Podrick dresses Tyrion for dinner with Cersei. On the way to her chambers, Varys gives him a scroll reporting the deaths of Bran and Rickon.1 Tyrion says he will tell Cersei. He gives Cersei the note, and they prepare to eat. There is still no word from Bitterbridge. Cersei thinks Petyr might have betrayed them to Stannis, but Tyrion points out that those two would not get on well at all. Lady Tanda has asked leave to return to Castle Stokeworth; she will be refused. The talk turns to the clanmsen, then Antler Men, then Varys, and finally Sandor. Varys told Cersei that Tyrion means for Sandor to lead sorties rather than guard the king. Tyrion says he needs both him and Ser Balon, and that Ser Osmund and Ser Meryn can guard the king. He says Joffrey must be seen on the walls for the sake of his men. He will not take part in the fighting and will be well guarded. Tyrion says he will release Lord Gyles as well, as a gesture of good faith. Cersei starts to become more threatening, and finally reveals that she has Tyrion's whore. She tells him she is sick of his scheming and accuses him of trying to get Joffrey killed so he can rule through Tommen. She does not plan to kill him though, because Jaime would be upset. Instead, she will hold his whore hostage. Cersei has Osney and Osfryd bring her in. To Tyrion's relief, he realizes it is Alayaya and not Shae; Cersei fell for the decoy. Tyrion plays along and acts concerned, and Cersei says she will be exchanged for Tommen after the battle. Tyrion threatens to harm Tommen if anything happens to Alayaya, and Cersei tries to slap him. Tyrion grabs her wrist and shoves her to the floor. Tyrion turns back to Cersei and tells her he will make her pay for what she did. He says a day will come when she thinks she is safe and happy and he will turn her joy to horror. He leaves then and returns to his chambers, where he is surprised to find Shae waiting for him. Varys brought her through some passages. She was blidfolded, but she is able to describe one portion of the passage where she got a look at a dragon mosaic on the floor. Tyrion searches for the door to the passage, but cannot find it. Shae tries to arouse him, but he is too worried. He tells her to go to sleep and then stays up thinking and listening to her breathe.
