Soulmarks can be a tricky thing. When they first emerged a thousand years ago, they were an image that your soulmate shared matching you with your true love. Simple enough right? A gift from the Gods, to help you find your destiny. However the journey to find your soulmate was as important as finding them, and humans being humans found away, as always, to fuck it up. This was especially true among the elite as the fine Lords of Westeros cheated the Gods out of the journey by sending drawings of their soulmarks to the Citadel where maesters compiled them and matched them up.

But without the journey, the individuals that met weren't soulmates. Not yet. They hadn't been forged and hammered by time into the people they were meant to be that would allow that deep connection. Thus misery was found in unions that should have brought everlasting joy. Faith was lost in soulmarks. Matches were made ignoring them and slowly they faded away.

The Gods ( the old Gods, the new it matters little here ) were not to be deterred. They found a different way to guide people on their journey to find both their destiny and their soulmate. The soulmarks slowly returned, but not to everybody, and were now a large, single letter on their wrist that appeared in adolescence. Words would appear using that letter that only the bearer of the mark could see to guide them along the way. Only their soulmate, when deemed ready to be together, would be able to see the words too. But as always, humans could misconstrue the intentions of the Gods in the words that were sent. Or worse yet, out right defy the Gods who were trying to guide them.

And the people needed all the help they could get. A great evil, long dormant, was coming and those who would fight it and rebuild the world anew, needed to be forged and united with their soulmates now more than ever.


It goes without saying that Tywin Lannister was born without a soulmark. Not even the Gods would tell him what to do is what the small folk said. Nor did his daughter, who claimed to be just as happy as her father to not have the Gods interfering in her life. Although her twin claims that this isn't true as she raged against him when his appeared in their fifteenth year of life. Jaime Lannister's letter was a "W''. He told all that would listen that the first word to appear on his arm was Warrior. While this was true, he neglected to mention the word underneath, Woman. Thus the phrase, and the clue to both his destiny and true love was Warrior Woman. In time Jaime's mark would say Whitecloak, Wildfire, War, Winterfell, Wights and most tellingly Wench as the aforementioned Warrior Woman entered his life.

However, this is not Jaime's story but that of his younger brother, Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf of Casterly Rock. Tyrion's soulmark was also a "W" and appeared while he was grieving the loss of his first wife, Tysha. It mattered little to him if she had been a paid whore or a simple crofter's daughter. He had loved her and he had been a participant in her downfall, however unwillingly.

The word that appeared was Wife and he had felt the gentle loving caress as if the Maiden had written on his skin herself. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Did it mean his wife Tysha had been his soulmate? A future wife? Honestly, it didn't matter in his misery and he told everyone the first words to appear were both Wine and Whores and proceeded to drown himself in both of them for years without another peep out of his useless soulmark. That was until the old Hand died suddenly and his sister, the Queen, and King Robert rode for Winterfell and Ned Stark.

Tyrion had not been planning to be part of retinue that went North, preferring the warmth of the South and the brothels of King's Landing. Sadly, this soulmark had other plans for him and woke with a vengeance alternating the words Winterfell and Wall in searing icy writing that burned in agony until Tyrion asked his goodbrother the King if he could come along. Robert of course readily agreed if for no reason other than his children were fond of their uncle and it would annoy his wife exceedingly.

Weeks later, tired from the journey, Tyrion's soulmark communicated to him again as he rode into Winterfell. It was once again the word Wife, the words warm and soothing on his arm. Remembering the words of his father (" Where to whores go ?" The mighty lion of Lannister mused when Tyrion had finally had enough gumption to ask what happened to Tysha), he quickly turned his horse from the gate and rode straight to Wintertown's brothel hoping this was a sign that Tysha might be there. She wasn't of course, but he consoled himself in the arms of a redhead named Ros. That night he dreamt that he was being chastised by the Mother herself (who looked much like the portrait of Joanna in the Great Hall) for misunderstanding his soulmark.

He didn't have much time to figure out what he had missed with the last message from the Gods as the next one appeared during the feast in honor of their arrival. White Wolf it had said. Well at least he knew he wouldn't fuck that up he thought as he talked to the owner of the albino direwolf, Jon Snow, who was destined to take the Black at the Wall. He wasn't sure what role the boy would play in his life, but found him to be a bright young man and easy to converse with.

Wall the soulmark told him again as if he didn't remember from before. He rubbed the mark in frustration. He dealt with enough condescension from his family, now the Gods too?

"I got your message the first time!" he shouted at the mark, just as the eldest Stark daughter and her direwolf rounded the corner. She was a lovely thing, a tall girl on the cusp of womanhood with striking blue eyes and a mane of bright red hair. Her mother was a beauty, but this girl would eclipse her as she blossomed he had no doubt. He had heard that Ned Stark and King Robert had betrothed the poor girl to his vile nephew Joffrey.

At the sight of her wide eyes at his words, he said, "Sorry my lady." He could feel the soulmark throb anew and in frustration yanked his sleeve down. Whatever new thing the Gods had to tell him could wait. He'd had enough of it for one day. Tyrion glanced at the stylized "L" on her own wrist "My soulmark didn't talk to me for years and now it nags at me like my old Septa." he said with a chortle. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"I don't understand why you wouldn't want your soulmark to speak to you. Doesn't that just mean you're one step closer to your destiny and your soulmate?" Sansa asked genuinely perplexed in a sweet voice. "Mine has only talked to me twice, but I know it's already led me to my wolf and my soulmate." she said dreamily. "My mark appeared with the word " Lady" the day my brothers brought home the pups and I knew which one was mine right away. The next time it spoke to me it said " Love " right before the King's party came through the gates. I saw Prince Joffrey for the first time and I just knew. It was just like a story." Sansa sighed happily.

Tyrion couldn't help but smile at her earnestness but it dropped at the thought of this sweet, naive girl in the clutches of both his sister and sadistic nephew. It was not his place to dissuade her from her affections, but at least he could clear a little of the mist from her eyes. "You do know that Joffrey doesn't have a soulmark." he said gently.

"Did you know that my parents are soulmates?" Sansa responded. "But they were married for several years and had conceived my elder brother before their marks revealed themselves. Neither one was ready for that knowledge when they first met, both thinking their potential soulmates were lost to them." Tyrion nodded his head in acknowledgment. He had heard the stories of Brandon Stark and some whispers about Arthur Dayne's sister. "That's why I'm not worried about Joffrey. I'm sure he'll get his soon." Sansa said with a firmness in her voice. "And then we'll see each other's words and we'll know we are meant to be together."

Tyrion was almost jealous of the certainty in her voice. To be so young and so certain of her fate. "I hope you're right my lady and it would bring me joy to find you happy and settled when I return to the capitol."

"You are not returning to King's Landing with the royal party?"

"No my lady. My pesky soulmark wishes me to freeze my small self to death at the Wall. I will accompany your bastard brother there." He paused to leave but could not leave her without a warning. "Stay close to your father in the capitol. There are many who will claim to be your friend, but are only using you for your own gain. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"And how am I to know what you tell me is the truth?" she said with a quirk in her smile.

"You don't until you figure it out for yourself. But as long as you ask yourself questions like that, you will survive the Red Keep yet Lady Stark."

"Of course I will. I am to be their Queen." she pulled herself to her full height before regarding him. "You should listen to your soulmark, it's not fair to your soulmate if you don't. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

"Yes I'm sure she's impatient for her dwarven love. I'm sure she'll be overcome with joy." he said sarcastically as his heart ached in loneliness.

She scowled down at him, a queen already. "None of that matters when you find your other half. She will love you as you are, as the Gods have made you."

Tyrion smiled "Of course my lady." Gods willing, dear old Ned would see Joffrey for the pile of human garbage he was and be able to break the betrothal before his daughter suffered the consequences. Even if it meant his daughter would never be Queen.


Tyrion stayed at the wall for several weeks and came to admire the men of the Night's Watch. He became very close with the new recruits and found a kindred spirit in the broody Jon Snow and was half afraid his soulmark would tell him to stay. Rarely, a soulmark would guide you to a profession if that was your destiny. The current Commander of the Night's Watch was such. After his soulmate had died, his soulmark had sent him to the wall to serve. It also happened with Maesters and those who served the Seven. He was relieved that his mark stayed quiet during his visit and remained so after he left. Cold and celibacy? No thank you.

The morning he was to leave Jon Snow woke him looking a little wild eyed and paranoid as he entered the room. He clutched his right wrist in his hand, and Tyrion recognized the look of a man that just got his soulmark. Jon stammered "I'm sorry my lord, I just didn't know who else to tell. Why now? Why me? I'm days from taking my oath. Does this change that?"

Tyrion lit a candle and indicated for him to roll up his sleeve where a cursive "D" had appeared. "What did it tell you? Did it tell you to go somewhere, give you a name?" It was rare but it happened. Tyrion touched the mark gently and Jon flinched. "Does it hurt?" Sometimes the feel of the word was as much a clue as the word itself.

"Burns." Jon whispers.

"Like fire or ice?" Tyrion asked remembering how his own mark felt telling him to ride North.

"Both." Jon said hesitantly Tyrion raised his eyebrows in confusion. "The top word Direwolf burns like the cold."

"Makes sense." Tyrion replied glancing at Ghost. "There's a second word?" It was a bit unusual to have two words appear unless they were a descriptive phrase like White Wolf. Especially for the first time a soulmark appeared.

"Yes and burns like my skin is aflame."

"What does it say?"

Jon hesitated and Tyrion heard the fear in his voice when he leaned forward and said in a low voice. "It says Dragon my lord."


The ride back to King's Landing was largely uneventful. He enjoyed the company of the Night's Watch recruiter Yoren and spent a great deal of time thinking about Jon and his mark. He had always been fascinated by Dragons and wondered what poor Jon's soulmark meant. Dragons were extinct after all, not that you'd find one in the icy North anyway. He also thought about young Bran Stark and hoped the saddle he designed would help the child after his accident. Despite his chilly reception from his elder brother (with the Lady of the Keep mysteriously absent), which perplexed Tyrion, he wished nothing but the best for the boy.

Strangely, he found himself often thinking of the girl Sansa and their brief but meaningful conversation at Winterfell. He hoped her father was keeping her safe while learning what a little shit Joffrey really was before it was too late. He had received little information from his brother other than the party had arrived home safely and the fat king was spending more of their father's gold on a tournament for the new Hand.

With all these thoughts of the Stark children, he almost believed Lady Catelyn to be an apparition when he came upon her in the roadside inn that day. But when she and her men seized him for hiring an assassin to kill Bran, ( "Bran?" He thought incredulously. "What did you see?") he thought perhaps the woman was mad with grief and allowed himself to go without bloodshed.

It was only when his soulmark began to throb in agonizing pain that he realized what had really just occurred. In letters that screamed at him and looked as if they had been carved into his own flesh a singular word appeared-WAR.

"This world is fucked." he muttered to himself just before they gagged him.