#maester

Because even vague references to Maester Aemon are important to me.

From Ultimate X-Men Vol. 2 #014

Art by Peach Momoko

Qyburn, Lord Qyburn, Master of Whisperers to Queen Regent Cersei, The Bloody Maester.

"Terrible times breed terrible things, My Lord."

If the Citadel feels like the Freys are trying to do something to compromise their neutrality, they could easily find ways to stop them. Since Archmaesters are responsible for graduating their acolyte, they could not grant them links on their chains, forcing them to remain as novices or acolyte. Alternatively, as the Seneschal governs the Citadel, he may expel the boys for any reason he sees fit.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

The maester waited until the door had closed behind him before he spoke.

“My lord,” he said to Ned, “pardon for disturbing your rest. I have been left a message.”

Ned looked irritated. “Been left? By whom? Has there been a rider? I was not told.”

“There was no rider, my lord. Only a carved wooden box, left on a table in my observatory while I napped.

“My servants saw no one, but it must have been brought by someone in the king’s party. We have had no other visitors from the south.”

“A wooden box, you say?” Catelyn said.

“Inside was a fine new lens for the observatory, from Myr by the look of it. The lenscrafters of Myr are without equal.”

Ned frowned. He had little patience for this sort of thing, Catelyn knew. “A lens,” he said. “What has that to do with me?”

“I asked the same question,” Maester Luwin said. “Clearly there was more to this than the seeming.”

Under the heavy weight of her furs, Catelyn shivered. “A lens is an instrument to help us see.”

“Indeed it is.” He fingered the collar of his order; a heavy chain worn tight around the neck beneath his robe, each link forged from a different metal.

Catelyn could feel dread stirring inside her once again. “What is it that they would have us see more clearly?”

“The very thing I asked myself.” Maester Luwin drew a tightly rolled paper out of his sleeve.