"How are you?" Lucas questioned back. "Cousin Tyrion."
""How could I be?" Tyrion let out a hearty laugh. "Good. Great. Awesome."
Tyrion was a complex man. Even Lucas, who had a bit of knowledge of the future, had insights into Tyrion's character and believed that he had an understanding of Tyrion's personality, yet he did not find it straightforward to judge and understand the man. Such was the complexity of the character called Tyrion Lannister.
From an outside perspective, Tyrion was a tough man. He showed little reaction to the mockery, disrespect, and insults he was subjected to. He had little care about what the society had to say about them. He bore his shortcomings as his shield. This was what he called it.
But it was also obvious that Tyrion was surely in pain for whatever he had been put through. He used his laughter and not caring attitude to hide his pain. He did not feel as unfortunate about being a dwarf and hideous as he felt angry about the treatment he was meted out.
For the majority of people, Tyrion was a subject of mockery. They considered him a harbinger of bad luck, as he was believed to be the one who had caused his mother's death.
Then there was this category of people who did not look at Tyrion with disgust, but they did not treat him normally either. They treated him with sympathy, with compassion, which Tyrion again hated. He did not need sympathy or that look of sadness when people looked towards him.
And then there were people who treated him normally. A very rare few, Jaime and Lucas being two of them.
"I had expected that you would be attending my name day feast," Lucas remarked. "Everyone was there."
"Bah!" Tyrion waved his hand. "I did better by not attending it."
"I am sure there were a lot of people who might not have liked my presence at the feast. They do not like my presence in general. So, I did not show up."
"Anyways," Tyrion continued, "I did send a gift for you. Did you like it?"
"I liked it," Lucas nodded.
Tyrion had sent him an old book about politics and the elements of an empire. Whether Tyrion had sent the book randomly or for a specific purpose after guessing the direction Lucas was walking in, Lucas was not sure. But certainly it was not a gift Tyrion had chosen purely on whim.
"How many days has it been since you left this brothel?" Lucas questioned.
Tyrion shrugged.
"A week, or maybe more," he answered. "Here there is food to eat, wine to drink, books to read, and girls to fuck. Maybe I will be staying here for a few more days."
"From wine," Lucas responded, "did you taste the Sky Pearl Wine?"
"Oh yeah!" Tyrion grinned. "What a wonderful wine it was. Every rich person in the town is talking about your wine."
"I did not know that you had such talent in winemaking too," he added. "Truly wonderful."
"Help me in securing a few of its barrels," Tyrion added. "It is hard to get them. It is the pain in the ass to even secure a few jugs."
"I will ask someone to send it to you," Lucas added, and Tyrion grinned.
Silence permeated for a few moments before Tyrion spoke.
"Now, Lucas," he said, his voice still cheerful but a tint of seriousness had crept into it. "Tell me for what purpose you came to see me. I doubt you are here to do small talk about wine and whores."
"No," Lucas said. "I am here for a bigger purpose, quite an important one, if I may say so."
"What?" Tyrion questioned.
"Tell me," Lucas did not answer directly. "What goal do you have in your life? What do you see yourself doing in the years to come?"
"Are you here to discuss philosophy with me?" Tyrion chuckled.
He was about to describe his goals along the lines of drinking the best wine and fucking the best prostitutes, but Lucas cut him off.
"I want serious answers, Tyrion," he said, and the dwarf shut his mouth and went quiet.
"Honestly," Tyrion sighed. "I do not know. I know I am a Lannister, and a few things are expected from me."
"But what can I really do? Technically, I should have already been named the heir of House Lannister. But both you and I know that, me, becoming Lord of House Lannister is impossible. Lord Tywin Lannister could never see sitting on that chair. If Jaime does not return, then it would be you who would become the Lord."
"If I had been some poor fellow, then I might have had a goal. To earn my bread, build a house, accumulate some wealth and probably find a lady who would be willing to marry a dwarf like me."
"But now? I do not lack wealth. I have enough wealth to spend all my life with both hands. I have no need that I cannot fulfill. I read books, accumulate knowledge, and sharpen my mind, but when am I going to use it?"
"So, I do not know what I want to do," he sighed. "Maybe spending my time in brothels is all that I can do."
"I have an offer for you," Lucas said, and a flicker of surprise crossed Tyrion's face.
"An offer for me?" Tyrion raised an eyebrow. "What kind of offer?"
"You know about the wine business I am about to start," Lucas said.
"Yes," Tyrion replied, leaning toward him.
"You might not know, but I will be leaving for King's Landing in a couple of days," Lucas continued. "And I want you to take the role of director of my wine business."
"Director?" Tyrion mumbled.
"A term I coined," Lucas answered. "It basically means leading the entire business and all its operations."
"And why are you giving me this offer?" Tyrion questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Because I think that you are a really competent man," Lucas replied. "And no, there are no emotions involved. I am not doing it out of sympathy or because I cannot see you wasting your life."
"I am a hardcore businessman. If you make a mistake, make me lose money, you will be gone," Lucas added. "This is for you to consider."
Tyrion looked genuinely contemplative.
"Inform me of your decision before I depart," Lucas said as he got up to leave. "And if you take my offer, then you will have to rein in some of your habits."
Tyrion nodded instinctively, and Lucas walked away, leaving a contemplative Tyrion behind.
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