GOT:Sothoryos jon snow gamer

Sothoryos XXI

Jon looked at Caelyb in surprise, who had thrown a punch at him that he had to block. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, until Jon took two steps back and frowned slightly.

"What happened? Why do you want to hit me?"

"Hmph, it's surprising that you still dare to ask," Caelyb narrowed his eyes before attacking once more. Jon moved his left hand, hitting the old man's wrist with his palm, thus deflecting the blow. However, he had to back off a bit when a third blow came immediately. The two moved around the place, with several children of the forest watching curiously.

They were not in Caelyb's garden, but at the bottom of the world tree, in the eastern part, where most of the children of the forest lived, and where they trained Jon in fighting and sword techniques, as well as some magic.

"Do you remember the important thing about magic?"

 "Magic can accomplish things that perhaps mortals cannot. However, this does not mean that it is all-powerful. Just like everything in the world, magic has its own weaknesses."

Caelyb smiled tightly, showing his white teeth.

"I know of a spell to make your cock fall off, do you want me to use it, Jon?"

"What?! Why would you want to harm your disciple?"

"Not just me, others should want to do that too! You little brats did not cease your lustful activities!"

Jon received a slap in the face as he stopped. His face flushed a little when he heard Caelyb's words, and the reason for his annoyance.

 "I... I'm sorry, Caelyb. I didn't think it would be heard. The walls in the palace are quite thick, as are the doors, so..."

"Don't me while, boy. You didn't even take such things into account. You simply let your hormones and lust take over. Tell me, what would you do when it happens again?... Not here, but somewhere else."

"I'm not that brazen," Jon said seriously.

Caelyb snorted once more. He felt annoyed for a second, because he knew Jon. He understood what he was like and how he acted. And really, he wasn't that brazen a young man. The old man had thought about leaving him like that and having Jon suffer a little for his actions, but then he remembered something, one thing that Jon seemed to have forgotten as well.

"What if young Saynna gets pregnant?"

Jon's eyes widened before he paled completely. One of the things he always reminded himself of, was not having children. Despite knowing that he wasn't a bastard thanks to Brandon Stark, his past still haunted him. Perhaps not as much as before, but being the one to blame for a child being born and going through what he went through in his childhood was something he didn't want.

Letting out a sigh, Caelyb looked at Jon, then shook his head slightly.

"You're lucky, boy, since Elven society is different than your people in Westeros."

"I... really got carried away, huh?" Jon scratched his head as he plopped down on his butt, sitting on the green grass. "I can't believe I forgot something so important to me."

"I guess it's a bad thing, but also a good thing."

"Well? What's so good about it?"

"We don't even know if it happened. It's been hours."

"Still..."

"Who were you again?"

"What?" Jon looked at Caelyb in confusion.

"Tell me, who are you?"

 Jon was silent for a few moments, staring at the ground before answering with a frown, "Jaehaerys Targaryen... Jaehaerys Dreamspring..."

"True. You are not a bastard, as you call it," Caelyb crouched down and looked his disciple straight in the eyes. "Bastard... that is a term that, in the end, was invented by those arrogant and greedy lords to shirk their responsibilities. A bastard is greedy. A bastard is evil. A bastard is lustful. He will try to take everything that does not belong to him. A child will grow up and take shape in character according to the society that surrounds him. Those children abandoned by their parents for not being born in marriage, can only do certain things. The insults, the slights, and the whole way they are treated, will end up forming a person who is not good."

 "Jon, bastards aren't good because of the people who fathered them and the society that surrounds them. I mean, just look at you. Remember how you lived when you were younger. The man named Eddard Stark raised you as if you were his bastard, and yet you grew up to be a good boy."

"Do you think that if it had been any other way, you would have turned out the same?"

"... I... yes, I think so," Jon remembered that, despite the insults he received from people like Theon or Catelyn Stark, he tried not to let them affect him. He followed the teachings of his uncle, who was like a father to him. He tried to be honorable and keep his word.

Caelyb nodded with a small smile. He closed his eyes for a few moments and said, "The world is full of liars, Jon. The world is surrounded by lies. And a man has to learn to see through them."

 "I suppose that since we've been concentrating on magic and techniques, you haven't learned much about people and what is called society," Caelyb put a hand on the ground to sit in front of Jon.

"The politics that Ysiel has taught you, can't be used in Westeros. We are a very united and sincere society, because we don't have to deal with kings and lords of powerful families. We function well with each other, even in front of the dwarves. But we definitely couldn't be friends with humans in Westeros."

"That's true, although a little sad," Jon commented with a little sadness.

Caelyb nodded before looking up at the sky and the leaves of the world tree.

"Throughout the ages, thanks to my magic and blessings, I've been able to see many wars. I've seen kings be crowned, only to fall into disgrace, hated by their own people. I've seen kings try to be the best, helping those most in need, but still failing in the process."

 "A king who leads his people to war will be hated, even if they win. A king who feeds his kingdom will be better, but will still fail. Why do you think that is?"

"I... I don't know, Caelyb. I've never thought of being a King. I've never wanted to. I've always wanted to be a knight, someone who would bring honor to the Stark name."

"Think, Jon. Think carefully. Why would a king who feeds his kingdom still end up failing? His heart is in the right place. A kind but firm king. What makes him fail?"

So he did. Jon thought for a few minutes, but he couldn't understand. If a king like Caelyb described still failed, why was that? He didn't know. He could understand why a king who leads his kingdom to war would end up being hated. Wars ended in death, whether for the winner or the loser. There were always casualties. And those close to those dead people would end up hating the king, and the enemy, and war as a concept.

Jon grimaced as he remembered Rhaegar at that moment. He thought he must have had it tough after sitting on the Iron Throne. So many deaths, so many complicated things he had to sort out. He didn't really envy him.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the answer."

 Caelyb nodded, not at all upset or disappointed.

"The answer lies in the society I told you about a few moments ago."

"Society?"

"Yes, society, Jon," Caelyb said seriously and waved his hands in front of each other, leaving a small space between them: "Society is a group of people who relate to each other according to certain rules of organization. They may share the same culture or civilization in a certain space or time."

"However, people have the ability to reason. People can learn, reason, understand, make decisions and form an idea or opinion of the reality in which they live. And since there are so many people, not all are the same. The lords of Westeros think in a certain way because they were raised that way. People of low birth have their own opinions and way of life because they were raised that way."

 "When a king focuses on feeding his kingdom, the people will end up asking for more. The lords of different families will feel angry when they are given less. And the little people, as you call them, will feel sad and abandoned when their king does nothing for them."

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. But if you teach him to fish, he will eat for a lifetime."

"You have to offer the right tools to your society, so that they grow constantly. If you teach a person to read, he will teach his children, and they will teach their future children. The same happens with other things: fishing, blacksmithing, drawing, cooking, among other things. When people have the necessary tools, they will grow little by little, and they will attract the attention of those around them. If a person sees that his neighbor knows how to read and can work, earning money and food, he will also want it, so he might decide to learn."

"In that way, not only will society grow, the kingdom will also grow."

 Jon grimaced once more, "Things are really complicated."

"Of course they are!"

"But why are you telling me all this after you've called my attention?"

"You'll return to Westeros. I know that. You know that. You have to be prepared for any trouble in your homeland, understand?"

"Even if I'm never a king?"

"Even if you're never a king," Caelyb nodded seriously. "Ah~... Honestly, I'd like to see you as king. What things would you do? What things would you not do? How long would you last? Would people hate you, or would they end up loving the ground you walk on? Those are things I'd really like to see."

"Please don't joke about that. If by any chance I end up being king of the seven kingdoms, the first thing I'd do is burn that throne of swords. My way of thinking now is different from how they all live. They'd end up hating me."

 Caelyb simply smiled as he thought, "Perhaps, dear Jon, what they need is exactly that different way of thinking."

"Seed..." a child from the forest approached at that moment, catching Jon's attention.

"Yes?"

"We must resume your training. Your gifts can still improve a little more."

"I understand. Thank you for informing me."

The forest child nodded slightly before returning to his companions.

"It seems we will have to leave this lesson of kings."

"Indeed. But we will talk more about this. I do not want you to die for something stupid upon returning to your homeland," Caelyb stood up before beginning to leave the place.

Jon stood up and went to the forest children.

"Can we begin immediately?"

"We can, seed. Take a seat and close your eyes. Now you will learn to form bonds with any animal companions you meet in the future."

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