I'm losing a little bit of my love for this story. I know what I want to do and how I want to get there, it's just the hard grind of actually getting there that's the issue and that's part of the reason I uploaded my Targaryen story this week. I will get to the end of next chapter for sure, and then I may take a bit of a break.

For now though, I own nothing but Tyland, Loren and some other characters I've made up.

Before Loren was due to meet with Tommen for another session of swordplay, he decided to head up to see his Grandfather and talk about an idea he had to tour the Westerlander houses. Proudly walking up to the Tower of the Hand with one hand on Lionheart, he quickly came to pass Tyrion who was leaving the tower.

"Uncle." He greeted, although Tyrion was distracted, a furious look on his face. Loren turned to Bronn who was escorting him, and the sellsword just shrugged. The young Lannister entered the tower then and began walking up the stairs. He quickly came upon another one of his relatives, as his aunt was walking down the steps flanked by one of the Kingsguard. "Your Grace." He nodded his head politely.

Cersei stopped and considered him for a moment, before she chuckled bitterly. "It seems you're not the only one to be forced into an unhappy marriage, nephew." She told him before passing him on the stairs.

Confused, Loren shook his head and continued up the tower, before he came to the door to his Grandfather's solar and the Small Council room. He was about to push open the slightly ajar door but stopped when a voice came from inside.

"Then his hand shall be forced." Loren heard his Grandfather say through the crack of the door. "I will not pass up this opportunity that our victories have granted us. If the little beast thinks himself too pure to bed the Baratheon girl, then he shall be made to put a son in her." Loren realised he must have been talking about Tyrion, and his mind whirred as he tried to work out why Shireen came into this.

"I will play no part in it." He barely made out his Father's words. "Not after last time. I will stay far away from Tyrion's marriage."

"Last time?" Loren whispered to himself. His brain made the connection. "Tysha?"

Tywin continued. "This is different… the girl was only after his money."

The next bit of speech surprised even Loren, hearing his Father sound more emotional than he ever had. "That didn't mean that you had to order 30 men to rape her." Tyland exclaimed. "You could have sent her to the silent sisters, sent her to Essos, something else."

A brief pause followed as footsteps were heard in the room. Loren held his breath, not daring to let himself be heard. "What would have been said if I had let it continue?" His Grandfather's voice was angry. "That the Lannisters were weak, letting their sons marry crofter's daughters. I couldn't let it continue. He had to learn."

"You ensured that he did." Tyland said, sounding pained.

A chair scraped again. "You are as complicit as I am, son." Tywin said. "You may not have partaken, but never forget who's idea it was to get rid of her completely."

Eyes widening in sudden realisation, the words that would forever change Loren's opinion of his family soon followed. "I may have slit Tysha's throat, but that was as a mercy. If she had lived Tyrion would have searched for her and it would have brought him more pain, the one thing I swore to Mother I would never allow on her deathbed. Killing her and burning her body was a kindness to him. As was not telling him what happened to her."

Loren bolted down the steps of the Tower of the Hand, not knowing what to think. His Father had killed Tyrion's wife? But Tyrion only thought that Tyland had stood there? Thoughts raced around his head as he stormed away from the Tower to the one place he knew helped him think clearly, the training yard.

It must have been at least an hour that Loren was beating his friends handsomely in the tiltyard when Tyland appeared. Benarr was the one that ushered the others away knowing that Loren was in a foul mood, and it was quickly just the pair of Lannister's in sight. "You were late to greet Prince Tommen." Tyland stated.

"I wasn't in the mood." Loren replied nonchalantly.

Tyland shook his head. "You have responsibilities now, son. If Prince Tommen is to one day be your squire…"

"I thought I was only training him now?" Loren interrupted, knowing Tyland hated that. The elder Lannister gritted his teeth.

"With a view to take him as a squire." Tyland answered. He took a step towards Loren, who half turned away. "What is the matter with you, boy?"

Loren chuckled darkly. "I heard everything." He answered. "I know what you did to Tyrion's wife."

Tyland betrayed no emotion, and just stared at his son. "You think you know." Was all he said. "You were but a babe…"

"You murdered her!" Loren exclaimed. Tyland looked around, glad nobody was there.

"Not here." Tyland said firmly. "Grab your horse and meet me by the Dragon Gate in an hour, we'll go for a ride." He left no room for debate at that, skulking off and leaving Loren angrier than he felt he had ever been before.

The pair rode out of the King's Gate and along the bank of the Blackwater Rush until the City was barely visible. Stopping, Tyland had his guards set out a picnic space before telling them to give the two Lannister's some space. Loren sat himself down moodily, and Tyland just watched him closely.

"What do you know?" Tyland asked.

Loren scowled. "I know that if Uncle Tyrion finds out he'll never forgive you."

"He was a boy, younger than you are now." Tyland said sharply. "He met a pretty common girl on a ride and as he does, he fell in love with her. He didn't understand the consequences of his actions, nor did he care. What your Grandfather did…"

"Was evil." Loren interrupted.

"Was necessary for the standing of our House." Tyland countered. "You have no idea what it was like when he was born, Loren. One minute your Grandmother was there, and the next she wasn't but he was. We knew what he was being called, the monster of the rock with a lizard's tail, Lord Tywin's Bane. All fingers were pointed at us laughing, mocking us for this innocent baby. Then the King comes to stay at Casterly Rock for half a year and he mocks us as well. He demanded to see the child and laughed loudly, mocking your Grandfather for his supposed arrogance." Tyland had clenched his fist while reliving the memory. "I was a boy of ten, I'd lost my Mother and she made me promise to look after him, so I did. When Jaime left for Crakehall and Cersei left for the capital I was his only friend, so believe me when I say that he may be a little lecherous beast, but he is my brother and will always be that."

"So why did you kill his wife?" Loren asked, pleading for a good explanation.

"Simply to spare him." Tyland sighed. When the Septon sobered up and made us aware of where Tyrion had gone, Lord Tywin was irate. He was ready to have both of them quartered for their actions, but Kevan and I calmed him down and brought him back. I didn't know what was going to happen until Father brought us down to the barracks and she was already spilling silver coins from her arms."

"You could have done something." Loren said bitterly. "You must have known he was in agony watching that."

Tyland shook his head. "She was a whore, Loren. It was all a lie, Jaime confessed it all. She was meant to stumble upon them on the road, but your Uncle fell for it and married the girl as he'll likely want to do again with his new whore. What happened was difficult, but he needed to learn that he was a Lannister, and we don't get to choose like that."

"Grandfather did." Loren muttered bitterly.

"You're almost Seventeen years old Loren, don't be so naïve." Tyland berated. "When your Grandfather married House Lannister was at its lowest point since just after your namesake bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen. My Grandfather was beggaring us, and we were mocked by our own bannermen. My parents married one another to show the rest of the Realm that we were proud, and that the rest of the West at the time were still beneath us even with my Grandfather being as he was."

Loren wasn't convinced. "They are still beneath us." He tried.

Tyland shook his head. "But we do need to reward loyalty. House Payne have been staunch supporters of our House for hundreds of years, they stood with us through the Reyne's, they joined us in Robert's Rebellion, they aided us after the Ironborn attacked… This is a reward for them as well as giving you another important ally for when you come to sit in Casterly Rock as Lord in your own right."

Loren sighed loudly. "It's still wrong how you handled it all. Even if Tysha was a commoner so what? Prince Duncan married a commoner."

"Prince Duncan almost brought about a civil war." Tyland reminded him. "Enough about the whore, Loren. You were barely a babe at the time let it go."

"Let it go?" Loren asked loudly. "Will Tyrion let it go once he knows?"

Tyland gritted his teeth. "Tyrion has moved on to another whore and will soon be shipped off to Storm's End."

Loren realised something as he looked into Tyland's eyes. "You're afraid he will find out the truth."

"I'm afraid of nothing." Tyland argued.

Loren just laughed though. "You don't want him to know because you know he'll never forgive you. You know what you did was wrong, you always have."

"Silence!"

"Why?" Loren asked. "No lies, no horse shit. Why did you do it? Why did you kill her yourself, you could have let her leave on a ship?" Tyland didn't want to answer, he knew the reason why but to admit it out loud would only cause problems with his already rebellious son. Loren however, was bright and worked it out. "It wasn't really your call, was it?"

"Of course it was." Tyland answered.

"Then it was an unsaid command from Grandfather. He put you up to it. Just like with the Targaryen babes." Loren said darkly. "How? How can you blindly follow such a man?"

Tyland stood up and looked out towards the Blackwater Rush. He sighed for a moment. "He is my liege lord, Loren."

"He didn't listen to his Father when he disagreed about the Reyne's." Loren countered. "You're just weak, aren't you? You've killed your way to ensure that our House is on top yes, but deep down you're just a scared ten-year-old that has just lost your mother." Tyland swivelled back around incensed at the words, but he didn't move. Loren shook his head. "I used to look up to you so much, but now? Now I can't even look at you, Father."

The younger Lannister didn't leave any more room for talk, as he immediately walked away and mounted his horse, quickly riding off leaving Tyland stood alone on the banks of the Blackwater Rush feeling more lost than he had done since that fateful day where his mother died.

Sansa Stark found out the news from Littlefinger of all people. There she was minding her own business walking through the Red Keep after having visited her sister, and the man had made her jump by sneaking out of the dark and subtly hinted that she was to be wedded not to the younger Lannister, but the elder.

She could barely hold the tears in as she thanked Littlefinger for telling her, and the Stark girl rushed out of the Red Keep towards the Godswood, ignoring her guard shouting at her to wait up. As she climbed the stone steps and turned into the wooded area, she sank onto her knees and sobbed before the massive oak tree with smokeberry vines that the Targaryen's had passed off as a heart tree. The guard eventually caught up, but Sansa just screamed at him to leave her be.

It must have been an hour later when another set of footsteps were heard crunching in the grass behind her. Sansa screwed up her face in a rage and shouted back. "I told you to leave me be!"

"I thought you could use a friend." Margaery's voice said soothingly. Sansa immediately got to her feet, straightening her skirts and wiping her eyes.

"Forgive me, Lady Margaery." Sansa began.

"Nonsense." Margaery smiled at her sadly. "I've just heard the news."

Sansa turned away as fresh tears began to drip from her eyes. "I had to hear it from Lord Baelish of all people." She said bitterly.

Margaery stood beside her and held one of Sansa's hands. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I can't imagine how you are feeling."

"He murdered my Father." Sansa said sharply. "Roose Bolton killed Robb I know, but he ordered it I'm sure. And my Mother died after a meeting with him along with countless other Northerners. How am I supposed to look at him and make a vow to the Gods?"

Margaery was sympathetic. "You stand tall and proud, and let him know that you are not to be cowed. You are the Lady of Winterfell and you will be respected as such."

Sansa just couldn't wrap her head around it though. "I don't know how you manage it." She admitted. "Knowing what Joffrey is like yet so upbeat about the wedding."

Margaery took her other hand and stared into Sansa's rich blue eyes. "I know that I shall be the Queen, and that my children shall one day rule. Children learn a lot from their Mother's and I intend to teach mine a great deal. You will too, your children shall be the Warden's of the North, and while they may be sired by that man, they'll be raised by you. They'll be moulded by you."

The Stark girl knew that Margaery was right, but her emotions were still all over the place. Nodding, she sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. Margaery brought her in for a well needed hug, and the two women stayed within the sanctity of the Red Keep Godswood trying to cheer each other up about their terrible future husbands.

When Loren arrived back at the Red Keep he knew immediately what he had to do. He couldn't bare the thought of having to blindly follow along in the footsteps of his Father and Grandfather, who had gotten to where they were over murdered women and children. If he stayed in the Red Keep he couldn't guarantee that he could keep his cool regarding what he now knew.

With that in mind, he immediately went to the Tower of the Hand, where his Grandfather was beginning to finalise the quick arrangements for the marriage of Tyland and Sansa Stark.

"Loren." Tywin said without looking up. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I apologise for coming unannounced, but I needed to ask something of you." He said, masking his true emotions. He knew Tywin liked to cut straight to the chase and continued. "I'd like you to name me Acting Lord of the Rock."

That did surprise the Hand of the King, and he dropped his quill on his desk and looked up at Loren. "Your place is here."

"Is it?" Loren asked. "Anybody can train Tommen and Joffrey in swordplay, it doesn't have to be me."

Tywin nodded his agreement with that. "Why now?"

Loren answered. "Lady Kathryn has left the capital for her home until the wedding, so I don't need to be here to court her. I'm knighted now, but I think I could benefit from learning to actually rule the Rock while both Father and you are needed in King's Landing."

Tywin stared at Loren, trying to pry any hidden information out of his head, but after a moment of silence he nodded. "Very well, you could learn a great deal from Kevan rather than being hit by wooden sticks every day. I'll write Kevan today and send a message by raven that he is to expect guests."

"Plural?" Loren asked.

"Yes." Tywin nodded. "Arya Stark will travel with you. She will get to know her future husband and it will give you experience in managing an unruly hostage."

Loren almost chuckled, but held it in. "Very well." He said happily enough, rising to his feet. "Thank you."

"I'm pleased you sought me out with this." Tywin admitted. "You will be a great Warden of the West someday."

Smiling and bowing, Loren left the room before he even allowed himself to whisper. "And I won't do it by stepping over countless innocent bodies."

At the same time that his son was making his demands from Tywin, Tyland was equally irate at his younger brother. He found his way over to Tyrion's chambers and was not surprised to open the door to find the dwarf in his cups with the sellsword Bronn.

"Ah! Brother! Come… come share in our misery at the prospect of bedding children." Tyrion slurred with a giggle. "Although I suppose it's not so bad for you, Sansa Stark is a true, womanly beauty rather than a scarred little girl."

Tyland clenched his teeth at the sight and noticed the sellsword trying not to laugh as well. "Leave us." He ordered Bronn, who after a moment of hesitation nodded and left the room. "You keep unsavoury company."

"Bronn is more loyal than anyone I've ever known." Tyrion grinned, holding his cup up. "Come, sit, have a drink. Let us talk on how we believe our future wives will like to be bedded. Do you think the Stark girl is like her sigil and will take it like a dog?"

Tyland ignored the question and sat himself down. "You told Loren about the crofter's daughter." He accused. "Why?"

Tyrion's features darkened. "To stop him from doing something he'd regret." He said bitterly. "You don't pay enough attention to the boy, you expect him to be like you, expect him to follow his Father with no questions asked. Thank the gods the boy has more sense than his sire."

"Careful, Imp." Tyland warned.

"Hitting a nerve, am I?" Tyrion chuckled. "His lust for our cousin was making him think of eloping I'm sure, so I put a stop to it by telling him exactly what happens when you do so."

"She was a whore, not a Lannister." Tyland said through clenched teeth, knowing he was lying.

"I've met our sister, are they not one and the same?" Tyrion asked with a raised eyebrow. "And now you want me to rape a child once more. Isn't it funny how things turn out."

Tyland clenched his fists. "Lady Shireen is…" He began.

"A child!" Tyrion raised his voice. "A poor, sad child that's had a harsh life thanks to her scars, and now because of Father's lust for power she has to marry the Imp." He took another gulp of wine.

"Do you not realise how this benefits us? How the lots have fallen in our favour?"

"I know you've murdered our way to the top once more, brother." Tyrion said darkly, before burping loudly. "House Targaryen, House Drumm, House Stark and House Tully. Whoever will you turn your sights on to next." That was the insult that broke Tyland's patience, as he stood up sharply. "Oh, I have touched a nerve!" Tyrion exclaimed gleefully.

"Some of us aren't drunken little lechers and need to do their part for our House." Tyland snarled. "You shall do the same with the Baratheon girl little brother, or I shall ensure you go to the Wall myself."

"Your lips, Father's words." Tyrion shrugged, too deep in his cups to care what he was saying. "Grow a backbone, brother. Your son is starting to thank the Gods. That's why I told him. To open his eyes that the power we hold comes from murdered babies and raped wives."

"You have no idea…" Tyland began, but Tyrion wasn't having any of it.

"Oh, he'll say it's for the betterment of our family, that family is important." Tyrion shrugged. "But notice how it's his wants that are getting appeased. He doesn't care about us a jolt, especially not me." He muttered the last bit.

Tyland had had enough, deciding to leave his brother to wallow in his self-pity alone. "Stay away from my son." He warned Tyrion, before storming out of the room, not hearing the snide remark that followed him out of the door.

The next day, Tyland stood up in a window watching as a contingent of Lannister men left via the Lion Gate, with Loren at its head. Sighing, he went to turn away, not realising that Tyrion was waddling down the corridor.

"Ah, brother!" Tyrion greeted cheerfully. "Coming to the council meeting?"

Surprised at the chirpiness, he looked at Tyrion oddly. "He doesn't remember a thing about last night." Bronn told him, Tyrion's ever faithful shadow following behind the dwarf. "Although he may be saying that because he lost money to me."

"I seriously remember nothing after being told I'm to wed a child." Tyrion said, the mirth not reaching his eyes. "After that I needed a lot of drink."

"You drank enough to fill the Gods Eye." Tyland rolled his eyes. "Come, brother. Let us go before Father insists you learn to learn to tumble as entertainment for Joffrey's wedding."

"Ah! That would be the day." Tyrion chuckled. "Did I ever tell you what Father said to me when he caught me tumbling?"

Tyland actually cracked a smirk. "He called you a monkey, did he not?"

"You were born a lion, not a monkey." Tyrion answered in the gruff, mocking tones of Tywin Lannister. "Would that I was a monkey, then I could fling my shit at the man and not feel the slightest bit of guilt."

Tyland chuckled again, vowing internally to keep his promise to his Mother in all ways from now on. He would never harm his youngest brother again.

Loren is pissed. He's got a good heart and knows that what both Tywin and Tyland have done to make their house rise is evil, and by seeing Tyland just following along without a mind of his own almost sickens him to the point that he won't be a part of it anymore, and trouble will be brewing very soon…

Sansa reacts to the news as well, the poor thing. I thought her having to wed Tyrion was bad in canon, but at least he was kind to her.

That wedding is next chapter, so until then!

Reviews:

TheOnlyKing: The point of the fic is to try and imagine what the show could have been like with an elder brother to Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion. They aren't gods, the characters make mistakes that haunt them and ruin them. Canon has them completely destroyed by the end, and that won't happen here they just won't be a single unit after this. Loren won't follow Tyland blindly now like he did at the start, he's becoming his own man and his own leader. Some Lannisters will die, some will live. Those that live may ensure that the House remains strong, we'll have to wait and see.

Supremus85: Haha!

Black Magic99: He doesn't care about happiness, he cares about the family legacy. Here he has 5 Kingdom's tied to the Lannisters by marriages. As for Tyland taking control, he's not a Lord in his own right yet. Almost everything he does is at the command of his Father, and the things that are not are either minor or things in the moment that adds power to House Lannister.

Guest (Black Wolf Reborn): I've got this, a Targaryen OC and a sequel to As High as Honour in the works as well as that sequel, so I can't possibly predict that.

Silver crow: Most people like Tyland more, and I hope the opinion on Loren improves as he comes into his own from now on! Shireen will have a part to play, but it's not Tyland that she will pledge herself too. And no, Tyland isn't abusive in marriage, just more aloof. Although she will begin to prove herself to him once she's more at ease with the idea. Any children will be full Lannisters, Tywin wouldn't allow it any other way.

Rolling Mist 13: Wow, I think you're the first person to review saying that you like Loren but dislike Tyland! It's refreshing to say the least. You were right about Loren, and as you can see Arya was in this one being carted off to the Westerlands!