Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Sansa

The morning of King Joffrey's name-day was bright and sunny, with occasional breezes.Sansa stood by the tower window, watching the long tail of the great comet, clearly visible through the rushing clouds.At this moment, Ser Alys Oakheart came to escort her to the tourney. "What do you think this comet represents?" she asked. "It was sent from heaven to honor your betrothed," replied Sir Arys promptly. "You see, it shines brightly across the sky on His Majesty's name day, as if the gods raised a banner for him to show Revered. The common people call it 'King Joffrey's Comet.'"

That was what they must have told Joffrey, but Sansa was not sure. "I heard someone call it 'Dragon Tail Star'." "Yes, King Joffrey's throne is the former seat of Aegon the Dragon, and his castle was built by Aegon's son," Ser Arys said. "He is the heir to the dragon-and the crimson and It is the color of House Lannister, and it is also a symbol. In my opinion, the comet must have been sent from heaven to announce the enthronement of His Majesty King Joffrey, foretelling that he will eventually defeat his enemies and win the final victory." really?She couldn't help thinking to herself, could the gods really be so cruel?Joffrey's enemies now included her own mother, and her brother Robb.Father has died by order of the king, is it Robb and mother's turn next?It’s true that the comet is red, but Joffrey is not only a member of the Lannister family, he is also a descendant of the Baratheon family, and their symbol is a black stag on a gold background. Why didn’t the gods give little Joe one? What about the golden comet?

Sansa closed the window abruptly and turned away from it. "Miss, you are very handsome today," said Sir Arys. "Thank you, sir." Sansa knew that Joffrey wanted her to attend the tourney to show his congratulations, so she had dressed very carefully.She wore a lavender gown and a moonstone hairnet that Joffrey had given her.The sleeves of the gown were long enough to hide the bruises on her hands, which were also a 'gift' from Joffrey - he sent Ser Boros to beat him when he heard that Robb had made himself King in the North, so he went mad she. "Shall we go?" Sir Alex held out his hand, she took it, and followed him out of the room.If Sansa had to choose a servant from the Kingsguard, it would be him.Ser Boros had a bad temper, Ser Meryn was ruthless, Sir Mandon's strange dead eyes always made her uncomfortable, and Sir Preston looked like she was a mentally retarded imp.Only Ser Arys Oakheart was polite enough to speak to her sincerely.He had actually protested once Joffrey ordered him to hit her, and he hit her anyway, but with a much lighter hand than Ser Meryn or Ser Boros.He begged for her at least once, and the others would absolutely obey in this situation... Of course, the hound was an exception.But Xiao Qiao always ordered the other five people to beat her, but never called the hound to do it.

Ser Arys had hazel hair and a fair face.Today, his white silk cloak is buckled around his shoulders with a gold leaf, and an oak tree with luxuriant branches is embroidered with shining gold thread on the chest of his coat, which looks very chic. "Who do you think will win today?" Sansa asked as they walked down the stairs arm in arm. "Of course I am," replied Sir Arys with a smile. "It's a pity that this kind of victory is not worth mentioning. This is just a small scene, a small competition, and there are not more than forty participants, including squires and freeriders. Don't worry. It's not honorable for the kid to get off the horse."

The last tourney was different, Sansa thought.It had been given by King Robert especially for her father, when all the lords and heroes and warriors from all over the land came to compete with each other, and all the people of King's Landing were there to watch.She still remembers the unprecedented splendor: tents lined the riverbank, knights' shields hung from the tent doors, a long row of silk pennants fluttering in the wind, steel swords and gilded spurs gleaming in the sun.During the few days of the martial arts competition, horns blew and horseshoes roared, and after nightfall, there was a feast and singing.That was the most brilliant day of her life, but now it seems like a lifetime away.Robert Baratheon was dead, and her father, considered a traitor, had been beheaded on the pulpit before the Great Sept of Baelor.Now that the three kings of the country are on their own side, the battle is raging on the other side of the Trident River, and the city of King's Landing is full of desperate people from all sides. No wonder they can only hold a tournament for Joffrey in the Red Keep protected by thick walls. .

"Do you think the Queen Mother will be there?" Sansa always felt safer with Cersei present to restrain her son. "I'm afraid not, Miss. The important ministers are in a meeting, saying that there is an important matter." Sir Alex lowered his voice, "Lord Tywin led the troops to Harrenhal, and he did not want to lead the army here according to the Queen Mother's order. The Queen Mother Furious." He fell silent as a group of Lannister guards passed by in red cloaks and lion-striped helmets.Sir Alex is good at gossiping, but he knows that walls have ears.

Carpenters built stands and arenas in the outer courtyard of the castle, but the scale was indeed pitifully small, and the crowd who came to watch was only half full.Most of the audience were the City Guards in gold robes or the Lannister guards in crimson cloaks. There were very few noble men and women present, only those who remained in the palace: the ashen-faced Gales Rosby The Earl coughed endlessly in a pink silk scarf; the Countess of Tanda was sandwiched between her two daughters, the quiet but slow Loris and the poisonous Faris; the dark-skinned Jalabah Thor was In exile, there was nowhere to go; Miss Amesandre was a little baby, lying on the lap of the nurse.It was said that she would soon marry a cousin of the Queen Mother so that the Lannisters could take over her fiefdoms.

The King sat in the shadows under a crimson canopy, one foot resting carelessly on the arm of a carved wooden chair.Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen sat behind him, and Sandor Clegane stood guard behind the royal box, hands resting on the hilt of his sword.He wore the snow-white cloak of the Kingsguard, tied at his broad shoulders with a jeweled brooch.His snow-white cloak was out of proportion to his brown dungaree and studded leather vest. "Miss Sansa here," announced the Hound curtly, as soon as he saw her.His voice was as rough as sawing wood, and because half of his face and throat were burned, his mouth kept twisting when he spoke.

Princess Myrcella nodded shyly at Sansa when she heard her name.Tommen, the chubby little prince, jumped up eagerly, "Sansa, have you heard? I'm going to a martial arts competition today!" Tommen was only eight years old, and seeing him reminded her of her little brother Bu orchid.They were both of the same age, but Bran was at Winterfell now, paralyzed from the waist down, but luckily alive. Sansa would give anything for the chance to be reunited with him. "I fear for your opponent's life," she said solemnly to Tommen. "His opponent is a scarecrow." Xiao Qiao said and got up.Today, the king is wearing a gold-plated battle armor, with a roaring lion carved on his chest, as if he is expecting to join the flames of war at any time.He was thirteen today, well-grown, extremely tall, with Lannister blond hair and blue eyes.

"Your Majesty." She bowed. Sir Alex also bowed, "Your Majesty, please allow me to leave first, I want to dress up and prepare to leave." Joffrey waved him off abruptly, without taking his eyes off Sansa.He looked her up and down. "I'm so glad you wore the jeweled hairnet I gave you." It seemed the king was going to play the hero today, and Sansa was relieved. "Thank you for your kindness... and thank you for your praise. Your Majesty, I hope you have a happy name day." "Sit down," Little Qiao Bibi ordered from the empty seat next to him, "Have you heard? The Beggar King is dead."

"Who?" Sansa was afraid for a moment that he meant Robb. "Viserys, the last son of Aerys the 'Mad King'. Since I was born, he has been traveling around the Free Cities, claiming to be king. Well, mother said that the Dothraki finally crowned him, but with the Melted gold." He laughed, "Don't you think it's ridiculous? The fire dragon is his family emblem, it's like your traitor brother was killed by a wolf. Maybe after I catch him, he will be killed by a wolf. Really throw him to the wolves. Did I tell you that I was going to fight him face to face?" "Your Majesty, I would be happy to pay attention." I couldn't ask for more.Sansa kept her tone calm and polite, but Joffrey still squinted his eyes, trying to see if she meant mocking. "Are you going to compete today?" She asked quickly. The king frowned, "My lord mother said this is inappropriate, because this tournament is held for me to celebrate. But if I really end up, I will definitely win the championship, good dog, don't you think so?" The corner of the hound's mouth twitched, "Fighting this guy? That's needless to say." He had won his father's tourney, Sansa had not forgotten that. "My lord, will you participate today?" she asked him. Clegane's voice was full of disdain. "They don't deserve it. This contest is a fight between mosquitoes and flies." The king laughed. "Oh, my dog ​​barks like a fright. I think you might as well fight today's champion until you die." Joffrey liked nothing more than to make men fight to the death. "Then you will lose one knight." The Hound himself never accepted the knight's oath.His brother was a knight, and he hated his brother terribly. At this time, a trumpet sounded suddenly, and the king sat back in his chair and took Sansa's hand.In the past, this move would have made her heart beat wildly, but after she begged him to forgive her father, he actually ordered his father to be beheaded in public, so now his touch makes her hate, but she knows that she can't show it. Come out, so he forced himself to calm down. "Ser Meryn Tran of the Kingsguard!" cried the master of ceremonies. Sir Marlin entered the arena from the west, dressed in bright white gold-thread armor, riding a milky white warhorse with flying gray mane, a long cloak like snow on his back, and a twelve-foot spear in his hand. "Ser Hope of House Redwyne on Arbor Isle!" the master of ceremonies called.Ser Hobber came in from the east on a black steed clad in burgundy and blue, with strips of the same color on his lance, and the sigil of the Bunch of Grapes on his shield.The Redwyne twins, like Sansa, were forced guests of the queen.She was curious, whose idea it was to let them participate in Joffrey's tourney, it must not be voluntary, she thought. The ceremony officer gave an order, and the two contestants immediately held their spears flat, kicked their spurs, and rushed forward.Shouts came from the guards onlookers and the noble men and women in the stands, and the two knights fought in the middle of the arena, with sawdust flying and steel clattering.In less than a second, the white gun and the flower gun exploded into pieces one after another.Hobber Redwyne was staggered on the horse's back by the strong impact, but he managed to stay alive.They each turned their horses around at the end of the arena, dropped the broken spears, and took new ones from the attendants.Ser Hopper's twin brother Ser Horace Redwyne applauds his brother. The two men fought again, but this time Ser Meryn shifted the point of his spear and pierced Ser Hobber in the chest, sending him flying from his horse and crashing to the ground.Ser Horace ran to help his battered brother, cursing endlessly. "Badly played," said King Joffrey. "Ser Balon Swann of Stonehelm in Redguard!" the master of ceremonies called again.Ser Balon's helm was decorated with great white wings, and a black and white swan was painted on his shield. "Molos of the Slynt family, heir to Earl Janos of Harrenhal!" "Look at his donkey!" Little Qiao screamed so loudly that he could hear half of the game.Molos was just a squire, or a squire who had just become a squire, and he had difficulty even holding a gun and holding a shield.Sansa knew that the lance was a knight's weapon, and that the Slynts were of humble birth.Earl Janos was originally only the commander of the city garrison, and he was only recently promoted by Joffrey to be the lord of Harrenhal and a member of the court. He'd better fall off his horse and lose face in front of everyone, she thought bitterly. I hope Ser Balon kills him.After Joffrey pronounced her father's death sentence and beheaded it, it was Janos Slynt who seized Lord Eddard's head and held it up for public display while Sansa wept and wailed. Moroth's black armor was inlaid with fine gold scrollwork, and was covered with a black and gold checked cloak.The shield was painted with bloody spears, the family coat of arms his father had chosen.However, he didn't seem to know where to put the shield. He just pushed forward blindly, and Ser Balon inadvertently shot his shield.Moros hurriedly threw away the spear, trying to keep his balance, but unfortunately he still failed.When the boy fell off his horse, one foot got stuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged all the way to the end of the arena by the frenzied horses, with his head constantly hitting the ground.Joffrey laughed loudly at this, but Sansa was terrified, wondering if the gods had heard her prayer for vengeance.At last they unhorsed Moloss Slynt, and found him alive and well, though covered in blood. "We have picked the wrong one for you, Tommen," said the King to his brother. "This fellow is much worse than a Scarecrow." Ser Horace Redwyne came next, and he outplayed his twin, beating an old knight.The old knight's mount is adorned with a silver griffin's costume, with blue and white stripes as a base.Although full of momentum, his strength is not commensurate with his appearance. "It sucks." "Didn't I tell you?" said the Hound, "This is a fight between mosquitoes and flies." The king was getting bored, and Sansa tensed up, so she lowered her eyes and decided to keep quiet no matter what happened.When Joffrey Baratheon was in a bad mood, any unintentional word could set him off into a rage. "Lothor Brune, a freerider who serves under Lord Baelish!" the master of ceremonies shouted, "Ser Dontos, the red knight of House Hollard!" Immediately the Freerider appeared to the west of the arena, a small man in dented armor with no ornamentation, but his opponent was nowhere to be seen.After waiting for a while, at last a chestnut-colored horse ran out, all dressed in crimson silk fluttering in the wind, but Ser Dontos was not on it.A little while longer came Ser Dontos, stumbling along, cursing and chasing his horse, naked save for his breastplate and plumed helm.His legs were pale and thin, and they rocked back and forth disgustingly.The audience immediately booed.Ser Dontos grabbed the bridle of his horse and tried to mount it, but the horse would not stand still, and the knight was too drunk to get his bare feet into the stirrups. At this time, the audience was already shaking with laughter... except for the king.Joffrey saw the look in Joffrey's eyes that day when he sentenced Lord Eddard Stark to death in front of the Great Sept of Baelor.Ser Dontos, the red knight below, finally decided to give up, sat heavily in the mud, and took off his feathered helmet. "I give up!" he yelled. "Give me some wine!" The king stood up abruptly, "Go and fetch a bucket from the cellar! I want to see him drown in it." Sansa gasped, "No! You can't do this!" Joffrey turned his head, "What did you say?" Sansa could hardly believe what she had just said.Is she crazy?To say "no" to him in front of all the courtiers?She hadn't meant to, but... Ser Dontos meant no harm, though he was drunk and stupid and useless. "You say I'm 'no'? Is that what you say?" "I..." said Sansa, "I just think... that if you kill someone on your name day... it will bring bad luck, Your Majesty." "You liar," said Joffrey, "if you care so much about him, I'll let you both drown together!" "Your Majesty, I don't care about him," the words poured out of her mouth desperately, "You can drown him or chop off his head, but... if you really want to kill him, please kill him tomorrow... but you can't kill him." Don't do it today, today is your name day. I can't bear to see you bring bad luck...Even the king, doing this will bring bad luck...Singers say so..." Joffrey frowned.She could see that he knew he was lying, and that another disaster seemed inevitable. "The girl is right," said the Hound gruffly. "As the saying goes, a seed sown on a name day will bear fruit throughout the year." His tone was flat, as if he was not at all worried about whether the king would believe it or not.Is it true?Sansa hadn't actually heard of it at all, she was just talking nonsense to avoid punishment. Joffrey shifted sullenly in his chair, and waved Ser Dontos. "Take him away! I'll kill him tomorrow, idiot." "He's a fool indeed," said Sansa. "You're so wise and wise, you can see it at a glance. That kind of stupidity should be taken as a jester, not a knight, isn't it? You should dress him Clown pretend, tell him to do tricks, he doesn't deserve to die clean." The king looked at her for a while, "Perhaps you are not as stupid as your mother said." He raised his voice, "Dantos, did you hear what the lady said? From today, you are my new jester, and you can change into a clown costume." , to sleep with Yuetong." Sir Dontos had just brushed shoulders with death, and when he was sober, he got up from the ground: "Thank you, Your Majesty. And you, miss, thank you." Two Lannister guards took him down, and the ceremonial officer entered the box. "Your Majesty," he asked, "would you like me to call a new opponent to fight Brun, or to replace them?" "Not at all. These people are mosquitoes, not knights. If today is my name day, I will kill them all. This is the end of the tourney, let them all get out of my sight!" The ceremonial officer listened and bowed respectfully, but Tommen was not so obedient. "I was going to fight the Scarecrow!" "We'll talk about it another day." "But I want to play!" "I don't care what you want." "Mom said I could play!" "She said so." Princess Myrcella also echoed. "'Mama said,'" said the king, imitating his younger brother, "less boyish!" "We are children," Myrcella said confidently, "we are supposed to be children." The Hound laughed, "Now you can't argue with her." Joffrey gave in. "Well, my brother is no worse than those fellows anyway. Come, get the butt out, Tommen can't wait to be a gnat." Tommen gave a yelp of joy and ran off on his fat feet to get dressed. "Good luck!" Sansa said to him. So they set up a spear-butt at the other end of the tournament ring, and made saddles for the Prince's pony.Tommen's opponent was a child-height leather warrior stuffed with straw, standing on a spinning axis with a shield in one hand and a cloth-cushioned mace in the other.Someone also tied a pair of antlers to the dummy's head.Sansa remembered that Joffrey's father, the late King Robert, had two antlers on his helmet...and so did Joffrey's uncle, Lord Renly, Robert's youngest brother, now a traitor and claiming his own king. The two squires helped the prince into his little silver-red armor, ornately carved, with a tuft of red feathers on the top of the helmet, and Lannister's roaring lion and Baratheon's crowned stag frolicking on the shield.As the squire helped him to his horse, Ser Alan Santagar, Master of the Red Keep, stepped forward and handed Tommen a blunt silver longsword with a leaf-shaped blade and a hilt specially made for the palm of an eight-year-old boy. Tommen raised his sword aloft. "Long live Casterly Rock!" he yelled in a childish voice, and with his feet under the horse's belly, he ran across the hard dirt toward the spear target.Countess Tanda and Earl Gales applauded unevenly, and Sansa also joined in.The king was sulking to himself. Tommen urged the pony to run, and as he passed the dummy, he swung his sword heroically, hitting the dummy rider's shield solidly.The spear-target spun around, and the cloth-cushioned mace circled back and struck the Prince hard on the back of the head.Tommen flew from his horse and fell heavily to the ground, his new armor rattling like a sack of scrap metal.He dropped his sword, and the pony left him, running across the city walls.All around laughed, and King Joffrey's laugh was not only the loudest, but the longest. "Ouch!" Princess Myrcella yelled, stumbled out of the box, and ran towards her little brother. Sansa found herself filled with an odd and flippant courage. "You should go with her," she said to the king. "Your brother may be wounded." Joffrey shrugged, "So what?" "You should pick him up and tell him he's riding well." Sansa couldn't help herself. "He was thrown off his horse and fell to the ground," the king pointed out. "How can that be a good ride?" "You see," interrupted the Hound, "this boy is brave, and he's going to try again." The squires were helping Tommen to mount the pony again.If Tommen were the older brother and Joffrey the younger, Sansa thought, I wouldn't mind marrying Tommen. At this time, there was a sudden sound from the front of the city gate, which startled everyone.The iron chain creaked, the gate was raised, and the door was slowly opened with the sound of hinges. "Who told them to open the door?" Joffrey demanded.Due to the constant turmoil in the city, the gate of the Red Castle has been locked for many days. Amidst the clash of metal and the clatter of horses' hoofs, a group of horses and horses rode through the iron gate.Clegane stepped up to the king and put one hand on the hilt of his longsword.Although the visitor was travel-stained and tired, he held up the red-backed golden lion banner of the Lannister family.Only a few of them were Lannister soldiers in red robes and armor, more free riders and wandering warriors, with different armors and sharp swords in hand... Besides, there were some people who seemed to be drawn from Old Nan's stories. Grotesque savages—Bran’s favorite story ever—come out in ragged hides and hard leather, with long hair and beards, some with bloodstained bandages on their heads and hands, and others with missing eyes and ears , even missing a few fingers. Among these people, riding a tall red horse, surrounded by a strange raised saddle, was the Queen Mother's dwarf brother, Tyrion Lannister, nicknamed "Little Devil".His newly grown long yellow and black beard covered his flat and sunken face. The beard was tangled and as thick as iron wire.A black and white striped shadow lynx fur cloak fluttered from his shoulders, and he held the reins in his left hand, while a white silk suspender hung from his right.Otherwise, Sansa saw him as deformed as he had been at Winterfell: with a protruding forehead, eyes of different sizes, and still the ugliest man she had ever seen. Still, Tommen kicked his spurs and galloped across the field on the pony, shouting with excitement.A tall, steady-footed savage, whose beard almost hid his face, lifted the boy from the saddle, fully armored, and placed him on the ground beside his uncle.Tyrion patted his back, Tommen's breathless laughter echoed from the walls, and Sansa was surprised to see that they were the same height.Myrcella ran after her younger brother, and the dwarf spun around her around her waist, making her squeak happily. Then the dwarf let her go, kissed her forehead lightly, and limped across the square toward Joffrey.Two people followed him: one was a black-haired, black-eyed mercenary with the demeanor of a civet stalking prey; the other was a haggard youth with an empty eye socket.Tommen and Myrcella followed them. The dwarf knelt on one knee before the king, "Your Majesty." "It's you," Joffrey said. "It's me." The little devil replied, "But when speaking to uncles and elders, you should be more polite." "I hear you're dead," said the Hound. The little man glanced at the big man.One of his eyes is green, the other is black, and both eyes are cold. "I'm talking to the king and I don't have time for his vicious dogs." "I'm glad you're not dead!" said Princess Myrcella. "My dear boy, we are quite on the same page." Tyrion turned to Sansa. "My lady, I am sorry for what happened to you. The gods are cruel." Sansa didn't know what to say.Does he really feel sorry for her?Or are you mocking her?It is not the gods that are cruel, but Joffrey. "I too am sorry what has happened to you, Joffrey," said the dwarf. "Encounter? What encounter?" "Forgot about your father? Big man, black beard, super strong, think hard, you should be able to remember. He was the king before you." "Oh, him? Yes, sadly, he was killed by a wild boar." "Your Majesty, is this the 'official' statement?" Joffrey frowned.Sansa felt as if she should say something.What had Septa Mordane taught her before?Courtesy is a lady's armor.Yes, that's it.So she put on her armor and said, "My lord, I am very sorry about my mother's arrest of you." "I'm afraid a lot of people are apologizing for it," Tyrion replied. "Until it's over, I'm sure some will regret it... But thank you for your concern. Where's your mother, Joffrey?" "She is in council with my lords," the king replied. "Your brother Jaime has been losing battles." He gave Sansa an angry look, as if it was all her fault. "Now that he has been captured by the Stark family, not only have we lost Riverrun, but even her stupid brother has become king himself." The dwarf chuckled, "Anyone can be a king these days." Little Joe didn't know how to respond, but he looked very unhappy and suspicious. "Yeah, um, uncle, I'm glad you're not dead, too. Did you bring me a name-day present?" "Yes, it's my ingenuity." "I'd rather have Robb Stark's head." Little Joe gave Sansa a malicious look. "Tomen, Myrcella, let's go." Sandor Crigando stayed for a while, "Small man, I advise you to be more careful in your speech." After warning, he strode away with the king. Now only Sansa and the gnome and his monsters remained.She tried to think of something to say, "Your hand is hurt." Finally she managed to say. "When I was fighting by the Green Fork River, I was hit by a meteor hammer from your northerners. I fell off my horse and was not killed by him." He examined her face, and his smile softened. "Condolences for your lord father, don't you? You mourn." "My father was a traitor," Sansa said immediately, "and my brother and mother were traitors." It had become a reflex. "I am absolutely loyal to Joffrey, whom I love so much." "No doubt as loyal as an elk surrounded by wolves." "It's a lion," she whispered without thinking, and looked around nervously when she finished, but luckily no one was around. Lannister took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Son, I'm just a little lion, and I assure you, I will never bully you." After speaking, he bowed, "Now, please allow me to leave, I have something important to report to the Queen Mother and important ministers." Sansa watched him go.His body shook violently from side to side with every step he took, like a monster from a picture of strange men and strange beasts.He is softer than Joffrey, she thought, but the queen is softer with me too?He's a Lannister after all, brother of the Queen, uncle of Young Jo, and no friend of mine.Once, she had loved Prince Joffrey with all her heart, and she had admired and trusted his mother, who was the queen at the time, and they had rewarded her with her father's head.Sansa will never make the same mistake again.