"Kingdoms are not ruled by kind compassion, nor by law and order. They're not even ruled by kings and queens and courts of ostentatious pomposity. Rule is established by the sword, it is maintained by the sword and it is the best swordsman that decides the destiny of kingdoms.
I was born to a minor noble house and climbed a stair of severed heads to stand beside the throne.
Each person wants to believe that their own kingdom is righteous and those that oppose it are the villains. This concept makes me laugh. Righteousness is a convenience of those protected by swords like mine. It does not survive cold, it does not survive hunger, and it certainly does not survive steel.
However hated I am, the wealth and power that will be enjoyed by my progeny will far outweigh it. This world holds no memory of us. We live, we make choices and we die. My choice is to stand and fight and take whatever I can. Write that down in your book, scribe"