Jorah should have been ashamed, Dany noticed, but he hadn't mentioned his wife's name. Perhaps she had vanished from his memory, for it seemed she had never truly occupied his heart. Yet, she had endured three difficult pregnancies for him, ultimately losing her life. Dany felt a pang of sympathy and curiosity; she wanted to understand him, to know the man behind the knight's stern exterior.The knight continued, his voice calm but tinged with melancholy. "Not long after, my father joined the Night's Watch, and I became Lord of Bear Island. Many marriage proposals came my way, but before I could decide, the Ironborn rebelled, and Balon Greyjoy declared himself king."Dany frowned, interrupting him. "When was that? Before I was born?""Princess, I am not that old," Jorah replied dryly, his face betraying no emotion."Oh, go on," Dany said casually, leaning against the stone railing of the tower."It was four years after the Rebellion of the Usurper, when you were about four years old." His voice trailed off, as if measuring the distance between their respective experiences. For Dany, the timing seemed to align with Theon Greyjoy's years as a hostage in Winterfell.She tilted her head, puzzled. "Why would the Ironborn act then? They caused no trouble during the Usurper's rebellion, yet waited four years after the Usurper ascended the throne. Where did they get such confidence? Or was it that their reaction time is simply slow, and they only realized opportunities emerge in troubled times?"Jorah shook his head. "The Ironborn are always mad and unpredictable. Perhaps Balon thought the Usurper's position was unstable, or perhaps someone suppressed him before, preventing rebellion. During the Usurper's Rebellion, Balon's father, Lord Chron, remained neutral. After your brother, Prince Rhaegar, died at the Ruby Ford, he defected to Robert. The Tyrells of Highgarden sided with the Targaryens."Chron led the Iron Fleet, the main Ironborn force, out to sea, intending to plunder Highgarden in the Reach. Unfortunately for him, the Highgardeners were ready in the Shield Islands. They defeated the supposedly invincible Iron Fleet and slew Chron in the battle. Balon then succeeded his father after the Usurper had consolidated power and the rebellions had largely subsided."Dany listened intently, absorbing the details of political strategy she had never known from Westeros' history books."It took four years for Balon to fully control the Ironborn Bay and raise the banner of rebellion. King Balon was eventually defeated, his eldest and second sons killed, and his youngest—just ten years old—was sent to Winterfell as a ward under Lord Eddard Stark, a hostage to ensure the Greyjoys remained loyal."Dany's brow furrowed. "And then?""To celebrate the victory," Jorah continued, "Robert decided to hold a tournament outside Lannisport. It was there I met Lynesse Hightower. She was only half my age at the time and had come from Oldtown with her father to watch her brother compete."The knight paused, a faint smile crossing his face. "The first time I saw her, I could not take my eyes off her. For the first time, I felt an overwhelming love, unlike anything I had known. Impulsively, I asked her for a token, a symbol for which I would fight in the tourney. I never dared to dream she would agree, yet she did. She agreed."Dany's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Your Highness," Jorah continued with a touch of formality, "you must understand that a tourney is a sport of chivalry, not merely a contest of martial skill. We Northerners have never excelled in this Andal tradition. But with Lynesse's token in hand, I felt like a warrior of the Seven.""For days, I was undefeated. I crowned Lynesse with the honor of Love and Beauty. Wine, glory, and fervor drove me to madness that night—I sought out her father and asked for her hand in marriage. Given the wealth and status of our families, Lord Leyton could have rejected me outright. Yet he did not."Jorah's tone carried a subtle pride. "The Hightowers of Oldtown hold fiefdoms that include the city itself—the second-largest port in Westeros—alongside the Citadel, home of the maesters, and the headquarters of the Faith of the Seven. They descend from Garth Greenhand, making them dukes in all but name. Lord Tywin Lannister once proposed his son Tyrion for a Hightower marriage and was almost rudely rejected. I count myself lucky.""Unfortunately," Jorah sighed, "the honeymoon was brief. Lynesse was disappointed with Bear Island: too cold, too wet, too remote. The wooden hall of my family could not compare to her warm and luxurious castle. Life here lacked the masquerade balls, pantomimes, and lavish feasts that a southern lady required. Even wandering singers had to wait years for fur traders to bring them. And the few who came were old, unskilled, and unattractive. The food, too, was monotonous, far below the cuisine of the Reach or Oldtown.""Back then, I thought only of her happiness," he said, a faint blush on his face. "I hired a cook from her homeland, brought bards, gold, silver, and jewelry for celebrations. Every silver coin mattered, and I had to know the prices of nearly every trinket."Dany raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you could estimate the value of that opal bracelet so expertly?"Jorah chuckled wryly, comparing himself to a husband navigating modern shopping festivals for his wife's desires. "I did everything to satisfy her. Her wishes unlocked a potential I had not known—I won the tournament. The Usurper was extravagant, a spendthrift king who loved tournaments. The rewards were generous. That year, I gained not only glory but fifty thousand gold dragons."Dany's eyes widened. "Fifty thousand?" she whispered. Her mind raced, calculating the value. One gold dragon equaled thirty silver moons, one silver moon approximately eight hundred copper coins. Fifty thousand gold dragons were roughly six billion in copper coin equivalence—an unimaginable fortune.Jorah nodded solemnly. "Bear Island could not even generate five thousand gold dragons in a hundred years. Robert's extravagance dwarfed all of our northern economies." He blushed slightly at his comparison to the Mad King.Taking a deep breath, he continued. "With that wealth, I fulfilled Lynesse's every wish. I built her a ship for festivals and feasts. We traveled from Bear Island to Lannisterhaven, Oldtown, King's Landing, Lys, Pentos—and even Braavos."Dany gasped. "From Bear Island to Braavos? That is madness!" The thought of such a perilous voyage over ten thousand kilometers, circumnavigating Westeros, nearly unimaginable conditions, left her stunned.Jorah shrugged, pride and resignation mingling in his tone. "For her, I risked everything. But my life became a series of tournaments, each seeking wealth to satisfy her demands. I never won again, and each defeat cost me a warhorse or a suit of armor, both costly and necessary to maintain honor and life."Dany asked curiously, "How much did a suit of armor and a horse cost?"Jorah's face grew solemn. "A well-trained horse costs at least one gold dragon; my warhorse averaged three. A full plate of armor, four or five. Knights, especially those from trained families like mine, must understand armor as intimately as the lines on a palm. One flaw could be fatal. I had to see my opponent's weaknesses at a glance and prevent them from seeing mine. Inferior armor was a death sentence."He paused, reflecting. "Many tourney knights die—mostly free riders seeking fame and wealth. Rarely do sons of great houses fall; their defenses under lance rules are nearly impervious. One bout I remember: Renly versus the Hound. The Hound's lance sent Renly flying over ten meters, crushed his golden antlered helmet—and yet he rose, waved, and smiled at the cheering crowd. Had his armor been thin, or lining inadequate, he would have been dead or crippled."Dany's curiosity deepened. "What truly distinguishes a free rider from a knight?" she asked softly, eager to hear more.Jorah's gaze lifted to the dragons soaring above the White Cloud City, their scales catching the sunlight. "It is honor, discipline, and skill—both on the battlefield and in life. A free rider fights for coin and fleeting fame; a knight fights for loyalty, for love, for purpose beyond himself. That is what defines the difference."Dany nodded, understanding the weight behind his words. The story of Jorah Mormont was no longer just history—it was courage, devotion, and the harsh reality of a man who risked everything for love, honor, and duty.(End of Chapter)---
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