A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

King.”
    Lord Tywin rose, dignified and correct. “Even in the west, we know the prowess of the warrior clans of the Mountains of the Moon. What brings you down from your strongholds, my lords?”
    â€œHorses,” said Shagga.
    â€œA promise of silk and steel,” said Timett son of Timett.
    Tyrion was about to tell his lord father how he proposed to reduce the Vale of Arryn to a smoking wasteland, but he was never given the chance. The door banged open again. The messenger gave Tyrion’s clansmen a quick, queer look as he dropped to one knee before Lord Tywin. “My lord,” he said, “Ser Addam bid me tell you that the Stark host is moving down the causeway.”
    Lord Tywin Lannister did not smile. Lord Tywin
never
smiled, but Tyrion had learned to read his father’s pleasure all the same, and it was there on his face. “So the wolfling is leaving his den to play among the lions,” he said in a voice of quiet satisfaction. “Splendid. Return to Ser Addam and tell him to fall back. He is not to engage the northerners until we arrive, but I want him to harass their flanks and draw them farther south.”
    â€œIt will be as you command.” The rider took his leave.
    â€œWe are well situated here,” Ser Kevan pointed out. “Close to the ford and ringed by pits and spikes. If they are coming south, I say let them come, and break themselves against us.”
    â€œThe boy may hang back or lose his courage when he sees our numbers,” Lord Tywin replied. “The sooner the Starks are broken, the sooner I shall be free to deal with Stannis Baratheon. Tell the drummers to beat assembly, and send word to Jaime that I am marching against Robb Stark.”
    â€œAs you will,” Ser Kevan said.
    Tyrion watched with a grim fascination as his lord father turned next to the half-wild clansmen. “It is said that the men of the mountain clans are warriors without fear.”
    â€œIt is said truly,” Conn of the Stone Crows answered.
    â€œAnd the women,” Chella added.
    â€œRide with me against my enemies, and you shall have all my son promised you, and more,” Lord Tywin told them.
    â€œWould you pay us with our own coin?” Ulf son of Umar said. “Why should we need the father’s promise, when we have the son’s?”
    â€œI said nothing of
need,”
Lord Tywin replied. “My words were courtesy, nothing more. You need not join us. The men of the winterlands are made of iron and ice, and even my boldest knights fear to face them.”
    Oh, deftly done
, Tyrion thought, smiling crookedly.
    â€œThe Burned Men fear nothing. Timett son of Timett will ride with the lions.”
    â€œWherever the Burned Men go, the Stone Crows have been there first,” Conn declared hotly. “We ride as well.”
    â€œShagga son of Dolf will chop off their manhoods and feed them to the crows.”
    â€œWe will ride with you, lion lord,” Chella daughter ofCheyk agreed, “but only if your halfman son goes with us. He has bought his breath with promises. Until we hold the steel he has pledged us, his life is ours.”
    Lord Tywin turned his gold-flecked eyes on his son.
    â€œJoy,” Tyrion said with a resigned smile.

SANSA
    T he walls of the throne room had been stripped bare, the hunting tapestries that King Robert loved taken down and stacked in the corner in an untidy heap.
    Ser Mandon Moore went to take his place under the throne beside two of his fellows of the Kingsguard. Sansa hovered by the door, for once unguarded. The queen had given her freedom of the castle as a reward for being good, yet even so, she was escorted everywhere she went. “Honor guards for my daughter-to-be,” the queen called them, but they did not make Sansa feel honored.
    â€œFreedom of the castle” meant that she could go wherever she chose within the Red Keep so long as she promised not to go beyond the walls, a promise Sansa had been more than willing to give. She couldn’t have gone beyond the walls anyway. The gates were watched day and night by Janos Slynt’s gold cloaks, and Lannister house guards were always about as well. Besides, even if she could leave the castle, where would she go? It was enough that she could walk in the yard, pick flowers in Myrcella’s garden, and visit the sept to pray for her father. Sometimesshe prayed in the godswood as well, since the Starks kept the old