Kevan's children also failed to uphold the honor of our house. Lancel was still recovering from his wounds, Willem had been killed by Rickard Karstark, and his twin, Martyn, was in Casterly Rock.
True, other Lannisters were present here — the so-called younger branch, the Lannisters of Lannisport.
The tournament also have enough knights from King's Landing and Storm's End — those who had already renounced Stannis and gone over to our side. In theory, since I am considered a Baratheon, I need to establish relations with them and bring at least some of them closer. But they all performed poorly in the tournament, and I don't feel comfortable honoring any of them with royal attention.
For a moment, looking at all this splendor — the strong, cheerful men and the beautiful women — I felt disappointed that I myself couldn't take part in the tournament. Theoretically, I could have put on armor and sat in the saddle, but the outcome of my performance would have been easy to predict: I would have made people laugh with my childish skills.
So I had to smile and pretend I wasn't interested in participating at all.
A little to the side, Ser Tallad was laughing loudly, discussing with other knights what they considered to be amusing news — it seemed that the Imp had deflowered his wife Sansa last night. And this was a few weeks after the wedding!
And judging by Tallad's behavior, Joffrey clearly enjoyed such conversations in the past. So now he brought it up loudly enough for me to hear it, laugh, and mend our good relationship.
The news surprised me… and pleased me. That's right, Uncle, there's no time to waste. Who knows — maybe your actions will help melt Sansa's ice.
The girl herself sat next to her husband and looked, shall we say, unusual. I glanced at her from time to time but couldn't tell whether she was happy or not. And if everything Tallad was laughing about was true, how did she feel about it?
Well, I should take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.
"Ser Tallad," I said, waving my hand. The knight approached immediately.
"I am at your service, Your Majesty!"
Tyrion, who was sitting nearby, seemed to have heard everything, and now his eyes flashed with rage. He looked at me, clearly expecting me to continue the fun.
"Do you think it's so funny to laugh at my uncle?" I asked. I saw Tallad's face turn pale.
Margaery gently took my hand, likely fearing an outburst of rage.
"No, Your Majesty, I do not," he said quickly.
"Very well. I hereby inform you that I no longer require your services. You are free from this moment on and may do as you please."
The knight flinched and licked his lips.
"As you say, Your Majesty." He bowed and began to withdraw.
"Wait," I said, stopping him. "You have insulted Lord Tyrion and Lady Sansa. I think you should ask them for forgiveness. Let them decide the extent of your guilt and the possibility of atonement." I winked at Tyrion.
Ser Tallad went to Tyrion, and from the affectionate smile my uncle gave him, it was clear that things would not end easily for the offending knight.
Turning to a concerned Margaery, I asked quietly,
"Are you all right?"
"Yes," she whispered, squeezing my hand.
I smiled at my wife and looked around at the others.
Lord Kevan looked surprised and, perhaps, interested. Jaime's eyes showed undisguised approval — that pleased me most of all.
Cersei, on the other hand, looked displeased. She clearly hadn't expected this from her own son.
After the tournament, the whole crowd, hungry and jubilant, went to a communal dinner. It took place in a festive atmosphere, but nothing worth mentioning occurred there.
That same evening, Jacob provided a full report on the man who had caught my interest. Ser Herald Orm was twenty years old and came from a noble but impoverished family. He had been in King's Landing since the Battle of Blackwater, where he and his brother, Harald, had been knighted. The brothers were clearly looking for an influential patron to whom they could offer their services — someone through whom they could try to raise their house. The Orms were a house that cared about its honor; they had never been known to betray or act shamefully.
"Besides," Robert couldn't help smiling, "Ser Herald has fallen in love, and the bride's father refuses even to speak of such a marriage."
As it turned out, discovering such information had been a very easy task for the squire. Everyone here knew each other, constantly communicated, and many knights spent whole nights by the fires — drinking, listening to songs, and simply talking.
I was very pleased with what the steward told me. This was exactly the kind of man I needed. Of course, it would have been better to check Herald more closely, but I had no one suitable for that. Turning to Varys was clearly not the best idea — that would show too openly how interested I was in the man.
After thinking it over, the next morning I ordered Robert to invite Orm to my chambers.
The steward brought him in the morning as I was finishing breakfast. The day promised to be a repeat of the previous one, though today, the final entertainment was planned: a jousting tournament.
But it was the final day of leisure, and quietly, I was glad that normal life would soon resume — that I would be able to take action and finally get to grips with the situation.
"May I, Your Majesty?" Robert asked. After I nodded, he allowed Ser Herald to enter.
I looked closely at my first man. Orm was tall, physically well-developed, with short black hair, a small mustache, and a сhinstrap beard. He looked modest but dignified — I liked that.
"Tell me about yourself, Ser Herald," I said.
The knight began to speak. I had already heard almost everything he said from my steward. The only thing the knight did not mention was his feelings for Olivia Footly.