chapter 151 part 2
Glynn watched Pycelle's deeply convincing performance with great patience. Only when the old man could produce no more tears did he finally speak. "Maester Pycelle, I will respect your choice."
Not giving up hope, Pycelle said, "Lord Glynn, I know many secrets! I can tell you all of them, if only you'll forgive me this one time…"
*Shing!* Glynn drew the longsword at his waist. The cold gleam of the blade made Pycelle scream.
"I will choose for you. I choose…"
Glynn's gaze shifted to Pycelle's neck. "Sit still. Don't move. It will be over quickly."
Pycelle wet himself again.
"My lord, my lord! I made a mistake, I must accept the punishment! Tomorrow… no, I will do it now…!"
With a pained expression, Pycelle held out a finger, begging, "I will cut off a finger right now! I will never dare to transgress again, I swear it! I beg you, spare my life!"
After a moment of silence, Glynn said with some disappointment, "Next time, you will not have the privilege of choosing."
Pycelle seemed to be crying with joy. "There will absolutely not be a next time! I swear it to the gods!"
Glynn patted the still-trembling Pycelle. "There were too many wounded, and you injured yourself while trying to save them… Maester Pycelle, you have truly worked hard."
"Do not disappoint me."
Glynn sheathed his sword, paid Pycelle no more mind, and strode away.
…
…
Tyrion Lannister suddenly discovered that he had no mouth. Smooth skin stretched over his teeth, without so much as a seam. He was terrified. How could he live without a mouth? So he began to run, running toward a city not far away.
He was horrified. *Am I dead? No, I'm not dead. Even though my mouth has vanished, I'm still a living person… No, no, I'm a lion, a lion!*
When Tyrion awoke, the sky was already dark. His eyes were bleary, and the outlines of his surroundings appeared blurry. Dizzily, Tyrion felt that he was burning with fever. He was incredibly weak; even the simple act of lifting his hand sent a jolt of pain through his entire body. He dared not move.
Beneath him was a soft featherbed, behind his head a feather pillow, and above him, a velvet canopy… *Where am I? Why am I here?* Tyrion struggled to remember.
*A sword. I was wounded by a sword. My face…* Tyrion lost consciousness.
…
Tyrion came to a wonderful place, a cozy little cottage nestled on the shore of the Sunset Sea. The roof was a little slanted and covered in cracks, and the floor was packed earth, but it was very warm.
Tyrion didn't know why he was always smiling, or why he always forgot to add wood to the fireplace, letting the fire go out.
Every time the fire in the hearth died, the girl with the blurry face would tease him about it.
Her voice was crisp and clear: "My Tyrion, I thought you could do anything."
He defended himself awkwardly, "That's a servant's chore."
The girl chuckled softly. "We have no servants."
He grinned. "You have me. I am your servant."
The girl snorted. "You're a lazy servant! At Casterly Rock, what do you do with lazy servants, Lord Tyrion?"
He laughed playfully. "We kiss whoever is lazy."
The girl giggled. "No, you don't! They get a beating, I'd wager!"
He moved closer to her. "No, we kiss them. Just like this."
As he spoke, he demonstrated. "First, we kiss their fingertips, one by one. Then their wrist, yes, and the inside of their elbow. Then we kiss their playful ears. All our servants have playful ears."
He was extremely pleased, but he put on a straight face. "Don't laugh! Then, we kiss their cheeks, and their nose—there's a little mole on it, right here… mmm… just like this one. Then we kiss their lovely forehead, their hair, their lips, their… mmm, mmm… mouth… mmm…"
Time passed so quickly there. He and the girl leaned lazily against each other in bed, the sunlight shining on her beautiful hair. She even sang for him. He had fallen in love with a girl as beautiful as a summer's day.
Before they slept at night, the girl would whisper in his ear, "I love you, Tyrion. I love your lips, I love your voice, I love the things you say to me. I love the gentleness you give me. I love your face."
He was a dwarf. "My face?"
Her smile was like a blossoming flower. "Yes, yes. I love your hands, too. I love their warmth."
His love grew deeper. "They love you too, my lady."
The girl was crying now. "I love to say your name. Tyrion Lannister. It goes so well with mine. I don't mean Lannister, I mean the other part. Tyrion and Tysha. Tysha and Tyrion. Tyrion… My Lord Tyrion…"
Tyrion saw her clearly now. The girl he had fallen in love with was Tysha.
Rage burned in Tyrion, and he roared! *Lies! It was all false! All for coin! She was a whore, a whore Jaime found, a gift from Jaime! My lady of lies!*
Tysha's face gradually faded, melting into tears… Even so, Tyrion could still hear her faint, distant voice, calling his name.
The dream shattered.
…
…
"Maester Pycelle, these tears… Why is he crying so heartbreakingly?"
Tyrion's eyes twitched. He faintly heard a familiar voice.
"Lord Glynn, I think he may be dreaming."
*Glynn? And the other is…*
"Tyrion, why are you crying? Your hands… Are you afraid you'll become one of Varys's companions?"
*It's definitely Glynn. That gloating tone—he knows it well!*
*Right, what about Tysha? Where did she go? How dare she still appear!*
Tyrion moved his mouth with difficulty: "Tysha, Tysha, Tysha…"
Glynn leaned in to listen for a moment, his pupils twitching slightly.
He turned his head and said, "Maester Pycelle, Tyrion keeps repeating the name Tysha. Who is she?"
*Yes, it's Tysha,* Tyrion thought. *Help me catch her, don't let her get away.*
Maester Pycelle observed Tyrion, whose head was almost entirely wrapped in gauze, and said, "Lord Glynn, he may be about to wake up. Tysha… I wonder if she might be some whore he was fond of."
*No, she is my wife!* Tyrion screamed in his mind. *Yes, she's actually a whore! A gift my brother gave me for his own amusement!*
Tyrion's eyes snapped open.
…
…
A week later.
Leaning against the headboard, Tyrion threw a mirror aside. "Beautiful!"
He brought the wine cup in his other hand to his lips, took a large swallow, and added, "This is the true Imp of House Lannister. My father will surely love me to death for this."
Glynn, sitting by the bedside, threw his head back and laughed.
"That would be a pleasant surprise. You can look forward to a kiss from Lord Tywin. Ser Jaime will be mad with jealousy."
Tyrion wanted to laugh out loud, but the movement pulled at his wound, making it both painful and joyful.
When he stilled, Glynn picked up a wine flagon and refilled Tyrion's cup.
"Hiss… The dream was so fantastic."
As he spoke, he took a sip of wine. "I dreamed that blue monsters covered the hills and surrounded Casterly Rock. It was on the brink of disaster. The ground was covered in red corpses, and the fearless Imp walked through it all alone. All alone!"
Tyrion took another sip. "The blue monsters trembled before The Imp, scattering to make way, opening a path that stretched to the horizon. I walked through with my head held high… and then, I saved Casterly Rock!"
Glynn smiled, teasing, "It seems the monsters covering the hills were swallowed whole by The Imp."
"Hahaha… hiss… The process isn't important. What's important is that I single-handedly saved the ancestral seat of House Lannister. Hey, don't interrupt me, the best part is coming!"
Glynn shrugged.
"A grand victory feast was held for me in the great hall of Casterly Rock. I sat on the high platform, and everyone raised their cups to toast and cheer for the hero who saved the Rock. Bards sang of The Imp's heroic deeds."
"After the song ended, Jaime left his seat and commanded me to kneel. Then, with a light touch of his golden sword on each of my shoulders, I rose. The Imp of House Lannister had become a knight."
"Father even wore an approving smile. Let's not talk about that; his smile was so full of love it almost startled me awake. The beautiful women were all waiting to take me into their arms. They called me the Giant of Lannister…"
As he spoke, Tyrion's expression changed.
Although Tyrion's face was wrapped in many bandages, Glynn could still see the sly look in his eyes.
Tyrion lowered his voice. "My dear old sister actually tried to seduce me. She tried everything she could, but The Imp remained unmoved… Even though it was just a dream, thinking of her trying to curry favor with me still makes me feel good all over. Hehe!"
A faint smile appeared on Glynn's face. "Tyrion, that was indeed a splendid and wonderful dream. I wish you the best in making it come true."
(end of chapter)