CHAPTER 25

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I could see Robb had a newfound determination in him.

"I'm not going to whine about Maester Luwin's lectures anymore. As you said, there are things in life we have to do even if we don't want to." And he smiles at me.

Sometimes teacher side of me slips out, and I start giving lectures about things, but it is beautiful to see a child learn and grow as a person.

"Robb, I want to learn how to use a sword, too," says Arya.

"You know you can't. Do you want Mother to punish us all for teaching you." she gets angry and starts shouting, " I hate you, hate Mother, and hate being a lady; I don't want to be a lady like Sansa."

"I can't do anything about that. You need to convince Mother or Father about that, you little she-wolf."

People start calling Arya a little she-wolf. When she started walking and getting into all kinds of trouble, she never acted like how a lady should act. I think I started seeing white hair in Lady Catelyn's hair because of Arya. Some people even say she is the Lyanna Stark reborn.

POV NED STARK

"What is the important thing you must discuss, Maester Luwin? "

"It is about Aermir Drasil, my lord. "

"It come to my attention that he has a very keen mind. "

"We know of his martial prowess, but it is the first time I m heard about his keen mind."

"Yes, my lord, he is a brilliant child. I would even call him a genius that comes once a century. "

I knew he had learned how to read and was doing readings in the library; he had asked for permission. But I didn't know he was that smart. Yes, he acts most of the time like a grownup, but he still doesn't understand how this world works, so some of the things he does are just like a naïve child.

"My lord, I didn't teach him how to read. All I did was show him how the alphabet works and how to voice the letters, and from that, he learned how to read and write. Since then, he has been reading all the books he can find. If Septon Chayle didn't bring this to my attention, I wouldn't realize this. According to Septon Chayle, he read almost one-fourth of Stark Library. When I heard that, I thought If he comprehended even one-tenth of the things he read, he would be a great maester when he grew, and I even put him in some tests. Then realized he didn't understand one-tenth of the things he read. He understood almost all of it."

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I was thoroughly shocked. How can someone be this talented in sword and pen?

"My lord, even if we send the boy to the Citadel this instant, he can take the maester exam right away and forge at least three links of chains in history, herbology, and medicine."

It was like bolts of lightning were striking my head continuously. How can a nine years old boy become a maester with three chains?

BANG, BANG, BANG

The knock on the door took me out of my stupor, and I said, " Come in."

Rodrik came in, gave a salute, and stood in front of me.

"My lord, if you are available, could I inquire about some things?"

"Ahh, Rodrik, it is good timing. We were talking about your squire too. The Good Maester Luwin told me some unbelievable things about that child."

Maester Luwin told everything to him too, but he didn't look as shocked as I thought he would be, so I asked.

"Rodrik, you don't look that shocked about it. Why is that? "

"My lord, maybe I become numb to getting shocked about Aermir. If on the morrow, someone tells me Aermir learned how to walk on water, I would say it was bound to happen if someone else said he learned to fly, and I would just say okay. The things that boy does no longer shocks me."

I can't decide about this. If we send him to the Citadel, yes, he would become a learned man, but at the same time, I would be giving the potential best swordsman the North has ever seen to the Citadel. It is a no-brainer. We can't send him.

"I need to talk about this with Rodrik, so Maester Luwin. Can you wait outside for a bit? "

He walks out of my solar, and Rodrik closes the door, turns to me, and says, "My lord, we cannot send Aermir to Citadel, and it would be a crime against the North."

"I know, but we cannot refuse the Citadel directly, or it will cause a lot of headaches to me and to all the Northern lords. "

"Do you think Aermir would want to go to the Citadel? "

"Not likely Aermir likes his freedom, my lord. He even wants more of it. "

"What do you mean? "

" He wants to go out of the castle to hunt and explore. I even have some shocking news for you, my lord. "

"What is it? "

"Today, he has beaten the Flant boy, my lord. "

"That is not shocking. Didn't we have to give him punishment because he beat them so hard two years ago?"

"Not Wyl, my lord, the big one, Wyland. "

"What, isn't he almost knighted? Isn't he the one we considered knighting this or the next year? "

" Yes, my lord, that is him."

"HAHAHAHA, I m too going to believe if someone says he can walk on water and fly." This boy is going to be a force of nature, and I m not going to give him to Citadel even if I have to fight them to the bitter end. At most, we will keep getting letters from all the Westerosi lords, and we will have problems with our ravens, they won't show direct insubordination, but they will protest in a passive-aggressive way.