A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

couldn’t even seem to
hold
a longsword properly; Ser Addam had disarmed him thrice, sending his blade spinning.
    â€œThis grants said lands, incomes, and castle to Ser Emmon Frey and his lady wife, Lady Genna.” Ser Kevan presented another sheaf of parchments to the king. Tommen dipped and signed. “This is a decree of legitimacy for a natural son of Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort. And this names Lord Bolton your Warden of the North.” Tommen dipped, signed, dipped, signed. “This grants Ser Rolph Spicer title to the castle Castamere and raises him to the rank of lord.” Tommen scrawled his name.
    I should have gone to Ser Ilyn Payne
, Jaime reflected. The King’s Justice was not a friend as Marbrand was, and might well have beat him bloody . . . but without a tongue, he was not like to boast of it afterward. All it would take would be one chance remark by Ser Addam in his cups, and the whole world would soon know how useless he’d become.
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
. It was a cruel jape, that . . . though not quite so cruel as the gift his father had sent him.
    â€œThis is your royal pardon for Lord Gawen Westerling, his lady wife, and his daughter Jeyne, welcoming them back into the king’s peace,” Ser Kevan said. “This is a pardon for Lord Jonos Bracken of Stone Hedge. This is a pardon for Lord Vance. This for Lord Goodbrook. This for Lord Mooton of Maidenpool.”
    Jaime pushed himself to his feet. “You seem to have these matters well in hand, Uncle. I shall leave His Grace to you.”
    â€œAs you wish.” Ser Kevan rose as well. “Jaime, you should go to your father. This breach between you—”
    â€œâ€”is his doing. Nor will he mend it by sending me mocking gifts. Tell him that, if you can pry him away from the Tyrells long enough.”
    His uncle looked distressed. “The gift was heartfelt. We thought that it might encourage you—”
    â€œâ€”to grow a new hand?” Jaime turned to Tommen. Though he had Joffrey’s golden curls and green eyes, the new king shared little else with his late brother. He inclined to plumpness, his face was pink and round, and he even liked to read.
He is still shy of nine, this son of mine. The boy is not the man
. It would be seven years before Tommen was ruling in his own right. Until then the realm would remain firmly in the hands of his lord grandfather. “Sire,” he asked, “do I have your leave to go?”
    â€œAs you like, Ser Uncle.” Tommen looked back to Ser Kevan. “Can I seal them now, Great-Uncle?” Pressing his royal seal into the hot wax was his favorite part of being king, so far.
    Jaime strode from the council chamber. Outside the door he found Ser Meryn Trant standing stiff at guard in white scale armor and snowy cloak.
If this one should learn how feeble I am, or Kettleblack or Blount should hear of it
. . . “Remain here until His Grace is done,” he said, “then escort him back to Maegor’s.”
    Trant inclined his head. “As you say, my lord.”
    The outer ward was crowded and noisy that morning. Jaime made for the stables, where a large group of men were saddling their horses. “Steelshanks!” he called. “Are you off, then?”
    â€œAs soon as m’lady is mounted,” said Steelshanks Walton. “My lord of Bolton expects us. Here she is now.”
    A groom led a fine grey mare out the stable door. On her back was mounted a skinny hollow-eyed girl wrapped in a heavy cloak. Grey, it was, like the dress beneath it, and trimmed with white satin. The clasp that pinned it to her breast was wrought in the shape of a wolf’s head with slitted opal eyes. The girl’s long brown hair blew wild in the wind. She had a pretty face, he thought, but her eyes were sad and wary.
    When she saw him, she inclined her head. “Ser Jaime,” she said in a thin anxious voice. “You are kind to see me off.”
    Jaime studied her closely. “You know me, then?”
    She bit her lip. “You may not recall, my lord, as I was littler then . . . but I had the honor to meet you at Winterfell when King Robert came to visit my father Lord Eddard.” She lowered her big brown eyes and mumbled, “I’m Arya Stark.”
    Jaime had never paid much attention to Arya Stark, but it seemed to him that this girl was older. “I understand you’re to be