my mistake. "There hasn't been a tourney at Lannisport in years. Unless you think of creating one."

I kept walking with him through the halls of the Red Keep. "How is Jamie doing in training?"

"He learns well. Does well whenever he knows you're not watching. Suppose he gets nervous."

I looked at Ser Barristan. "Well the boy is six."

"He's quite talented still. Doesn't make errors most boys do at his age. Does he get it from you?"

"I was never good in that regard." I said. "At least I hope not. Have proper men to do that for me."

"You do indeed." Barristan said.

I looked at the door of the chamber of the small council. I knew who would be waiting for me on the other side.

"Everything all right Lord Tywin?" he saw the way I looked at the door.

King Aerys Targaryen. The rightful king. Eventually, the Mad King was waiting for me.

"Yes." I said, walking towards it with Barristan.