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Ser Barristan looked up sharply "A hall to die in, and men to bury me I thank you, my lordsbut I spit upon your pity" He reached up and undid the clasps that held his cloak in place, and the heavy white garment slithered from his shoulders to fall in a heap on the floor His helht," he told thes of his breastplate and let that fall as well "I shall die a knight"
"A naked knight, it would seehed then, Joffrey on his throne, and the lords standing attendance, Janos Slynt and Queen Cersei and Sandor Clegane and even the other uard, the five who had been his brothers until a ht Her heart went out to the gallant old ry to speak Finally he drew his sword
Sansa heard soasp Ser Boros and Ser Meryn moved forward to confront him, but Ser Barristan froze them in place with a look that dripped conte is safeno thanks to you Even now, I could cut through the five of you as easy as a dagger cuts cheese If you would serve under the Kingslayer, not a one of you is fit to wear the white" He flung his sword at the foot of the Iron Throne "Here, boy Melt it down and add it to the others, if you like It will do you ood than the swords in the hands of these five Perhaps Lord Stannis will chance to sit on it when he takes your throne"
He took the long way out, his steps ringing loud against the floor and echoing off the bare stone walls Lords and ladies parted to let hireat oak-and-bronze doors behind his, the shuffle of papers from the council table "He called er than his years "He talked about my uncle Stannis too"
"Idle talk," said Varys the eunuch "Withoutplots with my uncles I want him seized and questioned" No one moved Joffrey raised his voice "I said, I want him seized!"
Janos Slynt rose froold cloaks will see to it, Your Grace"
"Good," said King Joffrey Lord Janos strode fro to keep up as they lugged the great metal shield with the arer reht resume, the seven are now six We find ourselves in need of a neord for your Kingsguard"
Joffrey s and council have deteruard and protect His Grace than his sworn shield, Sandor Clegane"
"How do you like that, dog?" King Joffrey asked
The Hound’s scarred face was hard to read He took a long moment to consider "Why not? I have no lands nor wife to forsake, and who’d care if I did?" The burned side of his ht’s vows"
"The Sworn Brothers of the Kingsguard have always been knights," Ser Boros said firmly
"Until now," the Hound said in his deep rasp, and Ser Boros fell silent
When the king’s herald moved forward, Sansa realized the moment was almost at hand She smoothed down the cloth of her skirt nervously She was dressed in , but she had taken special care to oas the ivory silk that the queen had given her, the one Arya had ruined, but she’d had them dye it black and you couldn’t see the stain at all She had fretted over her jewelry for hours and finally decided upon the elegant simplicity of a plain silver chain
The herald’s voice boomed out "If any man in this hall has other o forth and hold his silence"
Sansa quailed Now, she told herself, I e She took one step, then another Lords and knights stepped aside silently to let her pass, and she felt the weight of their eyes on her Ias my lady mother "Your Grace," she called out in a soft, treave Joffrey a better vantage point than anyone else in the hall He was the first to see her "Co
His s He does love me, he does Sansa lifted her head and walked toward him, not too slow and not too fast She must not let them see how nervous she was
"The Lady Sansa, of House Stark," the herald cried
She stopped under the throne, at the spot where Ser Barristan’s white cloak lay puddled on the floor beside his hel and council, Sansa?" the queen asked from the council table
"I do" She knelt on the cloak, so as not to spoil her gown, and looked up at her prince on his fearsome black throne "As it please Your Grace, I ask mercy for " She had practiced the words a hundred tihed "Sansa, you disappoint me What did I tell you about traitor’s blood?"
"Your father has corave and terrible crimes, my lady," Grand Maester Pycelle intoned
"Ah, poor sad thing," sighed Varys "She is only a babe, my lords, she does not knohat she asks"
Sansa had eyes only for Joffrey Heshifted on his seat, "Let her speak," he commanded "I want to hear what she says"
"Thank you, Your Grace" Sansa s She kneould
"Treason is a noxious weed," Pycelle declared solemnly "It must be torn up, root and stem and seed, lest new traitors sprout from every roadside"
"Do you deny your father’s crime?" Lord Baelish asked
"No, my lords" Sansa knew better than that "I know he must be punished All I ask is ret what he did He was King Robert’s friend and he loved him, you all know he loved hi asked him They must have lied to him Lord Renly or Lord Stannis oror somebody, theyJoffrey leaned forward, hands grasping the arms of the throne Broken sword points fanned out between his fingers "He said I wasn’t the king Why did he say that?"
"His leg was broken," Sansa replied eagerly "It hurt ever sohim milk of the poppy, and they say that milk of the poppy fills your head with clouds Otherwise he would never have said it"
Varys said, "A child’s faithsuch sweet innocenceand yet, they say wisdom oft comes from the mouths of babes"
"Treason is treason," Pycelle replied at once
Joffrey rocked restlessly on the throne "Mother?"
Cersei Lannister considered Sansa thoughtfully "If Lord Eddard were to confess his crime," she said at last, "ould know he had repented his folly"
Joffrey pushed hiht, please, please, be the king I know you are, good and kind and noble, please "Do you have any more to say?" he asked her
"Onlythat as you love me, you doJoffrey looked her up and down "Your sords have , as if to say all would be well "I shall do as you askbut first your father has to confess He has to confess and say that I’, or there will be no mercy for hi "Oh, I knoill"