Arya cocked her head to one side. "Can I be a king's councillor and build castles and become the High Septon?"艾莉亚歪着头。“那我可以当国王的重臣，盖城堡，当大主教吗？”

"You," Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, "will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons willbe knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon."“你啊，”奈德说着轻轻吻了她的眉毛。“你会嫁给某个国王，管理他的城堡，你的儿子们则会当上骑士、王子或领主，或许也能当上大主教。”

Arya screwed up her face. "No," she said, "that's Sansa." She folded up her right leg and resumed her balancing. Ned sighed and left her there.艾莉亚脸色一变。“不要，”她说，“珊莎才会那样。”她右脚离地，继续练习单脚平衡。奈德叹了口气，留下她走了。

Inside his chambers, he stripped off his sweat-stained silks and sluiced cold water over his head from the basin beside the bed. Alyn entered as he was drying his face. "My lord," he said, "Lord Baelish is without and begs audience."进到房间，他脱下汗水浸湿的丝质上衣，从床边的水盆里掬起冷水当头淋下。正当他擦脸的时候，埃林进来说：“老爷，贝里席大人在外求见。”

"Escort him to my solar," Ned said, reaching for a fresh tunic, the lightest linen he could find. "I'll see him at once."“把他请到我书房去。”奈德边说边伸手拿起他质料最薄的亚麻布干衣。“我马上就来。”

Littlefinger was perched on the window seat when Ned entered, watching the knights of the Kingsguard practice at swords in the yard below. "If only old Selmy's mind were as nimble as his blade," he said wistfully, "our council meetings would be a good deal livelier."当奈德跨进书房，发现小指头正坐在窗边，望着在下方广场练剑的御林铁卫。“老赛尔弥的脑袋瓜要跟他的剑一样灵光就好了，”他满怀渴望地说，“那样开会会有趣许多。”

"Ser Barristan is as valiant and honorable as any man in King's Landing." Ned had come to have a deep respect for the aged, white-haired Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.“巴利斯坦爵士的武勇和操守，不输给君临的任何人。”经过这些日子的相处，奈德对这位德高望重，白发苍苍的御林铁卫队长抱持着崇高的敬意。

"And as tiresome," Littlefinger added, "though I daresay he should do well in the tourney. Last year he unhorsed the Hound, and it was only four years ago that he was champion."“他的死气沉沉也同样不落人后。”小指头补充道，“不过我相信他在比武大会上应该还能老当益壮，发挥余热。去年他把猎狗一枪刺下马，距离他上次摘下冠军也不过四年。”

The question of who might win the tourney interested Eddard Stark not in the least. "Is there a reason for this visit, Lord Petyr, or are you here simply to enjoy the view from my window?"对于谁会夺得比武大会冠军，艾德·史塔克一点兴趣也没有。“培提尔大人，请问您这次来访有何目的，还是单只来欣赏我窗边景致？”

Littlefinger smiled. "I promised Cat I would help you in your inquiries, and so I have."小指头微笑：“我答应凯特帮你明查暗访，而我说到做到。”