Jon POV

The ship had been docked at the harbour for a few hours now as some guards came over to inspect the cargo onboard. They were quite thorough in their checks, ensuring not a single item was left alone and that everything was written down on the parchment they all carried. Jon wished to leave and explore the city and mayhaps see if he can find some work because whatever coin he had was not infinite. Teregeo was adamant on him remaining by his side for a short while at the very least, promising to bring him to a feast held by the Sealord of Braavos himself, and should he prove to be adept with a blade then a position as a personal guard.

The bastard of Winterfell did not have much choice after the kindness Teregeo was showing him, not to mention the fact he was a complete stranger in a foreign land, so it was best to be around a somewhat familiar face for the time being. Once the inspection was done, they were free to proceed from the boat as Teregeo began to give him a tour of the famous city. Jon was truly in awe of what his eyes were seeing, Braavos was not your traditional city where it was all one land mass, but rather it was sprawled across one hundred different islands in a vast lagoon.

Teregeo told him of how they were currently on Sellegaro's Shield, one of the seaward islands that helped protect the Braavosi in case of an invasion from the narrow sea by forming a semi-circle around the city with their tall mountains. He was shown where the Titan of Braavos' left leg formed from the tip of the northeaster mountainside. They were west of the Downed Town and Ragman's Harbor, the former being mostly submerged in water, but he could still make out some towers and was surprised to learn that some people still lived there.

The latter of which was southeast of the Drowned Town was a harbour open to all manner of foreign ships unlike the Purple Harbor that was intended for the use of the locals. Teregeo told him how it was dirtier and much poorer in comparison to the Purple Harbor, yet many from a variety of backgrounds made a decent living from there. Taverners, whores, mummers, bakers and even beggars were welcomed there without prejudice and Jon was intrigued when he was informed that they even had their own trade tongue, a pidgin developed from over a dozen different languages.

The nearby mainland was mostly marshland and as they continued deeper into Braavos, he was shown the Arsenal just beyond the Titan. A shipyard sat upon a knob of rock, fortified by stone battlements and bristling with scorpions, spitfires and trebuchets. Jon had learnt about the infamous Arsenal of Braavos from maester Luwin, it was where the defence fleet of Braavos was housed and it was said that they could build an entire war galley in a single day. Teregeo had a look of pride on his face as he told him that it was true they could build a war galley in a single day and it was all because of the fact all war galleys were the same design, thereby allowing shipbuilders to work on different parts at the same time, making the process more efficient.

Teregeo offered to take him to his home so he could freshen up for the feast in the evening held at the Sealord's palace. Jon accepted gratefully and followed the Braavosi trader to his home in the north-eastern district, not too far from the Sealord's palace as they were in the same vicinity. Once they had reached his quite luxurious home, Teregeo had his servants run him a bath with some scented oils, but when Jon requested that the water be scalding hot the servants and Teregeo gave him queer looks yet accepted the request.

Jon understood why they would give him such looks, it was not normal to enjoy bathing in water that would burn the skin. However, ever since he was a little boy whenever he would bathe in the hot springs he would always go to the furthest springs beneath Winterfell itself. The water there was so hot that it would bubble and boil, yet to Jon it felt soothing in a way that a regular hot bath could never. When his father found out where he was bathing due to one of the servants seeing him delve deeper than what was usually allowed, he had looked as if he had been struck before demanding that Jon bathe in the regular springs like everyone else.

Jon was confused at first but seeing the worried looks on his face agreed to his father's wishes, but secretly he kept going to the boiling springs, ensuring that no one could see him to report back to Ned Stark. He never understood why he was able to bare such temperatures and never thought of it being out of the ordinary.

"When you have finished bathing Jon, I will have some clean clothes sent for you to wear to the feast" said Teregeo.

"What's wrong with the clothes I have?"

"No offence my friend, but we are going to a feast in the Sealord's place and I will not have my personal guest looking like he finished a days shift at Ragman's Harbor."

"My clothes aren't that bad…"

"Oh please Jon Snow, I have seen bakers that dress better than you."

"Hey, my clothes are practical."

"Exactly my point, now go with the servants to bathe and wear the clothes I send up for you. This is not negotiable."

The young bastard had no choice but to agree and followed the servants to a chamber that was mostly empty save for a large pool that was void of water at the moment in the centre of the room. There was two compartments to the pool, one looked like a small tub and the other was the main area which was big enough for five people to comfortably swim. He wondered if they had a piping system similar to that of Winterfell as water began to fill up from the bottom and he knew it was just as he liked when copious amounts of steam was released. The servants left the room shortly after the water began to fill up the pool.

They returned a few moments later as the water was full to the brim, parts of the pool had water boiling over the edge. The servants had different bottles of oils and started the process of dumping them in to the main pool area causing an aromatic atmosphere. He could smell hints of citrus with a hint of some tree spice that he could not quite put his finger on. They did not even bother asking him whether he wished to bathe alone or with assistance as the two female servants began to undress him without his permission.

Jon was shocked into silence and blushed heavily when his nether regions were exposed for them to see. They both looked towards his cock and he saw their eyes widen slightly before giving him matching smirks before directing him into the smaller tub. Both servants were comely and young, mayhaps a few years older than him at most. Once he was sat in the soothing water they both proceeded to wash him ensuring to scrub every inch of skin raw until it was bright red, he had to manoeuvre a lot so they could clean him without burning themselves. However, one of the girls let out a yelp when she came into contact with the water and held her hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked out of concern.

"H-how are you able to bare the heat?" she squeaked out.

"It does not feel that hot to me."

"Go and get your hand under some cold water Marna" ordered the other servant.

Jon did not know what to say as the servant left and he could have sworn he saw some tears building up in her eyes. The remaining servant, who he learnt was called Sara continued to scrub him as though nothing had happened. She asked him to stand up so she could clean the bottom half of his body making him blush even greater than before when they stripped him.

"Erm, uh y-you don't have to my lady. I can do the rest."

"No offence my lord, but Lord Teregeo has ordered me to make sure that you are properly cleaned and I will do as he says."

"B-but…"

"There is no need to be so prude my lord, I am only doing my job."

"It is still inappropriate my lady."

"How so?"

"Well… it is not right for me to be so exposed in front of a lady."

"Once again my lord, I am only going to wash you as instructed. It is not as though I'm going to bed you."

A few more moments of back and forth and he finally gave in, using his hands trying to protect his modesty to some degree but not even both his hands were big enough to completely cover his cock. She let out a small laugh at what he was doing and then shook her head in amusement as she cleaned his legs. The worst part of it all was her touch was so delicate and it was the first time he had ever experienced the touch of a woman, even if it was not in a sexual manner and it showed when his cock began to throb and slowly erect to full length.

"It seems someone cannot control themselves" she teased.

"I… err… I apologise my lady" Jon sputtered.

"There's no need and call me Sara… I insist."

"Aye… erm Sara."

"Now my lord, please remove your hands."

"WHAT!"

"Lord Teregeo did command me to ensure you were completely clean."

She slapped his hands away and washed his erect cock with her bare hands and Jon wished that he was dead. The worst thing was she maintained eye contact and Jon had never felt so shy in his life, as much as he tried to avoid eye contact he could not stop staring into those hazel orbs. She was very thorough and Jon was praying to every God he could think of, even the seven that it would be over soon and he would not embarrass himself by spilling his seed.

Thankfully she was done a few moments later and he could release a sigh of relief that he had not made a fool of himself. She could not stop giving him that smile full of mischief and he was sure his cheeks were still a bright red.

"You may relax in the big pool Lord Jon, should you need anything and I mean anything, then do not hesitate to call for me."

"As…as you say my, I mean Sara" he replied as she turned to walk away but he stopped her before she could leave.

"There is something you can do for me Sara."

"Oh and what is that my lord?"

"I would like for you to call me Jon for I am no lord."

"As you wish… Jon."

She left and Jon entered the pool, instantly feeling his weary muscles relax immediately. He let out a content sigh and contemplated what he would do next. Teregeo was willing to offer him a position as a guard, but Jon wished to travel extensively throughout Essos and that would not be possible with the duties of a guard for Teregeo. The Braavosi only travelled from his home to Westeros for trade as he despised slavery with a passion given that his own father was a slave who managed to flee from chains. Thus he refused to trade with any of the slave cities or even the free cities for they still practiced slavery in all but name.

Jon was horrified when he was told that many of the free cities such as Pentos had managed to find a loophole in regards to owning slaves. They would not actively buy or sell humans, but the servants that they would employ would owe a debt to their masters from the cost of being clothed, fed and housed. The price the magisters expected for such amenities far exceeded that of which they paid them for employment and therefore the debt they owed would just increase the longer they serve. An endless cycle of slavery under the guise of benevolence, it just made Jon sick to the core that people could enslave their fellow man without any remorse.

Braavos had a strict policy against all forms of slavery and not even the Iron bank, the single largest suppository in the known world would take part in such a disgusting practice. He remembered reading one of the books in Winterfell's vast library about the history and origins of Braavos.

Unlike all of the other free cities of Essos, Braavos was never a part of the Valyrian Freehold and was founded by escaped slaves, making it the youngest of such cities. According to the book, the slaves rebelled against their masters when being transported from Valyria to a new colony being established in Sothoryos, taking control of the ships and heading north instead of south. Supposedly some slave women from Jogos Nhai known as moonsingers predicted where they could find shelter.

The slaves travelled to present day Braavos, finding the lagoon and realising it could be hidden from the sight of any dragonlord from above due to the wall of hills covered with pine trees and the fog encasing the lagoon. Risking their own lives for freedom, the founders of Braavos swore a solemn vow that no one in their city would ever be a slave, thrall or bondsman. This vow became the first law of Braavos and was engraved on the arch spanning the long canal, which Jon hoped he would be able to visit.

The exact founding date of the city is unknown and the city was kept a secret for over a century according to Maester Yandel who reported that Sealord Uthero Zalyne sent his ships to all corners of the world to proclaim the existence and location of Braavos during what became known as the uncloaking of Uthero during the one hundred and eleventh festival celebrating the founding of the city. However, it is commonly accepted that the location of Braavos was still kept a secret for another few centuries.

"Are you finished bathing Jon" spoke a voice out of nowhere.

"Huh…"

He turned around to find Sara behind him with a clean towel in hand, along with some fresh garments that were a darkish, charcoal grey colour. She placed the clothes on the rack by the side and put the towel by the side of the pool for him. A clean pair of leather boots were brought for him aswell that was better quality than any other pair of boots he had ever owned in his life.

"Lord Teregeo awaits for you to finish bathing, he is sat in the main courtyard."

"Th-thank you Sara."

She left once more and Jon wanted nothing more than to crawl into a ditch and wait to die an agonisingly slow death for it would surely be better than his inability to speak to a woman without constantly stuttering like a green boy still at his mother's teat. As loathe as he was to admit it, he was admittedly a novice when it came to interacting with the opposite gender in any way and it all stemmed from the fact he was a bastard. There was no point in Jon having any sort of familiarity with them because he had nothing to offer a woman. No name, no land and no wealth.

The only thing he could offer a woman was a bastard of his own and he had sworn long ago that he would never father a bastard of his seed. No child of his would have to suffer the life of being born out of wedlock and endure the taunts from their trueborn counterparts for a crime not of their own making. Not to mention the hardship of trying to find a place of their own in this cruel world, especially when they would not have the privilege of growing up in a castle like him and be afforded a lordly education.

Jon shook his head in exasperation at the fact he was brooding again at a time when it was not convenient. Robb always did say that he brooded too much to enjoy life and mayhaps he was right, but it was not as though he went out of his way to brood, it was just simply who he was as a person.

Jon dried himself off quickly with the towel provided and began to dress himself, feeling awkward almost at the fact he was wearing such high quality clothing. He looked in the mirror and had to marvel at how simple yet refined the clothes truly were and had to commend Teregeo's taste. He opted to leave his hair undone, allowing his wild curls to flow to his shoulders. As much as he could care less for his appearance in general, Jon had to admit he was always vain when it came to his hair.

The young bastard made his way out of the chambers to find another servant waiting for him, a man that was probably in his early forties and sported an olive complexion. The servant guided him to the courtyard where his benefactor was waiting patiently for him to arrive, he had similar garments on as Jon with the only real difference being his clothes were a blue so dark that they looked black.

"Ah my friend, you look so much better already."

"Aye, thank you for your hospitality my lord."

"Nonsense, it is the least I can do for you and it is just Teregeo to you my young friend."

"Aye… Teregeo."

"Good good, now let us make haste to the Sealord's palace, I have a carriage waiting for us outside."

They were about to take their leave when Jon suddenly remembered that he did not have his sword with him and asked Teregeo if he could have a servant retrieve it for him. The Braavosi merely stared at him for a few seconds before breaking into laughter at Jon's request. He felt a sliver of anger that he would laugh at him so openly over a fair request. Jon was not the type of person to leave his personal safety in the hands of others or be caught unaware due to a lack of preparation.

"Trust me my friend when I say that you will be safer without your blade than with it."

"What are you talking about?"

"We will be at the feast, drinking until late and you do not want to be armed in Braavos at night especially when you are drunk."

"I can hold my drink and control myself, I wont be fighting anyone I swear it."

"You may not have a choice young Jon. You see in Braavos when night falls, should any man walk the streets armed he will be challenged to a duel by a Bravo."

"A Bravo?"

"They are swordsmen who wish to prove their mettle by any means necessary, picking a fight with little to no cause."

"I can handle myself."

"That may be so, but the Bravo are highly skilled and these duels are often to the death and I have no intention of letting you suffer an untimely end as my guest."

Jon had to concede and accepted that he would not have a sword at his hip for this evening, but a small part of him that was his pride felt irked that he was not going to have the chance to duel proper swordsmen and truly test his own skillset.

A few hours later

They had been at the feast for a while and Jon had to say never in his life had he seen such a spread of food in any feast at Winterfell. A lot of the food was of the sea, from oysters, eels, clams and lobster, which he had instantly taken a liking to as it was simply divine with the melted butter. There was live music and to his shock many courtesans were at the feast leaving him confused why the Sealord would allow such people at his feast.

When he asked Teregeo this, the man told him to keep his tone quiet lest anyone hear him disparage the courtesans, who were held in high regard by the Braavosi to the point many men would kill one another for their favour. Teregeo narrated a story to him of how a man was once killed by a Bravo when he said that his wife was more beautiful than the nightingale, one of the most prominent courtesan's in the city. The man was not even speaking to the Bravo but rather his own friend, but the incensed swordsman was within earshot and heard it.

No one in the city even batted an eye over it as it was the norm for a man to be killed without consequences for what was in Jon's opinion words that were harmless and meant nothing. The man had left behind a wife and a young daughter with no means to support themselves, all because he said the wrong words. As much as he marvelled at how Braavos was more tolerant and forward thinking than many in Westeros, they still had queer customs and practices that he did not think he would ever truly understand.

The night wore on and Jon had to say the Braavosi were a lot more welcoming than a lot of Westerosi as he conversed with a lot of people who did not judge him for being a foreigner. Wine was continued to flow as people drunk freely without any care, but Jon had to be careful with how much he drank as he had no wish to make a fool of himself. A warm feeling passed through him and he was sure his cheeks were flushed, which was sign that he needed to slow down given that he was only used to having a cup of wine at special occasions.

A guard came over and conversed shortly with Teregeo in a hushed manner. He saw the man look to him briefly, taking in his appearance in an almost nonchalant way. Teregeo ended the conversation by simply nodding as the man looked to him once more for a split second before walking away.

"Jon I want you to come with me" ordered Teregeo, the man had drunk more than most yet he looked completely sober.

"Where are we going?"

"The Sealord wishes to speak with you."

"W-what, why would he wish to speak with me?"

"I have no clue my friend, but it would not do well for us to keep him waiting."

They walked to the main table which was placed on a dais overlooking the hall. The Sealord was seated in the middle and had a few men seated on either side of him. Each and every one of them had to be affluent in some way if they were given such honourable seating. All of them were of different backgrounds given the contrast in skin tones, however one of them stood out to him.

He was the youngest of them by far, not too much older than Jon himself and whereas the rest of them were dark of hair the boy had the typical valyrian features. Silver-gold hair coupled with pale skin and had eyes so blue they looked purple. They all continued to watch him as he walked with Teregeo to the high table and copied him when he gave a low bow out of respect.

"Teregeo my friend, I am glad to see that you were able to make it today."

"It was an honour to be here my lord."

"I see you have brought a friend along with you… what is your name young man?"

"Jon Snow my lord."

"Snow… a Westerosi surname for bastards in the North."

"Aye… my lord" Jon replied with a bit of hesitance.

"Have no fear my boy, bastards are not alienated here in Braavos" he replied almost as if he could sense Jon's internal worry.

"Who is your father young man?" the Sealord questioned and Jon contemplated telling a lie but decided it was not worth it.

"Eddard Stark my lord."

"As in Lord Eddard Stark, the warden of the North?" he asked as the men around him muttered to each other in intrigue.

"Correct my lord."

"Why would the son of the warden of the North be in Braavos?" asked the boy with Valyrian colouring, leaning forward in interest.

"I have come to seek my own path in life..."

"Does your father even know you are here my boy?" interrupted the Sealord.

"No my lord."

"Did he even allow you to leave Winterfell?"

"No my lord" Jon answered as he felt his throat dry up as fear began to set at the prospect of being sent back home before he could even begin his journey.

"Hmm I can see you have no intentions of returning home anytime soon and I will respect your wishes and allow you to remain here in Braavos."

"Thank you my lord."

"You did not allow me to finish, should your father ask for your whereabouts I will not lie and should he ask that you be brought back to Winterfell… well I will fulfil his request. Braavos has a good relationship with your fathers kingdom thanks to the trade deal negotiated a few years ago and I will not jeopardise that."

"I understand my lord and I thank you for your hospitality."

"Go enjoy yourself young man. Teregeo you stay behind, we must speak."

Jon thanked the ruler of Braavos once more with a respectful bow and turned around to make his way back to his seat. As he walked back he felt as though there was someone watching him and out of instinct turned back to the high table to see that the boy with Valyrian features staring at him with an almost contemplative look.

The night continued to pass as Teregeo returned to where they were seated a few moments later. Jon continued to drink lightly as he observed the people around him and learnt more about Braavos. The music livened up and lots of people started to get up and dance in pairs, but Jon was not the biggest fan of dancing due to the fact he could not dance in the slightest. Lady Stark did not allow him to learn when Robb and Sansa were taught how to do so during a lesson on ballroom etiquette.

Jon knew that once his father learns that he boarded a ship from White Harbor to Braavos, he will have a message sent immediately for his return and the Sealord had told him bluntly that he would do as his father wished. This only further increased his resolve to leave Braavos and travel throughout Essos, but he needed to find a way to earn coin to support himself. That is when he decided he would join a mercenary company, he could earn coin whilst truly experiencing battle and could travel to different parts of Essos with the different contracts offered.

All that Jon needed now was to find a mercenary company to join and if he remembered correctly the disputed lands was where most mercenary companies were situated due to the constant conflict in the region. The bastard in Jon wished for him to join either the golden company or the company of the rose as both were created by illegitimate sons like himself. He did not know which one to join as one was created by a northerner and was full of northerners but the other was the most famous sellsword company to exist and had the best reputation.

"Jon Snow" came a voice from behind breaking him out of his stupor.

"Yes" he replied only to come face to face with the Valyrian looking boy from earlier.

"If It is not too much bother…I was wondering if you would indulge me in your knowledge of the North for I have long wished to travel to the land of our western neighbours."

"Uhh sure my lord…"

"Please just call me by my name. I am Daemon and just like yourself I am no lord."

"As you say… Daemon."

"Come, I think it best if we walk in the gardens and talk, with this noise we would have to shout to hear one another."

Usually Jon would not walk with a stranger he had barely met, but the alcohol was numbing any form of cognitive thinking and he followed the boy out to the hallway and in to the garden. There was a light breeze and many of the stars could be seen twinkling against the night sky.

"So… what do you wish to know about the North?"

"What is it like there, I have heard that the North is almost a separate kingdom from the south of Westeros."

"Aye, in a way I suppose it is. The North is the largest of the seven kingdoms, larger than the rest put together yet is the least populous due to the harsh way of life."

"Harsh in what way?"

"The North is always covered in snow and it is freezing cold. Where other kingdoms may enjoy the scorching sun, us northerners have to deal with summer snows."

"It snows there even during summer?" he asked in complete disbelief.

"Aye" Jon laughed out.

"What are the people like in the north?"

"They are a hardy bunch, completely stubborn but loyal to their own."

"Even in Essos we have heard of their loyalty to House Stark and how out of the rebel forces they were the only ones to have all their banners marching with no dissent amongst their ranks."

"Aye like I said loyal to their own."

They continued to walk as Jon told him more of the North and their customs in comparison to the southern kingdoms. Jon asked him why he was so curious about Westeros and he wondered if he had offended the lad with how quiet he had gone and stared out in to the distance.

"My mother's family originated from Westeros and it was always their wish to return one day, but now I am the last of them. I hope to fulfil their wish by leaving for Westeros even if it is but a brief visit."

Jon wished to pry further but thought against it as it was not his place to ask such personal questions. They continued to walk through the gardens and Jon felt the need to sleep after the day's events.

"Where will you be going next then?"

"What do you mean?"

"You do not need to play coy with me Jon, the moment Ferrego said he would send you back North should your father wish it, I knew you would not remain here for long."

"You have the right of it Daemon."

"Where will you go."

"I plan to join a mercenary company."

"Oh… do you have any in mind?"

"It is between the company of the rose or the golden company as of right now, but I am open to joining another should it be the right fit."

"Makes sense, one is northern and the other is the most reputed. But why join a mercenary company? You look younger than me and I am merely six and ten name days."

"I wish to travel throughout Essos but to do so I will need coin and what better way than to fight for it."

"You are very young, I doubt any mercenaries would take a green boy" said Daemon.

"I am no green boy" Jon replied in a tone of indignation.

"Have you ever been in battle or even taken a life?"

"I have not experienced battle, but aye I've taken a life before… I had to kill three men who wished to rob me as I made my way to White Harbor."

"At least you won't shit yourself at the prospect of killing then."

"I have watched my father carry out executions since I was a swaddling babe, I am no stranger to death."

"Battle itself is a completely different thing to killing a few brazen thieves."

"I know."

"When will you be leaving Braavos then."

"On the morrow, I wish to make good time on reaching the disputed lands and join as soon as I can."

"How fortuitous, my retinue leaves on the morrow for Volantis and we will pass by the disputed lands so you may join us."

"Thank you Daemon, but there is no need."

"I insist, you have indulged me with tales of Westeros so it is only right that I return the favour and besides you wish to travel to the disputed lands… alone as a stranger in a foreign land. You will be killed almost instantly after being robbed."

"I can handle myself Daemon."

"I do not doubt it, but the disputed lands are dangerous with the constant fighting and even more dangerous for a young lad who is alone with no knowledge of the surrounding area."

"Very well Daemon" Jon conceded after thinking it through and realising he was right.

"Make sure you are by the Iron bank tomorrow at two hours past noon."

Jon nodded his head in acceptance as they made their way back to the feast. Teregeo was ready to leave an hour later when he was finally drunk. They made their way back to their carriage to be transported back to his home. The Braavosi was in a good mood as he kept humming some tune endlessly and to be fair he had a decent voice.

Once they arrived back, some servants escorted him to the guests chambers to sleep for the night, but Jon was too excited to sleep so soon. On the morrow would be his final journey to the start of a new beginning and he would make the most of it so when he dies one day it will be as a content man.

AUTHORS NOTE

If you wish to read ahead or support me so i can write more regularly go to my pa tr eon: DragonKingSH