>>@MODERATUS | @ALL

[bloodings]

this stupid mission is annoying.

they arent even feeding us properly. seriously who the hell runs an army like this? i could eat ten times what i have already. a knight like me shouldnt have to scavenge.

just waiting is a bore, so tell me something interesting. its fine if its trivial, but if its boring, you owe me a meal.

Comments

[northerndragon]

>>FROM:@AEGONNER

A knight?

What one man may find interesting might bore another. You'll have to tell us more about yourself.

[bloodings]

@AEGONNER thats right. im the strongest knight.

but i dont just want stories about fighting. a future king needs to understand people, right? so tell me what you think is interesting. ill still mock you if its dull, though. [ Very kingly. ]

[northerndragon]

Where I'm from, the greatest knights were Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, or Ser Arthur Dayne, or Ser Barristan Selmy. Do you think you could best them?

A king needs followers -- better not to mock. I knew a king who did that, and he was poisoned on his wedding day. They say he turned purple.

[Which is, at least, not dull, Jon thinks.]

[bloodings]

of course i am. those guys are nothing compared to a kingslayer.

besides, i dont need fools as followers.

Kingship Status: "It's Complicated"

[northerndragon]

A kingslayer? Not something to boast about.

A king needs fools as followers as much as he needs wise men. Though if someone is to rise up against him, I'd say it's better if it's the fools, as long as he's not a fool himself.

he's doing better than mordred

[bloodings]

well, most kings are fools.

and people rebel against cruel, foolish kings. but people rebel against perfect kings, too. the second lot are the worst of all.

[northerndragon]

There's no such thing as a perfect king. Why would they be the worst, though? They should be as good as they can be, for the sake of their people. And as strong as they can be.

Still, a queen told me that strength must sometimes be terrible. She wasn't wrong.

[bloodings]

its not the king whos the worst. its the fools who complain. whats there to hate about a king who gives their all? who sacrifices everything for their ideals?

strength is always terrible. but in the end, power is all that matters. the two go hand in hand.

[northerndragon]

[They're in danger of finding common ground now.]

I suppose that would depend on the king's ideals.

Why do you think power matters? It does, but I'm interested in what you have to say.

[bloodings]

power earns respect. someone easily defeated wont hold their position for long. whether king or knight, a weakling protects nobody.

but power shouldnt lead to greed, either. theres no excuse to only take from others for your own sake. a king needs to care for those who deserve it.

and then all the targaryens tagged you super late

[northerndragon]

Careful. We're starting to agree.

What makes someone deserve a king's care? Their need of it? Their loyalty to the king?
Sometimes the king is the realm, but it seems to me that it isn't always so.

your punishment is more mordred

[bloodings]

[ That, she almost doesn't have an answer for. "Anyone in his kingdom" is the obvious response, but what about the disloyal? What about allied nations in times of need?

What would her father do? ... But didn't she want to be a different kind of king after all? ]

it depends. those who already have power dont need it, even if theyre part of his kingdom. its the common man who suffers the most under the kings decisions, but they need his care the most. a good king makes the difference between life or death for a lot of people.

i guess he just has to try and protect as many as he can.

oh noes, perish the thought!

[northerndragon]

Those who already have power must also have a care for the smallfolk, whether or not they're kings. A Great Lord often has more to do with his own people than the king does, so much that he may be like a king.

But what if the smallfolk don't fully understand what the king must protect them from? Starvation, certainly — every man knows when his belly is empty. What about situations where the threat is less obvious?

[What if they disregard it as grumkins and snarks?]

:')

[bloodings]

[ It's the same thing her father struggled with. And, while she doesn't have a solution, it's because she's sure that there isn't one at all. ]

in that case, the result is inevitable.

a peasant doesnt understand that his village was sacrificed to save nine. those who were cast away become resentful, but even those who were saved wonder if everyone else could have been too.

theyd rather a king that tries to save all and fails, than one who understands the harsh reality. theres no convincing them otherwise.

[northerndragon]

All of that is probably true.

I know of a man who would have sacrificed a village to save nine. His end wasn't pretty, but he was never the king. He was the man who spoke in the king's ear and fattened his purse.

What do you do about that kind of advisor? Some say he kept order.

[But Tywin Lannister had done little and less to help the Watch: the people staving off the real threat. Jon knows that much.]