Ⅳ 群鸦的盛宴 Chapter43 瑟曦
CERSEI
莫勒修女是个花白头发的老泼妇，尖脸孔像把斧头，嘴唇撅成一条表示否定的细线。我敢打赌，她连苞都没被人开过，瑟曦心想，她的私处硬得像煮沸的皮革。大麻雀派出六名骑士担任护卫，骑士们的风筝盾上刻有战士之子重生的纹章——彩虹宝剑。
Septa Moelle was a white-haired harridan with a face as sharp as an axe and lips pursed in perpetual disapproval. This one still has her maidenhead, I’ll wager, Cersei thought, though by now it’s hard and stiff as boiled leather. Six of the High Sparrow’s knights escorted her, with the rainbow sword of their reborn order emblazoned on their kite shields.
“修女，”瑟曦坐在铁壬座下，身穿镶金蕾丝的绿丝裙服，“请转告总主教大人，我们很为难，他这次做得实在过分。”翡翠在太后的手指和金发上闪耀，整个宫廷、整个城市都看着她，她一定展现泰温公爵之女的风范。等这幕话剧结束，人们就会明白谁才是真正的女主人。但首先得耐心，不能操之过急。“玛格丽夫人是我儿子忠顺的好妻子，是他的伴侣和配偶。总主教大人无权毁谤她，更不能把她和她的表亲们拘禁起来，她们都是我们最最关心的人。我要他立即放人。”
“Septa.” Cersei sat beneath the Iron Throne, clad in green silk and golden lace. “Tell his High Holiness that we are vexed with him. He presumes too much.” Emeralds glimmered on her fingers and in her golden hair. The eyes of court and city were upon her, and she meant for them to see Lord Tywin’s daughter. By the time this mummer’s farce was done they would know they had but one true queen. But first we must dance the dance and never miss a step. “Lady Margaery is my son’s true and gentle wife, his helpmate and consort. His High Holiness had no cause to lay his hands upon her person, or to confine her and her young cousins, who are so dear to all of us. I demand that he release them.”
莫勒修女面不改色，“我会向总主教大人转达陛下的话。但很遗憾，在证明年轻的王后和她的女伴们确实清白之前，我们不能放人。”
Septa Moelle’s stern expression did not flicker. “I shall convey Your Grace’s words to His High Holiness, but it grieves me to say that the young queen and her ladies cannot be released until and unless their innocence has been proved.”
“证明？噢，你只消看看她那张甜美漂亮的脸蛋，就知道她有多清白。”
“Innocence? Why, you need only look upon their sweet young faces to see how innocent they are.”
“漂亮的脸蛋往往隐藏着罪人的心。”
“A sweet face oft hides a sinner’s heart.”
议事桌边的玛瑞魏斯大人发话，“年轻的女士们究竟受到哪些控告，又是由谁提出的呢？”
Lord Merryweather spoke up from the council table. “What offense have these young maids been accused of, and by whom?”
修女说：“梅歌·提利尔与埃萝·提利尔被控淫荡、通奸和协助叛国，雅兰·提利尔被控知情不报、包庇隐瞒，而玛格丽王后不仅被控以上所有罪状，还加上行为不检与叛国。”
The septa said, “Megga Tyrell and Elinor Tyrell stand accused of lewdness, fornication, and conspiracy to commit high treason. Alla Tyrell has been charged with witnessing their shame and helping them conceal it. All this Queen Margaery has also been accused of, as well as adultery and high treason.”
瑟曦将一只手放到胸口，“谁在散布这些无耻滥言，恶意中伤我的媳妇！其心可诛！我亲爱的儿子全心全意地爱着玛格丽，她怎能这么残忍地玩弄他？”
Cersei put a hand to her breast. “Tell me who is spreading such calumnies about my good-daughter! I do not believe a word of this. My sweet son loves Lady Margaery with all his heart, she could never have been so cruel as to play him false.”
“原告正是陛下您身边的骑士。奥斯尼·凯特布莱克爵士在天父的祭坛前，亲口向总主教大人忏悔了通奸事实。”
“The accuser is a knight of your own household. Ser Osney Kettleblack has confessed his carnal knowledge of the queen to the High Septon himself, before the altar of the Father.”
议事桌边，哈瑞斯·史威佛张口结舌，派席尔国师别开了脸。四周嗡嗡作响，好似一千只蜜蜂在王座厅内盘旋。旁听席上有的妇女悄悄溜走，大厅后方的许多小领主和骑士也准备开溜。金袍卫士未加阻拦，因为太后早已吩咐奥斯佛利爵士把所有离开的人记录在案。提利尔的玫瑰很快就不会那么香了。
At the council table Harys Swyft gasped, and Grand Maester Pycelle turned away. A buzz filled the air, as if a thousand wasps were loose in the throne room. Some of the ladies in the galleries began to slip away, followed by a stream of petty lords and knights from the back of the hall. The gold cloaks let them go, but the queen had instructed Ser Osfryd to make note of all who fled. Suddenly the Tyrell rose does not smell so sweet.
“如果你的意思是指年轻的奥斯尼爵士精力旺盛，这点我同意，”太后道，“但他是个守本分的好骑士。如果他承认……噢，这不可能，玛格丽还是处子！”
“Ser Osney is young and lusty, I will grant you,” the queen said, “but a faithful knight for all that. If he says that he was part of this … no, it cannot be. Margaery is a maiden!”
“她并非处子，依照总主教大人的指示，我亲自检查过。她的处女膜已破。对此，阿兰廷修女和梅森特修女可以佐证，玛格丽身边的娜丝特瑞卡修女也已承认——此人如今已被关进悔罪室作忏悔。我们还检查了梅歌小姐与埃萝小姐，她们两人也非完璧。”
“She is not. I examined her myself, at the behest of His High Holiness. Her maidenhead is not intact. Septa Aglantine and Septa Melicent will say the same, as will Queen Margaery’s own septa, Nysterica, who has been confined to a penitent’s cell for her part in the queen’s shame. Lady Megga and Lady Elinor were examined as well. Both were found to have been broken.”
嗡嗡声变得如此嘈杂，太后几乎无法思考。我真心希望小王后和她那群小鸡们被骑得爽快。
The wasps were growing so loud that the queen could hardly hear herself think. I do hope the little queen and her cousins enjoyed those rides of theirs.
玛瑞魏斯大人一拳砸在桌子上，“玛格丽夫人为贞操发下了神圣的誓言，不仅对摄政王太后，还对着王太后陛下已故的父亲大人，当时有多人为证。提利尔大人和奥莲娜夫人也联合担保，他们的话，我们自然是不应质疑的。现在出了这等事，修女，你是说这些臣子有意欺瞒王上吗？”
Lord Merryweather thumped his fist on the table. “Lady Margaery had sworn solemn oaths attesting to her maidenhood, to Her Grace the queen and her late father. Many here bore witness. Lord Tyrell has also testified to her innocence, as has the Lady Olenna, whom we all know to be above reproach. Would you have us believe that all of these noble people lied to us?”
“或许他们也上了当，大人，”莫勒修女道，“我不清楚。作为检查王后的人，我只是实话实说，并对所说的一切负责。”
“Perhaps they were deceived as well, my lord,” said Septa Moelle. “I cannot speak to this. I can only swear to the truth of what I discovered for myself when I examined the queen.”
想到这糟老太婆将皱巴巴的手伸进玛格丽粉红的小阴道里，瑟曦忍不住笑了，“总主教大人应当允许我们派学士重新检查我的媳妇，看看事实是否有误。派席尔大学士，请你即刻随莫勒修女返回受神祝福的贝勒大圣堂，找出玛格丽清白与否的实情。”
The picture of this sour old crone poking her wrinkled fingers up Margaery’s little pink cunt was so droll that Cersei almost laughed. “We insist that His High Holiness allow our own maesters to examine my good-daughter, to determine if there is any shred of truth to these slanders. Grand Maester Pycelle, you shall accompany Septa Moelle back to Beloved Baelor’s Sept, and return to us with the truth about our Margaery’s maidenhead.”
派席尔的脸色犹如凝固的牛奶。平时开会，这老白痴的废话永远说不完，现在我要他表个态，他却开不了口。过了许久，老人才颤巍巍地道，“无须我去检……检查她的私处，”他声音颤抖得几乎听不清，“很遗憾……玛格丽王后并非处女。她曾要我提供月茶，不止一次……而是很多次。”
Pycelle had gone the color of curdled white. At council meetings the wretched old fool cannot say enough, but now that I need a few words from him he has lost the power of speech, the queen thought, before the old man finally came out with, “There is no need for me to examine her … her privy parts.” His voice was a quaver. “I grieve to say … Queen Margaery is no maiden. She has required me to make her moon tea, not once, but many times.”
随之而来的喧哗是瑟曦·兰尼斯特期盼已久的高潮，
The uproar that followed that was all that Cersei Lannister could ever have hoped for.
连王家传令官拿棒子拼命捶地，也无法抑制激动的人群。太后听任自己享受，享受各种羞辱小王后的言语。过了很长时间，她才恢复石头般的表情，下令金袍卫士清空大厅。玛格丽·提利尔完了，她雀跃地想。她走向铁王座后的国王门，君临城内仅存的三位白骑士赶紧跟上：柏洛斯·布劳恩、马林·特兰和奥斯蒙·凯特布莱克。
Even the royal herald beating on the floor with his staff did little to quell the noise. The queen let it wash over her for a few heartbeats, savoring the sounds of the little queen’s disgrace. When it had gone on long enough, she rose stone-faced and commanded that the gold cloaks clear the hall. Margaery Tyrell is done, she thought, exulting. Her white knights fell in around her as she made her exit through the king’s door behind the Iron Throne; Boros Blount, Meryn Trant, and Osmund Kettleblack, the last of the Kingsguard still remaining in the city.
月童站在门边，手拿孩童的玩具，睁圆了一双迷惑的大眼睛。他是个傻瓜，但至少是个诚实的傻瓜。“蛤蟆”巫姬自以为能预言未来，她才该穿上月童的小丑衣。希望那老骗子在地狱里哀号。他所预言的年轻女人完了，预言已被阻止，其他部分也不会成真。没有黄金裹尸布，没有VALONQAR的毒手，我终于摆脱了你恶毒的诅咒，我自由了。
Moon Boy was standing beside the door, holding his rattle in his hand and gaping at the confusion with his big round eyes. A fool he may be, but he wears his folly honestly. Maggy the Frog should have been in motley too, for all she knew about the morrow. Cersei prayed the old fraud was screaming down in hell. The younger queen whose coming she’d foretold was finished, and if that prophecy could fail, so could the rest. No golden shrouds, no valonqar, I am free of your croaking malice at last.
重臣们也随她出来。哈瑞斯·史威佛还没回过神，他被门绊住，差点摔倒，幸亏奥雷恩·维水拽住了他胳膊。奥顿·玛瑞魏斯也很紧张。“老百姓很喜欢小王后，”他说，“今天的事，他们决不会善罢甘休。陛下，我很担心事态演变。”
The remnants of her small council followed her out. Harys Swyft appeared dazed. He stumbled at the door and might have fallen if Aurane Waters had not caught him by the arm. Even Orton Merryweather seemed anxious. “The smallfolk are fond of the little queen,” he said. “They will not take well to this. I fear what might happen next, Your Grace.”
“玛瑞魏斯大人说得有理，”维水大人道，“若陛下恩准，我将率新造的大帆船巡逻黑水河，桅杆上挂起托曼陛下的王旗，以展示力量，震慑都城，打消任何不轨企图。”
“Lord Merryweather is right,” said Lord Waters. “If it please Your Grace, I will launch the rest of our new dromonds. The sight of them upon the Blackwater with King Tommen’s banner flying from their masts will remind the city who rules here, and keep them safe should the mobs decide to run riot again.”
他的言下之意是：黑水河上有了大帆船舰队，梅斯·提利尔即使想回师救人也办不到，正如当初提利昂能阻止史坦尼斯。在维斯特洛这一面，高庭没有海军，而他们所依仗的雷德温舰队，此刻应已返航青亭岛。
He left the rest unspoken; once on the Blackwater, his dromonds could stop Mace Tyrell from bringing his army back across the river, just as Tyrion had once stopped Stannis. Highgarden had no sea power of its own this side of Westeros. They relied upon the Redwyne fleet, presently on its way back to the Arbor.
哈瑞斯·史威佛大汗淋漓，似乎随时可能晕倒。“消息传到提利尔大人耳中，可以想象他的愤怒。到时候流血难以避免……”
Ser Harys Swyft was so pale and damp he looked about to faint. “When word of this reaches Lord Tyrell, his fury will know no bounds. There will be blood in the streets …”
你这没种的矮脚公鸡，瑟曦轻蔑地想，你的纹章改成蠕虫更恰当，公鸡对你而言都太过誉了。梅斯·提利尔连小小的风息堡都拿不下，怎敢反对教会的权威？她不想听首相继续喋喋不休，“不会出现流血事件，为此我将亲自出马。我要上贝勒大圣堂找玛格丽王后和总主教大人沟通，大家都知道，托曼爱着他们两位，因此我会努力在他们之间达成和解。”
The knight of the yellow chicken, Cersei mused. You ought to take a worm for your sigil, ser. A chicken is too bold for you. If Mace Tyrell will not even assault Storm’s End, how do you imagine that he would ever dare attack the gods? When he was done blathering she said, “It must not come to blood, and I mean to see that it does not. I will go to Baelor’s Sept myself to speak to Queen Margaery and the High Septon. Tommen loves them both, I know, and would want me to make peace between them.”
“和解？”哈瑞斯爵士用天鹅绒衣袖揩额头的汗水，“达成和解？……陛下您实在太勇敢了。”
“Peace?” Ser Harys dabbed at his brow with a velvet sleeve. “If peace is possible … that is very brave of you.”
“当然，最后还是得举行审判，”太后宣布，“经由审判来终结一切流言飞语，向天下证明我们亲爱的玛格丽有多清白。”
“Some sort of trial may be necessary,” said the queen, “to disprove these base calumnies and lies and show the world that our sweet Margaery is the innocent we all know her to be.”
“是啊，”玛瑞魏斯说，“我只担心总主教私下拷问王后，从前的教会就这么干。”
“Aye,” said Merryweather, “but this High Septon may want to try the queen himself, as the Faith once tried men of old.”
那不正好么？瑟曦心想。等真相大白，等宫中的人都知道自己有个专门为歌手分开大腿、专门亵渎少女祭坛的婊子王后，我看她还有什么脸留下来。“实事求是是关键，至少这点我们都同意，”她说，“大人们，请原谅，我得去国王那边了。发生这么大的事，他需要多多关照。”
I hope so, Cersei thought. Such a court was not like to look with favor on treasonous queens who spread their legs for singers and profaned the Maiden’s holy rites to hide their shame. “The important thing is to find the truth, I am sure we all agree,” she said. “And now, my lords, you must excuse me. I must go see the king. He should not be alone at such a time.”
母亲进门时，托曼正跟猫咪躲迷藏。多卡萨拿废毛线为他做了只老鼠，以长长的线连在一根老钓鱼竿上。猫咪们很喜欢追逐它，而男孩把牵毛线老鼠转圈圈当成了最爱的运动。当瑟曦环抱住他，亲吻他的额头时，他似乎有些惊讶，“怎么了，妈妈？你怎么哭了？”
Tommen was fishing for cats when his mother returned to him. Dorcas had made him a mouse with scraps of fur and tied it on a long string at the end of an old fishing pole. The kittens loved to chase it, and the boy liked nothing better than jerking it about the floor as they pounced after it. He seemed surprised when Cersei gathered him up in her arms and kissed him on his brow. “What’s that for, Mother? Why are you crying?”
因为你安全了，她想告诉儿子，因为没有人再能伤害你。“傻孩子，狮子是不哭的。”玛格丽和她表亲们的事以后再讲吧。“我这儿有些文件需要你签署。”
Because you’re safe, she wanted to tell him. Because no harm will ever come to you. “You are mistaken. A lion never cries.” There would be time later to tell him about Margaery and her cousins. “There are some warrants that I need you to sign.”
为着安抚国王的关系，逮捕状上没写名字，而是留下空白。托曼高高兴兴地签好，再高高兴兴地盖上热蜡印章，一如既往。随后太后要乔斯琳·史威佛把儿子带去玩耍。
For the king’s sake, the queen had left the names off the arrest warrants. Tommen signed them blank, and pressed his seal into the warm wax happily, as he always did. Afterward she sent him off with Jocelyn Swyft.
奥斯佛利·凯特布莱克爵士到来时，墨迹已干，瑟曦亲笔填写了所有姓名：“高个”塔拉德爵士、贾拉巴·梭尔、竖琴手哈米西、修夫·克莱夫顿、马克·穆伦道尔、拜亚德·诺科斯、蓝柏特·特拔瑞、霍拉斯·雷德温、霍柏·雷德温，还有自称“蓝诗人”的乡巴佬渥特。
Ser Osfryd Kettleblack arrived as the ink was drying. Cersei had written in the names herself: Ser Tallad the Tall, Jalabhar Xho, Hamish the Harper, Hugh Clifton, Mark Mullendore, Bayard Norcross, Lambert Turnberry, Horas Redwyne, Hobber Redwyne, and a certain churl named Wat, who called himself the Blue Bard.
“这么多人啊。”奥斯佛利爵士翻着这几张逮捕状，仿佛那些名字是羊皮纸上的蟑螂。凯特布莱克三兄弟没一个识字。
“So many.” Ser Osfryd shuffled through the warrants, as wary of the words as if they had been roaches crawling across the parchment. None of the Kettleblacks could read.
“只有十个。你麾下六千金袍子，抓十个人应该很简单。听着，有些滑头听到谣言就会脚底抹油，这些人你不用刻意去追，反正缺席只能证明他们有罪心虚。白痴塔拉德爵士或许会反抗，在他忏悔之前别把他弄死了，至于其他束手就擒的人犯，你不得伤害，因为他们中或许有人是无辜的。”计划中很重要的一点是证明雷德温双胞胎的清白，以显示公正。
“Ten. You have six thousand gold cloaks. Sufficient for ten, I would think. Some of the clever ones may have fled, if the rumors reached their ears in time. If so, it makes no matter, their absence only makes them look that much more guilty. Ser Tallad is a bit of an oaf and may try to resist you. See that he does not die before confessing, and do no harm to any of the others. A few may well be innocent.” It was important that the Redwyne twins be found to have been falsely accused. That would demonstrate the fairness of the judgments against the others.
“日出之前，我一定完成任务，陛下，”奥斯佛利爵士犹豫半晌，“呃，贝勒大圣堂外有群众聚集。”
“We’ll have them all before the sun comes up, Your Grace.” Ser Osfryd hesitated. “There’s a crowd gathering outside the door of Baelor’s Sept.”
“群众？”看来维水大人的考虑很有道理。这帮平头百姓真放肆，为着他们的小宠物玛格丽来出头。“有多少？”
“What sort of crowd?” Anything unexpected made her wary. She remembered what Lord Waters had said about the riots. I had not considered how the smallfolk might react to this. Margaery has been their little pet. “How many?”
“一百多号人罢，叫嚷着要总主教释放小王后。陛下，我可以驱散他们。”
“A hundred or so. They’re shouting for the High Septon to release the little queen. We can send them running, if you like.”
“不，让他们囔个够，大麻雀是不会动摇的——他只愿听从诸神的声音。”难道不够讽刺么？大麻雀靠暴民拥戴戴上水晶冠，现下却成了暴民咆哮的对象。谁叫他那么快就把冠冕卖掉了。“反正教会有了自已的骑士，可以自己保护自己。噢，我差点忘记，立即关闭七道城门，事情结束之前，未经我准许，任何人不得出入君临。”
“No. Let them shout until they’re hoarse, it will not sway the Sparrow. He only listens to the gods.” There was a certain irony in His High Holiness having an angry mob encamped upon his doorstep, since just such a mob had raised him to the crystal crown. Which he promptly sold. “The Faith has its own knights now. Let them defend the sept. Oh, and close the city gates as well. No one is to enter or leave King’s Landing without my leave, until all this is done and settled.”
“遵命，陛下。”奥斯佛利爵士鞠了一躬，出门去找人为他念逮捕状。
“As you command, Your Grace.” Ser Osfryd bowed and went off to find someone to read the warrants to him.
太阳落山时，所有人犯都已被拿获归案。竖琴手哈米西病得下不了床，高个塔拉德爵士重伤了三位金袍子。瑟曦命将雷德温的双胞胎软禁在舒适的塔楼房间，其他人则统统打入地牢。
By the time the sun went down that day, all of the accused traitors were in custody. Hamish the Harper had collapsed when they came for him, and Ser Tallad the Tall had wounded three gold cloaks before the others overwhelmed him. Cersei ordered that the Redwyne twins be given comfortable chambers in a tower. The rest went down to the dungeons.
“哈米西患有严重的肺病，”当晚应召时，科本报告，“他要求得到学士照顾。”
“Hamish is having difficulty breathing,” Qyburn informed her when he came to call that night. “He is calling for a maester.”
“告诉他，忏悔后就能得到治疗，”瑟曦想了想，“他太老，不可能做情夫，但毋庸置疑，当玛格丽和其他人云雨偷欢时，他在旁边表演歌唱。是了，我们需要细节。”
“Tell him he can have one as soon as he confesses.” She thought a moment. “He is too old to have been amongst the lovers, but no doubt he was made to play and sing for Margaery whilst she was entertaining other men. We will need details.”
“我会让他记起来的，陛下。”
“I shall help him to remember them, Your Grace.”
第二天早上，玛瑞魏斯夫人来为她换装，准备出发探访小王后。“颜色别太花哨，”她吩咐，“总主教大人眼神很挑，比较单调肃穆的衣服才合他胃口。他喜欢让我跟他一起祈祷。”
The next day, Lady Merryweather helped Cersei dress for their visit to the little queen. “Nothing too rich or colorful,” she said. “Something suitably devout and drab for the High Septon. He’s like to make me pray with him.”
太后最终穿上一件自喉头直罩到脚踝的柔软羊毛裙服，这件裙服线条僵硬，只胸前有些小小的藤蔓装饰，外加袖子上的金线。也好，褐色能掩盖下跪时沾染的泥土。“我和我的好媳妇谈话时，你去找她的三位表亲，”她嘱咐坦妮娅，“最好把雅兰争取过来。但千万把紧口风，圣堂里面，不只有诸神在倾听。”
In the end, she chose a soft woolen dress that covered her from throat to ankle, with only a few small vines embroidered on the bodice and the sleeves in golden thread to soften the severity of its lines. Even better, brown would help conceal the dirt if she was made to kneel. “Whilst I am comforting my good-daughter you shall speak with the three cousins,” she told Taena. “Win Alla if you can, but be careful what you say. The gods may not be the only ones listening.”
詹姆常说，带兵打仗最难的部分是开战之前，等待流血发生的时刻。瑟曦踏出大门，看着灰暗的天空，真有山雨欲来风满楼之感。不行，不能碰运气，我决不能浑身湿漉漉地出现在贝勒大圣堂，还是坐轿子吧。她带上十名兰尼斯特武士和柏洛斯·布劳恩作护卫。“追随玛格丽的暴民分不清你们凯特布莱克兄弟谁是谁，”她告诉奥斯蒙爵士，“我不拿你冒险。你还是暂避一时。”
Jaime always said that the hardest part of any battle is just before, waiting for the carnage to begin. When she stepped outside, Cersei saw that the sky was grey and bleak. She could not take the risk of being caught in a downpour and arriving at Baelor’s Sept soaked and bedraggled. That meant the litter. For her escort, she took ten Lannister house guards and Boros Blount. “Margaery’s mob may not have the wit to tell one Kettleblack from another,” she told Ser Osmund, “and I cannot have you cutting through the commons. Best we keep you out of sight for a time.”
穿行街市时，坦妮娅忽然怀疑起来。“这次审判……”她静静地说，“若玛格丽决定把自己的清白和荣誉押在比武上怎么办？”
As they made their way across King’s Landing, Taena had a sudden doubt. “This trial,” she said, in a quiet voice, “what if Margaery demands that her guilt or innocence be determined by wager of battle?”
瑟曦唇边掠过一丝笑容，“身为王后，她的荣誉必须由御林铁卫来捍卫，维斯特洛每个三岁孩童都知道龙骑士伊蒙王子为破除谣言，保护奈丽诗王后名节，与邪恶的莫格尔爵士决战的故事。然而现下洛拉斯爵士奄奄一息，恐怕龙骑士伊蒙王子的担子得交给其他誓言兄弟挑了。”太后耸耸肩，“交给谁呢？亚历斯爵士和巴隆爵士远在多恩，詹姆前去讨伐奔流城，奥斯蒙爵士因避嫌的关系不能出战。只剩……噢，天哪……”
A smile brushed Cersei’s lips. “As queen, her honor must be defended by a knight of the Kingsguard. Why, every child in Westeros knows how Prince Aemon the Dragonknight championed his sister Queen Naerys against Ser Morghil’s accusations. With Ser Loras so gravely wounded, though, I fear Prince Aemon’s part must fall to one of his Sworn Brothers.” She shrugged. “Who, though? Ser Arys and Ser Balon are far away in Dorne, Jaime is off at Riverrun, and Ser Osmund is the brother of the man accusing her, which leaves only … oh, dear …”
“只剩柏洛斯·布劳恩与马林·特兰。”坦妮娅夫人咯咯笑道。
“Boros Blount and Meryn Trant.” Lady Taena laughed.
“没错，而且更不幸的是，马林爵士忽染恶疾。回城后，记得提醒我转告他。”
“Yes, and Ser Meryn has been feeling ill of late. Remind me to tell him that when we return to the castle.”
“没问题，亲爱的，”坦妮娅执起她的手亲吻，“你生气的时候多可怕啊，我祈祷自己永远也不要冒犯你。”
“I shall, my sweet.” Taena took her hand and kissed it. “I pray that I never offend you. You are terrible when roused.”
“世上的母亲都会这样保护孩子，”瑟曦声称，“你什么时候才带孩子入宫？鲁赛尔，是叫这个名吧？他可以跟托曼一起练武。”
“Any mother would do the same to protect her children,” said Cersei. “When do you mean to bring that boy of yours to court? Russell, was that his name? He could train with Tommen.”
“噢，他会受宠若惊的……不过好是好，也许，嗯，等目前的危机过去了再安排吧。”
“That would thrill the boy, I know … but things are so uncertain just now, I thought it best to wait until the danger passed.”
“很快就会过去的，”瑟曦保证，“现在就写信去长桌厅，让小鲁赛尔收拾最好的衣服和练武的木剑。等玛格丽那颗小头颅落地，托曼需要伙伴安慰。”
“Soon enough,” promised Cersei. “Send word to Longtable and have Russell pack his best doublet and his wooden sword. A new young friend will be just the thing to help Tommen forget his loss, after Margaery’s little head has rolled.”
她们在受神祝福的贝勒王雕像前下轿。太后满意地发现，乱七八糟的骨头与垃圾已经清走，而且正如奥斯佛利爵士的报告，圣堂门口有暴民聚集，他们的数目不若之前的麻雀们那么庞大，也不若麻雀那么大胆放肆。这批人一小群一小群地站在一起，愠怒地打量着大圣堂的门，门口有若干见习修士拿着长长的木棒担任警卫。他们不用铁器，瑟曦不知这是非常明智还是非常愚蠢。
They descended from the litter under Blessed Baelor’s statue. The queen was pleased to see that the bones and filth had been cleaned away. Ser Osfryd had told it true; the crowd was neither as numerous nor as unruly as the sparrows had been. They stood about in small clumps, gazing sullenly at the doors of the Great Sept, where a line of novice septons had been drawn up with quarterstaffs in their hands. No steel, Cersei noted. That was either very wise or very stupid, she was not sure which.
无人阻挠王家队伍，百姓们与见习修士都纷纷站开。进门之后，她们在灯火之厅遇到三名骑士，个个身披战士之子的彩虹条纹长袍。“我是来见我媳妇的。”瑟曦告诉对方。
No one made any attempt to hinder her. Smallfolk and novices alike parted as they passed. Once inside the doors, they were met by three knights in the Hall of Lamps, each clad in the rainbow-striped robes of the Warrior’s Sons. “I am here to see my good-daughter,” Cersei told them.
“总主教大人正等着您呢。我是‘真实的’西奥多爵士，从前叫做西奥多·威尔斯爵士。请陛下随我来。”
“His High Holiness has been expecting you. I am Ser Theodan the True, formerly Ser Theodan Wells. If Your Grace will come with me.”
自然，大麻雀这回也跪着，这回他在天父的祭坛前跪拜。摄政王太后的到来没能干扰他，直到瑟曦站得不耐烦了，他才站起来鞠了一躬。“陛下，今天是个可悲的日子。”
The High Sparrow was on his knees, as ever. This time he was praying before the Father’s altar. Nor did he break off his prayer when the queen approached, but made her wait impatiently until he had finished. Only then did he rise and bow to her. “Your Grace. This is a sad day.”
“非常悲哀。你能准我去探望玛格丽和她的表亲们吗？”她选择温顺谦卑的语调，眼前这男人是吃软不吃硬的。
“Very sad. Do we have your leave to speak with Margaery and her cousins?” She chose a meek and humble manner; with this man, that was like to work the best.
“如您所愿。您探望之后我们再谈吧，孩子。到时候我们要一起祈祷，就您和我。”
“If that is your wish. Come to me afterward, my child. We must pray together, you and I.”
小王后被关在大圣堂的一座高塔塔顶，牢房八尺长六尺宽，没有家具，只有一张稻草铺的搁板床和一张用来祈祷的长椅，上面放了一个大水罐、一本《七星圣经》的抄本和一支蜡烛，唯一的窗户跟箭孔差不多大小。
The little queen had been confined atop one of the Great Sept’s slender towers. Her cell was eight feet long and six feet wide, with no furnishings but a straw-stuffed pallet and a bench for prayer, a ewer of water, a copy of The Seven-Pointed Star, and a candle to read it by. The only window was hardly wider than an arrow slit.
玛格丽赤裸双脚，浑身颤抖，只穿了件见习修女的粗糙袍子。她的头发纠结在一起，脚上全是泥土污垢。“他们脱了我的衣服，”独处后，小王后向她倾诉，“我穿着象牙色蕾丝裙服，胸前有淡水珍珠装饰，那些修女把脏手直接伸过来！……把我脱个精光。还脱光了我的表亲们。梅歌将一个修女推到蜡烛群中，点燃了她的衣服。我为雅兰担心，真的，她的脸色白得像牛奶，怕得连哭都哭不出来。”
Cersei found Margaery barefoot and shivering, clad in the roughspun shift of a novice sister. Her locks were all a tangle, and her feet were filthy. “They took my clothes from me,” the little queen told her once they were alone. “I wore a gown of ivory lace, with freshwater pearls on the bodice, but the septas laid their hands on me and stripped me to the skin. My cousins too. Megga sent one septa crashing into the candles and set her robe afire. I fear for Alla, though. She went as white as milk, too frightened even to cry.”
“可怜的孩子，”由于没有凳子，所以瑟曦跟小王后并肩坐在搁板床上，“放心吧，坦妮娅夫人正过去安慰她，她不会孤单。”
“Poor child.” There were no chairs, so Cersei sat beside the little queen on her pallet. “Lady Taena has gone to speak with her, to let her know that she is not forgotten.”
“他不准我去见她们，”玛格丽怒冲冲地说，“他把我们四人分开关押。您来之前，我见到的只有修女。有个修女每隔一小时就来问我是否愿意坦白罪行，他们甚至不让我睡觉！如果我睡着了，他们会摇醒我继续追问。昨晚，我向乌尼亚修女忏悔，我想抠出她的眼珠子。”
“He will not even let me see them,” fumed Margaery. “He keeps each of us apart from the others. Until you came, I was allowed no visitors but septas. One comes every hour to ask if I wish to confess my fornications. They will not even let me sleep. They wake me to demand confessions. Last night I confessed to Septa Unella that I wished to scratch her eyes out.”