The Sworn Sword

It was too big even for her thumb. ""Dragon or no, I must have Bennis of the Brown Shield"".

""No"".

""You are seven feet of stubborn"".

""Less an inch"".

She gave him back the ring. ""I cannot return to Coldmoat empty-handed. They will say the Red Widow has lost her bite, that she was too weak to do justice, that she could not protect her smallfolk. You do not understand, ser"".

""I might"". Better than you know. ""I remember once some little lord in the stormlands took Ser Arlan into service, to help him fight some other little lord.

When I asked the old man what they were fighting over, he said, ‘Nothing, lad. It's just some pissing contest.' ""

Lady Rohanne gave him a shocked look, but could sustain it no more than half a heartbeat before it turned into a grin. ""I have heard a thousand empty courtesies in my time, but you are the first knight who ever said pissing in my presence"". Her freckled face went somber. ""Those pissing contests are how lords judge one another's strength, and woe to any man who shows his weakness.

A woman must needs piss twice as hard, if she hopes to rule. And if that woman should happen to be small … Lord Stackhouse covets my Horseshoe Hills, Ser Clifford Conklyn has an old claim to Leafy Lake, those dismal Durwells live by stealing cattle… and beneath mine own roof I have the Longinch. Every day I wake wondering if this might be the day he marries me by force"". Her hand curled tight around her braid, as hard as if it were a rope, and she was dangling over a precipice. ""He wants to, I know. He holds back for fear of my wroth, just as Conklyn and Stackhouse and the Durwells tread carefully where the Red Widow is concerned. If any of them thought for a moment that I had turned weak and soft.. "".

Dunk put the ring back on his finger, and drew his dagger.

The widow's eyes went wide at the sight of naked steel. ""What are you doing?"" she said. ""Have you lost your wits ? There are a dozen crossbows trained on you"".

""You wanted blood for blood"".

He laid the dagger against his cheek. ""They told you wrong. It wasn't Bennis cut that digger, it was me"". He pressed the edge of the steel into his face, slashed downward. When he shook the blood off the blade, some spattered on her face. More freckles, he thought. ""There, the Red Widow has her due. A cheek for a cheek"".

""You are quite mad"". The smoke had filled her eyes with tears. ""If you were better born, I'd marry you"".

""Aye, m'lady.