Jaime Lannister (Lord Tywin's Gift)

## Jaime Lannister

Ser **Jaime Lannister**, also known as **The Golden Lion**, is a knight from House Lannister. He is the second child and first-born son of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and his wife, Lady Joanna, also of House Lannister. He is the twin brother of Lady Cersei Lannister.

## Appearance and Character

As young children, Jaime and his sister Cersei looked so much alike, that not even their father was able to tell them apart. Jaime grew into a tall, handsome man, with curled hair the color of beaten gold. He has flashing cat-green eyes, and a smile that cuts like a knife. Robb Stark thinks to himself that Jaime is "what a king should look like", and Bran Stark feels that Jaime looks like "more like the knights in the stories". He is muscular and extremely strong, musing that he could only think of a few men in the Seven Kingdoms stronger than him, and that his speed and skill can defeat them.

He wears golden armor decorated with the Lannister lion, with a gilded longsword and ornate lion's helmet. Jaime alternatively wears a crimson silk tunic embroidered with a golden lion, along with black boots and a black cloak. He also wears crimson cloaks and a leather jack. Jaime wields a lance of golden wood. Most notably Jaime wields Red Rain, the Valyrian steel sword of the Lannister's, formerly belonging to House Drumm and gained during the Greyjoy Rebellion.

Jaime is a born warrior, with little interest in politics and court intrigue. He takes few things seriously. By his own admission, Jaime only feels truly alive when fighting or making love. He comes across as arrogant, amoral, and dishonorable. He is also rash, headstrong, and angers quickly. He is known to have little patience, and he worries about the consequences of his actions only after committing the act. A great and especially skilled warrior, Jaime inspires loyalty in his men. He is bold and does not fear death. According to Catelyn Stark, Jaime is an experienced battle commander.

## History

### Early life

Jaime was born in 266 AC, as the first-born son of Ser Tywin Lannister, the heir to Casterly Rock, and his wife, Lady Joanna. Jaime was born shortly after his twin sister Cersei, while holding her foot. King Aerys II Targaryen sent both Jaime and Cersei their weight in gold as a name day gift, and commanded Lord Tywin to bring the children to court when they were old enough to travel. It is currently unknown whether this visit to King's Landing actually occurred, as the royal court came to Casterly Rock following the death of Tytos Lannister in 267 AC. Jaime and Cersei did visit King's Landing in 272 AC, when their mother brought them from Casterly Rock for the Anniversary Tourney held to celebrate the tenth year of King Aerys's reign.

Jaime and Cersei were inseparable in their early childhood. As children, they played together in the bowels of Casterly Rock, where the caged lions of his late grandfather, Tytos, were kept. Jaime and Cersei would dare each other to climb into the cage. Cersei and Jaime slept together in the same bed when they were very young, and even went as far as to experiment together in a sexual manner at a young age. During one of these encounters, they were caught by a servant who informed their mother. Jaime's bedchamber was immediately moved to the other side of the castle, whilst a guard was placed near Cersei's bedchamber. The twins were told never to do anything like that ever again, as Joanna would otherwise be forced to tell their father.

Not long thereafter, in 273 AC, Jaime's mother gave birth to his younger brother, Tyrion. Jaime developed an affection towards his younger brother and would later train him in swordsmanship, though Tyrion never quite rose to Jaime's level. Shortly after Tyrion's birth, the Princess Loreza Martell of Dorne visited Casterly Rock with her two youngest children, Elia and Oberyn Martell. She proposed a betrothal between Elia and Jaime, an idea which Jaime's mother Joanne supported, and after some convincing so did his father Lord Tywin. Jaime and Cersei were both deeply distressed at the idea of him being sent away to Dorne but couldn't do anything about it. Thus Jaime left Casterly Rock for Sunspear and became a page for the Princess of Dorne.

Three years later in 276 AC Jaime's father Lord Tywin held a tournament in honour of Viserys' birth and Jaime was allowed to visit Lannisport to watch the tournament, whilst there he and his twin Cersei re-connected and once again attempted to experiment sexually with one another, though they were either kept apart or had chaperones with them at all times under the orders of their mother, Joanna.

### Marriage, Knighthood and Fatherhood

In 278 AC Jaime's liege Loreza, Princess of Dorne died. Her son and the new Prince of Dorne, Doran, attempted to take Jaime on as his own squire but Lord Tywin Lannister, rejected the request and instead recalled Jaime to Casterly Rock along alongside his betrothed, Princess Elia. Once in the Westerlands Jaime was made the squire to the Lord Sumner Crakehall and Elia was made the handmaiden to Lady Joanna Lannister, the former friend of her mother.

In 279 AC Jaime won his first tournament at the age of thirteen whilst still being a squire. Two years after returning to the Westerlands Jaime participated in the campaign against the Kingswood Brotherhood, during which he saved his liege Lord Sumner Crakehall from Big Belly Ben and crossed swords with the psychotic Smiling Knight. After the brotherhood had been defeated, Jaime was knighted for valour shown on the battlefield by Ser Arthur Dayne, a member of the Kingsguard of King Aerys II Targaryen.

Soon after being knighted Jaime and his betrothed Elia Martell were wed in Lannisport in a grand ceremony. There followed a tourney to celebrate the union between House Lannister and House Martell, King Aerys II refused to attend in a very public way while his son Prince Rhaegar did compete, alongside Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Barristan Selmy. It's said that Jaime paid more attention to the jousts between many of his warrior-heroes than he did towards his own newlywed wife, though he and Elia had consummated their marriage on their wedding night.

Later in 281 AC Jaime and the now pregnant Elia attended the Tourney at Harrenhal where the young knight hoped to distinguish himself in what was the greatest tourney of its time. Jaime performed well and came close to winning the tourney but was eventually unhorsed by the Kingsguard Ser Arthur Dayne, an outcome he wasn't too unhappy about as Dayne was one of his idols. In early 282 AC Elia gave birth to Jaime's firstborn child and son whom he named Erwin According to Jaime's mother Joanna, the child bore a striking resemblance to him when he was a baby.

After Jaime's son Erwin was born Elia was bed-ridden for half a year and was cared for by the Lady of Casterly Rock, Joanna Lannister. During this time Jaime was in Harrenhal with his father engaging in the Great Council which had been called by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen in an attempt to depose his father Aerys II who had humiliated Tywin throughout the latter part of his reign. Jaime's role at the council was fairly minor, as his father held the power and influence.

### War and Widower

As the council dragged on Jaime's father Tywin became increasingly certain the only outcome would be civil war, and so he sent Jaime back to Casterly Rock to prepare the Lannister troops and bannermen for the inevitable war.

Once the War of the Usurpers began Jaime wished to ride the armies of his bannermen into the fight from the beginning, but Tywin held back initially as he was unsure of giving total loyalty to Rhaegar Targaryen and instead wanting to hold back and see how the war unfolded. It didn't take long though as the Silver Prince captured King's Landing with speed and ease, whilst to the south loyalist Stormlander Lords had the castle of Storm's End under siege with two of the key Northern Alliance players holed up inside: Steffon and Robert Baratheon.

The first battle which Lannister forces were engaged in was the Battle of the Golden Tooth where though the Riverlands were theoretically neutral Hoster Tully had called up his own bannermen in preparation of possible invasions from their neighbours. On top of this marriage negotiations were nearing a conclusion between Lysa Tully and Elbert Arryn which would bring the Riverlands into the war officially. Jaime commanded Westerland force's in the centre alongside his uncle Tygett Lannister, the two had very similar fighting styles and the Rivermen didn't stand a chance as they were broken rapidly.

Following the war's end Jaime returned to Casterly Rock where he helped convince his younger brother Tyrion, who had been a squire for a slain Lord during the conflict, that he should agree to the proposal being made between their father and Hoster Tully which would see Tyrion being betrothed to Lysa Tully as part of the peace deal.

After Tyrion and Lysa Tully became engaged Jaime's father Lord Twyin left Casterly Rock for King's Landing to take up his role as the Hand of the King once again. In his stead Jaime was left as the regent for Casterly Rock and the Westerlands alongside his uncle Kevan Lannister who was there to educate Jaime in the art of governance. Jaime was also appointed the Warden of the West in Tywin's place. With Jaime's sister Cersei officially betrothed to King Rhaegar I's weak and slow brother Prince Jaehaerys, the twelve year old Prince now squired for Jaime on the suggestion of Tywin Lannister.

Not long after returning to his wife the couple became pregnant again but this would end in tragedy. Elia, who had always had poor health and already had a troubled first pregnancy, gave birth to twins in early 284 AC. The strain of birthing twins was too much for the Dornish Princess and while the babies were healthy their mother died not long after the delivery.

Despite Jaime and Elia's marriage being a political one with little romance involved, by the time of her death they had both come to respect and care for one another. It's said that Jaime mourned her loss for months, though the one ray of sunshine he had were the twins his wife gave him before she died - Gerion and Cerelle.

In 288 AC Jaime's twin sister Cersei married the Targaryen Prince and squire to Jaime, Jaehaerys. Following the wedding Jaime took part in the tourney of King's Landing where he defeated all opponents in the jousting, including the Kingsguard members Barristan Selmy and Arthur Dayne. Many women who attended the tourney hoped the Young Lion would declare one of them the queen of love and beauty, however he instead gave the crown to his newlywed twin sister Cersei.

### Greyjoy's Rebellion

The realm had seen peace for seven years and Jaime was proving to be a highly competent governor of the Westerlands, under the watchful eyes of his uncle Kevan and using his own experiences as a military commander he was able to resolve issues with a good level of proficiency. This peace came to an end though in 290 AC when Lord Balon Greyjoy declared himself King of the Iron Islands and sent his younger brother Victarion Greyjoy to burn the Lannister fleet in Lannisport.

Jaime, King Rhaegar I and Ser Brynden Tully all led the final assault on Pyke which saw the surrender of Balon Greyjoy. After the battle the Blackfish knighted the King's brother Jaehaerys, Jaime's squire, and in turn as part of the peace with the Iron Islands Jaime took on a new squire Theon Greyjoy - the youngest, and now only son and heir of Balon who was now in effect a hostage at Casterly Rock. After Pyke Jaime's brother Tyrion was knighted by King Rhaegar I, a great occasion that brought great honour to the Lannister family.

During the rebellion Jaime's father Lord Tywin had led the assault on Old Wyk and devastated the island with the assistance of his mad dog Ser Gregor Clegane. On the isle Tywin captured the Valyrian steel sword Red Rain from House Drumm, who themselves had taken it from a knight of House Reyne years before. After the wars end Tywin gifted the sword to Jaime.

After his crucial role in the Greyjoy's Rebellion, Jaime was granted two titles by his father. Firstly was the Warden of the West, a defensive role meant to protect the western shores from Ironborn attacks. Usually held by the head of the House, Jaime was granted it on behalf of the King by his father to indicate his effective governorship of the region and role in the war. Secondly was the Shield of Lannisport, a less important role that was similarly a defensive one bestowed upon the defender of the city Lannisport.

In 290 AC Jaime attended the wedding of his brother Ser Tyrion and Lysa Tully in Riverrun, the marriage was a grand affair and a tourney was held by Tywin in Lannisport to celebrate both the couples pairing and the victory in the Greyjoy's Rebellion. At the event he met Lynesse Hightower, the sixth daughter of Lord Leyton Hightower, and his mother encouraged him to court the Hightower. Jaime had little interest in the Hightower girl, though she was beautiful he preferred a harder sort of lady.

Jaime competed in the tourney and won, beating Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard in the final bout. After his victory Jaime did his duty and declared Lynesse Hightower his queen of love and beauty. That night he was encouraged by his mother to go to Lord Leyton Hightower and ask for his youngest daughter's hand in marriage. The Lord agreed and his daughter, who had become infatuated with the beautiful, dashing Lannister knight, was betrothed to Jaime. A year later Jaime would marry her, and over the following few years she would bear him two children; Tyler and Tya.