Growing up

(Leonard POV)

Growing up in this world is rather ... dull. I can't believe that this is the world I was sent to before I would go to Warhammer 40k. There is nothing that comes close to Warhammer in this world. I'll have to cut down some dragons, otherwise this will have been a terrible waste of time. And yet... there might be things I could come to enjoy in this world. To counter this problem, I used my essence for the first time already.

'Adaptive Evolution Guided', was one of the four ways I could evolve. It would take longer but I can enter a state of change where I guide what evolution I want to take place without being exposed to danger or killed. In this case, since it was an evolution of my mindset, things were much quicker and after one month, it was finished. 

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I grew up rather fast, compared to other children in this world. Thankfully, I wasn't as tall as a grown man after one year or something like that. But my strength was out of this world.

I hid my strength though and just bided my time. I learned what I could and picked up on everything that happened around me. I noticed that my temper seemed to change ever so slightly. I am more and more becoming the silent observer and planner that the Lion was. I believe that was also due to the 'guided evolution' I used when I wanted to adapt to my new situation and come to accept the world I live in.

But I can't help but like my new mother. She is like the rising sun, gentle and warm. Hard to believe that she would marry someone like Tywin Lannister. Politics ... it disgusts me. However, I understood the appeal to people in this world to delve into the Game of Thrones ... there was pretty much nothing else to do. But I thought differently. Even though my mentality and thought processes slowly changed from the young man of the 21st century, to 'the Lion' in the medieval fantastical world, I still kept a few things about myself. 

One of those things was the wish for more hygiene. I wasn't craving a proper toilet or shower anymore like in the beginning, thanks to the guided evolution. But it still couldn't hurt to have a bath where I could open a tap and water would pour out, or a shower, or better health care. The death rate of women is astronomical, I could improve it a bit. 

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Growing up in Casterly Rock was probably one of the better places in Westeros. I was taken care of by my mother since Tywin was the Hand of the King and almost never came home. Thanks to the 'guided evolution', I saw her as my real mother and not as a person from a story, but me being Lion El'Johnson, made me rather distant, at least that's what it appeared since I was a very quiet and observant boy. I still enjoyed spending time with her though.

She talks to me a lot, and even though I don't talk, she does. She talks and talks and talks from morning till evening. She has that beautiful smile on her face that seems to have enchanted even the likes of Tywin Lannister. After nearly one year of being a baby or babe as they're called in this world, Tywin came home finally and had intercourse with Joanna. That was not a good day, for my already powerful sense of hearing.

It was a weird relationship these two had. I could clearly see the love Tywin had for his wife, but it was a strange type of love. It felt rough and uneven. Something that was motivated by something else and not true love. And yet, Tywin seemed to really enjoy her company, while Joanna appeared to like everyone. It was hard not to love Joanna, even for me. But I was not really trying to 'not' love her. I did care for her slowly, but it would take time. 

After this visit when I was 1 name day old, Tywin went back to Kings Landing to 'rule' the Kingdom. I say 'rule' but that is of course not the official version. Aerys is an incompetent fool. I am honestly clueless about how he is at the moment, but from what Tywin speaks to Joanna about, he is the one doing all the planning and making sure the coffers of the Kingdom are filled. 

Aerys II Targaryen won't be completely mental until after the Defiance of Duskendale, but he was never a truly sane man. I have to make sure not to meet him, otherwise I might have to cut the prick in two. We'll see how it goes. 

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- 266 AC - 

It is 266 after Aegon's Conquest and Joanna has given birth to my two younger siblings. The twins, Cersei and Jaime Lannister. It was a calm pregnancy thankfully. Tywin comes back more often now. Both for Joanna's pregnancy and for me as well. He has come to understand my intelligence and knows that my silence does not equal retardation. I think he sees himself in me, or something like that. 

The twins look a lot alike. That will be funny to see everyone confuse them for one another. I won't have that problem though. My eyesight has increased again and it will increase further. There will be nothing that escapes my sight. 

The first lessons started this year. Thank Tywin for that. As soon as he figured out I was smart instead of retarded, he came to understand just how smart I was. Or so he thought. No one will ever understand how smart I truly am and that's good. If others underestimate me, I can strike them from behind. I don't care about the stupid notion of 'honour' that everyone talks about in this world. I prefer what the Shinigami from Bleach teach. 

'Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect, slice the enemy you must defeat from behind.'

At the end of the day, there are only survivors and the dead. Surviving is all that matters. And if everyone calls me names because I am 'cowardly' then that is their problem and not mine. The Lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep. 

On that note, I might have to talk about the Faith of the Seven. The Septa has already started to tell me stories about the 7 that are one or some bullshit. She thinks she can manipulate me by telling me stories? I can already tell that the Septa and I won't get along ... at all. She is an overweight, short woman who is unhappy with life and thinks she is entitled to teach me how to live my life and what I can and can't believe in.

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Weird stuff happened. Joanna is not breastfeeding Cersei and Jaime herself. Instead, the two have a wet nurse. A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds children that are not her own. This may be due to the death of the mother in childbirth, because the mother may not have enough milk, or for cultural reasons. According to Maester Creylen, most noblewomen do not nurse their own children, but there are dozens of examples otherwise, among both nobles and royalty.

I was breastfed by Joanna, which seems strange. The time she spends with me is roughly the same if not more compared to the twins. I feel like I am getting more of her attention for some reason, but why ... I have no idea. I will have to see about that in time. 

"Leo! Where are you?", I hear her calling me again. There is no respite. I can't get some time for myself and just read. Whenever I flee from the Septa, Mother finds out and comes to get me. She then spends time with me alone, simply talking to me or spending some time alone. I think she feels lonely for some reason ... which is strange. 

"Here you are. Come my little silent lion, spend some time with mommy. I have to tell you about something."

... sigh ...

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- 267 AC - 

I think it's official. I am Mother's favourite. I never thought that would happen to me, because I am so silent most of the time. I also never thought I would care about it. At least in the beginning. I caught myself talking to Mother more and more ... but only her. I am known as the silent lion in Casterly Rock and the only ones who can get me to talk are the Maester very rarely when I have a question, Tywin but only if absolutely necessary and the bare minimum and Mother. 

I think I may have gone a bit overboard with the 'guided evolution'. I wanted to adapt to my situation and get more familiar with my family, in order to see them as my family. And this happened. I got more familiar and now see them as my family, but it is focused on my mother. I have to admit that I love her like a son loves his mother and this may have also influenced her as well. 

We spend most of our time together. Reading, eating, playing games ... everything except bathing and training is done together. I might have become a mama's boy, but I noticed that the evolution never gives me something negative. I would not break down should Mother die. I would be very sad, but I would push through it. I was gradually becoming 'the Lion Primarch'. A loss would not stop me. 

This preferential treatment is starting to stand out. Tywin hasn't noticed since he is not here most of the time, but I don't think he would care much, since I am certain I am also his favourite. Since the twins are only 1, you can't talk about favourites, but it will become apparent soon enough. It is not really a competition. 

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My Grandfather Tytos Lannister died a sennight ago. I had no contact with my grandfather as while he is the 'official' Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, everyone knows that Tywin is doing the real work here. Tytos has been spending most of his time with his second mistress, a lowborn woman and the daughter of a candlemaker. This is hilarious because he keeled over from a burst heart while climbing a flight of steps to visit said second mistress. 

Upon his return to the Rock, Tywin forced the mistress on a walk of atonement through Lannisport before banishing her from the Westerlands. What a savage. I would not have done things this way, but Tywin has a family legacy fetish. He so desperately tries to put up a powerful and ruthless front, for everyone to see. 

Aerys II Targaryen and Tywin decided to stay and ruled the realm from Casterly Rock after Tytos died this year. And this was the start of the worsening relations between Tywin and Aerys. 

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I don't know what made Tywin agree to rule the realm from Casterly Rock. Sure Aerys II Targaryen is king but Tywin is a smart man, he should be able to convince Aerys not to stay here. Aerys lusts after Mother like a drunkard after the last glass of ale at the tavern. Sometimes I feel like he is salivating and undressing her with his eyes. 

Tywin is keeping him away from Mother as much as he can, but the King does what he wants. Tensions are rising. Mother is keeping us children close to her at all times, to act like a natural shield against Aerys. He frowns whenever one of us is close to her and keep her attention away from him. 

Not long before the powder keg explodes.

.

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- 268 AC -

Well ... it happened. The idiot of a King has insulted Mother and even made advancements towards her. I was furious. This perverted prick thought he could grope my mother and get away with it but not on my watch. I used my 'child innocence' and screamed for him to leave my mother alone. I spoke very loudly about why this old man dared to touch my mother's chest like that. 

Needless to say, everyone was furious. Tywin was livid about the audacity of the King to touch something which belonged to him. He was beyond furious and I actually saw his emotions were about to spill over and make him act without thought. 

Aerys was furious that the brat, which was me, dared to talk to the king the way I did. But what was he going to do, kill me? I was a child and therefore got a bit of a puffer since he was harassing the noble lady of House Lannister. 

The only one who wasn't as furious as the others was my mother. She hated the fact that the king touched her, but she seemed to understand what I did and doted on me even more than usual ... oh bother. It was decided that Aerys and the rest of his entourage would leave Casterly Rock and go back to Kings Landing.