Pairing: Tywin x (daughter) Reader, Tyrion x (sister) reader
Warnings: NoneâŚbut itâs my first and itâs a little long⌠Eh, Tywin may be a little OOC. Â
Summary: You are the youngest Lannister daughter and are struggling with your reading, so you get help from your brother, Tyrion. Â Reader is six years old. Â Mostly fluff.
Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, and previous Hand of the King sat in his study, pouring over documents and filling in signatures. Â He hadnât gotten any sleep the past few days, mainly because the fools of the Eyrie didnât know how to strike a proper bargain. Â Lord Tywin had never liked the Lady Arryn but while her husband, the true Lord of the Eyrie was away, he was forced to make political agreements and meet her terms.
There was a knock on the door, and he looked up, frowning. Â Everyone knew not to disturb him when he worked on his documents. Â It was either something important or a rather stupid servant. Â He called for them to open the door.
The servant that stood before him was young and broad-chested. Â Heâd probably make a good soldier in a few years, but Tywin never took the time to learn his servantsâ names. Â This boy was no different. Â He swallowed, and Tywin raised an eyebrow.
âMy lord,â the servant began. Â Then he stopped talking.
âYes?â Tywin said, looking straight at him. Â âYou came into my study during a critical time, clearly you have something to tell me.â
Tywin could see the boy swallow away the lump in his throat. Â His fingers drummed the desk, and he glanced at the tower of documents at the table. Â
âMy lord, itâs about your daughter,â the boy said, and Tywinâs attention was automatically caught. The boy couldnât tell this though, for Tywin kept his same stoic expression. Â âThe Septas have been looking for her, but she seems to have disappeared. Â They say sheâs not doing well in her lessons and that sheâs struggling with her reading.â
Tywinâs face hardened, remembering a similar experience with his eldest son, Jaime. Â
âVery well, you are dismissed,â Lord Tywin said to the boy.
He nodded and fled the room. Tywin looked over at the documents. Y/N, his daughter, would have to wait until he finished the bulk of these. Â He had a pretty good idea where she was hiding. Â The girl had never been too good at keeping secrets.
As Tywin worked, he mused on his daughter. Â He thought that his late wife was finished giving birth when she gave birth to Tyrion, but Y/N had come more than a decade later, a pleasant surprise for all of them. Tywin hadnât expected to be a father again, and he worried for his wife, that her body couldnât handle it, but she had given birth to a healthy daughter. Â His wife had named her Y/N, though Tywin had wanted to name her after an ancestor. Â Lady Joanna had insisted on Y/N though, so they went with that.
Tywin finished up his paperwork and left his office, ignoring the bowing servants and âmilordâs as he walked through the stronghold. Â He left the castle and went through the gardens. Â Since he had told Y/N that her mother had loved the gardens, they had become her favorite place. Â Sure enough, he saw her seated on a bench below one of the larger trees.
He cleared his throat loudly, and she turned to look at him with those striking emerald eyes âJoannaâs eyes. Â His daughter was only six and as gentle as a hummingbird. Â Her long golden hair splashed down her back. Â Of all his children, she looked the most like her mother.
It was as if the child realized the danger she was in with her fatherâs arrival. Â She jumped to her feet, smoothed her dress and curtsied before him.
âGood afternoon, father,â she said with all the bearing of a lady at court. Â She knew her courtesies well.
âWhy arenât you in your lesson, Y/N?â he asked, cutting to the point. Â It was true he was probably softer with her than his other children, but that was only because she hadnât caused him nearly as much grief. Â When a child misbehaved though, it was a fatherâs duty to correct that child.
âI donât like the septa,â Y/N said. Â âSheâs boring.â
âI donât care if you like the septa. Â Youâre learning to read. Â Children outside these walls donât get that opportunity. Â Someday you will thank me for everything Iâve done for you,â he said. âLet go of your pride and do your lesson. Â The house that puts the familyâs name before its own selfish whims ââ
âWill be the house that history remembers,â she finished for him. Â She glared up at him. Â âI just donât like reading. Â Iâm not good at it, and I canât do it. Â No matter how hard I try, I donât understand the letters.â
âYou are not working hard enough,â he said.
âI spent two hours looking at the same page, and when the septa asked me to read aloud, I couldnât do it,â she argued. Â The girl definitely had spunk. Â A Lannister needed that to get along in the world, but she needed to learn there were better times than others for it. Â âAll I do is stare at the page. Â I know the letters. Â I see the septa write them, and I can go through the alphabet. Â The septa says my penmanship is wonderful, but when I have to read a word, the letters move around on the page and I canât make any sense of them!â Â
Tywin nodded, and she was quiet. Â He had dealt with this before.
âYour brother Jaime was the same way,â he said.  âThe maesters told me that he also mixed up the letters on the page.  YesâŚI wondered if this would happen again.â
âAnd how did Jaime learn to read?â Y/N asked. Â
A determined look flashed across Tywinâs face.
âI sat him down with the maester four hours each day,â he said. Â âWhich is exactly what Iâll do with you.â
âSilence!â He cut her off. âRemember your courtesies, young lady. You will thank me for this. Â A Lannister needs to know how to read! Jaime was angry with me too, but now he can read!â
âBut four hours!â The girl looked close to tears, and for a rare moment, Tywin did feel something tear at his heart, but he was determined.
âA lady doesnât say âbutâ,â he said. Â It was something that Joanna used to say to Cersei when she argued with her. Â âGo back to your lesson now. Â I shall speak with your septa about the changes in your scholarly pursuits.â
Y/Nâs pink lips quivered for a moment, and then she curtsied before her father and ran off. Â Tywin watched her go, slightly amused, but slightly angry at her behavior. Â Cersei had been much more rebellious, so he at least should have been grateful that he didnât have to deal with that. Â He didnât particularly like upsetting his daughter, though. Â She was the last thing of Joanna he had, and he was determined to give her the best life he could.
Being a father as well as a lord could be difficult at times.
At the end of your lesson, you were fuming at the septa. Â Your head pounded and your eyes were sore from constantly staring at the page. You offered a short and stiff curtsy and then left as soon as the lesson ended. Â You never wanted to see your septa ever again. Â In fact, you would run away from the Rock and make your father miss you so much that he would find you. Â That would really show him.
You loved your father like none other, but he could be stiff at times. Â He was the proud lord lion of Casterly Rock, you reminded yourself. Â He was held to different standards than the small folk. Â Jaime supposedly had the same problem with words that you had, but Jaime got to run around and play with a sword, and then he got to be a knight. Â Why did it matter if you could or couldnât read? Â Your father would wed you to a handsome lord when you were older, and youâd raise the babies while your lord husband signed important papers.
In your room, you tried to forget all about your lesson by combing through one of your dollsâ hair. The door opened and your father entered; the brush you used on the doll stopped halfway through its silk hair.
âWhat are you doing here?â You asked.
âThe septa told me that you needed to study outside of your lessons,â he said firmly. Â âWhere are your books?â
âI just got out of my lesson! Â I need a break!â You cried.
âYour mind is sharpest right after a lesson,â he said. Â âDo you want to learn to read or not?â
âI donât want to learn!â You snapped.
You had crossed a line, and you knew it. Â Your fatherâs eyes narrowed dangerously. Â
âYou will read those books, Y/N, and I wonât ask you again,â he said in a low voice.
You shrunk back, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape your eyes. Â You hated disappointing your father; he was your hero, but he just didnât understand how hard it was for you to read! Â You watched as he left the room. Â You didnât move for a moment, and when he was gone, you threw your doll against the wall.
You picked up the book and tried to read it, determined to show your father, but the more you looked at it, the worse your headache got and you found you just couldnât do it.
You woke up with your face on the book. Â You panicked slightly, aware that that was not proper for a lady. Â By the sky outside your window, you knew it wasnât time for supper yet. Â You sighed with relief. Â Then you picked up the book. Â You didnât want to visit the septa, but maybe if you just studied for many hours at once, she could get it all done and over with. Â Hugging the book, you stomped past your broken doll and out the room.
Every step taken was tortuous. Â You really, really did not want to see the septa. Â What did that old lady know anyways? Â Why couldnât your father give you a fun teacher? Â Maesters were always more fun than septas.
âSister,â a deep voice suddenly rang in your ears. Â âDoes father know that you are wandering the Rock by yourself?â
Your heart stopped. Â You turned and saw your older brother, Tyrion, standing there. Â Even though he grinned at you, you felt a shiver pass up your spine. Â She had always been more than a little frightened of him.
Tyrion wasnât like Jaime or Cersei. Â He was only slightly taller than you, but whereas you were six, he was a man. Â His hair was as blonde as yours and his eyes as green, but his forehead was too big, and his arms and legs were too short. He wasnât handsome in the least, and Cersei had told you that Tyrion had killed your mother. Â Jaime had insisted it wasnât true, but Cersei said that Tyrion had forced mother to care for him when he had a contagious illness, and she had died for it. Â You hadnât even been a year old, and because of that you didnât have a mother.
âHeâs a monster, Y/N, and monsters donât show remorse,â Cersei had said to you.
You stared at your brother, fingers clutching the book. Â You wanted to run, but you knew you needed to be brave. Â He wasnât really a monster. Â He was frightening, but he was still your big brother. Â Jaime got along with Tyrion after all.
âIâm going to the septa,â you said shortly. Â âIâm learning to read.â
âAre you mixing up the letters on the page?â Tyrion asked in a dry tone.
âUmâŚâ How did he know that was your problem?  âYesâŚâ
âJust like Jaime, or so I hear,â he said. Â âDonât go to the septa. Â Sheâll bore you to tears with her lessons. Â It looks like she already has.â
âI have to learn to read so father will be happy,â you snapped, embarrassed. Â
âYes, we must keep father happy,â Tyrion said.
âI need to go,â you said.
When you turned away, Tyrion suddenly touched your arm. Â You froze, remembering what Cersei had told you. Â Tyrion looked kind of funny, but could he really be a monster? Â What if you died because he touched you? Â Maybe thatâs why your mother had died!
âB-brother,â you stammered, voice squeaking.
âIâll teach you to read,â he said. Â âIâve read a lot, and Iâve even stumbled on some of the histories of Casterly Rock that recorded other children with the same problems you were having.â
âFather wants me to study with the septa,â you replied weakly.
âFather wants you to learn how to read,â he said. Â âDo you want to please father?â
You nodded meekly, and he smiled.
âThen follow me,â he said.
Your heart sank, and you imagined for a moment a maiden following a dragon into its lair. Â Tyrion was no dragon; he was too small, but you couldnât help but be scared regardless. Â You frowned. Lannisters didnât get scared. Â You would learn how to read no matter what.
On the way to Tyrionâs chambers, he actually talked to you.
âFather rarely lets you see me,â he said. Â âI remember when you were born. Â Iâve never seen father smile like that before. Â I suppose after me, you were everything he could have asked for. Â You were a beautiful babe, and it looks to me like youâve grown to be a beautiful girl. Â You have motherâs features.â
How could he talk so easily of mother? Â Didnât he feel guilty?
âThank you,â you whispered. âFather keeps me in lessons most the time.â
âAnd apart from the reading, how are those going? Â Do you understand the laws of the land and the science? Â I hated learning about the agriculture personally,â he said.
Before you could think, you said: Â âI do too. I hate that part.â Â You suddenly shut your mouth. Â Had you just agreed with your brother?
âAh, here we go,â Tyrion said. Â âMy room. We shouldnât be in here too long, but Iâll teach you more than the septas will.â
âWith magic?â You asked.
âWhat do you think I am? An imp with magical powers! Â Is that what Cersei told you?â he asked. Cersei had never said that, but you couldnât help but imagine it. Â âNo, if I knew magic, Iâd make myself as tall as Jaime. Â No, weâre going to learn the old fashioned way.â
âI wonât learn to read by supper?â You asked faintly.
âIâm afraid not,â he said. âYouâll have to come back each day, but I promise you I will make it much more painless than the septaâs ramblings. Â Youâll be reading in no time.â
And then he pulled out a seat for you at his desk and took the book from you. Â He laid it on the table, and a devilish smirk appeared on his face.
âLetâs begin,â he said, and you sat down, feeling your hands and feet shake.
You had been visiting Tyrion in secret for a week. Â You were never told to stay away from your brother, but father also made a point of keeping you as far away from him as possible. Â With Tyrion as your teacher, you were able to see improvements you never thought possible. Â Even the septa praised you when you actually read two sentences aloud and only had to pause a few times. Â Tyrion didnât use magic, but he may as well have.
What really confused you though was that you were actually starting to like your brother. Â What would Cersei say? Â Perhaps Jaime would be happy for you. Â Tyrion was kind to you and very patient when you made mistakes. Â He was constantly egging you on, but in a way that showed he really cared.
âYou know this word,â he said as you hovered over the same word for over a minute.  âYou can do itâŚâ
âDâŚRâŚG⌠No, thatâs not right.â  The letters were moving again.  âDâŚRâŚAâŚ.Dragon!â
Tyrion applauded you, and you blushed. Â You then read the sentence aloud:
âAegon I Targaryen rode on the dragon Balerion in the War of Conquest!â Your voice went up a notch at the end, and again Tyrion applauded you.
âWonderful!â He said. âWonderful! Â Can you read the next sentence?â
âAegonâs sister-wifeâŚVâŚVisâŚVisenya mounted Vhagar as her steed.â  You glanced up at Tyrion, praying youâd gotten the sentence right, and by his smile, you knew you had.  âI did it!  Iâm learning to read, Tyrion!  Youâre the best!â
You kept improving, and you actually sought out books to try and read. Â Most of them you couldnât, but you could understand a lot more than you could before. Â Four days later, you were in yet another lesson with Tyrion. Â He no longer frightened you, and Cerseiâs words seem to fade.
You had finally reached the part in your heavy book that spoke of House Lannister.
âLord Tytos Lannister was the eldest of four.  He was named heir in 236 AC of Casterly RockâŚâ your eyes skimmed the page.  Then you gasped.  âJason Lannister!â
âJason Lannister was Tytosâs younger brother. Â Tytos was our grandfather! Â Jason was our other grandfather! Â He was motherâs father!â You cried. Â âMother and father were cousins?â
âI thought you knew that,â Tyrion said. Â âBesides, cousins are one thing, but the Targaryens married their brothers and sisters for centuries.â
âItâs like how Cersei wants to marry Jaime,â you said.
âY-Y/N âŚâ Tyrion winced. âI donât know how you know that, but you mustnât say a word to father.â
You stared at the page and your finger found Lady Joannaâs name.
âWhat was mother like?â You whispered.
Tyrion froze and didnât answer immediately. Â Then he swallowed, and he smiled in a way that made him as handsome as Jaime. Â
âShe was beautiful,â Tyrion said.  âShe was my best friend, my champion.  She was always encouraging me to be better, and when I cried, she held me.â  He looked out the window, and you watched him intently.  âWhen I learned that dragons had gone extinct, I was a mess.  I cried myself to sleepâŚbut when I woke up, mother was holding me in her arms and telling me everything would be alright.  She had a beautiful voice tooâŚâ
âCersei said mother died while taking care of you,â you whispered.
Tyrion looked down at his hands.
âThatâs true,â he breathed. âI was probably old enough to not need my mommy, but I begged the maesters to let me see her, and she came right away and cared for me.  She stayed by my side all nightâŚand thenâŚit was all so suddenâŚshe was gone.â
Tyrion was a man, but his lip trembled like a childâs. Â He didnât blink, like he was determined not to let the tears come. Â He was always so carefree, sarcastic, and witty. Â You had never seen this side of him before.
You reached under the table and held his stubby hand.
âThank you for telling me about mother,â you whispered. Â
You found yourself outside your fatherâs study. Â He would be finished with his paperwork in any moment. Â You waited there, going over again and again Tyrionâs cheers in your mind. The door opened, and Tywin stared down at you. Â You drew yourself up as tall as could be, but he still towered over you.
âDo you need something, Y/N?â he asked.
You nodded, but didnât answer. Â Without a word, you strode right inside his study. Â You heard you father sigh behind you and follow.
âWhat is the meaning of this?â he asked you. Â âHave you finished your studies today?â Â You reached up and took the first bit of parchment off the stack. Â âCareful, Y/N, those are important documents. Â They canât be lost ââ
âLord Randyll TarlyâŚLord of House TarlyâŚTo whom it may concernâŚWe are in the process of building a bridge to help ensure our grains come quicker to the capital.â  You looked up from the sentence and hid your smile. Then you continued, and you read the entire letter out loud to your father.
When you finished, Tywin actually laughed, and you felt your cheeks go red. Â You loved it when you pleased her father. Â You had seen his smile more times than you could count, but you rarely heard a laugh.
âYou see, Y/N? Â You are a Lannister! Â You always had it in you!â He said. Â âYouâve got quite the attitude, but Iâm proud of you. Â Keep up the good work.â Â He touched your face but didnât embrace you. Â He was still a lord after all. Â âCome now, supper is waiting for us.â
You beamed at him, and they headed to the dining hall together.
After supper, you returned to Tyrion. Â You still had much farther to go, and the letters still got jumbled, but you were determined to work hard. Â You recounted the story to Tyrion, and he laughed first and then congratulated you. Â Then he hugged you.
Once again you found yourself pouring over the book. Â You finished reading the paragraph aloud and looked up at Tyrion. Â He was absent-mindedly playing with an ink bottle.
âUmâŚI have a question,â you said.
âAsk away,â Tyrion urged you.
âWell, itâs just about something that Cersei said.  She said that you spent most your time in brothels and that you hadâŚwhat were the words she used?  âŚAn appetite for whores,â you began.  âTyrion, whatâs a brothel?  And whatâs a whore?â
The ink bottle suddenly slipped from his fat fingers and shattered all over the floor.