Game of Thrones: The Witcher System

Read 20+ Chapter's Ahead in Patreon

On the third day after Clay persuaded his old man, a raven arrived at White Harbor from Winterfell.

Clay was the first to notice the letter tied to the raven's leg while consulting with Maester Theomore about material supplies. Yet, he did not open it himself. Instead, he brought Maester Theomore along and handed the letter over to Lord Wyman.

As he ascended the spiraling stone staircase, shafts of light from the arrow slits cast shifting patches upon his cloak, flickering like ghosts in the dim corridor. It occurred to him then that, despite having spent his life in this stronghold, he had never truly paid attention to its details. Compared to other ancient castles of the North, the New Keep was relatively young, yet it bore the weight of history all the same.

His grandfather's study lay atop the main keep's tower, some twenty meters above the ground. Among the entire cluster of towers, this one was the tallest and most imposing, its white walls adorned with intricate carvings that depicted maritime legends. It bore a name as resounding as its stature—the Sea God's Tower.

Clay glanced at the old maester beside him, whose steps were slow and somewhat unsteady. Around his neck hung two chains, pieced together from links of various metals—black iron, red copper, gold, silver, steel, and more. Each metal represented a different field of study: black iron for ravenry, red copper for history, silver for medicine, and so on.

It struck Clay as strange. A maester ought to hold an esteemed position in a noble household, yet after being home for so long and observing from the sidelines, he noticed that Maester Theomore was subtly and intentionally excluded from the family's core affairs.

The maester was quite old, and climbing stairs was difficult for him. Seeing this, Clay had no choice but to slow his pace to match the elderly man's steps.

"Maester, have you ever been to Harrenhal? How does our New Keep compare to it?"

Feeling it would be awkward to remain silent, Clay decided to strike up a conversation.

The old maester took two deep breaths. Beneath his sparse, pale golden eyebrows, his green eyes glanced at Clay before he answered in a low voice:

"If you are asking about size, then you would need seven or eight New Keeps just to match Harrenhal's silhouette. But it is little more than a ruin now."

Clay blinked, momentarily taken aback. He had never been to Harrenhal, nor had he left the North since returning to Westeros. In his eyes, the New Keep was already an oversized fortress. If it took seven or eight of them to match Harrenhal, then just how monstrous was that castle?

"Black Harren squeezed the Riverlands dry for decades to construct the greatest stronghold in the Seven Kingdoms. If not for Aegon Targaryen's dragonfire, it would likely still be the most formidable castle today."

Whether the maester found the topic distasteful or simply had no interest in conversing with Clay, he offered only these few words before lapsing into silence once more.

Clay shrugged, not quite understanding the maester's thoughts, and continued following him until they reached Lord Wyman's study.

Two armored guards stood at the entrance of House Manderly's keep, their eyes flicking toward Clay and the maester. The former with mild surprise, the latter with something else entirely.

What truly unsettled Clay, however, was the flicker of wariness in their eyes when they looked at Maester Theomore—as if they were regarding something dangerous rather than a trusted servant of the household.

Yet the maester seemed unfazed, as if he had long grown accustomed to such treatment. He withdrew the letter from his sleeve and handed it to one of the guards.

"A message from Winterfell. Please deliver it to Lord Manderly."

He spoke with calm detachment. Then, with a slight nod toward Clay, he turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation, his departure swift and decisive.

The moment he left, the guards' demeanor shifted instantly. The one who had taken the letter inclined his head in a show of respect before pressing his weight against the heavy oak door. It groaned softly on its hinges as it swung open, revealing the gleam of the Manderly mermaid sigil carved deep into the wood.

Stepping inside, the rich scent of spiced wine hung in the air. His grandfather sat near the balcony, a bottle in hand, tilting it slightly so the ruby-red liquid caught the sunlight. From the color alone, Clay guessed it was Summer Red from Dorne.

"Grandfather, a letter from Winterfell."

Retrieving the letter from the guard who had not entered, Clay called out to the old man. The guard gave him a knowing smile before pulling the door shut behind him.

"Hm? Oh, it's you, Clay. A letter from Winterfell? What does it say?"

Lord Wyman muttered as he set the bottle heavily onto the table. Rising from the oversized, cushioned chair—large enough to seat two Clays—he fixed his gaze upon his grandson.

Shaking his head, Clay walked further into the room, glancing around the vast study adorned with golden dragon motifs as he made his way to the desk.

"I haven't read it yet."

Surprisingly, Lord Wyman did not open the letter right away. Instead, he asked, "Did Theomore come with you?"

How did he know? Clay was momentarily puzzled, but upon second thought, it made sense—maesters were responsible for delivering messages. His grandfather's question was reasonable enough.

"Yes, but he didn't come inside. He probably had other matters to attend to."

Clay's casual remark was met with a sharp, derisive snort from Lord Wyman.

"Hah! He's got nothing of the sort!"

For the first time, Clay saw something unfamiliar in his grandfather's expression—neither warmth nor indulgence, but open disdain. No, loathing. It unsettled him.

"From now on, keep your distance from him." Lord Wyman's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. He took another deep swig from the bottle, as if washing away an unpleasant taste.

"Why, Grandfather? Aren't maesters valuable to noble houses?"

"Do you know his family name?"

The question struck Clay like a splash of cold water. Maesters were bound by their oaths to forsake their family names, serving all of Westeros without allegiance to any one house. To him, Theomore had always been simply Maester Theomore. It had never occurred to him to wonder what name he had left behind.

"Lannister."

Lord Wyman all but spat the word.

"Remember this—he is a Lannister. Forget that maester's oath nonsense. No matter how many links he wears around his neck, I can still smell the stench of lions on him."

At last, Clay understood why his grandfather—and the entire household—regarded Maester Theomore with such suspicion.

A Lannister in the North was unlikely to ever be trusted.

Clay had no idea why a Lannister would come to White Harbor to serve as a maester, but as a noble of the North, he understood one thing well—while White Harbor despised the Lannisters, they could not simply rid themselves of Theomore for his bloodline. Poisoning him or disposing of him in some other way was possible, but that would have been dishonorable. Or perhaps there were reasons Clay was unaware of.

Instead, the family's approach was simple: cold treatment. Apart from handling official correspondence with Winterfell, Theomore was kept away from all matters of importance.

Now that he knew all this, Clay decided to be more cautious of those around him. Who knew what secrets lay behind the smiles of those who addressed him as "young lord"?

At least today's trip had been useful—his excuse of inquiring about a swallow's potion ingredient had not been wasted.

"Now, let's see what Winterfell has to say."

Without further addressing Clay's change in expression, Lord Wyman unfolded the letter and began to read its contents aloud…

---

(This Maester Theomore is not my invention—he really existed. And yes, Lord Wyman was indeed wary of him. I didn't make this up, so don't blame me!)

..

..

[IMAGE]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Chapter End's]

🖤 Night_FrOst/ Patreon 🤍

Visit my Patreon for Early Chapter:

https://www.patreon.com/Night_FrOst

Extra Content Already Available