Chapter 317: Thrones and Dominions

From the Most Prophetic Words

of the author George RR Martin,

writer and lyricist of life,

a cruising Prophet of the human Affairs:

Never forget what you are,

for surely the world will not.

Make it yourself.

Then it can never be your weakness.

Armor yourself with it,

and it will never be used to hurt.

***

The man who passes the sentence

should swing the sword.

If you would take a man's life,

you owe it to him to look into his eyes

and hear his final words.

And if you cannot bear to do that,

then perhaps the man

does not deserve to die.

***

What is honor compared to a woman's love?

What is duty against the feel of a newborn

in your arms . . . or the memory

of a brother's smile?

Wind and words. Wind and words.

We are only human,

and the gods fashioned us for love.

That is our great glory,

and our great tragedy.

***

'What do we say to the Lord of Death?'

'Not today.'

***

'Oh, my sweet summer child,'

Old Nan said quietly,

'what do you know of fear?

Fear is for the winter, my little lord,

when the snow falls a hundred feet deep

and the ice wind comes howling

out of the north.

Fear is for the long night,

when the sun hides its face for years at a time,

and little children are born and live and die

all in darkness while the direwolves

grow gaunt and hungry, and the white

walkers move through the woods.

***

My brother has his sword,

King Robert has his warhammer

and I have my mind . . .

and a mind needs books as a sword

needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.

That's why I read so much Jon Snow.

***

Life is not a song, sweetling.

Soneday you may learn that, to your sorrow.

***

'The common people pray for rain,

 healthy children, and a summer that

never ends,' Ser Jorah told her.

'It is no matter to them if the high lords

play their game of thrones, so long as

they are left in peace.'

He gave a shrug.

"They never are."

***

A Craven can be as brave as any man,

when there is nothing to fear.

And we all do our duty,

when there is no cost to it.

How easy it seems then,

to walk the path of honor.

Yet soon or late in every man's life

comes a day when it is not easy,

a day when he must choose.

***

Opening your eyes is all that is needing.

The heart lies and the head plays

tricks with us, but the eyes see true.

Look with your eyes.

Hear with your ears.

Taste with your mouth.

Smell with your nose.

Feel with your skin.

Then comes the thinking, afterward,

and in that way knowing the truth.

From the First Book of A Song of Fire

and Ice Series, "A Game of Thrones"

<3 <3 <3

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This Chapter is sponsored by Puma.