The tall, white-haired knight seemed to shrink as he stood there, scarcely breathing. "Your Grace," he said at last. "The Kingsguard is a Sworn Brotherhood. Our vows are taken for life. Only death may relieve the Lord Commander of his sacred trust."
高大的白发骑士站在原地,整个人仿佛顿时小了一圈,喘不过气来,“陛下,”最后他终于开口,“御林铁卫乃宣誓效命的兄弟,立下誓言,即为终身,惟死方能解除铁卫队长所负之神圣使命。”
Whose death, Sir Barristan? The queen's voice was soft as silk, but her words carried the whole length of the hall. "Yours, or your king's?"
“巴利斯坦爵士,敢问是谁的死?”太后的声音虽轻柔如丝,话中所言却震慑全场。“是你,还是你的国王?”
You let my father die, Joffrey said accusingly from atop the Iron Throne. "You're too old to protect anybody."
“你保护不了我父亲,”铁王座上的乔佛里语带指控地说,“你年纪太大,谁都保护不了了。”
Sansa watched as the knight peered up at his new king. She had never seen him look his years before, yet now he did. "Your Grace," he said. "I was chosen for the White Swords in my twenty-third year. It was all I had ever dreamed, from the moment I first took sword in hand. I gave up all claim to my ancestral keep. The girl I was to wed married my cousin in my place, I had no need of land or sons, my life would be lived for the realm. Sir Gerold Hightower himself heard my vows... to ward the king with all my strength... to give my blood for his... I fought beside the White Bull and Prince Lewyn of Dorne... beside Sir Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.
珊莎看着骑士抬眼凝望他的新国王,过去她从不觉得他年事已高,如今他却老态毕露。“陛下,”他说,“我二十三岁那年被选为白骑士。而自我初次掌剑以来,那便是我惟一所求。我放弃了家族古堡的继承权,原本要与我成婚的女孩嫁给我堂弟,我不需封地,无能子嗣,终我一生,惟有为国奉献。我宣誓时杰洛·海塔尔爵士为见证人……我宣誓尽我所能保护国王……为他抛头颅、洒热血……我曾与白牛和多恩领的勒文亲王……以及“拂晓神剑”亚瑟·戴恩爵士并肩作战。