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Some time passed, and Tyrion's life went on. He was constantly greeted with mockery and recurring humiliation.
But despite that, life was good. Being a dwarf wasn't pleasant, Tyrion discovered, but being a rich dwarf was better than nothing.
During that time, he even thought about asking his father for someone to teach him how to use a sword. But when Tyrion finally held a real sword, he realized he might never succeed — so he gave up.
As for his family... well, his father didn't like him, and neither did his sister. Tyrion often struggled to know which of the two disliked him more.
And his brother Jaime? He was Tyrion's only friend, the only one who still treated Tyrion decently.
It was now 281 AC. Tyrion had already turned eight. He had grown considerably for a "dwarf," which was progress, and his knowledge had increased as well; he had been studying much more.
As far as Tyrion knew, his father Tywin Lannister was the current Hand of King Aerys II.
Yes, the Targaryens were still in power at this time. Robert had not yet rebelled.
King Aerys II was, as far as Tyrion knew, the last Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne.
His reign had begun promisingly, bringing peace and prosperity to the Seven Kingdoms.
But Aerys II began to grow increasingly paranoid and cruel after being captured and held prisoner for months during the Defiance of Duskendale, which began to deteriorate his sanity.
He developed an obsession with fire. His fascination with wildfire became one of the defining traits of his reign, and he began burning people he believed were conspiring against him.
Aerys became paranoid and sadistic. He grew more and more distrustful and cruel, meting out sadistic punishments while nurturing a fascination with fire that even aroused him sexually.
In the end, his reign would end with Robert's Rebellion, when he was killed — marking the fall of the Targaryen dynasty from the Iron Throne.
He had three children who survived to adulthood: Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys Targaryen.
And today would be the day of the Tournament at Harrenhal — a tournament Tyrion believed would mark the beginning of the Targaryens' downfall.
His brother Jaime was already fifteen, a knight, wearing fine armor, showing signs of talent with the sword, and, of course, sleeping with all the girls — it was hard to find one who didn't want him.
His dear sister Cersei was also fifteen, an ambitious young woman dreaming of marrying Prince Rhaegar Targaryen.
Rhaegar Targaryen was twenty-two and already married — to Elia Martell.
Elia Martell, twenty-one, was the Princess of Dorne and Rhaegar's wife.
As for who ruled the North, Tyrion knew a few things:
Eddard (Ned) Stark was eighteen, a lord raised in the Vale by Jon Arryn.
Lyanna Stark was about fourteen or fifteen, betrothed to Robert Baratheon.
Benjen Stark was thirteen, still living in Winterfell.
Brandon Stark was twenty, heir to Winterfell.
The current Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North was Rickard Stark.
All of these important people would be attending the tournament.
The Tournament at Harrenhal had been organized by Lord Whent to display the power of his House.
Harrenhal was located in the Riverlands, north of the Gods Eye, in Westeros. The castle lay south of the Trident River and northwest of King's Landing. It was the largest castle in Westeros, though it lay partly in ruins.
Jaime would be attending the tournament to compete. There would be a prize for the victor.
Tyrion wanted to see if he could make some connections with the lords.
It would be good to make friends and show off his knowledge — who knows, maybe he could make an ally.
So Tyrion hurried to his brother Jaime and asked to go with him.
Jaime refused — not that he didn't want Tyrion to come, but the boy was still young, and Jaime didn't have time to look after anyone else.
Tyrion was disappointed; he wanted so much to see the event. He begged Jaime anyway.
Jaime grew tired of arguing and agreed — on one condition: Tyrion would be under the care of their uncle, Ser Gerion Lannister.
Both Jaime and Tyrion adored their uncle.
Tyrion agreed and set off with Jaime from Casterly Rock toward the Tournament at Harrenhal, accompanied by a few knights. They would arrive soon.
Tyrion, Jaime, and five other knights were riding at a quick pace.
They crossed Westeros, passing through lands steeped in all kinds of legends.
Legends about the Others, the dead who rise again, giants, and dragons.
Tyrion knew all of these legends were true, so riding across this crazy continent was terrifying.
Even accompanied, he still felt fear. Even surrounded by warriors, what could a dwarf do if danger appeared?
Nothing. How long could Tyrion remain imposing? That was what he asked himself.
After a few hours, they had to stop. The sound of galloping horses diminished, and night was falling.
Jaime and his knights dismounted to camp for the night.
Jaime looked carefully at his companions, and also at his little brother.
"Poor thing," Jaime thought whenever he looked at Tyrion.
Small, fragile — yet Jaime knew his brother was wise.
Wiser than anyone.
This tiny, weak dwarf already knew more languages than anyone Jaime had ever met.
Jaime began preparing for the night, and so did the horses. As for Tyrion?
Well, he did what he could — or rather, what he was able to do...
Almost nothing. The best he could do was stay quiet, avoid drawing attention, and hope no mercenaries or thieves appeared.
Hours passed, and night fell.
Jaime lit the fire, and everyone gathered around it.
They were there to tell stories and talk.
It was a rule that someone had to stay awake to wake the others if a threat appeared.
Obviously, Tyrion was chosen for the first watch.
Tyrion had done almost nothing on the journey. The other knights needed rest, so they could fight if danger appeared.
"Do any of you believe the legends? The stories the people tell? That giants exist beyond the Wall?" Jaime asked.
"I think those stories are just legends, my lord. Legends to scare children and cowards," one knight replied.
It was night. Around the fire, they could hear only the crackle of the flames and the calls of owls.
Tyrion spoke to the knight:
"But what if it's real, I ask you? They say the Wall in the North is real, that it's the largest thing ever built. They say it's over 700 feet (around 200 meters) tall and stretches more than 400 kilometers. How could something like that have been built by men, I ask?"
"My lord Tyrion is correct," the knight answered.
"I've heard the legends, and what he says is true. That's exactly what they tell," the knight continued.
Jaime then replied:
"You know, one day I want to go to the Wall in the North and see it with my own eyes," Jaime said.
Tyrion chuckled slightly and asked:
"You're going to the North?"
Jaime looked at his brother and asked:
"Is it really that impressive?"
"Well… actually, yes. But I don't think you'd like the North. They say it's so cold that your… well, you'd freeze it in seconds if it was outside your clothes."
Jaime paused and considered Tyrion's comment. He had to agree.
"I think you're right. I couldn't have fun in a place where if I lingered too long, certain parts would freeze."
The knights laughed genuinely.
One asked:
"And you, Lord Tyrion — do you want to visit the Wall someday?"
Tyrion thought carefully.
"To be honest… yes. I would love to see it," he answered sincerely.
Jaime saw the honesty in his brother's eyes and said:
"Don't worry. When I go to the North someday, I'll take you to see the damn Wall. But don't blame me if… well, you get cold."
"I'm not using them much right now, so I won't miss them," Tyrion replied.
Everyone laughed. Dwarf jokes were always funny, and virgin jokes too.
"Don't be sad, Tyrion. I'm sure that when you enter a woman for the first time, your body will start to develop — and you'll grow over three meters tall."
The knights burst into laughter, and poor Tyrion could only accept it in silence.
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