Morning.
I am in a soft, comfortable bed, a slight draft carrying in a breath of fresh air. I lie here disturbing no one, aware only of the body beside . From what I can feel, her proportions are exactly right, and she must be beautiful. Even drunk, I do not bring anyone less into my bed. And my exquisite idleness was interrupted in the most presumptuous possible manner.
"Ser Axel Arryn." My head is absolutely killing . "You are expected." The soldier in Lannister colors delivered this information with great courtesy.
While they carried along in my nightclothes, I tried to put my thoughts in order. Yesterday I had been drinking, drinking a great deal. A bet with Robert, then drinking off my winnings in our little private competition. Then with an amusing dwarf and a colorful little group we had gone to the brothels. After a couple of hours I had grown bored and turned back. Almost at my chambers, I had found a very beautiful maidservant near the door. Without much deliberation, without any deliberation whatsoever, I had slung her over my shoulder and taken her inside, where we had surrendered to passion.
While I was reconstructing events they brought to a solar where people were already waiting. An interesting assembly: Robert, Ned, Uncle Yohn, the queen, the Kingslayer, Lord Tywin, and his brother Kevan and his cousin Stafford. The soldiers walked to the center of the room, bowed, and left. I nearly went down, but managed to stay on my feet.
"Your Grace, to what affair do I owe being dragged from my comfortable bed to present myself before you?" My eyes were searching the room for any carafe of liquid.
Robert, who looked no better than I felt, caught my gaze and poured sothing to drink. To hell with etiquette, I was dying. The carafe was taken without resistance and drained completely. The king responded with an approving grunt. Everyone else frowned.
"Axel, why in the hells have I been woken up and told you bedded a Lannister girl?" A reasonable question from Roertb.
"I genuinely do not know. I would also have preferred to keep lying down." My sarcasm did not land well with everyone.
"Enough, Axel." Ned cut in, frowning. "You must answer for your actions!" Stark was winding up his familiar refrain.
"Must, ought, are obligated to..." A bored tone irritates people more than anything. "To hell with your honor Lord Stark." I caught Ned's surprised look. He was not accustod to pushing back.
"Nephew, you have dishonored a maiden of noble blood, and as a knight it is your duty to take her as your wife." Uncle Yohn was no more enthusiastic about the prospect of my marrying a Lannister girl, but his sense of honor compelled him toward the proper course.
"Yes, yes. This maiden turned up quite by chance outside my chambers at three in the morning." The sarcasm was deep enough to drown in. "I do not understand why such a gathering has assembled here on account of one girl."
"Because this girl, as you put it, Cerenna Lannister, is a mber of my house." Lord Tywin spoke for the first ti in the exchange. "And I will not allow this offense to go unpunished." His deceptively calm voice was the sort that frightened many people. Not .
"Bedding a woman is now an offense?" I feigned astonishnt. "Your grace, are we forbidding boys from bedding girls now. Is this a cri?" The king only grimaced at that. He wanted to be here no more than I did.
"Since you have spent most of your life bedding goats in Dorne, allow to remind you that in polite society n take responsibility for their actions." The queen was magnificent until she opened her mouth.
"Hold your tongue, woman. Stay out of this." Robert apparently agreed she was better silent. The queen went crimson with fury, as did her brother.
"Finish this nonsense, marry the girl, and let us all be done with it."
"No. Your example is not particularly inspiring." That shut Robert up montarily. No one was going to dictate to any longer. Not anymore.
"It seems you are still too young for this matter to be resolved here. We shall need to discuss it with your father." Tywin had understood I would not budge and decided to shift the pressure to a different point.
"And what will you be discussing? My so-called offense?"
"Among other things." The Lion of the West did not so much as raise an eyebrow.
A pause settled over the room. Everyone was thinking, weighing the exchange. If I had been an ordinary boy of fifteen, I could not have said a word in the presence of two paramount lords and a king. Fortunately, I am not an ordinary boy. The queen decided to break the silence:
"My dear, a cri has been committed against a kinswoman of your wife, and the man responsible is standing right here, and you do nothing! Are you a king or not?" A rather blunt attempt at manipulation.
"Your Grace, does this an you consider my action a punishable offense in the eyes of the law?"
Go on. Take it.
"That is precisely so, Ser Arryn." She took it.
"If that is your view, and your house shares it, and the king presides as judge, then I am left with no other choice." The queen's smile blood with satisfaction. She was probably already celebrating her victory.
"I demand trial by combat."
Check and mate.
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