Chapter II - Jason I
270 AC.
CLOP! CLOP! CLOP!
The training yard, located about 200 feet below the top of Casterly Rock, was filled with the sounds of two wooden swords clashing against one another. Well, filled would be an exaggeration, given the relative lack of noise created by the conflicting blades, meant to help train children to fight without getting injured in the process.
The wielders of these blades were young boys, their bright hair reflecting the sun that peered through a window in the great castle. So strong was Casterly Rock as a keep within a mountain that Queen Visenya herself feared the mighty dragons Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes could not bring it to heel, with Loren Lannister's capture and submission at the Field of Fire being an incredible stroke of good fortune for Aegon and his sister-wives.
The boys were nine and eight years of age. The elder was Jaime Lannister, the eldest son, and heir, to Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock. Born into the world with his twin sister Cersei, Jaime had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He was a happy child, made happiest with a wooden sword in his hand and a partner to spar with.
On most occasions, that partner would be the boy which he was now facing. Jason Hill, the half-brother of Jaime and Cersei, was the bastard son of Lord Tywin Lannister and an unknown lady of high birth. His hair was an even brighter shade of yellow, and his eyes were a dark blue as if to put a sky beneath a beaming sun.
Jaime, a few inches taller than his brother, brought his wooden sword down onto his brother in the hopes of using raw strength to force Jason's submission. Jason, blocking the strike with his own sword, was no weakling in a fight, but he knew that trying to combat natural power with natural power would win him no bouts against one who was stronger than him. Instead, he decided to try and outmaneuver Jaime in the hopes of landing a winning blow.
Neither boy was wielding a shield, as they both thought a training match between them would be far more exciting if they both held larger wooden swords and could decide which brother was superior quicker. Jaime thought shields were boring compared to the thrill of swinging a sword, while his younger half-brother did think they were needed but also wanted Jaime to train with him rather than view him as "boring."
A tall man with a stern face and long blonde hair was watching the brothers. Tygett Lannister, the younger brother of Lord Tywin by eight years, was overseeing the sword training of his nephews. A strong man, Tygett was the master-at-arms at Casterly Rock, his skills being as good as to have no one claim his appointment was merely nepotistic. Well, no one who did not wish to have Lord Tywin sentence them to work in the gold mines, of course.
Tygett certainly had his differences with his older brother, as witnessed by his other three siblings, who knew Tygett hated being "Tywin's servant," as he so labeled himself. But regardless of what he thought of Tywin, Tygett never took that out on Jaime nor Jason, whose training he watched over whenever Tywin was serving as Hand of the King in King's Landing.
"You can't just wait for Jaime to make a mistake, Jason," Tygett instructed. "You have to act quickly in a fight, let your body move on its on own rather than thinking to much. Otherwise one of your opponent's comrades will stab you in the side when you are caught unaware."
Jason attempted to fully comprehend and take in the advice of his uncle, but Jaime, always quick to sense a weakness in his opponent, swung down hard once more with his wooden blade. Luckily, it was here Jason took Tygett's words to heart. He stepped to the outside and pushed Jaime's blade down with his own before attempting to have the wooden sword strike at his brother's neck.
Unfortunately for Jason, Jaime was quite clever himself with a blade in hand. As the tip of Jason's sword was approaching his throat, Jaime stepped to his left and ducked. Before Jason could react, he felt a stabbing pain in his right side just beneath his ribs, and he knew Jaime had beaten him.
He attempted to turn and face Jaime, but with the sword's jab having caught him by surprise, Jason instead slipped and fell onto his back. Jaime stood over him and brought his sword next to Jason's neck.
"I yield."
With those words leaving his half-brother's mouth, Jaime smiled, put away his practice sword, and extended a hand toward Jason. The less successful son of Tywin sighed and grabbed it as his bigger brother pulled him up.
"You're better than yesterday," Jaime stated. "Now, would you be as kind as to actually defeat me? It is getting dreadfully repetitive to have to see you flat on your back every day, Jason."
"I'm trying," Jason said, almost whining to defend himself, "but every time I get better, you somehow outsmart me every time."
"Forgive me, little brother, but how can you say that is exactly my fault?"
"Enough, both of you," Tygett scolded. "You both have made remarkable progress in your training. I would much rather you were to lose a practice bout within the confines of the Rock than be fatally wounded on the field of battle."
"Of course, uncle, because then Jaime can't cry out for his dearly beloved Cersei," Jason teased.
"She is not my beloved," Jaime countered.
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Both of you, enough," Tygett again intervened, his voice louder than before. "The two of you should praise each other for a good spar and cease this ridiculous arguing. You may be children, but you both have the blood of the Lion, so stop acting like mewling kittens."
Tygett was a very large and intimidating man, well-suited for his role as a master-at-arms. Contrasting with Tywin, who was not overwhelmingly muscular yet whose height and stature could scare a man's soul from his body, Tygett made sure to have a large stature as befitting of a true warrior. Tygett's long blond hair flowed down past his shoulders, and while his face had no beard to indicate his age, the scar on his left eye, given to him by a mercenary in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, allowed all at Casterly Rock to understand his experience as a soldier.
The two brothers sighed and shook hands, exasperated smiles on their faces.
"I'll get you next time," Jason claimed with a wide smile.
"Can't wait," Jaime replied with an even larger grin adorned on his own visage. Jason never hated Jaime for beating him again and again during their practices because, rather than demean and bully him, his older half-brother instead pushed him to further himself in combat. It mattered little to Jason that Jaime did it for his own self-improvement as much as it was for Jason's spirit, just that Jaime would never push him down.
The two boys were on their way out from the barracks when they heard a lady's heels coming down the steps from just outside. Jaime and Jason opened the door and looked outside to see two females, though the bastard of Tywin would only be happy to see one of them.
Genna Lannister, the larger of the two women, was at the forefront. The younger sister of Lord Tywin by five years, Genna was a tall woman as if to show off her pride as a Lannister. She had the usual bright blonde hair of her family that was currently wrapped in a bun, atop a body that was blessed by the Mother to have a large chest and wide hips.
Of course, having a child helped mold that figure a good deal. She was married to Emmon Frey, second son to Lord Walder Frey of the Twins when she was a small girl due to the weakness of her father, Lord Tytos Lannister "the Toothless Lion." Their first child, Cleo Frey, was a year younger than Jason, inheriting his father's brown hair and weasely face even as he had his mother's blue eyes. She had another, Lyonel, who shared his brother's facial features whilst being three years younger.
The other lady, who Jason was far less enthused to see, was Cersei Lannister. She was wearing a red gown, her blonde hair flowing down her back freely. As she descended the steps, Jason knew his half-sister was keeping within herself many remarks about his continued failure to defeat Jaime in practice. When she faced the two, Cersei greeted him with a smile, one which Jason recognized as her feeling superior over her bastard sibling.
"Hello brothers," Cersei said with an extra song in her voice, "can I assume that our dear Jaime was once again victorious on this day?"
Jaime sighed. "Indeed I was, though Jason certainly did not make it easy for me. He's learned some clever moves in sparring, I will say."
"Just like the founder of House Lannister," Genna said, her tone maternal in nature. "Lann the Clever would be proud of how far his blood has come in learning the art of combat."
"Perhaps, Aunt Genna," Cersei remarked, her wide grin as forged as ever, "but it does not change the fact that poor Jason Hill has once again fallen short of beating Jaime. Oh, poor thing, whatever will we do with you?"
"If Jaime is to be the greatest swordsman who ever lived," Jason indignantly replied, "I would be well-satisfied as the second best if we could fight alongside each other. Once he becomes the Lord of Casterly Rock, I will be the hill on which the Lion sits to watch over his kingdom."
"Maybe so," Cersei smirked. "It does seem, befitting the status of your birth, that you are fit to forever be beneath the feet of a true Lannister son for the rest of your days."
"Cersei, that's enough of that," Genna warned her niece, her voice as deep as a lioness preparing to roar.
Thank the gods for aunts and uncles, Jason thought to himself. Whenever Cersei was being exceptionally mean to Jason or Tyrion, such as any time available on a usual day, his father's brothers and sister would always make up for her demeanor with kindness towards him. From stern Tygett and jovial Genna to soft-spoken Kevan and the ever-joking Gerion, they would never judge him for his name or birth, and so they made him realize that Casterly Rock was the home he was meant to have.
On that note, Tygett stepped out of the sparring yard, seeing his sister and niece.
"Good evening to you both, sister and niece," Tygett greeted them, taking a slight bow towards each of them.
Cersei performed a small curtsy whereas Genna exhibited a warm smile.
"A good evening to you as well, little brother," Genna replied, her manner less formal and more friendly than usual. "Is our Jaime correct that Jason is improving mightily in his sword training?"
"Indeed he is," Tygett said with a tinge of pride in his voice. "Both of them are turning into incredible fighters at such a young age. It will be as if Aemon and Baelon, the sons of King Jaehaerys, have come again."
Genna took a whiff of the air and was suddenly less than pleased, his nose wrinkling in response.
"I certainly hope Jaehaerys's sons did not smell so putrid. Boys, go along and have the serving girls get baths ready for you. When you're done with those, bring Tyrion along for supper. And no messing around, I do not wish to wait until the hour of the owl to have my meal."
"Yes, Aunt Genna," Jaime and Jason replied, their heads hung low as if they were dutiful and sullen boys. The latter term could not be accurately used to describe them, however, as the two brothers soon had large smiles on their faces.
"Race you there," Jason challenged.
"I'll beat you," Jaime retorted. The two quickly turned and ran down the hallway past confused servants, the laughing lads eager to see who could descend the stairs faster toward the bathing chambers.
Genna put a hand on her face and sighed.
"Tywin is going to have me put to death for this, I'm sure of it. 'How dare you make my sons fools, you idiot. Are you trying to bring ruin to our house?' I can hear it now."
"Then don't tell him," Tygett said. "The only time these boys can be the slightest bit free from pressure is when their father is off serving Aerys as Hand."
He turned his attention to Cersei. "Do you hear that? Do not tell your father about your brothers and their…competitive nature. For their sake."
"As you wish, dear uncle," said Cersei, who had every intention of telling their father all about her brothers' mischievous activities.
Jaime and Jason were both lying back in their baths, their tubs being parallel to each other, as two servant girls were cleaning their hair with soaps and lotions. The two of them each thought to themselves how one of the best parts of practice fights in the training yard was the nice bath afterward. There was no better time for a nice cleaning than after a full day of exhaustive and sweat-filled practice sparring.
"Hey Jaime," asked Jason, his head facing forward, "can you please have our sister be decent towards me or Tyrion and not just her precious twin?"
Jaime sighed. "I've already tried, Jason. I keep reminding her that we are family, but she does not wish to hear any of it."
"You would be a terrible maester," Jason replied. "You can never convince anyone to do anything that they should do."
"Well thank goodness for that. I don't want to be one of those wrinkly old men, reading books for all eternity and advising whichever lord has the biggest coffers."
"Reading books whenever I am told to does not seem to be a bad punishment to me," Jason said. While Jaime was not fond of his studies, Jason was engaged with reading at a young age. He was taught about math, medicine, and astronomy like his siblings, but he especially enjoyed history, from the days of the Dawn Age to the Blackfyre Rebellions. It also allowed him to do something with Tyrion, who was already trying to read books at just five years of age.
"Father would never let you be a maester, Jason. Do you think he would ever let a son of his serve any lord he deems inferior?"
"No. But doesn't he think all lords beneath him are inferior except for the king himself?"
Jaime smiled. "That's the joke."
"Well maybe if I were a maester, I can find a medicine to make sisters treat their brothers better than if I were some thief who had two of his fingers cut off for stealing a piece of gold from Father's mines," Jason said, moreso exasperated than angry at Cersei's continued mistreatment. Her insults had honestly been going on for quite a while to the point that he was, unfortunately, starting to get used to the continuous flurry of demeaning comments from his half-sister.
And that's nothing compared to how Cersei views Tyrion, Jason thought to himself. I have to make sure Cersei and Tyrion aren't by themselves in a room, or else she'd probably kick and beat him for as long as she could. Or worse.
"Just...please try to deal with her for a bit longer," Jaime requested, almost as if he was begging his brother. "Someday, she will go run off with Prince Rhaegar to be his queen and you can stay here with me."
"I feel bad for our prince."
The two brothers broke out laughing, unaware of how their negative remarks toward their sister made the servant girls cleaning them very uncomfortable. They knew that Lord Tywin Lannister's sons could not be punished for their insults towards Lady Cersei, but if they were to accidentally have an unpleasant secret slip from their lips...well, everyone in the Westerlands knew what happened to those who dare insult House Lannister in the slightest.
Once the boys were done laughing, silence filled the room except for the water in the bathing tubs gently stirring as the boys had their hair cleaned. It would be broken by Jason Hill, his tone now more solemn than before.
"Jaime, why do Cersei and Father hate Tyrion?"
The cleaning servants almost froze in place, for all who worked within the Rock itself, and even in nearby Lannisport, knew how Tyrion Lannister, known as "Tywin's Bane" by those who hated and feared the Hand of the King, was loathed by several members of his own family. Jaime, knowing that he had to answer his brother's question so he would not keep asking him, let out a large sigh and turned toward Jason.
"Jason, do you remember my mother, Lady Joanna Lannister?"
Jason laid back and thought as hard as he could. He was only three years of age when Lady Joanna tragically died in childbirth, so he had few memories of her compared to his elder siblings. Then again, being four years old did not mean they could remember much more than a three-year-old.
"I remember...she had long blonde hair, like Cersei. I don't remember much, but...she once stood over me as I was laying in bed. She had a very nice smile, and she held my hand in her own. And then once, I was walking beside her. I looked up at Lady Joanna, and she smiled down at me. She was always kind to me, even though I was not her own."
"Well, Mother and Father were cousins, so maybe she just liked being around her more distant family members."
Jason smiled at that, but he knew Jaime's jest was merely to lighten the mood surrounding a very heavy question.
He turned on his side in the tub to face Jaime. "So that's why they hate Tyrion? Because Lady Joanna died whilst giving birth to him?"
Jaime sighed. "You barely remember my mother, yet you know she was kind and warm towards you. Toward me, Cersei, and Father, she was even more tender and gentle. Cersei and I loved her very much, and Father was truly kind whenever she was around him. When she passed, Cersei and Father took it especially hard, and they thought to blame the one who took Lady Joanna and her soft heart away."
"But Tyrion didn't mean to kill her! You and I both know that! Our aunt and uncles all know that! Why can Cersei not see that?! Why can't Fa..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. To insult his half-sister was one issue; he did not fear her wrath. But when he heard the word "Father" begin to leave his mouth, Jason could not finish. All four children feared the stern disappointment of their father, a towering figure that silenced any petty squabbles between his offspring and commanded their attention without uttering a word to them.
Jaime sighed. "Jason, let's just finish our bath and bring Tyrion to dinner."
The two of them then turned their heads to see their poor servant girls looking mortified at what the two boys had been discussing. Jason saw the fear on their faces and felt some guilt at having them overhear their personal and emotional conversation.
"Would you please bring us some clothes? I believe you've cleaned our heads sufficiently, and we do not wish to be late for our meal."
Nodding hurriedly, the two women left the room and closed the door behind them. Jaime smiled as he looked at Jason.
"Next time, dear brother, let us have these talks somewhere more private. Otherwise, there won't be anyone in the Rock because you keep making them afraid to speak a word to anyone about what they have heard here."
Sucking pig, freshly killed in a hunt, was served at the table, adorned with basil and accompanied by red & green peppers, lettuce, and potatoes. To complement the tender pig was a pheasant, its well-cooked body covered in a luscious gravy with onions forming a circle at the outer edge of the plate. Bowls of blackberries covered the table in addition to salads consisting of cabbage, turnips, and olives whilst being covered in a lemon-flavored dressing. To fill the stomachs of every guest at the table, warm bread and accompanying tomato soup were provided. The children would drink a very honeyed wine from the barrels of Lannisport itself, and the adults would drink either a strong ale or some Dornish red that recently arrived at Lannisport's own ports.
It was a lavish feast, prepared by Casterly Rock's finest cooks to be enjoyed by the wealthiest nobles in all the Seven Kingdoms.
Among the guests at the dinner table were all four of Tywin Lannister's children: Tyrion was the most on the left relative to his side of the table, followed by Jason sitting next to him, then Jaime, and then Cersei. Their side also had Genna Lannister sitting beside her niece, then her husband, Emmon Frey, and finally their eldest son Cleos as Lyonel was currently with a wet nurse, Genna thinking he was too young to come to such a large meal.
On the other side of the table were the three younger Lannister brothers: Tygett sat the most to his left, Gerion was adjacent to him, and finally Kevan was situated on the right side of his little brother. Next to Kevan, younger than Tywin by four years, was Dorna Swyft, his small but friendly wife who was younger than her husband by seven years. Jason often heard that the happiest marriages involved plenty of children, yet Uncle Kevan and Aunt Dorna seemed to be very happy with one another in spite of their lack of children, having just met three years prior and then married last year. He also thought it odd that Tygett and Gerion were not married, knowing that his father would likely prefer to have them produce additional Lannister sons and daughters for political reasons.
Regardless of which lords and ladies were currently married, the family enjoyed the exquisite meal provided to them. Jason took a piece of suckling pig and a piece of pheasant, making sure to get a good portion of gravy and vegetables to complement them. He ripped a piece of bread straight from the loaf, dipped it in the tomato soup, and then dipped it in the pheasant's gravy to bring the two savory tastes together. When he put it in his mouth, Jason felt as if his tongue was in disbelief at how delicious the joined tastes were.
"Jason," his aunt said from near the other table end, "eat the meats before they are no longer hot. Pig and pheasant will give you strength, and I do not wish for you to fill up so soon on bread."
"Of course," Cersei interjected. "After all, Jaime will not wish to spar with Jason if he's round and plump as a pregnant pig."
Genna gave Cersei a displeased look as Kevan sighed. But rather than lose his temper, Jason smiled at his half-sister.
"Indeed, dear sister. You would know most of all since you need to make sure Prince Rhaegar never sees you as a portly princess who spends her days shoving cakes and pies into her mouth."
Cersei gave Jason a murderous look, little Tyrion giggled, and their uncles sighed in exasperation. Well, not Uncle Gerion. He was holding back a hearty laugh at his brother's offspring dueling each other through words.
"Well, when I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, I will make sure to put you to good use serving House Lannister. Perhaps you can go sail off to the ruins of Old Valyria and find our ancestors' Valyrian steel sword, Brightroar. If you recall your history, King Tommen II of the Rock foolishly took the heirloom with him to the Freehold in search of treasure before he disappeared with the blade. But I have no doubt that the Stone Men will open their greyscale-ridden hearts to you, little brother."
"You're right, Cersei. After all, you don't have any heart to speak of, so the Stone Men would just think you were some sort of demon."
On the one hand, Jaime did try to have all three of his siblings get along, and he hated to see the fight with one another. But on the other hand, it could be very funny, especially at times like this.
"Please, no more of this," Kevan pleaded. "Could we have some music in here?"
On that note, one of the servants picked up his lute and stood in front of the Lannister family. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and began to sing:
We hail to Aegon, Westeros's first king
To him and his sisters do we all sing
First, the Dragon flew to Harrenhal
Soon House Hoare was nothing at all
Then he fought the Arrogant Deer
But Orys took his life and daughter dear
Lannister and Gardener fought as one
Knowing something had to quickly be done
But Aegon and his sisters reigned down dragonflame
And so they ended the Gardener name
The King in the North knew his kingdom would melt
So to save his people, Lord Torrhen Stark knelt
Lord Hightower saw a terrible fate
So to save himself, he opened his gates
Dorne fought back as long as they could
But they did join thanks to Daeron the Good
Now we sit and laugh and sing
And we all thank Aegon, Westeros's first king
The Lannisters at the table, as well as those who had differing names, all applauded the man, having sung an old tune called "All Hail the Dragon King". It had differing lyrics before Dorne had entered the fold, and it was actually crafted with the help of Queen Rhaenys, sister-wife to Aegon the Conquerer. But few remembered the old lyrics, and they seemed out of place with Dorne now sitting as one of the Seven Kingdoms.
For most of the meal afterward, those seated would discuss what was occurring at Casterly Rock and elsewhere. Kevan, the acting Lord of the Rock in Tywin's until Jaime came of age, detailed his day listening to many folk come up to him in court to state their grievances, from brigands hiding in the woods to land disputes between two lords. Jaime looked bored at his uncle's words, something Jason took notice of.
Father will not be pleased, he thought to himself. He desires Jaime to learn how to be a lord beyond just swinging a sword. If Father lets me, I could advise Jaime when we are in court.
They also discussed the pages and squires who were residing at Casterly Rock and were training with Jaime and Jason. The one who got along best with the two boys was Addam Marbrand, son and heir to Lord Damon Marbrand of Ashemark. Jaime met him first, and when he introduced Addam to Jason, the bastard of Casterly Rock was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the heir to Ashemark overcame the status of Jason's birth to recognize his skill with a sword. Now both Jaime and Jason were glad any time they could train with Addam, who they both considered to be a good friend more than any of the other pages staying as guests, such as Steffon Stackspear or Quentyn Banefort.
Genna discussed how Walder Frey, her husband's father, notified them that his fourth wife, Alyssa Blackwood, had fallen ill in the months after giving birth to her daughter, Tyta Frey. Genna snarked on how Walder Frey was licking his lips to have so a younger girl could give him even more children than he already possessed, and Emmon, ever the timid one, did nothing to defend his family's honor. Not that they had any to defend, of course.
Near the end of the meal, Kevan let slip the most important piece of information. "I just received word from your father. He says he is returning to Casterly Rock tomorrow, and he will arrive in approximately forty days. Fifty, should the weather be troublesome."
The eyes of all four children grew as wide as the plates on which their food was served. No person could grab their combined attention quite like their father, especially if the news involved his return to Casterly Rock. They had last seen him two years prior and had not put much thought into the day when he would return home.
"How long will Father be staying here," Cersei asked. It was possibly the only time tonight she was not mean or contemptuous in her statements.
"He did not say. I hope he can see how much all of you have grown."
After that, there was relatively little conversation at the dinner table. Jason would soon see his plate empty as his stomach was filled with delicious meats, fruits, and vegetables. It was absolutely marvelous, and he thought whoever cooked for them should be treated better than the rest of the workers in the Rock so long as they continued to fill him and his family's stomachs in such a manner night after night.
"I hope you are not too filled, children," Gerion said, his smile indicating his amusement at his children's appetites, "for I asked the cooks to prepare an apple cake for each of you."
Jaime nudged Jason with his elbow, causing Jason to face his elder brother's playful smile. "I have an idea, Jason. We can race to the highest peak on Casterly Rock overlooking the Sunset Sea. Whoever wins will have the other's apple cake."
"Come on, Jaime. I just ate all that suckling pig and pheasant. My stomach will not be able to rest if I run that much so soon after I feasted."
The young heir to the Rock let out a sigh. "I suppose you're right, brother. Besides, Cersei told me yesterday that she believed that she could run faster than you even while wearing her shoes with the highest heels."
Cersei looked stunned at such a ridiculous comment. "I most certainly did not!"
While Jason knew his brother was lying in an attempt to provoke him, his smile grew significantly as Jaime's idea slowly grew more appealing in his head. He looked again and Jaime, who returned his half-brother's wide grin with his own. Before Genna, Kevan, or Tygett could warn the two boys otherwise, they were out the door in a race to reach the tallest cliff on Casterly Rock.
Cersei, remarkably unsurprised by what she viewed as Jaime and Jason being idiots, merely shook her head and cleaned herself off. Genna put her face in her hands and let out a loud groan at her continuous failure to reign in her two elder nephews. Her youngest nephew, tiny Tyrion, giggled at his brothers racing out of the dining hall.
"They're running away again! They're always running together!"
Gerion chuckled. He covered a piece of bread in as much gravy as possible before giving it to Tyrion, who in turn happily ate his uncle's gift of food. Kevan sighed as he stood from his chair.
"Tygett, please get the guards before those two get themselves killed."
Laughing and sprinting were Jaime Lannister and Jason Hill as they raced toward the top of the keep. Running up levels of stairs as the opening grew closer, their desire to emerge as the victor caused them to ignore anything else their bodies were experiencing. For instance, as Jason predicted, the food which the boys had just consumed was not sitting well with the strenuous activity, with only the brothers' excitement and rushing blood keeping them from feeling nauseous.
They were getting close to the main entrance that those residing within Casterly Rock used to enter the stone fortress. Jaime was ahead of Jason, albeit by a small margin. But Jason knew Jaime could use a burst of speed to gain a much larger advantage over him, so as they saw the last of the sun's light shine on them through the main entrance, the younger son of Tywin used his secret weapon.
"Hey, Jaime! Cersei wanted to tell you something before you ran out of the room!"
With any other person, this pathetic trick would have not fooled them. But Jason knew how absurdly close Jaime was to his sister, though he honestly could not understand why, and he had a feeling that it would work. As he predicted, Jaime stopped and turned his head back towards Jason. When he saw his half-brother's smile closing in on him, Jaime knew he had made a grave mistake.
"She said I'm the King of the Hill!"
Jason rushed past Jaime, who stood there both stunned and impressed by his brother's trick. He started to run again, his speed even greater than before as Jason's trickery invigorated his spirit and his legs.
Faster and faster the brothers ran, both of them now having the highest cliff at the Rock within their sights. Jaime ran as fast as he could and put every ounce of remaining strength into his legs in an attempt to surpass Jason. But on this day, Jason, knowing he had to beat Jaime in something if not sparring, had just enough spirit and determination to win.
When Jason finally made it to the tallest cliff at Casterly Rock, he fell on his knees in the grass. After catching his breath, he raised his fists to the sky and let out the loudest yell he could:
"I'M THE KING OF THE HILL!"
He hoped his cry could be heard all throughout Westeros, from Lonely Light in the Sunset Sea to Sunspear in Dorne. But as Jason was reveling in his victory, the wave of nausea that he had ignored in his race with Jaime struck his stomach like a Valyrian steel blade. He lay on his back and breathed heavily, not wishing for his food to leave his body the same way it entered. Turning his head to the right, he saw Jaime on his hands and knees experiencing the same nauseous feeling as Jason.
Jaime smiled through his attempts not to retch as he looked up at Jason. "Are you still satisfied with your victory?"
Jason quietly chuckled. "I would rather lose the contents of my stomach as a winner than a loser. But if it makes you feel any better, I do not think I will be eating that apple cake after all."
The two brothers laughed on the ground as Kevan arrived with about twenty guards.
"I hope you two are happy. I would punish you for this, but I believe the pains in your stomachs are punishment enough for both of you. The two of you and Tyrion will spend the rest of the evening studying with Maester Sarwin. I will warn you that anything like this will force me to tell your father about what you too have been up to. I am sure Cersei and you two remember the last time Lord Tywin caught you doing something foolish."
At that comment, Jason gave Jaime a displeased look, and the latter sighed as he knew why. If there was one thing Jason and Cersei agreed on, that incident with the cliffs was completely Jaime's fault.
Two guards each helped the sons of Tywin off of the ground as they were escorted back to their chambers within the Rock. Jaime and Jason knew that they would have a short time left to have fun as children before their father arrived home from the capital.
After all, the four children at Casterly Rock all knew that no one would dare defy Father, no matter what he desired of them.
...
...
Author's Notes:
Hey there! This chapter is FINALLY looking at the main character of this story and his childhood at Casterly Rock.
Next up, a flashback chapter! It will be from the shared POV of Jaime, Jason, and Cersei. HINT: it will be about something mentioned in S1, E1 of Game of Thrones. This is where we will see Tywin Lannister for the first time in this story.
But for now, I just hope you enjoy this chapter. Hope to post the next one soon!