But as he sat on his horse and looked up at the Gold Cloaks peering over the walls, a sense of absurdity rose within him.
Five hundred Lannister cavalrymen rode behind him, their banners bearing the golden lion of House Lannister, yet the defenders on the walls seemed neither inclined to open the gates nor prepared to attack. Not a single man even came to question him.
"I am Tyrion Lannister, the queen mother's brother!" he shouted up at the walls. "Tell Cersei to come out and see me!"
Only after a long wait did the gate slowly open a crack. The officer in charge of the gate came running out alongside a soldier in Lannister armor.
"Welcome to King's Landing, Lord Tyrion." The Gold Cloak officer leading the way forced an awkward smile that looked uglier than tears.
Tyrion ignored him and rode straight into the city with his troops, but in his mind, he had already sentenced the officer to death. The man clearly recognized him; they had even drunk together in the same brothel before. This was blatant dereliction of duty.
The gates swung wide, and a dozen or so Gold Cloaks lined up on either side. Yet there was not a trace of respect in the soldiers' eyes as they looked at him, only curiosity and a hint of barely concealed contempt. A noble-born dwarf.
Tyrion had long since grown accustomed to such looks. He passed through the gate without expression, his horse's hooves making dull thuds against the filthy, muddy streets within.
Commoners eager for a spectacle already crowded both sides of the street. After all, this was the first time in days that outsiders had entered the city. Some whispered, others pointed, and children hid behind their mothers, asking aloud, "Mother, why is that