As for the things Viserys had just said, Tyrion only suspected they might be true.
He believed Viserys did not possess any concrete evidence.
More likely, he was simply trying to further tarnish the reputations of House Lannister and House Baratheon.
After all, half a year ago, Viserys had already declared that once he dealt with the Dothraki, he would march against the Usurper and reclaim the Iron Throne.
Building momentum before the war was only natural.
Tyrion replied:
"Your Majesty Viserys, I believe your intelligence network may have made a mistake.
None of that is true.
How could I spread lies? Especially lies on behalf of a king."
His flattery was not intended to save his own life. Rather, it was his way of preserving his family's dignity.
After all, Jaime had always treated him well.
Viserys could understand that.
Since Tyrion refused to cooperate, there was no point pressing the issue.
Taking a small vial of poison from a nearby guard, Viserys said, "Tears of Lys. It will allow you to die looking presentable."
Although Tyrion had long prepared himself for death, when Viserys truly moved to execute him, fear still rose in his heart.
For a moment, he wondered whether he should simply accept the offer.
But the thought of slandering Jaime quickly disappeared.
He reached for the vial.
To his surprise, Viserys withdrew it and turned to Aemon and the guards. "Leave us. I wish to speak with him alone."
"As you command."
After Aemon and the others departed, Viserys spoke.
"Tyrion, I can imagine what your life has been like since childhood... I cannot pardon you, but I will allow Lancel to carry your ashes home."
Tyrion's lips twitched.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"There is one more thing. A secret your father and your brother have hidden from you."
Tyrion stared blankly.
He had no idea where this was going.
"Tysha. That girl was not a whore. She truly loved you."
"Tysha..."
His voice immediately trembled.
"You... you know about Tysha?"
Tysha was a peasant girl Tyrion had once fallen deeply in love with. While Tywin was away, the two had even married.
When Tywin discovered it, however, he subjected his son to a cruel humiliation.
He had Tysha brought before the camp soldiers and paid each man a silver coin.
The girl earned more than she could bear.
Afterward, she disappeared.
"Jaime told me she was a whore. Jaime wouldn't lie to me!" Tyrion's emotions surged violently.
His voice cracked.
"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter." Viserys remained calm. "I simply pity you. I wanted you to feel a little better before you die."
"Oh, and one more thing."
"You like dragons, don't you? Before you drink the poison, I'll allow you to see them."
His tone remained perfectly flat.
There was no emotion in it.
As though he truly did pity Tyrion.
As though he truly only wished to tell him that Tysha had not been a prostitute and grant him one final look at dragons.
"Thank you... thank you, Your Majesty."
The probing and bargaining vanished from Tyrion's voice.
Only submission remained.
Viserys handed him the poison.
Escorted by the royal guards, Tyrion was brought to the garden where the hatchling dragons were being kept.
From a distance, he saw three young dragons feeding.
Nearby, two young girls played among them.
Daenerys and Rhaenys each carried a basket of fresh meat.
They tossed chunks into the air, and the three dragons immediately descended into a frenzy of snapping, wrestling, and tearing.
The black hatchling jerked its head and ripped away a piece the size of a human palm.
"Dragonfire!" Daenerys commanded.
The black dragon tossed the meat high into the air.
Opening its mouth lined with tiny teeth, it released a stream of black dragonflame resembling dark smoke.
The hatchling's firepower was still weak.
Though it shared the name Balerion, it was nowhere near the Black Dread.
Its flames could do little more than char the outside of the meat.
When it swallowed the piece, traces of blood still stained the corners of its mouth.
"Hey, Dany, look."
Rhaenys noticed Tyrion first.
The two girls turned toward the dwarf.
Meanwhile, Tyrion was so engrossed in watching the dragons that he failed to notice them.
Perhaps because of Daenerys and Rhaenys, the hatchlings soon noticed him as well.
The black dragon spread its wings and hissed threateningly.
The other two immediately copied it.
The hatchlings' aggression convinced Tyrion that the visit had been worthwhile.
"We should go." The guard behind him spoke. "You've seen enough."
"Mmm."
Tyrion nodded absentmindedly.
"Just let me look a little longer."
His gaze remained fixed on the black hatchling. In his mind, he pictured the Black Dread burning Harrenhal.
Was Tysha really not a whore? Did she truly love me? But why would Jaime lie?
Could Father truly have hated me that much?
Tyrion did not know how to describe what he was feeling. His emotions were tangled and contradictory.
Is Tysha still alive? Do I still have a chance to see her again?
For the first time in many years, the desire surfaced.
He rubbed the poison vial with his fingers while wrestling with the question.
Father said she was a whore. Viserys says she wasn't.
Jaime loves me.
Father hates me.
Maybe Jaime lied because he didn't want me to suffer. Or perhaps he simply wanted me to lose my virginity.
That must be it.
Turning around, Tyrion pulled the stopper from the vial.
In full view of the guards, he drained it in a single swallow.
The poison tasted strangely sweet. As it slid down his throat, he felt the countdown of his life begin.
The poison would take some time to work.
The guards escorted him away from the garden and toward a small hut.
"Go inside and wait."
"Someone will come collect your body later."
Tyrion did not answer. Silently, he stepped into the hut.
The furnishings were sparse.
A bed. A chair. A table.
Nothing else.
He lay down on the bed and folded his hands over his stomach. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Tysha...
Were you really not a whore? Are you still alive?
Tears welled in his eyes. They slipped down his temples and disappeared into his hair.
Tyrion missed her. For all these years, Tysha had been the only girl who had ever truly loved him.
The prostitutes might whisper sweet lies in bed. But there was no comparison.
No! I don't want to die!
I want to ask Jaime myself!
Suddenly, Tyrion's eyes flew open.
He shoved his fingers into his mouth, desperately trying to force the poison back out.
But his eyelids became heavier.
His limbs weaker.
No...
Ty...
Tysha...
In the end, his will could not overcome the poison. His eyes closed slowly, unwillingly.
And this time, they did not open again.
Until the next morning...
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