-Chapitre 9-

-The Next Day-

I woke up and immediately prepared to break my fast with my family, I arrived at the table in leather armor and ruffled Arya and Bran's hair who quickly struggled, after which Septa Mordane looked at me with an inquisitive eye as if I had just committed a grave sin.

"You have a comment to make?" I said to the old Septa whom I passionately hated.

"No," she said, looking at her plate without playing into my game and granting me what I wanted by responding to my provocation, which frustrated me even more.

"It's better for you," I said, passing by her.

I sat down under the annoyed gaze of my adoptive father whom I did not greet, in fact no one at this table except Bran and the Septa spoke to him since the episode of the king's road.

"I heard that the punishment Robert gave you started yesterday," he said.

"Punishment…Hmph…acquiring the title of Commander of the Watch when you're a bastard is more of a promotion," whispered the Septa, snorting in discontent.

"And an old whore sharing the Stark's table, what kind of promotion is that, huh?" I said in a cold tone.

She appeared shocked and offended, then she stood up and left the room angrily but still aware that I was and will always be a Stark and not her.

She also knew that I was powerful enough to make her disappear and that her shield Catelyn would not save her so far in the south, now I could take my revenge and she could do nothing to defend herself except shut her mouth hoping that my uncle would support her which will not happen if she calls me a bastard or tries to insult me.

"You can't talk to her that way," said Ned in an annoyed tone, he knew our old grudge and it irritated him because I was becoming more and more unrestrained.

"Why? Because I have to pretend not to be a rude bastard? Or is it because you agree with what she said?" I said, provoking him.

"I'm not going to play this game with you," he said.

"I didn't ask you, I never asked you for anything….in fact yes I did ask you who my mother was and you told me nothing, I asked you if you would give me a castle and you said no, then there was the time when I asked you for a horse, a sword as well as gold to leave and then again you said no…ah what fond memories of this strong love between us, a bastard and his father it would almost inspire me to write songs about this powerful love," I said, enumerating all the things he refused me under the extremely objective good advice of his wife.

"Are you finished?" he said with a face still as neutral even though I could feel that he had almost reached his breaking point.

For a second I considered continuing and going further, but I remembered who I was and what was at stake, I preferred that everyone continue to treat me like an angry young bastard rather than a real threat so I took it upon myself to pack away all my anger my frustration and my grievances and then I said:

"Yes I'm no longer hungry"

I got up and left without even swallowing anything, on my way out I met Jory whom I greeted lightly with a nod.

I left the dining room and went down to the training grounds to train with Syrio and after a good hour of eating dust in front of my instructor who was clearly one of the best fighters and who used a unique style, I finally began to integrate some basic notions of Water Dancing.

-City Guard Barracks-

In the afternoon, I was taken to the barracks of the gold cloaks, out of the 220 officers, only 54 men remained, they were the cleanest men although not so clean as they received bribes from several parties.

Behind these men were 1000 men in fancy armor armed with halberds, maces, and swords, everyone wore just about anything and studying them fight, I noticed that few knew how to use a weapon properly.

They had all been trained, but they had no combat experience and except for the veterans who had seen some street fights and had to learn directly on the field, the rest did not conform to what I could call a soldier, let alone an elite.

I bought a building near the training ground, I went to this office to think about the next step, while I was thinking about what I could do with them, I felt hands massaging the top of my skull and I turned around to see that it was only Valeria who had slipped to my side.

"I want you to order Bryan and Connor to establish a recruitment post more particularly in the slums, we recruit young people between 17 and 30 days of names for a minimum service of one year, the total salary of one year is one golden dragon per candidate retained during the selection with an increase of one golden dragon every 5 years"

I thought for a few seconds before adding:

"They don't need to have training, they just need to want to enter the city guard and obey all the orders I will give in the future"

"Don't worry, we will do as you say but you have to learn to relax otherwise you will end up exhausting yourself," she said, whispering sensually in my ear.

"And do you have any ideas?"

She gave me a naughty smile full of temptation and climbed on me while untying the belt that held her dress before whispering while kissing my neck:

"Plenty"