grrm.astormofswords-第54部分

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　〃She　is　no　more　than　a　child。〃
　〃Your　sister　swears　she's　flowered。　If　so；　she　is　a　woman；　fit　to　be　wed。　You　must　needs　take　her　maidenhead；　so　no　man　can　say　the　marriage　was　not　consummated。　After　that；　if　you　prefer　to　wait　a　year　or　two　before　bedding　her　again；　you　would　be　within　your　rights　as　her　husband。〃
　Shae　is　all　the　woman　I　need　just　now；　he　thought；　and　Sansa's　a　girl；　no　matter　what　you　say。　〃If　your　purpose　here　is　to　keep　her　from　the　Tyrells；　why　not　return　her　to　her　mother？　Perhaps　that　would　convince　Robb　Stark　to　bend　the　knee。〃
　Lord　Tywin's　look　was　scornful。　〃Send　her　to　Riverrun　and　her　mother　will　match　her　with　a　Blackwood　or　a　Mallister　to　shore　up　her　son's　alliances　along　the　Trident。　Send　her　north；　and　she　will　be　wed　to　some　Manderly　or　Umber　before　the　moon　turns。　Yet　she　is　no　less　dangerous　here　at　court；　as　this　business　with　the　Tyrells　should　prove。　She　must　marry　a　Lannister；　and　soon。〃
　〃The　man　who　weds　Sansa　Stark　can　claim　Winterfell　in　her　name；〃　his　uncle　Kevan　put　in。　〃Had　that　not　occurred　to　you？〃
　〃If　you　will　not　have　the　girl；　we　shall　give　her　to　one　of　your　cousins；〃　said　his　father。　〃Kevan；　is　Lancel　strong　enough　to　wed；　do　you　think？〃
　Ser　Kevan　hesitated。　〃If　we　bring　the　girl　to　his　bedside；　he　could　say　the　words　。　。　。　but　to　consummate；　no　。　。　。　I　would　suggest　one　of　the　twins；　but　the　Starks　hold　them　both　at　Riverrun。　They　have　Genna's　boy　Tion　as　well；　else　he　might　serve。〃
　Tyrion　let　them　have　their　byplay；　it　was　all　for　his　benefit；　he　knew。　Sansa　Stark；　he　mused。　Soft…spoken　sweet…smelling　Sansa；　who　loved　silks；　songs；　chivalry　and　tall　gallant　knights　with　handsome　faces。　He　felt　as　though　he　was　back　on　the　bridge　of　boats；　the　deck　shifting　beneath　his　feet。
　〃You　asked　me　to　reward　you　for　your　efforts　in　the　battle；〃　Lord　Tywin　reminded　him　forcefully。　〃This　is　a　chance　for　you；　Tyrion；　the　best　you　are　ever　likely　to　have。〃　He　drummed　his　fingers　impatiently　on　the　table。　〃I　once　hoped　to　marry　your　brother　to　Lysa　Tully；　but　Aerys　named　Jaime　to　his　Kingsguard　before　the　arrangements　were　plete。　When　I　suggested　to　Lord　Hoster　that　Lysa　might　be　wed　to　you　instead；　he　replied　that　he　wanted　a　whole　man　for　his　daughter。〃
　So　he　wed　her　to　Jon　Arryn；　who　was　old　enough　to　be　her　grandfather。　Tyrion　was　more　inclined　to　be　thankful　than　angry；　considering　what　Lysa　Arryn　had　bee。
　〃When　I　offered　you　to　Dome　I　was　told　that　the　suggestion　was　an　insult；〃　Lord　Tywin　continued。　〃In　later　years　I　had　similar　answers　from　Yohn　Royce　and　Leyton　Hightower。　I　finally　stooped　so　low　as　to　suggest　you　might　take　the　Florent　girl　Robert　deflowered　in　his　brother's　wedding　bed；　but　her　father　preferred　to　give　her　to　one　of　his　own　household　knights。
　〃if　you　will　not　have　the　Stark　girl；　I　shall　find　you　another　wife。　Somewhere　in　the　realm　there　is　doubtless　some　little　lordling　who'd　gladly　part　with　a　daughter　to　win　the　friendship　of　Casterly　Rock。　Lady　Tanda　has　offered　Lollys　。　。　。〃
　Tyrion　gave　a　shudder　of　dismay。　〃I'd　sooner　cut　it　off　and　feed　it　to　the　goats。〃
　〃Then　open　your　eyes。　The　Stark　girl　is　young；　nubile；　tractable；　of　the　highest　birth；　and　still　a　maid。　She　is　not　unely。　Why　would　you　hesitate？〃
　Why　indeed？　〃A　quirk　of　mine。　Strange　to　say；　I　would　prefer　a　wife　who　wants　me　in　her　bed。〃
　〃If　you　think　your　whores　want　you　in　their　bed；　you　are　an　even　greater　fool　than　I　suspected；〃　said　Lord　Tywin。　〃You　disappoint　me；　Tyrion。　I　had　hoped　this　match　would　please　you。〃
　〃Yes；　we　all　know　how　important　my　pleasure　is　to　you；　Father。　But　there's　more　to　this。　The　key　to　the　north；　you　say？　The　Greyjoys　hold　the　north　now；　and　King　Balon　has　a　daughter。　Why　Sansa　Stark；　and　not　her？〃　He　looked　into　his　father's　cool　green　eyes　with　their　bright　flecks　of　gold。
　Lord　Tywin　steepled　his　fingers　beneath　his　chin。　〃Balon　Greyjoy　thinks　in　terms　of　plunder；　not　rule。　Let　him　enjoy　an　autumn　crown　and　suffer　a　northern　winter。　He　will　give　his　subjects　no　cause　to　love　him。　e　spring；　the　northmen　will　have　had　a　bellyful　of　krakens。　When　you　bring　Eddard　Stark's　grandson　home　to　claim　his　birthright；　lords　and　little　folk　alike　will　rise　as　one　to　place　him　on　the　high　seat　of　his　ancestors。　You　are　capable　of　getting　a　woman　with　child；　I　hope？〃
　〃I　believe　I　am；〃　he　said；　bristling。　〃I　confess；　I　cannot　prove　it。　Though　no　one　can　say　I　have　not　tried。　Why；　I　plant　my　little　seeds　just　as　often　as　I　can　。　。　。〃
　〃In　the　gutters　and　the　ditches；〃　finished　Lord　Tywin；　〃and　in　mon　ground　where　only　bastard　weeds　take　root。　It　is　past　time　you　kept　your　own　garden。〃　He　rose　to　his　feet。　〃You　shall　never　have　Casterly　Rock；　I　promise　you。　But　wed　Sansa　Stark；　and　it　is　just　possible　that　you　might　win　Winterfell。〃
　Tyrion　Lannister；　Lord　Protector　of　Winterfell。　The　prospect　gave　him　a　queer　chill。　〃Very　good；　Father；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃but　there's　a　big　ugly　roach　in　your　rushes。　Robb　Stark　is　as　capable　as　I　am；　presumably；　and　sworn　to　marry　one　of　those　fertile　Freys。　And　once　the　Young　Wolf　sires　a　litter；　any　pups　that　Sansa　births　are　heirs　to　nothing。〃
　Lord　Tywin　was　unconcerned。　〃Robb　Stark　will　father　no　children　on　his　fertile　Frey；　you　have　my　word。　There　is　a　bit　of　news　I　have　not　yet　seen　fit　to　share　with　the　council；　though　no　doubt　the　good　lords　will　hear　it　soon　enough。　The　Young　Wolf　has　taken　Gawen　Westerling's　eldest　daughter　to　wife。〃
　For　a　moment　Tyrion　could　not　believe　he'd　heard　his　father　right。　〃He　broke　his　sworn　word？〃　he　said；　incredulous。　〃He　threw　away　the　Freys　for　。　。　。　…Words　failed　him。
　〃A　maid　of　sixteen　years；　named　Jeyne；〃　said　Ser　Kevan。　〃Lord　Gawen　once　suggested　her　to　me　for　Willem　or　Martyn；　but　I　had　to　refuse　him。
　Gawen　is　a　good　man；　but　his　wife　is　Sybell　Spicer。　He　should　never　have　wed　her。　The　Westerlings　always　did　have　more　honor　than　sense。　Lady　Sybell's　grandfather　was　a　trader　in　saffron　and　pepper；　almost　as　lowborn　as　that　smuggler　Stannis　keeps。　And　the　grandmother　was　some　woman　he'd　brought　back　from　the　east。　A　frightening　old　crone；　supposed　to　be　a　priestess。　Maegi；　they　called　her。　No　one　could　pronounce　her　real　name。　Half　of　Lannisport　used　to　go　to　her　for　cures　and　love　potions　and　the　like。〃　He　shrugged。　〃She's　long　dead；　to　be　sure。　And　Jeyne　seemed　a　sweet　child；　I'll　grant　you；　though　I　only　saw　her　once。　But　with　such　doubtful　blood　。　。　。〃
　Having　once　married　a　whore；　Tyrion　could　not　entirely　share　his　uncle's　horror　at　the　thought　of　wedding　a　girl　whose　great　grandfather　sold　cloves。　Even　so　。　。　。　A　sweet　child；　Ser　Kevan　had　said；　but　many　a　poison　was　sweet　as　well。　The　Westerlings　were　old　blood；　but　they　had　more　pride　than　power。　It　would　not　surprise　him　to　learn　that　Lady　Sybell　had　brought　more　wealth　to　the　marriage　than　her　highborn　husband。　The　Westerling　mines　had　failed　years　ago；　their　best　lands　had　been　sold　off　or　lost；　and　the　Crag　was　more　ruin　than　stronghold。　A　romantic　ruin；　though；　jutting　up　so　brave　above　the　sea。　〃I　am　surprised；〃　Tyrion　had　to　confess。　〃I　thought　Robb　Stark　had　better　sense。〃
　〃He　is　a　boy　of　sixteen；〃　said　Lord　Tywin。　〃At　that　age；　sense　weighs　for　little；　against　lust　and　love　and　honor。〃
　〃He　forswore　himself；　shamed　an　ally；　betrayed　a　solemn　promise。　Where　is　the　honor　in　that？〃
　Ser　Kevan　answered。　〃He　chose　the　girl's　honor　over　his　own。　Once　he　had　deflowered　her；　he　had　no　other　course。〃
　〃it　would　have　been　kinder　to　leave　her　with　a　bastard　in　her　belly；〃　said　Tyrion　bluntly。　The　Westerlings　stood　to　lose　everything　here；　their　lands；　their　castle；　their　very　lives。　A　Lannister　always　pays　his　debts。
　〃Jeyne　Westerling　is　her　mother's　daughter；〃　said　Lord　Tywin；　〃and　Robb　Stark　is　his　father's　son。〃
　This　Westerling　betrayal　did　not　seem　to　have　enraged　his　father　as　much　as　Tyrion　would　have　expected。　Lord　Tywin　did　not　suffer　disloyalty　in　his　vassals。　He　had　extinguished　the　proud　Reynes　of　Castamere　and　the　ancient　Tarbecks　of　Tarbeck　Hall　root　and　branch　when　he　was　still　half　a　boy。　The　singers　had　even　made　a　rather　gloomy　song　of　it。　Some　years　later；　when　Lord　Farman　of　Faircastle　grew　truculent；　Lord　Tywin　sent　an　envoy　bearing　a　lute　instead　of　a　letter。　But　once　he'd　heard　〃The　Rains　of　Castamere〃　echoing　through　his　hall；　Lord　Farman　gave　no　further　trouble。　And　if　the　song　were　not　enough；　the　shattered　castles　of　the　Reynes　and　Tarbecks　still　stood　as　mute　testimony　to　the　fate　that　awaited　those　who　chose　to　scorn　the　power　of　Casterly　Rock。　〃The　Crag　is　not　so　far　from　Tarbeck　Hall　and　Castamere；〃　Tyrion　pointed　out。　〃You'd　think　the　Westerlings　might　have　ridden　past　and　seen　the　lesson　there。〃
　〃Mayhaps　they　have；〃　Lord　Tywin　said。　〃They　are　well　aware　of　Castamere；　I　promise　you。〃
　〃Could　the　Westerlings　and　Spicers　be　such　great　fools　as　to　believe　the　wolf　can　defeat　the　lion？〃
　Every　once　in　a　very　long　while；　Lord　Tywin　Lannister　would　actually　threaten　to　smile；　he　never　did；　but　the　threat　alone　was　terrible　to　behold。　〃The　greatest　fools　are　ofttimes　more　clever　than　the　men　who　laugh　at　them；〃　he　said；　and　then；　〃You　will　marry　Sansa　Stark；　Tyrion。　And　soon。〃
　
　CHAPTER　20
　CATELYN
　
　They　carried　the　corpses　in　upon　their　shoulders　and　laid　them　beneath　the　dais。　A　silence　fell　across　the　torchlit　hall；　and　in　the　quiet　Catelyn　could　hear　Grey　Wind　howling　half　a　castle　away。　He　smells　the　blood；　she　thought；　through　stone　walls　and　wooden　doors；　through　night　and　rain；　he　still　knows　the　scent　of　death　and　ruin。
　She　stood　at　Robb's　left　hand　beside　the　high　seat；　and　for　a　moment　felt　almost　as　if　she　were　looking　down　at　her　own　dead；　at　Bran　and　Rickon。　These　boys　had　been　much　older；　but　death　had　shrunken　them。　Naked　and　wet；　they　seemed　such　little　things；　so　still　it　was　hard　to　remember　them　living。
　The　blond　boy　had　been　trying　to　grow　a　beard。　Pale　yellow　peach　fuzz　covered　his　cheeks　and　jaw　above　the　red　ruin　the　knife　had　made　of　his　throat。　His　long　golden　hair　was　still　wet；　as　if　he　had　been　pulled　from　a　bath。　By　the　look　of　him；　he　had　died　peacefully；　perhaps　in　sleep；　but　his　brown…haired　cousin　had　fought　for　life。　His　arms　bore　slashes　where　he'd　tried　to　block　the　blades；　and　red　still　trick