Chapter 30 Chapter Thirty Tyrion

The straw mats tickled the soles of his bare feet. "Cousin is a real pick of the moment," Tyrion told a sleepy Podrick Payne, no doubt expecting a reprimand for waking him up in the middle of the night. "Take him to the study and tell him that I'll be right down." Judging from the sky outside the window, it should be past midnight.Did Lancel think that I would be dazed and unresponsive at this time?He thought about it.No, Lancel wasn't thinking at all, it must have been Cersei's idea.Unfortunately, the old lady will be disappointed.He took his work to bed every night and worked until the wee hours—scrutinizing Varys' secret reports and Littlefinger's ledger by flickering candlelight until his eyes ached and his handwriting blurred.

He wet his face with the warm water in the washbasin beside the bed, squatted in the toilet leisurely, the night air made his bare skin a little cool.Sir Lancel was sixteen years old, and he had never been impatient, so let him wait, and he would grow restless.Tyrion emptied his bowels, pulled on a nightgown, and tousled his thin flaxen hair with his fingers to make it look like he had just woken up. Lancel paced before the cindered hearth, wearing a red velvet twill tunic with black silk sleeves, and a jeweled dagger with a gilt sheath. "Cousin!" Tyrion greeted him. "You are a rare visitor. What can I do?"

"Her Majesty the Regent orders me to come, and to release Grand Maester Pycelle at once." Ser Lancell produced a crimson ribbon with Cersei's lion seal embossed in gold wax. "This is a letter of authorization from His Majesty." "I see," Tyrion waved him away. "Well, my sister is just recovering from a serious illness, and I sincerely hope she won't be overworked. It would be a pity if the illness relapsed." "Her Majesty has recovered," Lancel said curtly. "Brilliant," though not my favorite tune.I should have dosed more.Tyrion had hoped for a few more days without Cersei's interference, but wasn't surprised by her quick recovery.After all, she was James' twin sister.He made a pleasant smile. "Find us a fire, Pod. It's too cold in here. How about a drink with me, Lancel? I find warm wine helps sleep."

"I don't need sleep," Lancel said. "I'm here to issue orders on His Majesty's behalf, not to drink with you, little devil." "Why, the title of knight makes the lad run amok," thought Tyrion—and his pathetic part in King Robert's murder. "Drinking too much wine will naturally hurt your health." He smiled while pouring the wine, "As for Grand Maester Pycelle... If my dear sister really cares about him so much, it seems that she should come in person, but she sent you instead. Regarding this , how do I understand?" "It's up to you to understand it, I just want you to let him go! The National Teacher is a staunch ally of the Queen Regent and is under her protection." A sneer appeared on the kid's lips, as if he was very proud.Presumably this set is learned from Cersei. "Your Grace will not allow such atrocities to occur. She wants me to remind you that she is Joffrey's regent."

"And I am Joffrey's Hand." "The Prime Minister is dedicated to serving," the young knight told him casually, "and the Queen Regent governs the affairs of state until the king comes of age." "Perhaps you should write this down so I don't forget." The fire crackled merrily. "You may go down, Pod," Tyrion told his squire.He turned to face Lancel only after the child had left. "What else is there?" "Yes. Your Majesty has ordered me to inform you that Sir Jacelyn Bywater has defied His Majesty's orders." It appears that Cersei had already ordered Bywater to release Pycelle, but was rebuffed. "I see."

"His Majesty, she insists that this person be removed and arrested for treason. I warn you—" He put the glass aside. "Don't warn me, boy." "Sir!" Lancel said firmly.He touched the sword, perhaps to remind Tyrion that he had a weapon, too. "Talk to me carefully, little devil." No doubt he wanted to make a threat, but the ridiculous mustache ruined the effect. "Oh, the sword is a dangerous thing, put it down quickly. Don't you know that if I make a sound, Xia Ga will rush in and chop you up? He kills people with an axe, not a wine bag."

Lancel blushed; was he so foolish as to think his part in Robert's death was hidden? "I'm a knight—" "I see. So tell me—did Cersei knight you before or after she slept with you?" The twinkle in Lancel's blue eyes said it all.It appears that what Varys said is true.Well, no one can accuse the elder sister of not loving her family. "Why, nothing to say? Tell you not to warn me, ser." "You must retract these nasty accusations, or—" "Please, have you ever wondered what Joffrey would do if I told him you killed his father for spit on his mother?"

"That's not true!" Lancel protested in horror. "No? Then, what is the truth?" "The queen mother gave the spirits! From the day I became the king's servant, your father, Lord Tywin, asked me to obey the queen mother's orders." "Including sleeping with her?" Look at him, he's not too tall, he's not in good shape, besides, his hair is not blond but sandy brown, no matter... Even James' poor double is better than an empty bed. "I don't think so." "I didn't take the initiative... I was just ordered... I..."

"...Hate all of this, you want me to believe this? The high position in the court, the status of a knight, the legs my sister spread for you at night, oh yeah, all this is too bad for you." Tilly Ang slumped his hands and stood up. "Wait here. Wait for His Majesty the King to come and judge in person." Lancel's arrogance was swept away, and the young knight fell to his knees like a frightened child. "Have mercy, my lord, please." "Forget it. Tell Joffrey that. He likes nothing more than entreaties." "My lord, what you said is the order of your sister... His Majesty the Empress Dowager, but His Majesty the King... he will never understand..."

"You want me to hide it for you from the king?" "For my father's sake, please! I will leave the capital immediately and pretend nothing happened! I swear, I will end this matter..." It's really hard not to laugh. "I don't think so." This time it was the boy's turn to be confused. "grown ups?" "That's right. Didn't my father ask you to obey her? Very good, then do it, stay by her side, maintain her trust, and meet her needs at any time. No one will know what happened before... As long as you are loyal to Me. And in return, I want to know what Cersei is doing, where she went, who she met, what she talked about, what plans she has... everything, you have to tell me, okay?"

"Okay, my lord." Lancel said without hesitation.Tyrion was satisfied. "I will. I swear. I'll do what you say." "Get up." Tyrion poured him a glass of wine. "A toast to our consensus! I promise I don't know a single wild boar in this castle." Lancel raised his glass, although his movements were a little stiff. "Be happy, cousin, my sister is a great beauty, and everything you do is for the country and for the benefit of the country and yourself. What is the title of knight? If you are smarter, I will get you an earl one day Dang bang." Tyrion swirled his drink. "All in all, we have to make Cersei trust you completely. Go back and tell her, and I beg her forgiveness. Tell her I was horrified and terrified by your visit. I don't want any conflict between us, from now on , without her consent, I will not act rashly." "But...she asked..." "I'll give her Pacelle back." "Really?" Lancel looked surprised. Tyrion smiled and said, "I'll release him tomorrow. Although I can't say he's unharmed, I can assure you that he's still fine, but his energy is a little low. After all, a dark prison is very difficult for a person of his age." , is not a place for leisure. Cersei wants to keep him as a pet, or send him to the Wall, I don't care, but I can't keep him in the Queen's Council." "And Ser Jacelyn?" "Tell my sister, you believe that it only takes a little more time to win him over. This should be perfunctory for the time being." "Yes." Lancel finished his drink. "One last thing. King Robert is dead, and it will be embarrassing if his grieving widow suddenly grows pregnant with a child." "My lord, I...we...the queen forbid me..." His ears were the color of the Lannister crest. "I cum all over her belly, my lord." "Trust that's a lovely belly. Moisturize it any way you like... but no mistakes, I don't want any more nephews, understand?" Ser Lancel bowed stiffly and turned away. Tyrion felt sorry for the boy for a moment.Another fool, another weakling, but what Cersei and I did to him was just too cruel.Fortunately, God has eyes and gave Uncle Kai Feng three sons, and this one probably won't survive this year.If Cersei finds out that he betrayed her, she will definitely get rid of him. If the gods are merciful, she has kept her eyes shut, so when Jaime Lannister returns to King's Landing, he will still have to die.The only difference is: did he die under Jaime's jealousy, or was silenced by Cersei so Jaime didn't find out.Tyrion is betting on Cersei's side. Tyrion felt very disturbed, and he knew full well that he would not be able to sleep tonight.At least I can't sleep here.He found Podrick Payne who was sleeping soundly on the chair outside the room, and shook his shoulder: "Summon Bronn, then run to the stables below, and saddle the two horses." The servant looked sleepy. "horse." "The big brown ones that love apples, with four long legs and a tail, I'm sure you've seen them. Remember, look for Bronn first." Mercenaries appear immediately. "Who pissed in your soup?" he demanded. "Cersei, the same. I'm getting used to the smell, but that's all right, my good sister seems to have mistook me for Eddard Stark." "I heard he is taller than you." "That was before Little Joe chopped off his head. You should wear more, it's cold at night." "Are we going out?" "Are all mercenaries as smart as you?" The streets of the city were dangerous, but Tyrion was quite at ease with Bronn by his side.They passed the guards, and out the wicket in the north wall, and rode along Nightshade Lane to the foot of Aegon's High Hill, and then down Piglan Lane, with closed doors and windows and tall buildings of wood and stone jutting out of each other's storeys, Very close, almost kissing.The moon followed them all the way, playing hide and seek with them among the chimneys.But they met no one but a lonely old woman holding a dead cat by the tail.She gave them a horrified look, then slipped into the shadows without a word, as if afraid they might steal her supper. Tyrion recalls the previous two Hands, who were clearly ill-prepared for his sister's machinations.It was only natural that they were the kind of people... too righteous to survive, too noble to deceive, and Cersei devoured such fools every day.The only way to deal with her sister is to treat her as a person, and Duke Stark and Duke Arryn disdain this approach.So they went to the grave, and he, Tyrion Lannister, lived and lived.His short, stunted legs danced a dance that might make him a laughing stock at a harvest feast, but he knew it well. It was late at night, and the brothel was still full of guests.Shataya greeted them happily and led them into the lobby.Bronn went upstairs with a dark-eyed girl from Dorne, but Elayaya happened to have a guest and couldn't get away. "She must be very happy to know you're here," Sataya said. "My lord, please wait a moment. I'll go and get the turret room ready for you. Would you like a glass of wine first?" "Okay," he said. Compared with the high-quality Qingting Island wine tasted on weekdays, this wine is very poor. "I beg your pardon, my lord," said Sataya, "I have not been able to get good wine at any price these days." "I understand that you are not alone in this situation." Shataya sighed with him for a while, then said goodbye and left.A classy woman, Tyrion thought as he watched her go. Few whores are so elegant.She must have considered herself some kind of priestess.Maybe that's the secret: it's not what we do, but why we do it.This thought reassured him a little. Some patrons squinted at him.The last time he ventured out, someone spit on him...well, tried to spit on him, and ended up spitting on Bronn.In the future, you can only spit with a toothless mouth. "My lord, do you feel that you lack love and affection?" Dan Xi quietly slid onto his lap, biting his ear lightly. "I'm the best at treating this disease." Tyrion smiled and shook his head. "My dear, you are indescribably beautiful, but I'm afraid I'm addicted to Alayaya's therapy." "That's because you've never tried mine. Adults choose Yaya every time. She's great, but I'm even better. Don't you want to try?" "Perhaps... next time." Tyrion believed she was a lively little thing in his arms.She had a snub nose, a few freckles, thick waist-length red hair, and a bouncy body.But he had Shae, and she was waiting for him at the house. Giggling, she slipped her hand between his legs and squeezed him through his pants. "I don't think he can wait until next time," she declared. "He wants to come out and count my freckles." "Danxi." Ailaya stood at the door, her dark skin was covered with a light and transparent green silk dress, she said calmly, "My lord is here to find me." Gently, Tyrion broke away from the girl and rose to his feet.Dan Xi didn't seem to mind, "Remember next time," she reminded him, putting a finger in her mouth leisurely and sucking. The dark-skinned girl led him up the stairs: "Poor Danxi, if she can't let the adults choose her within two weeks, she will have to lose the Black Pearl to Mary." Mary was a quiet, fair, pretty girl, and Tyrion had noticed her once or twice.With green eyes, porcelain skin, and long, straight silver hair, she's cute but serious. "I really don't want the poor kid to lose Pearl because of me." "Then take her upstairs next time." "Maybe." She smiled: "I don't think you will, my lord." She is right, Tyrion thought, and I will not.Although Shae is only a whore, I will still be loyal to her in my own way. When he arrived at the turret room, when he opened the closet door, he suddenly asked Ailaya curiously: "What have you been doing since I left?" Hearing this, she stretched like a pampered black cat. "Sleep. My lord, I have had a lot of rest since your visit. Mary taught us how to read recently, and maybe I can read to pass the time after a while." "Sleeping is good," he said, "reading is better." Then he kissed her quickly on the cheek, and down the well, through the tunnel. When he was leaving the stables on his piebald horse, he heard music coming from the roof.It seemed to him that people could still sing even in the midst of massacres and famines, and it pleased him to think that.Familiar notes filled his mind, and for a moment, he seemed to hear the song Tessa sang for him half a lifetime ago, so he reined in and listened.The song is actually not quite right, and the lyrics don't really make sense.Must be another song.How could it be the same song?He was such a lovely Tessa, a fraud from beginning to end, she was just a whore hired by brother Jaime to give him a taste of men and women. But I got rid of Tessa at last, he thought, I have lived in her shadow for half my life, and now I can finally forget her, just as I have forgotten Alayaya, Danxi, Mary, and Hundreds of whores I've slept with over the years.Now I have Shae.Shae. The gate of the house was closed and bolted from the inside.Tyrion knocked hard for a long time before the ornate bronze peeping eye clicked open. "It's me!" He was greeted by one of the better-looking men Varys had found, a Braavosian with a short sword, a harelip, and dull eyes.Tyrion took care not to have handsome young guards hanging around Shae all day long. "Find me some old and ugly ones with scars on their faces, and better impotent ones," he told the eunuch, "someone who likes boys, or even sheep, that's fine." Varys found no guards who liked sheep, But he weaves a eunuch-killer, and a pair of stinky Ibans who love nothing but the ax and each other.The rest of his hires were brilliant, too, each uglier than the last, like characters dug out of a dungeon.Even Tyrion thought it was too much when Varys marched them up to him, but Shae didn't complain aloud.How could she complain?All her guards combined are less scary than me, and she never complained about me.Maybe, she doesn't know what ugliness is at all. In fact, Tyrion had in mind his mountain folk to guard the house; either Zillar's Black Ears, or the Moonmen.He believed in their iron loyalty and honor more than greedy mercenaries.However, this is too risky.The whole King's Landing knows that the aborigines belong to him. If he sends Black Ears here, then sooner or later there will be rumors about the imperial prime minister having a mistress. One of the pair of Ibans led his horse. "Did you wake her up?" "No, my lord." "very good." The fire in the bedroom was reduced to embers, but the residual heat was still there.Shae was fast asleep and kicked off the blanket and mattress.She was lying naked on the feather bed, and the faint firelight of the furnace reflected on her young body, showing soft curves.Tyrion stood in the doorway, fascinated.She is younger than Mary, sweeter than Dan Xi, and more beautiful than Ailaya, she is all I want, even better than I dreamed.How can a prostitute be so pure and beautiful?he thought suspiciously. He didn't want to disturb her sleep, but just looking at her made him hard.He took off his coat on the floor, climbed onto the bed, gently pushed her legs aside, and kissed between her buttocks.Shae murmured in her sleep.He kissed her again, licking her sweet privacy, and kept licking until his beard and her cunt were both wet.She shuddered and let out a low moan, and he climbed up, penetrated her, and came almost instantly. She opened her eyes, tapped his head with a smile, and whispered, "I just had a beautiful dream, my lord." Tyrion nibbled at her small, firm nipple, resting his head on her shoulder.He hadn't pulled it out of her; he hoped he never would. "It's not a dream," he assured her.It's true, it's all true, he thought, the wars, the intrigues, the grand bloody games, and at the center of it all I... I!A dwarf, a monster, an object of their contempt and ridicule, with my innate ability, I have mastered all... power, capital, women.Gods forgive me, I love all this... and her.Especially her.