A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

guardsmen emerged from within the keep. “Lady Alayne,” he said, “the Lord Protector has been waiting for you.”
    â€œHe’s back?” she said, startled.
    â€œAt evenfall. You’ll find him in the west tower.”
    The hour was closer to dawn than to dusk, and most of the castle was asleep, but not Petyr Baelish. Alayne found him seated by a crackling fire, drinking hot mulled wine with three men she did not know. They all rose when she entered, and Petyr smiled warmly. “Alayne. Come, give your father a kiss.”
    She hugged him dutifully and kissed him on the cheek. “I am sorry to intrude, Father. No one told me you had company.”
    â€œYou are never an intrusion, sweetling. I was just now telling these good knights what a dutiful daughter I had.”
    â€œDutiful and beautiful,” said an elegant young knight whose thick blond mane cascaded down well past his shoulders.
    â€œAye,” said the second knight, a burly fellow with a thick salt-and-pepper beard, a red nose bulbous with broken veins, and gnarled hands as large as hams. “You left out that part, m’lord.”
    â€œI would do the same if she were my daughter,” said the last knight, a short, wiry man with a wry smile, pointed nose, and bristly orange hair. “Particularly around louts like us.”
    Alayne laughed. “Are you louts?” she said, teasing. “Why, I took the three of you for gallant knights.”
    â€œKnights they are,” said Petyr. “Their gallantry has yet to be demonstrated, but we may hope. Allow me to present Ser Byron, Ser Morgarth, and Ser Shadrich. Sers, the Lady Alayne, my natural and very clever daughter . . . with whom I must needs confer, if you will be so good as to excuse us.”
    The three knights bowed and withdrew, though the tall one with the blond hair kissed her hand before taking his leave.
    â€œHedge knights?” said Alayne, when the door had closed.
    â€œHungry knights. I thought it best that we have a few more swords about us. The times grow ever more interesting, my sweet, and when the times are interesting you can never have too many swords. The
Merling King
’s returned to Gulltown, and old Oswell had some tales to tell.”
    She knew better than to ask what sort of tales. If Petyr had wanted her to know, he would have told her. “I did not expect you back so soon,” she said. “I am glad you’ve come.”
    â€œI would never have known it from the kiss you gave me.” He pulled her closer, caught her face between his hands, and kissed her on the lips for a long time. “Now that’s the sort of kiss that says
welcome home
. See that you do better next time.”
    â€œYes, Father.” She could feel herself blushing.
    He did not hold her kiss against her. “You would not believe half of what is happening in King’s Landing, sweetling. Cersei stumbles from one idiocy to the next, helped along by her council of the deaf, the dim, and the blind. I always anticipated that she would beggar the realm and destroy herself, but I never expected she would do it quite so
fast
. It is quite vexing. I had hoped to have four or five quiet years to plant some seeds and allow some fruits to ripen, but now . . . it is a good thing that I thrive on chaos. What little peace and order the five kings left us will not long survive the three queens, I fear.”
    â€œThree queens?” She did not understand.
    Nor did Petyr choose to explain. Instead, he smiled and said, “I have brought my sweet girl back a gift.”
    Alayne was as pleased as she was surprised. “Is it a gown?” She had heard there were fine seamstresses in Gulltown, and she was so tired of dressing drably.
    â€œSomething better. Guess again.”
    â€œJewels?”
    â€œNo jewels could hope to match my daughter’s eyes.”
    â€œLemons? Did you find some lemons?” She had promised Sweetrobin lemon cake, and for lemon cake you needed lemons.
    Petyr Baelish took her by the hand and drew her down onto his lap. “I have made a marriage contract for you.”
    â€œA marriage . . .” Her throat tightened. She did not want to wed again, not now, perhaps not ever. “I do not . . . I cannot marry. Father, I . . .” Alayne looked to the door, to make certain it was closed. “I
am
married,” she whispered. “You know.”
    Petyr put a finger to her lips to