Anythingdrabble Challenge 106 - A word of advice

[m_findlow]

Title: A word of advice
Fandom: Game of Thrones (ASOIAF)
Characters/Pairings: Tyrion, Sandor Clegane
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: M (language)
Notes: Written for Challenge 106 - Cruel at anythingdrabble
Summary: Tyrion has some advice for Joffrey's right hand man.

'Fancy seeing you here, Dog,' Tyrion said, wandering into the lower hall and taking a seat at the table before pouring himself a goblet of wine. He looked at the tall, rough looking man and smirked. 'Dogs eating with the City Watch and the Kingsguard now. Whatever next?'

Sandor Clegane ignored the jibes from the small man, continuing to focus his gaze on the depths of his horn of ale.

Tyrion sipped his wine and leaned back. 'No clever words for me? Pity.'

'What do you want, Imp?' Clegane grumbled.

'It has come to the Queen's attention that her son is not behaving in a manner that would befit the first prince and future leader of the Seven Kingdoms. She is questioning the suitability of the man chosen to be Joffrey's lapdog and protector. Our good king Robert of course thinks no such thing. Sandor Clegane is a fearsome warrior and a dutiful servant of the realm. Of course, I am paraphrasing. I believe the King's words were "when I want your opinion on how to raise my son, I'll ask for it".'

Clegane snorted. 'You think I'm scared of your sister?'

'I think only a fool would ignore the threat posed by the most powerful woman in Westeros, but you are no fool, Ser.' He swirled the wine around in his goblet, studying it. 'I do however feel she has a point. Joffrey is an arrogant, self-centered and mean spirited boy on the cusp of becoming a man cut from the same cloth. I shouldn't help but wonder if your influence is not doing anything to help matters. Do you enjoy killing people, Clegane?'

Clegane slammed his horn down on the table. 'Joffrey is a horrible little cunt. If he wants to strangle puppies for fun then that's not my business.'

Tyrion hummed, pondering the thought. 'I had a cousin once who took the greatest pleasure in smashing bugs with a giant rock. The difference is that he was a simpleton. Joffrey, for all his father's shortcomings, has intellect, if little used. I should like to think that those closest to him might make more of an effort to curtail any such cruel behaviours.'

'I'm not his fucking wet nurse. My job is to prevent some other cunt from sticking a sword in him, whether he deserves it or not.'

Tyrion set his goblet back on the table before arising. 'Be that as it may, I should be a little more forceful a presence for the young prince. We don't want a situation where he should turn from maiming puppies to say, oh, I don't know, young Stark girls?' He watched as Clegane's fist tightened around his drink. 'Should he feel the desire to kill something, taking him hunting. Such a dangerous sport,' Tyrion observed. 'The hunter can so easily become the hunted.' He smirked at Clegane who glowered back. 'A good lesson for us all to learn about taking our positions of privilege for granted, don't you think?'