Chapter 1

Casterly Rock, the Westerlands

282 AC.

The Warden of the West sat in his solar; the hour was late. Gods a year had passed since Jaime had been sentenced unlawfully to take the Black; Cersei, his only daughter, had been forced to marry the drunken leech who now ruled Westeros.

With his puppet master Falcon as Lord Hand. Tywin had sent his nephew Lancel to be his daughter's sworn shield. He still had Damon and the monster who had killed his beloved Joanne. His son Tyrion.

Tywin's plan to destroy House Baratheon and House Arryn would take time. He had time to plan and prepare. He would mold Damon into the man needed to take Tywin's place when Tywin finally died.

To lead House Lannister to a Dynasty that would last for a thousand years. That also meant making allies and marriages. House Martell would be a worthy ally for the Wars to come.

Everyone knew what had happened: the Mad King, his good daughter Elia Martell, and her children; Princess Rhaenys, a girl of three name days; and Prince Aegon, a babe still at his mother's breast.

Slaughted like sheep. Even if Aerys had been an insane, sadistic bastard, he was still the King. What happened to Princess Martell and her children made even Tywin sick to his stomach.

Tywin himself was no saint; he had done plenty of horrible things in his lifetime. The destruction of House Reyne for one. But even Tywin knew when to draw a line in the sand, so to speak.

Tyrion could still prove useful in securing a marriage alliance to further Tywin's plan to bring the downfall of House Baratheon and House Arryn. And have a Lannister on the Iron Throne, whether that was a son from Cersei, or if they didn't work, Damon himself could take the throne.

House Lannister had been a shadow of its former self when he had become Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. His father had been a weak-willed man.

Tywin had tried to ensure that his children, mainly his sons. Jaime and Tyrion were not weak-willed like their grandfather Tytos, 'the Toothless Lion' they called him.

Damon would be raised with the same principles. Family above all else.

Castle Black, the Gift—the North

282 AC.

Jaime Lannister had never known such cold. Having spent all his younger years in the South. Castle Black was a shadow of its former self.

Lord Commander Qorgyle had Jaime assigned to the Rangers along with his good brother Benjen. Ser Allister Thorn, the Former Commander of the City Watch, had been sentenced to take the Black as well.

The Night's Watch was nothing more than a penal colony these days. Still, Jaime made the best of his situation. He quickly worked out who it was he could trust and who to steer clear of.

Benjen, himself, and Thorn were to go Beyond the Wall tomorrow. With another ranger. Mance Rayder. The son of Wilding and Night's Watchmen. Rayder had grown up in Moles Town and Castle Black.

"Lannister the Maester wants to see you. Raven's come for you." A faceless member of the Watch called to him. Jaime had been tending to his horse, preparing for their ranging mission beyond the Wall.

Jaime patted his horse on the neck, setting down his brush and making his way to the Maester's chambers.

"Maester Aemon. Someone told me a Raven had come for me."

"Indeed, it has." The aging Maester's eyesight was failing. The Maester had once been heir to the Iron Throne. Aemon Targaryen, son of Maeker I and brother of Aegon V. Uncle to Jaehaery II and great uncle to the Mad King Aery II.

Jaime returned to his billet. Breaking the scroll from his father. There had been an occasional letter from his twin sister. Cersei was in a precarious position. Being Queen. She was a prisoner shackled to the bastard who sent Jaime here to rot and die for the mere crime of loving the same woman that bastard who sat on the Iron Throne did.

The only difference was that Lyanna had loved Jaime, not Robert. His son. Gods Damon. Would grow up without Jaime or Lyanna. His good brother Ned Stark had tried to take Damon with him North.

"He's a Stark; he should be raised with his family in the North."

"Damon is my grandson and heir. He's a Lannister as well as a Stark. As he is my heir, he will remain at Casterly Rock. That is the end of the matter, Lord Stark. "Jaime's father Tywin had closed down the argument with that statement.

There were two letters for Jaime, one from his Lord Father and his younger brother Tyrion.

Jaime opened the letter from Tyrion first and began to read.

Dear Jaime

I hope this letter finds you well. Father, Damon, and I are in fine health. Our glorious sister, the Queen, has given birth to a son. Our nephew Crown Prince Joffrey is healthy and the spitting image of a Lannister.

Cersei had been with child once before; the child had come too early and had been a stillborn son they called Orys or Steffon. Jaime couldn't quite remember. Jaime read the rest of the Tyrion's letter.

Aunt Genna has had another son; they named him Lyonel Frey. Cousin Lanncel earned his spurs and has been accepted into the Kingsguard as Cersei's personal sworn shield.

Gods Speed brother, and look after yourself.

Your brother, Tyrion.

Jaime unrolled the letter from his father.

To Ser Jaime Lannister of the Night's Watch

I hope this letter finds you as well as it can in the frozen hell. Your sister, the Queen, has given birth to a healthy son. Your nephew, Crown Prince Joffrey of House Baratheon. The gods have blessed the boy to take more after his mother than his lecherous father, the king.

Your cousin is now Ser Lanncel Lannister, a part of the Kingsguard and the sworn shield of the Queen.

Your son Damon is growing like a weed; he is a smart and curious boy for his age. He is in good health and will make a fine knight and lord one day.

Your father. Lord Tywin of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, and Warden of the Westerlands.

His father had always been a man of few words. Even less after their mother, Joanna had died on the birthing bed, bringing Tyrion into the world. While Cersei and their father hated the very ground the Tyrion walked on. Jaime didn't.

To Jaime Tyrion was his brother plain and simple. It didn't matter to Jaime that Tyrion was a dwarf.

Casterly Rock, the Westerlands

282/283 AC.

Tywin had gone to King's Landing on business. The ruling of Castely Rock and the West fell upon the shoulders of his eldest younger brother, Ser Kevan Lannister.

The third of the Lannister brothers, Tygett, had returned to Casterly Rock after a visit with his lady wife Darlessa Marbrand's family. Tygett and Darlessa had yet to be blessed with children; they had been married for three years.

They had a stillborn daughter born during the rebellion. And two miscarriages in the last year.

Gerion, the youngest of the Lannister brothers, was playing with his nephew Tyrion and great-nephew Damon.

"Uncle, do you think Father will bring me a dragon for my tenth name day?" Tyrion asked Gerion.

"A dragon. Nephew you are a dreamer. Dragons have been dead for over a century," Tygett laughed at Tyrion.

Tyrion felt tears prick in his young eyes. "Don't cry, Nephew. Your Uncle Tygett is right. Dragons did die out here in Westeros over a century ago. That doesn't mean there are no dragons elsewhere in the world, Nephew." Gerion wiped his nephew's tears.

"Truly Uncle," Tyrion asked.

"Yes, it's possible that dragons are elsewhere in the world. Why don't you and Damon run along? I want to have a word with you, Uncle Tygett."

Tyrion and Damon headed back to the castle. "Why must you be so fucking cruel to Tyrion?"

"He's a dreamer and an embarrassment to our house. Tywin should have drowned him a birth."

"Tyrion may be a dwarf, but he is our blood. A Lannister all the same." Gerion shook his head at his idiotic older brother.

"Uncle, why do people call you an Imp?" Damon wondered.

"I was born a Dwarf Nephew. It means I will always be little and will not grow as tall as your grandfather or father." Tyrion answered his nephew's questions as to why people referred to him as an Imp.

'All Dwarves are bastards in their father's eyes.' Tyrion thought bitterly that his lord father never looked at him like he did Jaime or his nephew. His father and sister hated him for killing his mother the day he came into the world.

He would wear it like armor, rising above the prejudice of other people toward him. Tyrion would become a man whom his father would come to respect. One day perhaps.