Daenerys seemed to find this even more surprising than the account she had just heard of how Ser Bartimus had lost his leg.
She had been listening quietly, but when Wylfield mentioned that he still retained his knighthood, she quickly turned to her, undisguised surprise in her eyes, and said softly, "A knight from the North? That certainly is rare, but not unheard of, is it?"
"I remember Duke Arthur has a man in his service who was already a knight from the North. I think his name is Jorah, a member of House Mormont. Eddard exiled him across the Narrow Sea for selling slaves, and now he serves as one of Duke Arthur's stewards."
She paused, then frowned slightly and continued, "But given Ser Bartimus's current physical condition, isn't he already unable to fulfill a knight's duties? By rights, shouldn't he have been stripped of his knighthood?"
Wylfield shook her head gently, as though she had expected Daenerys to ask that.
She drew her hand back from beside her wine cup and explained calmly, "Knighthood isn't something that can simply be taken away, Princess Daenerys. Unless a knight commits a serious crime, breaks his vows, or rebels against the lord he serves, he can retain his title even if he is disabled, so long as the knight who dubbed him has no wish to pursue the matter."
"Besides, Ser Bartimus is getting on in years, and the knight who dubbed him died long ago. Though he can no longer charge into battle on horseback, he is still responsible for the defenses of the Wolf's Den prison, the watch rotations at White Harbor's port, and acting authority over New Castle."
"He can still help House Manderly defend the city and oversee White Harbor's most important affairs for my grandfather. Those