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Now Tyrion truly was nonplussed He drank

Lord Tywin seated hiht have used Lord Eddard to forge a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, a peace that would have given us the time we need to deal with Robert’s brothers Dead" His hand curled into a fist "Madness Rank madness"

"Joff’s only a boy," Tyrion pointed out "At his age, I coave hirateful that he has not yet married a whore"

Tyrion sipped at his wine, wondering how Lord Tyould look if he flung the cup in his face

"Our position is worse than you know," his father went on "It would see"

Ser Kevan looked poleaxed "A neho? What have they done to Joffrey?"

The faintest flicker of distaste played across Lord Tywin’s thin lips "Nothingyet My grandson still sits the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard whispers froarden this fortnight past, and now he has claimed the crown The bride’s father and brothers have bent the knee and sworn his" When Ser Kevan frowned, the furrows in his bro deep as canyons

"My daughter co at once, to defend the Red Keep against King Renly and the Knight of Flowers" His htened "Co and council"

"How is King Joffrey taking the news?" Tyrion asked with a certain black amusement

"Cersei has not seen fit to tell hiht insist on ainst Renly himself"

"With what arive hi the City Watch," Lord Tywin said

"If he takes the Watch, he’ll leave the city undefended," Ser Kevan said "And with Lord Stannis on Dragonstone"

"Yes" Lord Tywin looked down at his son "I had thought you were the one "

"Why, Father," said Tyrion, "that almost sounds like praise" He leaned forward intently "What of Stannis? He’s the elder, not Renly How does he feel about his brother’s claiinning that Stannis was a greater danger than all the others co Oh, Varys hears his whispers Stannis is building ships, Stannis is hiring sellswords, Stannis is bringing a shadowbinder froave an irritated shrug "Kevan, bring us the map"

Ser Kevan did as he was bid Lord Tywin unrolled the leather, s it flat "Jaime has left us in a bad way Roose Bolton and the remnants of his host are north of us Our enemies hold the Twins and Moat Cailin Robb Stark sits to the west, so we cannot retreat to Lannisport and the Rock unless we choose to give battle Jaime is taken, and his army for all purposes has ceased to exist Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion continue to plague our foraging parties To our east we have the Arryns, Stannis Baratheon sits on Dragonstone, and in the south Highgarden and Stor their banners"

Tyrion saryen is still dead"

"I had hoped you ht have more to offer us than japes, Tyrion," Lord Tywin Lannister said

Ser Kevan frowned over the"Robb Stark will have Edmure Tully and the lords of the Trident with him now Their combined power may exceed our own And with Roose Bolton behind usTywin, if we reht between three ar here WeLord Stark before Renly Baratheon can arden Bolton does not concern me He is a wary man, and we ive pursuit Soon the morroe make for Harrenhal Kevan, I want Ser Addam’s outriders to screen our movements Give hiroups of four I will have no vanishings"

"As you say, rim, unlucky place Some call it cursed"

"Let theor and send hio Hoat and his freeriders as well, and Ser Amory Lorch Each is to have three hundred horse Tell them I want to see the riverlands afire from the Gods Eye to the Red Fork"

"They will burn, ive the commands" He bowed and made for the door

When they were alone, Lord Tywin glanced at Tyrion "Your savages ht relish a bit of rapine Tell theoods, stock, women, they may take what they want and burn the rest"

"Telling Shagga and Ti a rooster how to crow," Tyrion commented, "but I should prefer to keep thes were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father’s men He was not about to hand them over

"Then you had best learn to control them I will not have the city plundered"

"The city?" Tyrion was lost "What city would that be?"

"King’s Landing I a Tyrion Lannister would ever have anticipated

He reached for his wine, and considered for a moment as he sipped "And what am I to do there?"

"Rule," his father said curtly

Tyrion hooted with laughter "My sweet sister ht have a word or two to say about that!"

"Let her say what she likes Her son needs to be taken in hand before he ruins us all I blame those jackanapes on the council--our friend Petyr, the venerable Grand Maester, and that cockless wonder Lord Varys What sort of counsel are they giving Joffrey when he lurches from one folly to the next? Whose notion was it to make this Janos Slynt a lord? The rant his! Not that he will ever set foot inside it, if I have a say I ail A bloody cleaver would have been my choice" His father had not raised his voice, yet Tyrion could see the anger in the gold of his eyes "And dis Selmy, where was the sense in that? Yes, the man was old, but the na in the realm He lent honor to any man he served Can anyone say the sa bones under the table, you do not seat hier at Tyrion’s face "If Cersei cannot curb the boy, youus false"

Tyrion knew "Spikes," he sighed "Heads Walls"

"I see you have taken a few lessons from me"

"More than you know, Father," Tyrion answered quietly He finished his wine and set the cup aside, thoughtful A part of him was more pleased than he cared to ad the battle upriver, and wondering if he was being sent to hold the left again "Whyhis head to one side "Why not my uncle? Why not Ser Addaer man?"

Lord Tywin rose abruptly "You are iven hiht You bloody bastard, you think Jaiood as dead, so I’m all you have left Tyrion wanted to slap hier and cut the heart out of hiold, the way the smallfolks said Yet he sat there, silent and still

The shards of the broken cup crunched beneath his father’s heels as Lord Tywin crossed the roo," he said at the door "You will not take the whore to court"

Tyrion sat alone in the coone Finally he cliarret beneath the bell tower The ceiling was low, but that was scarcely a drawback for a dwarf Froibbet his father had erected in the yard The innkeep’s body turned slowly on its rope whenever the night wind gusted Her flesh had grown as thin and ragged as Lannister hopes

Shae e of the featherbed He slid his hand under the blanket and cupped a soft breast, and her eyes opened "M’lord," she said with a drowsy smile

When he felt her nipple stiffen, Tyrion kissed her "I have a ," he whispered