"It is an acquired taste," he agrees, although it's one he seems to have acquired, since he takes a sip of it just fine.
"Winterfell." Which is a simple explanation, and not a story, and doesn't really mean anything to anyone who's not from Westeros. "Once, centuries ago, there were seven kingdoms, each ruled by one family, to which other families had sworn allegiance. Another family -- not a Westerosi family -- eventually conquered all seven of the kingdoms and brought them under their rule. The families who had been the rulers of each of the seven kingdoms maintained status akin to princes, in that they're still the prominent family in their domain, with authority over it."
He takes another drink of his ale. "My family is one of those families." Technically, his family is both of those families, but that's a different story. "Winterfell is the ancestral seat of the Starks, the wardens of the North. Winterfell is where I learned to use a sword, along with my brothers. The master at arms was charged with our instruction."
no subject
"Winterfell." Which is a simple explanation, and not a story, and doesn't really mean anything to anyone who's not from Westeros. "Once, centuries ago, there were seven kingdoms, each ruled by one family, to which other families had sworn allegiance. Another family -- not a Westerosi family -- eventually conquered all seven of the kingdoms and brought them under their rule. The families who had been the rulers of each of the seven kingdoms maintained status akin to princes, in that they're still the prominent family in their domain, with authority over it."
He takes another drink of his ale. "My family is one of those families." Technically, his family is both of those families, but that's a different story. "Winterfell is the ancestral seat of the Starks, the wardens of the North. Winterfell is where I learned to use a sword, along with my brothers. The master at arms was charged with our instruction."