Nymeria's War (ongoing fanfiction)

Stigz_52

Hey, sorry it's late. I've been in a pretty sorry place at the moment, as well as being super busy. Just glad I found the time to get this bit done, so I'm glad you liked it

WildlingKing

It's alright Good to have you back!

LiquidChicagoTed

Wow, this was a great H&L! I've said it before and I say it again, Forovos is a very interesting guy. Thanks to this H&L, he got a little less mysterious, but even more fascinating in return. So if I see this correctly, he is a former Faceless Man, which explains the skills we've seen in the chapter finale. It explains a lot about him, his motivations and his past. I greatly appreciate this look at him and I look forward to see more of him in the story

WildlingKing

Heeey, I'm not going to close the voting of the Naemon part yet, in case someone still wants to vote, but I have a new part for you - Gwendis PoV! Also, don't forget to read the Forovos H&L above^^

-

Gwendis

It was a calm and sunny afternoon, and Gwendis was sitting in the garden with two of her handmaidens –Tanya and Lysa. These two had been chosen to come with her to Skyreach when she’d leave, as well as Ser Thomos the Thunder. Ser Thomos was the commander of the Kingsguard, so it seemed odd to Gwendis that he had been chosen. He wanted to believe it was her father wanting his best knight to guard her, but at this point she couldn’t be sure of his motives.

King Garrison’s agreement to Benedict’s proposal had arrived almost a week ago, and just in couple days the convoy would leave to escort Gwendis to Skyreach – if the scouts would report the road to be safe enough. The army had marched away, and Blackmont was now emptier than it had been in years. Ser Kegan was gone, as well as most of the Kingsguard and the household guard. Naemon was also still on his mission, though a raven from him had arrived couple days ago – he was safely in Starfall, which was a huge relief to Gwendis.

“I’d say Noctis is the scariest of them.” Gwendis heard Lysa say as she concentrated her attention to conversation of her handmaidens again. “Or perhaps the one with red eyes and white hair, I don’t know his name.” There was certain disgust and even fear in Lysa’s tone, but Gwendis still had to wonder if this was a good subject for casual conversation. Then again, Lysa was a fourteen-year-old girl who had no personal experience with these sorcerers, aside from seeing them on the hallways now and then.

“I don’t like the dark-haired girl, what was her name again… Alisa?” Tanya spoke with a fake shudder. “Aisha.” Gwendis corrected her casually, and Tanya nodded to her. “Yes, she has this… cold stare, like she is planning to murder you.” The handmaiden chuckled at her own words, and Lysa joined the laughter. Gwendis didn’t laugh, but she gave Tanya a polite smile.

“What do you think they do in the dark chambers?” Lysa asked, her voice full of curiosity. “No one knows, except my father.” Gwendis answered calmly. “And soon you won’t have to think about that anymore – there aren’t dark chambers or sorcerers in Skyreach.” The Princess tried to steer the conversation to another direction, but with no success.

“Yes, my Princess, but aren’t you at all intrigued?” Asked Lysa. “I mean, there is probably right now happening some kind of… magic, right here in Blackmont.” The girl had a smile on her face, but Gwendis had hard time replicating it to her.

“Magic is what ruined my father.” She replied quietly, and the smile died down on Lysa’s face. “Oh… I- I’m so sorry, my Princess, I…”

“It’s okay.” Gwendis cut off her handmaiden softly. “Let’s just talk about something else.”

However, before they could continue the conversation, three people walked to the garden, approaching Gwendis and her handmaidens. They were Benedict, Lyla and Ser Thomos. The King walked in the middle, his eyes focused on Gwendis, steady but somehow uncertain look on them.

“Go to my chambers, I’ll come soon after you.” Gwendis said calmly, and her handmaidens obeyed immediately. Lysa and Tanya skittered out of the garden, whispering to each other as they went. At the same time Benedict, Lyla and Thomos arrived to Gwendis.

“Thomos, Lyla, guard the entrances.” Benedict said with a tired but strong voice. Ser Thomos bowed and followed the order immediately, whereas Lyla prolonged her leaving with one sharp stare towards Gwendis. When the two had left for their posts, Benedict sat to the bench, right next to Gwendis. There was something weird about it, Gwendis couldn’t remember the last time she had been alone with her father like this.

“What do you want?” Gwendis asked quietly, with genuine interest. Her father gulped, turning his stare to the pavement. “I… wanted to ask for your forgiveness.” He said, his voice surprisingly fragile. Gwendis was at a loss of words, she didn’t know how to react to this, so Benedict continued himself. “I know I haven’t been a good father to you, or your brother. Hell, I have hardly been a father at all.” Benedict let out a deep sigh as he said this, and it took him a moment to find his composure again. “Before you go, I want you to know that it was never your fault, or Naemon’s. It was my own weakness, my own mistakes.” Gwendis saw her father turn to look at her, deep sadness in his eyes. Gwendis gulped, searching for words.

“I’m sorry for what I did… I shouldn’t have acted behind your back.” She said, but her father shook his head. “No, Gwendis, I understand why you did it, and I don’t blame you for it.” He said, clumsily placing his hand on Gwendis’ shoulder and stroking her. Gwendis could feel the tears coming to her eyes. This is the father I lost long ago.

“Why now?” She asked, her voice cracking. “Why do you do this now, after ignoring me and Naemon for so many years?” Gwendis could see that her question hurt Benedict, and she wasn’t sure if she felt sorry for him or not.

“I don’t know.” Benedict answered, his words were powerless and the look on his eyes was defeated. “But you have always been the most important thing to me in this world, since the day you were born. I don’t want you to forget that.” Gwendis turned her eyes away as her father said this, and for a moment they just sat there in silence.

“Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” Benedict finally asked with almost pleading tone, and Gwendis let out a sigh. What her father was asking was not a small thing. He had been a terrible father for so long, leaving Gwendis and Naemon alone with the mourning of their mother, not being there for them when they grew up. It was tempting to say no to him now, to stick to the grudge, but she knew that in the end she would gain nothing with that. “I forgive you.” She said with toneless words, and it felt like something heavy falling off her chest. And Benedict smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, but it instantly brought a shy smile to Gwendis’ face as well. She leaned against her father, who closed her into a hug. If only for a short moment, Gwendis felt like the happiest person in the world. Then she pulled herself away from Benedict.

“You have to promise me one thing.” She said, her words decisive and confident, and Benedict nodded subtly. “When Naemon gets back, be a father to him – a real father. It’s not too late.” Benedict’s smile died down, replaced by an uncertain expression. “I will try.” He said, but Gwendis shook her head. “That is not enough.” She said strictly. “Be a father to him.” The Princess demanded, putting emphasis on every word.

“I will be a father to him.” Benedict replied quietly, and it sounded like he meant it. The smile returned to Gwendis’ face. “Thank you, father.” She said, feeling the tears welling up again, but for once she didn’t care.

-

Gwendis sat on her balcony, watching as the sun slowly drew closer to the mountains in the west, and listening to Tanya and Lysa arguing about whether lemon cakes were better than cream cakes. Gwendis didn’t take part in the debate, but kept grinning as she listened. The reason for her good mood was of course what had happened earlier, but it didn’t matter. She was enjoying herself, first time in a good while, she could almost even forget that her kingdom was in war, and riddled with all kinds of problems.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Lysa yelled with a light-hearted tone. “Come on, Gwendis, tell her that cream cakes are better than lemon cakes.” She said, and Gwendis let out a chuckle.

“I don’t know Lysa, I kinda like lemon cakes.” She said, and a victorious grin appeared on Tanya’s face. “What did I say.” She bragged, and Lysa shook her head. She was about to say something, but just then the door was knocked.

“I’ll go open it.” Tanya said with a friendly tone, and quickly made her way to the door. Soon she returned with a frightened look on her face, Aisha following on her coattails. Gwendis narrowed her eyes, as the priestess laid her eyes on her. What does she want now?

“Could we talk in private?” Aisha asked, glancing at the handmaidens. “Sure.” Gwendis replied tonelessly. “Tanya, Lysa, you should go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The two girls bowed to her, and quickly made their way out in silence.

“Haven’t seen you in a while.” Gwendis said with a dry tone. “What is it that you want now?” She asked, and the priestess let out a sigh. “I have been thinking about what we saw together.” She stated with emotionless words. “And I’ve seen more dreams. What you saw, what I've seen, it is the path to your death.”

“Well that’s nice to hear.” Gwendis spat, feeling quite angered that Aisha was ruining her mood. “I am sorry, my Princess, but that’s just how it is. However, I can offer you another path, one where you can make yourself useful to the one true god.” Aisha spoke with zealous tone, and took a step closer to Gwendis.

“What are you saying?” The Princess asked coldly, and the priestess let her gaze travel through her. “Going to Skyreach is the first step in the path that will lead to your death.” Aisha said with deadly serious look on her eyes. “But enemies of my god are gathering elsewhere, and you can help me defeat them.” Gwendis raised an eyebrow.

“You want me to come with you? Where?” Gwendis’ tone was confused and amused at the same time, the thought of leaving with this dark priestess felt absurd – yet she knew that her dreams were real.

“The road will be shown to us by the god, but at first we will head east.” She explained calmly, and Gwendis let out a chuckle. “We? You really think I’m coming with you?”

“You still don’t trust me?” Gwendis could spot a tiny bit of bitterness from Aisha’s quiet words. “Well, the choice is yours, Gwendis Blackmont. But remember, I have shown you the truth – you know my god is real.” Gwendis gulped, doubt creeping in. Perhaps this was all truth, perhaps she should believe what Aisha said. Perhaps going to Skyreach will lead to my death.

[Go to Skyreach] [Go with Aisha]

Tales-from-Telltale

[Go with Aisha]

There a few good reasons why this choice is the best choice. The first is that we know Aisha's visions are true. We have already seen in instance of part of the vision coming true with the death of King Donaver Toland. This was shown in the vision with the image of the ghost bleeding from the mouth (symptom of the real ghost kings death). Therefore it seems that her visions are accurate. Therefore, this means there is a huge chance that going to Skyreach will eventually lead to events that will get Gwendis killed. Secondly, I think Aisha truly does care about Gwendis's wellbeing. She seems to need her for something and she definitely does not want her to end up dying. Remember, Aisha was the one who cryptically warned her about her confinement in her room. I don't think Aisha is planning to sacrifice her. Finally, I believe this will be a very intriguing and interesting twist on Gwendis's storyline.

LiquidChicagoTed

Oh, god damn it... after a lot of thinking, I will change my vote to [Go with Aisha], simply to create a vote tie with which I'll have more time to think about what way I truly want for Gwendis. Because right now, both options sound somehow bad for me. I don't want her to become indoctrinated by that insane fanatic Aisha, but neither do I want to waste her at Skyreach. And all suspicions aside, I must admit I am intrigued by what Aisha has in mind. Oh shit, I hope I won't regret this, but I now think that I will regret it for sure if I don't try it.

What I have said below is my original reasoning and I still mean what I said there. At the same time, this has become a choice I am so damn conflicted about and I find myself oddly willing to risk it, if it means a chance for Gwendis to claim what should have been her birthright.

First of all, this is the hardest choice I ever made in a story. Not just in this story, but in all of them. Gwendis' life is quite likely on the line here and I don't want to get her killed. Because of this, I am highly conflicted about this choice and might change my vote later on. At the same time, it is the easiest choice I ever made, because even if I change my vote, I'll likely do nothing more but to abstain from it, because the second option is off limits for me. Here you got a ton of reasons why:

The thing is, I do not, can not and will never trust Aisha and I see her as a danger to every single person around her. To be fair, her actions in the last chapter convinced me that she does not want to actively murder Gwendis or sacrifice her for that dark demon she worships. On a personal level, I hold no antipathy towards her, although this choice brings back some of my earlier negative feelings. I do not think she is a bad person. I even think she is convinced she's doing good work, but honestly, witch hunters, crusaders and terrorists think the same. The only thing that gives me such a strong dislike towards her is her so-called religion. While most religions shown in the Ice and Fire world have some moral ambiguity, but have good intentions at heart (or what counts for good intentions on the Iron Islands), the same can't be said about the religion of the Great Other. As far as I know, he is the only unambigously evil god in the Ice and Fire world. There's not even the slightest bit of doubt speaking in his favour, he is literally associated with evil. This alone is reason enough to stay away from him and his followers.

Now the second thing speaking against going with Aisha. She mentioned enemies of her god that are gathering in the east, but remained rather cryptic about it. As I have previously stated, her god is evil to the core. This means, someone who opposes him can't possibly be that evil. Chances are that they are good people. That got me thinking, we do know one particular faction that is gathering in the east: House Martell, aka the people who are ultimately going to win all of this. They are undoubtedly the most prominent faction that is rising in the east and they can not be stopped. Going against them will make Gwendis an enemy of the future ruling princess of Dorne. I can't think of a more unhealthy and stupid thing to do.

Third, while I don't think Aisha wishes to directly and deliberately cause Gwendis' death, I don't think she is fundamentally opposed to it either. She needs Gwendis for something, probably something related to that twisted demon she has sold her soul to. I highly doubt she tries to help her out of the kindness of her heart. She wishes to pursue the agenda of her evil god and whatever plan this god has for Gwendis, it can only end up badly for her. There is nothing that can ever convince me that Aisha has good intentions for Gwendis, or at the very least, that she is not willing to completely screw her over if it gives her god more power.

The fourth argument against going with Aisha is more personal. Doing so is going to ruin Gwendis' life. In Blackmont and eventually Skyreach, she is Princess Gwendis, daughter of Benedict Blackmont, daughter-in-law of Garrison Fowler. She is going to marry into the least dysfunctional royal family in Dorne. Her husband, while a mere thirdborn, sounds like a decent guy and I'm willing to claim that he's way better than most eligible husbands. It wouldn't be the life she wants, but it would be a life, she'd have a hopefully loving family, children, maybe even a chance to use her talents and to become a part of the council of House Fowler, advising the king and later the lord.
If she follows Aisha, she becomes the pet companion of a demon worshipper, to put it harshly. She'd loose her family by birth, because that is guaranteed to reopen the rift between her and Benedict. This would be even worse after they just reconciled in the cutest and most heartwarming way possible. She'd loose her family by marriage, because I doubt there will be another chance to marry into House Fowler. She'd loose any chance to ever live the life she loves and would essentially become a runaway. And if there's anything Gwendis isn't it's a rebellious brat that runs away from her family.

Now, I know what you all think, Gwendis saw her own death and going with Aisha is going to save her life. Here's what I think: Why? Why should going with Aisha end up saving her life? Why should going to Skyreach end up killing her? In Skyreach, she would be the wife of a thirdborn, a princess by birth and by marriage. Why should a shiny knight (which is what she saw in her vision) ever have the wish to kill her? Doing so would be the most unknightly thing possible. If she goes with Aisha, she would be a nobody who aids a dark priestess and her evil god to potentially try and destroy good people. Doing so would give every knight in Dorne a reason to kill her. We know that one path is going to lead to Gwendis' death, but we don't know which one. Aisha has visions that are true, but she's only human and can make a mistake, like misinterpreting her vision. That said, I wouldn't even put it past her to deliberately manipulate Gwendis, since the path where she dies might be better for the Great Other. It's all so... convenient. Somehow, the one thing that would end up with Gwendis beyond her control is the same thing that ends up killing her? Somehow, the only way to save her life is to go with her and to crush the enemies of the Great Other? You gotta admit, that sounds fishy, to say the least.

So, no, I don't want Gwendis to follow Aisha, to give up on her life and to become "useful to the one true god". If there is anything I do not want for her, it's becoming indoctrinated by a lunatic, to follow a religion of evil and to end up fighting against potentially good people, who are likely House Martell. Because that can only end in Gwendis' death or even worse. And while I think that there is one path that will lead to Gwendis' death, I don't think everything is set in stone. I despise and oppose the concept of an unchangeable fate and if the day comes where that shiny knight tries to kill Gwendis, she can kick him right in his shiny bastard balls and walk away alive and without selling her soul to the devil of the Ice and Fire world.

That said... as confident as I sound here, I am conflicted, because I am highly afraid that the wrong option is going to win, regardless of what it is going to be. Because of that, I might end up changing my vote again. But well, these are my (insanely long) thoughts on this choice. I am undoubtedly biased and on an objective level, I can't ignore the fact that I might be grossly wrong, but at the same time, I think my arguments are not without logic.

Mathea

[Go with Aisha]

Stigz_52

Biggest. Comment. To. A. Choice. Ever. Seen.

I'm still in decision for this choice, but considering you've written an entire wiki article pretty much, I'm starting to swing team Skyreach

LiquidChicagoTed

I think this one is among the five biggest comments to a choice I've ever written

And yeah, I am very afraid about this choice. I don't like the consequences of leaving Blackmont with Aisha which, at best, will mean that Gwendis is going to lose any chance to do what she loves ever again. At worst, it will cause the future she tries to avert, or turn her into someone like Aisha, a brainwashed fanatic. Neither am I convinced that it is the only way to save Gwendis' life. That said, in FoT I have seen readers making long and convincing arguments for their favoured choices, while being spectacularly and epically wrong with their assumptions. More than once, it was sheer luck (and a tiny majority of voters who disagreed with them) that they haven't ended up causing the death of their own characters. I am basically afraid that I make the same mistake here, which, knowing my penchant to overanalyze things, is entirely in the realm of possible. But well, whatever option wins, I hope it'll be the correct one to prevent the future Gwendis saw for herself.

WildlingKing

Haha, your thoughts on the choice are basically as long as the part itself Which is a good thing, I love to read your thoughts on the story!

First of all, this is the hardest choice I ever made in a story. Not just in this story, but in all of them.

I'll take that as a compliment But yeah, it is supposed to be a hard choice, because even if we can't fully trust Aisha, there is the chance that she is correct with what she claims. Another thing is that this comes in a moment when things seemed to finally be going relatively well for Gwendis.

The only thing that gives me such a strong dislike towards her is her so-called religion. While most religions shown in the Ice and Fire world have some moral ambiguity, but have good intentions at heart (or what counts for good intentions on the Iron Islands), the same can't be said about the religion of the Great Other. As far as I know, he is the only unambigously evil god in the Ice and Fire world. There's not even the slightest bit of doubt speaking in his favour, he is literally associated with evil. This alone is reason enough to stay away from him and his followers.

True, though believe it or not, Aisha definitely doesn't see the Great Other as evil. I'd say her thoughts on good and evil as a concept are quite ambiguous - more like she doesn't believe in "good and evil", just the will of the Great Other.

She mentioned enemies of her god that are gathering in the east, but remained rather cryptic about it. As I have previously stated, her god is evil to the core. This means, someone who opposes him can't possibly be that evil. Chances are that they are good people. That got me thinking, we do know one particular faction that is gathering in the east: House Martell, aka the people who are ultimately going to win all of this.

Perhaps it is the Martells, but why would they be the enemies of the Great Other? I mean surely they don't worship him either, but at least so far I don't think they have done anything that would make them in particular enemies of the Great Other. However, we'll see where this goes.

Third, while I don't think Aisha wishes to directly and deliberately cause Gwendis' death, I don't think she is fundamentally opposed to it either. She needs Gwendis for something, probably something related to that twisted demon she has sold her soul to. I highly doubt she tries to help her out of the kindness of her heart. She wishes to pursue the agenda of her evil god and whatever plan this god has for Gwendis, it can only end up badly for her.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying that it can only end up badly for Gwendis, I have to agree that this journey with Aisha will not be a walk in the park. It's a dangerous path for sure, even if it would end up being the one that keeps her alive. And who knows if it will.

The fourth argument against going with Aisha is more personal. Doing so is going to ruin Gwendis' life. In Blackmont and eventually Skyreach, she is Princess Gwendis, daughter of Benedict Blackmont, daughter-in-law of Garrison Fowler. She is going to marry into the least dysfunctional royal family in Dorne. Her husband, while a mere thirdborn, sounds like a decent guy and I'm willing to claim that he's way better than most eligible husbands. It wouldn't be the life she wants, but it would be a life, she'd have a hopefully loving family, children, maybe even a chance to use her talents and to become a part of the council of House Fowler, advising the king and later the lord.

If she follows Aisha, she becomes the pet companion of a demon worshipper, to put it harshly. She'd loose her family by birth, because that is guaranteed to reopen the rift between her and Benedict. This would be even worse after they just reconciled in the cutest and most heartwarming way possible. She'd loose her family by marriage, because I doubt there will be another chance to marry into House Fowler. She'd loose any chance to ever live the life she loves and would essentially become a runaway. And if there's anything Gwendis isn't it's a rebellious brat that runs away from her family.

Now this is something I can pretty much fully agree with. Going with Aisha means giving up on the life she has now, as well as her family (btw, I'm glad you apparently liked the scene between Gwen and Benny XD). Leaving all that behind would be extremely hard for Gwendis, and it would mean that she truly believes in what Aisha says.

We know that one path is going to lead to Gwendis' death, but we don't know which one. Aisha has visions that are true, but she's only human and can make a mistake, like misinterpreting her vision. That said, I wouldn't even put it past her to deliberately manipulate Gwendis, since the path where she dies might be better for the Great Other. It's all so... convenient. Somehow, the one thing that would end up with Gwendis beyond her control is the same thing that ends up killing her? Somehow, the only way to save her life is to go with her and to crush the enemies of the Great Other? You gotta admit, that sounds fishy, to say the least.

Good points, and definitely worth considering when making the decision

I despise and oppose the concept of an unchangeable fate and if the day comes where that shiny knight tries to kill Gwendis, she can kick him right in his shiny bastard balls and walk away alive and without selling her soul to the devil of the Ice and Fire world.

Haha, don't worry, no fate is set in stone here (especially when it comes to PoVs), your choices will always matter

I am undoubtedly biased and on an objective level, I can't ignore the fact that I might be grossly wrong, but at the same time, I think my arguments are not without logic.

You certainly have many good arguments there. Of course many arguments could be made for the other option as well

LiquidChicagoTed

I'll take that as a compliment But yeah, it is supposed to be a hard choice, because even if we can't fully trust Aisha, there is the chance that she is correct with what she claims. Another thing is that this comes in a moment when things seemed to finally be going relatively well for Gwendis.

Oh yes, it is meant as a compliment! I usually don't have that much of a hard time to make my vote, or feel the need to write that much of my thoughts down, but this time, I think I half-tried to convince myself. And yes, it does come at a time where things seem to go well for Gwendis. That said, she clearly loathes the arranged marriage, so how well she actually perceives this is a different topic entirely. I don't know if I should be suspicious about Aisha's timing, or see it as a legitimate warning that things go too well.

True, though believe it or not, Aisha definitely doesn't see the Great Other as evil. I'd say her thoughts on good and evil as a concept are quite ambiguous - more like she doesn't believe in "good and evil", just the will of the Great Other.

Well, doesn't change the fact that the Great Other is evil and that by following his will, she ends up helping to spread evil. If the Great Other orders her to murder Gwendis, or to kill a child, would she even hesitate? That's always the problem with fanatics, they don't see their own actions as evil.

Perhaps it is the Martells, but why would they be the enemies of the Great Other? I mean surely they don't worship him either, but at least so far I don't think they have done anything that would make them in particular enemies of the Great Other. However, we'll see where this goes.

Well, unless there's a mass uprising in R'hllor followers in eastern Dorne, they are the only ones I can think of. We haven't heard about that Efram Sand guy being in line with the Red Priests either, if I'm not mistaken. Correct me if I'm wrong there! I was just going by the fact that an enemy to the Great Other has to be a good, or at least morally grey faction and the Martell's would certainly fit into one of these two categories and they are the most prominent power rising in the east.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying that it can only end up badly for Gwendis, I have to agree that this journey with Aisha will not be a walk in the park. It's a dangerous path for sure, even if it would end up being the one that keeps her alive. And who knows if it will.

Yes, who knows if it will keep her alive. At worst, this is even the choice that will end up killing her, while Skyreach would keep her completely safe. I was thinking of the vision she saw, a warrior with light shining behind him, who ended up killing her. The sigil of House Martell, the sun, might be count as light and we know that the Martell knight Yandry used a similar tactic to beat Tomas' force. Also, there is the name of the R'hllor music from the show, which is Warrior of Light and another religion associated with light and the Warrior is the Faith of the Seven. Both religions are likely going to hate Gwendis if she ends up following Aisha.

Now this is something I can pretty much fully agree with. Going with Aisha means giving up on the life she has now, as well as her family (btw, I'm glad you apparently liked the scene between Gwen and Benny XD). Leaving all that behind would be extremely hard for Gwendis, and it would mean that she truly believes in what Aisha says.

God damn it... that's the last I want, for Gwendis to lose not only her life, but her entire old life, any ties to her family and any chance for the life she yearns for.

At the same time, this just gave me another thought and to be fair, I have to bring it up even if it is a point in favour of Aisha: By running away now, she'd remain Gwendis Blackmont, not Gwendis Fowler. If, by any chance, she remains alive and won't end up as an enemy of House Martell, she'd be in a position to actually lead House Blackmont once Nymeria changed the succession law after her war. This is probably the only positive argument I could see for following Aisha, although it is a hugely positive argument and it might even influence my ultimate decision.

Actually, this is making me so conflicted. In the end, it brings up the only chance for her to succeed at her ultimate dream, even if it comes at the huge danger of getting killed or indoctrinated by a crazy death-worshipping fanatic. But it is a nice argument. Damn it!

Good points, and definitely worth considering when making the decision

It is. Though at the same time, it wouldn't be the first time my dislike of a character ended up clouding my judgement... oh shit, do you notice that I'm suddenly arguing in favour of going with Aisha?

Haha, don't worry, no fate is set in stone here (especially when it comes to PoVs), your choices will always matter

Well, that's a relief. That said, this right here is one of these choices that could matter. Perhaps this one indeed is the one that ends up deciding her fate. After getting increasingly more conflicted about it, I can now even see a way for her to get into mortal danger at Skyreach, namely if the Manwoody's manage to launch a full invasion, ending up with storming the castle and forcing Garrison and co. to flee. During such a flight, she could easily end up being killed by a Manwoody warrior, even though light is the last thing I'd associate with that house.

You certainly have many good arguments there. Of course many arguments could be made for the other option as well

I know, I know. And I have to think of them as well, which is making all of this so hard for me.

Stigz_52

[Spar with Malcolm]

Agreed, it's not an easy choice, but not one which can do too much harm from what I can see. It'll give Davos some inspiration as well, being that with Naemon being one of the best swordsman in Dorne. With the duel between Naemon and Lord Alester, I think it's pretty safe to say Naemon won't take it too far. Had the duel have gone differently, perhaps this choice would have had a different impact. At any rate, a great part, I'm eager to work with the Dayne's of High Hermitage

Stigz_52

Damn, I'm seeing more and more explanations which are making me change my mind. Looking at this from a larger aspect, Gwendis going with Aisha might potentially mean an alliance with her and Nymeria, rather than dying with the Fowler's. I don't think this is a good idea, but I hope it means that Gwendis is safer in the long term. [Go with Aisha]

Right well... I'm conflicted. Sure, Aisha's dreams have shown some evidence to be true, but really this is all way too shady. I don't think running off with a sorceress to follow the guidance of the fucking Great Other is something I'd wish anyone to embark on. So I'm going with this choice for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I think that with Benedict's apology, and even before that, he's not been trying to harm her, but quite the opposite. There's always been some sort of protection there, some sort of harsh love, which I don't think should be underrated, especially now. He's sought for her forgiveness, and she's gave it to him. Shoving that right in his face and running off with a dark chick is something I don't think would bode well. As Benedict himself said, he's already made mistakes and screwed up a lot in his life through all of this dark sorcery, so for Gwendis to follow down this path... I don't want to see the same thing fold over.

Worse still, it scares me where this will take Gwendis, and how this will affect her relationship with not only Benedict, but with Naemon. She has done so much for the Blackmont realm, and Naemon is doing this mission for her. Naemon would likely do anything for her, and while returning to Blackmont to find that she has gone for a marriage with the Fowler's wont be the easiest news for him, it's certainly a lot easier to accept then, "Oh, she's run off with your old man's sorceress." This would likely mean he will go off and search for her, which could lead to god knows what, and while I doubt Aisha/Great Other demon will get Gwendis killed, I have no idea what's in stock for Naemon.

This choice should also help releave some tension between the already dreaded relationship with Naemon and Benedict. After all, Gwendis made Benedict promise that he will be a father to him, so Naemon will be less likely to reject this if his sister isn't missing with one of Benedict's black sorcerer's, surely? Then finally, there's the fact that I simply don't want Gwendis getting sucked into some divine battle which I think is more dangerous than a predicted death.

Tales-from-Telltale

That's right, I had not thought of her remaining a Blackmont, by going with Aisha. This is another good reason why going with Aisha could end up being positive for Gwendis. Once the Martells change the laws, Gwendis can finally become the Queen she always wanted to be. She can fulfill her dreams, which she can't do by marrying the third Prince of the Fowlers. Also, she could leave a letter to her family explaining why she left with Aisha. That would at least explain to them her motivations and point of view. Also, there is a reason Benedict has kept Aisha in his court for so long. He probably believes in her visions. Therefore, if Gwendis explains in her letter Aisha's visions of her death in Skyreach. He would at least be understanding in why she left; he might even be glad she did.

Tales-from-Telltale

About her relationship with her family, she could probably leave a letter explaining why she left with Aisha. Although her family would not be happy about it, they would at least understand her motivations for leaving. She could also tell Naemon, in the letter, not to follow her. Though her family would still be mad at her, they would at worst believe that, with the letter, Aisha brainwashed her into leaving instead of just leaving with her out of nowhere. Who knows, there is a reason why Benedict has had her as one of his sorcerers. He might believe Aisha's warnings and be glad Gwendis left with her. That is just something to think about.

LiquidChicagoTed

It is true. I'd see this as the only genuinely good reason to go with Aisha and I'm not entirely sure if it outweighs the negative aspects of it. Namely, the whole thing with Gwendis potentially indoctrinated by a fanatic and joining Aisha's religion of evil. And if she indeed ends up as an enemy of House Martell, she would basically commit suicide by going with Aisha. The problem is that she has been so damn vague when describing the enemies of her god. Regardless, I'm staying at the point that enemies of her god can't be bad people and I am afraid Gwendis could turn into some sort of vile murderer by spending too much time around Aisha. There is also the possibility that I am wrong and that Aisha has weirdly good intentions, as insane as she and her whole religion might be and that Gwendis will remain too smart to start worshipping that demon god. At the end though, this is only pure speculation of a potential positive outcome to this choice.

The letter though... eh, I don't know if it will help. Of course, Benedict has a reason to keep Aisha at court, but at the same time, there has to be a reason why she doesn't directly approach him and reveal to him that sending Gwen to Skyreach is going to kill her. After they just reconciled, I'd hate to break things between them again, potentially forever this time and I'd hate to put Benedict and Naemon through the fear of not knowing what happened to Gwendis or where she is.

Argh, great, now I am more conflicted than ever. Right now I'm even considering to go with Aisha, even if I hate what this could do to Gwendis. It's a high risk/high reward route, while Skyreach would be safer, but all in all with the potential to be less rewarding. God damn it, if only she would have been less vague about these mysterious enemies, because if I decide to change my vote and it turns out Aisha plans to strike against the Martell's, then it will be too late to stop that lunatic.

Phew, I hope the voting will remain open for a little longer, because as it is right now, I don't think I'm ready to make that decision. Actually, I'm not sure if I ever am. This will certainly decide Gwendis' fate and I'm equal parts opposed to her dying and to her leaving Blackmont forever to become Aisha's apprentice fanatic. At the same time, I'd rather see her doing what she's best at than to wither as the wife of a thirdborn and it might even be worth the danger. Damn it, why must this choice be so hard

CM3434

Well it seems like we have found one of if not the most debated choice in the story so far Safe to say it is for good reason and is a super tough choice. With that said, I am going to go with having Gwendis [Go to Skyreach]

There is not really much I can say that has not already been said but I will say that I just don't trust the idea of Gwendis going with Aisha. Gwendis would be throwing her entire life away over the most evil god in the Ice and Fire universe and if Gwendis follows this path and it turns out Aisha is talking about the Martells then I just don't see how things could go well for her. Gwendis would still be Gwendis Blackmont but I just can't see the Martells letting her rule Blackmont after Benedict is rooted out if Gwendis were to go this route, her old life would be finished. Skyreach seems like a far safer place where Gwendis has the opportunity to be apart of their council which is what she enjoys. For the most part though, from what bit I know about her, I see Gwendis as someone who would not do something as drastic as this and would not want anything to do with a god like the Great Other especially since she hates how Benedict has the sorcerers around him and what she would be doing is certainly no better than that. Of course, I could be way off on this but I believe Gwendis going to Skyreach is the best choice here. Plus, the potential for Gwendis interacting with Isabella, Obara, Garrison, Desmor, and the rest of the Skyreach cast is also pretty intriguing as well!

Nightmare1

[Go to Skyreach]

WildlingKing

Voting is closed!

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to mention that Naemon will spar with Malcolm. Naemon's part was very much a slice of life -style, and so was the choice. Obviously there are always some consequences to everything, but this was not a very dramatic decision - especially when compared to Gwendis' choice.

So, after some changed votes, Gwendis will go with Aisha. I'm quite excited for the storyline this will bring, but honestly I didn't expect you to choose it After all, it's a huge leap into darkness in Gwendis' life. She doesn't know exactly what does Aisha need her for, she is leaving her royal life behind, as well as her family, which is especially bitter because she just conciliated with Benedict, and laid the groundwork for Naemon to have a better relationship with his father.

Anyway, the next part will be a Myke part, and it should be ready in couple days

Tales-from-Telltale

Hey, don't forget to close the votes for Naemon's part. Anyways, I can't wait to see how Gwendis's next part will unfold.

WildlingKing

Haha, thanks for reminding!

LiquidChicagoTed

Oh god, I already regret my choice Didn't take me long, did it? To be fair though, I would have felt the exact same if I would have stayed with my original choice. Both would have left me with the terrifying thought of having majorly screwed up, although this one might potentially be the bigger screw-up. At the same time, it might just be a risk that pays off. But argh, I already regret this and I am afraid I'm only going to regret this more. Though I don't think I would have regretted Skyreach any less, because by now, I just need to know what this path is going to offer for Gwendis. God damn it, why must this be so hard?

WildlingKing

Nope, not the part yet (sorry ). However, as I was kinda in a rush when I closed the voting, I didn't include a recap. Therefore I figured I should post one now, as I'm pretty sure I'll get the part ready later today.

So, Myke's story started with him and his old pal Ser Joran Storm been given a mission from Lord Trevas Caron: find his daughter Kortney. Now, Kortney has been gone over a year, and when she left, the Myrish spearmaster Norano (allegedly Kortney's lover) left soon after her. The desperate mission of finding them has led Myke and Joran to the Kingdom of Blackmont, where they have seen the unrest brought by the war first-hand, and even ended up in a fight with the deserters. They, and Raina Serviene, helped out a guard from the Gravesend, and brought a deserter named Brack to Gravesend, and delivered him to Septon Kevan who acts as the mayor of the town. They promised to a travelling merchant named Walter Oakley that they'd protect him and his family on the road to Blackmont, but next morning they saw as Brack was being hanged, which stirred a riot in the town square. The name "Karsan Taller" was being shouted as a battle cry by the rioters. Myke's Chapter 1 ended to one of the rioters knocking him unconcious with a hammer - the last thing he saw was Raina killing that rioter.

WildlingKing

Myke

Myke opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was, but he was laying on straw bed and could see a wooden ceiling above him. His memories of the past weeks were blurry, and the last thing he remembered clearly was the riot in Gravesend. And now he felt the pain again. His back and legs were aching, but the most prominent pain was in his head. Myke moved his hand on his forehead, noticing that it was bandaged. He turned his head to left, and saw a woman sitting next to the bed. For a while he had hard time remembering who she was, but then he remembered the traveling merchant they had met in Gravesend – this was his wife, Autumn.

“How are you feeling?” Autumn asked with kind and timid tone, and all Myke could give for an answer was a weak grunt. “Do you need more of the medicament to…”

“No.” Myke cut off the woman strictly, which clearly spooked her. “I… Don’t want to dull my senses, not again.” He explained calmly, and Autumn nodded with a gulp. “Where are we?” Myke asked, trying to not think of the pain.

“This is a small farm, a day’s travel away from Gravesend.” Autumn answered with a small smile. “The owner’s name is Waylan Trot and he was kind enough to take us in. He has a small family, but he has managed to kept us all fed.”

“Is Joran alright?” Myke asked, and Autumn let out an innocent little laugh. “Yes, yes he is. And you have asked that every time you have woken up.” Myke smiled, but it turned quickly into a frown as he felt the pain in his head again. “And… your husband?” He asked carefully, and Autumn nodded. “We are all fine – me, Walter and Quinn. Oh, and your friend Raina is fine too, though she got a nasty scar to her face.”

“So… What exactly happened after I… passed out?” The pain was getting unbearable, but Myke had decided to fight it. Autumn let out a sigh. “I wasn’t really there to see.” She said quietly. “But the city was overtaken by the rioters, the septon died, as well as many of the guards. Joran, Raina, Commander Brennin and a guard named Alan helped us escape and get here. It was Raina and Alan who saved you.” Myke raised his eyebrows. It was weird – he had been saved from certain death by two people he hardly knew.

With the corner of his eye Myke noticed two people walking in from the doorway of the small room he was laying in. Autumn noticed them too, and left the room after giving one more friendly smile for Myke.

“Good to see you awake, Myke.” Said Ser Joran Storm, a mild grin on his face. “Good to be awake.” Myke replied, though his voice was so weak that it didn’t sound very convincing. Myke didn’t recognize the man next to Joran. He looked to be on his fifties, he had a dirty blonde hair, coarse stubble and a relaxed expression on his face. He must be the farmer.

“Good day, ser.” The farmer said smoothly, and Myke nodded to him. “My name is Waylan Trot, owner of this farm.” He continued, taking a step closer.

“I am thankful, that you’ve taken us here, and took care of me.” Myke spoke with genuine gratitude, and Waylan smiled to him. “Of course.” He replied calmly. “Though it’s mostly Autumn who has taken care of you. And I’d never leave good people like you without help, not in such terrible times.”

“You mean the war?” Myke asked, and Waylan nodded with a sigh. “Aye, the war has certainly brought problems with it. It was already hard enough before it, but now everyone has gone crazy. One of my sons marched to war with the army of the Blackmonts, other has ran away to join the damned Karsan Taller.” There was clear bitterness and disgust in the way Waylan said that name. “But I’m luckier than some, I still have my youngest son, my daughter and my wife… Some folks have lost everything.”

“This Karsan Taller… Who exactly is he?” Myke asked after a short moment of silence, remembering the name being shouted at the riot. The expression on Waylan’s face was almost angered now. “Scum is what he is.” The farmer muttered. “Secondborn son of the late David Taller, a rich farmer from these lands. Karsan was always well-known for causing trouble, I was not surprised to learn that he is behind this madness as well.”

“Have you ever met him personally?” Myke could see that Waylan wasn’t keen on talking about this, but he stayed calm. “Well, I’ve never talked to him… But I have seen him in Gravesend couple times over the years. He always rode to the market square with his little gang of thugs, mostly just so show off, but sometimes it ended in violence. Without his father being as respected as he was, Karsan would’ve been hanged as a criminal long time ago. It’s a shame, really.”

“Well his father won’t save him from the consequences of this.” Joran grunted, and Waylan nodded decisively. Joran sat down, and Myke noticed the bandage around his left arm. “Your arm… Are you alright?” Myke asked, and Joran burst into a hearty laughter. “Don’t you worry about my arm, old man.” He said jokingly. “You got smashed in the head with a damn hammer.”

“No need to remind me.” Myke replied, the pain making him frown again. Joran’s smile died down. “It’s a hell of a mess.” He said, shaking his head subtly. “Those bastards taking over the town, killing that septon.”

“I thought you didn’t like the septon.” Myke said with a tired tone, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “Doesn’t mean I wanted him to die.” Joran replied dryly. “Besides, Commander Brennin has managed to convince me that Kevan was a good man.” He spoke with a gloomy look in his eyes. “Brennin has been really down these two weeks. He blames himself for not being able to save the septon.”

“Is he here?” Myke asked calmly, and Joran nodded. “Brennin is coming to Blackmont with us." He said. "He wants to take back Gravesend, and the only way to do that is to ask help from the King.”

“Wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Waylan joined the conversation again. “Helping the people is the last thing in Benedict the Demonlover’s interest.” Myke raised his eyebrow for this. “Well he is the weirdest king I’ve ever heard of if he doesn’t want to crush a peasant rebellion on his own lands.” He remarked, and Waylan shrugged.

“Perhaps you are right.” The farmer admitted calmly. “You two are not from around here though, if I understood correctly you are here looking for someone.”

“Indeed.” Myke said, remembering their mission. “We are looking for the daughter of Lord Trevas Caron. She’s been missing for over a year.” Waylan looked at him with skeptical eyes. “Sounds like an impossible mission.” He said quietly, and Myke nodded to him calmly. “Yes, it does.” He admitted, slightly cringing as another flash of pain went through his head.

“We are not going to find her.” Joran said with a heavy tone, a sad but decisive look on his eyes. Myke was surprised to hear this, and narrowed his eyes as he glared at Joran. “We can’t give up now, Joran…”

“No, Myke, we have to.” He said sternly. “I know it’s hard, but we just have to face it – Kortney is gone, there is nothing we can do to help that. But we can help the people who are suffering because of Karsan Taller.” Myke let out a chuckle full of disbelief. “What in seven hells, Joran?” His voice was a mixture of confusion and disappointment. “We didn’t come here to take part in any of this, our mission is to find Kortney. It’s our duty towards Lord Trevas.” Joran shook his head for this.

“Lord Trevas will have to face the truth sooner or later.” He stated with a grim tone. “I’ll rather help Brennin get his city back than search for a girl who has been dead for a long time.” Now Myke’s expression turned from confused to angered. “That’s it, huh?” He asked coldly. “You are really giving up on Kortney? I expected better from you.” Agitated by this, Joran stood up from his chair, fury in his eyes.

“Wake up, Myke!” Joran shouted, clenching his fists. “No one we have asked has seen Kortney, she has been gone over a year, no ravens from any noble houses ever arrived to Nightsong, nothing! She. Is. Gone.” Myke could see tears coming to Joran’s eyes as he said this, and they both turned their gazes down. Myke let out a sigh. Maybe he is right, maybe it is time to accept the truth.

“Instead of hunting a ghost, we could do something useful. What do you say, Myke?” Joran asked this with an honest look in his eyes, and Myke closed his, considering his options.

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney] [Promise to help take Gravesend back] [Stay silent]

LiquidChicagoTed

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney]

Aaah, I could see this being a very major choice for Myke, not only deciding on his immediate storyline, but also on his opinion on the search for Kortney in the long run. First of all, I didn't even consider staying silent. Such a big decision demands a clear answer. Then, I actually did not have that much of a hard time with this choice. Gravesend means very little to Myke. Sure, the people there helped him, but this is not his town and not his fight. Meanwhile, I must say that Stigz' great H&L about Myke from way back greatly influenced my decision. In there, we learned that Myke almost treats her like a daughter, so I got the opinion that she is among the most important people in his life. One does not simply give up on such an important person so quickly. As of now, they haven't even checked the court of Blackmont, which was their first real goal. While I doubt she's there, there's always the chance that someone there has knowledge about Kortney or a girl that matches her description. They can't just give up until they have confirmation of her fate.

I also noticed that the kingdom of Blackmont is really fucked right now. The talk about the peasant revolution and the general opinion of Benedict made me realize the trouble they are in. Benedict is unwilling to keep his people save, Naemon is busy and not exactly leadership material, while the only Blackmont capable and willing to help had to choose between leaving the kingdom and leaving the kingdom. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much Benedict screwed up with his plan to marry Gwendis off, because no matter what she would have chosen, he will loose her and her talents. He's either not as sane as I thought, or there are other reasons for his decision that are currently unknown. Maybe he indeed wanted to keep her save, but not only from the peasant revolution.

WildlingKing

Aaah, I could see this being a very major choice for Myke, not only deciding on his immediate storyline, but also on his opinion on the search for Kortney in the long run. First of all, I didn't even consider staying silent. Such a big decision demands a clear answer.

This choice does have some importance indeed, but I'd like to point out that this isn't the final decision on whether Myke will keep searching for Kortney or not - this is just what kind of answer does he give for Joran now. They both will still travel to Blackmont together no matter what Myke answers, and that is where they'll both have to make their decisions on where to continue. Not that this is necessarily a reason to change your vote or anything, just making sure you know what the choice is about

One does not simply give up on such an important person so quickly. As of now, they haven't even checked the court of Blackmont, which was their first real goal. While I doubt she's there, there's always the chance that someone there has knowledge about Kortney or a girl that matches her description. They can't just give up until they have confirmation of her fate.

Indeed, even Joran will still want to know if someone in the court of Blackmont knows or has heard anything about Kortney - though obviously he doesn't really have high hopes for that.

I also noticed that the kingdom of Blackmont is really fucked right now. The talk about the peasant revolution and the general opinion of Benedict made me realize the trouble they are in. Benedict is unwilling to keep his people save, Naemon is busy and not exactly leadership material, while the only Blackmont capable and willing to help had to choose between leaving the kingdom and leaving the kingdom. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much Benedict screwed up with his plan to marry Gwendis off, because no matter what she would have chosen, he will loose her and her talents. He's either not as sane as I thought, or there are other reasons for his decision that are currently unknown. Maybe he indeed wanted to keep her save, but not only from the peasant revolution.

Yes, there are some serious issues in the Kingdom of Blackmont, that much is clear. I'd say more than anything Benedict just constantly underestimates the internal problems of his kingdom, focusing on the threats coming from outside. And while Benedict respected Gwendis' skills and insight, he also saw that their priorities and opinions just are in too big conflict for them to share the power. For Benedict marrying off Gwendis was at the same time getting his daughter out of a dangerous place, and getting rid of an asset that he didn't feel like he could control anymore. But I get what you are saying, and perhaps a more level headed king could've seen that there is definitely more benefit from having Gwendis in the council than there is harm, even if you don't see eye to eye on everything with her. (Guess who could've been that level headed king? )

CM3434

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney] Liquid has summed up my thoughts on this choice perfectly. I just can't see Myke abandoning his mission to find Kortney especially with what we know about his relationship with her.

TheAPlegends

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney]

Tales-from-Telltale

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney]

Mathea

[Say that you'll keep searching for Kortney]

WildlingKing

Voting is closed!

Myke will say that he'll keeping searching for Kortney. Well I could guess that you'd pick this option, it is indeed a bit early to give up on such an important mission, even if it does seem a bit desperate. For now this choice will mostly just affect the relationship of Myke and Joran, but later there will be time to actually choose wheter they go separate ways or not. Unless there will come up something that'll help find Kortney, Joran is definitely going to give up on the mission. He is seriously pissed about what he saw in Gravesend, and he has developed a bit of a friendship with Brennin and wants to help him out.

At this point I want to apologize that my writing pace will be a bit slower for a couple weeks now, because I have several assignments that I have to work on. Anyway, the next part (whenever I'll find time to write it) will be Nymeria PoV. Yes, after a long break the Princess herself makes her return to the story, and shows us what is the situation in Sandship. There are actually lots of things going on there, so the part will probably be pretty long. I'll do a small recap later on what happened in Sandship the last time we were there, though much of the stuff happening there now will be connected to things we have seen in the storylines of other PoVs.

WildlingKing

Hey! So, I have made more progress on the part this weekend than I expected I would. This means that the part will most likely be ready tomorrow, even though I must say that I do have some other things scheduled for tomorrow as well, so it's not 100% sure. Anyway, it's been a long time since we had a Nymeria PoV, so I figured I'd do a small recap:

The last time we were on Sandship, Nymeria was just sending Dianna on her mission along with Javor and Sanyra (who was later sent back to inform Nymeria about the situation with the Bandit Lord). After this the Princess held a court session, while Prince Mors escorted Forovos out of Sandship - he was going to hire sellswords, and also had "other bussiness" to take care of (and we now know what that was). In the throne room Nymeria met Ser Yandry of Olivegrove, who told her that his lands were being terrorized by the Tolands. Nymeria gave Yandry 100 soldiers to take care of it, and as we know Yandry's forces were victorious over Tomas Toland's.

WildlingKing

Sorry for double posting, but I just finished my portrait of Forovos Norvoshi, the first kingslayer of this story

LiquidChicagoTed

This is such a cool portrait! He kind of reminds me of Lex Luthor from the Superman comics This is a good thing though, since I like Lex. Anyways, he has this sort of common face that really seems to remind me of several people. I guess for a professional assassin, this is a highly useful feature to have.

Mathea

Pretty cool!

WildlingKing

Nymeria

The Princess looked at the pale dead body, laying on the table with closed eyes and a polished armor on. The burning candles on the corners of the table weren’t enough to veil the stench of a slowly rotting body, but Nymeria hid her disgust with a calm and serious expression. She let out a sad sigh, stepped closer and kissed the dead knight on the forehead.

“He was a hero.” She said with a calm tone, turning to look at the old chubby man who stood next to the body with tears in his eyes. They were on a small empty room in Sandship, light coming in from three round windows.

“He was.” The man, Alrah his name was, agreed with a lump in his throat. “Yandry said he’d defeat the men terrorizing his lands, and he bloody did it.” Alrah muttered, tears pouring from his eyes. “His family will be well compensated.” Nymeria promised quietly, and Alrah nodded. “Does he have an heir capable of taking care of the lands?” The Princess asked softly, but Alrah shook his head.

“Jaremy is just ten, he is going to need help.” The man sobbed. For a moment Nymeria stayed silent. “Is Jaremy his eldest child?” She finally asked, and Alrah turned to look at her with confused expression. “Well… He is the firstborn son.” He said with weak voice, and Nymeria nodded calmly. “Yes, but is he the oldest of Yandry’s children?” Nymeria repeated her question with kind tone, and now Alrah shook his head.

“There is Jasmyn, she is fifteen, but…”

“Jasmyn will be the heir to Olivegrove.” Nymeria cut off Alrah, keeping her voice calm and friendly. “Y- you mean...” The chubby old man muttered with confusion.

“In Rhoynish laws the eldest child inherits his or her predecessor.” Nymeria explained softly, which left Alrah speechless. “Don’t worry about it, I will make sure this girl will be given what she needs to rule the lands of Olivegrove, and her brothers will also be helped after this hard loss.” She looked Alrah to the eyes as she spoke, but the man still stayed silent. “Now, mourn for your friend, and when you return to Olivegrove to bury him, kneel to his daughter and help her rule.” Now Nymeria’s tone was slightly more commanding, and Alrah gave her a very small nod. Nymeria nodded back, gave one more glance at the body of Ser Yandry, and walked out of the room.

He didn’t like my command, the Princess knew, but tried to shake it off her head. She had a lot to do today, she could worry about Olivegrove later. Captain Firanisa waited her outside the room. Firanisa was a thin and tall woman with dark brown hair and sharp green eyes. Nymeria saw her as one of the finest commanders in her army – a smart woman with keen military mind. And Firanisa had returned to Sandship victorious, but also bringing the body of Ser Yandry with her.

“How did he take it?” Firanisa asked quietly, and Nymeria shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll get used to the idea.” The Princess muttered, and the captain gave her a nod. “Now, take me to him.”

“The prisoner?” Firanisa asked, and Nymeria settled to answering with a nod, and so the captain started walking, leading their way towards the dungeons. “General Varyn seemed eager to have a council meeting today.” Firanisa said as they arrived to the stairs that took them under the fort. “He also seemed quite impatient.” The captain added.

“He’ll get his council meeting soon enough.” Nymeria replied with a sigh. “Right now I need to see the man you brought with you.” Firanisa nodded to the Princess’ words, and they kept walking. The dungeons of Sandship weren’t particularly big, but this prisoner had been locked away as deep as possible. Not because he was dangerous, but because it was important that he would not escape.

With the torch in her hand Firanisa took Nymeria through the dark and damp corridors, until they arrived to a wooden door that was locked up with three iron locks. Firanisa handed the torch to Nymeria, took out the keys, opened the locks, pushed the door open, and unsheathed her sword. The captain walked in first, and Nymeria followed with the torch, closing the door behind her. She set the torch to a holder, and turned to look at the prisoner who was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall.

The tip of Firanisa’s blade was less than a foot away from the face of the expressionless middle-aged man, whose green eyes traveled from Firanisa to Nymeria. “I assume you are not here to feed me.” The man said with dry tone, and Nymeria let out a joyless chuckle. “You are right on that, Tomas Toland.” She hissed, stepping next to Firanisa. “I am actually here to give you some news.” She said, and for a moment silence lingered in the dusty air of the dungeon, until Tomas cleared his throat.

“You are not going to get anything out of me, Princess.” He said with calm and determined words. “I would never let down my family, nor the Seven.” The Princess shook her head for this. “Trust me, Toland, if I wanted to get something out of you I would’ve sent someone else to do it. As I said, I’m only here to deliver you some news, regarding your family.” This seemed to spark some interest in the dirty and tired man, who now narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Nymeria.

“Your brother is dead.” She said coldly. “The news arrived yesterday, apparently his majesty had been killed in his own pavilion, in the middle of his own army.” Nymeria could see Tomas clenching his fists, and his facial expression turning into an angry frown.

“What have you done to my brother, you witch?” The man growled, only Firanisa’s sword keeping him from standing up. “Is there something wrong with your ears?” Nymeria’s tone was emotionless. She felt no compassion for this man – a man who had roamed in her lands, murdering innocents and burning down villages. “As I said I only learnt of your brother’s death yesterday, and it happened almost a fortnight ago. I had no involvement in it, but if you don’t believe that then I don’t care.”

Tomas turned his gaze down, muttering something inaudible. “And that’s not all the news.” Nymeria stated, making Tomas turn his eyes up again. “The army of your petty kingdom was shattered after the death of the King.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Tomas muttered with a defeated tone, and Nymeria flashed him a smirk. “I want you to know it, and I want you to think about it. Because soon your brother’s heir will start to think about continuing his father’s work, perhaps avenging him, and you must be the one to convince him not to.” Tomas’ looked confused after Nymeria’s answer.

“What do you mean?” He asked strictly, but Nymeria just shook her head. “We’ll talk more about it later.” She said, taking a step back towards the door. “Just let this news sink in. I have more important things to do right now.” With these words the Princess stepped out of the cell, Firanisa following after her with the torch. Tomas shouted something, but the heavy wooden door being closed muffled his voice.

-

As Nymeria walked into the council room she noticed that everyone else had already arrived and taken their seats. However, they all stood up and bowed as the Princess walked in, except for Mors who stayed down and just looked at her with a gentle smile. Nymeria sat on her chair next to Mors, and the council members followed her example. Nymeria let her eyes travel through the faces of her council. Maester Olivar had a humble and serious expression on his face, Jaran Martell looked bored as always, and General Varyn stared at Nymeria with a stern frown.

“So, what do we have today?” Nymeria asked with a sigh, and Olivar cleared his throat. “The Valyrian girl would like to have a conversation with you.” The maester spoke with a touch of nervousness in his words – obviously he knew this wasn’t a comfortable topic for Nymeria. Almost two weeks ago there had been a storm at the coast, and couple days after it a damaged Valyrian cog had docked to Sandship, carrying a noble Valyrian girl on her early twenties, along with the sailors and the small convoy. Since then Nymeria had reluctantly let them reside in the fort.

“Did the girl tell what she wants to talk about?” Mors asked calmly, and Olivar nodded. “She only wants to talk about what she’ll do while the ship is being fixed.” Olivar explained.

“We’ll invite her in later, but we have more important things to talk about first.” Nymeria spoke with a tired tone. “Yes, yes we do.” General Varyn spoke up, a touch of frustration in his words. “What are you planning to do about the conspiracy against you?” He asked bluntly.

“It was your mission to take care of it, Varyn.” The Princess replied, making the General furrow his eyebrows. “I did my part; we have been over this – I found out that this conspiracy is led by Lord Ormond Bloodspill.” Now Mors shook his head, his expression almost amused.

“The Bloodspills have always been loyal to Martells.” The Prince’s words were almost relaxed, though there was a tiny bit of doubt in them. “Lord Ormond grew up together with my father, he’d never go against us.”

“I always thought he was a bit… fishy.” Jaran joined the conversation with a lazy remark, which made Mors roll his eyes.

“We have to remember that this is not a conspiracy against House Martell – this is a conspiracy against Nymeria, and her war.” Varyn turned to look at the Princess as he said this. “If you want to put an end to this, you must show your strength to Lord Ormond.”

“Killing his nephew wasn’t enough, huh?” Mors remarked, but the general ignored him.

“So, there was a nephew of Lord Ormond in some conspiracy meeting, and now you want me to send forces against House Bloodspill.” Nymeria’s tone was almost mocking. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m in middle of preparing to a war against the Kingdom of Brimstone, my strongest vassal is having problems with some bastard of a bandit, and the Tolands are certain to seek for revenge on a murder I had nothing to do with.”

“None of that will matter if you can’t secure the support of those closest to you.” Varyn answered sternly, and Nymeria let out a sigh. “So what exactly do you propose?” She asked lazily.

“Take at least five hundred soldiers and march to Redclif to meet Lord Bloodspill personally.” Varyn’s expression was calm and confident, but Nymeria wasn’t sure if she liked the idea. “Everyone in that castle must see you leading the forces, showing that this army is yours. Then, you meet Lord Ormond, and you show him mercy. After that House Bloodspill will know that it exists only because of your mercy.”

“I have to oppose this.” Prince Mors said before Nymeria could answer. “If there is any true to these rumors about Ormond being the head of the conspiracy, Nymeria marching to Redclif with an army will be seen as an act of war, it’s certain to anger people. However, I can go to Ormond as a friend, and I don’t need five hundred men for it either. That way we can find out the truth without being too aggressive towards our own bannermen.”

“That is useless.” General Varyn barked. “Lord Ormond will just play the role of a friend when you go there, and when you leave he’ll go right back to working against us.”

Nymeria took in a deep breath. She wanted this conspiracy gone, but how?

[Varyn's way] [Mors' way]

Stigz_52

Wow, look at this shady mofo we've got here! Excellent depiction of my imagination, and you never cease to impress with your creativity in art, so as always I'm very impressed. Gotta agree with Liquid on one thing, there is really a Lex Luthor vibe to him, and I think a bit of Varys too Looks like that hybrid works At any rate, fantastic work with this one, I'm looking forward to seeing this one in more parts. Only, I fear we will, yet not know it's him

Stigz_52

[Varyn's way]

Man, this is a tough one. While I believe that Varyn does have a point, and strength needs to be shown, I wonder if it may be causing more harm than good in this instance. Sending Mors is a possibility, yet we run the risk of one: Lord Ormond playing the role of 'friend' as Varyn pointed out, and two: Mors potentially being captured and taken hostage, which could cause a whole lot of dilemmas, especially with this war to come. While I'm not fully with the idea of Varyn's suggestion, I think it's the best way to show Nymeria's strength, as well as keeping everyone else safer in a grand scheme of things. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that's up for debate. After all, Jaran mentioned he seemed fishy, and any fishy business is bad business in my books

Also, an interesting new character, I believe General Varyn will have a very intriguing storyline ahead. Very eager to see that unravel

LiquidChicagoTed

This was an amazing part! So much stuff happened First of all, Yandry is dead I did not see that coming, as I was sure he would have survived his last assault. But well, at least he succeeded with his promise to defeat the Toland marauders. It's a shame that his death was ultimately not necessary, as the death of King Donovar turned the tides so much that even without the defeat of Tomas, the Toland army would have likely still lost. Speaking about, Tomas is still alive, I see. Well, I don't quite know how to feel about that, but good for him, I guess. Now he at least gets a chance to become a better person. And well, I obviously loved the introduction of Varyn From what we have seen so far, I love the way you write him! Can't wait for more of this conspiracy storyline! Now, as for the choice...

[Varyn's way]

So, I genuinely think that Varyn's approach makes more sense here. Lord Bloodspill's involvement into this conspiracy seems all but confirmed, so he is actively trying to murder Nymeria. Friendly words won't convince him to change his ways. Even worse, sending Mors could horribly backfire, if Bloodspill takes him captive and turns his conspiracy into an outright rebellion. The only thing that might convince him to end the conspiracy will be to see Nymeria's strength. If he believes that staying loyal to her will end up with benefits for him, including the fact that he can keep his life and serve a strong princess, then he might be willing to renew his loyalty. Mors' way, as nice as it would be, does not sound very practical and at worst even outright dangerous.

Mathea

[Varyn's way]