The Imp Meets the Collector

Tyrion Lannister "Game of Thrones"

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Tyrion “The Imp” Lannister, like anyone from his House, pays his debts, meets the lead characters from the Gastar novellas, one that excels in collecting debts. 

“Shae?  Where are you?”  The short man whispered, when he didn’t see her immediately in the bedroom he’d arranged to meet her.  The wine sat untouched with a pair of glasses on a table with a side dish of berries and cheese.  The room smelled of perfume, the way he liked it, to block out the odor of the city.  He moved toward the bed and pulled away the curtain surrounding the bed, expecting to see his lover-prostitute naked, waiting for him. 

A teenage girl, appearing to be about sixteen, with plain long brown hair, dressed in all black as a boy in a tunic, boots and leggings.  A long jeweled dagger was strapped to her right thigh.  The man grew angry.  “What have you done with Shae?” 

Shevata pushed the curtain open with her right foot and stood up.  Shae sat on the other side of the bed.  He ran to her.  “Are you hurt, my darling?”  She shook her head, but looked away, very afraid.  He turned back to the girl.  “What do you want?  If it’s money, I’ll pay you to get out of here.”

Shevata giggled and nodded to her right. “Hey Zermon, he really is an Imp.  He’s trying to bribe us already, and we’ve been in this room five minutes!”  She leaned back in laughter.  Zermon stepped forward out of the corner, examining the short man. 

“He doesn’t look like an Imp to me.”  He growled. 

“And you might you be?”  The man walked over to the wine to pour a glass.  Before he lifted the pitcher, Shevata put her hand over the glasses. 

“You drink too much and your sister wants you dead.  Take some advice from a stranger, isn’t that part of your religion here?  Drink less.” 

The man held up his hands and backed away. 

“All right.  You’ve managed to enter the room of Tyrion Lannister, so how much gold do you want to keep yours and this” he nodded to Zermon, “monster’s silence?”

Zermon scowled.  “Do I look like I need gold, short man?”

Shevata gestured for Zermon to be quiet.  “No, we came to warn you about your sister.”

Tyrion frowned a moment.  “OK.  Thanks.  I appreciate it.  Are you sure you don’t want anything?”

Shevata walked over to Shae and lifted her chin, with Zermon behind her.  “We’ve spent some time in King’s Landing.  If you betray Tyrion, I’ll watch your soul burn in hell’s fires.”  They left. 

“What in Seven Hells was that?”  Tyrion sighed.  Shae rolled over onto her side in silence.