A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

by George R.R. Martin

Lying dead like that, you saw how young he was. A boy.

“Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?” “That is the only time a man can be brave,”

If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.

A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.”

“There’s not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.”

“Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord.”

And winter is coming.”

“Where the king goes, the realm follows,”

It was also said that he’d never had a friend he wouldn’t cheerfully sell for the right price.

All that Daenerys wanted back was the big house with the red door, the lemon tree outside her window, the childhood she had never known.

“She has had her blood. She is old enough for the khal,”

Wtf

“I take you for a king. Kings lack the caution of common men. My apologies if I have given offense.”

Ser Jorah Mormont.”

shall wish to speak with Ser Jorah before the night is done,” her brother said. Dany found herself looking at the knight curiously. He was an older man, past forty and balding, but still strong and fit. Instead of silks and cottons, he wore wool and leather. His tunic was a dark green, embroidered with the likeness of a black bear standing on two legs.

“And if I hear ‘Your Grace’ once more, I’ll have your head on a spike. We are more to each other than that.”

Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.

“I think you do. If so, you are the only one, my old friend.” He smiled. “Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you the Hand of the King.”

froci

“Perhaps that is why the Starks have so little humor.”

And winter was coming.

Generations of capering fools in motley have won me the right to dress badly and say any damn thing that comes into my head.”

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

Was this to be her punishment? Never to see his face again, nor to feel his arms around her?

Jon was never out of sight, and as he grew, he looked more like Ned than any of the trueborn sons she bore him. Somehow that made it worse.

The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did.

Jon had their father’s face, as she did.

When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that meant that she was a bastard too. It had been Jon she had gone to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her.

For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair.

“The woman is important too!”

“I am a prince. And I grow tired of swatting at Starks with a play sword.”

“The things I do for love,”

“The Starks can count past six. Unlike some princes I might name.”

Tyrion Lannister reached up and slapped his nephew hard across the face.

Tyrion hit him again. Now both cheeks flamed.

During all the terrible long years of his childhood, only Jaime had ever shown him the smallest measure of affection or respect, and for that Tyrion was willing to forgive him most anything.

“I beg to differ. Death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities.”

“The next time I see you, you’ll be all in black.”

“Farewell, Snow.”

“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle. Who knows?”