Re: Maintaining Friendships

[Theomore Tullison]

"
Heirs of age.."
Theomore repeats. "
Will we not be fifty or close enough as makes no matter by that time? Most men tends to find that their bodies urge them to sit and tell stories to their grandchildren at such an age."
He quips as is his wont, though a darker shade of thought crosses his face. "
Sometimes I do question whether or not this is a world that a parent should bring a child into."

[Yoren longshore]

"
Fifty indeed. I fear that this is the only world we can get them into, and it would do them injustice to not let them part take. All we can do is cushion their early years, in the hope of a better future."
Yoren looks up: "
When we grow old we also grow feeble, of both mind and body, is it not better to do like the wildlings? To leave, and not burden our grown children with our presence? Let your children try themselves without us oldies over their shoulder? To not let them witness our descent into feebleness. The fire is always better than the ashes."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
The wildlings do that?"
Interesting. "
I find that if a man past fifty has his wits about him, his experience is invaluable, though more than one house has withered under the failing mind of a lord who insists upon making all the decisions. But one need only look to House Bartheld to see what might happen should the lord suddenly decide to leave his post. Better to let one's heir gradually take over rule while oneself becomes more of a symbolic head I say."

[Yoren longshore]

"
Yes, they often leave when there is little food to be had, when they start to take more than they give. It is easy for them, they just need to know how much they eat compared to how much they have gathered, for us it is harder: For how can we truly know when we have let our minds or our bodies go? We all wither slowly, almost unnoticably from day to day, how can we know when we have fallen too far? Is it when we can no longer lift a sack of oats? Is it when we cannot spend a whole day in the fields? Is it when we can't work to noon? When we make excuses we only deny the truth, it is not long before the younger generation steps forth, when we will not be needed. We might still be useful by giving experience, but ideally we should teach away what we know and be gone before we become a burden. Sooner or later they will have to take over, and I hope I will have the strength of will to leave before I cause suffering. And Barthelds show a problem: We cannot leave our post without planning, if we do it will create chaos."
Yoren leans back: "
But we will need to leave, the question is if we will try to drag our loved ones with us."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
A point well worth considering, a lord needs men he can trust to tell him that his mind is failing while he still retain enough of it to start relinquishing control."
Theomore muses on the subject. "
But stepping down altogether will make everyone start flocking to test his successor as they always do, better to remain in one's high seat while letting one's son gradually speak more and more with one's authority, I think. Make the transition such that once your son is truly lord in name as well as reality, others will already view him as such."

[Yoren longshore]

"
True indeed, if people already have him pegged down as lord, he will not have problems with people following him. The fact that I gradually took over from my father is probably the reason why I didn't have a rebellion on my hands. Few like their lords to think different on matters like religion."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
The realm has had enough trouble with those who share the same faith yet disagree on the finer points."
Theomore doesn't find Yoren's statement difficult to believe. "
I can imagine that disagreement in regards to where prayer is due could be rather more vexing"


"
There has not been too many issues on the subject of faith on your part, I should hope?"

[Yoren longshore]

"
True faith needs curiosity, that's what zealots can't comprehend. Issues on the finer points of faith should be resolved like anything else: By wisdom. In many ways Maegor the cruel had the right of it: Giving a group of men control over both faith and of swords, and you're heading for disaster. Just as if you'd give maesters control over the faith, you'd be set up for disaster."


Looking at Theomore Yoren asks: "
Who is the best king Westeros has ever had?"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
It is difficult to judge, the conqueror forged the realm together, while no king left it in better shape than the conciliator."
Theomore starts as if he was about to weasel out of giving a proper answer. "
But I think I shall merely echo the words of the prince, King Aegon was the sort of king every Targaryen prince would want to be remembered as, while King Jahaerys was the sort of king that their tutors hope to shape them into becoming. With kings like the conciliator, the realm will never again need another conqueror."

[Yoren longshore]

Nodding Yoren raises his glass: "
Spoken more eloquently than I could have put it myself."

[Theomore Tullison]

Quite a few princes, and one princess too, aspired to become conquerors, they would need to be to tackle the war that lay ahead. None of them seemed able to be the conciliator needed to heal the wounds that would come in it's wake. And more's a pity.

"
May we be blessed with more conciliators upon the Iron Throne"
he offers.

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