A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

wonderfully carved and painted. This one was done in shades of green, with a curved wooden tiller shaped like a mermaid, and fish faces peering through her rails. Poles and ropes and jars of olive oil cluttered her decks, and iron lanterns swung fore and aft. Arianne saw no orphans.
Where is her crew?
she wondered.
    Garin reined up beneath the willow. “Wake up, you fish-eyed lagabeds,” he called as he leapt down from the saddle. “Your
queen
is here, and wants her royal welcome. Come up, come out, we’ll have some songs and sweetwine. My mouth is set for—”
    The door on the poleboat slammed open. Out into the sunlight stepped Areo Hotah, longaxe in hand.
    Garin jerked to a halt. Arianne felt as though an axe had caught her in the belly.
It was not supposed to end this way. This was not supposed to happen.
When she heard Drey say, “There’s the last face I’d hoped to see,” she knew she had to act.
“Away!”
she cried, vaulting back into the saddle. “Arys, protect the princess—”
    Hotah thumped the butt of his longaxe upon the deck. Behind the ornate rails of the poleboat, a dozen guardsmen rose, armed with throwing spears or crossbows. Still more appeared atop the cabin. “Yield, my princess,” the captain called, “else we must slay all but the child and yourself, by your father’s word.”
    Princess Myrcella sat motionless upon her mount. Garin backed slowly from the poleboat, his hands in the air. Drey unbuckled his swordbelt. “Yielding seems the wisest course,” he called to Arianne, as his sword thumped to the ground.
    â€œNo!”
Ser Arys Oakheart put his horse between Arianne and the crossbows, his blade shining silver in his hand. He had unslung his shield and slipped his left arm through the straps. “You will not take her whilst I still draw breath.”
    You reckless fool,
was all that Arianne had time to think,
what do you think you’re doing?
    Darkstar’s laughter rang out. “Are you blind or stupid, Oakheart? There are too many. Put up your sword.”
    â€œDo as he says, Ser Arys,” Drey urged.
    We are taken, ser,
Arianne might have called out.
Your death will not free us. If you love your princess, yield.
But when she tried to speak, the words caught in her throat.
    Ser Arys Oakheart gave her one last longing look, then put his golden spurs into his horse and charged.
    He rode headlong for the poleboat, his white cloak streaming behind him. Arianne Martell had never seen anything half so gallant, or half so stupid.
“Noooo,”
she shrieked, but she had found her tongue too late. A crossbow
thrumm
ed, then another. Hotah bellowed a command. At such close range, the white knight’s armor had as well been made of parchment. The first bolt punched right through his heavy oaken shield, pinning it to his shoulder. The second grazed his temple. A thrown spear took Ser Arys’s mount in the flank, yet still the horse came on, staggering as he hit the gangplank.
“No,”
some girl was shouting, some foolish little girl,
“no, please, this was not supposed to happen.”
She could hear Myrcella shrieking too, her voice shrill with fear.
    Ser Arys’s longsword slashed right and left, and two spearmen went down. His horse reared, and kicked a crossbowman in the face as he was trying to reload, but the other crossbows were firing, feathering the big courser with their quarrels. The bolts hit home so hard they knocked the horse sideways. His legs went out from under him and sent him crashing down the deck. Somehow Arys Oakheart leapt free. He even managed to keep hold of his sword. He struggled to his knees beside his dying horse . . .
    . . . and found Areo Hotah standing over him.
    The white knight raised his blade, too slowly. Hotah’s longaxe took his right arm off at the shoulder, spun away spraying blood, and came flashing back again in a terrible two-handed slash that removed the head of Arys Oakheart and sent it spinning through the air. It landed amongst the reeds, and the Greenblood swallowed the red with a soft splash.
    Arianne did not remember climbing from her horse. Perhaps she’d fallen. She did not remember that either. Yet she found herself on her hands and feet in the sand, shaking and sobbing and retching up her supper.
No,
was all that she could think,
no, no one was to be hurt, it was all planned, I was so careful.
She heard Areo Hotah