A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

so she makes herself useful to me. You would be surprised at all the interesting things she’s told me.”
    â€œWhat sorts of things?”
    Cersei sat beneath the window. “Did you know that the Queen of Thorns keeps a chest of coins in her wheelhouse? Old gold from before the Conquest. Should any tradesman be so unwise as to name a price in golden coins, she pays him with hands from Highgarden, each half the weight of one of our dragons. What merchant would dare complain of being cheated by Mace Tyrell’s lady mother?” She sipped her wine, and said, “Did you enjoy your little ride?”
    â€œOur uncle remarked upon your absence.”
    â€œOur uncle’s remarks do not concern me.”
    â€œThey should. You could make good use of him. If not at Riverrun or the Rock, then in the north against Lord Stannis. Father always relied upon Kevan when—”
    â€œRoose Bolton is our Warden of the North. He will deal with Stannis.”
    â€œLord Bolton is trapped below the Neck, cut off from the north by the ironmen at Moat Cailin.”
    â€œNot for long. Bolton’s bastard son will soon remove that little obstacle. Lord Bolton will have two thousand Freys to augment his own strength, under Lord Walder’s sons Hosteen and Aenys. That should be more than enough to deal with Stannis and a few thousand broken men.”
    â€œSer Kevan—”
    â€œâ€”will have his hands full at Darry, teaching Lancel how to wipe his arse. Father’s death has unmanned him. He is an old done man. Daven and Damion will serve us better.”
    â€œThey’ll suffice.” Jaime had no quarrel with his cousins. “You still require a Hand, however. If not our uncle, who?”
    His sister laughed. “Not you. Have no fear on that count. Perhaps Taena’s husband. His grandfather was Hand under Aerys.”
    The horn-of-plenty Hand.
Jaime remembered Owen Merryweather well enough; an amiable man, but ineffectual. “As I recall, he did so well that Aerys exiled him and seized his lands.”
    â€œRobert gave them back. Some, at least. Taena would be pleased if Orton could recover the rest.”
    â€œIs this about pleasing some Myrish whore? Here I thought it was about governing the realm.”
    â€œ
I
govern the realm.”
    Seven save us all, you do.
His sister liked to think of herself as Lord Tywin with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted. She had been giddy as a maiden when she learned that Stannis had abandoned Dragonstone, certain that he had finally given up the fight and sailed away to exile. When word came down from the north that he had turned up again at the Wall, her fury had been fearful to behold.
She does not lack for wits, but she has no judgment, and no patience.
“You need a strong Hand to help you.”
    â€œA
weak
ruler needs a strong Hand, as Aerys needed Father. A strong ruler requires only a diligent servant to carry out his orders.” She swirled her wine. “Lord Hallyne might suit. He would not be the first pyromancer to serve as the King’s Hand.”
    No. I killed the last one.
“There is talk that you mean to make Aurane Waters the master of ships.”
    â€œHas someone been informing on me?” When he did not answer, Cersei tossed her hair back, and said, “Waters is well suited to the office. He has spent half his life on ships.”
    â€œHalf his life? He cannot be more than twenty.”
    â€œTwo-and-twenty, and what of it? Father was not even one-and-twenty when Aerys Targaryen named him Hand. It is past time Tommen had some young men about him in place of all these wrinkled greybeards. Aurane is strong and vigorous.”
    Strong and vigorous and handsome,
Jaime thought.
. . . she’s been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know . . .
“Paxter Redwyne would be a better choice. He commands the largest fleet in Westeros. Aurane Waters could command a skiff, but only if you bought him one.”
    â€œYou are a child, Jaime. Redwyne is Tyrell’s bannerman, and nephew to that hideous grandmother of his. I want none of Lord Tyrell’s creatures on my council.”
    â€œTommen’s council, you mean.”
    â€œYou know what I mean.”
    Too well.
“I know that Aurane Waters is a bad idea, and Hallyne is a worse one. As for