A Clash of Kings-Chapter 44

Tyrion X
A Clash of Kings chapter
POV	Tyrion Lannister
Place	King's Landing
Page	464 UK HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Tyrion IX ↑
Jon V  ← Tyrion X →  Catelyn VI
↓ Tyrion XI

Tyrion plots to have Tommen taken into his own protective custody. Tyrion visits Shae, and Varys suggests having Shae serve at the Red Keep as maidservant to Lollys Stokeworth. Varys informs Tyrion about Storm's End having fallen to Stannis, and he tells Tyrion how he became a eunuch.

Synopsis

Within the royal sept of the Red Keep, Tyrion learns from Lancel that the queen intends to hide Tommen away at Rosby under the care of Lord Gyles Rosby. He is disturbed that Varys has not learned of this, or decided not to inform him.

Later, Tyrion has Bronn deliver word to Ser Jacelyn Bywater, commanding him to take fifty men and capture Lord Rosby's party, and to expel the garrison and keep Tommen safe at Rosby. He does not want Gyles hurt, nor any killing done in front of Tommen. For this, Jacelyn will earn a lordship. Bronn offers to do the job instead if there is a lordship in it for him, but Tyrion refuses, privately noting that Jacelyn's men will defend Tommen whereas Bronn's are more likely to sell Tommen to the crown's enemies if the coming battle goes against them.

Tyrion sets out for Chataya's brothel, but abandons his patience and rides directly to the manse near the Iron Gate. He finds Shae listening to a singer, Symon Silver Tongue, and has the man expelled and sworn to silence. When one of the begging brothers appears, Shae recognizes him as Lord Varys. The Spider informs Tyrion that Storm's End has fallen and that Stannis will soon be marching on King's Landing. Tyrion bids Varys to wait at the stables while he talks to Shae.

Once alone, Shae asks Tyrion to make her his lady in court, and even suggests he kill Cersei, but Tyrion tells her, "The man who kills his own blood is cursed forever in the sight of gods and men." When Tyrion proposes to take her to the Red Keep and hide her in the kitchens, Shae balks, and mocks him for being afraid of his father, Tywin Lannister. Tyrion slaps her in the face, telling her never to mock him again. Feeling remorseful, he tells her the story of Tysha and his father's wrath.

Tyrion departs to meet Varys at the stables, and the eunuch suggests that Shae be placed as a maidservant to Lady Tanda's daughter Lollys. Shae would then be able to access the Tower of the Hand through a secret passage, which Tyrion is surprised to learn exists.

Varys then attempts to tell Tyrion how Ser Cortnay died, and when he suggests it was magic, Tyrion disbelieves him. Varys recounts the story of how he came to be a eunuch: that he was a member of a mummers troupe, and that one day in Myr a certain man bought Varys from his master. The sorcerer castrated Varys, and burned the parts, creating a blue flame from which a voice spoke in a language he did not comprehend. Varys claims he has hated magic since that day, and means to see Stannis dead if the man practiced magic.

Tyrion is somewhat skeptical, believing it more likely that Stannis has hired a skilled assassin from the Free Cities, musing on how he used to dream of being rich enough one day to hire a Faceless Man to kill his sister. There has been no word from Tywin or from Petyr Baelish, and Randyll Tarly is reported to have seized Renly Baratheon's stores at Bitterbridge. Tyrion's greater concern is that Stannis is now bringing his army to bear against King's Landing, and he is the only one standing in the way of Stannis's victory. With the city's people's hatred for House Lannister and himself in particular at its highest, defeating Stannis seems unlikely.

Character list

Appearing: Bronn Lancel Lannister Tyrion Lannister Shae Symon Silver Tongue Varys

Mentioned: Petyr Baelish Joffrey Baratheon Renly Baratheon Robert Baratheon Stannis Baratheon Tommen Baratheon Jacelyn Bywater Lorent Caswell A certain man Chataya Sandor Clegane Dancy High Septon (fat one) Cersei Lannister Jaime Lannister Tywin Lannister Cortnay Penrose Pycelle Gyles Rosby Aron Santagar Robb Stark Lollys Stokeworth Tanda Stokeworth Maegor I Targaryen Rhaegar Targaryen Randyll Tarly Loras Tyrell Tysha

Mentions

Events: War of the Five Kings Fighting at Bitterbridge Riots in King's Landing Siege of Storm's End (299)

Houses: House Baelish House Baratheon House Bywater House Caswell House Clegane House Florent House Lannister House Oakheart House Penrose House Rosby House Rowan House Santagar House Stark House Stokeworth House Tarly House Tyrell

Places: Bitterbridge Dornish marches Free Cities Myr King's Landing Chataya's brothel Coppersmith's Wynd Manse near the Iron Gate Mud Gate Red Keep Royal sept Tower of the Hand Secret passage Shadowblack Lane Kingsroad Mander Narrow sea Oldtown Red Fork Rosby Rosby road Roseroad Seven Kingdoms Storm's End

Terms: Begging brother Bone Castellan City Watch of King's Landing Currency Demon Dog Dornishmen Dragon Dreams Dwarf Eunuch Faceless Men Gold Hand of the King Horse Hound House Lannister guards Ibbenese Iron Throne Kingsguard Kinslaying Knight Hedge knight Lead Little birds Lord Lord of Bitterbridge Lord of Casterly Rock Lord of Horn Hill Lord of Rosby Lord of Stokeworth Maester Magic Blood magic Maiden Man-at-arms Manse Marcher lords Moon Mummer Page Poison Pot-shop Prince Prostitution Rat Raven "The Seasons of My Love" Sellsword Sept Septon High Septon The Seven Stranger Warrior Shapeshifting Silk Silver Small council Smith Solar Spider Steel Watercraft Wax Wine

References and Notes

• The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].
• Summary and analyses of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.
• Review and summary by Leigh Butler.