Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Cersei

The cold rain was flying, turning the walls of the Red Castle into a dark red, like clotted blood.The queen firmly held the king's hand and led him across the muddy courtyard to the heavily guarded palanquin. "Uncle James said I could ride out and throw coppers at the folks as I went," the boy protested. "Do you want to catch a cold?" She dared not risk it, Tommen never had Joffrey's physique, "Your grandfather wants to see you look like a king, we can't show up in the sept like weeded chickens. ' I put on my unfortunate mourning dress again.Black is against her, and with her fair skin, she looks like a corpse.An hour before dawn, Cersei had risen, bathed, combed her hair, and dressed, and she did not want the rain to spoil her efforts.

After getting into the sedan chair, Tommen leaned on the pillow and peeped out of the rain curtain, "The gods are crying for Grandpa. Miss Jocelyn said the raindrops are their tears." "Jocelyn Swyfer is an idiot, if the gods can cry, why don't they shed tears for your brother? Well, rain is rain, draw the curtains and it's all coming in. You want to soak your Mink cloak?" Tommen obeyed, but his meekness disturbed his mother.Kings are fearless, and Joffrey will argue with me, never give in. "Sit like you are!" she told Tommen. "Look like a king. Keep your shoulders straight and put your crown on—what will you do if you fall in front of the princes when you're so casual?"

"I won't let it fall, Mother." The boy sat up straight and reached for the crown.Little Joe's crown is too big for him, this fat Tommen... wait, his face seems to be thinning.Recently, is your son's diet normal?I'll have to remember to cross-examine the steward.Myrcella was in the hands of the Dornish right now, so Tommen couldn't make a mistake.Someday, he'll be big enough to wear the crown Joe left behind.For now, it's better to be one size smaller, so as not to hurt his head.The queen mother decided to go to the goldsmith immediately. The palanquin came slowly down Aegon's High Hill, two Kingsguard riding in front, white horses in white armor and white robes soaked in the rain, and fifty Lannister guardsmen in red and gold behind the sedan chair.

Tommen couldn't help but lift the curtain a little and look out, and there was an empty street outside. "I thought there would be a lot of ordinary people. When my father passed away, there were crowds of people." "Who would come out in the rain to see the dead?" Besides, the people of King's Landing didn't love Tywin at all.My father also disdained their affection. "Love, love this thing, you can't eat it, you can't use it, you can't keep it warm in the cold night." When his younger brother Jaime was Tommen's age, his father had confided to him.

On the Visenya Hills, in front of the magnificent marble Sept of Baelor, the crowd of mourners was far less than the gold-cloaked guards that Ser Adam Marbrand placed around the square.More will come, Cersei thought, letting Ser Meryn Tring help her out of the litter.After all, only nobles and their retinues were allowed to attend the morning prayers, the afternoon prayers were open to the common people, and the evening prayers had no status restrictions.I have to come back to host at night, so that the common people can witness my mourning.Idiots want to watch a show.It was annoying, she had so much to do, a war to fight, a country to rule.At least my father will understand me.

The Archbishop was waiting for them at the top of the steps, an old man with a thin gray beard, so bent that he seemed unable to bear the weight of his richly embroidered robes, and his eyes were lowered to the Queen Mother's chest . . . An elegant diadem of flawless crystal and gold filigree added a foot and a half to his height. This crown was given by Lord Tywin to replace the one lost when the mob killed the previous archbishop in the turmoil.The day they dragged the old fool out of the litter and tore him to pieces, was the day Myrcella left me for Dorne.Although that guy is stupid and gluttonous, at least he can be bribed. The one in front of him... was appointed by Tyrion, Cersei felt displeased as she thought about it.

The archbishop's speckled palm protruded from a long sleeve decorated with gold patterns and small crystal balls, like a chicken's paw.Cersei knelt on the damp marble, kissed his finger, and told Tommen to do the same.How well does he know me?What did the dwarf say to him?The archbishop escorted her into the sanctuary with a smile suggestive and menacing, perhaps it was just puckered lips twitching needlessly?The queen mother is not sure. They walked through the Hall of Lights, with lead-encrusted spheres of stained glass overhead, and she held Tommen's hand, Tran and Kettleblack guarding either side, the rain trickling down their white robes onto the floor.The archbishop walked slowly, leaning on a richly ornamented weirwood cane with a crystal ball on top, and seven archbishops came out to accompany him, all in glittering silver-wire garments.Tommen's ermine cloak, by contrast, was a gold silk tunic, and the queen wore an old black velvet fringe trimmed with ermine - there was no time for new ones, and she couldn't wear mourning Joffrey or Robert's clothes appear.

At least I don't have to mourn for Tyrion, and if I did, I'd be sure to change into crimson silk and gold thread underclothes, with rubies on my hair.The Empress Dowager has declared that whoever, no matter how humble their birth, or their sins, can be granted the title of lord as long as they sacrifice the dwarf's head.The crow spread her instructions throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and soon the news would reach the Nine Free Cities across the Narrow Sea.Even if the little devil escapes to the ends of the earth, he can't escape my palm. The royal team passed through several inner doors and came to the main hall in the center of the sanctuary. They walked down one of the seven wide aisles under the dome, and the seven aisles intersected in the center.The surrounding nobles knelt down beside the king and queen mother, many of them were his father's old ministries and vassals, and some knights fought dozens of battles with Duke Tywin.Looking at them, she felt much more at ease in her heart.I am not friendless.

Under the great dome of crystal and glass and gold in the great hall, the body of Lord Tywin Lannister lay in a marble coffin on the platform.Jaime stood watch for his father before the coffin, and in his good hand he held a long, golden sword, the point of which rested on the ground. He wore a hooded cloak as white as new snow, and a long chain mail coat under the cloak. Decorated with mother-of-pearl and gold.Lord Tywin would have preferred him to be in the red and gold of the Lannisters, and she knew her father would be angry whenever he saw Jaime in white.The younger brother's beard has grown back, and the short beard covers his chin and cheeks, making him look a bit old and rough.Maybe he won't scrape until his father rests beneath Casterly Rock.

Cersei led the king up three short steps and knelt beside the duke's body.Tommen's eyes welled up. "Don't cry," she leaned forward to warn, "You are the king, not a crying child, and your subjects are watching you." The boy obediently wiped away his tears with the back of his hand - he inherited her Eyes, emerald green, the same bright and large eyes James had had at his age.Oh, how handsome my brother was...and fierce, as fierce as Joffrey, a true lion cub.Thinking of this, the queen could not help but put her arms around Tommen, and kissed his golden curls.He needs me to teach him how to rule and my careful protection from his enemies.Certain enemies are hiding here at this moment, pretending to be friends of our family.

The Silent Sisters dressed Lord Tywin as if he was going to war.He wore his best plate armor, heavy steel plate enamelled dark red, breastplate, greaves, and gloves intricately scrolled in gold, and gauntlet discs golden sunburst.A pair of golden lionesses sprawled on their shoulders, their mates atop great helms.On the chest of His Excellency the Duke was a giant sword with a gilded scabbard and embellished with rubies. The Duke held it firmly with gilded mail gloves.His remains after death are all so noble, she thought, only that mouth... The corners of her father's mouth were raised slightly, as if he was smiling blankly.Absurd.It was Pycelle's fault, he should have told the Silent Sisters: Lord Tywin Lannister never smiled.Old fool, as useless as breastplate nipples.This faint smile, coupled with the tightly closed eyes, made Lord Tywin's appearance less scary-but his father's eyes were his soul: that pure green, shining, with golden pupils.Those eyes can see right through you, into the weakness and incompetence and ugliness of your soul.He can be breathtaking. The memory came suddenly, and Cersei remembered the welcome banquet held by King Aerys for herself when she entered the palace, when she was as tender as summer grass.During the chat, old Merryweather mentioned increasing the tax rate on wine, and Lord Lake commented, "If we need gold, wouldn't it be enough for His Majesty to ask Lord Tywin to find a chamber pot?" After hearing this, Aerys and His favorites laughed loudly, while his father glared at Lake through the wine glass. When the audience fell silent, he still didn't look away.Lake turned away, then turned back to meet his father's eyes, immediately poured down a large glass of ale, blushed and fled shaking.There was no hiding behind those unwavering eyes. Lord Tywin's eyes are closed forever, Cersei thought, it is my eyes and my eyebrows that they should be afraid of.I, too, am a lion. The color of the sanctuary is as dark as the sky outside.If the clouds clear and the rain stops, the sun will shine through the hanging crystals, casting colorful lights on the corpse.The Lord of Casterly Rock deserves the rainbow light, he is a great man.I can do better.A thousand years from now, when the maesters will write history, you will be known as the father of Cersei, Queen Regent. "Mother," Tommen tugged at her sleeve. "What smells so bad?" my lord father. "The smell of death," she smelled too, a hint of corruption that made her want to pull her nose, but Cersei didn't care.Seven archbishops in silver robes stood behind the coffin, praying to the Heavenly Father to judge Duke Tywin fairly. After the recitation, seventy-seven nuns gathered in front of the altar of the Holy Mother, singing hymns for mercy.Tommen couldn't take it anymore, and even the Queen's knees were sore.She looked at James and found that her brother was like a stone sculpture, and she dared not meet her eyes. On the bench below, Uncle Kevan knelt on the ground with slumped shoulders, and his son knelt beside him.Lancel looked worse than my father.He was only seventeen years old, but he looked like a seventy-year-old man: his face was gray and haggard, his cheeks were thin, his eyes were sunken, and his hair was white and brittle, like chalk.Why is Lancel still alive when Tywin Lannister is dead?Have the gods lost their minds? Lord Gales was coughing more violently than usual, and covered his nose with a red silk square.He smelled it too.The Grand Master Paicell closed his eyes.If he dares to sleep, I swear I will punish him severely.To the right of the coffin kneeled the Tyrells: the Lord of Highgarden, his fierce mother and dull wife, his son Garlan and his daughter Margaery.Queen Margaery, Cersei reminded herself, was Young Jo's widow and Tommen's fiancée.Margaery was very beautiful, just like her brother the Knight of Flowers, and the queen suspected that they had similar tastes.Behold, our little Rose drags a troop of maids day and night.Now there are a dozen of them kneeling beside her.The Queen Mother shifted her gaze and looked at these women one by one.Which of them is cowardly?Who is lewd?Who longs for success?Who can't control their tongue?She decided to find out. After singing, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.The stench from her father was getting stronger, and the mourning nobles had to pretend to be serious, but Cersei still found Miss Margaery's cousins ​​picking up the little Tyrell's nose.When she and Tommen walked back to the aisle, she felt as if someone whispered "toilet" and then "giggled" lightly. The Queen Mother turned her head angrily, but in front of her was a sea of ​​monotonous faces, looking back at her dully .If his father was alive, no one would dare to make fun of him. He could scare these stupid pigs to the ground just by looking at him. Back in the Hall of Lights, mourners surrounded the Empress Dowager, mother and child like buzzing flies, eagerly pouring out tedious words of condolence to her.The Redwyne twins kissed her hand, and their father kissed her cheek; Harlim the Pyromancer assured her that on the day her father's bones returned from the city, there would be bright fireworks in the clear sky; Lord Gayles coughed and claimed that he had hired a master stonemason to carve a statue of Lord Tywin on the Lion Gate, so that he could guard the capital forever; Wearing the bandage, he swore he would never undo it until he had sacrificed the head of her dwarf brother. When she was finally free from the chatter of the pigs, Lady Faris of Stokesworth and her husband, Ser Balmain Birch, gagged her again. "On behalf of my lord mother, I offer you my condolences, Your Majesty," said Faris eagerly. I propose that... my mother considers your late father the most outstanding man of his time, and that if my sister bears a boy, she wishes to have the honor of naming him Tywin, and hopes... hopes to please you, Your Majesty. " Cersei was stunned. "Your retarded sister was fucked by half of King's Landing! Tanda thinks it an honor to name a bastard after my lord father? No, I don't think so." Faris backed away as if she had been slapped, while her husband twirled his thick golden beard with his thumb, "Your Majesty, I have also told Countess Tanda about this, don't worry, we will find someone more ...uh...a more fitting name for Norris' bastard. I assure you, really." "Remember your words." Cersei shrugged and hurried away, and she found Tommen surrounded by Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother.The Queen of Thorns was so short that she looked like a child at first glance.The Queen Mother was about to rescue her child from the rose bushes, when she bumped into her uncle's family face to face, she reminded her uncle of the agreement to talk after returning to the city, Sir Kevan nodded wearily, and left, but Lancel, that one foot was gone. Those who stepped into the grave remained.Where is his other foot?Is he about to step in, or is he about to step out? Cersei forced herself to smile. "Lancell, I'm so relieved to see you so healthy. In the past, Maester Barabara was very pessimistic about your condition, and we were all worried...By the way, are you still going to Darry City? You are The new Lord Earl." After the Battle of the Blackwater River, his father gave his younger brother Kevan a piece of the pie, and promoted Lancel to be the lord. "I can't go now, my castle is occupied by bandits." My cousin's voice was as weak as the beard on his lower lip. Anyway, although his hair was gray, his beard was still sandy.Cersei kept staring at his beard as the child penetrated her, pumping faithfully.It was so bad, like a speck of dirt, that she'd been able to wipe it away just by threatening to spit. "Father said that the Hejian Land needs strong suppression at the moment." In the end, they got you, she thought in her heart, but she smiled, "You are going to get married too." A trace of melancholy passed over the vicissitudes of the young knight's face, "Yes, I have never seen the girl from the Frey family. I heard that she has been budded a long time ago, and she is a widow with Darry blood. Father said Marrying her will bring my subjects closer to me, but unfortunately my subjects either died or fled." He reached out to shake her hand. "Cruel, Cersei, Your Majesty, you know I love—" "—House Lannister," she finished for him, "no one doubts your loyalty, Lancel. May your wife bear you many strong sons." Well, I hope her lord grandfather does not preside wedding. "I believe in you, you will be able to do a great job in Darry City." Lancel nodded pitifully, "When I was about to die, my father asked the archbishop to pray for me. He is a good man." My cousin's eyes were wet and shining, which is strange, the eyes of a child grow on the old man's face . "He said Our Lady kept me for a holy cause, to give me a chance to atone for my sins." Cersei didn't know how he was going to atone for her.It was a mistake to knight him, and it was a mistake to sleep with him.Lancel was a weak reed, and she didn't like his sudden piety even more, he was much cuter as Jaime.Wait... What did this stupid idiot confess to the archbishop?How many more secrets would he have to pour out in the dark when he slept with that Frey whore?If he tells about the bed, that's fine, Cersei has her own way of dealing with it, men have desires, and a newborn calf can't help talking about her beauty; but if he talks about Robert and wine..." Pray Enough to atone," Cersei told her cousin, "please pray quietly." She left him to ponder her words, preparing to deal with the Tyrells. Margery gave her a sisterly hug first, and the Queen Mother felt that the other party had the upper hand, but could not think of a reason to object; Mrs. Allerly and Margery's cousins ​​kissed her fingers; the pregnant Grafford The lady begged the queen mother to name her Tywin if she gave birth to a boy, and Lanna if she gave birth to a girl.here we go again?She was almost suffocating, and in a few days, the whole country would be full of Tywin!Helpless, she could only force a smile and generously agree. Only Lord Merryweather brought her good news. "Your Majesty," the other party said in a sexy Myr tone, "I have sent a message to my friends across the narrow sea. Once the ugly face of the little devil appears in the Free Trade City, I will take his head and sacrifice it immediately." "Do you have many friends in the East?" "Yes, I have friends in Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh, and they have power." Cersei had no doubts about this.Look at this Myrish woman, who is so alluring, with long legs and big breasts, smooth olive skin, full lips and big black eyes, and thick black hair as if she just woke up from a sleep.She exudes temptation.Like an exotic lotus. "Lord Merryweather and I wholeheartedly obey and serve Your Majesty and our little king." The woman promised in a low voice, the depths of her pupils were as rich as Mrs. Grafford's stomach. This person is ambitious, but married a poor husband with a prominent family background. "Let's talk about it, ma'am. Your name is Tania, isn't it? It's very kind of you. I think we can be good friends." At this moment the Duke of Highgarden approached the Queen Mother. Mace Tyrell is only less than ten years older than Cersei, but she always regards him as a figure of the previous generation in her mind, not her own peers.He was not as tall as Lord Tywin, but he weighed more, with a broad chest and a straight belly.His hair was chestnut-coloured, his beard was speckled with gray and white, and his face was as red as ever. "Tywin is a great man, an immortal great man." After kissing her cheeks, he announced ritually, "I am afraid that in our lifetime, we will never have the chance to see a great hero like your father again." You stand before such a hero, idiot, thought Cersei, and that is me, his daughter.But she needs the power of Tyrell and Highgarden to keep Tommen on the throne, so all she can say is, "Yes, he is greatly missed." Tyrell put a hand on her shoulder, "Well, it's clear to all that no one is capable of carrying the burden Lord Tywin left behind, but the dead are dead, and there must be someone to rule the country, someone must rule .In this dark moment, if you need my assistance, your Majesty just asks, and I will die." My lord, if you want to be the Prime Minister, at least have the courage to say wow, the queen mother smiled, what can this idiot read from my smile? "Having said that...but looking at the world, the chaos is settled, and the River Bend is in urgent need of your care, so it seems wrong to put the cart before the horse?" "My son Vilas is very capable," the other party refused to accept her clear hints, and explained relentlessly. "He is a model of physical disability and mental strength. Although his legs are lame, his mind is very flexible. Now, Garland After taking over Brightwater City, the two brothers worked together, and the River Bend was infallible. As a father, I happened to serve the country-the prosperity and safety of the kingdom should be the top priority of my generation, this is the legacy of Lord Tywin. Speaking of this , I am delighted to bring another piece of good news to Your Majesty: as your late father wished, my Uncle Gals has agreed to take over as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is now on his way to Oldtown to take a boat, to King's Landing by Starry Night, and his two sons Follow him too. Lord Tywin promised to find positions for my two cousins, which seems to be referring to the capital defense team." The queen mother's smile was completely frozen, and she was worried that she would bite her teeth.Let the "fat" Gals enter the imperial council?Putting his two bastards in gold robes? ...do these Tyrells think I'm giving them the kingdom on a gilded platter?She was too angry to speak. "Garth has been the steward of the High Court for a long time, serving me and my father, working hard, which is called flaunting." Tyrell continued, "I admit that Littlefinger is very powerful, he can smell gold with his nose, but Gals-" "My lord," Cersei interrupted the Lord of Highgarden, "I think you have misunderstood. I have consulted Lord Gales Rosby, who has the honor to accept the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer." Mace looked at her in astonishment. "Rosby? The ... patient who coughs all day long? But ... but the matter has been settled, Your Majesty, Garth has gone to Oldtown." ) "Hurry up and send the crow to Lord Hightower, and let him prevent your uncle from boarding the ship. If you braved the autumn storm and came all the way, but returned empty-handed, I'm really sorry for Gals." She kindly said laughed. A blush rose across Tyrell's thick neck. "You... your father promised me..." he spit. The Duke's mother suddenly appeared and took her son's arm. "It seems that Lord Tywin did not share the plan with the Queen Regent, oh, I can imagine why. In this case, it is a done deal, let's not worry about Her Majesty the Queen Mother, she is right, you hurry up and tell Lord Layton Stop Gals from getting on the boat. He is seasick all the time, and his farts will smell even worse after such a long boat ride." Lady Olenna gave Cersei a toothless smile. "You really have the foresight. It will be much better to replace Lord Gales in the chamber, although to be honest, I can't stand his coughing. Hey, our family admires Mr. Gals. His only shortcoming is Stomach is bad, there is no cure, you know, I hate stinky and smelly nose the most." Her wrinkled face tightened, "I don't feel well today, but the smell in this sacred hall is not right , you also found out?" "No," said Cersei coldly, "what do you mean, taste?" "Yes, it is really detrimental to health." "It seems that you miss Autumn Rose in your family's territory too much. I'm sorry to keep you in the capital for too long." She planned to send Mrs. Olenna away from the palace immediately. To ensure the safety of her mother, Tilly Er will surely send off a host of knights, and the fewer Tyrells are in the capital, the more peacefully she will sleep. "I must admit that I do miss Highgarden in full bloom," said the old woman, "but how can I bear to leave my beloved Margaery before you wed your dear little Tommen? " "I am also eagerly looking forward to the day of the wedding," Duke Tyrell interjected. "In fact, Lord Tywin is currently discussing the date of the wedding with me. Your Majesty, if it is suitable, let's settle it." "I'll talk to you shortly." "Your Majesty is wise, you must be quick," Madam Olenna sniffed again, "Come on, Mace, don't disturb Your Majesty... mourning." I'll kill you, old crone, Cersei watched as the Queen of Thorns staggered between two tall guards - seven-foot twins the old crone of Highgarden hilariously called "Left Hand" and "Right Hand" ——I swear in my heart, I will see how stinky your corpse is when the time comes.Apparently, the old man is ten times wiser than the son. The queen hastily rescued her son from Margaery and her cousins, and made for the door.Outside the sanctuary, the rain had stopped and the autumn air was fresh and sweet.Tommen took off the crown. "Put it on," Cersei ordered him. "It hurts my neck," the boy protested, but obediently complied. "When will I get married? Margery said that after we get married, she will take me to visit Highgarden." "You are not going to Highgarden, but I allow you to ride back to the castle this morning." Cersei greeted Ser Meryn Tran, "give your majesty a fine horse, and then ask Lord Gailes if he will honor you, and join me Take the sedan chair." The rapid development of the situation exceeded her expectations, and there was no time to waste. Hearing that he could ride a horse, Tommen was overjoyed, and of course Lord Gales did not dare not "give him the honor"... But when she proposed to appoint him as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he coughed so violently that she suspected that he was about to fall ill and die at that time .Thanks to the mercy of the Holy Mother, Gales finally had the strength to agree, and even coughed and proposed a list of replacement officials—he wanted to replace the customs officers and wool agents appointed by Littlefinger, and even one of the four treasurers. "As long as it can be milked, I will agree with any cow you want to put into battle. In addition, I invite you to attend the imperial meeting tomorrow." "Tomorrow..." The other party bent over coughing, "Tomorrow... yes." Lord Gaels coughed into a red silk scarf, in order to hide the blood spots in his saliva.Cersei pretended not to care. When he dies, I have to replace him.Perhaps Littlefinger should be recalled, for after Lysa Tully's death, the Queen Mother could not imagine Petyr Baelish safe as his guardian of the valley.If what Pai Sear said is true, the princes of the valley have already risen.Once they take that stinky kid away, Lord Petyr will have to scramble back and beg for my care. "Your Majesty?" Lord Gyles moved his lips while coughing, "I can..." He coughed again. "...Ask..." A violent cough overwhelmed him. "...Ask who is the next prime minister?" "My uncle," Cersei replied absently. Seeing that the gate of the Red Castle was getting bigger and bigger before her eyes, she was more at ease, so she handed Tommen over to his attendants, and went back to her room to rest in relief. Unexpectedly, as soon as she took off her shoes, Qiao Silin walked in timidly and informed Cobain that she was outside to see her. "Bring him in," the queen mother ordered.There is no way, the rulers of the country have no time to rest. Cobain is already old, but his head has more gray hair than white silk, and there is always a smile on his lips, making him look like the grandfather that the little girl admires.He was a shabby grandfather.The collar of the robe was frayed, and one sleeve was torn and hastily stitched on. "I'm very sorry for disturbing the Queen Mother's rest, and I beg your forgiveness," he said, "Following your order, I went deep into the dungeon and investigated the escape of the little devil." "What did you find?" "On the night Lord Varys and your brother disappeared, someone else disappeared." "I know. It's the jailer. What's the matter with him?" "This man's name is Logan, and he is the junior guard who has been in charge of the black cell for many years. The dungeon chief said he was short and fat, unshaven, and had a hoarse voice, but he was appointed by the old king Aerys, allowing him to come and go freely. In recent years There are not many prisoners in the black cell, and the other guards seem to be afraid of him, so there is no way to know the real situation of this person. He has no relatives, no friends, and does not go to pubs or brothels. His bedroom is small and damp, The straw mat for sleeping was moldy, and the chamber pot was not cleaned for a long time, and even overflowed." "I know all this." James went to Logan's room, and Ser Adam's gold robes checked again. "Yes, Your Majesty," said Qyburn, "but do you know that there is a movable stone under the stinking chamber pot, covering a small hole? Isn't such a mechanism usually used to keep valuables?" ?” "Valuables?" This is a new discovery. "You mean: money?" Unsurprisingly, she had always suspected that Tyrion had bribed the jailer. "Your Majesty is wise, the small hole was naturally hollowed out when I discovered it, and Logan must have fled in a hurry with a bribe. But I squatted down, took a torch to observe carefully, and found a shiny thing hidden in the So he dug it out." Qybain opened his palm, "Look, a gold coin." Gold, it was gold, but when Cersei took it, something was wrong.It's too small, she thought, too light.The coin was very old and worn, with the king's head branded on one side and a hand on the other. "No dragons," she blurted out. "Yes, there is no dragon." Qyburn said, "It comes from before the war of conquest, Your Majesty, the king on the coin is Garth II, and the hand is the coat of arms of the gardener family." from High Court.Cersei held the coin tightly.What conspiracy does this represent?Mace Tyrell was one of the three judges who tried Tyrion, and has always advocated the death penalty.Is it all a play on the spot?Could it be that he has been secretly colluding with the little devil, plotting to kill his father?As long as Tywin Lannister is dead, Lord Tyrell is a natural candidate for Hand, though... "There must be no word about this," the Queen ordered. "Your Majesty, you can trust my mouth—a person who travels north and south with the mercenary group knows when to speak and when not to speak, otherwise his head would have moved." "It's the same rule here." The Queen Mother put down the coin, and she decided to think about it later. "Any thing else?" "About Ser Gregor," Qyburn shrugged, "I did an inspection at your command. The poison on the spear of the Red Viper comes from the manticore from the east, and I can guarantee my life on that." .” "Pycelle disagrees with you. He told my lord father that if the poison of the manticore enters the heart, the person is dead." "He was right. But this time the poisoner had 'specialized' the poison, so that the Mountain could suffer and suffer." "Special treatment? What kind of treatment? Mixed with other toxins?" "Perhaps it's just like what you said, Your Majesty, but theoretically speaking, mixing multiple toxins will often neutralize their respective medicinal properties. Maybe the opponent's method...is not so natural, let's put it this way. I think he used Spell." Is this guy as stupid as Pycelle? "So, you're going to tell me that the Mountain is half-dead by some kind of 'dark magic'?" Qybain ignored the sarcasm in her voice. "He died a slow death of poison, lingering for a while, in excruciating pain. My attempts to relieve his pain were as ineffective as Pycelle's. In fact, I think Ser Gregor took The milk of the poppy has already exceeded the standard, and his attendant told me that because he suffers from the headache that seems to split his skull day and night, he drinks the milk of the poppy just like ordinary people drink beer, so as to ward off the pain. Well, regardless of this The side effects of poppy, just from the physical point of view, his blood vessels from head to toe have turned black, his urine is full of pus, and the hole pierced by the spear cannot heal due to the onset of toxicity, and it has grown to the size of my fist so far .To be honest, it's almost a miracle that he's still alive." "Look at his size," the queen pointed out, frowning. "Gregor is a big man, and he is also a big fool. Maybe he is too stupid to realize that he is dead." She held out her glass, and Serena quickly filled it up. "His cry frightened Tommen, and even woke me up one night. I thought I'd better summon Ilyn Payne and clean up." "Your Majesty," Qyburn suggested, "may I take Ser Gregor to the dungeon? Then his cries will not bother you, and I can take care of him." "You will take care of him?" She smiled. "Let Ser Ilyn do it." "Your Majesty is wise," Qyburn said, "but this poison...if we can understand it, it must be helpful to us, isn't it? The common people often say, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth', the enemy uses the dark The trick..." He didn't finish his sentence, but just looked at her with a smile. Clearly, this guy was different from Pycelle.The queen mother weighed him, and a few thoughts quickly turned in her mind. "Why did Xuecheng deprive you of your necklace?" "Because those doctors were cowards at heart, and Marwyn described them as 'sheep in gray', exactly. I was a healer comparable to Ambrose, and I was destined to surpass him. Then—you Do you know? Xuecheng has been dissecting corpses to explore the mysteries of life. This has been an unbroken experiment for hundreds of years, but I have gone one step further. I want to study what is behind death, so I dissect living people. For this' crimes', the gray sheep insulted me and drove me out... But I know more about life and death than the old masters in Oldtown." "Really?" She found it very interesting, "Okay, I will give you the Mountain. You can cook it as you want, but your activities are only allowed in the dark cell. When he dies, take his head奉上，这是父亲答应过多恩人的信物。想来道朗亲王大概恨不得能生剜其心、生啖其肉，但我们人人都要学会时不时忍受一点失望嘛。” “谢谢您，陛下，”科本清清喉咙。“还有一点小问题，我的地位没有派席尔师傅那么高，我需要必需的设备……” “我会指示盖尔斯为你准备资金，以应所需。首先，你得给自己买些新袍子，你这样子见人像是从跳蚤窝里面抓出来的。”她望进他的眼睛，不知自己能信任他多深。“需要我提醒你，如果有任何关于……关于你的料理……的话传出去，你会有什么后果……” “不会的，陛下，”科本给她一个宽心的微笑，“您的秘密就是我的秘密。” 当他走后，瑟曦为自己又倒上一杯浓葡萄酒，坐在窗边享用，看着阴影逐渐笼罩庭院。她忘不了那枚硬币。河湾地的钱。君临城中最低贱的狱卒怎么会有河湾地的钱？这是协助谋杀父亲的价码吗？ 无论她怎么努力，只要想起泰温公爵，脑海中浮现的就是那张茫然微笑的诡异面容和身体散发出的浓烈臭气。弄不好这一切都是提利昂在暗中安排、偷偷作怪。这玩笑虽小，可是好残酷啊，他正是这么个又小又残酷的东西。派席尔也是他的爪牙吗？别忘了，大学士听任那个罗根掌控黑牢。所有线索连在一起，让她很是不安。总主教肯定是提利昂的鹰犬，瑟曦突然想到，父亲可怜的尸体从早到晚都由他关照。 叔叔于黄昏时分如约到达，身穿加垫的炭色羊毛外衣——颜色就跟他的脸一样犹如死灰。和所有的兰尼斯特家人相同，凯冯爵士皮肤精致，须发金黄，但现年五十五岁的他，头基本秃光了。他肩圆腰粗，丝毫谈不上俊朗，方下巴上全是肉，修剪得很短的黄胡子完全不能将其隐藏。他让她想起了老看家犬……不过她现在需要的正是忠实的看家犬。 他们吃了一顿包括甜菜、面包和带血牛排的便饭，用一壶多恩红酒送下肚。席间，凯冯爵士很少说话，也基本不喝酒。大概他的心情太沉重了吧，她认为，他需要工作，好从悲伤中解脱出来。 于是等食物被清走，仆人们也都离开后，她把这番话和盘托出。“我明白父亲有多依仗你，叔叔，我也同样需要你。” “你需要一个首相，”凯冯爵士回答，“而詹姆拒绝了你。” 他一如既往地直率。very good. “关于詹姆……父亲的去世令我心神游移，思虑不周，我简直都记不得自己说过些什么。詹姆他是很英勇，可我们直说了吧，他骨子里蛮有些傻。托曼需要更有经验的长者……” “梅斯·提利尔符合长者的标准。” 瑟曦鼻孔一张。“决不，”她把一绺垂下的头发扫上额头，“我决不会放纵贪得无厌的提利尔家。” “让梅斯·提利尔当首相将是桩蠢事，”凯冯爵士承认，“但与他为敌就更蠢了。灯火之厅里发生的事我已经听说了，自然，梅斯应该学会别在公开场合谈论这类话题，即便如此，你当着全宫廷的面羞辱他也极为不智。” “总比让提利尔混进御前会议好得多！”他的责备让她不耐烦。“罗斯比会是个不错的财政大臣，看看他的坐轿，看看那上面的雕刻装饰与丝绸织锦你就知道了。他的马比大多数骑士的马打扮得更华丽。一个如此富裕的人想必精通生财之道。至于御前首相嘛……谁能比我父亲的弟弟，那个从来与我父亲亲密无间，并无私奉献着的弟弟更有资格接过他的担子呢？” “每个人都需要有信得过的人。泰温信任我和你母亲。” “他很爱她，”瑟曦拒绝去想父亲床上妓女的尸体，“我知道，他们现在团聚了。” “我也如此祈祷。”凯冯爵士看着她的脸，看了很长时间，最后才续道，“瑟曦，你要我再次做出牺牲。” “不比父亲要求的多。” “我累了。”叔叔抓起酒杯，吮了一口。“我已经两年没和妻子见面，一个儿子已成尸骨，另一个儿子即将结婚、当上领主——是啊，戴瑞城必须恢复往日的荣光，三河肥沃的土地必须得到保护，烧焦的田野等待着重新耕作播种。蓝赛尔需要我的协助。” “托曼比他更需要你。”瑟曦没料到凯冯竟然需要她的抚慰。在父亲驾下，他可从来都是打头阵的。“国家更需要你。” “国家，啊，兰尼斯特家族，”他又吮一口酒。“那好吧，我会留下来，替国王陛下效劳……” “太好了。”她正待夸奖，凯冯爵士却提高声调，制止她继续下去。 “……条件是你指名我为摄政王兼国王之手，你自己返回凯岩城。” 半晌之间，瑟曦错愕地瞪着对方，不知如何是好。“我才是摄政王。”她提醒他。 “你现下是，但泰温不打算让你继续待在这个位置上。他把计划告诉了我，他要你回归凯岩城，并给你找个新丈夫。” 瑟曦的怒火在心中腾地升起，“这话他讲过，是的，我对他说我没兴趣再婚。” 叔叔不为所动。“若你实在不愿再婚，我也不会强迫你。至于另一个条件，嗯……你现在是凯岩城公爵夫人了，你应该守在领地。” You are so brave!她想朝他尖叫，却不敢这么做。 “我是凯岩城公爵夫人，更是太后摄政王，我应该守着我儿子。” “你父亲不这么想。” “我父亲已经死了。” “这是我的不幸，也是国家的不幸。你睁开眼睛，把自己瞧个清楚吧，瑟曦。王国成了一片废墟，泰温本可以让国家走上复兴之路，可……” “我正是那个复兴国家的人！”瑟曦吼完之后压低声音，“在你的协助之下，叔叔。只要你像对父亲尽忠一样对我尽忠——” “你并非你父亲。而且泰温一直将詹姆当做他真正的传人。” “詹姆……詹姆发过誓言，詹姆从不思考，他嘲笑每个人、每件事，想到什么就说什么。詹姆他只是个英俊的白痴而已。” “尽管如此，他却是你心目中御前首相的第一人选。原因何在，瑟曦？” “我告诉你了，当时我沉溺在悲伤中，思虑不周——” “思虑不周，”凯冯爵士同意，“这正是你必须返回凯岩城，将王国留给更懂得思虑的人的原因。” “国王是我儿子！”瑟曦霍地起身。 “他当然是，”叔叔不紧不慢地说，“但就乔佛里的例子来看，你当母亲就跟当统治者一样不够格。” 她把杯中酒结结实实地泼到他脸上。 凯冯爵士带着凝重的尊严也站起来。“陛下，”酒液流过他下巴，从剪短的胡子上滴下去，“很抱歉，请允许我告辞？” “你凭什么提条件？你不过是我父亲豢养的骑士！连爵禄都没有！” “的确，我没有领地，但我的收入并不少，家中的钱币堆积成箱。我父亲去世时没有亏待他的每个孩子，而泰温也懂得奖励他人的服务。我麾下拥有两百骑士，如果需要，还可以将这个数目翻番。别忘了，自由骑手们愿意追随我的旗帜，雇佣佣兵我也不缺资金。建议你千万别小瞧了我，陛下……明智的话，不要把我也当成你的敌人。” “你竟敢威胁我？” “我在给你谏言。听着，如果你不让我当摄政王，就任命我为凯岩城代理城主吧，然后令马图斯·罗宛或蓝道·塔利来辅佐国王，此二人得一亦可定天下。” 此二人都是提利尔的心腹。叔叔的建议让她语塞。他也被收买了吗？太后心想。他是不是拿了提利尔的金子来出卖兰尼斯特家族？ “马图斯·罗宛睿智、谨慎，且广受爱戴，”叔叔不依不饶地续道，“蓝道·塔利堪称海内名将——和平时期也许用不着他，但泰温去世后，没有谁比他更有能耐来结束战争了。如果你提名提利尔家的大封臣为御前首相，提利尔公爵将无法反对，而塔利和罗宛都是懂事的人……懂得报答的人，任命他们中的任何一个，他就将成为你的人。如此一来，你便增强了自己，削弱了高庭，梅斯还不能不对你釜底抽薪的行为表示感谢。”他耸耸肩。“这就是我的谏言，听不听随你，反正你要任命月童为首相也不干我事。女人，我哥哥死了，我要带他回家。” 叛徒，她心想，变色龙。不知梅斯·提利尔给了他多少好处。“在你的国王最需要你的时候，你抛弃了他，”她告诉叔叔，“你抛弃了托曼。” “托曼有他的母亲照料着，”凯冯爵士的绿眸对上太后的绿眸，一眨不眨。最后一滴鲜红的液体在他下巴下面抖了抖，坠落。“是啊，”他顿了顿，轻声补充，“他还有他的父亲呢。”