A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

fury. “We’ll have their heads. Every one. Can you use a sword with your left hand?”
    I can hardly dress myself in the morning
. Jaime held up the hand in question for his father’s inspection. “Four fingers, a thumb, much like the other. Why shouldn’t it work as well?”
    â€œGood.” His father sat. “That is good. I have a gift for you. For your return. After Varys told me . . .”
    â€œUnless it’s a new hand, let it wait.” Jaime took the chair across from him. “How did Joffrey die?”
    â€œPoison. It was meant to appear as though he choked on a morsel of food, but I had his throat slit open and the maesters could find no obstruction.”
    â€œCersei claims that Tyrion did it.”
    â€œYour brother served the king the poisoned wine, with a thousand people looking on.”
    â€œThat was rather foolish of him.”
    â€œI have taken Tyrion’s squire into custody. His wife’s maids as well. We shall see if they have anything to tell us. Ser Addam’s gold cloaks are searching for the Stark girl, and Varys has offered a reward. The king’s justice will be done.”
    The king’s justice
. “You would execute your own son?”
    â€œHe stands accused of regicide and kinslaying. If he is innocent, he has nothing to fear. First we must needs consider the evidence for and against him.”
    Evidence
. In this city of liars, Jaime knew what sort of evidence would be found. “Renly died strangely as well, when Stannis needed him to.”
    â€œLord Renly was murdered by one of his own guards, some woman from Tarth.”
    â€œThat woman from Tarth is the reason I’m here. I tossed her into a cell to appease Ser Loras, but I’ll believe in Renly’s ghost before I believe she did him any harm. But Stannis—”
    â€œIt was poison that killed Joffrey, not sorcery.” Lord Tywin glanced at Jaime’s stump again. “You cannot serve in the Kingsguard without a sword hand—”
    â€œI can,” he interrupted. “And I will. There’s precedent. I’ll look in the White Book and find it, if you like. Crippled or whole, a knight of the Kingsguard serves for life.”
    â€œCersei ended that when she replaced Ser Barristan on grounds of age. A suitable gift to the Faith will persuade the High Septon to release you from your vows. Your sister was foolish to dismiss Selmy, admittedly, but now that she has opened the gates—”
    â€œâ€”someone needs to close them again.” Jaime stood. “I am tired of having highborn women kicking pails of shit at me, Father. No one ever asked me if I wanted to be Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, but it seems I am. I have a duty—”
    â€œYou do.” Lord Tywin rose as well. “A duty to House Lannister. You are the heir to Casterly Rock. That is where you should be. Tommen should accompany you, as your ward and squire. The Rock is where he’ll learn to be a Lannister, and I want him away from his mother. I mean to find a new husband for Cersei. Oberyn Martell perhaps, once I convince Lord Tyrell that the match does not threaten Highgarden. And it is past time you were wed. The Tyrells are now insisting that Margaery be wed to Tommen, but if I were to offer you instead—”
    â€œ
NO!
” Jaime had heard all that he could stand. No,
more
than he could stand. He was sick of it, sick of lords and lies, sick of his father, his sister, sick of the whole bloody business. “No. No. No. No. No. How many times must I say
no
before you’ll hear it?
Oberyn Martell?
The man’s infamous, and not just for poisoning his sword. He has more bastards than Robert, and beds with boys as well. And if you think for one misbegotten moment that I would wed Joffrey’s widow . . .”
    â€œLord Tyrell swears the girl’s still maiden.”
    â€œShe can die a maiden as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t want her, and I don’t want your Rock!
”
    â€œYou are my son—”
    â€œI am a knight of the Kingsguard. The
Lord Commander
of the Kingsguard! And that’s
all
I mean to be!”
    Firelight gleamed golden in the stiff whiskers that framed Lord Tywin’s face. A vein pulsed in his neck, but he did not speak. And did not speak. And did not speak.
    The strained silence went on until it was more than Jaime could endure. “Father . . .” he began.
    â€œYou