Chapter 290

Sam grew more and more worked up as he spoke. “To escape that brutal father and to keep the baby out of the Others’ claws, the girl begged me for help. As a man of the Night’s Watch, I couldn’t refuse. Later, Gilly came back to the Wall with me. But the Wall had no place for a girl and an infant. We went through so much. When I decided to leave the Wall and go to the Citadel in Oldtown to look for a way to fight the Others, I took Gilly and her son with me. But the Citadel is a place of vows and discipline—there was no place for them there either. So I brought Gilly home.”

“My lord, do you know? My mother liked Gilly very much. She dressed her like a noble lady. But my father couldn’t tolerate a wildling girl staying in his house, so I had no choice but to drag Gilly along and struggle back to the Citadel to study.”

Tyrion could hear it in Samwell’s voice—there was real pain in it, but also a hint of sweetness.