Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones - Season 2)

1. The North Remembers

KING'S LANDING

A tournament was being held to celebrate Joffrey's nameday. The Hound was currently fighting a knight, both of them armed with maces and shields. Joffrey, Alerya, Sansa, the Royal Court and noble citizens were watching the spectacle.

The Hound blocked the knight's block, swinging his mace before hitting him with his shield. Then he hit the knight's shield with his mace two times and the knight tried to hit the Hound, but he dodged the mace and knocked the shield out of the knight's hand. The knight hit the Hound's helmet, causing him to swing his mace in retaliation. The blow was strong enough to push the knight over the edge and fall to the ground below.

The spectators cheered and applauded.

"Well struck," Joffrey commented. "Well struck, dog."

The Hound removed his helmet.

Joffrey looked at Sansa. "Did you like that?"

"It was well struck, Your Grace," Sansa said.

"I already said it was well struck," Joffrey told her.

"Yes, Your Grace," Sansa replied, looking away.

Joffrey turned his head away, watching as the dead knight's body was dragged away, his blood staining the ground. "Who's next?"

"Lothor Brune, freerider in the service of Lord Baelish," the Herald announced. Lother Brune walked out. "Ser Dontos the Red of House Hollard." There was silence as people waited for the knight to appear. "Ser Dontos the Red of House Hollard."

"Here I am," Ser Dontos said, hurrying down some stairs. "Here I am." Ser Dontos dropped his helmet and quickly picked it up, putting it on his head. "Sorry, Your Grace. My deepest apologies."

"Are you drunk?" Joffrey asked.

"No," Ser Dontos answered, lying. "No. No, Your Grace. I had two cups of wine."

"Two cups?" Joffrey repeated. "That's not much at all. Please, have another cup."

"Are you sure, Your Grace?" Ser Dontos asked.

"Yes," Joffrey answered. "To celebrate my nameday. Have two. Have as much as you like."

Ser Dontos nodded. "I would be honoured, Your Grace."

"Ser Meryn, help Ser Dontos celebrate my nameday," Joffrey instructed. "See that he drinks his fill."

Ser Meryn approached Ser Dontos, hitting him and three members of the Kingsguard grabbed him, making him kneel on the ground.

Joffrey sat down next to Sansa.

Kingsguardman 1 held Ser Dontos' arms, restraining him while Ser Meryn forced a horn into his mouth and Kingsguardman 2 poured a barrel of wine into the horn, making him gurgle from the excessive amount.

"You can't," Sansa protested.

Joffrey looked at her. "What did you say?" Sansa looked at him, uneasy. "Did you say I can't?"

"I only meant it would be bad luck to kill a man on your nameday," Sansa said.

"What kind of stupid peasant's superstition--" Joffrey started.

"The girl is right," The Hound told him. "What a man sows on his nameday, he reaps all year."

Joffrey sighed. "Take him away. I'll have him killed tomorrow, the fool."

The Kingsguardmen stopped at Joffrey's command and Ser Dontos vomited, making Joffrey laugh.

"He is a fool," Alerya told him. "You're so clever to see it. He'll make a much better fool than a knight. He doesn't deserve the mercy of a quick death."