Now it was perfume that clung to him like perfume, and he had a girth to match his height. 现在香水却当夏和他如影随形了。他的腰围也和身高同样惊人。

Ned had last seen the king nine years before during Balon Greyjoy's rebellion, 奈德上一次见到国王，是在九年前的巴隆·葛雷乔伊之乱。

when the stag and the direwolf had joined to end the pretensions¹ of the self-proclaimed King of the Iron Islands. 那时维鹿与冰原狼的旗帜齐飞，两家军队合力绥靖那自立为王的铁群岛领主。

Since the night they had stood side by side in Greyjoy's fallen stronghold, 胜利之夜，两人并肩站在葛雷乔伊家族陷落的堡垒大厅里，

where Robert had accepted the rebel lord's surrender and Ned had taken his son Theon as hostage and ward², 劳勃接受叛军首领的降书，奈德则将其幼子席恩收为养子。

the king had gained at least eight stone. 之後，劳勃起码胖了几十公斤。

A beard as coarse and black as iron wire covered his jaw³ to hide his double chin and the sag⁴ of the royal jowls, 如今一团粗黑如铁丝的胡子遮住他肥胖的双下巴，

but nothing could hide his stomach or the dark circles under his eyes. 但没有任何东西可以掩盖他突出的小腹和凹陷的黑眼圈。

Yet Robert was Ned's king now, and not just a friend, 但劳勃终究是奈德的国君，而不仅仅是朋友，

so he said only, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours. 所以他只说：陛下，临冬城听候您差遣。

By then the others were dismounting as well, and grooms⁵ were coming forward for their mounts. 此时其他人纷纷下马，城里的马夫过来照料马匹。

Robert's queen, Cersei Lannister, entered on foot with her younger children. 劳勃的皇后，瑟曦·兰尼斯特带著她年幼的孩子们走进城里。

The wheelhouse in which they had ridden, a huge double-decked carriage of oiled oak and gilded⁶ metal pulled by forty heavy draft horses, 他们乘坐的轮宫是一辆巨大的双层马车，以油亮的橡木和镶滚金边的金属搭建而成，由四十匹骏马共同拖拉，

was too wide to pass through the castle gate. Ned knelt in the snow to kiss the queen's ring, 因为太宽，只得停在城门外。奈德在雪地里跪下，亲吻皇后手上的戒指，

while Robert embraced Catelyn like a long-lost sister. 劳勃则像是拥抱自己失散已久的妹妹般地拥抱了凯特琳。

Then the children had been brought forward, introduced, and approved of by both sides. 接著孩子们被带上前来，彼此正式介绍过後，得到双方家长的赞许。

No sooner had those formalities of greeting been completed than the king had said to his host, 正式的见面礼仪才刚结束没多久，国王便说：

Take me down to your crypt, Eddard. I would pay my respects. 艾德，带我到你们家墓窖去，我要聊表敬意。