Tywin's Rage

Randomed by Rituraj / at 6:00 PM / /

I care for them...I always have, even for that abomination I have to call my son. He is my son, after all. They are Lannisters just like me and my father before me.

They are lucky to be born Lannisters; but us Lannisters have not always been the lions that we are today of this kingdom. There were sacrifices. Sacrifices made by me and my father and his father before him. My children never seem to understand this. They certainly had no problem using the family's name, stature and gold for whatever selfish needs they had. But when it comes to upholding that family name and the accompanying sacrifices they are suddenly oblivious.

Tyrion. I lost my wife birthing him...an imp. But I always considered him my son. Whatever he ever needed for drunken whoring around was always at his disposal. And yet, when the time has come to give the Lannisters an heir he seems to find a petty girl's happiness more important. A Stark girl's happiness matters more to him than the honor of the Lannister name. A girl he hardly knew a few years ago seems more unhappy to him than a father who lost his wife and a mother who died bringing him into this world. How can anyone be so selfish. My hands shiver with rage. I neither expected nor asked Tyrion to make any sacrifices for the family's sake before. It was always gold and whores and wine and what not but never a sacrifice, never an act of selflessness for the family. And today, when he has a chance he is making me ask him to give the family an heir.

But I would be wrong to call only Tyrion selfish. If only Jamie had not joined the Kingsguard, I would not have been at the mercy of an ungrateful and selfish son. Jamie was the son that the Lannisters needed. He was everything I could ever want in my son. But it turns out that ungratefulness, selfishness and lack of regard for the family runs in all my children. He knew. Jamie knew well enough that he was the only heir after me to the Lannister name. The Rock, the place in the royal council, the commander of army, the gold, the power...everything. And yet, disregard for the family found Jamie after all. He gave it all up for protecting that king whom he owes nothing. A king who was half mad, whom he ended up killing. Why? Why can't Jamie see that there is no "king", there is no "honor", there is no "love". There is only family. A family which is why he is what he is today. A family to which he owes everything. A family that he has forgotten and abandoned.

If only he were a little more like Cersei. At least she understands that family comes first. But she is a fool. She is blinded by power, ambition and pride. Women never were the face of power and never will be. If she were half as smart as she thinks she is then she'd understand this, especially after how she pulled Robert's strings and finally got him killed. She was not the king, but she certainly was the closest thing to a king when it came to power. She had no problem marrying Robert for power then why resist marrying Loras? She should know that neither of her brothers cares about the Lannister name.

I am old. How much longer do I have to hold the strings of this kingdom? How long must I wait for my own blood, my own family, my own children to help me in carrying this very heavy Lannister name? Why is the Lannister pride, once made up of fierce lions standing up for the family by each other's side, made of a lone, old and tired lion now?