A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

was no
less battered. A few voices hailed him with cries of
“Tarth!”
and,
oddly,
“A Beauty! A Beauty!”
but most were silent. The blue knight
knelt before the king. “Grace,” he said, his voice muffled by his dented
greathelm.
    â€œYou are all your lord father claimed you were.” Renly’s voice carried
over the field. “I’ve seen Ser Loras unhorsed once or
twice . . . but never quite in
that
fashion.”
    â€œThat were no proper unhorsing,” complained a drunken archer nearby, a Tyrell
rose sewn on his jerkin. “A vile trick, pulling the lad down.”
    The press had begun to open up. “Ser Colen,” Catelyn said to her escort,
“who is this man, and why do they mislike him so?”
    Ser Colen frowned. “Because he is no man, my lady. That’s Brienne of Tarth,
daughter to Lord Selwyn the Evenstar.”
    â€œDaughter?”
Catelyn was horrified.
    â€œBrienne the Beauty, they name her . . . though not to her
face, lest they be called upon to defend those words with their
bodies.”
    She heard King Renly declare the Lady Brienne of Tarth the victor of the great
melee at Bitterbridge, last mounted of one hundred sixteen knights. “As
champion, you may ask of me any boon that you desire. If it lies in my power,
it is yours.”
    â€œYour Grace,” Brienne answered, “I ask the honor of a place among your
Rainbow Guard. I would be one of your seven, and pledge my life to yours, to go
where you go, ride at your side, and keep you safe from all hurt and
harm.”
    â€œDone,” he said. “Rise, and remove your helm.”
    She did as he bid her. And when the greathelm was lifted, Catelyn understood
Ser Colen’s words.
    Beauty, they called her . . . mocking. The hair beneath the

visor was a squirrel’s nest of dirty straw, and her
face . . . Brienne’s eyes were large and very blue, a young
girl’s eyes, trusting and guileless, but the rest . . . her
features were broad and coarse, her teeth prominent and crooked, her mouth too
wide, her lips so plump they seemed swollen. A thousand freckles speckled her
cheeks and brow, and her nose had been broken more than once. Pity filled
Catelyn’s heart.
Is there any creature on earth as unfortunate as an ugly
woman?
    And yet, when Renly cut away her torn cloak and fastened a rainbow in its
place, Brienne of Tarth did not look unfortunate. Her smile lit up her face,
and her voice was strong and proud as she said, “My life for yours, Your
Grace. From this day on, I am your shield, I swear it by the old gods and the
new.” The way she looked at the king—looked
down
at him, she
was a good hand higher, though Renly was near as tall as his brother had
been—was painful to see.
    â€œYour Grace!” Ser Colen of Greenpools swung down off his horse to approach
the gallery. “I beg your leave.” He went to one knee. “I have the honor to
bring you the Lady Catelyn Stark, sent as envoy by her son Robb, Lord of
Winterfell.”
    â€œLord of Winterfell and King in the North, ser,” Catelyn corrected him. She
dismounted and moved to Ser Colen’s side.
    King Renly looked surprised. “Lady Catelyn? We are most pleased.” He turned
to his young queen. “Margaery my sweet, this is the Lady Catelyn Stark of
Winterfell.”
    â€œYou are most welcome here, Lady Stark,” the girl said, all

soft courtesy. “I am sorry for your loss.”
    â€œYou are kind,” said Catelyn.
    â€œMy lady, I swear to you, I will see that the Lannisters answer for your
husband’s murder,” the king declared. “When I take King’s Landing, I’ll send
you Cersei’s head.”
    And will that bring my Ned back to me?
she thought. “It will be
enough to know that justice has been done, my lord.”
    â€œYour Grace,”
Brienne the Blue corrected sharply. “And you should
kneel when you approach the king.”
    â€œThe distance between a
lord
and a
grace
is a small one,
my lady,” Catelyn said. “Lord Renly wears a crown, as does my son. If you
wish, we may stand here in the mud and debate what honors and titles are
rightly due to each, but it strikes me that we have more pressing matters to
consider.”
    Some of Renly’s lords bristled at that, but the king only laughed. “Well said,
my