A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

“Not the Osmund Kettleblack I know.”
    She could have throttled him.
Perhaps I need to command Ser Loras to allow Ser Osmund to unhorse him.
That might chase the stars from Tommen’s eyes.
Salt a slug and shame a hero, and they shrink right up.
“I am sending for a Dornishman to train you,” she said. “The Dornish are the finest jousters in the realm.”
    â€œThey are not,” said Tommen. “Anyway, I don’t want any stupid Dornishman, I want
Ser Loras.
I
command
it.”
    Jaime laughed.
He is no help at all. Does he think this is amusing?
The queen slapped the water angrily. “Must I send for Pate? You do
not
command me. I am your mother.”
    â€œYes, but I’m the
king.
Margaery says that everyone has to do what the king says. I want my white courser saddled on the morrow so Ser Loras can teach me how to joust. I want a kitten too, and I don’t want to eat beets.” He crossed his arms.
    Jaime was still laughing. The queen ignored him. “Tommen, come here.” When he hung back, she sighed. “Are you afraid? A king should not show fear.” The boy approached the tub, his eyes downcast. She reached out and stroked his golden curls. “King or no, you are a little boy. Until you come of age, the rule is mine. You
will
learn to joust, I promise you. But not from Loras. The knights of the Kingsguard have more important duties than playing with a child. Ask the Lord Commander. Isn’t that so, ser?”
    â€œVery important duties.” Jaime smiled thinly. “Riding round the city walls, for an instance.”
    Tommen looked close to tears. “Can I still have a kitten?”
    â€œPerhaps,” the queen allowed. “So long as I hear no more nonsense about jousting. Can you promise me that?”
    He shuffled his feet. “Yes.”
    â€œGood. Now run along. My guests will be here shortly.”
    Tommen ran along, but before he left he turned back to say, “When I’m king in my own right, I’m going to
outlaw
beets.”
    Her brother shoved the door shut with his stump. “Your Grace,” he said, when he and Cersei were alone, “I was wondering. Are you drunk, or merely stupid?”
    She slapped the water once again, sending up another splash to wash across his feet. “Guard your tongue, or—”
    â€œâ€”or what? Will you send me to inspect the city walls again?” He sat and crossed his legs. “Your bloody walls are fine. I’ve crawled over every inch of them and had a look at all seven of the gates. The hinges on the Iron Gate are rusted, and the King’s Gate and Mud Gate need to be replaced after the pounding Stannis gave them with his rams. The walls are as strong as they have ever been . . . but perchance Your Grace has forgotten that our friends of Highgarden are
inside
the walls?”
    â€œI forget nothing,” she told him, thinking of a certain gold coin, with a hand on one face and the head of a forgotten king on the other.
How did some miserable wretch of a gaoler come to have such a coin hidden beneath his chamber pot? How does a man like Rugen come to have old gold from Highgarden?
    â€œThis is the first I have heard of a new master-at-arms. You’ll need to look long and hard to find a better jouster than Loras Tyrell. Ser Loras is—”
    â€œI know what he is. I won’t have him near my son. You had best remind him of his duties.” Her bath was growing cool.
    â€œHe knows his duties, and there’s no better lance—”
    â€œ
You
were better, before you lost your hand. Ser Barristan, when he was young. Arthur Dayne was better, and Prince Rhaegar was a match for even him. Do not prate at me about how fierce the Flower is. He’s just a boy.” She was tired of Jaime balking her. No one had ever balked her lord father. When Tywin Lannister spoke, men obeyed. When Cersei spoke, they felt free to counsel her, to contradict her, even
refuse
her
. It is all because I am a woman. Because I cannot fight them with a sword. They gave Robert more respect than they give me, and Robert was a witless sot.
She would not suffer it, especially not from Jaime.
I need to rid myself of him, and soon.
Once upon a time she had dreamt that the two of them might rule the Seven Kingdoms side by side, but Jaime had become more of a hindrance than a help.
    Cersei rose from the bath. Water ran down her legs and trickled from her hair.