Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Cersei

The sedan chair slowly climbed up the hills of Visenia. Following the dull rhythm of the horseshoes, the Queen Mother rested on the comfortable red cushion, and Sir Osmund Kettleblack shouted from outside: "Make way. Clear the streets, for the Regent Your Majesty, make way!" "Margery has kept a lively little court around her," Mrs. Marilyweiss reported, "with jugglers, mimes, poets, puppeteers..." "With the singer?" Cersei prompted. "Yes, there are many, many singers, Your Majesty. Hamisi the 'Flute Player' is summoned once every half a month. Sometimes Arik from Isan will come to perform at night, and the blue poet is her favorite."

The queen remembered that the blue poet had also attended Tommen's wedding feast.He is young and handsome, does he have articles? "There are other people around her. I heard that many of them are knights, courtiers and admirers. To be honest, madam, do you think Margaery is still a virgin?" "She said she was, Your Majesty." "She said that, what do you think?" There was a mischievous spark in Tanya's large black eyes. "I helped Lord Renly undress when she married Lord Renly at Highgarden. His lord was a healthy, lustful man, and we saw evidence of that when we took him to the marriage bed—and Margaery was naked in the wedding bed." Waiting for him in bed, naked as on name day, blushing beautifully under the blanket. Ser Loras carried her up there with his own hands. Margaery may have insisted that their marriage was not consummated, that Lord Renly Too drunk to do it, but I assure you, when I backed out the door, the work between your lord's legs showed no signs of fatigue."

"Did you go in next morning?" Cersei asked hastily. "Did you see the blood-stained sheets?" "No, she did not show the sheets, Your Majesty." it's a pity.But then again, the blood-stained sheets didn't mean much either.It is said that a lowly peasant girl will bleed like a pig on her wedding night, but a noble girl like Margaery Tyrell basically does not.Most of the lord's daughter's virginity was given to the crotch mount instead of the newlywed husband, and Margaret, who had been riding a horse since she learned to walk, was more likely to wear out. "There are many knights in the court who admire our little queen. Including Redwyne's twins, Ser Tallard... Hey, tell me, who else often goes there?"

Mrs. Merryweather shrugged. "Sir Lambert, a fool with a bandage over his good eye; Fei, more often it is Lucandi. Oh, yes, the Grand Master Pycelle often visits." "Pycelle? Really?" Could it be that the wobbly old maggot deserted the lion for the rose?If it is true, he will definitely pay the price. "Who else?" "The Summer Islander in the feather cloak, haha, how could I have forgotten him? His skin was as black as ink. And many came to pay homage to her cousins. Eero and the Ambroses The child is engaged, but she loves flirting; Maggie changes suitors on average every two weeks, and she even kissed the cook's boy in the kitchen. I heard that she was promised to the Countess of Bulwe's brother, but I think if Let her pick, and she'll pick Mark Mullendoyle."

Cersei laughed, "The butterfly knight who lost half his arm on the Blackwater River? What do you want a cripple for?" "Maggie thought he was so cute, she even begged Madam Margery to find him a new monkey." "Ah, monkey," the queen mother didn't know what to say.Sparrows and monkeys, this country is crazy. "Where is our valiant Ser Loras? Does he see his sister often?" "He goes the most." When Tanya frowned, a thin line appeared between her big black eyes. "Every morning and evening, unless there is something that can't get away. Her brother treats her in every possible way, and they talk about everything... oh..." The Myr woman suddenly stopped in surprise, and then smiled again, " I had an evil thought just now, Your Majesty."

"It's good to know in your heart. The mountain is full of sparrows. We all know how pure the sparrows flaunt themselves and hate evil." "Soap and water, I see, are their aversion, my lord." "Yeah, these guys really stink. If possible, I will ask the new archbishop to clean them up." The curtain rolled, setting off a wave of crimson silk. "Orton said that the new archbishop has no name," Mrs. Tanya said. "Is this true? At least in Mill, everyone has a name." "Of course he used to have a name, and monks all have names," the queen mother waved impatiently. "For example, if he is a nobleman, he will remove his family name when he takes an oath to join the church, and only keep his own name. Once he becomes the archbishop, All names must be given up—the church believes that he has become the spokesperson of the gods and no longer needs mortal names."

"Then how to distinguish between the archbishop and the archbishop?" "It's a bit difficult. Usually call this one 'fat man' and that one 'the one before the fat man' or 'the one who died while sleeping'. Of course, you can still call them by their common names, but it will offend people Yes, because it reminds them of their humble beginnings, and they don't like that." "My husband said that the new archbishop is not an aristocrat, but a dirty pariah." "It is said to be so. In fact, according to the usual practice, the archbishops generally elect one of them, with occasional exceptions." Pycelle tirelessly told her about this lengthy history. "During the reign of the blessed King of Baelor, a stonemason was elected High Bishop, because his workmanship was so exquisite that Baelor thought he was the mortal body of a blacksmith. This man could not read or write, even the simplest prayer No way." Many believe he was poisoned by Baylor's prime minister to keep the country from further disgrace. "After his death, under the urging of King Baelor, the church elected another eight-year-old boy. The king claimed that this boy could perform miracles, but his medical hands could not change the king's death during hunger strike."

Mrs. Merry Weiss smiled crisply, "Eight years old? It seems that my son also has a chance to be the archbishop. He is almost seven years old." "Can he pray?" the queen asked casually. "He prefers to practice martial arts." "Good boy. Does he know the names of the Seven Gods?" "It's all clear." "Well, I'll take him into consideration." Cersei didn't care what the child in the crystal crown would do, it was easier to deal with than the pariah the Order had brought out.Let the idiots and cowards choose their leader this time, it won't be so cheap next time - and that "next time" will come soon if the new High Septon doesn't suit me.King Baelor's Prime Minister is my role model.

"Clear the streets!" cried Ser Osmund Kettleblack, "make way for Her Majesty the Queen Regent!" The sedan chair started to slow down, and it should be about to reach the top of the hill. "You take your son into the palace," Cersei told Lady Marilyweather. "A six-year-old boy is no longer young. Tommen needs other children to accompany him, and your son can be his friend?" Joffrey said No friends of the same age.Poor kid, so lonely all the time, I had Jaime... and Melaya when I was little, until she fell into the well.Oh, little Joe was fond of the Hound, but it wasn't friendship between them, he was just looking for the fatherly love he didn't get from Robert.A foster brother will take Tommen away from Margaery and her chickens.In time, they'll be as close as Robert and Ned Stark.Yes, Ned was a fool, but a loyal fool.Tommen needed someone loyal to guard his rear.

"Your Majesty, you are very kind, but Russel has never left the Long Table Hall, and I am afraid that he will get lost in this big city." "Maybe at first," the Queen Mother admitted, "but he'll get used to it, just like me. When my father asked me to enter the palace, I cried like hell and James was furious, and finally my aunt took me to the Stone Garden I sat down in the house and had a long talk, and she said there was no one in King's Landing that I should be afraid of. 'You are a lioness,' she told me, 'and other beasts should be afraid of you.' No doubt your children are too. Find the courage and you don't want to see him more, see him every day? He's your only child, right?"

"For now. My husband begs the gods to give us another boy, just in case..." "I understand," she remembered the way Joffrey scratched his throat, looking at her in despair in those last moments, his wordless pleading; then another memory took over her and made her blood runny : It was a drop of blood by candlelight, and hoarse voices were talking of tiaras and shrouds, of VALONQAR's murder. Outside the sedan chair, Sir Osmond was yelling something, but someone yelled back at him.The sedan chair stopped suddenly. "Are you dead?" Kettleblack snarled. "Go away!" The queen raised a corner of the curtain to greet Ser Meryn Tran. "what happened?" "Sparrows, Your Majesty." Sir Meryn wore a full suit of white armor under his white cloak, his helmet and shield slung over the pommel. "They're camping out on the street, blocking traffic." "Push them away, but not too much. I don't want to start another riot." Cersei let go of the curtain. "It's ridiculous." "Yes, Your Majesty," Mrs. Marilyweiss agreed, "it should be the archbishop who came to see you. These hateful sparrows..." "He feeds them, spoils them, even blesses them. But so far, he has not blessed His Majesty the King." Blessing is just an empty ceremony, but in the eyes of ignorant commoners, the ceremony has irreplaceable symbolic meaning .Aegon the Conqueror commemorated his enthronement the day the High Septon anointed him in Oldtown. "If this bastard monk is not obedient, I will let him know that he is still a mortal." "Orton said all he wanted was money, in other words he would not bless the king until the royal family paid their debts." "When the country returns to peace, the Church will get the gold." Brother Tobert and Brother Leonard expressed their understanding... The annoying Braavosi envoy is very stubborn, and he has been pestering the poor Lord Gyles , until the latter was finally bedridden from vomiting blood.We must rebuild the navy, and I cannot rely on the Arbor, for Redwyne is a vassal of the Tyrells.Cersei needs the Lannister fleet. Her hope was the galleon under construction on the Blackwater, a flagship that would have twice as many oars as King Robert's Hammer.Aurene asked if she could be named the Duke of Tywin, and the queen readily agreed—she was waiting to hear the ship named after her father be called "she."The other great ship was called the Sweet Cersei, with a prow like the gilded figure of a Queen, clad in mail, with a lion helmet on her head, and a spear in her hand.The other ships are the Valiant Joffrey, the Lady Joanna, and the Lioness, as well as the Queen Margaery, the Golden Rose, the Duke of Renly, the Lady Olenna, and the Princess Myrcella—— Xi mistakenly allowed Tommen to name half of the ships.The boy even wanted to name the last ship the Moonboy, but Tommen reluctantly changed it to his sister's name after Aurene suggested that sailors might not want to serve on a ship named after the Fool. "If the bitch thinks I'm going to pay him to bless Tommen, he's dead wrong," she assured Tanya.After the mighty Seven Kingdoms, he would never bow down to cater to a group of monks. The litter stopped so abruptly that Cersei was thrown. "Oh, what the hell?" She leaned out again, and found herself at the top of Visenya, with the majestic vaults and seven shining towers of the Great Sept of Baelor in front of her--however, between the procession and the holy Between the marble steps of the hall, there is a sea of ​​people, countless people wearing brown coarse clothes and extremely dirty.Sparrows, she thought with a snort, they smell worse than real sparrows.To Cersei's horror, even though Qyburn reported the number of sparrows to her, it was still incredible to actually see them.Hundreds camped in the square, hundreds more in the gardens, smoky, rough tents and huts of mud-waste stained the pure white marble, and they even laid bedding on the steps under the pulpit of the cathedral. Ser Osmond rode back to meet her, and Ser Osfry in golden robes and horses beside him.As the second of the three Kettleblack brothers, Osfry is quieter than the other two, smiles less, and often has a sad face.If the legend is true, he is also one of the most ruthless.Maybe I should send him to the Wall. Grand Maester Pycelle believed that "someone with more experience in war" should be in command of the Golden Cloaks, and other important ministers agreed. "Sir Osfry has experience," she told them, but they were not convinced.A bunch of disobedient puppies.All in all, her patience with Pycelle was over, and Pycelle had tyrannically objected to her asking the Dornish for a new master, which he insisted was an offense to Tyrell. "Can you control me?" She replied contemptuously to the old man. "Forgive me. Your Majesty," reported Sir Osmond, "my brother is calling for more gold cloaks. Rest assured, we will clear the way." "I don't have time to wait, so let's go on foot." "No, Your Majesty," Tanya said, taking her hand, "they scare me. Hundreds of them, and they're so dirty." Cersei kissed her cheek. "Why should a lion be afraid of a sparrow? . . . But I thank you, and I know you care for me, madam. Help me out of the litter, Sir Osmond." If I knew I had to walk, I would change clothes.The Empress Dowager is wearing a white dress trimmed with gold thread today, which is gorgeous yet dignified, but this dress has not been worn for many years, and the waist is very tight. "Ser Osmond, Ser Meryn, come with me. Ser Osfry, guard my litter." Some of the sparrows looked haggard and sunken-eyed, as if they could have eaten her horse. As she made her way through the ragged crowd, past campfires and carriages and shanties, she couldn't help thinking of the unprecedented pageantry in the square when she married Robert Baratheon.Back then, thousands of civilians came to applaud her, all the women wore the most beautiful clothes, and half of the men had children on their shoulders.The crowd cheered even to Lannisport when she emerged from the sept hand in hand with the young king. "They love you, my queen," Robert whispered in her ear, "look at the smiles on every face." For a moment, her marriage was so happy... until she saw Jaime .No, she thought, no, not every face, Your Majesty... Today, there is no smiling face.The sparrows, with dull, sullen, hostile expressions, moved reluctantly out of the way.As long as they are real sparrows, they will all be scared away if they roar.Or should a hundred gold cloaks be sent to clear the way with clubs and swords and maces?Lord Tywin would do just that.He would deal with them hard and never dismount and walk. When the Queen Mother found out what they had done to the statue of the blessed King Baelor, she began to regret her soft heart.The majestic marble statue that smiled benevolently and looked after the square for a hundred years is now filled with bones and skulls from the waist down, many of which still have flesh and blood.Some crows perched on it, feasting on a dry light meal.There were flies buzzing everywhere. "Why?!" Cersei demanded the crowd. "Are you planning to pile up a mountain of carrion to cover the blessed King Baelor?" A one-legged man stepped forward leaning on a wooden cane. "Your Majesty, these are the remains of saints and saints who were murdered in the service of the world in the Church. The victims included not only monks and nuns, but brethren in brown, brown and green, and white Sisters in blue and gray. They were hanged and disembowelled, monks were robbed, virgins and mothers were raped by godless bandits and devil worshipers - not even the Silent Sisters were spared Our Lady in Heaven cries out in grief, so we collect here their remains from all over the country, imploring the Holy Church to bear witness." Cersei could feel the weight of the eyes around her. "The king will restore peace to the kingdom," she promised solemnly. "Tomen feels what everyone feels. It's all about Stannis and the red witch at his side, and the northern savages who worship trees and wolves." She raised her voice. "My faithful men and women of the Seven Kingdoms, I will avenge your dead relatives!" A few cheers, just a few. "We want no vengeance," said the one-legged man, "as long as you protect the living. Protect the sanctuary and other holy places." "The Iron Throne is supposed to protect the Church," complained a large man with a heptagram tattooed on his forehead, "a king who can't protect his people isn't a real king." People around him murmured their agreement.A man suddenly stood up and grabbed Sir Marlin's wrist: "It's time, all the knights who anointed the holy oil should abandon the masters of the world and unite around the holy church. Fight with us, Sir, if you still Love the Seven Gods." "Let go!" Ser Meryn wrenched free. "I have heard your petitions," said Cersei. "My son is young, but he loves the Seven. You will have him and me." The man with the heptagram on his forehead doesn't care. "The warrior protected us," he said, "and the fat little king did nothing." Meryn Tring reached for the hilt, but Cersei stopped him just in time to draw the weapon.In a sea of ​​sparrows, she has only two knights.She saw sticks, sickles, clubs, clubs, axes, and so on. "Unseemly! How can you be rough in the holy place, ser?" You idiot, cut down the thing in front of you, and the three of us will be quartered in an instant. "After all, we are all descendants of the Virgin Mary. Come on, the archbishop is waiting for us." She passed the crowd and was about to walk up the stone steps, but was blocked by a group of armed men.They wore mail and boiled leather, with a few scattered pieces of dented plate.Some carried spears, others longswords, most were armed with axes, and all wore bleached coats with red stars sewn on them.Two of them crossed their spears insolently, preventing her from going forward. "Is this how you greet Her Majesty the Queen Mother?" she asked, "Excuse me, where are Tobert and Leonard?" It is unlikely that these two people would miss this good opportunity to flatter her.Torbert especially liked to kneel down and kiss her feet in a dramatic way. "I don't know the two you're talking about," replied the man with the red star sewn on his jacket, "but as long as they're in the church, they're serving the Seven Gods." "Septon Leonard and Septon Torbert are High Bishops," said Cersei in disbelief. "You will see how you dare to stop me. What, are you really going to ban me from the Great Sept of Baelor? " "Your Majesty," said a hunched greybeard, "you are welcome, but your retinue must unfasten their sword belts. By order of His Excellency, weapons are not to be brought into the sanctuary." "A knight of the Kingsguard need not disarm, even at the king's side." "The king's side, the king's lord," answered the elderly knight, "this is the temple of the church." Cersei couldn't hold back.One word to Marlin Tring and the hunchback was sent to meet his gods.No, not here, not yet. "Wait outside," she said curtly to the Kingsguard, walking up the steps alone.The spearman removed his weapon, and the other two pushed against the door, which creaked open. Entering the Hall of Lights, Cersei found more than twenty monks kneeling on the ground, not praying, but scrubbing the floor with buckets and soap.Because of their coarse robes and sandals, Cersei thought they were sparrows at first, until one of them looked up.The man's face was as red as a beetroot, and the blisters on his hands were bleeding. "Your Majesty." "Brother Leonard?" The Queen Mother couldn't believe her eyes. "Why are you kneeling?" "He's scrubbing the floor," said the speaker, who was several inches shorter than the Queen Mother and as thin as a broomstick. "Work is also a form of prayer, especially pleasing to blacksmiths." He stood up with a scrub brush in his hand, "Your Majesty, I'm waiting You have been a long time." The man's half-brown, half-gray beard was neatly trimmed, his thinning hair was combed back in a knot, and his robes, though clean, were frayed and patched.He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows to facilitate his work, but everything below his knees was wet and soaked.His face was angular and his deep-set eyes were the color of mud.He was barefoot, and she was surprised to find that the black ground was as hard and rough as a tree root, covered with calluses, and extremely ugly. "You are the Archbishop?" "It's right down." Father, please give me strength.The Queen Mother was supposed to kneel, but the floor was full of soap and sewage, and she didn't want to stain the dress.She glanced at the old man kneeling beside her. "Where is my friend Torbert?" "Brother Tobert is in confinement and penitence. During this period, only bread and water are provided. Half the country is starving. It is a sin for him to get so fat." Cersei had had enough today, and she wanted to let the other party see her anger, "Is this how you welcome me? With a dripping brush? Do you know who I am?" "Your Majesty is the Regent Queen Mother of the Seven Kingdoms," the other party replied, "but the "Seven Stars Bible" says that the people pay homage to the lord, the lord pays homage to the king, and the king and queen must pay homage to the seven-faced god." Want to force me to kneel?Hmph, you miscalculated. "According to the etiquette, you should wear the most appropriate robe and crystal crown to meet me on the steps." "I have no crown, my lord." She frowned even tighter, "My lord father gave your predecessor an incomparably gorgeous crown, made of gold wire and crystal." "For this gift we prayed for him," said the archbishop, "but the poor were hungry and I had no right to wear gold and crystal on my head, so I sold it, along with the rest of the storeroom. Crowns, all rings, and robes woven of gold and silver. The Seven made sheep, and wool was sufficient to keep men warm." He is crazy.The archbishops were also crazy, and actually chose a monster... Oh, they were frightened by the large number of beggars at the door.Cobain's informant reported that at that time Brother Lu Chen was only nine votes short, the gate was suddenly burst open, and the sparrows held axes, raised their leaders, and swarmed in.Cersei stared at the little man coldly, "My lord, can we talk in private?" The archbishop handed over the brush to the archbishops around him. "Your Majesty, please follow me." He led her through the inner door, toward the great hall, his footsteps echoing off the marble slabs.Colorful lights slanted in from the leaded glass windows on the big dome, and countless dust danced in the beams.The air was filled with incense, and the candles in front of the seven altars shone like sparks.There were a thousand candles burning before the Madonna, and about the same before the Maiden, but the ten fingers dedicated to the Stranger could count them all. Even here there are sparrows.A dozen or so filthy hedge knights knelt before the warrior's altar, begging the gods to bless the swords they placed at his feet; The sound is like the waves of the distant sea.The High Bishop led Cersei to the crone with the lantern, and knelt first.The Queen Mother had no choice but to kneel beside him.Crone bless, this monster must not make such a tirade as the fat man of old.I am thankful for this. But when the prayer was finished, the archbishop didn't intend to get up at all. He planned to kneel down and communicate with the queen mother.The little one is being clever, Cersei thought contemptuously. "Master Archbishop," she spoke first, "This group of sparrows has caused panic in the capital. I want them to leave." "Then where are they going, Your Majesty?" The seven levels of hell, any level. "Where are you coming from, where are you going?" "They come from all over the country, because sparrows are the most humble and ordinary birds, and they are also the most ordinary people." At least we have a consensus on this point, they are just ordinary people. "Did you see what they did to the statue of the blessed King Baelor? They even defiled the square with pigs, sheep, and shit!" "Poop is easy to wash, but blood is not easy. Your Majesty, if the square is polluted, it is because of unjust judgments and punishments." How dare you ask me about Ned Stark? "We all regret this. Joffrey is young and hot-headed. The execution of Duke Stark should be done elsewhere, not with King Baelor, who is blessed by God... But don't forget, that The guy is a heinous traitor." "King Baelor pardoned those who plotted against him." King Baelor imprisoned all his sisters just because they were too beautiful.After Cersei heard the story for the first time, she couldn't help running to Tyrion's cradle and pinching the little devil until he burst into tears.I should have cut his nose off and put a sock in his mouth.She forced herself to smile. "King Tommen will pardon the sparrows too, as long as they go home." "Most of them are homeless. Misery everywhere...sorrow and death everywhere. Before King's Landing, I was responsible for looking after fifty or sixty small villages, too small to have monks of their own. I went from village to village, performed weddings, absolved sins, and named children. Now these villages are gone, my lord, and the once beautiful gardens are overgrown with weeds and brambles, and bones are scattered by the roadside. " "War is terrible, and these atrocities are the work of the northerners and the demon worshipers of Stannis." "However, many sparrows claim to have been robbed by lions... For example, the hound belongs to your Majesty, right? In the town of Saltpan, he killed an old monk and raped a twelve-year-old young girl—that is promised The pure child of the church. He was violent in armor, the steel was worn and torn the girl's tender skin, and when he was done, he threw her to his men, who cut off her nose and nipples." "His Majesty cannot be held accountable for the crimes committed by every man who has served House Lannister. Sandor Clegane is a traitor as well as a butcher, or how could I have driven him out? He is now the Robber Beric Dondarrion served, not King Tommen." "As you say, but there is one question I have to ask - what are the king's knights doing when violence is rampant in the country? Didn't Jaehaerys the 'Arbiter' swear to the Iron Throne that the royal family will always Protect the Church?" Cersei doesn't know what oath 'Arbiter' Jaehaerys swore. "He took the oath," she agreed, "and the High Septon blessed him, anointed him, and honored him as King of the Seven Kingdoms. His High Septon blesses the new King, as is customary in all dynasties . . . and you refuse to bless Tommen king." "Your Majesty, you misunderstood. I did not refuse." "Then why the delay?" "Because the time is not yet ripe." Are you the archbishop or the vegetable seller? "Well, how... to make the time come?" He dares to mention a word, and I'll deal with him like the previous archbishop, and then find an eighty-year-old fool to wear a crystal crown. "There are kings everywhere. As far as the church is concerned, which one to enshrine must be carefully chosen. Three hundred years ago, Aegon the Dragon King landed under this hill, and the archbishop at that time locked himself in the Starry Church in Old Town for retreat. Prayed for seven days and seven nights, during which only bread and water were used. When he finally came out, he announced that the church would not oppose Aegon and his sisters, because this was the way that the old woman held up the golden lamp to show him. In fact , if Oldtown revolts, Dragonfire will burn the city, the Citadel, the Tower, and the Starry Sept. Lord Hightower is a good man who worships God. The bishop himself anointed the seven holy oils on the forehead of the conqueror. Three hundred years later, I will do what he did, but first I must retreat, fast and pray.” "Seven days and seven nights?" "As long as it takes, as long as it takes." Cersei wanted to slap the prudish monk.I can help you fast, she thought angrily, and I can lock you in the tower and make sure no one comes in to deliver food until the gods speak. "False kings serve false gods," she reminded him. "Only King Tommen defends the Church of the Seven." "However, churches across the country were looted and burned, and even the silent sisters were raped. Their cries appealed to heaven to hear. Did your majesty see the bones of saints and saints just now?" "I see," she had to admit, "give Tommen his blessing, and I promise he will stop the violence immediately." "How will he stop it, Your Majesty? Will he send knights to protect the beggar brothers walking on the road? Will he send soldiers to guard our nuns from wolves and lions?" Hmm, let me pretend you didn't mention lions. "The country is in a state of war, and His Majesty King Tommen needs manpower to counter the rebellion, and there are not so many knights and soldiers available for the time being." Cersei did not intend to waste a single soldier to take care of the crows, or protect the wrinkled vaginas of the old nuns.Anyway, probably half of them were praying to be raped. "I see your sparrows with clubs and axes, and they can defend themselves." "King Maegor's law strictly forbids them to use force. Your Majesty is very clear that the pardon disarmed the church back then." "Tomen is king now, not Maegor." What did cruel Maegor's decree three hundred years ago matter to her?And he shouldn't have disarmed the Church, he should have taken it to himself.So she pointed to the red marble altar of the warrior. "Look, what is your god holding in his hand?" "A sword." "Did he forget how to use it?" "King Maegor's law—" "—It can be abolished." She deliberately paused, waiting for the big sparrow to take the bait. He didn't disappoint her. "The rebirth of the order's armed forces... has answered our three hundred years of prayers day and night. Your Majesty, the warrior will once again wield a shining sword to wash away the evil in this sinful country. If Your Majesty the Queen Mother allows me to rebuild the ancient Knights of the Sword and Knights of the Stars, every faithful man and woman in the Seven Kingdoms will be grateful and embrace your son as the true and only King." As expected, Cersei was reluctant to appear too eager. "Speaking of pardon, His Excellency Archbishop, the current situation is difficult. King Tommen would be very grateful if the royal family's debts to the church can be forgiven. As far as I know, the royal family's debt to the church at this moment is about 900,000 gold dragons." "Nine hundred thousand, six hundred and seventy-four golden dragons. Enough gold to feed the hungry and rebuild a thousand churches." "Would you like gold?" asked the queen, "or would you like to abolish Maegor's dusty law?" The archbishop pondered for a while, "As you wish, the church will forgive the royal family's debts and bless King Tommen. Under the protection and favor of the gods, the warrior's son will escort me to the king soon, and at the same time my The sparrows will imitate the way the poor gathered in ancient times to protect the common people all over the country." After hearing this, the queen mother stood up in peace and straightened her skirt. "I will write the pardon as soon as possible, let His Majesty the King sign it, and affix the royal seal." Speaking of the part that Tommen is most interested in being king, there is no doubt that the seal is stamped. "Seven gods bless His Majesty the King, long live King Tommen," the archbishop clasped his palms together and looked up at the dome. "Let the villains tremble!" Do you hear, Lord Stannis?Cersei couldn't help smiling.My father couldn't have done it more beautifully.With a few tricks, she freed King's Landing from the sparrows, secured Tommen's blessing, and relieved the treasury of nearly a million dragons in debt.Her heart pounded with ecstasy as the Archbishop escorted her back to the Hall of Lights. Mrs. Maryweiss shared the Queen's joy, but she said she had never heard of the Sons of Warriors and the Poor. "They were all organizations before Aegon's conquest," Cersei explained to her. "The Sons of Warriors is a knight order directly under the church. The knights who joined the order announced that they would give up their territories and property, and only serve the Lord High Bishop; while the assembly of the poor... The lowly but numerous beggars, similar to today's gangs of beggars, but carrying weapons instead of bowls, patrolled the roads, guarding travelers from one sanctuary to another, from one sanctuary to another. From town to town. The emblem of the Poor People's Assembly is a red seven-pointed star on a white background, so it is revered by the common people as the Knights of the Stars. The warrior's sons wear rainbow cloaks and silver-plated armor over their coarse wool shirts. The round head of the long sword is a star-shaped crystal, so it is also called the Knights of the Holy Sword. Many famous saints, practitioners, fanatics, wizards, dragon slaying warriors, demon hunters... countless stories have emerged among them. What they have in common is that they both celebrate the courage and determination of the knights to defend the church against their enemies." Mrs. Marilyweiss suddenly understood, "For example, enemies like Stannis and the red witch?" "It's a tried-and-true trick," Cersei giggled like a little girl. "How about a jug of rum as we go? For our fiery warrior's sons?" "For the fiery warrior's son and the calculating Queen Regent, for Cersei Lannister I!" 香料甜酒跟她的胜利一样滋味美妙，轿子穿城过市，太后逍遥自在。但走到伊耿高丘底部时，队伍遭遇了骑马回城的玛格丽·提利尔和她的表亲们一行。她处处跟我作对，处处想把我比下去。瑟曦望着小王后，心头又生恨意。 玛格丽身后跟了一大帮廷臣、卫兵和仆人，仆人们大都提着装满新采摘的花朵的篮子。她的三位表亲身边都有追求者陪伴：身材瘦长的侍从埃林·安布罗斯骑在埃萝身边，他和她订了婚；塔拉德爵士跟随害羞的雅兰；独臂的马克·穆伦道尔奉承着爱笑的胖梅歌；雷德温的双胞胎护送玛格丽的其他女伴，包括梅内狄斯·克连恩和洁娜·佛索威夫人。女人们发间插满鲜花。贾拉巴·梭尔和一只眼睛绑绷带的蓝柏特·特拔瑞爵士也在队伍里面，随行的还有英俊的歌手蓝诗人。 当然会有御林铁卫贴身保护小王后，而该人选毫无疑问会是百花骑士。洛拉斯爵士身穿镂金白鳞甲，容光焕发。国王虽没再让他教武，仍喜欢邀他做伴，每当托曼与小王后下午出行返回后，总会兴奋地讲述洛拉斯爵士的新故事或引用洛拉斯爵士的话。 两支队伍相遇时，玛格丽冲上前来欢迎致意，随后骑在太后轿边。她面颊潮红，棕色鬈发披散在肩，被风微微吹拂。“我们在御林里摘秋天的花朵呢。”她告诉太后和玛瑞魏斯夫人。 不用说，我对你的行踪一清二楚，瑟曦心想。她的线人日夜不停地监视着玛格丽。你真是个坐不住的女孩。玛格丽从没有连续三天不出去骑马，有时候她带队巡游罗斯比路，在海边拾捡贝壳，然后野餐；有时候她到河对岸鹰狩半日。小王后也爱乘船，常坐游艇在黑水河上无目的地漫游；偶而虔诚之心犯了，又会远离城堡去贝勒大圣堂祷告。她的衣服分别交给十几位出名的女裁缝制作，都城的金匠们也对她有口皆碑，她甚至出烂泥门到鱼市去视察日常收成。 无论走到哪里，她都会引起平民百姓们的狂热，而玛格丽尽其所能地回馈群众。她向乞丐施舍财物，从面包师傅的推车上买热派吃，亲切地与小贩交谈。 若能做主的话，她还会把托曼带去做这些事。她不厌其烦地邀请国王与她和她的小鸡们一起外出冒险，托曼便不厌其烦地恳求母亲的准许。太后偶而会表示同意——那只是为了给奥斯尼爵士多创造些机会。枉我设计得如此周全，奥斯尼太让人失望了。“你忘了你姐姐去多恩那天发生的事吗？”瑟曦通常如此教训儿子，“你忘了暴民将我们一路赶回城堡吗？忘了他们扔的石头、忘了他们骂的脏话？” 但国王不肯信服，这都怪他身边的小王后。“如果我们与平民百姓打成一片，他们会喜欢我们的。” “是啊，暴民们太喜欢那肥胖的总主教了，所以才把他撕成碎片。你记住，他可是日常与民众打交道的神职人员，”她好意提醒儿子，儿子却更不开心。我敢打赌，这是玛格丽·提利尔施用手腕、从中作祟的结果，每一天每一个小时，她都想尽办法要把他从我身边夺走。换成她的长子乔佛里，必能看穿她微笑背后的阴谋，并教她认清自己的位置，可惜托曼很傻很天真。是了，她明白小乔不好操纵，瑟曦想起科本找到的金币，为巩固提利尔家族的权势，一定会除掉他。玛格丽与她那丑恶的祖母曾定计让珊莎·史塔克嫁给残废的维拉斯·提利尔，只不过泰温大人落棋在先，用提利昂夺走了珊莎。我明白了，阴谋家们并不甘心，他们在继续策划，提利尔家贿赂狱卒放走提利昂，并保护他沿玫瑰大道西行，与自己作恶的老婆会合。现在，他们两个一定安安全全地待在高庭，享受玫瑰的庇护。 “您真该一同去看看，陛下，”大队人马缓缓登上伊耿高丘，小阴谋家活泼无邪地说，“噢，想想看，我们会度过一个多么甜美的下午。树叶呈现金、红和橙色，鲜花遍野，还有栗子……回城路上，我们烤了不少呢。” “我没空到树林里骑马摘花，”瑟曦硬邦邦地说，“我有一整个国家等着统治。” “一个国家，陛下？谁统治其他六个呢？”玛格丽发出小女孩特有的欢快笑声，“噢，请原谅我的玩笑话吧。我很清楚您肩挑重担，其实，我可以为您分担，我一定能为您做些什么——至少，就算做做样子，也可以终止所谓我和您争夺国王的谣言哪。” “谣言这么说？”瑟曦笑了，“真愚蠢，我可从来没把你当成竞争对手，一刻都没有。” “我很高兴您这么说，”女孩似乎没领会她言下之意。“噢，您下次和托曼一起来嘛，我知道，陛下他会喜欢的。有蓝诗人为咱们献唱，塔拉德爵士表演棍棒，就像平民那样。噢，秋天的树林真的好美。” “我的先夫热爱森林。”在他们婚姻前期，劳勃没完没了地恳求她同去打猎，但瑟曦一律婉言谢绝，因为国王狩猎期间，她才好跟詹姆幽会。金色的白昼，银色的夜晚。自然，这是场危险的游戏，不仅红堡内耳目众多，关键是谁也拿不准劳勃的心意，不知道他何时会回来。然而，危险却让他们的结合更刺激了。“美丽的外表之下往往隐藏着危险，”她警告小王后，“劳勃就在那片树林里丢掉了性命。” 听罢此言，玛格丽不由得朝洛拉斯爵士微笑，那是兄妹之间甜蜜的笑，充满亲切。“陛下为我担心，实在太仁慈了，但我有哥哥的保护，绝对安全。” 去吧，去打猎啊，瑟曦年复一年地劝促劳勃，我有弟弟的保护，绝对安全。她想起坦妮娅早先的反应，不由得笑出声来。 “陛下笑得真可爱，”玛格丽探询似的笑道，“想到什么如此开心，我可以分享这个玩笑吗？” “你会的，”太后说，“我保证，你会的。”