[reading] "You are summoned to answer for the crimes of your bannerman, Gregor Clegane 'the Mountain'... er, arrive within the fortnight or be branded an enemy of the Crown." Poor Ned Stark. Brave man, terrible judgment.
Tywin LannisterAttacking him was stupid. Lannisters don't act like fools. Are you gonna say something clever? Go on! Say something clever.
Catelyn Stark took my brother.
Tywin Lannister
Why is he still alive?
Tywin Lannister
Ned Stark.
One of our men interfered, speared him through the leg before I could finish him.
Tywin Lannister
Why is he still alive?
It wouldn't have been clean.
Tywin Lannister
Clean? You spend too much time worrying about what other people think of you.
I could care less what anyone thinks of me.
Tywin Lannister
No, that's what you want people to think of you.
Tywin Lannister
When you hear them whispering "Kingslayer" behind your back, doesn't it bother you?
Tywin Lannister
The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep. I suppose I should be grateful your vanity got in the way of your recklessness. I'm giving you half of our forces. Thirty-thousand men. You will bring them to Catelyn Stark's girlhood home and remind her that Lannisters pay their debts!
I didn't know you put such a high value on my brother's life.
Tywin Lannister
He's a Lannister. He might be the lowest of the Lannisters, but he is one of us. And every day that he remains a prisoner, the less our name commands respect.
So, the lion does concern himself with the opinions of the-
Tywin Lannister
No, it's not an opinion, it's a fact! If another house can seize one of our own, and hold him captive with impunity, it means we're no longer a house to be feared! Your mother's dead, before long I'll be dead, and you and your brother and your sister and all of her children. All of us dead, all of us rotting in the ground. It's the family name that lives on. It's all that lives on. Not your honour, not your personal glory, family. Do you understand? You're blessed with abilities that few men possess. You're blessed to belong to the most powerful family in the Kingdoms, and you're still blessed with youth. And what have you done with these blessings, hmm? You've served as a glorified bodyguard for two kings, one a madman, the other a drunk. The future of our family will be determined in these next few months. We could establish a dynasty that will last a thousand years...or we could collapse into nothing, as the Targaryens did. I need you to become the man you were always meant to be. Not next year, not tomorrow, now.
Tywin Lannister
They have my son.
The Stark boy appears to be less green than we'd hoped.
HSHarys Swift
I'm told his wolf killed a dozen men and as many horses!
AMAddam Marband
Is it true about Stannis and Renly?
Both Baratheon brothers have taken up against us. Jaime captured, his armies scattered... it's a catastrophe. Perhaps we should sue for peace.
[knocks his glass to the floor, shattering it] There's your peace. Joffrey saw to that when he decided to remove Ned Stark's head. You'll have an easier time drinking out of that cup than you will bringing Robb Stark to the table now. He's winning, in case you hadn't noticed.
I'm told we still have his sisters...
HSHarys Swift
The first order of business is ransoming Ser Jaime!
AMAddam Marband
No truces, we can't afford to look weak. We should march on them at once!
First, we must return to Casterly Rock and raise more-
Tywin Lannister
THEY HAVE MY SON! Get out, all of you. [addressing Tyrion] Not you. You were right about Eddard Stark; if he were alive, we could've used him to broker a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun... which would have given us more time to deal with Robert's brothers, but now? Madness, madness and stupidity! I always thought you were a stunted fool. Perhaps I was wrong.
Half wrong. I'm new to strategy, but unless we want to be surrounded by three armies, it appears we can't stay here.
Tywin Lannister
No one will stay here. Ser Gregor will head out with five hundred riders and set the Riverlands on fire from Gods' Eye to the Red Fork. The rest of us will regroup at Harrenhal. And you will go to King's Landing.
Tywin Lannister
Rule. You will serve as Hand of the King in my stead; you'll bring that boy-king to heel, and his mother too, if needs be. And if you get so much as a whiff of treason from any of the rest, Baelish, Varys, Pycelle...
Heads, spikes, walls. Why not my uncle? Why not anyone?! Why me?
Tywin Lannister
You're my son. Oh, one more thing. You will not take that whore to court.
[During a war council, Arya is about to pour wine into Tywin's goblet when he stops her]
Tywin Lannister
Not wine, water. We'll be here for some time. [pause] Girl, where are you from?
Tywin Lannister
And who are the Lords of Maidenpool? Remind me.
Tywin Lannister
And what is their sigil? [beat; Arya doesn't respond] A red salmon. I think a Maidenpool girl would remember that. You're a Northerner, aren't you? [Arya nods] Good. One more time, where are you from?
Barrowton, my lord. House Dustin. Two crossed longaxes beneath a black crown.
Tywin Lannister
And what do they say about Robb Stark in the North?
They call him "The Young Wolf."
Tywin Lannister
And?
They say he rides into battle on the back of a giant direwolf. They say he can turn into a wolf himself when he wants. They say he can't be killed.
Tywin Lannister
And do you believe them?
No, my lord. Anyone can be killed.
Tywin Lannister
[beat; stares at Arya] Fetch that water.
Tywin Lannister
Wolfsbane, a rare substance. This is no common assassin.
GCGregor Clegane
We hung twenty men last night.
Tywin Lannister
I don't care if you hanged a hundred. A man tried to kill me. I want his name, and I want his head.
GCGregor Clegane
We think it was an infiltrator, from the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Tywin Lannister
A pretentious name for a band of outlaws. We can't allow rebels behind our lines to harass us with impunity; we look like fools, and they look like heroes. That's how kings fall. I want them dead, every one.
GCGregor Clegane
Killing them isn't the problem. It's finding them.
Tywin Lannister
You gone soft, Clegane? I always thought you had a talent for violence. Burn the villages, burn the farms. Let them know what it means to choose the wrong side.
The badge looks good on you. Almost as good as it looked on me. Are you enjoying your new position?
Tywin Lannister
Am I enjoying it?
I was very happy as Hand of the King.
Tywin Lannister
Yes. I heard how happy you were. You brought a whore into my bed.
It wasn't your bed at the time.
Tywin Lannister
I sent you here to advise the king. I gave you real power and authority. You chose to spend your days as you always have: bedding harlots and drinking with thieves.
Occasionally I drank with the harlots.
Tywin Lannister
What do you want, Tyrion?
Why does everyone assume I want something? Can't I simply visit with my beloved father? My beloved father who somehow forgot to visit his wounded son after he fell on the battlefield.
Tywin Lannister
Maester Pycelle assured me your wounds were not fatal.
I organized the defense of this city while you held court in the ruins of Harrenhal. I led the foray when the enemies were at the gate while your grandson, the king, quivered in fear behind the walls. I bled in the mud for our family. And as my reward, I was trundled off to some dark little cell. But what do I want? A little bloody gratitude would be a start.
Tywin Lannister
Jugglers and singers require applause. You are a Lannister. Do you think I demanded a garland of roses every time I suffered a wound on a battlefield? Hmm? Now, I have seven kingdoms to look after and three of them are in open rebellion. So tell me what you want.
I want what is mine by right. Jaime is your eldest son, heir to your lands and titles. But he is a Kingsguard, forbidden from marriage or inheritance. The day Jaime put on the white cloak, he gave up his claim to Casterly Rock. I am your son and lawful heir.
Tywin Lannister
You want Casterly Rock?
Tywin Lannister
We'll find you accommodations more suited to your name and as a reward for your accomplishments during the battle of Blackwater Bay. And when the time is right, you will be given a position fit for your talents so that you can serve your family and protect our legacy. And if you serve faithfully, you will be rewarded with a suitable wife. And I would let myself be consumed by maggots before mocking the family name and making you heir to Casterly Rock.
Tywin Lannister
Why? You ask that? You, who killed your mother to come into the world? You are an ill-made, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors since I cannot prove that you are not mine. And to teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's sigil and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men will ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse. Go, now. Speak no more of your rights to Casterly Rock. Go. [Tyrion walks away] Oh, one more thing. The next whore I catch in your bed, I'll hang.
Tywin Lannister
What news of Jaime? [All the others remain silent] Twenty thousand unwashed Northerners have known about his escape for weeks. Collectively, you control more spies and informants than the rest of the world combined. Do you mean to tell me that none of you has any notion where he is?
Tywin Lannister
Try harder! What do we have then?
Robb Stark and most of his bannermen are in Riverrun for the funeral of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully. In Stark's absence, Roose Bolton holds Harrenhal, which would make him Lord of Harrenhal, in practice if not in name-
Tywin Lannister
Let him have it. The name suits our purposes far more than that useless pile of rubble. The Lord of Harrenhal will make a worthy suitor for the widow Arryn.
For which I am extremely grateful to you, my lord. Lady Arryn and I have known each other since we were children; she has always been positively predisposed towards me.
A successful courtship would make Lord Baelish Acting Lord of the Vale.
Titles do seem to breed titles.
Tywin Lannister
You'll leave for the Eyrie as soon as possible and bring Lysa Arryn into the fold, then the Young Wolf can add his own aunt to the list of people who've taken up arms against him!
Far be it from me to hinder true love, but Lord Baelish's absence would present certain problems. The royal wedding may end up being the most expensive event in living memory. Summer had ended, hard days lie ahead, not a good time to leave the crown's finances unattended.
Tywin Lannister
Fully agreed, which is why I am naming you Master of Coin.
Tywin Lannister
It would appear to be a position that best suits your talents.
I'm quite good at spending money, but a lifetime of outrageous wealth hasn't taught me about managing it!
I have no doubt you will prove equal to this challenge.
Tywin Lannister
You wanted to speak to me?
Tywin Lannister
What about him?
I wanted to make sure we're doing whatever we can to get him back.
Tywin Lannister
When Catelyn Stark took Tyrion prisoner, what did I do in response?
Tywin Lannister
And if I would start a war for that lecherous little stump, what do you think I am doing for my eldest son and heir?
Tywin Lannister
Whatever I can.
[He puts a seal on the letter, pushes it aside, and starts working on another letter.]
Tywin Lannister
You're still here.
Tywin Lannister
Why?
Did it ever occur to you that I might be the one who deserves your confidence and your trust, not your sons? Not Jaime or Tyrion, but me? Years and years of lectures on family and legacy, same lecture, really, just with tiny, tedious variations. Did it ever occur to you that your daughter might be the only one listening to them, living by them? That she might have the most to contribute to your legacy that you love so much more than your actual children?
[Tywin finishes his letter, and looks over his daughter with his hands folded.]
Tywin Lannister
All right. Contribute.
The Tyrells are a problem.
Tywin Lannister
The Tyrells helped us defeat Stannis Baratheon. The Tyrells helped save your life, and your children's lives.
Margaery has her claws into Joffrey. She knows how to manipulate him.
Tywin Lannister
Good. I wish you knew how to manipulate him. I don't distrust you because you're a woman. I distrust you because you're not as smart as you think you are. You've allowed that boy to ride roughshod over you and everyone else in this city.
Perhaps you should try stopping him from doing what he likes.
Tywin Lannister
I will.
[about the prospect of Loras marrying Cersei] Impossible
Tywin Lannister
Why?
My grandson is the pride of Highgarden, the most desirable bachelor in the whole Seven Kingdoms! Your daughter...
Tywin Lannister
Is rich, the most beautiful woman in the whole Seven Kingdoms, and the mother of the king.
Tywin Lannister
Old?
Old. I'm something of an expert on the subject. Her change will be upon her before long. I'll spare you the details of what will happen then. You men may have a stomach for bloodshed and slaughter, but this is another matter entirely.
Tywin Lannister
Oh, the years punish us as well, I promise you that. My stomach remains quite strong, however. The only thing that might turn it are details of your grandson's... nocturnal activities. Do you deny them?
Oh, not at all! A sword-swallower, through and through.
Tywin Lannister
Well, a boy with his affliction should be grateful for the opportunity to marry the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, and remove the stain from his name.
Did you grow up with boy cousins, Lord Tywin? Sons of your father's bannermen, squires, stableboys?
Tywin Lannister
Of course...
Tywin Lannister
[flatly] No.
Not once? Not in any way?
Tywin Lannister
[visibly annoyed] Never.
I congratulate you on your restraint! But, it's a natural enough thing, two boys having a go at each other beneath the sheets.
Tywin Lannister
Perhaps Highgarden has a high tolerance for unnatural behavior.
I wouldn't say that. True, we don't tie ourselves into knots over a discreet bit of buggery, but... brothers and sisters... where I come from, that stain would be very difficult to wash out.
Tywin Lannister
I will not breathe further life into a malicious lie by discussing it.
Lie or not, you must admit that many people find it quite convincing. Convincing enough to put swords in their hands and send them off to kill Lannisters and Tyrells, thanks to our new affiliation.
Tywin Lannister
I don't care what people believe, and neither do you.
As an authority on myself, I must disagree!
Tywin Lannister
Now, if the rumors about my children were true, then Joffrey is no King at all and House Tyrell is throwing it's prize flower into the dirt.
And if Cersei is too old to give Loras children, we are throwing another "prize flower" into the dirt. It is a chance we simply cannot take!
Tywin Lannister
The uncertainty makes you uncomfortable? All right, I'll remove it for you. If you refuse to marry Loras to Cersei, I will name him to the Kingsguard. And, I'm sure you're familiar with the Kingsguard's vows. He will never marry, he will never have children, the Tyrell name will fade and Highgarden will go to the children of Joffrey and Margaery.
You would have your grandson protected by someone who disgusts you?
Tywin Lannister
I would have my grandson protected by a skilled warrior who takes his vows seriously. So shall I draw up the order or do you consent to this match?
It's a rare enough thing- a man who lives up to his reputation. [plucks the quill from Tywin's fingers and snaps it in half]
Tywin Lannister
Your Grace.
Tywin Lannister
You wanted to speak to me?
Yes! I'd like a report on the meetings of my Small Council.
Tywin Lannister
You're welcome to attend the meetings of your Small Council, Your Grace, any or all of them.
I've been very busy, many important matters require a King's attention!
Tywin Lannister
Of course.
You've been holding the Small Council meetings in the Tower of the Hand, instead of the Small Council Chamber.
Tywin Lannister
I have, yes.
Tywin Lannister
The Tower of the Hand is where I work. To walk from there to here would take time - time I could otherwise spend productively.
So, if I wanted to attend one of my Small Council meetings, I would now have to climb all the stairs in the Tower of the Hand? [Tywin slowly walks up to the Iron Throne, unsettling Joffrey]
Tywin Lannister
...We could arrange to have you carried.
Tell me about the Targaryen girl in the East, and her dragons.
Tywin Lannister
Where did you hear about this?
Tywin Lannister
Apparently so.
Don't you think we ought to do something about it?
Tywin Lannister
When I was Hand of the King under your father's predecessor, the skulls of all the Targaryen dragons were kept in this room - and the skull of the last of them was right here. It was the size of an apple.
And the biggest was the size of a carriage.
Tywin Lannister
Yes, and the creature to whom it belonged died three hundred years ago! Curiosities on the far side of the world are no threat to us.
But how do we know these dragons are...curiosities, and not the beasts that brought the whole world to heel?
Tywin Lannister
Because we have been told as much by the many experts who serve the Realm by counseling the King on matters about which he knows nothing.
But I haven't been counseled!
Tywin Lannister
You are being counseled at this very moment.
I should be consulted about such things.
Tywin Lannister
From now on, I will see to it that you are appropriately consulted on important matters...whenever necessary. [starts to walk away, then turns back and bows his head] Your Grace.
Congratulations, my lady.
We've done it. You've married a Lannister! Soon you will have a Lannister baby. It's a dream come true for you, isn't it? What a glorious day!
I suppose it doesn't really matter which Lannister puts the baby into you. Maybe I'll pay you a visit after my uncle passes out. How'd you like that? [Sansa doesn't answer] You wouldn't? Well, that's all right. Ser Meryn and Ser Boris will hold you down. [to the crowd] Time for the bedding ceremony!
There will be no bedding ceremony.
Where's your respect for tradition, uncle? Come, everyone! Pick her up, and carry her to her wedding bed. Get rid of her gown, she won't be needing it any longer. Ladies! Attend to my uncle, he's not heavy!
There will be no bedding ceremony.
There will be if I command it!
[Tyrion angrily slams his dagger into the table]
Then you'll be fucking your own bride with a wooden cock!
What did you say? What...did you...SAY?!
Tywin Lannister
I believe we can dispense with the bedding ceremony, Your Grace. I'm sure Tyrion did not mean to threaten the king.
[laughs] A bad joke, Your Grace. Made out of envy of your own royal manhood. Mine is so small, my poor wife won't even know I'm there.
Tywin Lannister
Your uncle is clearly quite drunk, Your Grace.
I am...guilty. But... But, it is my wedding night. My tiny drunk cock and I have a job to do. Come, wife. I vomited on a girl once. Middle of the act. Not proud of it. But I think honesty is important between a man and wife. Don't you agree? Come, I'll tell you all about it, put you in the mood.
Killed a few puppies today?
[gestures to Pycelle] Show him. Go on, show him!
[Pycelle takes out a small scroll and holds it out, but drops it when Tyrion reaches for it]
Ohhh! I'm sorry, my Lord, old fingers. [Tyrion glares at him, snatches the scroll up from the floor and reads it]
"Roslin caught a fine fat trout. Her brothers gave her a pair of wolf pelts for her wedding. Signed Walder Frey." Is that bad poetry, or is it supposed to mean something?
Robb Stark is dead! And his bitch mother! [to Pycelle] Write back to Lord Frey. Thank him for his service and command him to send Robb Stark's head to me. I'm going to serve it to Sansa at my wedding feast.
Your Grace, Lady Sansa is your aunt by marriage.
A joke. Joffrey did not mean it.
Yes, I did. I'm going to have it served to Sansa at my wedding feast.
No. She is no longer yours to torment.
Everyone is mine to torment. You'd do well to remember that, you little monster.
Oh, I'm a monster? Perhaps you should speak to me more softly, then. Monsters are dangerous and just now kings are dying like flies.
I could have your tongue out for saying that!
Let him make his threats. Hmm? He's a bitter little man.
Lord Tyrion should apologize immediately. Unacceptable, disrespectful, and in very bad taste!
I am the KING!! I will punish you!
Tywin Lannister
Any man who must say, "I am the king" is no true king. I'll make sure you understand that when I've won your war for you.
My father won the real war! He killed Prince Rhaegar. He took the crown, while you hid under Casterly Rock!
Tywin Lannister
[Glares at Joffrey, unfazed] ...The king is tired. See him to his chambers.
We have so much to celebrate. A wedding to plan. You must rest.
Tywin Lannister
Grand Maester, perhaps some essence of nightshade to help him sleep.
You just sent the most powerful man in Westeros to bed without his supper.
Tywin Lannister
You're a fool if you believe he's the most powerful man in Westeros.
A treasonous statement! Joffrey is king.
Tywin Lannister
You really think a crown gives you power?
No, I think armies give you power. [Tywin nods] Robb Stark had one, never lost a battle, and you defeated him all the same. [Tywin nods again] Oh, I know. Walder Frey gets all the credit, or the blame, I suppose, depending on your allegiance. Walder Frey is many things, but a brave man? No. He never would have risked such an action, unless he had certain assurances...
Tywin Lannister
Which he got from me. Do you disapprove?
I'm all for cheating, this is war. But to slaughter them at a wedding...
Tywin Lannister
Explain to me why it is more noble to kill ten thousand men in battle than a dozen at dinner.
So that's why you did it? To save lives?
Tywin Lannister
To end the war. To protect the family. Do you want to write a song for the dead Starks? Go ahead! Write one. I'm in this world a little while longer, to defend the Lannisters, to defend my blood.
The Northerners will never forget.
Tywin Lannister
Good. Let them remember what happens when they march on the South. All the Stark men are dead. Winterfell is a ruin. Roose Bolton will be named Warden of the North, until your son by Sansa comes of age. I believe you still have some work to do on that score.
Do you think she'll open her legs for me after I tell her how we murdered her mother and brother?!
Tywin Lannister
One way or another, you will get that girl pregnant-
Tywin Lannister
Shall I explain to you in one easy lesson how the world works?
Use small words. I'm not as bright as you!
Tywin Lannister
The house that puts family first will always defeat the house that puts the whims and wishes of its' sons and daughters first. A good man does everything in his power to better his family's position, regardless of his own selfish desires. [Tyrion smiles] Does that amuse you?
No, it's a very good lesson. Only it's easy for you to preach utter devotion to family, when you're making all the decisions!
Tywin Lannister
Easy for me, is it?
When have you ever done something that wasn't in your interest, but solely for the benefit of the family?
Tywin Lannister
The day that you were born. I wanted to carry you into the sea and let the waves wash you away. Instead, I let you live. And I've brought you up as my son. Because you're a Lannister!
Tywin Lannister
Prince Oberyn.
I don't believe you have met Ellaria. This is the Lord Hand Tywin Lannister and Cersei Lannister the Queen Regent. I suppose it is former Queen Regent now. Lord Hand and Lady Cersei, Ellaria Sand.
Tywin Lannister
Charmed.
Can't say I've ever met a Sand before.
We are everywhere in Dorne. I have 10,000 brothers and sisters.
Bastards are born of passion, aren't they? We don't despise them in Dorne.
I expect it is a relief, Lady Cersei, giving up your regal responsibilities. Wearing the crown for so many years must have left your neck a bit crooked.
I suppose you'll never know, Prince Oberyn. It's a shame your older brother couldn't attend the wedding.
Tywin Lannister
Please give him our regards. With any luck, the gout will abate with time and he will be able to walk again.
They call it the rich man's disease. A wonder you don't have it, Lord Tywin.
Tywin Lannister
Noblemen in my part of the country don't enjoy the same lifestyle as our counterparts in Dorne.
People everywhere have their differences. In some places the highborn frown upon those of low birth. In other places, the rape and murder of women and children is considered...distasteful. What a fortunate thing for you, former Queen Regent, that your daughter Myrcella has been sent to live in the latter sort of place.
Tywin Lannister
Your brother is dead. Do you know what that means? [Tommen hesitates in answering] I'm not trying to trick you.
TBTommen Baratheon
It means I'll become king.
Tywin Lannister
Yes, you will become king. What kind of king do you think you will be?
TBTommen Baratheon
...a good king?
Tywin Lannister
I think so as well; you have the right temperament for it. But what makes a good king, hmm? What is a good king's single most important quality?
This is hardly the place or the time.
TBTommen Baratheon
Holiness?
Tywin Lannister
Baelor the Blessed was holy, and pious. He built this sept. He also named a six-year-old boy High Septon because he thought the boy could work miracles. He ended up fasting himself into an early grave because food was of this world, and this world was sinful.
TBTommen Baratheon
Justice?
Tywin Lannister
A good king must be just. Orys the First was just; everyone applauded his reforms, nobles and commoners alike, but he wasn't just for long. He was murdered in his sleep after less than a year by his own brother. Was that truly just of him, to abandon his subjects to an evil that he was too gullible to recognize?
TBTommen Baratheon
No. What about strength?
Tywin Lannister
Yes, strength. King Robert was strong. He won the rebellion and crushed the Targaryen dynasty... and he attended three Small Council meetings in seventeen years. He spent his time whoring and hunting and drinking, until the last two killed him. So, we have a man who starves himself to death, a man who lets his own brother murder him, and a man who thinks that winning and ruling are the same thing. What do they all lack?
TBTommen Baratheon
[thinks for a moment] Wisdom.
Tywin Lannister
Yes!
TBTommen Baratheon
Wisdom is what makes a good king.
Tywin Lannister
Yes. But what is wisdom, hmm? A house with great wealth and fertile lands asks you for your protection against another house with a strong navy that could one day oppose you. How do you know which choice is wise and which isn't? You've any experience of treasuries and granaries, or shipyards and soldiers?
Tywin Lannister
No, of course not. A wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn't. You're young. A wise young king listens to his councilors and heeds their advice until he comes of age. And the wisest kings continue to listen to them long afterwards. Your brother was not a wise king. Your brother was not a good king. If he had been, perhaps he'd still be alive.
I'm sorry about your grandson.
Tywin Lannister
Are you?
I don't believe that a child is responsible for the sins of his father or his grandfather. An awful way to die...
Tywin Lannister
Which way is that?
Are you interrogating me, Lord Tywin?
Tywin Lannister
Some believe the king choked.
Some believe the sky is blue because we live inside the eye of a blue-eyed giant. The king was poisoned.
Tywin Lannister
I hear you studied poisons at the Citadel.
I did. This is why I know.
Tywin Lannister
Your hatred for my family is...rather well known. You arrive in the capital, an expert in poisoning; some days later, my grandson dies of poisoning.
Rather suspicious. Why haven't you thrown me in a dungeon?
Tywin Lannister
You spoke with Tyrion in this very brothel on the day you arrived. What did you discuss?
[amused] You think we conspired together?
Tywin Lannister
What did you discuss?
Tywin Lannister
For which you blame me.
She was raped and murdered by the Mountain. The Mountain follows your orders. Of course I blame you.
Tywin Lannister
I stand before you unarmed, unguarded. Should I be worried?
You are unarmed and unguarded because you know me better than that. I'm a man of reason; if I slit your throat today, I will be drawn and quartered tomorrow.
Tywin Lannister
Men at war commit all kinds of crimes, without their superiors' knowledge.
So you're denying involvement in Elia's murder?
Tywin Lannister
Categorically. [long pause, then Oberyn turns away]
I would like to speak with the Mountain.
Tywin Lannister
I'm sure he would enjoy speaking with you.
He might not enjoy it as he thinks he would.
Tywin Lannister
I could arrange for this meeting-
But you want something in return.
Tywin Lannister
There will be a trial for my son and as custom dictates, three judges will render a verdict. I will preside, Mace Tyrell will serve as the second judge and I would like you to be the third.
Tywin Lannister
Not long ago, the Tyrells sided with Renly Baratheon, declared themselves enemies of the throne; now they are our strongest allies-
Well, you made the Tyrell girl a Queen. Asking me to judge at your son's trial isn't quite as tempting.
Tywin Lannister
I will also invite you to sit on the Small Council, to serve as one of the new king's principal advisors. [Oberyn sips his wine, then turns around]
I never realized you had such respect for Dorne, Lord Tywin.
Tywin Lannister
We are not Seven Kingdoms until Dorne returns to the fold. The king is dead, the Greyjoys are in open rebellion, a wildling army marches on the Wall and in the East, a Targaryen girl has three dragons. Before long, she will turn her eyes to Westeros. Only the Dornish managed to resist Aegon Targaryen and his dragons.
[grins] You're saying you need us? That must be hard for you to admit.
Tywin Lannister
We need each other. You help me serve justice to the King's assassins... and I will help you serve justice to Elia's. [Offers Oberyn his hand to shake]
Game of Thrones · 356 quotes
