-POV 3rd-
"He is good," said Cersei Lannister during a brief moment of fascination, by the complete change of the bastard of Winterfell, although a large part of her was angry at him.
"Hahaha, Ned did you hear that, even the queen says..." said Robert, mocking his wife who was clearly not thrilled with her husband's remark.
The Warden of the North smiled politely but all the lords of the North were not as reserved as him, notably Greatjon Umber, the lord of the Umber family who was shouting on the side to encourage the white wolf.
"Go on Snow show him how the real men of the North fight"
"Kill him, my uncle" shouted a young man on the side in a rather high-pitched tone.
Robb Arya and Bran who were cheering Jon all turned to the Prince with murderous eyes and most of the northern nobles cast little looks at the kid who looked more like a Lannister than a Baratheon, even the King looked at him with a disappointed look but the queen said:
"My lion this is not a fight to the death"
"Uncle Jaime is not going to kill the bastard?" he asked disappointed
"No" said his mother and the little shit instantly lost the joy that this fight was giving him.
Everyone quickly forgot the little shit to focus on the fight because Jon snatched the shield from Jaime Lannister's hands and he redoubled his efforts to end this fight.
He was about to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent but his sword broke Jaime Lannister laughed and immediately lunged forward to win the victory but at the last moment Jon dodged his blow and trapped his sword-bearing arm with his armpit and before Jaime Lannister could free himself he felt the touch of his neck with the cold of steel.
He let his sword fall and he said:
"I surrender"
-POV MC-
I bowed and I said:
"Thank you for this fight, it was the best of my life, I would surely have lost if you had faced me with real steel"
"I wouldn't say the same, but I hope we can have a rematch one day" he said with a polite smile although boiling inside, he had just lost the only thing he had earned by himself and this in front of everyone... beaten by a bastard.
"Whenever you want, I plan to go back to King's Landing with the royal entourage" I said.
He smiled and nodded
He was still a psychopathic asshole slave to his sister-wife, but deep down he was still someone salvageable even if I doubt Tyrion could say the same if he really knew his brother.
The King came in front of me and said:
"HAHAHAHA JON, JON, JON, you are a formidable fighter you have honored the name you bear so ask me what you want"
"Jon or Snow" I said with a small teasing smile to which he responded with a huge laugh, he said:
"Jon of course"
I also smiled and while planting my remaining sword in the ground I said: "I only want one thing and if you are not able to keep your promise it's okay but...."
He interrupted me by shaking his hand disdainfully and said: "Stop talking nonsense and speak like a man, tell me what you want"
I took a deep breath and I said:
"I would like to no longer be a bastard"
After my statement there was a deadly silence nobody said anything and everyone looked at Robert Baratheon who looked at me with a different expression an expression of a king a true king who had crossed the battlefields and snatched the crown from another to sit on his throne and he said to me:
"Why?"
"Why?" I smiled sadly before saying: "...Your majesty, I am only 14 years old, I am already one of the strongest fighters in this kingdom as you have just seen for yourself, I have already forged 14 links at the citadel and even after all that, I only have three choices in life, a life without any honor in a mercenary company in Essos living from the blood my sword will collect until during a brief moment of inattention I get killed by an arrow fired by a nameless man, take the black and fraternize with rapists, thieves, murderers and traitors and maybe have one or two bastards at the Mole or become a maester and put an end to my lineage"
His smile returned and then I continued by saying: "I am strong, I am fast, I am smart and I know I am special, and more importantly I am a wolf and a wolf does not live chained, a wolf loves his freedom the most..." I let a short moment of silence hover so he listens all and then I finished by saying: "As Snow, I will always be a threat, the man to be killed, the fruit of sin"
"And not as a Stark" almost shouted Catelyn Tully.
'Thank you, you fool, for giving me this opportunity' I thought while casting a sideways glance at the trout who had just asked the question that was going to help me succeed in removing this label of bastard attached to me like a brand made with a red-hot iron.
Everyone turned to her and she blushed with embarrassment seeing her tongue cause her trouble but the king asked me seriously:
"She's right how can you assure as a Stark that you will not steal your brother's birthright?"
I smiled and I said:
"When the snow falls and the icy winds blow, the lone wolf dies..."
"But the pack survives" said the king interrupting me.
Surprised I said: "Yes I see you also know this Stark saying"
"What do you think? I spent many years with your father" he said with a proud smile.
I nodded my head before continuing by saying: "Once a wolf is chased from his pack, he has only two choices become an outcast and finally let himself die or form his own pack" I turned my gaze to look at the imposing building and I said with a dark look:
"Honestly I don't like Winterfell, and to be quite frank with you, in fact I practically hate this place, there is nothing for me in the north that will not be perceived as a threat, so I want to go south to see if I can have something of my own... but it would be practically impossible as being..."
"A bastard" he finished for me.
I nodded and He looked towards my uncle who said nothing after a long moment he shrugged and the king turned to me saying:
"I like you, you remind me a lot of your aunt Lyanna, she had that look you have and dreams like you, so in her name, if you swear to me that you renounce all claims to Winterfell, I will make you a legitimate son of House Stark"
I immediately kneeled on one knee and I said:
"I swear it"
He seemed to have had an idea and he suddenly drew his sword, I had a little pressure wondering if he had finally understood that I was the son of his forever enemy and not of his best friend but he said: "In the name of the Mother the Father the Warrior the Smith the Crone the Maiden and the Stranger, do you swear under the eyes of the gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and all children, to obey your captains, your liege lord and your king, to fight bravely if needed and to perform all other tasks that will fall to you, as hard or humble or perilous as they may be?"
I did not know if it was the fact of finally achieving something in 14 years that Catelyn Tully would sweep away with a simple sarcastic remark but I was excited and nervous my body almost didn't obey me and I barely managed to say:
"I Swear"
"Rise Ser Jon Stark of House Stark"
I stood up in a daze and the majestic king of a second ago returned to his usual self saying:
"Let's celebrate the knighting of the new knight of House Stark... WITH ANOTHER PARTY"
All the men of the north welcomed the news with roars worthy of animals and I felt Arya give me a huge hug shouting "congratulations" others also congratulated me and I relaxed, I participated in this party with a small smile and I thought to myself:
'I can well have fun from time to time'