The Prince of Thorns

⚔Two Swords

Jaime holds up a sword, admiring it.

JAIME: "Magnificent."

TYWIN: "Mm-hmm."

JAIME: "Looks fresh-forged."

TYWIN: "It is."

JAIME: "No one's made a Valyrian steel sword since the Doom of Valyria."

TYWIN: "There are three living smiths who know how to rework Valyrian steel. The finest of them was in Volantis. Came here to King's Landing at my invitation."

JAIME: "Where did you get this much Valyrian steel?"

TYWIN: "From someone who no longer had need of it."

Jaime nods and hefts the blade.

JAIME: "You've wanted one of these in the family for a long time."

TYWIN: "And now we have two. One more than the Tyrell's."

JAIME: "Two?"

TYWIN: "The original weapon was absurdly large. Plenty of steel for two swords."

JAIME: "Well, thank you. It's glorious."

Jaime attempts to sheath the sword into the cover lying on the table but fails awkwardly. Tywin starts as the sheath bobbles.

TYWIN: "You'll have to train your left hand."

JAIME: "Any decent swordsman knows how to use both hands."

TYWIN: "You'll never be as good."

JAIME: "No. But as long as I'm better than everyone else, I suppose it doesn't matter."

TYWIN: "You can't serve in the Kingsguard with one hand."

JAIME: "Where's that written? I can and I will. The Kingsguard oath is for life."

TYWIN: "The war is over. The king is safe."

JAIME: " The king is never safe. How many people in this city alone would love to see his head on a pike?"

TYWIN: "Other knights protected the king while you were a prisoner. They will continue to do so when you go home."

JAIME: "Home?"

TYWIN: "You'll return to Casterly Rock and rule in my stead."

JAIME: "You are the Lord of Casterly Rock."

TYWIN: "I am the King's Hand. My place is here. I don't expect to see the Rock again before I die."

JAIME: "You know what they call me? Kingslayer. Oathbreaker. Man without honor. Now you want me to break another sacred vow."

TYWIN: "You won't be breaking anything. There is a precedent to relieve a Kingsguard of his duties. The king will exercise that prerogative."

JAIME: "No."

TYWIN: "No?"

JAIME: "No."

TYWIN: "I don't believe I asked you a question."

JAIME: "There's my answer."

TYWIN: "If you think your bloody honor comes before..."

JAIME: "My bloody honor is beyond repair, but my answer is still no. I don't want Casterly Rock. I don't want a wife. I don't want children."

TYWIN: "What do you want?"

JAIME: "Supper would be nice."

TYWIN: "For 40 years I've tried to teach you. If you haven't learned by now, you never will. Go. If serving as a glorified bodyguard is the sum of your ambition, go serve."

JAIME: "I suppose you want the sword back."

TYWIN: "Keep it."

Jaime grabs the sword.

TYWIN: "A one-handed man with no family needs all the help he can get."

Jaime picks up the sword and exits

Outside King's Landing

Tyrion, Alester, Podrick and Bronn stand on a road leading to King's Landing. Bronn holds a sigil with both stag and lion. Commoners dot the road in their daily routine. A peasant leads two reluctant, bleating goats past them.

BRONN: "How many Dornishmen does it take to fuck a goat?"

TYRION: "Please don't."

BRONN: "Seems to me the smart place to meet travelers is in a tavern. That way, one party is late, the other party can drink some ale inside."

TYRION: "This is the Prince of Dorne we're waiting for, not one of your sellsword friends."

BRONN: "If he's so damned important, how come they sent you to meet him?"

TYRION: "There's bad blood between the Martells of Dorne and the Lannisters of Casterly Rock. Has been for years."

BRONN: "And just in case the Martells of Dorne are looking to spill some Lannister blood, it may as well be yours, eh?"

TYRION: "No need for cynicism. I happen to be an accomplished diplomat."

BRONN: "Oh."

Hoofbeats approach.

TYRION: "Ah, here we are."

Tyrion claps.

TYRION: "Can you read the sigils?"

BRONN: "Yellow balls?"

PODRICK: "Wild lemons on a purple field, House Dalt of Lemonwood. A vulture grasping a baby in it's talons, House Blackmont. A crowned skull, the Manwoodys of Kingsgrave."

TYRION: "Boy knows his Dornish Houses."

BRONN: "I need a sigil."