chapter 140 part 2
They waved away the nearby guards, and everyone stopped at the door of Grand Maester Pycelle's chamber.
Glyn glanced at the maester's symbol on the door and said, "Montun, bash the door open."
Everyone made way, leaving the burly Montun. He held his round shield in front of him.
With a loud bang, the wooden door was smashed open by Montun, and a woman's terrified shriek came from inside.
Glyn and Lord Eddard exchanged a look, motioned for the guards to stay outside the door, and then went in first themselves.
Glyn pulled down the bed canopy, seeing a naked young woman. She was cowering, both shy and afraid, desperately trying to cover her alluring body parts, wishing she had more than two hands.
Glyn raised an eyebrow. *Isn't this Grand Maester Pycelle's servant girl? Hmm, her figure's not bad.*
The servant girl looked at Glyn with wide eyes, pleading, "Please, don't hurt me."
Glyn glanced at the lumpy shape in the bed beside the young woman, then called for Jon Snow.
Jon Snow swept his gaze around the room, then glanced at his grim-faced father and bowed his head. "Lord Glyn."
Glyn pointed at the bed and said, "Jon, she's in your care. Take her out of here."
Jon turned to look at his silent father. Seeing him nod, he lowered his eyes and led the servant girl out of the room.
Glyn prodded the lump on the bed with his scabbard.
"Grand Maester Pycelle, since when does the Citadel allow maesters to share a bed with their servant girls?"
Lord Eddard hadn't expected to see such an unseemly sight upon entering. He stepped forward and pulled off the quilt.
A naked Pycelle said in alarm, "Lord Eddard, what do you want? I am the Grand Maester! Why do you intrude upon my chamber without permission?!"
Seeing Pycelle attempting to argue cunningly, Lord Eddard clenched his fist and said angrily, "Pycelle!"
Glyn worried that the enraged wolf would be unable to resist punching the old man to death, so he spoke up, "Grand Maester Pycelle, the Hand of the King received a report and had to investigate personally. I never thought you would truly commit acts that defile the Citadel and the identity of a maester."
With a clang, he drew his sword and tilted his head to look at Lord Eddard.
"Hand of the King, if word of this affair gets out... it won't be good. I suggest we execute him here and now; it would also preserve Grand Maester Pycelle's reputation."
Pycelle cried out, "You cannot treat me like this! I have served as Grand Maester of the Seven Kingdoms for almost forty years, I... I... Ah!"
Pycelle looked at the sword tip inches from his throat, let out a shriek, and wet the bed.
Pycelle wailed, "My esteemed Lord of Winterfell, I am your loyal and humble servant! Please spare my life, I beg you, let me go!"
Lord Eddard stared for a moment at the constantly pleading Pycelle, then took a deep breath. *This is Robert's Grand Maester?*
"Glyn, he's yours."
Lord Eddard pulled over a chair and sat down.
Pycelle looked at Glyn again, continuing to wail, "Lord Glyn, I... I... am loyal to Queen Cersei. We are on the same side."
Was Pycelle trying to drag him into this?
Glyn sheathed his sword, saying, "Yes, we are all loyal to Her Grace, the Queen..."
As he spoke, he drew a dagger, grabbed one of Pycelle's hands, positioned it on the bedframe, and with a *thud*, the dagger pierced through the back of his hand and into the bedboard.
"Ah! Ah!" Pycelle shrieked.
After a moment, when Glyn saw Pycelle's cries subsiding, he pulled out the dagger, followed by another round of agonizing screams.
Pycelle clutched his injured hand tightly, his whole body writhing. He struggled out of bed and crawled to kneel before Lord Eddard.
"Lord Eddard, I am your humble servant. I beg for your forgiveness..."
After a moment of silence, Lord Eddard spoke, "Glyn, give him a chair."
...
Pycelle looked in terror at Glyn, who was standing to the side, and tremblingly sat down.
Lord Eddard gazed at Pycelle, saying in a deep voice, "Tell me the cause of Lord Jon Arryn's death."
Pycelle replied weakly, "Lord Jon... he... was indeed poisoned... I did everything I could to save Lord Jon, I swear..."
Glyn knelt down, his dagger appearing before Pycelle's eyes.
"Grand Maester Pycelle, you apparently haven't grasped the situation yet. You are already my prey; why do you wish to deceive the hunter?"
"I... I... Ah!!"
...
Pycelle whimpered, "Corman wanted to help him detoxify, so I had him sent away. Queen Cersei didn't like Lord Jon Arryn, none of them liked Lord Jon Arryn... but I wasn't the one who poisoned him, I swear it wasn't me! I swear!"
Lord Eddard said coldly, "Was it Queen Cersei who poisoned him?"
Pycelle was already in tears, his voice weak. "No, it wasn't Queen Cersei. It couldn't have been her. I don't know who it was... Go ask Varys! It must have been that male servant, Lord Jon Arryn's steward, the one called Heward. It must have been him! Go arrest him, go question him!"
Glyn spoke up, asking, "Grand Maester Pycelle, what poison was Lord Jon Arryn afflicted with?"
"It was the Tears of Lys, very rare and extremely expensive. Its taste is sweet like water, and those poisoned by it die as if from an intestinal sickness. Ordinary maesters would never detect it."
"By the gods!"
Lord Eddard cursed, then said angrily, "Jon Arryn served as Hand of the King for fourteen years! What did he do that made it necessary to kill him?!"
Glyn consoled him, "Lord Eddard, I trust you will soon apprehend the culprit and avenge Lord Jon Arryn."
Lord Eddard sighed with a bitter expression.
After a pause, he glanced disgustedly at Pycelle, who was still trembling, and said, "How should we deal with this man?"
Thanks to Glyn's suggestion, tonight's investigation had yielded significant results. Lord Eddard wanted to know if Glyn had any other arrangements for Pycelle.
Pycelle lifted his head, pleading, "Lord Eddard, my crime is not punishable by death! Please, have mercy..."
"Lord Eddard, please wait a moment."
Glyn led Pycelle to the desk and said, "Grand Maester Pycelle, your right hand is still fine for now..."
He pointed to the blank parchment and continued, "Write down every transgression you have committed here, one by one. If you are honest enough, perhaps we will keep a servant who is both truthful and obedient."
Glyn's slender finger tapped the chair, and he added, "If we discover any lies, I'm sure you know what the consequence will be, don't you?"
After speaking, Glyn took a robe from a rack and threw it over... It was too much of an eyesore; Lord Glyn couldn't bear it anymore.
(end of chapter)