'Game of Thrones' Changed Tyrion’s Wife’s Story — And It Spared Viewers Heartbreak

If you think Tyrion Lannister is all sarcasm, wine, and endless wit, then you just haven't heard the name Tysha. That same girl, the one true love of his life, for whom he once tried to escape from under Tywin Lannister's boot — and paid dearly. Only Game of Thrones never really explained why.

In George Martin's books, everything began innocently: Tyrion and Jaime found Tysha when she was fleeing from bandits. Jaime dealt with the bandits, and young Tyrion fell in love with the girl so quickly that he soon married her — and this was, perhaps, the only time he was truly happy.

But Tywin Lannister, the guardian of, hmm, traditional family values, decided to teach his son a lesson: he made Jaime lie that Tysha was a night butterfly hired for fun. Then she was handed over to the Lannister guard, and each paid her a piece of silver.

In the show, Tysha flashed in conversation, but after the fourth season, it was as if her name was erased with an eraser. But Shae remained - a free reworking of the same mental trauma. The most bitter thing is that in the books, the truth about Tysha hurts — both Tyrion and the readers.

Before escaping from the dungeons of King's Landing, Jaime confesses to his brother that Tysha was not a whore at all — she really loved him. Upon learning this, Tyrion finally breaks down.

He kills Tywin not only because of betrayal, but also for the stolen happiness. And at the same time he breaks the brotherly bond with Jaime: with a blow, a spit, words that hurt more than a sword — and in the series after such an episode the viewers would probably burst into tears.