"Welcome to Winterfell my lord." The sour look on Lord Stark's face told him he was anything but welcome. It had taken Tywin some convincing, but he had been able to talk Rhaegar into sending him to the North, as a show of royal presence. He said it was meant to be a reminder to the people of the failed rebellion, but that was all an excuse for him to go there without raising any suspicions.
"I appreciate the welcome my lord." He spoke congenially back, "Would you do me the honor of introducing me to your family?"
"Allow me to present my wife, Lady Catelyn Stark." He motioned to the beautiful woman next to him. She gave a proper curtsy, and he kissed the back of her hand. "My sun and heir, Robb," it had irked the king that the Stark heir had been named for the man that had tried to usurp him, but he had the good sense not to act on it. "And finally, the newest addition to my family, Sansa." The baby was brought forward, and he couldn't help but smile at her.
"Allow me to present my son and heir, Tyrion." He motioned the boy forward, and Tyrion bowed before Lord Stark, kissing Lady Starks hand. However, it was young Robb his son had the easiest time charming, making childish giggles ring out with his antics.
"His cousin loves when Tyrion makes faces at him too." He mused with a smile, and it drew Lord Stark's attention instantly.
"You know of my nephew?" The hope in the man's voice was almost heartbreaking, he couldn't help but be angry at the king. He had always thought that the man had someone writing to Lord Stark about his nephew. He should have known that wasn't the case when he thought about the man's reaction when he asked if Jon could accompany them on the journey. He thought it was his desire to keep his children close while they were still so small, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was more to punish Lord Stark for his part in the rebellion.
"Forgive me, I was supposed to deliver this upon arrival." One of his men brought forward a rolled up parchment, and he presented it to Lord Stark. "Prince Jaehaerys, or Jon as he is known to us, as well as Princess Daenerys, Dany, worked many days on this as a gift for house Stark."
Lord Stark carefully unrolled the parchment, and was in awed of the drawing done in the childrens' hand. There was a tall man at the center there was a tall man with dark hair holding the hands of two small children, the one on his right had reddish brown hair and the one on his left had black curls. There was a man with blond hair holding the dark haired boy's other hand. Holding the red haired boy's right hand was a tall woman with dark red hair, and holding her other hand was a small girl with silver eyes. Holding the small girl's hand was what appeared to be an older child with blond hair. Next to what he assumed to be himself was what he thought might be a lion, and next to Tyrion appeared to be a direwolf. Written across the top was the word "Family", obviously written by someone older, Tywin knew it was Tyrion who had written it at the children's request.
The lack of Targaryen members was not missed by either of the men, and he saw the Stark Lord's countenance harden. "Robb and I shall have to get straight to work on a gift to thank them for their kindness."
"I would be happy to help my lady," Tyrion offered a bit shyly, and was rewarded with a smile from the Lady of Winterfell.
"We should greatly appreciate your help Lord Tyrion, once you've had a chance to rest." She spoke kindly to his son, and the smile that took up the boy's face endeared her to him.
"What can I do for you Lord Tywin." Lord Stark spoke as he entered the younger man's solar.
"I thought since your wife was currently entertaining my son I would see if you wished to hear about your nephew." The hope that shined in the otherwise stern face told him this was exactly what the other man wanted. "What would you like to know first?"
"Is Lyanna's boy happy?" Of course he would start with the hardest to answer question. How could he tell the man that a child that was obviously very much loved in the North, though no one had ever met him, was merely tolerated in the south.
He thought about lying, but knew the man before him would appreciate and deserved the truth. "Jon is a happy child when around Dany, Tyrion, and myself, however, his stepmothers are too busy trying to one up each other, as well as making sure their children are the King's favorites to pay him much mind. Though, Elia does try to care for him when she notices him." The Dornish Queen did at least try with Jon from time to time, but she would eventually get caught up fending off Cersie's "attacks", and Jon was good at keeping a low profile.
"And his father?" The man practically spat the last word.
"The king is busy ruling, and sadly is too caught up in prophecy to notice any of the children other than the ones he believes to be the ones said prophecy speaks of." He had once tried to point out the folly in the man's thinking to the king, but Rhaegar would hear none of it. He was so convinced that the "Song Of Ice and Fire" was about his children, fire, defeating the others, ice.
This was why he had the three named for his conquering ancestors in the training yard when they were old enough to hold a sword. However, it was Jon that showed true promise with the sword. Ser Arthur had seen the boy trying to mimic what he had seen his older brother and sister doing, and had taken it upon himself to train him. Both the Lord of Casterly Rock and the knight had seen the boy seemed off balanced at first, but it was Tyrion who suggested they put a blade in his other hand as a counter balance. After that he took to the sword like a fish to water so to speak.
"Dual blades, but he is just a child, really no more than a babe." Lord Stark was gobsmacked.
"For now Ser Arthur makes the lessons feel more like a game, and Jon loves them." He couldn't help but smile, "He has also gained a training partner in Little Dany. She and Jon are inseparable, and she saw her older niece training and demanded she be taught too." He chucked, remembering the tiny girl standing when her fists on her hips, and stomping her little foot as she demanded she be treated just like Jon.
"She sounds like a little spitfire," the younger man chuckled. "I have heard you call Jaehaerys, Jon multiple times, why is that."
"When Dany was little she had trouble saying Jaehaerys, and called him Jon instead. The name just stuck. It is now something those he considers family calls him. I told him I would ask you to write him while I was here, and am sure he would love it if you and your family addressed him as Jon as well."
"I can see it on your face, you love both of them." He glanced at the younger man across the table.
"They have been one of the brightest treasures in my life." He couldn't help but smile, "I was admittedly a very poor father, especially after my wife died," he saw the sympathy on the man's face but waved it off.
"I was so caught up in what I wanted my family legacy to be, that I couldn't see the poison I was spreading through that same legacy and to my family. Then one night I had a dream, a dream that felt more real than anything I have ever felt."
"I know this sounds crazy, but thankfully it was enough to open my eyes to what I was doing. In the dream my beloved wife told me she was ashamed of me, accused me of mistreating a precious gift she had given me."
"I'm sad to say, she was right. I had treated Tyrion like he was a curse upon my name, but I was so worried of disappointing her, that I took the time to truly look at my son. Do you know what I found?" He smiled when the younger man shook his head, "I found a child with a mind sharper than my own, who could devour books like nothing I had ever seen, but who also had the goodness and kindness of his mother. I found a boy, who if given a chance could be a great man."
"I found that precious gift my wife spoke of."
