"Great!" Boris said excitedly. "This pen is much better than using a quill!"
"Thank you, Martha, and thanks for the thoughtful Easter gift! I'm sure Maester Luwin will love this pen!" Bachelor's Assistant Boris couldn't help but laugh as he received the gift.
"I hope Maester Luwin likes it too!" Martha replied with a smile. She then reminded Boris that it was time to take her to see the Director .
Boris carefully put the pen back and took Martha to find Manager Bernard outside the glass greenhouse.
Bernard was the steward of Winterfell, serving the Stark family for nearly thirty years.
Bernard was about fifty years old, dressed in fine silk clothes, with neatly groomed hair, beard, and mustache—just like the manager of a great noble house should be.
After hearing Boris's message, Bernard congratulated little Lilian on her recovery and agreed to exchange the silver deer for the golden dragon.
"Please ask Lord Jason to wait for me outside Winterfell's gates. I'll get the money and be with you shortly," Bernard instructed before he was called back to the glass greenhouse by one of his servants.
After getting Bernard's assurance, Martha quickly went to Jason Liu's shop and told him everything.
"Thank you, Martha! I'll get the money and come with you!" Jason said happily, gathering the 1,000 silver deer he had prepared.
He decided not to exchange the remaining 357 silver deer and left Lena to watch over the shop and look after Michal.
Jason also brought along 10 bars of soap as a gift for Bernard, hoping he'd try them out and maybe buy more in the future.
He followed Martha to the gates of Winterfell.
The walls of Winterfell were thick, built from huge stones that had stood strong for thousands of years. Only such massive stones could survive the harsh winters for so long.
The castle's gate was about 5 meters tall, made of sturdy oak, and painted black. The worn paint showed that it had been there for a very long time.
Two soldiers, fully armored with shields and spears, stood guard on either side of the gate, watching Jason with a mix of suspicion and arrogance.
Jason ignored their wary looks and admired the ancient castle in front of him. According to legend, Winterfell was built thousands of years ago by Brandon the Builder, with the help of giants.
Throughout history, it was home to the Stark family, the Kings in the North, and later the Wardens of the North after King Torrhen Stark submitted to Aegon the Conqueror and his dragons.
Winterfell was built around an ancient godswood and a hot spring. Hot water ran through the walls, making it more comfortable during the brutal northern winters.
Inside its walls, the castle had many areas, including the First Keep, guest quarters, the Ruined Tower, the glass greenhouse, the crypts, the godswood, guard rooms, armory, kennels, stables, Maester's Tower, kitchens, training yard, bell tower, library tower, sept, and the Great Hall.
The castle was a sprawling complex, covering several acres. Only such a grand and ancient structure was fit to be the center of power for the North.
After a moment, Jason saw a man with graying hair, dressed smartly, walking out of the castle. He looked sharp and tidy.
This must be Bernard the steward of Winterfell, with his assistant following closely behind.
Jason noticed that Bernard was the cleanest person he'd seen so far in Winterfell—something quite rare.
The people Jason usually met were poor townsfolk from Bidong Market Town or rough and unkempt traders, often with strong body odor.
"My lord, this is Bernard, the steward of Winterfell," Martha introduced, bringing Jason's thoughts back to the present.
"I'm not a lord, just a humble servant of the Stark family," Bernard responded politely, speaking softly and with great manners, showing the grace expected of a noble house's steward.
He politely dismissed Martha's "lord" title and nodded to Jason. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Jason, the man who crossed the Narrow Sea from the far east, right?"
Jason felt comfortable with Bernard's polite tone, quite different from the rough talk of the traders and townsfolk he'd encountered. He smiled and said, "Good day, Stewad Bernard. It's an honor to meet you. Please pass my respects to the noble Stark family."
When Bernard first saw Jason, he could tell by his clean appearance and refined manners that he was no ordinary person.
In Westeros, where living standards were low, only nobles could afford to raise young people who looked so clean and well-kept.
Now, seeing Jason's dignified response and noble demeanor, Bernard became even more certain that Jason was not just a noble but likely someone of high rank.
Bernard couldn't help but wonder why someone of Jason's status had traveled so far to Westeros, crossing the dangerous Narrow Sea.
But he kept these thoughts to himself, maintaining a friendly smile.
"On behalf of the Stark family, I extend our greetings to you and your family," Bernard said warmly.
Feeling more at ease with Bernard's politeness, Jason handed over the 10 bars of soap he'd brought. "This is a gift, Steward Bernard—soap from my homeland. It's very good for cleaning stains from both the body and clothes."
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