𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃, ᵍᵒᵗ | ᴊᴏɴ ꜱɴᴏᴡ |

4. Jon Stark, Lord of Winter fell

(2376 words)

One thing that Loteyia liked about Castle Black is its library. It's where Loteyia and Shireen taught Gilly how to read and recognize letters. The library was filled with books on a variety of subjects, and Loteyia spent many hours there, reading and learning. Loteyia is quick learner when it comes to things she takes interest in.

Gilly was a different story, but Loteyia was patient and persistent. She knew that Gilly had never had the opportunity to learn before, and she was determined to help her. Slowly but surely, Gilly began to make progress.

Loteyia sat in front of Gilly and next to Shireen on a old wooden table, while Sam was across the room reading a book about the history of Castle Black.

"Come on, you know this one," Loteyia said with an encouraging tone as she traced the letter S in an educational book. "It looks like an animal."

Gilly furrowed her brow, trying to remember the letter that was in front of her. "Snake..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the page for a clue. Suddenly, her face lit up, and she exclaimed, "Sssnake! S!" She tapped the letter triumphantly, a huge grin spreading across her face. Loteyia and Shireen smiled, and even Sam looked up from his book to offer a congratulatory nod. "It's a S."

"Right, very good." Shireen smiled.

"Huh," Sam said, turning to look at the three girls. "Did you know that the youngest Lord Commander in history, Osric Stark, was elected at the age of 10?" He had a huge grin on his face, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Sam was always a nerd for a good book, and his mind was filled with knowledge that he loved to share with others. He looked at the young ladies, waiting for an reaction.

Gilly looked down at the book she was reading. "I know S," She said with a hint of defeat in her voice.

The two sisters looked back at Gilly. Loteyia placed a comforting hand on Gilly's as she spoke in a soft voice, "You'll learn, I promise." She smiled reassuringly.

"I taught Ser Davos, and old people are terrible at learning new things," Shireen added, her eyes twinkling.

"Well, you're a wonderful teacher," Gilly said with a smile, looking at the young girl in front of her. She looked over at Sam and added, "Very patient." It was clear that the sentence was meant for him. Loteyia smiled as she looked over at Sam, who was staring at Gilly.

"I only said that the more time that you spend practicing, the faster you'll be able to read." He tried to redeem himself. Gilly rolled her eyes, "That's all right. We're doing just fine."

"I'm sure you and Ostrich Stark have a lot to talk about," Loteyia bantered, smiling at the arguing 'couple'. Sam turned back to his book in defeat, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"How old were you guys when you learned to read?" Gilly asked the two sisters.

"Three," Shireen said with a proud smile.

"Five," Loteyia replied, looking at Gilly with curiosity.

"Really?" Sam turned around to face them, clearly listening in on their conversation. "Who taught you guys?" he questioned, looking at them with interest.

"Old Maester Cressen did," Loteyia answered, looking at Sam with a small smile. She remembered the old man's wrinkled face and kind eyes. His voice was always calm and soothing, making it easy for her to understand what he was teaching.