"Tywin Lannister was one of the most feared and respected men in Westeros. The man who built his family up from near ruin, who crushed the Tarbecks and the Reynes, and ruled the realm for twenty years as King Aerys II Targaryen's Hand of the King. In the taverns and inns of the South, it was whispered that Tywin shat gold for how rich he was."

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EDWARD

"You can't be serious uncle."

Edward could not believe his uncle would be leaving him. He had come to rely on Tyrion for many, many things and he coveted his advice like Tyrion coveted whores. But now his father was taking him away to be wasted in the North?

"I am serious, contrary to what I usually am. King Robert has ordered me to assess the Night's Watch. No doubt he has heard of my ability to assess whores in all the Seven Kingdoms," Tyrion jested, though his voice hid a hint of hurt. "My uncle Kevan will be replacing me as your mentor and to help finish your education. He's coming here within a fortnight and his children, Martyn and Willem Lannister will be joining him with a moon's turn if the raven I sent to Casterly Rock gets there as soon as possible."

Lannisters. Edward didn't hate his mother's side of the family. He had a healthy respect for his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, who had ruled the kingdoms for twenty years for the Mad King. In his conversations with him before Edward had been packed off to Summerhall to rebuild and rule the surrounding lands, he knew that Tywin cared about two things the most; his family's name and the legacy he left behind.

He didn't have much experience dealing with the rest of his Lannister family, but he had met his great-uncle Kevan a few times and liked him well enough. Still, I love uncle Tyrion. He's a dwarf who whores and drinks too much, but he's the one who has raised me these past few years.

"But why you? You haven't been at court for years."

Tyrion's face flashed with anger and a darkness, but it was soon gone. "I don't know and I won't know unless I meet your father. I will be heading to Winterfell but I don't know if I will catch up to the royal procession in time."

"You'll catch up," Edward commented. If his father was still more interested in wine and whores than ruling, they would visit every brothel and inn in the south before they reached Winterfell. His mother also traveled in a wheelhouse, so that would slow them down even more. "I'll give you twenty men to travel with."

"Twenty seems a bit excessive, don't you think?" Tyrion said, but Edward shook his head.

"You'll need them. The Lannisters aren't much loved in the Riverlands or the North, especially for what they did to King's Landing and the Targaryen children, even if they were allies of my father" Edward muttered. My family secured my father's hold on the throne over the bodies of murdered children. He wondered...if he had been Lord of Casterly Rock and Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, would he have done it? Ordered the deaths of Princess Elia Martell and her 'dragonspawn?' Myria would kill me. "No doubt great-uncle Kevan is marching down with enough men to replace the men I'm giving you."

"Well...thank you nephew," his uncle said with genuine affection in his voice. Edward shot him a grin. Tyrion then produced a rolled up paper bearing a red seal. The seal of House Lannister. The seal of my grandfather. "This came for you. From my father."

"No doubt he's writing to ensure that Summerhall is worth the investment from him."

The Lannisters had financed half of the construction costs for Summerhall, while crown financed the other half. This meant that the Lannisters financed all of it, considering that Edward's grandfather had lent three million gold dragons to the crown and no doubt Lord Baelish was finding some convoluted way for his grandfather to pay for his seat.

"It's worth it. If there's one thing my father is obsessed with it, it's his legacy. You're part of that legacy as much as you like to put your Baratheon roots over your Lannister ones," Tyrion observed. Edward scowled, a habit he had gotten from his uncle Stannis, before frowning at the man. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was speaking to the younger version of Stannis Baratheon. I would rather take the black than deal with your uncle."

Edward was offended. "Uncle Stannis might be a dour man, humorless, and a man who nurses grievances like you nurse brothels," and Tyrion threw him a hurt look. "But he's taught me many things. The importance of family, duty, and honor."

He realized too late that those were the Tully words. "My nephew is a fish apparently," Tyrion snickered and Edward glowered, much how Myria's bastard brother had glowered at him. "And you weren't too worried about Lady Myria's honor a few hours ago."

Edward blushed deeply and rubbed the back of his head. When she had been saying those words to him, his blood had run hot. That's where he and his father truly held common ground. Stannis was notorious for being uncomfortable around women while his uncle Renly was notorious for being a wee bit too comfortable with men, especially his former squire, Ser Loras Tyrell.

He had lost his virtue to Myria when he had visited her six moons ago. They had been each other's first, thank the Gods, and through their fumbling, they had learned how to sate one another. The Dornishman's wife was as fair as the sun...Ser Alleras had not been amused when Edward had sung that tune in the Tor.

So when Myria had asked for a tour of Summerhall, despite knowing the place as well as Edward, he had immediately given her a tour of his rooms. And when her riding clothes came off…

"Let's not talk about that," Edward declared and Tyrion nodded hastily in agreement. His mind wandered to great-uncle Kevan again. "What am I to expect from Kevan, uncle? I've only met my great-uncle a few times and I like him well enough but never had the opportunity to pick his brain like I did to your father."

Tyrion seemed to consider the question. "My uncle Kevan is my father's most trusted man. He's a follower, not a leader, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous or smart. He understands his own limitations," Tyrion said. "He's just a household knight in my father's service, but he is one of the richest men in the Westerlands. Listen to his advice, for he is more experienced than you or I are in the matter of ruling, soldiering, and other matters of state."

"I will," and his heart began to swell with sadness because he would miss his uncle. The japing dwarf who had mentored and counseled him well over the last three years. Who had essentially helped mold him into the man he is today. "Thank you, uncle, for everything that you've done for me."

He then gave his uncle an awkward hug, leaning down slightly in order to fully wrap his arms around his favorite Lannister. His uncle returned it with a strength Edward did not know he had and the two separated.

"If I may beg your leave, my lord, I must prepare for my journey to the Wall. And now my watch begins," Tyrion jested. Edward smiled ruefully as Tyrion departed for his rooms. "And don't even think about christening my room, nephew. I'll know!"

Edward's laugh echoed off every single wall in Westeros. As soon as my uncle is gone, Myria and I are going to do exactly that.

But then he remembered. The letter from his grandfather. Tywin Lannister, the Warden of the West. Tywin Lannister, the richest man in the Seven Kingdoms. Tywin Lannister, the man who ordered the murders of children and destroyed entire houses, root, and stem.

Tywin Lannister who shat gold.

He looked at the roaring lion of his mother's house, staring at him. Daring him to break the seal and read what was inside. He momentarily played with the notion of never opening the letter and letting it rot, the ink drying inside and shriveling up until all remained were thin black lines where once the words of the most powerful man in Westeros had been written.

But this was his grandfather. His blood. He broke the seal and started to read the contents of the letter.

Grandson,

It has been three years since I've seen you, ever since your fool of a father packed you up and shipped you into the middle of the Dornish Marches in order to rebuild a half-forgotten castle.

Edward had to smile at that. Tywin Lannister was many things. He didn't like beating around the bush. The grandson continued to read.

I'm writing to you because I want to speed up your wedding to Lady Myria Jordayne of the Tor and to invite you to Casterly Rock. I'm growing old and it will soon be that I will soon be rotting in the ground. Your uncle Jaime refuses to come take his place as my heir and your mother is the queen. Tommen and Myrcella will be needed elsewhere to ensure our family stays strong.

Edward noticed he had deliberately omitted his uncle Tyrion. It spoke of the bad relationship between his grandfather and uncle, though he did suspect that Tywin Lannister did have a grudging respect for Tyrion.

I aim to name you my carry on the Lannister legacy. I've sent my brother Kevan to finish your education and to escort you to Casterly Rock once you are ready. I will pay for your wedding, whether it is in King's Landing, Oldtown, Casterly Rock, Summerhall, Storm's End…

I want you to carry on my legacy. Our legacy. Get a child with Lady Jordayne. The faster the better.

It was signed in a different hand.

Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, and Warden of the West

Edward was shocked. His grandfather wanted him to have a child already with Myria? But what was more than that, his grandfather wanted his children to carry on the Lannister name. They wouldn't be true Lannisters.

His mother, his brothers, and sister, they were true Lannisters. Golden hair, emerald eyes, smooth skin. He was the spitting image of his father with coarse black hair and blue eyes that shone with the same color as the sea. Myria had black hair as well, though her irises were hazel. Our children won't be Lannisters. They'll be Baratheons in all but name. But his grandfather wanted his legacy to be continued, even if meant uprooting the Lannister looks, it seemed. Edward did not know what to think of that. He wants me to be a Lannister.

And what of his uncle? His uncle was Tywin's trueborn son and his heir in the eyes of the law. He couldn't do that to his uncle. He knew he couldn't do that. And yet...if I inherit Casterly Rock, I will be the most powerful man in Westeros. He would have the influence of the gold mines of the Rock, the power of the Westerlands…

Joffrey might be the next king, but I would be even more influential and powerful than he will ever be. The Prince of Summerhall and Lord of Casterly Rock, more powerful than the King of Westeros. It made him...well giddy. But his mind continued to wander to Tyrion. He's the rightful heir to Casterly Rock by every law in Westeros. A blood right. Just like how his uncle Stannis should have gotten Storm's End instead of uncle Renly.

I'm the second son. And yet...being the second son had given so many opportunities that he wouldn't have had if he would be king.

"What is the problem, my love?" the siren's song came once more and he turned to see Myria approach him, her skirts flowing. "You have the look of a man in deep thought."

"My grandfather wrote to me."

"And what did he write about?"

Edward handed her the letter. Her eyes gazed over it. They widened in surprise.

"Family. The future. My family's future legacy."

AN: Thank you, once more, for all the kindness and support. I'm loving this response!

celticank: Thank you once more for your kind words!

JaceMaddox: Kevan Lannister is Tywin's most loyal man. When he needs something done, he'll send his brother do it. Molding his grandson into something more Lannister is exactly a Tywin move. Edward does identify more with his Baratheon side, but as we'll get deeper (and hopefully in this chapter) he'll be getting more and more into an identity crisis of a sort.

spectre4hire: Thank you for your kind words. I'm hoping that my Tyrion plotline does not disappoint and hopefully, this letter is within Tywin's lane. I'm kind of stretching out logic considering that Tommen or Myrcella can technically continue the Lannister name, but whatever. I might rewrite this chapter, but...I still like it.