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well； a snake。 〃Will I be allowed to demand trial by battle？〃
〃I would not advise that。〃
〃Why not？〃 It had saved him in the Vale； why not here？ 〃Answer me； Uncle。 Will I be allowed a trial by battle； and a champion to prove my innocence？〃
〃Certainly； if such is your wish。 However； you had best know that your sister means to name Ser Gregor Clegane as her champion； in the event of such a trial。〃
The bitch checks my moves before I make them。 A pity she didn't choose a Kettleblack。 Bronn would make short work of any of the three brothers； but the Mountain That Rides was a kettle of a different color。 〃I shall need to sleep on this。〃 I need to speak with Bronn； and soon。 He didn't want to think about what this was like to cost him。 Bronn had a lofty notion of what his skin was worth。 〃Does Cersei have witnesses against me？〃
〃More every day。〃
〃Then I must have witnesses of my own。〃
〃Tell me who you would have； and Ser Addarn will send the Watch to bring them to the trial。〃
〃I would sooner find them myself。〃
〃You stand accused of regicide and kinslaying。 Do you truly imagine you will be allowed to e and go as you please？〃 Ser Kevan waved at the table。 〃You have quill； ink； and parchment。 Write the names of such witnesses as you require； and I shall do all in my power to produce them； you have my word as a Lannister。 But you shall not leave this tower； except to go to trial。〃
Tyrion would not demean himself by begging。 〃Will you permit my squire to e and go？ The boy Podrick Payne？〃
〃Certainly； if that is your wish。 I shall send him to you。〃
〃Do so。 Sooner would be better than later； and now would be better than sooner。〃 He waddled to the writing table。 But when he heard the door open； he turned back and said； 〃Uncle？〃
Ser Kevan paused。 〃Yes？〃
〃I did not do this。〃
〃I wish I could believe that； Tyrion。〃
When the door closed； Tyrion Lannister pulled himself up into the chair； sharpened a quill； and pulled a blank parchment。 Who will speak for me？ He dipped his quill in the inkpot。
The sheet was still maiden when Podrick Payne appeared； sometime later。 〃My lord；〃 the boy said。
Tyrion put down the quill。 〃Find Bronn and bring him at once。 Tell him there's gold in it； more gold than he's ever dreamt of； and see that you don't return without him。〃
〃Yes； my lord。 I mean； no。 I won't。 Return。〃 He went。
He had not returned by sunset； nor by moonrise。 Tyrion fell asleep in the window seat to wake stiff and sore at dawn。 A serving man brought porridge and apples to break his fast； with a horn of ale。 He ate at the table； the blank parchment before him。 An hour later； the serving man returned for the bowl。 〃Have you seen my squire？〃 Tyrion asked him。 The man shook his head。
Sighing； he turned back to the table； and dipped the quill again。 Sansa； he wrote upon the parchment。 He sat staring at the name； his teeth clenched so hard they hurt。
Assuming Joffrey had not simply choked to death on a bit of food； which even Tyrion found hard to swallow； Sansa must have poisoned him。 loff practically put his cup down in her lap； and he'd given her ample reason。 Any doubts Tyrion might have had vanished when his wife did。 One flesh； one heart； one soul。 His mouth twisted。 She wasted no time proving how much those vows meant to her； did she？ Well； what did you expect； dwarf？
And yet 。 。 。 where would Sansa have gotten poison？ He could not believe the girl had acted alone in this。 Do I really want to find her？ Would the judges believe that Tyrion's child bride had poisoned a king without her husband's knowledge？ I wouldn't。 Cersei would insist that they had done the deed together。
Even so； he gave the parchment to his uncle the next day。 Ser Kevan frowned at it。 〃Lady Sansa is your only witness？〃
〃I will think of others in time。〃
〃Best think of them now。 The judges mean to begin the trial three days hence。〃
〃That's too soon。 You have me shut up here under guard； how am I to find witnesses to my innocence？〃
〃Your sister's had no difficulty finding witnesses to your guilt。〃 Ser Kevan rolled up the parchment。 〃Ser Addam has men hunting for your wife。 Varys has offered a hundred stags for word of her whereabouts； and a hundred dragons for the girl herself。 If the girl can be found she will be found； and I shall bring her to you。 I see no harm in husband and wife sharing the same cell and giving fort to one another。〃
〃You are too kind。 Have you seen my squire？〃
〃I sent him to you yesterday。 Did he not e？〃
〃He came；〃 Tyrion admitted； 〃and then he went。〃
〃I shall send him to you again。〃
But it was the next morning before Podrick Payne returned。 He stepped inside the room hesitantly； with fear written all over his face。 Bronn came in behind him。 The sellsword knight wore a jerkin studded with silver and a heavy riding cloak； with a pair of fine…tooled leather gloves thrust through his swordbelt。
One look at Bronn's face gave Tyrion a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach。 〃It took you long enough。〃
〃The boy begged； or I wouldn't have e at all。 I am expected at Castle Stokeworth for supper。〃
〃Stokeworth？〃 Tyrion hopped from the bed。 〃And pray； what is there for you in Stokeworth？〃
〃A bride。〃 Brorm smiled like a wolf contemplating a lost lamb。 〃I'm to wed Lollys the day after next。〃
〃Lollys。〃 Perfect； bloody perfect。 Lady Tanda's lackwit daughter gets a knightly husband and a father of sorts for the bastard in her belly； and Ser Bronn of the Blackwater climbs another rung。 It had Cersei's stinking fingers all over it。 〃My bitch sister has sold you a lame horse。 The girl's dim…witted。〃
〃If I wanted wits； I'd marry you。〃
〃Lollys is big with another man's child。〃
〃And when she pops him out； I'll get her big with mine。〃
〃She's not even heir to Stokeworth；〃 Tyrion pointed out。 〃She has an elder sister。 Falyse。 A married sister。〃
〃Married ten years； and still barren；〃 said Bronn。 〃Her lord husband shuns her bed。 It's said he prefers virgins。〃
〃He could prefer goats and it wouldn't matter。 The lands will still pass to his wife when Lady Tanda dies。〃
〃Unless Falyse should die before her mother。〃
Tyrion wondered whether Cersei had any notion of the sort of serpent she'd given Lady Tanda to suckle。 And if she does； would she care？ 〃Why are you here； then？〃
Bronn shrugged。 〃You once told me that if anyone ever asked me to sell you out； you'd double the price。〃
Yes。 〃Is it two wives you want； or two castles？〃
〃One of each would serve。 But if you want me to kill Gregor Clegane for you； it had best be a damned big castle。〃
The Seven Kingdoms were full of highborn maidens； but even the oldest； poorest； and ugliest spinster in the realm would balk at wedding such lowborn scum as Bronn。 Unless she was soft of body and soft of head； with a fatherless child in her belly from having been raped half a hundred times。 Lady Tanda had been so desperate to find a husband for Lollys that she had even pursued Tyrion for a time； and that had been before half of King's Landing enjoyed her。 No doubt Cersei had sweetened the offer somehow； and Brorm was a knight now； which made him a suitable match for a younger daughter of a minor house。
〃I find myself woefully short of both castles and highborn maidens at the moment；〃 Tyrion admitted。 〃But I can offer you gold and gratitude； as before。〃
〃I have gold。 What can I buy with gratitude？〃
〃You might be surprised。 A Lannister pays his debts。〃
〃Your sister is a Lannister too。〃
〃My lady wife is heir to Winterfell。 Should I emerge from this with my head still on my shoulders； I may one day rule the north in her name。 I could carve you out a big piece of it。〃
〃If and when and might be；〃 said Bronn。 〃And it's bloody cold up there。 Lollys is soft； warm； and close。 I could be poking her two nights hence。〃
〃Not a prospect I would relish。〃
〃Is that so？〃 Bronn grinned。 〃Admit it； Imp。 Given a choice between fucking Lollys and fighting the Mountain； you'd have your breeches down and cock up before a man could blink。〃
He knows me too bloody well。 Tyrion tried a different tack。 〃I'd heard that Ser Gregor was wounded on the Red Fork； and again at Duskendale。 The wounds are bound to slow him。〃
Bronn looked annoyed。 〃He was never fast。 Only freakish big and freakish strong。 I'll grant you； he's quicker than you'd expect for a man that size。 He has a monstrous long reach； and doesn't seem to feel blows the way a normal man would。〃
〃Does he frighten you so much？ 〃 asked Tyrion； hoping to provoke him。
〃if he didn't frighten me； I'd be a bloody fool。〃 Bronn gave a shrug。 〃Might be I could take him。 Dance around him until he was so tired of hacking at me that he couldn't lift his sword。 Get him off his feet somehow。 When they're flat on their backs it don't matter how tall they are。 Even so； it's chancy。 One misstep and I'm dead。 Why should I risk it？ I like you well enough； ugly little whoreson that you are 。 。 。 but if I fight your battle； I lose either way。 Either the Mountain spills my guts； or I kill him and lose Stokeworth。 I sell my sword； I don't give it away。 I'm not your bloody brother。〃
〃No；〃 said Tyrion sadly。 〃You're not。〃 He waved a hand。 〃Begone； then。 Run to Stokeworth and Lady Lollys