HOUND: Honor, glory,
lies to make idiot boys want knighthood,
and idiot girls spread their legs for it.
Let me tell you what makes a knight.
Killing. Either enough men, or the right man.
Us Cleganes should know, we're very good at both.
Most families claim some great ancestors so far back
that nobody can prove them liars.
Not us.
My grandfather kept the kennel for Lord Tytos Lannister of Casterly Rock,
the father of Lord Tywin.
Lord Tytos was a weak man who didn't know it.
One day, while hunting, he stumbled on a lioness.
lnstead of embracing the man who wore her on his banners,
she tried to tear out his throat.
Lucky my grandfather came up with the dogs
and drove the big cat away.
As a reward the Cleganes got lands, and a keep,
and a son to squire for the Lannisters.
We took the three hounds who died for them as our new sigil.
When Tywin Lannister became Lord of Casterly Rock,
he wanted more from his former kennel master than fealty.
He bet that training hounds to kill isn't far from training boys to kill.
ln just two generations, my brother Gregor and l proved him right.
l gutted my first man at 1 2.
Years after, servants started disappearing in our keep.
And even a sister l don't remember.
But nobody could prove anything against Gregor,
or dared if they caught him at it.
For my father wanted a knight in our family
and thought he'd found one in Gregor,
who at 1 3, towered over enough men that they called him The Mountain.
Sure, Gregor looks quite the champion from a distance,
but a mountain can't cleave a man in half with one blow,
and won't break a wench's face if she talks.
Through Lord Tywin's influence,
Prince Rhaegar Targaryen kindly anointed my brother personally.
A great honor for our family, everyone said.
One year later, Ser Gregor chivalrously sacked the Prince's city,
brained the Prince's baby, and raped and murdered the Prince's wife,
winning our family yet more honor from the new King and Queen.
Soon after, my father died,
they say, in a hunting accident.
The same day that Gregor became lord of the Clegane lands,
gold and anything under his roof,
l left our home to take service at Casterly Rock.
Lord Tywin is not like his father,
neither is King Joffrey,
or the likes of me would never be on the Kingsguard
with all those true knights.
Between them, a man who serves the Lannisters will never lack for killing.
l'll guard this king, such as he is.
Gregor will kill the other ones, such as he does.
When we're done,
we'll see how many people still believe in songs and fairy tales.