The North, Winterfell, Winter Town
"Who... who exactly are you?"
After hearing the woman's words, Theon Greyjoy's heart began pounding wildly. Suppressing his excitement, he asked the question.
"My respected Lord Theon, are you sure you want to discuss this here?"
"Sweetwine" Amy glanced at the visibly agitated Theon before calmly asking.
"I..."
Although excited, her words quickly brought Theon back to his senses.
"Is it just you?"
After considering a certain possibility, Theon quickly forced himself to calm down.
"We all came together. After arriving here, we've been asking around about you. A servant from Winterfell told me you often come here for entertainment."
Hearing her explanation, Theon's old face flushed slightly.
"You're familiar with this tavern. Perhaps we can have a few drinks inside tonight."
"Alright... alright!"
Understanding the invitation, Theon accepted the wineskin named "Homecoming" from her hand, his thoughts as tangled as blackthorn vines.
With that, Theon returned toward Winterfell.
As he passed through the South Gate, he merely smiled politely at the guards' teasing instead of joking with them as he usually did.
Clang... Clang...
Amid the ringing of iron, Theon passed Mikken's smithy. The bald old blacksmith still wore the same stern expression as always.
Normally, Theon never greeted him.
The streets of Winterfell were now paved with concrete instead of the muddy roads of the past.
Had it been before, Theon might have been pleased.
But now, every time he saw these changes, he felt an indescribable sense of humiliation.
It was as though Jon were flaunting everything before him.
The feeling made Theon increasingly uncomfortable, leaving him feeling more and more suffocated in Winterfell.
"Theon!"
Just as he was walking north across Winterfell's courtyard, a familiar voice suddenly called from above.
Looking up, Theon saw his foster mother, Catelyn Stark.
Lady Catelyn no longer carried the melancholy she once had. Instead, she looked radiant and full of life.
Although her marriage had endured many twists and turns, she was now genuinely happy because her husband was the greatest knight in all of Westeros.
In some respects, Lady Catelyn even believed that no one could compare to her husband's noble character.
Although it saddened her that all her children had been sent away, there was nothing she could do.
She had to consider the futures of those children who held no inheritance rights.
Since Theon had sulked and refused to accompany the expedition to the Vale, Lady Catelyn had turned much of her attention toward him.
"Have you been visiting those prostitutes again? I've told you many times not to keep seeing those unclean women. It would be terrible if you caught some disease."
After noticing the perfume lingering on Theon and the faint hickey beneath his collar, Lady Catelyn spoke with gentle reproach.
Her foster son was excellent in every regard except that he lacked restraint where women were concerned.
Because of this, Lady Catelyn had even considered sending him to Lys.
According to the letters Sansa Stark had sent home, Jon had not dispatched his two younger brothers to Lys, instead assigning them to Tyrosh and Myr, respectively.
Only Sansa and Arya Stark remained in Lys.
If Theon went there as well, he could satisfy his excessive energy while also helping Lady Catelyn watch over her two daughters.
"My Lady, did you need something?"
After bowing respectfully, Theon spoke with a slightly flushed face.
Having been raised under Lady Catelyn's care since childhood, Theon subconsciously regarded her as a mother figure.
Being caught like this left him somewhat embarrassed.
Theon had always lived like a young lord in Winterfell, receiving a monthly allowance.
Many times, he deliberately saved that money to visit Ros and the other prostitutes at the tavern.
"You haven't had much to do lately. Since you're unwilling to go to the Vale, I have another place in mind—Lys. I wanted to ask whether you'd be willing to go."
"Lys!?"
Theon's eyes widened in surprise.
"I don't mean anything by it, but you're nearly an adult now, and one day you'll inevitably return to the Iron Islands."
"Eddard and I hope you'll first learn how to govern cities and command armies within the cities ruled by Aegon Targaryen."
The Kingdom of the Three Daughters occupied a geographical position somewhat similar to that of the Iron Islands.
Although pirates still existed there, under Jon's rule they had become increasingly rare, and the islands themselves had been almost completely developed.
Eddard's intentions were very clear.
He wanted Theon to study in Lys or Tyrosh.
Then, after Theon's mad uncle seized the Iron Islands, Jon would send troops to reclaim them.
With Jon's rise, the Iron Islands could no longer survive through raiding as they had in the past.
Their only future lay in reform—learning from Lys and Tyrosh, focusing on commerce, and bringing prosperity to all the Ironborn.
"I... I..."
Too many things had happened today.
Theon found himself completely unable to make a decision.
"I know you've always looked down on Jon, believing him to be nothing more than a lowly bastard. But things are different now. Both his bloodline and the power he possesses are nothing like before."
Hearing Lady Catelyn's words, a trace of sadness flashed across Theon's face.
He understood all of it.
But it was precisely that contrast that tormented him.
He neither wanted nor was able to admit it.
After all, he was a proud Greyjoy.
"I'll think about it."
"I'll give you my answer tomorrow."
After understanding several key points, Theon finally replied.
"Very well. Go and get some rest. Acacia will call you when lunch is ready."
Hearing his answer, Lady Catelyn believed Theon had finally begun to put aside his prejudice.
Little did she know that her very words had only further provoked the rebellious young Greyjoy.
Nighttime in Winter Town remained lively and bustling.
Jon's Alchemists' Guild and the Citadel-trained maesters serving the Kingdom of the Three Daughters had improved and experimented with many inventions.
While researching wildfire, they had successfully developed a stable, high-luminosity lamp oil.
It was precisely because of this invention that Jon's streetlamps began to be sold throughout the world.
Whenever Jon created something beneficial, the North was always among the first places to receive it.
Bathed in the glow of these streetlamps, Winterfell was far brighter than it had ever been before.
Thanks to the day's trading activities, the entirety of Winter Town remained crowded and lively.
After dinner, Theon slipped out of Winterfell as usual.
Following the familiar route, he soon arrived before his favorite tavern.
The Red Lynx Tavern had been opened by an elderly sailor from White Harbor.
Its salted fish pie and ale were famous throughout Winter Town.
Of course, what people discussed most often were its prostitutes.
The well-traveled old sailor, Pace, understood exactly how to tempt the men of Winterfell into spending their coin.
Whenever drinks were served, the tavern's prostitutes would emerge in revealing outfits to personally offer toasts.
With both alcohol and beautiful women before them, few men could refuse such hospitality.
"Hey! Young Master Theon, you're here again! Find yourself a table and have a seat!"
Seeing Theon enter, the bartender hurried over with unusual enthusiasm.
He still hoped to make up for what he had said that morning, afraid of offending one of the tavern's biggest patrons and losing his job.
"Ros just went to entertain those merchants from out of town, so you might have to wait a little while."
"Would you like a cup of Riverlands wine first?"
The bartender busied himself wiping down a table and chair.
"Hey! Young Master Theon, did you enjoy my wine?"
At that moment, a familiar voice entered Theon's ears.
Turning his head, he saw the wine merchant who had spoken to him that morning.
Standing beside Sweetwine Amy was a curvaceous, black-haired beauty.
Her voluptuous figure was no less impressive than that of the red-haired Ros.
"Young Master Theon, this is Emma from our caravan."
"If you're interested, would you like to experience the charms of an exotic beauty?"
Seeing the unmistakable desire in Theon's eyes, Sweetwine Amy seized the opportunity to speak.
"Alright... alright!"
The bold black-haired beauty wasted no time.
After sitting opposite Theon, her fair foot slid lightly around his beneath the table like a nimble snake, instantly causing a reaction.
Under Sweetwine Amy's guidance, Theon wrapped an arm around the black-haired beauty's waist and walked toward the second floor.
As they climbed the stairs, the common patrons below burst into loud whistles.
Those who recognized Theon couldn't help sighing at the young nobleman's luck with women.
Being commoners themselves, they truly envied such a carefree life.
As the three disappeared upstairs, the door to one of the rooms suddenly opened.
The charming red-haired Ros stepped out alongside a tall, bearded man.
"Oh? Isn't that Young Master Theon?"
"My, that young lady is certainly beautiful!"
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