[Say that you don't know yet] It my as well be demolished, that way no one will try to lay claim to it. [Give Aisha a quick death] if Dalia is revived (like Beric Dondarrion), it will be interesting if she returns to the world of the living and find out her recently legitimized name is now meaningless.
Hello again! So, first of all, sorry for the long wait, but once you see the combined length of these two parts I'm sure you understand why … moreit took a while Add to that the fact that there have been many other things keeping me preoccupied throughout the week. Nonetheless, I hope these parts were worth the wait. Without further ado:
Nymeria
The river Vaith ran low, and the red sands around it were shimmering under the blazing hot sun. Nymeria’s army had marched towards the city of Vaith for a couple of days now, advancing slowly but surely. They had left Lady Delena Gargalen and her son Jeremie to Godsgrace for Lady Esperence to look after, but kept Gabby and Bridget with the army. They weren’t kept in shackles, since they had both knelt and sworn their allegiance to Nymeria and House Martell, but for all intents and purposes they were still hostages. After all, Salt Shore was currently controlled by Eli Sand, and Nymeria would not blin… [view original content]
[Burn her to death]
Sorry to tie this second vote, but Aisha will not be getting any mercy from me. Not after what she planned to do to Trentan the entire time he was with them. Sure, it was Valerie who ultimately had him murdered/sacrificed, but Aisha planned to do same thing to him, after leading him on for who knows how long. So, you know what happens to witches.... They get burned. Aisha needs to burn. She can't suffer any less than Trentan did, at his death. Anyways, out of curiosity, what would have happened if we decided to leave Kris in Vaith? What would have happened during this conflict? Would Team Rhllor still have won?
Hello again! So, first of all, sorry for the long wait, but once you see the combined length of these two parts I'm sure you understand why … moreit took a while Add to that the fact that there have been many other things keeping me preoccupied throughout the week. Nonetheless, I hope these parts were worth the wait. Without further ado:
Nymeria
The river Vaith ran low, and the red sands around it were shimmering under the blazing hot sun. Nymeria’s army had marched towards the city of Vaith for a couple of days now, advancing slowly but surely. They had left Lady Delena Gargalen and her son Jeremie to Godsgrace for Lady Esperence to look after, but kept Gabby and Bridget with the army. They weren’t kept in shackles, since they had both knelt and sworn their allegiance to Nymeria and House Martell, but for all intents and purposes they were still hostages. After all, Salt Shore was currently controlled by Eli Sand, and Nymeria would not blin… [view original content]
I'm greatly surprised you decided to vote to give Aisha a quick death. You of all people, I would have thought would want Aisha to suffer. You did say, more than once, that you hoped she would die a gruesome death. I couldn't vote to give her a quick death. Not after it was revealed that the entire reason she brought Trentan along was so she could eventually ritually murder/sacrifice him, after tricking and leading him on. It doesn't matter to me that Valerie did it, the fact that Aisha was planning to do that the entire time is enough to make me want her to suffer just as much or more than Trentan did, at his untimely death. Plus, forcing Gwendis to drink his blood is unforgivable!
Whew... oh man, I don't even know where to begin. This part went so much differently than I thought and feared and I am pretty certain some … moreof you have heard my sigh of relief, that's how loud it has been. To give you an idea how tense it was for me to read this part, I have read it for the second time as I write this and my hands are still shaking. Oh what a part, what a lovely part
Let me start with a couple things from Nym's part and get the vote for that one out of the way. Obviously, my reaction to Kris' part is way stronger, because the part as a whole has been pretty much the highlight of the chapter for me so far, but that does not mean Nym's part was bad in any way. In fact, it was excellent in its own way, a calmer part nicely setting the stage for the final weeks of the Dryland-Martell war. I particularly loved the interaction between the characters. Valor and Bridget, did I ever mention I ship it? Pretty sure I did. Pretty sur… [view original content]
It is true, I am probably the one who most advocated a brutal death for her and I know how you feel here, but having had a night to think this over, hear me out on this one please
First of all, I realized that the fate that surprised me the most in this part is not Valerie's, but Aisha's. With every other character, I had at one point or the other assumed their death or survival. You know I was constantly afraid for Gwendis' fate in this confrontation, I had a feeling either Dalia or Kris, or Dalia and Desi would die, I was certain Wesley would die and that either Belan or Hondo would die fighting against him, even the deaths of Valerie and Mother Minesa have been included in my speculation at some point (even if I was still highly surprised by Valerie's apparent death, the main reason why I remain sceptical). But not Aisha, with her I was certain she'd survive where everyone else would have died, like a cockroach of evil, to become a major recurring villain. So, this is the one twist I wouldn't have seen coming in a million years. And knowing that I hate her like no one else, I love the fact that we actually get to decide not if she dies, but how.
Here's the catch though, I have so little trust in her that I don't even trust her to die properly. You know I want her dead at least as much as you do, probably even more. You know I am the last who'd say she doesn't deserve to be burned. I would love for her to die screaming for what she did to Gwen and Trentan. Her role in all this is unforgivable and she deserves utmost pain. Of course, Valerie did more in the end, but it has been Aisha's fault that they were there to begin with and I don't blame her less, even if her final actions in this part have been surprisingly graceful. Credit where credit's due, just as she earned the hate we have for her. So, I want her to die and reading about her burning at stake, preferrably while Gwen gets to look on in triumph, it'd be an amazing way for that priestess to go out. No objections, I definitely don't argue from the standpoint that she deserves the quicker death.
However, as I said, I don't trust her with dying. Because I was so certain that she would survive, I have come to assume that she has some sort of secret back up plan to get out of there, one that would rely on the cruelty she expects from a R'hllor follower, namely burning her at stake. It'd take time to set this all up. They'd build a pyre, it is raining and Desi has made it clear she doesn't care for this, means she is likely going to have a chat with Gwen instead of, you know, starting a fire. So, they have to do it the traditional way, it could give Aisha several more hours or even days until that gets done. Time she could use to do something, undoubtedly something awful, and escape. I want her dead as much as you do, but I want her dead more than I want her to suffer. If I'd truly believe she has no escape plan, I might be more inclined to pick the burning option. But having thought about it, it would give her more time to prepare than we should grant her. She is poison and she has spent more than enough time trying to corrupt Gwendis' mind already. Who knows what she is capable of when realizing that she has nothing left to lose? Just because she hasn't shown the same powers Valerie displayed doesn't mean she cannot use them, either to escape or to do as much harm as possible on the R'hllor followers (and likely one of the sympathetic ones and not Mother Minesa) or on Gwendis, her unwilling apprentice. The only mark she has left on the world is suffering, so maybe she attempts to go out causing as much of it as she still can and giving her the time to do so sounds like a critical mistake. I don't want to give her the opportunity and fully believe that she is too dangerous to toy with. Holding her prisoner, even just for the hours it'll take to collect enough dry wood (and keep in mind, Belan is injured, means either Kris or Hondo have to stand guard while the other has to collect enough wood to build a pyre all by himself), that is a luxury I am not sure they can afford. However, even I doubt that she can escape a death that comes almost immediately. I definitely want to see her trying to escape Kris' sword cutting her stupid head from her shoulders. As I said, I want her dead more than I want her to suffer. While her suffering would mean a more satisfying revenge for both of us, I don't want to blow what might be the only shot we have at revenge to begin with in favour of making it a bit more satisfying. There are no moral objections from me here, I want her to burn as much as you want her to, but I think it is a situation in which we have to be pragmatic if we absolutely want to ensure that she won't get out of this one.
Of course, I could be completely wrong here. Maybe she is genuinely accepting her fate here with what little dignity someone like her can muster. In my opinion though, she is a constantly scheming and backstabbing monster, trying to weasel her way out of any uncomfortable situation, any responsiblity, someone without an ounce of dignity, someone who never gives up. The question you have to ask yourself is not if she deserves to burn, which is a firm yes, but if we can afford the risk to trust her with truly accepting her fate. I'm not so convinced we should take the risk, because Aisha has always been a threat that shouldn't be ignored. Having read my points, I hope you understand why I would prefer to stay with this option, but I'm curious how you think about taking the risk.
I'm greatly surprised you decided to vote to give Aisha a quick death. You of all people, I would have thought would want Aisha to suffer. … moreYou did say, more than once, that you hoped she would die a gruesome death. I couldn't vote to give her a quick death. Not after it was revealed that the entire reason she brought Trentan along was so she could eventually ritually murder/sacrifice him, after tricking and leading him on. It doesn't matter to me that Valerie did it, the fact that Aisha was planning to do that the entire time is enough to make me want her to suffer just as much or more than Trentan did, at his untimely death. Plus, forcing Gwendis to drink his blood is unforgivable!
Whew... oh man, I don't even know where to begin. This part went so much differently than I thought and feared and I am pretty certain some of you have heard my sigh of relief, that's how loud it has been. To give you an idea how tense it was for me to read this part, I have read it for the second time as I write this and my hands are still shaking. Oh what a part, what a lovely part
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I am glad that you stuck to resisting the GO all the way through her storyline, because it would've been a damn shame to kill her off now.
Let me start with a couple things from Nym's part and get the vote for that one out of the way. Obviously, my reaction to Kris' part is way stronger, because the part as a whole has been pretty much the highlight of the chapter for me so far, but that does not mean Nym's part was bad in any way. In fact, it was excellent in its own way, a calmer part nicely setting the stage for the final weeks of the Dryland-Martell war. I particularly loved the interaction between the characters. Valor and Bridget, did I ever mention I ship it? Pretty sure I did. Pretty sure that ship is about to sail or has sailed already, given Bridget's kinda flustered reaction at being seen together. Unfortunately, it seems Valor got Nymblocked at the wrong moment However, that isn't all bad, because it gave us one of the best talks we had in the story, as I legitimately enjoyed this conversation between the two of them. Valor has some serious competition, but at least in terms of personality, he has excellent chances to become one of my favourites. Nym is at that point already of course and this part only strengthened the appreciation I have for her as a character. Then there was Myra, whom I certainly like as well. Good thing Kris survived his fight, because after what that woman has been through, she is one of those whom I really want to have a happy ending.
Very glad to hear you liked the Nym part as well. To be completely honest, it was probably the more enjoyable one for me to write, because it focused more on character interactions and dialogue, which I think I'm better at compared to action. It was also the less stressful part to write, compared to the long anticipated climax of a storyline with tons of build up Anyway, it indeed seems like Valor and Bridget quite enjoy each other's company. Shame that Nym had to cockblock, but at least it provided us a hint that Valor and Bridget are still spending time together And I really enjoyed writing that conversation between the two, as it gave me a chance to go into all these interesting topics, from the Second Spice War and the Freehold to Nymeria's vision for the future of Dorne. Glad to hear you enjoyed it as well!
Or well, that is what I'd say if he would have said anything. Seriously though, it is super unsettling that this man actually was silent. He freaking burned to death and did not say a word. Compare that to Valerie and I gotta say, Edgelord Wesley actually managed to freak me out a bit here, even as he died.
Haha, yeah, I kept him silent in his last moments because I felt it was fitting for him as a character, but also because he was simply too fucked up at that point to say anything coherent. Of course he could've screamed in pain or something, but as I said just utter silence is a bit more fitting for him. Valerie on the other hand, yeah, no way she goes down without talking shit first
So then, oh man, I'm still shaking, this is great. There were a thousand possibilities in my mind how this could play out and somehow, you ended up still surprising me. You surprised me in a situation where I was certain I had taken everything into account, because never would I have thought that this will end up as such a clear victory for Team R'hllor. Wesley is pretty much the only one who did not surprise me here. As the main meat shield of Team Awful, he was always the one taking the greatest challenge and I was always certain that his chances against Kris, Dalia, Belan and Hangman were terribly low. Not that he did not deserve it. That being said, while the fact that he died was something I correctly predicted, the way he died utterly surprised me. Desi OP, pls nerf XD I gotta say, it is ironic that he, the unstoppable warrior, got eventually killed by a little girl with no chance to fight back. Out of all the ways he could have died, this is by far the most satisfying for that fucking monster. To think how close he came to actually win this, it's scary. He killed Dalia (more about that below), Belan was already left unable to fight and I though Kris and Hondo together kinda gave him a nice beating, I am certain he could have killed them with the Great Other power there. I have to wonder, this force that compelled Kris to put down his sword, was that Valerie or Wesley? The former sounds likely, we know she has these powers, but if Wesley was actually capable to influence his enemies like that, in the same way Valerie and probably Aisha were capable of doing, that would make him even more terrifying. Those he cannot beat in a fight will be dominated and then killed. Thank R'hllor for the marvel that is Desi, because without her, they would have been chanceless.
Well it's understandable that you had a thousand possibilities in mind how this could go, because ever since first starting to plan this confrontation I've changed my plans for it probably almost a thousand times Granted, some of these changes came from your choices, and others were just about which PoVs I wanted to show this from. At some point I had a plan of showing the confrontation from 3 PoVs, those being of course Gwen, Dalia and Kris. However, in the end I felt it would just make it too messy, especially since I wanted to have this conversation between Kris and Hondo before the battle, and I wanted Kris' choice to end the confrontation. So, with that in mind it just made sense to show the whole thing from his perspective. As for Desi, yeah she definitely isn't helpless in face of threat However, she is a bit of glass cannon, because while her magic can do a lot of damage it drains her quickly, and she can't really protect herself in hand-to-hand combat. And to your question, it was Valerie's magic that made Kris put his sword down. In retrospect, I should've probably made that more clear, but oh well
Onwards, to the rest of them. First of all, I was surprised how quickly Hangman grew on me, or should I say Hondo. Really powerful writing there, you made me care for him in the matter of a few sentences and I am actually relieved he survived and that is about a character whom I saw as little more than a redshirt before this part. He was the one with the biggest death flag and he somehow pulled through, making him kind of a legend in my opinion. May he refuse to die for the rest of the story Valerie though, she got what she deserved. That being said, I am surprised by her fate the most. With everyone else, I had my theories about their fate, but I never thought Valerie would die here. Burning to death and jumping down a cliff is a pretty impressive way of going out, but I must admit, with how powerful she is, I don't buy it yet. I will remain hesitant to actually praise her death, because I fear she might have found a way to survive. Either that, or her god might end up resurrecting her. He controls death after all. Just imagine it, Valerie the Lich, back from the dead and ready to serve her master. Here's the thing, the main reason I don't fully believe she is dead is that the Great Other has warned Gwendis of one of his own servants and it is definitely not Aisha, not after this part. Valerie however, she was always my most likely guess. And what has she done so far in her attempt to destroy Gwen? Not much, I'd say. So, I wouldn't say I am certan she survived, but I wouldn't put it past her to have some sort of spell prepared for this moment to survive the fall and to cheat death.
Yeah, tbh, if Hangman was just a random character I came up with, I probably would've used him as a redshirt here, but as this part started to reveal, Hondo is actually a submitted character with a very rich and detailed backstory. I'm glad I managed to give him a bit more depth before the confrontation though, I suppose it added a bit more tension in his scenes And Valerie has now been added to the "deceased or unknown" list, but well, that of course doesn't guarantee that she is gone permanently. We'll have to wait and see with that one.
And man, I think it goes without saying that Gwen's survival is my highlight of the chapter We did it, we actually did it. Clearly, refusing the darkness at any given time turned out to be the right way. I think it would be either that or fully giving in and becoming sort of a dark counter to Desi, allowing Wesley and Valerie to win. But I would never want that for my dear, so refusing the Great Other turned out to be the good thing to do. If not for that, I suppose Desi wouldn't have spared her, if she would have actually become like Aisha. She would have suffered the fate the Great Other warned her about. From the way she acted in this part, it seems Valerie has enthralled her as she did with Jamison. He dropped unconscious as well after the spell was removed, if I am not mistaken. But this is over now. I wouldn't say Gwen is among friends, but Desi seems to be open-minded about her. It could be worse, she has Desi around, I actually believe that Belan and Hondo won't pose a threat to her and Kris definitely not, he has been through a similar situation. The only one I consider a problem is Mother Minesa, but I actually trust her with following Desi's order. I am curious about what Aisha said here though, that neither god wants Gwen dead here. We know the Great Other favours her, as much as he can favour a living being, but her being important to R'hllor was something I, at best, only speculated about so far. Aisha went to pretty much confirm it. Means, what Gwendis has here is definitely not a one-way connection to the Great Other, but probably a connection to these godly beings in general. What could have been used for evil in service of the Great Other can probably be used for good as well, maybe in service of R'hllor even. If that is her only option, I will not disapprove. Her fate has improved massively in this part and while I hoped for this, I did not truly expect it. That being said, this is not over yet. There are three books still to come and my watch will continue. It's over when she reaches Book 4 safe and sound, until then I can see tons of twists, dangers and hardships still to come. But I shall be happy right now. The most immediate danger of dying in this confrontation has been averted successfully. It is a victory, even if there are more fights to come. And well, now, I believe there is a choice to be made
Of course I knew you'd be happy about Gwen surviving I am too, because she is a great character, and there is still a lot of potential for future storylines with her, which I can't wait to get to write. And yeah, I already confirmed your theory earlier in this message, but basically you nailed it: it was always about either resisting or going all in, half measures would've led to death here. And yeah, Gwendis falling unconscious after Valerie's death is indeed a hint towards her having been under the influence of her magic. And just like with Jamison, it'll take a while for Gwendis to get her head clear after what happened. In fact, it'll probably take a bit longer in her case, because she was under her spell for longer. And yeah, we'll have one more Gwendis part in Book 1, in which she'll have a lengthy conversation about all this with Desi, so I won't go too deep into it now, but you might very well be right about Gwen's connection not being limited to just the Great Other. Yep, three more books to get through, and it won't be easy, but I can at least promise that Gwen most likely won't be put through another long period of being someone's captive, because surely that would get a tad too repetitive
I know, I know, this is me, the same me who ranted about Aisha to hell and back, who sees her as evil incarnate and who hates her stupid guts. I have seen nothing good in her, she is far and above my least favourite character in the story, a title she will at least carry in the questions you undoubtedly ask at the end of the chapter. And yet, here I am and grant her the small mercy of not burning to death. I am surprised at myself here, but in a way, I think Gwen's survival has made me more open for mercy. Don't get me wrong, I want Aisha dead. This whole choice, this whole situation, it puts the greatest smile of them all on my face. She failed, she failed so thoroughly. Gwendis lives, this is by far the best situation she has been in since she left Blackmont and Aisha is doomed. There is no way out for her right now. And given the opportunity, I realized... I don't care how she dies. If something would have happened to Gwen here, my fury would have been tremendous, I would have definitely picked the most painful way for Aisha to die. But this is not what happened and I take absolute pleasure in the fact that she lost her cool here when presented with her possible death by fire. She fears this and it is oh so sweet. However, she has lost and Gwendis has successfully escaped her grasp. There is nothing more she can do. And due to this, I realize I don't care how she dies, as long as she does indeed die. She won't be missed. That being said, even I cannot deny that her request to spare Gwen came as a bit of a surprise and has made me more willing to grant her a quick death. Hey, I doubt it was done out of any selfless fondness for the girl she borderline abducted and held hostage for months. For sure she did it out of the final desperate attempt to have someone continue her life work, that Gwendis, through whatever means, ends up serving the Great Other after all. That won't happen on my watch though. And it must be said, her request might have actually saved Gwen's life. She almost took her life, there's no way saying how long Gwendis will continue to be haunted by what Aisha dragged her into, but she also somewhat saved her life, or at least tried, even if I suppose Desi would have spared her regardless, sensing that she can be redeemed. Doesn't change the fact that, for undoubtedly rotten reasons, Aisha did a decent thing here and it miraculously gave me enough reason to not hate her less, but to care less about giving her the most brutal death available. That being said, I mean it, I don't care how she dies. I myself think she earned a quick death with her final actions here in this part. However, I will be the last to run to her defense and argue against burning her. If that's what her fate will be, see if I care. She brought it onto herself. I am surprised she will actually die here, I could have seen her being a recurring villain for a long time to come, but actually, her death makes it even more likely that Valerie will return as an antagonist. Aisha is done for, may she burn in hell. But I am so damn excited for what is to come for Gwendis now, without having to fear for her life at every turn. This is guaranteed to be good
Well, I must admit I didn't expect you to go easy on Aisha here, but your reasoning does make sense. And had she caused Gwen's death, I assume you wouldn't be quite as merciful And you're right, it makes very little difference how Aisha dies here, other than the amount of suffering she has to go through before the release of death. Oh, and also the amount of twisted enjoyment Mother Minesa gets out of this
Whew... oh man, I don't even know where to begin. This part went so much differently than I thought and feared and I am pretty certain some … moreof you have heard my sigh of relief, that's how loud it has been. To give you an idea how tense it was for me to read this part, I have read it for the second time as I write this and my hands are still shaking. Oh what a part, what a lovely part
Let me start with a couple things from Nym's part and get the vote for that one out of the way. Obviously, my reaction to Kris' part is way stronger, because the part as a whole has been pretty much the highlight of the chapter for me so far, but that does not mean Nym's part was bad in any way. In fact, it was excellent in its own way, a calmer part nicely setting the stage for the final weeks of the Dryland-Martell war. I particularly loved the interaction between the characters. Valor and Bridget, did I ever mention I ship it? Pretty sure I did. Pretty sur… [view original content]
It would've been a much harder fight for Team R'hllor without Kris there, but ultimately they would have won. The only way for Team Great Other to win here was for Gwendis to go full on dark side during her storyline, OR if neither Kris or Dalia would've come, leaving just Belan and a couple fighters Dalia would've chosen from the Wild Suns to help Desi and Minesa.
[Say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall]
[Burn her to death]
Sorry to tie this second vote, but Aisha will not be getting any mercy… more from me. Not after what she planned to do to Trentan the entire time he was with them. Sure, it was Valerie who ultimately had him murdered/sacrificed, but Aisha planned to do same thing to him, after leading him on for who knows how long. So, you know what happens to witches.... They get burned. Aisha needs to burn. She can't suffer any less than Trentan did, at his death. Anyways, out of curiosity, what would have happened if we decided to leave Kris in Vaith? What would have happened during this conflict? Would Team Rhllor still have won?
Well, I understand now why you voted the way you did. As long as she dies, but I still want her to suffer for her actions. I'm not sure Aisha could escape even if she wanted to. She is completely surrounded and outnumbered. Plus, I'm sure Team Rhllor is constantly watching her. She would probably need to use some magic of some sort, in order to escape everybody.
It is true, I am probably the one who most advocated a brutal death for her and I know how you feel here, but having had a night to think th… moreis over, hear me out on this one please
First of all, I realized that the fate that surprised me the most in this part is not Valerie's, but Aisha's. With every other character, I had at one point or the other assumed their death or survival. You know I was constantly afraid for Gwendis' fate in this confrontation, I had a feeling either Dalia or Kris, or Dalia and Desi would die, I was certain Wesley would die and that either Belan or Hondo would die fighting against him, even the deaths of Valerie and Mother Minesa have been included in my speculation at some point (even if I was still highly surprised by Valerie's apparent death, the main reason why I remain sceptical). But not Aisha, with her I was certain she'd survive where everyone else would have died, like a cockroach of evil, to become a maj… [view original content]
Oh man I can't believe I almost missed these parts! Both of these parts are awesome and just to make sure the voting doesn't close on me, I'll go ahead and vote now
[Say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall]
[Give Aisha a quick death]
If the voting Isn't closed by then, I'll give my reasons for choosing what I chose once I get home from work!
Edit: Well, it looks like there isn't really too much I can add in regards to commenting on the parts but I think I'll give it a shot anyway
First off with Nymeria's part, this was clearly a very enjoyable part with the conversation between Valor and Nymeria being something that I had been excited to see and it certainly did not disappoint. It seems like they both gave their sides and it very much seems like Nymeria trust Valor now which is great for the both of them. It also seems as if Valor and Bridget might be some kind of item which is also very interesting and also leads me to agree with Liquid in believing that Valor's book 2 storyline will deal with the Gargalen's and Salt Shore in some way. Of course with the two year time skip, this could also be a fling with nothing serious coming from it but either way I am excited to see where Valor and Bridget's storylines go from here! As for Nymeria's choice, I was leaning along the lines of having her say she didn't know yet since by all rights, she can't even be sure if she can even trust the Uller's yet but at the same time, it really is her best choice especially since there isn't really anyone from House Martell who can watch over Hellgate Hall. Also, this is just her stating what she thinks she'll do not actually doing it so she could very well change her mind when the time comes to actually make a decision.
Now for the Kris part, this was a very exciting part! This battle was definitely something we have all been excited to see and you knocked it out of the park! The battle was awesome and we also got to see the death of Mordekhai along with hopefully Valerie as well but I definitely don't put it past her to survive but I suppose as long as she isn't around Jamison, I won't worry about it too much Dalia's death however was a bit sadder than I thought it would be and with her death, House Dryland is finished. As for Gwendis, I am happy to see we got her out unscathed and with captors seemingly gone for good, she should be moving on to something completely new whether that be going back to Blackmont or something else, I am very excited to see where her story heads With Kris' choice, I chose to give Aisha a quick death simply because I feel Aisha is finished here either way and that this choice could arguably be chalked up to being a character building choice for him here in regards to how dedicated he will be to serving the Lord of Light or not. Even with all Aisha has done, Kris himself doesn't really know her and doesn't really have too much of a reason to see her die in such a brutal manner other than if he feels that's how it has to be done for R'hllor but he doesn't seem to feel that way so I figure I'll just have him give Aisha a quick death here.
Hello again! So, first of all, sorry for the long wait, but once you see the combined length of these two parts I'm sure you understand why … moreit took a while Add to that the fact that there have been many other things keeping me preoccupied throughout the week. Nonetheless, I hope these parts were worth the wait. Without further ado:
Nymeria
The river Vaith ran low, and the red sands around it were shimmering under the blazing hot sun. Nymeria’s army had marched towards the city of Vaith for a couple of days now, advancing slowly but surely. They had left Lady Delena Gargalen and her son Jeremie to Godsgrace for Lady Esperence to look after, but kept Gabby and Bridget with the army. They weren’t kept in shackles, since they had both knelt and sworn their allegiance to Nymeria and House Martell, but for all intents and purposes they were still hostages. After all, Salt Shore was currently controlled by Eli Sand, and Nymeria would not blin… [view original content]
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I am glad that you stuck to resisting the GO all the way through her storyline, because it would've been a damn shame to kill her off now.
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her dying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he made it seem to be as if her death would be way more likely than her survival if she would resist his influence. Guess he just really focussed on one of several possible outcomes, which makes sense given that he wants her to support him. Some of the most disturbing visions she has seen have probably come from this successfully averted bad outcome then. I am curious, if we would have given in once or twice, but not really all that much, would the resulting darkness have been enough for Desi to consider her doomed? Means, was fully resisting (or fully submitting to the darkness) the only way, or was there a bit of a leeway?
Very glad to hear you liked the Nym part as well. To be completely honest, it was probably the more enjoyable one for me to write, because it focused more on character interactions and dialogue, which I think I'm better at compared to action. It was also the less stressful part to write, compared to the long anticipated climax of a storyline with tons of build up Anyway, it indeed seems like Valor and Bridget quite enjoy each other's company. Shame that Nym had to cockblock, but at least it provided us a hint that Valor and Bridget are still spending time together And I really enjoyed writing that conversation between the two, as it gave me a chance to go into all these interesting topics, from the Second Spice War and the Freehold to Nymeria's vision for the future of Dorne. Glad to hear you enjoyed it as well!
Yeah, for as much as you nailed it, I doubt Kris' part was easy to write. To be honest, I prefer to write action, because it happens comparably less and always makes for neat highlights. However, little trumps an exciting dialogue. I always kinda liked Valor, but ever since he gets to spend time with the Rhoynar and express his own views on the Spice War, he has increased massively in my favour, I genuinely am excited for his development in Book 2. I also think it can be considered a safe guess that his future will be in some capacity tied to House Gargalen, at least in Book 2. Being a major port for House Martell, I guess Salt Shore might be on the front lines if the Dayne's advance during the coming war.
Well it's understandable that you had a thousand possibilities in mind how this could go, because ever since first starting to plan this confrontation I've changed my plans for it probably almost a thousand times Granted, some of these changes came from your choices, and others were just about which PoVs I wanted to show this from. At some point I had a plan of showing the confrontation from 3 PoVs, those being of course Gwen, Dalia and Kris. However, in the end I felt it would just make it too messy, especially since I wanted to have this conversation between Kris and Hondo before the battle, and I wanted Kris' choice to end the confrontation. So, with that in mind it just made sense to show the whole thing from his perspective. As for Desi, yeah she definitely isn't helpless in face of threat However, she is a bit of glass cannon, because while her magic can do a lot of damage it drains her quickly, and she can't really protect herself in hand-to-hand combat. And to your question, it was Valerie's magic that made Kris put his sword down. In retrospect, I should've probably made that more clear, but oh well
I guess there are few storylines in NW I did more speculation on than this confrontation, yet you somehow managed to pull off several things that legitimately surprised me. One thing that comes from a technical standpoint is that I was actually certain you'd show this from several PoV's, instead of one super long Kris part. It worked out perfectly well though. With Dalia's death a little halfway into the actual fight, her part would have added little in terms of value and if Gwen was completely under Valerie's control in that moment, then there really is nothing she could have shown here. Desi though, holy shit, she's great! Though I see it now, Valerie's thralls would have likely slaughtered her before she could even lay a hand onto one of the true bad guys here. Now, Kris, Dalia, Belan and Hondo really gave her all the time she needed to end this.
Yeah, tbh, if Hangman was just a random character I came up with, I probably would've used him as a redshirt here, but as this part started to reveal, Hondo is actually a submitted character with a very rich and detailed backstory. I'm glad I managed to give him a bit more depth before the confrontation though, I suppose it added a bit more tension in his scenes And Valerie has now been added to the "deceased or unknown" list, but well, that of course doesn't guarantee that she is gone permanently. We'll have to wait and see with that one.
Ah, I see it now! I really considered him just a minor character you have come up with to flesh out the forces of R'hllor in this confrontation, but I was way wrong then. I also realized, he comes from Ghoyan Drohe, like Farrah from Nym's guard. Might be an actual connection there. Then again, I am not sure how Rhoynish nobility works. For example, Varyn could have been Varyn of Chroyane even while there was still Garin of Chroyane around as the actual part of the ruling family, indicating simply that he is nobility from Chroyane and something similar could be the case with Hondo and Farrah, means they are both nobility from the same city, but not necessarily from the same family. I suppose I gotta wait and see. Team R'hllor seems to be bound to meet up with Nymeria at some point and by then, I have no doubt it will be revealed if they are actually family. When it comes to Valerie though, I will probably continue to not consider her dead, unless another fitting villain appears or we reach Book 4 without her making a reappearance XD With her following the god of death and being implied to be his most powerful follower in all Dorne, maybe she can actually cheat death as long as her body is not fully destroyed. While she was on fire at the time, she did throw herself into the sea. Usually enough for an overkill, but with her body unlikely to be fully destroyed, she might manage to find a way to come back, either as a genuinely living person, or as some sort of a wight/lich. That'd easily overshadow Wesley silently burning to death as the most creepy thing these terrible people are capable of.
Of course I knew you'd be happy about Gwen surviving I am too, because she is a great character, and there is still a lot of potential for future storylines with her, which I can't wait to get to write. And yeah, I already confirmed your theory earlier in this message, but basically you nailed it: it was always about either resisting or going all in, half measures would've led to death here. And yeah, Gwendis falling unconscious after Valerie's death is indeed a hint towards her having been under the influence of her magic. And just like with Jamison, it'll take a while for Gwendis to get her head clear after what happened. In fact, it'll probably take a bit longer in her case, because she was under her spell for longer. And yeah, we'll have one more Gwendis part in Book 1, in which she'll have a lengthy conversation about all this with Desi, so I won't go too deep into it now, but you might very well be right about Gwen's connection not being limited to just the Great Other. Yep, three more books to get through, and it won't be easy, but I can at least promise that Gwen most likely won't be put through another long period of being someone's captive, because surely that would get a tad too repetitive
Ah, nothing makes me more glad than that. I had a feeling I was right with my approach, but of course I could never be certain. This was tremendously risky. For certain, I will continue to overthink every choice she'll be offered, because getting her through the things undoubtedly still to come will remain my main goal, even if I have no doubt that there will be parts in which her survival will be easier to achieve and where not quite as much will be at stake. But then again, this was only the beginning. If Valerie returns, or another threat comes up, there might be even greater dangers on the horizon. Now I am curious though, how much time has passed since Trentan's death and this confrontation? And was she mind controlled this entire time? If so, what was Valerie's intention with this? I mean, she can definitely be evil for the sake of being evil, but I can't help but to believe that she might have used her as some sort of amplifier for her own powers.
Well, I must admit I didn't expect you to go easy on Aisha here, but your reasoning does make sense. And had she caused Gwen's death, I assume you wouldn't be quite as merciful And you're right, it makes very little difference how Aisha dies here, other than the amount of suffering she has to go through before the release of death. Oh, and also the amount of twisted enjoyment Mother Minesa gets out of this
Trust me, neither did I expect that But given the opportunity, I rather make absolutely certain she dies. I don't want to go easy on her, but I want her to escape even less, so I take it as just killing her and getting it done. After all, she has done nothing yet and this is the big confrontation she prepared for all this time. While she is less powerful than Valerie, I am not sure if Team R'hllor can afford to toy with a Great Other priestess who still hasn't come even close to exhausting her powers. It's a shame, I would have loved for her to burn, but as long as she stays dead, I shall be happy and I can only imagine how frustrating it would be if we would waste our shot at killing her just to get a more fitting death for her.
Whew... oh man, I don't even know where to begin. This part went so much differently than I thought and feared and I am pretty certain some … moreof you have heard my sigh of relief, that's how loud it has been. To give you an idea how tense it was for me to read this part, I have read it for the second time as I write this and my hands are still shaking. Oh what a part, what a lovely part
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I… [view original content]
Trust me, neither did I expect that But given the opportunity, I rather make absolutely certain she dies. I don't want to go easy on her, but I want her to escape even less, so I take it as just killing her and getting it done. After all, she has done nothing yet and this is the big confrontation she prepared for all this time. While she is less powerful than Valerie, I am not sure if Team R'hllor can afford to toy with a Great Other priestess who still hasn't come even close to exhausting her powers. It's a shame, I would have loved for her to burn, but as long as she stays dead, I shall be happy and I can only imagine how frustrating it would be if we would waste our shot at killing her just to get a more fitting death for her.
But if you think about it, giving Aisha a quick death might not make sure she stays dead. See, if Kris gives her a quick death there's a lot of different ways for him to do that, one of the most common ways of giving someone a quick death is stabbing them through the heart. Now, in that situation, she'd be dead, but her body would still be "preserved" enough to be revived. If Valerie were to indeed survive all that she's been through, she would need to find allies and seeing that Dorne isn't exactly Great Other Land, she'd be "forced" to revive (or try to) Aisha even if they aren't really on the best of terms. Now If Aisha is burned, she'll most likely turn to ashes and then there'll be no way in which she could be revived, as there would be no body to revive. If you think about it, fire is the Great Other's "kryptonite" in a way, so I imagine the best way to make sure that a follower of the Great Other stays dead would be to burn them (not much different on how to deal with Wights). Not only would there be no body to revive, said body would've been "purified by the fire" even.
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never… more really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I am glad that you stuck to resisting the GO all the way through her storyline, because it would've been a damn shame to kill her off now.
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her dying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he ma… [view original content]
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her dying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he made it seem to be as if her death would be way more likely than her survival if she would resist his influence. Guess he just really focussed on one of several possible outcomes, which makes sense given that he wants her to support him. Some of the most disturbing visions she has seen have probably come from this successfully averted bad outcome then. I am curious, if we would have given in once or twice, but not really all that much, would the resulting darkness have been enough for Desi to consider her doomed? Means, was fully resisting (or fully submitting to the darkness) the only way, or was there a bit of a leeway?
Yeah, whatever the Great Other is, he certainly isn't objective in what he shows to his followers And yeah, there was some leeway, a couple missteps wouldn't have doomed Gwen. Really it was the decisions after Lyla's failed rescue that mattered the most.
Ah, nothing makes me more glad than that. I had a feeling I was right with my approach, but of course I could never be certain. This was tremendously risky. For certain, I will continue to overthink every choice she'll be offered, because getting her through the things undoubtedly still to come will remain my main goal, even if I have no doubt that there will be parts in which her survival will be easier to achieve and where not quite as much will be at stake. But then again, this was only the beginning. If Valerie returns, or another threat comes up, there might be even greater dangers on the horizon. Now I am curious though, how much time has passed since Trentan's death and this confrontation? And was she mind controlled this entire time? If so, what was Valerie's intention with this? I mean, she can definitely be evil for the sake of being evil, but I can't help but to believe that she might have used her as some sort of amplifier for her own powers.
I can already tell you that there will be some major choices coming pretty early in Gwen's Book 2 storyline, so look forward to that As for your question, I'd say it has been a couple days. And yeah, the reason Valerie took control of Gwen was her connection to the Great Other. Whether that was actually helpful to her in any way is questionable, but her intention at least was to use Gwen to make herself stronger.
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never… more really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I am glad that you stuck to resisting the GO all the way through her storyline, because it would've been a damn shame to kill her off now.
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her dying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he ma… [view original content]
Admittedly, I cannot be certain about this. However, the thing is, while we don't know the full extent of Aisha's power, it has been implied she's more lower-to-mid ranking when compared to Wesley or Valerie. She hasn't shown any real powers beyond relatively sloppy soothsaying and distracting an animal, which is nothing when compared to surviving a dagger to the eye or mind-raping a dozen men at once. Admittedly, much of the true extent of a Great Other servants powers are still a mystery to us, but I have this fear that she has the same influence skills as Valerie did, maybe to a weaker extent, but with Belan heavily wounded, the only ones who could guard her are the exhausted and also slightly injured Kris and Hondo and at least the former was easily influenced by Valerie in the middle of the fight. So, if only one of them guards her, she might be able to influence him and escape. Meanwhile, it seems seeing someones future is the absolute lowest of Great Other powers (and she made mistakes even there), with inhuman strength and endurance coming next on the ladder, then manipulating minds, followed by outright enthralling others and I can only speculate that there's dark powers beyond that, such as potentially rising from the dead. If this is the case though, I believe it will be reserved to solely the most powerful servants the Great Other has, the ones that give themselves to him completely in mind, body and soul. Aisha has repeatedly stated that she does not want this, so I believe she is, in return, way less powerful than Valerie. Even with that one, a possible resurrection is purely speculative at this point and I solely fear this because Team R'hllor won't be able to locate her body, but if this is possible, I doubt Aisha is capable of doing so. If this is a standard power which the servants of the Great Other have, there's no doubt someone such as Desi, who has dedicated her life to fight them, would know about it and take appropriate measures instead of letting Kris decide. And even if it is, for some reason, in the realms of possible that someone such as Aisha, whom I consider ultimately insignificant for the Great Other's plans, is capable of returning from the dead, I doubt they'd just leave her body to rot, this doesn't seem to be the R'hllor way. Many people died in this battle and they have to receive some sort of a funeral. One pyre for Dalia and another one for Aisha, Wesley and Valerie's thralls, that sounds like a very fitting to get rid of the bodies. I pretty much just want to make sure that she won't get any chance to escape and I fear this is far more likely if we end up giving her some time until she gets burned alive. I could be wrong, I might be wrong, but I just don't want to risk it. I mean, I would absolutely love for her to burn, it'd be wonderful, but it seems like too much of a risk.
That being said, the only way I'd actually like for Aisha to come back from the dead is if Kris decapitates her here. Just imagine this one, Aisha as an undead head, spouting her usual nonsense and being carried around by Valerie the Lich Queen, but posing no threat at all beyond being mildly annoying, giving mean glares and occasionally biting people who get too close to her. That'd be kinda priceless and a way more fitting punishment than any sort of death we could give her XD
Trust me, neither did I expect that But given the opportunity, I rather make absolutely certain she dies. I don't want to go easy on her, b… moreut I want her to escape even less, so I take it as just killing her and getting it done. After all, she has done nothing yet and this is the big confrontation she prepared for all this time. While she is less powerful than Valerie, I am not sure if Team R'hllor can afford to toy with a Great Other priestess who still hasn't come even close to exhausting her powers. It's a shame, I would have loved for her to burn, but as long as she stays dead, I shall be happy and I can only imagine how frustrating it would be if we would waste our shot at killing her just to get a more fitting death for her.
But if you think about it, giving Aisha a quick death might not make sure she stays dead. See, if Kris gives her a quick death there's a lot of different ways for him to do that, one of the most common ways … [view original content]
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her … moredying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he made it seem to be as if her death would be way more likely than her survival if she would resist his influence. Guess he just really focussed on one of several possible outcomes, which makes sense given that he wants her to support him. Some of the most disturbing visions she has seen have probably come from this successfully averted bad outcome then. I am curious, if we would have given in once or twice, but not really all that much, would the resulting darkness have been enough for Desi to consider her doomed? Means, was fully resisting (or fully submitting to the darkness) the only way, or was there a bit of a leeway?
Yeah, whatever the Great Other is, he certainly isn't objective in wh… [view original content]
First of all, Nymeria will say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall. Probably the smart thing to do to gain the support of the Uller's after Lucifer has been dealt with. Anyway, we are not quite there yet...
And Kris will give Aisha a quick death. I was expecting votes for both options, and that's what we got, but I am a bit surprised that you didn't choose a harsher punishment for Aisha. In the end though, this isn't a major choice in terms of altering the story.
And next up we'll be having two new parts again, this time Dianna and Tomas. I have started writing both of them, but there is still quite a lot to write before they are done. I have to say I'll be having quite a busy end of the week, but I should be able to find some hours to write anyway. So, I'd say you can expect these parts to be posted during the weekend. Very short recaps: Dianna is still a captive of Bjorn Harlaw's Ironborn crew, which is now sailing up the Brimstone, where they already raided one small village. Later Roryn Drumm was once again doubting if Dianna can be trusted, and suggested that she'd be baptized in the Ironborn way. Bjorn begrudgingly agreed to the idea, but only if Dianna herself accepted it, and she did not. As for Tomas, we haven't seen him in a while, but the last we saw him he was about to leave the Tor, where he had met in negotiations with Artos Jordayne, the heir of Lord Terren. However, the negotiations didn't lead to an alliance as the Jordayne's had hoped, and Tomas sent Garibald to Nymeria to ask for her aid. Later we saw Garibald indeed arrive to Godsgrace and ask for Nymeria's aid in defending Ghost Hill, and she sent a small amount of troops. Nymeria also tasked Garibald to ask Tomas send Levor to Sandship, so he could formally pledge his loyalty to House Martell. So, this Tomas' part will take place in Ghost Hill.
I was expecting votes for both options, and that's what we got, but I am a bit surprised that you didn't choose a harsher punishment for Aisha. In the end though, this isn't a major choice in terms of altering the story.
Aw, so we could have burned her without consequences here? What a damn shame, I would like to apologize to Tales and Javier who tried to talk me out of granting her a merciful death. In that case, I would have highly preferred to burn her, it's just my usual paranoia that made killing her quickly sound like the better option. Ah well, at least she is going to die with the knowledge that she utterly failed, that has to suffice in terms of revenge.
Really excited for the next parts though, especially for Dianna's. She is one of those characters where I really have absolutely no idea how many parts she has left in this chapter and where it'll end for her, so I look forward for this next one very much
Voting is closed!
First of all, Nymeria will say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall. Probably the smart thing to do to gain the supp… moreort of the Uller's after Lucifer has been dealt with. Anyway, we are not quite there yet...
And Kris will give Aisha a quick death. I was expecting votes for both options, and that's what we got, but I am a bit surprised that you didn't choose a harsher punishment for Aisha. In the end though, this isn't a major choice in terms of altering the story.
And next up we'll be having two new parts again, this time Dianna and Tomas. I have started writing both of them, but there is still quite a lot to write before they are done. I have to say I'll be having quite a busy end of the week, but I should be able to find some hours to write anyway. So, I'd say you can expect these parts to be posted during the weekend. Very short recaps: Dianna is still a captive of Bjorn Harlaw's Ironborn crew, which is now sa… [view original content]
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom between them, and he paid for that mistake with his life. You cannot make the same mistake he did.”
“Will we be their prisoners?” Mateo asked with a concerned tone, and Tomas put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “No, you will be their guests of honor”, he answered with a relaxed tone, forcing a small smile on his face, which was enough to make Mateo smile as well. Levor on the other hand still looked displeased, avoiding eye contact with his uncle.
“Who knows, if you manage to make a great impression on the princess and the prince, perhaps one day you’ll have high ranks among their council, with much more power and influence than just being the Lord of Ghost Hill could ever give you”, Tomas spoke calmly, and he saw Levor’s expression softening slightly. “Anyway, go see Maester Galladon, he’ll help you pack your things for the journey.”
As the boys walked away from Tomas, Ser Manfrey Rowman approached him. “Are you sure the Martell’s can be trusted?” Tomas’ childhood friend asked calmly. “Well, you can see that they have already provided us with troops”, Tomas pointed out, nodding towards the Martell soldiers.
“But will it be enough, if King Yorick decides to attack?” Manfrey asked with a concerned tone. Tomas shrugged, considering his words for a moment. “If he attacks with full force, then our chances are slim”, he admitted, keeping his voice calm and emotionless. “And that is exactly why it is important that the boys are not here when it happens.”
“I don’t understand”, Manfrey said with an almost amused tone, shaking his head slightly. “I mean, I understand you don’t want House Toland to bend the knee to the Yronwood’s, but at what cost? Delivering our future to the hands of Princess Nymeria?”
“Yes”, Tomas confirmed sternly. “Because like it or not, I believe that Nymeria is the future of Dorne. And to be honest, it’s not the worst future I could imagine for us.”
“What would be worse than a foreigner ruling over us?” Manfred asked cynically, and Tomas glared at him with narrowed eyes. “I’m sure the barbaric First Men asked the same when the Andals first arrived to these shores, but we know very well that it was the Andals who shaped Westeros to be what it is today”, he pointed out, to which Manfred reacted with a sigh.
“I agree, but I don’t see these Rhoynar bringing anything but war and chaos”, he argued stubbornly. Tomas took in a deep breath, before continuing. “For now, yes”, he agreed calmly. “However, in the long term Nymeria could bring us stability, and the kind of power that Dorne has never had before.”
“Maybe so”, Manfrey admitted begrudgingly, a frown still on his face. “I suppose only time will tell.”
-
Tomas walked to the courtyard, where Garibald, Levor and Mateo were getting ready for their journey. The horses were saddled and ready, the saddle packs filled with their belongings. Tomas approached them with a subdued smile on his face. “I’ll be missing you, boys”, he said with an earnest tone, and they all shifted their attention to him.
“I’ll miss you too, uncle”, Mateo replied eagerly, while Levor remained silent. “I’ll make sure they get safely to Sandship, mylord”, Ser Garibald assured with his dutiful tone, and Tomas gave him a small nod.
“And I will protect Ghost Hill while you are gone”, Tomas stated confidently, looking at Levor as he spoke. “Make sure you do”, Levor muttered quietly. As the boys mounted their horses, Tomas felt compelled to say something more. He though he should give one more advice for his nephews before they’d leave for this important journey, and a few options came to mind.
["Behave with honor and dignity"] ["Prove your worth to the Martell's"] ["Stay true to the gods"]
-
Dianna
In the first light of the morning, the Sea Reaper and Lady Vengeance approached a small town at the eastern shore of the Brimstone, by far the largest settlement they had come across so far sailing up the river. Five ships sat on the docks of the town, and seven more by the beach next to the town, all of them Essosi war galleys. Together the ships could carry over a thousand men, but it was clear the army that this fleet had brought here had marched away. After all, no troops had showed up at the docks to defend the ships.
Led by their captain, Bjorn Harlaw, the Ironborn charged into the streets of the town, breaking into every house they came across. Majority of the town’s folk tried to hide or run away, and the few that raised their arms were swiftly defeated. Dianna watched this all from the sidelines without getting involved, keeping her eyes on Hargan Harlaw, who dragged Lysera with him through the streets.
This went on for hours, during which the raiders gathered their plentiful loot back to the ships. Dianna herself didn’t even draw her blade, but still she couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for the suffering and losses that the Ironborn had brought to the people of this town.
By the evening the crew gathered into the tavern of the town, and started to eat and drink whatever they could find from the pantry and the cellars. Dianna stayed close to Captain Bjorn as he started to get drunk, but also kept her eyes on Hargan and Lysera, who sat at the other end of the table.
Directly opposed to Dianna and Bjorn sat Roryn and Hilsgurd Drumm. “They’ll welcome us back as heroes at the Isles!” Roryn declared with a drunken grin, to which Bjorn let out a hearty laughter. “Aye, no doubt many will, but better not expect any love from King Harmund and his cronies.”
“Those bastards are more Lannister than Ironborn”, Roryn hissed with a scornful tone. “Who gives a fuck about what they think?”
“Sadly the future of our kingdom is in the hands of those people”, Bjorn pointed out grimly, gulping down more of the ale. “If the Hoare’s betray their people and legacy, surely the drowned men will denounce them”, Hilsgurd argued calmly.
“The drowned men speak for our god, but without the support of the lords and captains they have no real power”, Bjorn stated sternly. “And that is why we must make sure the lords of the Iron Isles won’t follow the example of their king, but stay true to the Old Way.”
“I have no intentions of abandoning the Old Way to please the Hoare’s, but what about your son, Captain Bjorn?” Roryn asked, and Dianna could tell from the young Ironborn’s eyes that he knew how brazen this question was. “We all know how well he gets along with King Harmund”, Roryn added smoothly.
A tense silence followed, until Bjorn let out a small sigh and spoke up again. “I plan to make sure that Ulfric understands the value of our faith and culture”, he said quietly, keeping his gaze focused on the horn of ale in front of him. “And if he refuses them in favor of the greenlander ways… I will disown him and strip him of his inheritance.”
“And if the King opposes your decision?” Roryn asked, and Bjorn took in a deep breath. “Then it is war”, he answered coldly. “However, that is not something I wish to see happen. No matter what, the Hoare’s are still Ironborn, and to kill your kinsmen is a great sin.”
“Greater sin than breeding with the Lannister’s?” Roryn asked sharply, to which Bjorn reacted with a cold glare. “Aye, it is”, he confirmed with a decisive tone that left little room for arguing. “Anyway, let us not speak any more of this matter, for now we have reason to celebrate. This expedition to Dorne has been a great success, making all of us richer.”
“We can thank Dianna for that”, Hilsgurd pointed out, a subtle smirk on his face as he looked at her. Bjorn shifted his attention to Dianna as well, a grin forming on his face. “Indeed”, he said cheerfully. “Raiding the Brimstone was a good idea, and I must thank you for bringing it up.”
“You’re welcome”, Dianna replied dryly, keeping on a calm face despite the bitter anger she felt inside. Roryn glared at her with disdain, but kept quiet this time. “Once we get back to the Iron Isles, I’ll make you a true Ironborn warrior”, Bjorn said, tapping Dianna on the shoulder, and proceeded to gulp down the rest of his ale.
The drinking went on for several hours after the midnight, until finally the raiders began to pass out and fall asleep. Dianna remained awake though, sitting by the window, carefully eyeing the dozens of Ironborn sleeping on the floor of the taproom. Her eyes were fixed on Hargan and Lysera, who laid close to the innkeeper’s counter, surrounded by many others. The night was dark and silent, and the warriors were fast asleep – this could be the best opportunity she would ever get to save Lysera and herself. I have to try.
Right as Dianna stood up, someone blew a horn outside. Some of the Ironborn woke up, cursing and groaning with displeased tones. “What the fuck was that?” one of them asked, and right after that the horn was blown again, now slightly closer.
“That’s our horn, right?” Another one of them asked, to which the others responded with agreeing mutter and nodding. “Maron is in guard”, Hilsgurd pointed out, and by now they had all woke up. And then the door was pushed open, Maron rushing in with the horn in his hand, breathing heavily. “We are under attack!” he yelled in panic, which caused a murmur among the crew.
“Quiet!” Bjorn commanded sternly, and his men obeyed. “Did you see who is attacking, Maron?”
“No, but there’s at least a hundred of ‘em, and they are already inside the town!” the young man answered nervously, and Bjorn gave him a calm and decisive nod. “Everyone, back to the ships!” he commanded immediately, and so the tired and drunken men started picking up their shields and axes, and making their way out of the tavern.
Dianna followed them out of the tavern, and there he could hear the yelling of these so-called attackers, though Dianna suspected they were troops of House Dryland that had came to take the city back from the Ironborn invaders. But how did they arrive so quickly?
Brushing these questions aside, Dianna ran after the Ironborn that were escaping towards the docks. As they arrived to the main street of the town, the shadowy figures of the attackers could be seen at the other end of it. Dianna gazed at them for a moment, wondering who exactly were they. Whoever they are, they must be better than the Ironborn, Dianna convinced herself, and pulled out her dagger. She sprinted and caught up to Lysera, and pulled her away from Hargan Harlaw’s grasp. Hargan turned around, looking at Dianna with a confused and annoyed glare. “What the fuck are you doing?” He cussed angrily, trying to grasp Lysera back.
“My duty”, Dianna answered sternly, and thrusted her dagger to Hargan’s throat. His eyes widened in shock, and as Dianna pulled the dagger out, he collapsed to the dusty street. In the darkness the other Ironborn seemed to ignore them, rushing towards their ships. However, Dianna noticed that one of them had stopped, and stared at them in silence – and it was Bjorn.
Quickly Dianna turned to Lysera. “We must go”, she whispered, and Lysera nodded obediently. So they rushed to the nearest alleyway, running for their lives.
“Stop right there, murderer!” the voice of Bjorn roared behind them, and Dianna stopped to face him. Approaching them in the dark alley with his horned helmet on, Bjorn looked like a demon, or a beast coming for its prey. Dianna handed the dagger for Lysera, and drew her arakh. “Run”, she said to Lysera.
“But captain-“, Lysera attempted to argue, but was quickly cut off by Dianna. “Run, now!” she shouted, and this time Lysera obeyed. “Thank you, Dianna”, she muttered, before running away.
“You ungrateful bitch… you killed my brother!” Bjorn roared as he got closer, and Dianna couldn’t help but shiver in fear. The last time she had faced Bjorn in fight she had been filled with fury, and still she had been bested. Now it was Bjorn who was filled with fury, while Dianna was trembling in fear. “It had to be done”, she said nervously. “I had to do my duty.”
“Roryn was right about you all along, you were just waiting to stab me in the back, despite how well I treated you”, Bjorn spoke, deep anger in his voice. Dianna chuckled coldly, raising her arakh, knowing well she would die soon. “Rhoynar don’t make good prisoners, we want to be free. Perhaps that’s something for you to remember in the future”, she said sternly.
With an animalistic growl Bjorn leaped forward and swung his sword. Dianna managed to dodge it, and strike back with her arakh. However, Bjorn easily blocked her strike with his shield, and swung his sword again. This time he hit Dianna on her left leg, opening a painful wound above the knee. Dianna grimaced in pain and backed away, every step more painful than the last. Unable to escape or defend herself, there was nothing she could do when Bjorn raised his sword for a final killing blow.
“I’m sorry, Dianna”, he said coldly, before striking down his sword, slashing her open from collarbone to abdomen. Hardly even feeling the pain from the sheer shock, Dianna collapsed to the ground. As she bled out on the dark alley, her vision started to get blurry. Bjorn turned around in silence and walked away, leaving her to die. Drawing her last breaths, Dianna saw the sun rising above the building of the town. A small smile formed on her face, and in her heart she knew she could die contented, having saved Lysera. I did my duty.
Whoa... alright, I gotta comment on Tomas' part first, because of course the second one gave me stronger emotions by far. Gotta say, Tomas is veeery slowly growing on me. Still easily my least favourite PoV character at the moment, mostly because the rest happens to be mostly quite likeable (or, you know, at least get part of their charm from being a jerk, as seen with Jamison XD), but I enjoyed his blunt talk with Levor. Though I doubt I'll ever really like him, it is a notable improvement from his early days.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Mostly because the second option sounds like something a sycophant would say and it's not how I see Tomas, whereas the third... what is that even supposed to mean? There's a million ways one could interpret that one and some might not even be all that desirable. Take the show for example, there's Septon McShane and the High Septon, who couldn't be more different from each other and yet I am certain they both would have said that they stayed true to the gods. So, that could backfire. Honor and dignity, that cannot be argued about, good traits, good advice.
Now to the one part I never saw coming at all Damn it, Dianna! After the deaths of Dalia and Myke, I thought we'd be safe from further PoV deaths in Book 1, but once more you managed to surprise me. Dianna was pretty much the last PoV still in danger (as I am pretty sure Kortney will manage to escape from Kingsgrave for good in her next part), but it never occured to me just how dire her situation truly is. In fact, it all seemed to have gone truly downhill only in this part, she was in a relatively comfortable situation in the first half of it. Well, what counts as a comfortable situation, but Bjorn and some of the others seemed to have genuinely accepted her. And I never expected things to go down that quickly. Come to think of it, there is a lot I wouldn't have expected in this chapter, I think the only two deaths I truly saw coming were Myke's and Wesley's. But Dianna? I actually would have bet on her survival and I don't even know why. I am truly shocked right here, never expected it, especially not at this point. I would have guessed that maybe Lysera would die and Dianna would be left to escape and later (read, Book 2), find a way to take vengeance on the Ironborn. But this... holy hell, I am shocked.
Bjorn was actually terrifying in the final paragraphs, but I have to wonder if we'll even see him and his men again. With Dianna dead and Lysera having escaped (plus the only Ironborn who could be interested in getting her back being dead as well) and their already stated plans to return to the Iron Islands in time, I am not sure if we'll see them again, maybe not in a long time at least, but who knows, maybe Bjorn decides to give Dorne another proper raiding at some point in the future. In any way, I don't even fully hate him even though he just killed a PoV I have grown to like quite a lot. It is understandable after all, Dianna killed his brother. I just realized, it would have been way smarter to just wound Hargan, leaving Bjorn to help his brother survive, which I am sure he would have done instead of chasing after them. That is the one big mistake she has made, giving Bjorn a legitimate reason to go after her with a vengeance.
Oh man, she'll be missed At least Dianna died in a relatively content way, not unlike Myke actually, but her death still hits harder because of how entirely unexpected it was. I have to wonder, was this always her fate, or could there have been ways to prevent her death?
And suddenly, I am not so certain about the fact that we've seen the last PoV death for Book 1. Even if though, one thing is for certain, this chapter ended with way more blood than I would have thought.
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on… more the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom betw… [view original content]
Now to the one part I never saw coming at all Damn it, Dianna! After the deaths of Dalia and Myke, I thought we'd be safe from further PoV deaths in Book 1, but once more you managed to surprise me. Dianna was pretty much the last PoV still in danger (as I am pretty sure Kortney will manage to escape from Kingsgrave for good in her next part), but it never occured to me just how dire her situation truly is. In fact, it all seemed to have gone truly downhill only in this part, she was in a relatively comfortable situation in the first half of it. Well, what counts as a comfortable situation, but Bjorn and some of the others seemed to have genuinely accepted her. And I never expected things to go down that quickly. Come to think of it, there is a lot I wouldn't have expected in this chapter, I think the only two deaths I truly saw coming were Myke's and Wesley's. But Dianna? I actually would have bet on her survival and I don't even know why. I am truly shocked right here, never expected it, especially not at this point. I would have guessed that maybe Lysera would die and Dianna would be left to escape and later (read, Book 2), find a way to take vengeance on the Ironborn. But this... holy hell, I am shocked.
Yeah, I imagined this would come as a bit of a surprise Ideally there would've been a few more parts with Dianna and the Ironborn on Brimstone, with a bit more build up to this moment, but that is the bane of managing a story with so many PoVs - sometimes you have to wrap up some of them quicker than anticipated. And yeah, Dianna had won the trust of Bjorn and most of the other Ironborn by now, and she could've had a decent life on the Iron Islands. However, that would've had nothing to do with NW anymore, and I don't think Dianna would be one to willingly give up on her freedom anyway, nor leave someone she feels honor-bound to protect at the hands of the Ironborn.
Bjorn was actually terrifying in the final paragraphs, but I have to wonder if we'll even see him and his men again. With Dianna dead and Lysera having escaped (plus the only Ironborn who could be interested in getting her back being dead as well) and their already stated plans to return to the Iron Islands in time, I am not sure if we'll see them again, maybe not in a long time at least, but who knows, maybe Bjorn decides to give Dorne another proper raiding at some point in the future. In any way, I don't even fully hate him even though he just killed a PoV I have grown to like quite a lot. It is understandable after all, Dianna killed his brother. I just realized, it would have been way smarter to just wound Hargan, leaving Bjorn to help his brother survive, which I am sure he would have done instead of chasing after them. That is the one big mistake she has made, giving Bjorn a legitimate reason to go after her with a vengeance.
Hm, I won't completely write off the possibility of bringing him back later for some other storyline, but for now Bjorn's part in the story is indeed over. That was always the plan, as I felt any reason to keep them in Dorne would feel a bit fabricated. I mean, they are an Ironborn crew, there to raid and plunder, there's just no reason for them to stay in Dorne. And yeah, wounding Hargan would've been smarter, but Dianna acted purely on her instinct here.
Oh man, she'll be missed At least Dianna died in a relatively content way, not unlike Myke actually, but her death still hits harder because of how entirely unexpected it was. I have to wonder, was this always her fate, or could there have been ways to prevent her death?
Well, escaping from the Ironborn crew back during the Battle of Lemonwood would've led to Dianna surviving, but she would've felt extremely guilty for leaving Lysera behind. Aside from that, I played with the idea of giving a choice here that would've basically been "save yourself or save Lysera". However, I eventually scratched that idea, because saving Lysera has been the sole reason why Dianna has stuck around with the Ironborn this long, so just abandoning that mission at the last moment would've felt a bit strange.
Whoa... alright, I gotta comment on Tomas' part first, because of course the second one gave me stronger emotions by far. Gotta say, Tomas i… mores veeery slowly growing on me. Still easily my least favourite PoV character at the moment, mostly because the rest happens to be mostly quite likeable (or, you know, at least get part of their charm from being a jerk, as seen with Jamison XD), but I enjoyed his blunt talk with Levor. Though I doubt I'll ever really like him, it is a notable improvement from his early days.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Mostly because the second option sounds like something a sycophant would say and it's not how I see Tomas, whereas the third... what is that even supposed to mean? There's a million ways one could interpret that one and some might not even be all that desirable. Take the show for example, there's Septon McShane and the High Septon, who couldn't be more different from each other and yet I am certa… [view original content]
["Behave with honor and dignity"] House Toland won't be mere sycophants, but true men of the sun and spear, and rather than pretending, they should just behave as well as they can.
Shame for Dianna, but we all knew this was a possibility. But at least she allowed Lysera to escape. And for the record, things on the Iron Islands are going to get much worse in the subsequent decades.
Khazor won't be pleased to find out his ships have been sacked.
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on… more the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom betw… [view original content]
RIP Dianna. I hade feeling that either this would happen, or that If she lived Lysera would have died. But in the end, It was definately in her character to try and take only opening she saw to get both her and Lysera out, and once she had seen that's not going to happen sacrifice herself for her people and like she said do her duty. And she did her duty, ultimately, even though I wanted her to live of course, I wouldn't have choosen for her to escape alone back in Lemonwood even If had known I'm signing her death warrant, because that's just not her. It's a very fitting end to what I think (maybe with some bias) to be most tragic storyline in the story so far considering Dianna had lost most of her people early on and she tried to save only one left, ultimately succeding but only at cost of her life.
On the sidenote, I wonder what army attacked Ironborn. Considering Lucifer and Nymeria are too busy fighting each other, I doubt they have reason to send troops there. My assumption is that they are leftovers from the Wild suns that are trying to get back to their ships, but I'm not sure.
Yeah, I imagined this would come as a bit of a surprise Ideally there would've been a few more parts with Dianna and the Ironborn on Brimstone, with a bit more build up to this moment, but that is the bane of managing a story with so many PoVs - sometimes you have to wrap up some of them quicker than anticipated. And yeah, Dianna had won the trust of Bjorn and most of the other Ironborn by now, and she could've had a decent life on the Iron Islands. However, that would've had nothing to do with NW anymore, and I don't think Dianna would be one to willingly give up on her freedom anyway, nor leave someone she feels honor-bound to protect at the hands of the Ironborn.
Well, a couple more parts would have been always welcome, but I understand that a chapter must come to a close at some point and I believe not showing every single moment for every character is not a bad thing. In Dianna's case, I suppose it did give this part a certain feel, how quickly it all went down from being on quite friendly terms with Bjorn to being chased and eventually killed by him. It worked very well, as tragic as the outcome is and as much as I would have liked additional parts, so from a technical standpoint, you surely made the right choice between details and the narrative pacing.
Hm, I won't completely write off the possibility of bringing him back later for some other storyline, but for now Bjorn's part in the story is indeed over. That was always the plan, as I felt any reason to keep them in Dorne would feel a bit fabricated. I mean, they are an Ironborn crew, there to raid and plunder, there's just no reason for them to stay in Dorne. And yeah, wounding Hargan would've been smarter, but Dianna acted purely on her instinct here.
I feel if Dianna would have survived, there would have been good room for them still. She is pretty much the only major character with any sort of connection to Bjorn, not counting the very superficial ties with Verro. If she would have been around, maybe showing them later when Bjorn decides that Dorne was a nice raid and returns, that could have been a possibility that wouldn't have felt fabricated at all. Now however, I am not so sure if their return would contribute anything to the story. I suppose if you want to bring them back, there's nothing speaking against it, but this part of the storyline feels truly over, with Lysera, the only character left in Dorne who has a connection to it being more of a supporting character. Dianna freed Lysera and killed Hargan, Bjorn killed her in revenge and leaves Dorne, that is a very dark, tragic ending, but an ending nonetheless. Don't get me wrong though, part of me would love to see Bjorn pay for killing Dianna, as much as I can even understand his motive here.
Well, escaping from the Ironborn crew back during the Battle of Lemonwood would've led to Dianna surviving, but she would've felt extremely guilty for leaving Lysera behind. Aside from that, I played with the idea of giving a choice here that would've basically been "save yourself or save Lysera". However, I eventually scratched that idea, because saving Lysera has been the sole reason why Dianna has stuck around with the Ironborn this long, so just abandoning that mission at the last moment would've felt a bit strange.
Hmmm, I am not sure what I would have chosen then. I kind of agree with TheAPlegends, just leaving Lysera wouldn't have felt like her and neither am I so certain that I would have chosen for her to escape. Actually, I am no longer sure what I chose, but if I would have known the consequences, I am not certain. I really liked her, wanted her to survive, but at the same time, she is not primarily a survivor, she is a soldier and protector and that's what she did in the end, she protected Lysera even if it claimed her own life.
That being said, on the topic of Lysera, I am not even certain if she is all that safe. The people who arrived here are probably Lucifer's men retreating from the battle, or maybe Khazor as Edinosaur brought up. Those seem like the two strongest possibilities and while both are better than the Ironborn, neither are allies of Nymeria and I really have to wonder if Lysera is truly safe already. No matter what though, bringing her through this has become a strong goal of mine now. It's a situation not unlike Gwendis', where I feel like the death of a character so very close only to her, Dianna in Lysera's case, Trentan in Gwen's, has given her a duty to survive, to make the most out of her life in order to honour a memory only she can honour. As such, I have no doubt we will see Lysera again and in order to give Dianna's death and final act some meaning, I will try my best to make sure that she survives no matter whom she runs into next, be it Dryland men, sellswords or, by some well-deserved luck at last, the Martell vanguard.
Now to the one part I never saw coming at all Damn it, Dianna! After the deaths of Dalia and Myke, I thought we'd be safe from further PoV … moredeaths in Book 1, but once more you managed to surprise me. Dianna was pretty much the last PoV still in danger (as I am pretty sure Kortney will manage to escape from Kingsgrave for good in her next part), but it never occured to me just how dire her situation truly is. In fact, it all seemed to have gone truly downhill only in this part, she was in a relatively comfortable situation in the first half of it. Well, what counts as a comfortable situation, but Bjorn and some of the others seemed to have genuinely accepted her. And I never expected things to go down that quickly. Come to think of it, there is a lot I wouldn't have expected in this chapter, I think the only two deaths I truly saw coming were Myke's and Wesley's. But Dianna? I actually would have bet on her survival and I don't even know why. … [view original content]
For Tomas' part, like the others have said, this seems to be good sound advice that will only help them in Sandship if they choose to listen to it.
Ah no Dianna! It looks like we have lost another PoV and while I had hoped she would make it out of this, it clearly wasn't meant to be. Like the others have said, it is awesome that she accomplished her goal even if she paid with her life. With all that's going on though, Lysera isn't completely out of the woods yet but I would definitely like to see her escape and maybe even make it back to Nymeria somehow. That is probably a long shot but that doesn't stop me from hoping for it Anyway, great parts!
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on… more the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom betw… [view original content]
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Like the others said, this makes the most sense.
Also, that was a very unexpected and sad end for Dianna, but it did fit her character.
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on… more the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom betw… [view original content]
I love Bjorn ! Not that i'm happy he killed her or anything , but just that he's so great , everytime he had a line , i always imagined him talking with a deep voice like the one of robert baratheon .
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on… more the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom betw… [view original content]
Tomas will advice his nephews to behave with honor and dignity in Sandship. A solid advice, and the Toland boys will surely keep it in mind. This was Tomas' last part in Book 1, and obviously the same goes for Dianna. It is sad she had to die here, but Lysera lives on and will continue to be part of the greater story.
As for what's next, I am working on Kortney and Naemon PoVs currently. Some progress has already been made, and I really hope I'll get them both done either today or tomorrow. A little recap: Kortney escaped from Kingsgrave in the last Myke part, where he, Joran Storm and Steffon Toyne sacrificed themselves against Larry the Kind to give Kortney, Prestan and Raina enough time to escape. As for Naemon, he returned to Blackmont after successfully defeating Karsan's band of rebels and hearing the news about the lost battle at Kingsgrave. He took part in a meeting with Ser Kegan and the rest of the council, where they asked him to speak to Benedict and try to make him reconsider continuing the alliance with King Garrison. Later that day Benedict came to see Naemon, and invited him to see his dark chambers, or laboratory as he called it. Naemon agreed, and that's where we'll continue.
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes. She had risked her life to save her as well, even if they were perfect strangers. “I’m fine”, Kortney lied through her teeth, gulping subtly. “I just hope Myke would come already”, she added, to which Raina nodded.
“Do you miss your home?” She asked gently. In truth Kortney wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Yes, of course she missed the home she used to have, all the good memories of her childhood, the loving family. However, she wasn’t sure if that was what she would find from Nightsong now, after all this time. “I do”, she finally said, though her voice clearly revealed her uncertainty.
“It must be hard, going back to your old life after all that’s happened”, Raina said with a sympathetic tone. “However, you should be thankful for it nonetheless. My home was destroyed and my family slaughtered by a rival lord, and not a day goes by without me wishing that I could have back what I lost. You have been given that opportunity, so make it count.” The girl’s tone was earnest and supportive, and Kortney gave her a firm nod. “I will”, she promised weakly, to which Raina smiled softly.
“What made you follow Myke in the first place?” Kortney asked with an intrigued tone after a brief moment of silence. Raina turned her gaze down, taking in a deep breath. “I… I suppose I’ve been looking for my place in the world for a while, purpose, belonging. I guess I just saw the old man as someone worth following.”
“Good choice”, Kortney commented with a subtle smirk. “Myke is a hero, and a damn good man.”
“Yes, I’ve come to see that”, Raina replied calmly, and for a moment they both smiled. Just then, the door of the tavern was pushed open, and in walked Prestan and the rest of the Caron soldiers. They all had stern looks on their faces, and Prestan approached the corner table.
“You didn’t find them”, Kortney said, and it was more a statement than question. Prestan nodded grimly, letting out a deep sigh. “Kortney, I think it’s time we move on”, he said with a gulp, trying to keep his voice strong and emotionless, but Kortney could hear the underlying grief in his brother’s words.
“You think they are dead”, Kortney stated with a hollow tone, and Prestan nodded. “Either that, or they’ve been captured”, he said quietly. “And quite frankly, I don’t know which is worse.”
“I do”, Kortney said with a depressed tone, turning her gaze down as all the horrible memories from Kingsgrave flashed through her mind. She hoped Myke wouldn’t have to go through that, even if the alternative was death. Part of her felt like crying, but the tears didn’t come to her eyes. Perhaps her experiences in Kingsgrave had made her numb for the pain of loss, but all she could feel in this moment was echoing emptiness and bitter anger.
“Mylord, I suggest we continue our travel towards Nightsong before sundown”, one of the soldiers suggested, and Prestan gave him a nod. “I’ll wait outside”, he said to Kortney, before walking out.
-
The sun was already setting when they arrived to the Nightsong. The ancient home of the Caron’s stood atop the hill, strong and proud as always, looking exactly as it had when Kortney last saw it, what now felt like ages ago. Entering the quiet courtyard, Kortney noticed the few guards that were out there eyeing her and whispering to each other, but she decided to just turn her eyes away and ignore them.
“Come, father must be waiting for us”, Prestan said softly after they had given the horses for the stableboys, and Kortney gave him a wordless nod.
Quietly Prestan, Kortney and Raina they made their way through the keep to the lord’s chambers. Prestan knocked the door lightly, before opening it and stepping in, Kortney and Raina coming right at his coattails. Trevas Caron sat behind his desk with a serious expression on his sturdy face. He looked older than Kortney remembered, but then again, she knew she had changed a lot herself since they last saw each other.
As Trevas turned his eyes to Kortney, his eyes widened. “Can it truly be”, he muttered weakly, looking like he didn’t know whether to smile or break into tears. Slowly he stood up from his chair, his eyes scanning Kortney from head to toe. “Is it truly you, my sweet daughter?” He asked with a shaky voice, and Kortney nodded timidly. Trevas let out a chuckle full of disbelief, before rushing to embrace his daughter in a hug.
His father’s arms wrapped around her, Kortney felt tears welling in her eyes. It had been so long since she had felt so safe, so happy. “I’m sorry”, she sobbed as they separated, and Trevas looked her in the eyes. “Don’t be”, he said empathically. “I feared I would never see you again, but by the gods, there you are.”
“Myke and Joran saved her from Kingsgrave”, Prestan said calmly, and then nodded towards Raina. “With the aid of Raina Serviene.”
“I am forever thankful to you, mylady”, Trevas said to Raina grabbing her hand for a shake, and Raina bowed to him. “I am honored, my lord”, she responded humbly.
“And where are Myke and Joran?” Trevas asked now, turning towards Prestan again, who let out a small sigh. “We were attacked during our escape from the Manwoody lands”, he started tensely, glancing at Kortney as he spoke. “Myke, Joran and Steffon stayed behind to buy us time to escape… I am afraid they are most likely dead.”
Trevas’ smiled faded, replaced by an expression of grief. “They were good men, loyal men”, he said after a moment of silence. “I will honor their memory for the rest of my life, for saving my daughter.” As he said this, Trevas turned towards Kortney again. “Kortney… you don’t have to tell the details, but what happened after you left? Where have you been all this time?”
“I was captured by Manwoody soldiers, and they took me to Kingsgrave”, Kortney began, gulping as the horrible memories flashed through her mind. “They recognized that I was a noble, but if anything it made them treat me worse, and King Albin didn’t do anything to stop them. In fact, he took pleasure in watching me being tortured.”
“That cursed madman”, Trevas hissed, anger oozing from his words. “Sorry, go on”, he quickly added with an apologetic tone.
“And then… Norano tried to save me”, Kortney said, closing her eyes for a couple seconds and taking in a deep breath, holding back the tears. “He failed, and they brutally murdered him in front of me. After that, they kept torturing me, playing mind games with me, until my mind was broken enough that I could convince myself that I was one of them. I spent all my time with them, drank with them, slept with them… tortured with them. And all this time the King used me as his mistress, pouring out his heart to me, demanding me to love him. Towards the end I began to resent them again, the King and his freaks, and I wanted to be free again. And then Myke came and saved me.” At the end Kortney couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, and her father closed her into another hug.
As they separated, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her into the eyes with an intense gaze. “King Albin and his cronies will not go unpunished for what they did to you, and for Myke and Joran”, he said sternly. “I will gather a great army and march it into this mad king’s lands, I will make his kingdom bleed. And perhaps in the end, I will present his head to you, my sweet daughter.”
“I would like that, father”, Kortney responded with a soft tone, before hugging her father once more. We will have our revenge.
No decision.
-
Naemon
As the sun set outside, Naemon followed silently after his father through the wide corridors of Blackmont. They walked past the King’s personal chambers and arrived to a simple wooden door at the very end of the corridor. Benedict glanced at Naemon with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, before reaching for the key in his pocket and turning to open the door.
Inside was a spacey and windowless room with four wooden pillars. Its floor was dark and smooth stone, whereas the walls were coarse and grey. Benedict lit the torches of the dark chamber one by one, illuminating the room. There was a lot to see there, but what caught Naemon’s eyes first was the large desk at the corner of the room, with dozens of vials and pots on it, some empty and others filled with liquids in different colors. Next to it was a massive bookcase, filled with old books and scrolls of parchment. Right in the middle of the room was a round table, crafted from dark wood. A map of the known world was laying on top of it, and several locations in it had been marked with a cross.
Turning to look the other way, Naemon saw several shelves filled with all kinds of curious objects, as well as a large stone altar by the very end of the room. Glancing around the shelves he spotted jars filled with some kind of dust or ash, what looked to be the horn of a unicorn, a lacquered mask with strange golden markings, a stone tablet filled with ancient runes, a black statuette of a sphynx, a ceremonial dagger with dark slim blade and golden hilt, and much more.
Finally, Naemon reached the altar at the end of the room and noticed something standing on it. It was like a candle, but made of dark glass, with sharp and jagged edges on it. Obsidian, Naemon realized as he looked at it closer.
“It is a glass candle”, Benedict stated calmly, letting out a small sigh. “Noctis brought it with him when he first arrived.”
“And what does it do?” Naemon asked strictly, giving his father a stern glare. Benedict smirked subtly, grabbing the glass candle gently with his left hand. “When it burns, it can make you see beyond mountains and seas to the far reaches of the world, or inside the dreams of other men. Sorcerers of the Freehold use them to communicate with each other when they are thousands of miles apart.”
“When does it burn?” Naemon asked with a subtle gulp, and Benedict put it back on the altar with a small sigh. “Noctis knows how to make it burn, but he does so rarely, in fear of attracting the interest of more powerful and more dangerous sorcerers of the east. I have used it myself only once, many years ago, to get a glimpse of Valyria and its legendary dragons”, Benedict explained, a wistful tone on his voice and a dreamy look in his eyes.
For a moment they both remained silent, until Naemon shook his head subtly and took a step away from the altar. “Why?” he asked bluntly, glancing around the room. “Why all this?”
Benedict took a moment to answer, a hesitant look in his eyes. “My ancestors used this room for torturing their prisoners”, he suddenly started, walking past Naemon and approaching one of the shelves. “My father ended that tradition, and instead started collecting relics and other such items here”, as he said this, Benedict took the stone tablet from the shelf and laid it on the round table. “Most of those items are no longer here, as they were worthless junk. However, this stone tablet was something more. You see, I didn’t know what these runes said, but I recognized some of them to be the very same as the ones that are engraved into my crown. So, this intriguing mystery was what brought the first so-called sorcerer here, since Maester Mortin couldn’t help me solve it. However, he happened to know a man from Oldtown who had knowledge about these kind of things, a man named Draqyno.”
“And this Draqyno solved the mystery?” Naemon asked dryly, eyeing the runes that meant nothing to him. “He did”, Benedict responded calmly. “He studied the tablet and told me it was a story about an ancient Blackmont king who used magic to become more powerful and defeat his enemies. This sparked my interest, to say the least.” As he said this Benedict turned away from the table again, eyeing the shelves and the alchemy desk at the corner. “In other words, my motivation was power. Over the next years more and more sorcerers received my invitation, and arrived to offer me their knowledge, and in return I offered them a pleasant and safe place to live. Some were mere tricksters, while others wanted to indoctrinate me to worship their gods. Nonetheless, I listened to all of them, and took to heart whatever could be used to grow my power. However, my perspective changed after your mother died. I came to realize the vanity of my earlier goals, and instead of power I begun to search for meaning and purpose.”
“And have you found the answers you looked for?” Naemon asked cynically. He couldn’t help but feel jealous and bitter that this was what had kept Benedict away from being a real father to him. The King remained silent for a moment, gazing at the stone altar with an empty look in his eyes. “On my bad days I fear there are no answers”, he finally said quietly, and Naemon could hear the deep-seated terror and vulnerability in his words.
“And on your good days?” He asked calmly, to which Benedict chuckled coldly. “I haven’t had many good days lately”, he answered grimly, turning his gaze down. Silence lingered in the room for a moment, until Naemon spoke up again. “Did you ever consider that perhaps the purpose you were seeking was under your nose the whole time?” he asked, his tone more disappointed than angry. “You had two children who had lost their mother and needed their father more than ever. Instead of helping us, being there for us, you locked yourself away here, chasing gods know what delusions.”
Benedict looked genuinely hurt by Naemon’s words, but gave him a small nod nonetheless. “Perhaps you are right”, he muttered weakly. “However, it’s too late now.”
“Aye”, Naemon muttered coldly, starting to walk towards the door. However, he stopped right before it, turning to look at Benedict again. “By the way, Ser Kegan wanted me to talk to you about the war, about how we proceed”, he said with a bored tone.
“Let me guess, he wants me to continue our alliance with the Fowler’s?” he asked dryly, and Naemon nodded. Benedict took in a deep breath, a hint of frustration in his eyes. “I sent my men to war because the Manwoody’s raided our lands and threatened us. I am prepared to defend my kingdom to the last if they attempt to invade, but I will not send our troops to fight King Garrison’s wars for him, especially against Yorick Yronwood. Whatever else that man is, he is also powerful, and not to be underestimated.”
“Fine, I’ll inform Kegan”, Naemon said with a small sigh, but Benedict shook his head now. “No, leave it to me”, he insisted decisively. “Kegan has served us loyally for long, he deserves to hear my reasoning personally.”
“Understood”, Naemon responded with a small nod, now grabbing the knob of the door. “And… good night”, he added awkwardly, and his father flashed him a subtle smile and nodded, before he walked out.
-
A couple days later Malcolm, Alester and the Upton troops arrived from Gravesend. They had left Brennin Kell in charge of the town, as well as chosen half a dozen voluntaries from the Upton troops to recruit and train a new city guard for Gravesend.
The very same morning a raven arrived from Starfall, informing that Prince Jamison was to marry Princess Isabella Fowler. “That is quite surprising”, Malcolm commented as Naemon told him about this. “I mean, I knew they had a thing for each other, but I never expected King Garrison to agree to it.”
“I’m happy for them”, Davos commented with a friendly tone, to which Alester chuckled. “Aye, I’m sure Jamison is happy as well”, he said with a devilish smirk under his bushy beard. “He’s been drooling over that girl for years, despite having a thousand other options to choose from.”
“The invitation also mentioned a tourney”, Naemon revealed calmly. “As you’d expect from Jamison”, Malcolm commented with a subtle smirk. “I won’t take part though, it’s not like I could challenge him anyway.”
“What about you, Vulture Knight?” Alester asked with a playful tone, a wide grin on his face as he looked at Naemon. “As tempting as it sounds, I think my duties will keep me here”, he answered calmly. “However, give my regards to Prince Jamison, and to King Vorian.” As he said this, Naemon noticed disappointment taking over Davos’ expression. No doubt the boy had wished to take part in the tourney and the festivities around it, but as a squire his post would be by Naemon's side. Naemon hated to disappoint Davos like this, and even considered giving him a permission to go. However, perhaps this could be a valuable lesson in duty for him.
[Give Davos permission to go] The revelation of Benedict's laboratory is certainly interesting, and all those objects probably have an interesting story behind them. Davos should go, he has no reason to stop him other than to keep his company.
I wonder who is going to be the new POV for the Kingsgrave storyline, and the alliance between Albin and Yorick.
Well it looks like Kortney was able to make it home! Kortney's homecoming was definitely an emotional one and I'm glad to see that it worked out for her. It also all but confirms that Lord Caron plans on waging war against Albin which should be very interesting and since he mentioned gathering a great army, I am definitely curious to see if that means other Marcher houses will get involved or maybe even some aid from the Durrandon's? Even if it's just the Caron's, Albin will definitely be in some serious trouble I feel especially since I am guessing Yorick will probably quit supporting Albin once he hears of what happened with Kortney and if that happens, Albin is in very big trouble no doubt. If any king has a chance of dying, Albin Manwoody is probably at the top of the list but with all of this said, I am guessing this is Kortney's last part in this book so it is untelling where her book 2 storyline will take her and I'm excited to see it!
[Give Davos permission to go]
From the beginning, Davos has done an excellent job as Naemon's squire with him really being about all that Naemon could ask for out of a squire. He's well behaved and always listens to Naemon so I feel Davos already knows about his duty and with this wedding consisting of his own family, I definitely feel like this wedding along with the tourney is something that Davos shouldn't miss out on.
Also, the big reveal about what Benedict has been up to all these years was pretty intriguing and I am very excited to see hear more, great parts!
Kortney
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody… more lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes.… [view original content]
[Give Davos permission to go] No reason to make Davos miss out on the wedding and tourney, besides, he's been doing a good job as a squire and this would be the perfect reward.
Kortney
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody… more lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes.… [view original content]
Kortney
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody… more lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes.… [view original content]
[Give Davos permission to go] I don't really see reason to deny him this. I mean, a lesson in duty is all nice and stuff, but does it really have to be now? We're talking about Jamison's wedding here, even if we don't take into account that this is Davos' close family, that sounds like the stuff we should make an exception for that.
And ah, these latest parts were all pretty heavy on the feels. We had the R'hllor-GO fight, followed by Dianna's death and then these two PoV's here which gave me wholly different feels. First of all, I am so glad Kortney managed to get out of Kingsgrave safely. She was probably the last PoV in a truly critical situation in Book 1, with Larry's riders pursuing her, but I am glad she got away so safely, even if it came at the cost of Myke. But ah, the Caron family reunion was beautiful! Actually worth sacrificing Myke for, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. One thing I am really curious about though is Kortney's role in Book 2. I cannot possibly imagine you will have her at Nightsong for the entire book, but neither can I see her going with the Caron army to fight against Albin. At best, this actually means another PoV to go through all the hard stuff, while she remains safe and sound with her family. But I believe her story is not yet over, so with three books still to come, this could mean that there will be more hardships to overcome for her. One way or the other, she has been gone for such a long time. Now the healing begins and that won't be easy, given how far gone she has been. I guess it will be particularly hard once she realizes how deeply she has been into all this, once it fully sinks in what she herself had to do to survive.
Then we had Naemon's part and I must admit, I was not sure what to expect. I half expected Benedict to reveal himself to be more than just a bit nuts, attempting to, I don't know, resurrecting Valaena or some other madness, but I should finally give him the credit he deserves. He is a terrible father, but not insane. Compliments, eh? But this just made me more eager to reach a Blackmont family reunion, even if I believe it won't happen before Book 2, means Benny and Naemon will have to live without Gwen for at least another two years and they somehow have to try not to tear each other apart during this. It will be bad for them, but I believe it might be for Gwen's best if she stays with Desi for a while if this is an option, to prevent someone like Valerie from ever controlling her again. However, this part made me think that Benedict and Naemon will manage to get through this time without the one person they both actually like to keep them together. It was interesting what Benedict showed him here. I mean, I absolutely doubt it was worth neglecting his family over so terribly and nearly ruining it (or actually ruining it from the perspective of Naemon and Benedict), but I wonder what sort of power he can get here. That glass candle, couldn't it technically be used to locate Gwen and realize that she is, in fact, alive and well? At the same time, given that even Noctis is reluctant to do this, maybe it would be at best a last resort for Benedict, as we all know, there are enough evil sorcerers involved with the Blackmont family already. It is likely the only glass candle in Westeros outside the Citadel and likely the only one that ever burns (as I doubt the Maesters know how to use them or care much for it), means it might work like a signal flare for everyone paying attention and that doesn't have to be a good thing. But still, it intrigues me that this could be an option and who knows what Benedict will do to find his daughter once he realizes that Lyla isn't coming back. I must admit though, with Benedict's understandable refusal to help Garrison out any further, this marks the first time I am glad we chose to go with Aisha back in Chapter 2. I am also glad Isabella has gotten out of Skyreach in time, because if the Manwoody army attacks, absolutely none of the Fowlers will be safe, especially if Benny realizes that he has been tricked into fighting this war to begin with. Just imagine how much more messed up this situation would be if Gwen would be a Fowler by now, she'd be married into a family that should, by all means, be an enemy of her own family. At worst, this even opens the door for a Blackmont-Yronwood alliance, should the truth ever come out, as they bond over common enemies.
Kortney
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody… more lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes.… [view original content]
Maybe Kortney will meet and interact with Verro and Nesila, in book 2; since they are headed towards Nightsong anyways. I wonder if Kortney knew that Norano had a sister. This might lead to some interesting development between the two, if they end up interacting during the next book.
[Give Davos permission to go] I don't really see reason to deny him this. I mean, a lesson in duty is all nice and stuff, but does it really… more have to be now? We're talking about Jamison's wedding here, even if we don't take into account that this is Davos' close family, that sounds like the stuff we should make an exception for that.
And ah, these latest parts were all pretty heavy on the feels. We had the R'hllor-GO fight, followed by Dianna's death and then these two PoV's here which gave me wholly different feels. First of all, I am so glad Kortney managed to get out of Kingsgrave safely. She was probably the last PoV in a truly critical situation in Book 1, with Larry's riders pursuing her, but I am glad she got away so safely, even if it came at the cost of Myke. But ah, the Caron family reunion was beautiful! Actually worth sacrificing Myke for, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. One thing I am really curious about though is Ko… [view original content]
Well it looks like Kortney was able to make it home! Kortney's homecoming was definitely an emotional one and I'm glad to see that it worked out for her. It also all but confirms that Lord Caron plans on waging war against Albin which should be very interesting and since he mentioned gathering a great army, I am definitely curious to see if that means other Marcher houses will get involved or maybe even some aid from the Durrandon's? Even if it's just the Caron's, Albin will definitely be in some serious trouble I feel especially since I am guessing Yorick will probably quit supporting Albin once he hears of what happened with Kortney and if that happens, Albin is in very big trouble no doubt. If any king has a chance of dying, Albin Manwoody is probably at the top of the list but with all of this said, I am guessing this is Kortney's last part in this book so it is untelling where her book 2 storyline will take her and I'm excited to see it!
Indeed, Kortney is back in home, safe and sound And it is likely that Lord Trevas will ask aid from the neighboring lords, and though they probably won't commit as much troops there will certainly be plenty willing to wage war with the Dornish. The Storm King himself probably won't get involved with such a personal conflict though. We'll see at the beginning of Book 2 how the situation has evolved.
Well it looks like Kortney was able to make it home! Kortney's homecoming was definitely an emotional one and I'm glad to see that it worked… more out for her. It also all but confirms that Lord Caron plans on waging war against Albin which should be very interesting and since he mentioned gathering a great army, I am definitely curious to see if that means other Marcher houses will get involved or maybe even some aid from the Durrandon's? Even if it's just the Caron's, Albin will definitely be in some serious trouble I feel especially since I am guessing Yorick will probably quit supporting Albin once he hears of what happened with Kortney and if that happens, Albin is in very big trouble no doubt. If any king has a chance of dying, Albin Manwoody is probably at the top of the list but with all of this said, I am guessing this is Kortney's last part in this book so it is untelling where her book 2 storyline will take her and I'm excited to see it!… [view original content]
And ah, these latest parts were all pretty heavy on the feels. We had the R'hllor-GO fight, followed by Dianna's death and then these two PoV's here which gave me wholly different feels. First of all, I am so glad Kortney managed to get out of Kingsgrave safely. She was probably the last PoV in a truly critical situation in Book 1, with Larry's riders pursuing her, but I am glad she got away so safely, even if it came at the cost of Myke. But ah, the Caron family reunion was beautiful! Actually worth sacrificing Myke for, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. One thing I am really curious about though is Kortney's role in Book 2. I cannot possibly imagine you will have her at Nightsong for the entire book, but neither can I see her going with the Caron army to fight against Albin. At best, this actually means another PoV to go through all the hard stuff, while she remains safe and sound with her family. But I believe her story is not yet over, so with three books still to come, this could mean that there will be more hardships to overcome for her. One way or the other, she has been gone for such a long time. Now the healing begins and that won't be easy, given how far gone she has been. I guess it will be particularly hard once she realizes how deeply she has been into all this, once it fully sinks in what she herself had to do to survive.
Indeed, there has been some very emotional moments in the latest parts, fittingly so for the end of the book. And yeah, Kortney's story is not necessarily over, but she won't be in the thick of the action for a while now, having reached home. Nonetheless, a painful healing process is ahead for her, and some scars will remain, both physical and emotional.
Then we had Naemon's part and I must admit, I was not sure what to expect. I half expected Benedict to reveal himself to be more than just a bit nuts, attempting to, I don't know, resurrecting Valaena or some other madness, but I should finally give him the credit he deserves. He is a terrible father, but not insane. Compliments, eh? But this just made me more eager to reach a Blackmont family reunion, even if I believe it won't happen before Book 2, means Benny and Naemon will have to live without Gwen for at least another two years and they somehow have to try not to tear each other apart during this. It will be bad for them, but I believe it might be for Gwen's best if she stays with Desi for a while if this is an option, to prevent someone like Valerie from ever controlling her again. However, this part made me think that Benedict and Naemon will manage to get through this time without the one person they both actually like to keep them together. It was interesting what Benedict showed him here. I mean, I absolutely doubt it was worth neglecting his family over so terribly and nearly ruining it (or actually ruining it from the perspective of Naemon and Benedict), but I wonder what sort of power he can get here. That glass candle, couldn't it technically be used to locate Gwen and realize that she is, in fact, alive and well? At the same time, given that even Noctis is reluctant to do this, maybe it would be at best a last resort for Benedict, as we all know, there are enough evil sorcerers involved with the Blackmont family already. It is likely the only glass candle in Westeros outside the Citadel and likely the only one that ever burns (as I doubt the Maesters know how to use them or care much for it), means it might work like a signal flare for everyone paying attention and that doesn't have to be a good thing. But still, it intrigues me that this could be an option and who knows what Benedict will do to find his daughter once he realizes that Lyla isn't coming back. I must admit though, with Benedict's understandable refusal to help Garrison out any further, this marks the first time I am glad we chose to go with Aisha back in Chapter 2. I am also glad Isabella has gotten out of Skyreach in time, because if the Manwoody army attacks, absolutely none of the Fowlers will be safe, especially if Benny realizes that he has been tricked into fighting this war to begin with. Just imagine how much more messed up this situation would be if Gwen would be a Fowler by now, she'd be married into a family that should, by all means, be an enemy of her own family. At worst, this even opens the door for a Blackmont-Yronwood alliance, should the truth ever come out, as they bond over common enemies.
Yeah, Benedict's business in his dark chambers isn't quite as crazy as it seems from the outside. More than anything, it has just been his way to deal with the loss of Valaena. But like you say, it wasn't at all good for his family, and he realizes that himself as well. As for the glass candle, yeah, technically it could be used to locate Gwen, but it probably wouldn't be as easy as making it burn and taking a look. Instead, it would take a lot of effort, meaning the candle would have to burn for a long time, and like you said it would be like a signal flare to the sorcerers of east, whether the glass candles of the Citadel still burn or not. And well, while you are right that the Fowler's are in quite a troubling situation without Benedict's support, we also just learned that Manwoody's themselves will have trouble with the Caron's, which should balance out the situation a bit
[Give Davos permission to go] I don't really see reason to deny him this. I mean, a lesson in duty is all nice and stuff, but does it really… more have to be now? We're talking about Jamison's wedding here, even if we don't take into account that this is Davos' close family, that sounds like the stuff we should make an exception for that.
And ah, these latest parts were all pretty heavy on the feels. We had the R'hllor-GO fight, followed by Dianna's death and then these two PoV's here which gave me wholly different feels. First of all, I am so glad Kortney managed to get out of Kingsgrave safely. She was probably the last PoV in a truly critical situation in Book 1, with Larry's riders pursuing her, but I am glad she got away so safely, even if it came at the cost of Myke. But ah, the Caron family reunion was beautiful! Actually worth sacrificing Myke for, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. One thing I am really curious about though is Ko… [view original content]
And Naemon will give Davos permission to go to Jamison's wedding.
Next up we'll have an Ortheg part, as well as our minor PoV from Hellgate Hall, Ulwyck Tiddle. Ulwyck's part is basically ready, whereas Ortheg's is about 50%. I might be able to post them today, but if not then tomorrow.
Hello again! I'm so sorry for taking longer than I said I would, the end of the week turned out busier than expected Nonetheless, here are the new parts, I hope you like 'em:
Ortheg
Ortheg took in a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Tanya, who kept her training sword in a defensive stance. Then he rushed forward, striking first downward from right. Tanya deflected it, but Ortheg struck again quickly, this time with a thrust, and Tanya had to back away to dodge it. Seeing the opening, Ortheg tried to swing hard from above, but Tanya managed to parry his strike, and riposted with a quick slam on Ortheg’s ribs.
“Ah, shit”, Ortheg cursed at the pain, and Tanya let out an amused chuckle. “Not bad, you’re definitely getting better”, she complimented. “However, your strikes are still quite predictable. If your enemy knows what you’ll do next, that gives them an opportunity to plan one move ahead.”
“And how do I make them… not know?” Ortheg asked with a frustrated tone, to which Tanya smirked. “Simple, you surprise them”, she answered like it was the simplest thing in the world. “For example, if you feel like a strike for the head is the obvious choice, take the effort to aim to the legs instead. Not only will you catch your enemy off guard, but if the blow lands you might also significantly slow them down.”
“But you always say to look for openings in the enemy’s defense”, Ortheg said with a frown. “So, if I see an obvious opening in the enemy’s defense, should I go out of my way not to use the opportunity?”
“Of course not”, Tanya answered sharply. “However, be careful with what you consider as an opening. Sometimes it can be merely a trick by the enemy, to lure you into doing what they want you to do. Don’t worry about it too much though, you’ll develop an eye for that sort of thing once you have more experience.”
“Solid advice”, a calm male voice behind them said, and they both shifted their eyes to see Willem Pyke approaching. He was still in bandages from his earlier fight against Carsen, but seemed to be in a fairly good condition already. He didn’t look aggressive, but there was an unsettling darkness in his eyes, which made Ortheg tense up. “You fight pretty well for a woman”, he complimented Tanya, who raised an eyebrow for this.
“I’ve been trained from a young age”, she responded sternly, to which the Ironborn bastard nodded. “It shows”, he said with a friendly tone, a subtle smirk on his face. “And this is your brother?” He asked, looking at Ortheg.
“Half-brother”, Ortheg clarified himself, and Willem nodded to him. “So, the King’s bastard?” he asked, and Ortheg quickly shook his head. “The bastard son of the King’s late brother, Prince Andrey”, he answered.
“Was there something you wanted to talk about, ironborn?” Tanya asked sharply. Willem shook his head, but took a step closer to them nonetheless. “Just figured I should get to know the people I’m going to serve”, he said with a relaxed tone.
“In that case you should probably talk to King Yorick”, Tanya replied dryly, to which the ironborn chuckled softly. “I know enough about him already”, he claimed smoothly. “You on the other hand, I find you quite interesting.” Just as he said this, it suddenly started raining. It was just a light drizzle, but nonetheless unusual for the season.
“Huh, I was starting to wonder if it ever rains down here”, Willem said, gazing at the grey clouds above them. “Can’t say I really missed it though.”
“Summer rains in Dorne are extremely rare”, Tanya remarked with a curious tone, feeling the rain with her hands. As the rain started to slowly get heavier, the three of them made their way under the shelter of the smithy. From there they watched as the guardsmen and servants of the castle hurried to carry the sacks of grain and fruits out of the rain. Willem smirked at the sight. “These people should spend some time on the Iron Isles, perhaps they wouldn’t piss themselves at the sight of rain after that”, he jabbed.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve been through some terrifying rains in your time”, Tanya commented dryly, to which Willem chuckled softly. “You’d be surprised, mylady”, he replied calmly. “Only a man who has sailed the sea knows the true meaning of storm.”
“And do you miss it, sailing the sea?” Tanya asked with a mildly interested tone, and Willem shook his head. “Truth be told, I never much enjoyed it”, he said with a small sigh, turning his gaze down. “I’ve had a fear of drowning since I was a kid.”
“I’d say that’s a pretty rational fear”, Tanya said, to which Willem shrugged lazily. “Perhaps, but not very practical for an ironborn”, he replied. Just then, they noticed someone approaching them through the courtyard. It was Lena Wells, she was skipping through the rain, Emerson Allyrion and Yoren Jordayne coming close behind her.
“Tanya!” Lena yelled with a grin on her face as she rushed under the shelter. “What in seven hells is going on here?” She asked with a humorous tone, looking at the rain and shaking the water from her hair.
“I believe it is this thing called rain”, Willem stated with a snarky voice, and Lena sent him a cold glare. “I wasn’t talking to you, ironborn”, she hissed, while Emerson and Yoren also arrived under the shelter. “I’m just saying that it’s pretty weird, especially with how dry the summer has been so far.”
“You think it means something?” Ortheg asked with an intrigued tone, and for some reason he remembered the words of the oracle. Your road will be paved with bones and blood. “Like a sign from the gods or something”, he suggested, which made both Willem and Yoren chuckle.
“I wouldn’t go that far”, Lena replied with a smirk, and Ortheg nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, just an idea”, he mumbled.
“Perhaps you are not wrong”, Emerson spoke up with a serious tone. “After all, we all know that war is ahead. Perhaps the gods are weeping for us.”
“Your war against your sister isn’t really the rest of our concern though, is it?” Lena responded sharply, and Emerson narrowed his eyes. “Maybe not, but that is only a small part of the greater war that’s coming. Princess Nymeria has grown strong, and it is only a question of time before she will clash against King Yorick.”
“You truly think this Nymeria is powerful enough to challenge Yorick?” Willem asked with an intrigued tone, and Emerson nodded. “She has already conquered Central Dorne, and Lucifer won’t be able to hold her back for long. It will be our job to crush her.”
“And that we shall do”, Yoren said confidently. “For the bloodroyal!” he added firmly.
“For the bloodroyal”, Emerson repeated the words calmly, as did Willem Pyke. Lena and Tanya however remained silent, and Ortheg wondered how he should react.
[Repeat the words] [Remain silent]
-
The Loyal Soldier
Ulwyck sat in his sister’s chambers, watching her eat breakfast. Queen Gwyneth Dryland, he thought with some disbelief. A queen she was, though she hadn’t spent a single night with King Lucifer since their wedding night. By and large Lucifer had left Gwyneth to her own devices, bothering her only when they needed to be seen together in formal occasions. It was a kindness Ulwyck hadn’t expected from the King, and neither had Gwyneth herself.
News of Vaith surrendering to Princess Nymeria had arrived three days ago, shortly after Lewyn had left with the Qorgyle girl. Lucky bastard, Ulwyck thought grimly, knowing that in about a week the Martell’s would lay siege on Hellgate Hall. Bedwyck had tried to advice Lucifer to seek refuge from the Yronwoods or the Daynes, but the king had quickly rejected such ideas. Instead he had summoned Desmond Uller to Hellgate Hall, commanding him to muster as many troops as he could.
“You don’t have to guard me all the time, you know”, Gwyneth suddenly spoke up, and Ulwyck shifted his gaze to her. “That’s what the king assigned me to do”, he argued sternly, and his sister let out a small sigh.
“I know, but what exactly do you think could happen to me during a simple breakfast?” she asked with a slightly frustrated tone. Ulwyck crossed his arms and spoke up with a serious tone. “There could well be agents of House Martell within these walls, and if you carry the King’s child…”
“I don’t”, Gwyneth cut him off, and Ulwyck frowned. “And how can you be sure?” he asked strictly, to which his sister rolled her eyes. “During our wedding night, he didn’t… lay his seed inside me”, she explained with an awkward tone. “He passed out before he could get to it, and he hasn’t touched me since.”
“Well, be that as it may, people are still going to assume that you are with his child”, Ulwyck argued, his tone a bit more relaxed now. “And besides, is my company truly so unpleasant to you, sister?”
“Of course not, but no one wants to be around their brother the whole day”, Gwyneth responded sharply. “Or would you like Lewyn following you around all day?” she asked, and Ulwyck couldn’t help but smirk at the remark. “Good point”, he admitted with a small chuckle. However, just as he stood up the door was knocked.
“I’ll take it”, Ulwyck said and walked to the door. Opening it he saw Ser Blackheart, King Lucifer’s most trusted knight. “King Lucifer requires the Queen’s presence at the courtyard”, he stated with a stern and dutiful tone. “Desmond Uller has arrived”, he added as he saw Ulwyck’s questioning look.
“Alright, we’ll come in a minute, ser”, Ulwyck promised with a polite tone, nodding to Ser Blackheart and closing the door. As Ulwyck approached Gwyneth, he saw a concerned look in her eyes. “What is it?” he asked quietly, and she turned her gaze down with a gulp.
“You know I was supposed to marry Desmond before this arrangement with Lucifer came to be”, she said nervously, and Ulwyck nodded. “Aye, what of it?” he asked nonchalantly.
“Desmond is not one to take such an insult to his honor lightly”, Gwyneth said quietly. “I’m afraid he may be angered with the King… and with me.”
“He knows you had no say in this arrangement”, Ulwyck argued, tapping his sister lightly on the shoulder. “Besides, would Desmond really put his pride above the future of his kingdom?”
“I don’t know”, Gwyneth mumbled quietly. After a brief moment of silence Ulwyck decided to help his sister up from her seat. “Come, let’s not keep the King waiting”, he said calmly, and she nodded quietly. So they made their way out of Gwyneth’s chambers, and met with King Lucifer in the hallway by the doors of the main keep. The King was surrounded by five guards, led by Ser Blackheart in his dark heavy armor.
“My love”, Lucifer greeted Gwyneth with a hollow tone, offering his hand for her. “Your Grace”, she responded humbly, before gently grabbing his hand. Hand in hand the royal couple walked out to the courtyard, with Ulwyck, Blackheart and the rest of the guards following closely behind. Desmond Uller was already waiting for them, and his grandfather Lord Harrion Uller was there as well. There was also another man with them, someone Ulwyck didn’t recognize. He was tall and slender, pale and bald, and dressed in fine dark silks. Looks like a foreigner, Ulwyck deduced, but didn’t pay any more mind to it. Behind them stood dozens of soldiers dressed in the colors of House Uller. “You came sooner than I expected, Desmond Uller”, Lucifer said calmly.
Desmond took a couple steps closer to Lucifer, stopping about a dozen feet before him. He was a tall and muscular man, having the build of a true warrior. Many said he looked exactly like his father Harbert had looked twenty years ago, and while Ulwyck couldn’t attest to that, he had to admit that Desmond most certainly was a handsome man. His dark hair fell freely on his shoulders, and in his green eyes was a cold and stern glare. Ulwyck wasn’t surprised to see Desmond angered, certainly he had reason for it. However, he was surprised when instead of approaching to greet his king, Desmond drew his sword, and pointed it at Lucifer. Immediately Lucifer’s guards unsheathed their weapons and stepped between Desmond and the king, as did Ulwyck. However, the Uller soldiers also drew their swords and began to approach the king and his guards. Ulwyck glanced around the courtyard, but none of the Dryland soldiers there rushed to aid their king.
“Lay down your sword and end this madness now, and I will forgive you this transgression”, Lucifer spoke sternly, having now let go of Gwyneth’s hand. A cold smirk formed on Desmond’s face, and he shook his head. “Your time as king has come to its end, Lucifer”, he said with a mocking tone. “Look around you, no one is willing to defend you. Six loyal soldiers, is that all you have left? Even I didn’t expect this to be that easy.”
“So, you seek to usurp my throne, then?” Lucifer asked, and Ulwyck could spot a hint of panic in his words. However, Desmond shook his head. “I seek to cast you down from it, yes, but I will not take your throne. House Uller shall bend the knee to Princess Nymeria, and rule these lands under her protection and authority.”
“Traitor”, Lucifer hissed, clenching his fists and shaking of anger. “Traitor!” he repeated louder, but Desmond merely chuckled at his anger. The bald man now also stepped next to Desmond, eyeing Lucifer with a soft smirk on his face. “Pleasure to meet you, King Lucifer. I am Forovos Norvoshi, representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos and a backer of Princess Nymeria’s cause”, the man introduced himself with a polite and friendly tone, which was quite out of place in this tense situation. “I would like to ask you and your guards to stand down without a fight, so unnecessary casualties may be avoided.”
“Never!” Lucifer barked, backing away now. “Ser Blackheart, kill the traitors!” he commanded, and Ser Blackheart nodded with an emotionless expression on his face, proceeding to pull down the visor of his helmet. Now both Desmond and Forovos retreated behind the Uller soldiers, and the fight was unavoidable. Ulwyck felt a hand grabbing from his shoulder, and he turned to see Gwyneth. “Please brother, come with me, you don’t have to do this”, she begged, but Ulwyck shook his head.
“No, I must do my duty”, he said with a gulp, looking his sister to the eyes once more before he turned around and rushed to the fight against the Uller soldiers. Ser Blackheart had already taken down two of them, but one of Lucifer’s guards had also already fallen.
Ulwyck clashed swords with a young Uller soldier, exchanging a couple strikes before finding an opening to stab the man under his left arm. As his enemy fell down, Ulwyck turned around, seeing that only him and Ser Blackheart were still standing. And just at that moment, he felt on his chest the worst pain he had ever felt. Looking down, he saw a bolt penetrated several inches into his chest. Ulwyck felt his whole body shivering, and he was hardly able to stay up on his feet. Then another bolt landed on him, this time on the thigh of his right leg, and he collapsed to the ground. As his sight started to blur, the last thing Ulwyck Tiddle saw was King Lucifer being put to chains Desmond Uller.
[Repeat the words] Ortheg is already in good graces with his family, and while he may not like his uncle very much, he still gave him a purpose.
I feel sorry for Ulwyck, he only tried to do his duty and protect his sister, and now he's dead. Wonder what will happen with Blackheart, he always gave me a vibe of the Hound or the Mountain, but less murderous (at least for what we saw). Lucifer underestimated Nymeria, and the loyalty she could inspire.
Now that I think about it, is Desmond Harbert's son?
Hello again! I'm so sorry for taking longer than I said I would, the end of the week turned out busier than expected Nonetheless, here are … morethe new parts, I hope you like 'em:
Ortheg
Ortheg took in a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Tanya, who kept her training sword in a defensive stance. Then he rushed forward, striking first downward from right. Tanya deflected it, but Ortheg struck again quickly, this time with a thrust, and Tanya had to back away to dodge it. Seeing the opening, Ortheg tried to swing hard from above, but Tanya managed to parry his strike, and riposted with a quick slam on Ortheg’s ribs.
“Ah, shit”, Ortheg cursed at the pain, and Tanya let out an amused chuckle. “Not bad, you’re definitely getting better”, she complimented. “However, your strikes are still quite predictable. If your enemy knows what you’ll do next, that gives them an opportunity to plan one move ahead.”
“And how do I make them… not know?” Ortheg… [view original content]
[Repeat the words] Ortheg is already in good graces with his family, and while he may not like his uncle very much, he still gave him a purp… moreose.
I feel sorry for Ulwyck, he only tried to do his duty and protect his sister, and now he's dead. Wonder what will happen with Blackheart, he always gave me a vibe of the Hound or the Mountain, but less murderous (at least for what we saw). Lucifer underestimated Nymeria, and the loyalty she could inspire.
Now that I think about it, is Desmond Harbert's son?
Comments
[Say that you don't know yet] It my as well be demolished, that way no one will try to lay claim to it.
[Give Aisha a quick death] if Dalia is revived (like Beric Dondarrion), it will be interesting if she returns to the world of the living and find out her recently legitimized name is now meaningless.
[Say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall]
[Burn her to death]
Sorry to tie this second vote, but Aisha will not be getting any mercy from me. Not after what she planned to do to Trentan the entire time he was with them. Sure, it was Valerie who ultimately had him murdered/sacrificed, but Aisha planned to do same thing to him, after leading him on for who knows how long. So, you know what happens to witches.... They get burned. Aisha needs to burn. She can't suffer any less than Trentan did, at his death. Anyways, out of curiosity, what would have happened if we decided to leave Kris in Vaith? What would have happened during this conflict? Would Team Rhllor still have won?
I'm greatly surprised you decided to vote to give Aisha a quick death. You of all people, I would have thought would want Aisha to suffer. You did say, more than once, that you hoped she would die a gruesome death. I couldn't vote to give her a quick death. Not after it was revealed that the entire reason she brought Trentan along was so she could eventually ritually murder/sacrifice him, after tricking and leading him on. It doesn't matter to me that Valerie did it, the fact that Aisha was planning to do that the entire time is enough to make me want her to suffer just as much or more than Trentan did, at his untimely death. Plus, forcing Gwendis to drink his blood is unforgivable!
It is true, I am probably the one who most advocated a brutal death for her and I know how you feel here, but having had a night to think this over, hear me out on this one please
First of all, I realized that the fate that surprised me the most in this part is not Valerie's, but Aisha's. With every other character, I had at one point or the other assumed their death or survival. You know I was constantly afraid for Gwendis' fate in this confrontation, I had a feeling either Dalia or Kris, or Dalia and Desi would die, I was certain Wesley would die and that either Belan or Hondo would die fighting against him, even the deaths of Valerie and Mother Minesa have been included in my speculation at some point (even if I was still highly surprised by Valerie's apparent death, the main reason why I remain sceptical). But not Aisha, with her I was certain she'd survive where everyone else would have died, like a cockroach of evil, to become a major recurring villain. So, this is the one twist I wouldn't have seen coming in a million years. And knowing that I hate her like no one else, I love the fact that we actually get to decide not if she dies, but how.
Here's the catch though, I have so little trust in her that I don't even trust her to die properly. You know I want her dead at least as much as you do, probably even more. You know I am the last who'd say she doesn't deserve to be burned. I would love for her to die screaming for what she did to Gwen and Trentan. Her role in all this is unforgivable and she deserves utmost pain. Of course, Valerie did more in the end, but it has been Aisha's fault that they were there to begin with and I don't blame her less, even if her final actions in this part have been surprisingly graceful. Credit where credit's due, just as she earned the hate we have for her. So, I want her to die and reading about her burning at stake, preferrably while Gwen gets to look on in triumph, it'd be an amazing way for that priestess to go out. No objections, I definitely don't argue from the standpoint that she deserves the quicker death.
However, as I said, I don't trust her with dying. Because I was so certain that she would survive, I have come to assume that she has some sort of secret back up plan to get out of there, one that would rely on the cruelty she expects from a R'hllor follower, namely burning her at stake. It'd take time to set this all up. They'd build a pyre, it is raining and Desi has made it clear she doesn't care for this, means she is likely going to have a chat with Gwen instead of, you know, starting a fire. So, they have to do it the traditional way, it could give Aisha several more hours or even days until that gets done. Time she could use to do something, undoubtedly something awful, and escape. I want her dead as much as you do, but I want her dead more than I want her to suffer. If I'd truly believe she has no escape plan, I might be more inclined to pick the burning option. But having thought about it, it would give her more time to prepare than we should grant her. She is poison and she has spent more than enough time trying to corrupt Gwendis' mind already. Who knows what she is capable of when realizing that she has nothing left to lose? Just because she hasn't shown the same powers Valerie displayed doesn't mean she cannot use them, either to escape or to do as much harm as possible on the R'hllor followers (and likely one of the sympathetic ones and not Mother Minesa) or on Gwendis, her unwilling apprentice. The only mark she has left on the world is suffering, so maybe she attempts to go out causing as much of it as she still can and giving her the time to do so sounds like a critical mistake. I don't want to give her the opportunity and fully believe that she is too dangerous to toy with. Holding her prisoner, even just for the hours it'll take to collect enough dry wood (and keep in mind, Belan is injured, means either Kris or Hondo have to stand guard while the other has to collect enough wood to build a pyre all by himself), that is a luxury I am not sure they can afford. However, even I doubt that she can escape a death that comes almost immediately. I definitely want to see her trying to escape Kris' sword cutting her stupid head from her shoulders. As I said, I want her dead more than I want her to suffer. While her suffering would mean a more satisfying revenge for both of us, I don't want to blow what might be the only shot we have at revenge to begin with in favour of making it a bit more satisfying. There are no moral objections from me here, I want her to burn as much as you want her to, but I think it is a situation in which we have to be pragmatic if we absolutely want to ensure that she won't get out of this one.
Of course, I could be completely wrong here. Maybe she is genuinely accepting her fate here with what little dignity someone like her can muster. In my opinion though, she is a constantly scheming and backstabbing monster, trying to weasel her way out of any uncomfortable situation, any responsiblity, someone without an ounce of dignity, someone who never gives up. The question you have to ask yourself is not if she deserves to burn, which is a firm yes, but if we can afford the risk to trust her with truly accepting her fate. I'm not so convinced we should take the risk, because Aisha has always been a threat that shouldn't be ignored. Having read my points, I hope you understand why I would prefer to stay with this option, but I'm curious how you think about taking the risk.
Hehe, yeah, this certainly wasn't the worst possible outcome for the confrontation
That said, the chances for Gwendis dying here were never really high, because I always saw it as a lot of wasted potential. However, if you had started her storyline with Aisha by resisting the influence of GO, but then towards the end (like, after Lyla's failed rescue) went full Dark Gwen, then she would've died here. In that scenario she would've been too far gone for Desi to see chance for redemption, but not far enough to turn the fight in favor of Team GO. Anyway, I am glad that you stuck to resisting the GO all the way through her storyline, because it would've been a damn shame to kill her off now.
Very glad to hear you liked the Nym part as well. To be completely honest, it was probably the more enjoyable one for me to write, because it focused more on character interactions and dialogue, which I think I'm better at compared to action. It was also the less stressful part to write, compared to the long anticipated climax of a storyline with tons of build up
Anyway, it indeed seems like Valor and Bridget quite enjoy each other's company. Shame that Nym had to cockblock, but at least it provided us a hint that Valor and Bridget are still spending time together 
And I really enjoyed writing that conversation between the two, as it gave me a chance to go into all these interesting topics, from the Second Spice War and the Freehold to Nymeria's vision for the future of Dorne. Glad to hear you enjoyed it as well! 
Haha, yeah, I kept him silent in his last moments because I felt it was fitting for him as a character, but also because he was simply too fucked up at that point to say anything coherent. Of course he could've screamed in pain or something, but as I said just utter silence is a bit more fitting for him. Valerie on the other hand, yeah, no way she goes down without talking shit first
Well it's understandable that you had a thousand possibilities in mind how this could go, because ever since first starting to plan this confrontation I've changed my plans for it probably almost a thousand times
Granted, some of these changes came from your choices, and others were just about which PoVs I wanted to show this from. At some point I had a plan of showing the confrontation from 3 PoVs, those being of course Gwen, Dalia and Kris. However, in the end I felt it would just make it too messy, especially since I wanted to have this conversation between Kris and Hondo before the battle, and I wanted Kris' choice to end the confrontation. So, with that in mind it just made sense to show the whole thing from his perspective. As for Desi, yeah she definitely isn't helpless in face of threat 
However, she is a bit of glass cannon, because while her magic can do a lot of damage it drains her quickly, and she can't really protect herself in hand-to-hand combat. And to your question, it was Valerie's magic that made Kris put his sword down. In retrospect, I should've probably made that more clear, but oh well 
Yeah, tbh, if Hangman was just a random character I came up with, I probably would've used him as a redshirt here, but as this part started to reveal, Hondo is actually a submitted character with a very rich and detailed backstory. I'm glad I managed to give him a bit more depth before the confrontation though, I suppose it added a bit more tension in his scenes
And Valerie has now been added to the "deceased or unknown" list, but well, that of course doesn't guarantee that she is gone permanently. We'll have to wait and see with that one.
Of course I knew you'd be happy about Gwen surviving
I am too, because she is a great character, and there is still a lot of potential for future storylines with her, which I can't wait to get to write. And yeah, I already confirmed your theory earlier in this message, but basically you nailed it: it was always about either resisting or going all in, half measures would've led to death here. And yeah, Gwendis falling unconscious after Valerie's death is indeed a hint towards her having been under the influence of her magic. And just like with Jamison, it'll take a while for Gwendis to get her head clear after what happened. In fact, it'll probably take a bit longer in her case, because she was under her spell for longer. And yeah, we'll have one more Gwendis part in Book 1, in which she'll have a lengthy conversation about all this with Desi, so I won't go too deep into it now, but you might very well be right about Gwen's connection not being limited to just the Great Other. Yep, three more books to get through, and it won't be easy, but I can at least promise that Gwen most likely won't be put through another long period of being someone's captive, because surely that would get a tad too repetitive 
Well, I must admit I didn't expect you to go easy on Aisha here, but your reasoning does make sense. And had she caused Gwen's death, I assume you wouldn't be quite as merciful
And you're right, it makes very little difference how Aisha dies here, other than the amount of suffering she has to go through before the release of death. Oh, and also the amount of twisted enjoyment Mother Minesa gets out of this 
It would've been a much harder fight for Team R'hllor without Kris there, but ultimately they would have won. The only way for Team Great Other to win here was for Gwendis to go full on dark side during her storyline, OR if neither Kris or Dalia would've come, leaving just Belan and a couple fighters Dalia would've chosen from the Wild Suns to help Desi and Minesa.
Well, I understand now why you voted the way you did. As long as she dies, but I still want her to suffer for her actions. I'm not sure Aisha could escape even if she wanted to. She is completely surrounded and outnumbered. Plus, I'm sure Team Rhllor is constantly watching her. She would probably need to use some magic of some sort, in order to escape everybody.
Oh man I can't believe I almost missed these parts! Both of these parts are awesome and just to make sure the voting doesn't close on me, I'll go ahead and vote now
[Say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall]
[Give Aisha a quick death]
If the voting Isn't closed by then, I'll give my reasons for choosing what I chose once I get home from work!
Edit: Well, it looks like there isn't really too much I can add in regards to commenting on the parts but I think I'll give it a shot anyway
First off with Nymeria's part, this was clearly a very enjoyable part with the conversation between Valor and Nymeria being something that I had been excited to see and it certainly did not disappoint. It seems like they both gave their sides and it very much seems like Nymeria trust Valor now which is great for the both of them. It also seems as if Valor and Bridget might be some kind of item which is also very interesting and also leads me to agree with Liquid in believing that Valor's book 2 storyline will deal with the Gargalen's and Salt Shore in some way. Of course with the two year time skip, this could also be a fling with nothing serious coming from it but either way I am excited to see where Valor and Bridget's storylines go from here! As for Nymeria's choice, I was leaning along the lines of having her say she didn't know yet since by all rights, she can't even be sure if she can even trust the Uller's yet but at the same time, it really is her best choice especially since there isn't really anyone from House Martell who can watch over Hellgate Hall. Also, this is just her stating what she thinks she'll do not actually doing it so she could very well change her mind when the time comes to actually make a decision.
Now for the Kris part, this was a very exciting part! This battle was definitely something we have all been excited to see and you knocked it out of the park! The battle was awesome and we also got to see the death of Mordekhai along with hopefully Valerie as well but I definitely don't put it past her to survive but I suppose as long as she isn't around Jamison, I won't worry about it too much
Dalia's death however was a bit sadder than I thought it would be and with her death, House Dryland is finished. As for Gwendis, I am happy to see we got her out unscathed and with captors seemingly gone for good, she should be moving on to something completely new whether that be going back to Blackmont or something else, I am very excited to see where her story heads 
With Kris' choice, I chose to give Aisha a quick death simply because I feel Aisha is finished here either way and that this choice could arguably be chalked up to being a character building choice for him here in regards to how dedicated he will be to serving the Lord of Light or not. Even with all Aisha has done, Kris himself doesn't really know her and doesn't really have too much of a reason to see her die in such a brutal manner other than if he feels that's how it has to be done for R'hllor but he doesn't seem to feel that way so I figure I'll just have him give Aisha a quick death here.
That was what I was hoping for, but then again, I could have never been certain. At best, I thought it would be like a 50/50 choice for her dying, but I see I was a bit off there. Also shows the Great Other can be seriously manipulative, because he made it seem to be as if her death would be way more likely than her survival if she would resist his influence. Guess he just really focussed on one of several possible outcomes, which makes sense given that he wants her to support him. Some of the most disturbing visions she has seen have probably come from this successfully averted bad outcome then. I am curious, if we would have given in once or twice, but not really all that much, would the resulting darkness have been enough for Desi to consider her doomed? Means, was fully resisting (or fully submitting to the darkness) the only way, or was there a bit of a leeway?
Yeah, for as much as you nailed it, I doubt Kris' part was easy to write. To be honest, I prefer to write action, because it happens comparably less and always makes for neat highlights. However, little trumps an exciting dialogue. I always kinda liked Valor, but ever since he gets to spend time with the Rhoynar and express his own views on the Spice War, he has increased massively in my favour, I genuinely am excited for his development in Book 2. I also think it can be considered a safe guess that his future will be in some capacity tied to House Gargalen, at least in Book 2. Being a major port for House Martell, I guess Salt Shore might be on the front lines if the Dayne's advance during the coming war.
I guess there are few storylines in NW I did more speculation on than this confrontation, yet you somehow managed to pull off several things that legitimately surprised me. One thing that comes from a technical standpoint is that I was actually certain you'd show this from several PoV's, instead of one super long Kris part. It worked out perfectly well though. With Dalia's death a little halfway into the actual fight, her part would have added little in terms of value and if Gwen was completely under Valerie's control in that moment, then there really is nothing she could have shown here. Desi though, holy shit, she's great! Though I see it now, Valerie's thralls would have likely slaughtered her before she could even lay a hand onto one of the true bad guys here. Now, Kris, Dalia, Belan and Hondo really gave her all the time she needed to end this.
Ah, I see it now! I really considered him just a minor character you have come up with to flesh out the forces of R'hllor in this confrontation, but I was way wrong then. I also realized, he comes from Ghoyan Drohe, like Farrah from Nym's guard. Might be an actual connection there. Then again, I am not sure how Rhoynish nobility works. For example, Varyn could have been Varyn of Chroyane even while there was still Garin of Chroyane around as the actual part of the ruling family, indicating simply that he is nobility from Chroyane and something similar could be the case with Hondo and Farrah, means they are both nobility from the same city, but not necessarily from the same family. I suppose I gotta wait and see. Team R'hllor seems to be bound to meet up with Nymeria at some point and by then, I have no doubt it will be revealed if they are actually family. When it comes to Valerie though, I will probably continue to not consider her dead, unless another fitting villain appears or we reach Book 4 without her making a reappearance XD With her following the god of death and being implied to be his most powerful follower in all Dorne, maybe she can actually cheat death as long as her body is not fully destroyed. While she was on fire at the time, she did throw herself into the sea. Usually enough for an overkill, but with her body unlikely to be fully destroyed, she might manage to find a way to come back, either as a genuinely living person, or as some sort of a wight/lich. That'd easily overshadow Wesley silently burning to death as the most creepy thing these terrible people are capable of.
Ah, nothing makes me more glad than that. I had a feeling I was right with my approach, but of course I could never be certain. This was tremendously risky. For certain, I will continue to overthink every choice she'll be offered, because getting her through the things undoubtedly still to come will remain my main goal, even if I have no doubt that there will be parts in which her survival will be easier to achieve and where not quite as much will be at stake. But then again, this was only the beginning. If Valerie returns, or another threat comes up, there might be even greater dangers on the horizon. Now I am curious though, how much time has passed since Trentan's death and this confrontation? And was she mind controlled this entire time? If so, what was Valerie's intention with this? I mean, she can definitely be evil for the sake of being evil, but I can't help but to believe that she might have used her as some sort of amplifier for her own powers.
Trust me, neither did I expect that
But given the opportunity, I rather make absolutely certain she dies. I don't want to go easy on her, but I want her to escape even less, so I take it as just killing her and getting it done. After all, she has done nothing yet and this is the big confrontation she prepared for all this time. While she is less powerful than Valerie, I am not sure if Team R'hllor can afford to toy with a Great Other priestess who still hasn't come even close to exhausting her powers. It's a shame, I would have loved for her to burn, but as long as she stays dead, I shall be happy and I can only imagine how frustrating it would be if we would waste our shot at killing her just to get a more fitting death for her.
But if you think about it, giving Aisha a quick death might not make sure she stays dead. See, if Kris gives her a quick death there's a lot of different ways for him to do that, one of the most common ways of giving someone a quick death is stabbing them through the heart. Now, in that situation, she'd be dead, but her body would still be "preserved" enough to be revived. If Valerie were to indeed survive all that she's been through, she would need to find allies and seeing that Dorne isn't exactly Great Other Land, she'd be "forced" to revive (or try to) Aisha even if they aren't really on the best of terms. Now If Aisha is burned, she'll most likely turn to ashes and then there'll be no way in which she could be revived, as there would be no body to revive. If you think about it, fire is the Great Other's "kryptonite" in a way, so I imagine the best way to make sure that a follower of the Great Other stays dead would be to burn them (not much different on how to deal with Wights). Not only would there be no body to revive, said body would've been "purified by the fire" even.
Yeah, whatever the Great Other is, he certainly isn't objective in what he shows to his followers
And yeah, there was some leeway, a couple missteps wouldn't have doomed Gwen. Really it was the decisions after Lyla's failed rescue that mattered the most.
I can already tell you that there will be some major choices coming pretty early in Gwen's Book 2 storyline, so look forward to that
As for your question, I'd say it has been a couple days. And yeah, the reason Valerie took control of Gwen was her connection to the Great Other. Whether that was actually helpful to her in any way is questionable, but her intention at least was to use Gwen to make herself stronger.
Admittedly, I cannot be certain about this. However, the thing is, while we don't know the full extent of Aisha's power, it has been implied she's more lower-to-mid ranking when compared to Wesley or Valerie. She hasn't shown any real powers beyond relatively sloppy soothsaying and distracting an animal, which is nothing when compared to surviving a dagger to the eye or mind-raping a dozen men at once. Admittedly, much of the true extent of a Great Other servants powers are still a mystery to us, but I have this fear that she has the same influence skills as Valerie did, maybe to a weaker extent, but with Belan heavily wounded, the only ones who could guard her are the exhausted and also slightly injured Kris and Hondo and at least the former was easily influenced by Valerie in the middle of the fight. So, if only one of them guards her, she might be able to influence him and escape. Meanwhile, it seems seeing someones future is the absolute lowest of Great Other powers (and she made mistakes even there), with inhuman strength and endurance coming next on the ladder, then manipulating minds, followed by outright enthralling others and I can only speculate that there's dark powers beyond that, such as potentially rising from the dead. If this is the case though, I believe it will be reserved to solely the most powerful servants the Great Other has, the ones that give themselves to him completely in mind, body and soul. Aisha has repeatedly stated that she does not want this, so I believe she is, in return, way less powerful than Valerie. Even with that one, a possible resurrection is purely speculative at this point and I solely fear this because Team R'hllor won't be able to locate her body, but if this is possible, I doubt Aisha is capable of doing so. If this is a standard power which the servants of the Great Other have, there's no doubt someone such as Desi, who has dedicated her life to fight them, would know about it and take appropriate measures instead of letting Kris decide. And even if it is, for some reason, in the realms of possible that someone such as Aisha, whom I consider ultimately insignificant for the Great Other's plans, is capable of returning from the dead, I doubt they'd just leave her body to rot, this doesn't seem to be the R'hllor way. Many people died in this battle and they have to receive some sort of a funeral. One pyre for Dalia and another one for Aisha, Wesley and Valerie's thralls, that sounds like a very fitting to get rid of the bodies. I pretty much just want to make sure that she won't get any chance to escape and I fear this is far more likely if we end up giving her some time until she gets burned alive. I could be wrong, I might be wrong, but I just don't want to risk it. I mean, I would absolutely love for her to burn, it'd be wonderful, but it seems like too much of a risk.
That being said, the only way I'd actually like for Aisha to come back from the dead is if Kris decapitates her here. Just imagine this one, Aisha as an undead head, spouting her usual nonsense and being carried around by Valerie the Lich Queen, but posing no threat at all beyond being mildly annoying, giving mean glares and occasionally biting people who get too close to her. That'd be kinda priceless and a way more fitting punishment than any sort of death we could give her XD
Hey Wildling, I sent you a pm.
Voting is closed!
First of all, Nymeria will say that Uller's will inherit Hellgate Hall. Probably the smart thing to do to gain the support of the Uller's after Lucifer has been dealt with. Anyway, we are not quite there yet...
And Kris will give Aisha a quick death. I was expecting votes for both options, and that's what we got, but I am a bit surprised that you didn't choose a harsher punishment for Aisha. In the end though, this isn't a major choice in terms of altering the story.
And next up we'll be having two new parts again, this time Dianna and Tomas. I have started writing both of them, but there is still quite a lot to write before they are done. I have to say I'll be having quite a busy end of the week, but I should be able to find some hours to write anyway. So, I'd say you can expect these parts to be posted during the weekend. Very short recaps: Dianna is still a captive of Bjorn Harlaw's Ironborn crew, which is now sailing up the Brimstone, where they already raided one small village. Later Roryn Drumm was once again doubting if Dianna can be trusted, and suggested that she'd be baptized in the Ironborn way. Bjorn begrudgingly agreed to the idea, but only if Dianna herself accepted it, and she did not. As for Tomas, we haven't seen him in a while, but the last we saw him he was about to leave the Tor, where he had met in negotiations with Artos Jordayne, the heir of Lord Terren. However, the negotiations didn't lead to an alliance as the Jordayne's had hoped, and Tomas sent Garibald to Nymeria to ask for her aid. Later we saw Garibald indeed arrive to Godsgrace and ask for Nymeria's aid in defending Ghost Hill, and she sent a small amount of troops. Nymeria also tasked Garibald to ask Tomas send Levor to Sandship, so he could formally pledge his loyalty to House Martell. So, this Tomas' part will take place in Ghost Hill.
Aw, so we could have burned her without consequences here? What a damn shame, I would like to apologize to Tales and Javier who tried to talk me out of granting her a merciful death. In that case, I would have highly preferred to burn her, it's just my usual paranoia that made killing her quickly sound like the better option. Ah well, at least she is going to die with the knowledge that she utterly failed, that has to suffice in terms of revenge.
Really excited for the next parts though, especially for Dianna's. She is one of those characters where I really have absolutely no idea how many parts she has left in this chapter and where it'll end for her, so I look forward for this next one very much
Tomas
Tomas stood atop the battlements of Ghost Hill together with his nephews Levor and Mateo, looking at the Martell troops swarming on the courtyard. Nymeria had sent almost a hundred troops to defend the castle from the threat of the Yronwood’s.
“I don’t want to go”, Levor protested sternly, glaring at the Martell soldiers below. “I’m the Lord of Ghost Hill, my place is here.”
“I’m sure living in Sandship won’t be as bad as you think”, Tomas replied with a small sigh. “Besides, Nymeria is your liege now, and in return for the protection she grants to Ghost Hill you must pledge her your loyalty.”
“Father wouldn’t have-“, Levor started, but was quickly cut off by Tomas. “Garibald is dead, and he isn’t coming back”, he said strictly. Seeing the taken aback looks on both of the boys’ eyes, he softened his voice a bit as he continued. “Your father underestimated both Nymeria and Yorick, thinking he could create his own kingdom between them, and he paid for that mistake with his life. You cannot make the same mistake he did.”
“Will we be their prisoners?” Mateo asked with a concerned tone, and Tomas put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “No, you will be their guests of honor”, he answered with a relaxed tone, forcing a small smile on his face, which was enough to make Mateo smile as well. Levor on the other hand still looked displeased, avoiding eye contact with his uncle.
“Who knows, if you manage to make a great impression on the princess and the prince, perhaps one day you’ll have high ranks among their council, with much more power and influence than just being the Lord of Ghost Hill could ever give you”, Tomas spoke calmly, and he saw Levor’s expression softening slightly. “Anyway, go see Maester Galladon, he’ll help you pack your things for the journey.”
As the boys walked away from Tomas, Ser Manfrey Rowman approached him. “Are you sure the Martell’s can be trusted?” Tomas’ childhood friend asked calmly. “Well, you can see that they have already provided us with troops”, Tomas pointed out, nodding towards the Martell soldiers.
“But will it be enough, if King Yorick decides to attack?” Manfrey asked with a concerned tone. Tomas shrugged, considering his words for a moment. “If he attacks with full force, then our chances are slim”, he admitted, keeping his voice calm and emotionless. “And that is exactly why it is important that the boys are not here when it happens.”
“I don’t understand”, Manfrey said with an almost amused tone, shaking his head slightly. “I mean, I understand you don’t want House Toland to bend the knee to the Yronwood’s, but at what cost? Delivering our future to the hands of Princess Nymeria?”
“Yes”, Tomas confirmed sternly. “Because like it or not, I believe that Nymeria is the future of Dorne. And to be honest, it’s not the worst future I could imagine for us.”
“What would be worse than a foreigner ruling over us?” Manfred asked cynically, and Tomas glared at him with narrowed eyes. “I’m sure the barbaric First Men asked the same when the Andals first arrived to these shores, but we know very well that it was the Andals who shaped Westeros to be what it is today”, he pointed out, to which Manfred reacted with a sigh.
“I agree, but I don’t see these Rhoynar bringing anything but war and chaos”, he argued stubbornly. Tomas took in a deep breath, before continuing. “For now, yes”, he agreed calmly. “However, in the long term Nymeria could bring us stability, and the kind of power that Dorne has never had before.”
“Maybe so”, Manfrey admitted begrudgingly, a frown still on his face. “I suppose only time will tell.”
-
Tomas walked to the courtyard, where Garibald, Levor and Mateo were getting ready for their journey. The horses were saddled and ready, the saddle packs filled with their belongings. Tomas approached them with a subdued smile on his face. “I’ll be missing you, boys”, he said with an earnest tone, and they all shifted their attention to him.
“I’ll miss you too, uncle”, Mateo replied eagerly, while Levor remained silent. “I’ll make sure they get safely to Sandship, mylord”, Ser Garibald assured with his dutiful tone, and Tomas gave him a small nod.
“And I will protect Ghost Hill while you are gone”, Tomas stated confidently, looking at Levor as he spoke. “Make sure you do”, Levor muttered quietly. As the boys mounted their horses, Tomas felt compelled to say something more. He though he should give one more advice for his nephews before they’d leave for this important journey, and a few options came to mind.
["Behave with honor and dignity"] ["Prove your worth to the Martell's"] ["Stay true to the gods"]
-
Dianna
In the first light of the morning, the Sea Reaper and Lady Vengeance approached a small town at the eastern shore of the Brimstone, by far the largest settlement they had come across so far sailing up the river. Five ships sat on the docks of the town, and seven more by the beach next to the town, all of them Essosi war galleys. Together the ships could carry over a thousand men, but it was clear the army that this fleet had brought here had marched away. After all, no troops had showed up at the docks to defend the ships.
Led by their captain, Bjorn Harlaw, the Ironborn charged into the streets of the town, breaking into every house they came across. Majority of the town’s folk tried to hide or run away, and the few that raised their arms were swiftly defeated. Dianna watched this all from the sidelines without getting involved, keeping her eyes on Hargan Harlaw, who dragged Lysera with him through the streets.
This went on for hours, during which the raiders gathered their plentiful loot back to the ships. Dianna herself didn’t even draw her blade, but still she couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for the suffering and losses that the Ironborn had brought to the people of this town.
By the evening the crew gathered into the tavern of the town, and started to eat and drink whatever they could find from the pantry and the cellars. Dianna stayed close to Captain Bjorn as he started to get drunk, but also kept her eyes on Hargan and Lysera, who sat at the other end of the table.
Directly opposed to Dianna and Bjorn sat Roryn and Hilsgurd Drumm. “They’ll welcome us back as heroes at the Isles!” Roryn declared with a drunken grin, to which Bjorn let out a hearty laughter. “Aye, no doubt many will, but better not expect any love from King Harmund and his cronies.”
“Those bastards are more Lannister than Ironborn”, Roryn hissed with a scornful tone. “Who gives a fuck about what they think?”
“Sadly the future of our kingdom is in the hands of those people”, Bjorn pointed out grimly, gulping down more of the ale. “If the Hoare’s betray their people and legacy, surely the drowned men will denounce them”, Hilsgurd argued calmly.
“The drowned men speak for our god, but without the support of the lords and captains they have no real power”, Bjorn stated sternly. “And that is why we must make sure the lords of the Iron Isles won’t follow the example of their king, but stay true to the Old Way.”
“I have no intentions of abandoning the Old Way to please the Hoare’s, but what about your son, Captain Bjorn?” Roryn asked, and Dianna could tell from the young Ironborn’s eyes that he knew how brazen this question was. “We all know how well he gets along with King Harmund”, Roryn added smoothly.
A tense silence followed, until Bjorn let out a small sigh and spoke up again. “I plan to make sure that Ulfric understands the value of our faith and culture”, he said quietly, keeping his gaze focused on the horn of ale in front of him. “And if he refuses them in favor of the greenlander ways… I will disown him and strip him of his inheritance.”
“And if the King opposes your decision?” Roryn asked, and Bjorn took in a deep breath. “Then it is war”, he answered coldly. “However, that is not something I wish to see happen. No matter what, the Hoare’s are still Ironborn, and to kill your kinsmen is a great sin.”
“Greater sin than breeding with the Lannister’s?” Roryn asked sharply, to which Bjorn reacted with a cold glare. “Aye, it is”, he confirmed with a decisive tone that left little room for arguing. “Anyway, let us not speak any more of this matter, for now we have reason to celebrate. This expedition to Dorne has been a great success, making all of us richer.”
“We can thank Dianna for that”, Hilsgurd pointed out, a subtle smirk on his face as he looked at her. Bjorn shifted his attention to Dianna as well, a grin forming on his face. “Indeed”, he said cheerfully. “Raiding the Brimstone was a good idea, and I must thank you for bringing it up.”
“You’re welcome”, Dianna replied dryly, keeping on a calm face despite the bitter anger she felt inside. Roryn glared at her with disdain, but kept quiet this time. “Once we get back to the Iron Isles, I’ll make you a true Ironborn warrior”, Bjorn said, tapping Dianna on the shoulder, and proceeded to gulp down the rest of his ale.
The drinking went on for several hours after the midnight, until finally the raiders began to pass out and fall asleep. Dianna remained awake though, sitting by the window, carefully eyeing the dozens of Ironborn sleeping on the floor of the taproom. Her eyes were fixed on Hargan and Lysera, who laid close to the innkeeper’s counter, surrounded by many others. The night was dark and silent, and the warriors were fast asleep – this could be the best opportunity she would ever get to save Lysera and herself. I have to try.
Right as Dianna stood up, someone blew a horn outside. Some of the Ironborn woke up, cursing and groaning with displeased tones. “What the fuck was that?” one of them asked, and right after that the horn was blown again, now slightly closer.
“That’s our horn, right?” Another one of them asked, to which the others responded with agreeing mutter and nodding. “Maron is in guard”, Hilsgurd pointed out, and by now they had all woke up. And then the door was pushed open, Maron rushing in with the horn in his hand, breathing heavily. “We are under attack!” he yelled in panic, which caused a murmur among the crew.
“Quiet!” Bjorn commanded sternly, and his men obeyed. “Did you see who is attacking, Maron?”
“No, but there’s at least a hundred of ‘em, and they are already inside the town!” the young man answered nervously, and Bjorn gave him a calm and decisive nod. “Everyone, back to the ships!” he commanded immediately, and so the tired and drunken men started picking up their shields and axes, and making their way out of the tavern.
Dianna followed them out of the tavern, and there he could hear the yelling of these so-called attackers, though Dianna suspected they were troops of House Dryland that had came to take the city back from the Ironborn invaders. But how did they arrive so quickly?
Brushing these questions aside, Dianna ran after the Ironborn that were escaping towards the docks. As they arrived to the main street of the town, the shadowy figures of the attackers could be seen at the other end of it. Dianna gazed at them for a moment, wondering who exactly were they. Whoever they are, they must be better than the Ironborn, Dianna convinced herself, and pulled out her dagger. She sprinted and caught up to Lysera, and pulled her away from Hargan Harlaw’s grasp. Hargan turned around, looking at Dianna with a confused and annoyed glare. “What the fuck are you doing?” He cussed angrily, trying to grasp Lysera back.
“My duty”, Dianna answered sternly, and thrusted her dagger to Hargan’s throat. His eyes widened in shock, and as Dianna pulled the dagger out, he collapsed to the dusty street. In the darkness the other Ironborn seemed to ignore them, rushing towards their ships. However, Dianna noticed that one of them had stopped, and stared at them in silence – and it was Bjorn.
Quickly Dianna turned to Lysera. “We must go”, she whispered, and Lysera nodded obediently. So they rushed to the nearest alleyway, running for their lives.
“Stop right there, murderer!” the voice of Bjorn roared behind them, and Dianna stopped to face him. Approaching them in the dark alley with his horned helmet on, Bjorn looked like a demon, or a beast coming for its prey. Dianna handed the dagger for Lysera, and drew her arakh. “Run”, she said to Lysera.
“But captain-“, Lysera attempted to argue, but was quickly cut off by Dianna. “Run, now!” she shouted, and this time Lysera obeyed. “Thank you, Dianna”, she muttered, before running away.
“You ungrateful bitch… you killed my brother!” Bjorn roared as he got closer, and Dianna couldn’t help but shiver in fear. The last time she had faced Bjorn in fight she had been filled with fury, and still she had been bested. Now it was Bjorn who was filled with fury, while Dianna was trembling in fear. “It had to be done”, she said nervously. “I had to do my duty.”
“Roryn was right about you all along, you were just waiting to stab me in the back, despite how well I treated you”, Bjorn spoke, deep anger in his voice. Dianna chuckled coldly, raising her arakh, knowing well she would die soon. “Rhoynar don’t make good prisoners, we want to be free. Perhaps that’s something for you to remember in the future”, she said sternly.
With an animalistic growl Bjorn leaped forward and swung his sword. Dianna managed to dodge it, and strike back with her arakh. However, Bjorn easily blocked her strike with his shield, and swung his sword again. This time he hit Dianna on her left leg, opening a painful wound above the knee. Dianna grimaced in pain and backed away, every step more painful than the last. Unable to escape or defend herself, there was nothing she could do when Bjorn raised his sword for a final killing blow.
“I’m sorry, Dianna”, he said coldly, before striking down his sword, slashing her open from collarbone to abdomen. Hardly even feeling the pain from the sheer shock, Dianna collapsed to the ground. As she bled out on the dark alley, her vision started to get blurry. Bjorn turned around in silence and walked away, leaving her to die. Drawing her last breaths, Dianna saw the sun rising above the building of the town. A small smile formed on her face, and in her heart she knew she could die contented, having saved Lysera. I did my duty.
No decision
Whoa... alright, I gotta comment on Tomas' part first, because of course the second one gave me stronger emotions by far. Gotta say, Tomas is veeery slowly growing on me. Still easily my least favourite PoV character at the moment, mostly because the rest happens to be mostly quite likeable (or, you know, at least get part of their charm from being a jerk, as seen with Jamison XD), but I enjoyed his blunt talk with Levor. Though I doubt I'll ever really like him, it is a notable improvement from his early days.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Mostly because the second option sounds like something a sycophant would say and it's not how I see Tomas, whereas the third... what is that even supposed to mean? There's a million ways one could interpret that one and some might not even be all that desirable. Take the show for example, there's Septon McShane and the High Septon, who couldn't be more different from each other and yet I am certain they both would have said that they stayed true to the gods. So, that could backfire. Honor and dignity, that cannot be argued about, good traits, good advice.
Now to the one part I never saw coming at all
Damn it, Dianna! After the deaths of Dalia and Myke, I thought we'd be safe from further PoV deaths in Book 1, but once more you managed to surprise me. Dianna was pretty much the last PoV still in danger (as I am pretty sure Kortney will manage to escape from Kingsgrave for good in her next part), but it never occured to me just how dire her situation truly is. In fact, it all seemed to have gone truly downhill only in this part, she was in a relatively comfortable situation in the first half of it. Well, what counts as a comfortable situation, but Bjorn and some of the others seemed to have genuinely accepted her. And I never expected things to go down that quickly. Come to think of it, there is a lot I wouldn't have expected in this chapter, I think the only two deaths I truly saw coming were Myke's and Wesley's. But Dianna? I actually would have bet on her survival and I don't even know why. I am truly shocked right here, never expected it, especially not at this point. I would have guessed that maybe Lysera would die and Dianna would be left to escape and later (read, Book 2), find a way to take vengeance on the Ironborn. But this... holy hell, I am shocked.
Bjorn was actually terrifying in the final paragraphs, but I have to wonder if we'll even see him and his men again. With Dianna dead and Lysera having escaped (plus the only Ironborn who could be interested in getting her back being dead as well) and their already stated plans to return to the Iron Islands in time, I am not sure if we'll see them again, maybe not in a long time at least, but who knows, maybe Bjorn decides to give Dorne another proper raiding at some point in the future. In any way, I don't even fully hate him even though he just killed a PoV I have grown to like quite a lot. It is understandable after all, Dianna killed his brother. I just realized, it would have been way smarter to just wound Hargan, leaving Bjorn to help his brother survive, which I am sure he would have done instead of chasing after them. That is the one big mistake she has made, giving Bjorn a legitimate reason to go after her with a vengeance.
Oh man, she'll be missed
At least Dianna died in a relatively content way, not unlike Myke actually, but her death still hits harder because of how entirely unexpected it was. I have to wonder, was this always her fate, or could there have been ways to prevent her death?
And suddenly, I am not so certain about the fact that we've seen the last PoV death for Book 1. Even if though, one thing is for certain, this chapter ended with way more blood than I would have thought.
Yeah, I imagined this would come as a bit of a surprise
Ideally there would've been a few more parts with Dianna and the Ironborn on Brimstone, with a bit more build up to this moment, but that is the bane of managing a story with so many PoVs - sometimes you have to wrap up some of them quicker than anticipated. And yeah, Dianna had won the trust of Bjorn and most of the other Ironborn by now, and she could've had a decent life on the Iron Islands. However, that would've had nothing to do with NW anymore, and I don't think Dianna would be one to willingly give up on her freedom anyway, nor leave someone she feels honor-bound to protect at the hands of the Ironborn.
Hm, I won't completely write off the possibility of bringing him back later for some other storyline, but for now Bjorn's part in the story is indeed over. That was always the plan, as I felt any reason to keep them in Dorne would feel a bit fabricated. I mean, they are an Ironborn crew, there to raid and plunder, there's just no reason for them to stay in Dorne. And yeah, wounding Hargan would've been smarter, but Dianna acted purely on her instinct here.
Well, escaping from the Ironborn crew back during the Battle of Lemonwood would've led to Dianna surviving, but she would've felt extremely guilty for leaving Lysera behind. Aside from that, I played with the idea of giving a choice here that would've basically been "save yourself or save Lysera". However, I eventually scratched that idea, because saving Lysera has been the sole reason why Dianna has stuck around with the Ironborn this long, so just abandoning that mission at the last moment would've felt a bit strange.
["Behave with honor and dignity"] House Toland won't be mere sycophants, but true men of the sun and spear, and rather than pretending, they should just behave as well as they can.
Shame for Dianna, but we all knew this was a possibility. But at least she allowed Lysera to escape. And for the record, things on the Iron Islands are going to get much worse in the subsequent decades.
Khazor won't be pleased to find out his ships have been sacked.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
RIP Dianna. I hade feeling that either this would happen, or that If she lived Lysera would have died. But in the end, It was definately in her character to try and take only opening she saw to get both her and Lysera out, and once she had seen that's not going to happen sacrifice herself for her people and like she said do her duty. And she did her duty, ultimately, even though I wanted her to live of course, I wouldn't have choosen for her to escape alone back in Lemonwood even If had known I'm signing her death warrant, because that's just not her. It's a very fitting end to what I think (maybe with some bias) to be most tragic storyline in the story so far considering Dianna had lost most of her people early on and she tried to save only one left, ultimately succeding but only at cost of her life.
On the sidenote, I wonder what army attacked Ironborn. Considering Lucifer and Nymeria are too busy fighting each other, I doubt they have reason to send troops there. My assumption is that they are leftovers from the Wild suns that are trying to get back to their ships, but I'm not sure.
Well, a couple more parts would have been always welcome, but I understand that a chapter must come to a close at some point and I believe not showing every single moment for every character is not a bad thing. In Dianna's case, I suppose it did give this part a certain feel, how quickly it all went down from being on quite friendly terms with Bjorn to being chased and eventually killed by him. It worked very well, as tragic as the outcome is and as much as I would have liked additional parts, so from a technical standpoint, you surely made the right choice between details and the narrative pacing.
I feel if Dianna would have survived, there would have been good room for them still. She is pretty much the only major character with any sort of connection to Bjorn, not counting the very superficial ties with Verro. If she would have been around, maybe showing them later when Bjorn decides that Dorne was a nice raid and returns, that could have been a possibility that wouldn't have felt fabricated at all. Now however, I am not so sure if their return would contribute anything to the story. I suppose if you want to bring them back, there's nothing speaking against it, but this part of the storyline feels truly over, with Lysera, the only character left in Dorne who has a connection to it being more of a supporting character. Dianna freed Lysera and killed Hargan, Bjorn killed her in revenge and leaves Dorne, that is a very dark, tragic ending, but an ending nonetheless. Don't get me wrong though, part of me would love to see Bjorn pay for killing Dianna, as much as I can even understand his motive here.
Hmmm, I am not sure what I would have chosen then. I kind of agree with TheAPlegends, just leaving Lysera wouldn't have felt like her and neither am I so certain that I would have chosen for her to escape. Actually, I am no longer sure what I chose, but if I would have known the consequences, I am not certain. I really liked her, wanted her to survive, but at the same time, she is not primarily a survivor, she is a soldier and protector and that's what she did in the end, she protected Lysera even if it claimed her own life.
That being said, on the topic of Lysera, I am not even certain if she is all that safe. The people who arrived here are probably Lucifer's men retreating from the battle, or maybe Khazor as Edinosaur brought up. Those seem like the two strongest possibilities and while both are better than the Ironborn, neither are allies of Nymeria and I really have to wonder if Lysera is truly safe already. No matter what though, bringing her through this has become a strong goal of mine now. It's a situation not unlike Gwendis', where I feel like the death of a character so very close only to her, Dianna in Lysera's case, Trentan in Gwen's, has given her a duty to survive, to make the most out of her life in order to honour a memory only she can honour. As such, I have no doubt we will see Lysera again and in order to give Dianna's death and final act some meaning, I will try my best to make sure that she survives no matter whom she runs into next, be it Dryland men, sellswords or, by some well-deserved luck at last, the Martell vanguard.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
For Tomas' part, like the others have said, this seems to be good sound advice that will only help them in Sandship if they choose to listen to it.
Ah no Dianna! It looks like we have lost another PoV and while I had hoped she would make it out of this, it clearly wasn't meant to be. Like the others have said, it is awesome that she accomplished her goal even if she paid with her life. With all that's going on though, Lysera isn't completely out of the woods yet but I would definitely like to see her escape and maybe even make it back to Nymeria somehow. That is probably a long shot but that doesn't stop me from hoping for it
Anyway, great parts!
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Like the others said, this makes the most sense.
Also, that was a very unexpected and sad end for Dianna, but it did fit her character.
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
I love Bjorn ! Not that i'm happy he killed her or anything , but just that he's so great , everytime he had a line , i always imagined him talking with a deep voice like the one of robert baratheon .
["Behave with honor and dignity"]
Voting is closed!
Tomas will advice his nephews to behave with honor and dignity in Sandship. A solid advice, and the Toland boys will surely keep it in mind. This was Tomas' last part in Book 1, and obviously the same goes for Dianna. It is sad she had to die here, but Lysera lives on and will continue to be part of the greater story.
As for what's next, I am working on Kortney and Naemon PoVs currently. Some progress has already been made, and I really hope I'll get them both done either today or tomorrow. A little recap: Kortney escaped from Kingsgrave in the last Myke part, where he, Joran Storm and Steffon Toyne sacrificed themselves against Larry the Kind to give Kortney, Prestan and Raina enough time to escape. As for Naemon, he returned to Blackmont after successfully defeating Karsan's band of rebels and hearing the news about the lost battle at Kingsgrave. He took part in a meeting with Ser Kegan and the rest of the council, where they asked him to speak to Benedict and try to make him reconsider continuing the alliance with King Garrison. Later that day Benedict came to see Naemon, and invited him to see his dark chambers, or laboratory as he called it. Naemon agreed, and that's where we'll continue.
Kortney
Kortney sat silently at the corner table of the tavern, Raina sitting opposed to her. They had made it safely out of the Manwoody lands, and were now within the borders of the Kingdom of Strom. After leaving Myke, Joran and Steffon behind they had rode for two days with little to no rest, until they arrived to this small tavern by the Wide Way. Three days had passed since then, with no signs of Myke and the rest. This morning Prestan and the rest of the soldiers had decided to ride some miles south to see if they could be found.
It was a strange feeling, to be free once again, not having to be in constant fear. However, Kortney couldn’t find much enjoyment or happiness in it now, being so concerned for Myke. He had saved her, which was something she hadn’t even dared to hope ever since Norano had died trying to do it.
“How are you feeling?” Raina suddenly asked, and Kortney raised her gaze to meet the skinny girl’s blue eyes. She had risked her life to save her as well, even if they were perfect strangers. “I’m fine”, Kortney lied through her teeth, gulping subtly. “I just hope Myke would come already”, she added, to which Raina nodded.
“Do you miss your home?” She asked gently. In truth Kortney wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Yes, of course she missed the home she used to have, all the good memories of her childhood, the loving family. However, she wasn’t sure if that was what she would find from Nightsong now, after all this time. “I do”, she finally said, though her voice clearly revealed her uncertainty.
“It must be hard, going back to your old life after all that’s happened”, Raina said with a sympathetic tone. “However, you should be thankful for it nonetheless. My home was destroyed and my family slaughtered by a rival lord, and not a day goes by without me wishing that I could have back what I lost. You have been given that opportunity, so make it count.” The girl’s tone was earnest and supportive, and Kortney gave her a firm nod. “I will”, she promised weakly, to which Raina smiled softly.
“What made you follow Myke in the first place?” Kortney asked with an intrigued tone after a brief moment of silence. Raina turned her gaze down, taking in a deep breath. “I… I suppose I’ve been looking for my place in the world for a while, purpose, belonging. I guess I just saw the old man as someone worth following.”
“Good choice”, Kortney commented with a subtle smirk. “Myke is a hero, and a damn good man.”
“Yes, I’ve come to see that”, Raina replied calmly, and for a moment they both smiled. Just then, the door of the tavern was pushed open, and in walked Prestan and the rest of the Caron soldiers. They all had stern looks on their faces, and Prestan approached the corner table.
“You didn’t find them”, Kortney said, and it was more a statement than question. Prestan nodded grimly, letting out a deep sigh. “Kortney, I think it’s time we move on”, he said with a gulp, trying to keep his voice strong and emotionless, but Kortney could hear the underlying grief in his brother’s words.
“You think they are dead”, Kortney stated with a hollow tone, and Prestan nodded. “Either that, or they’ve been captured”, he said quietly. “And quite frankly, I don’t know which is worse.”
“I do”, Kortney said with a depressed tone, turning her gaze down as all the horrible memories from Kingsgrave flashed through her mind. She hoped Myke wouldn’t have to go through that, even if the alternative was death. Part of her felt like crying, but the tears didn’t come to her eyes. Perhaps her experiences in Kingsgrave had made her numb for the pain of loss, but all she could feel in this moment was echoing emptiness and bitter anger.
“Mylord, I suggest we continue our travel towards Nightsong before sundown”, one of the soldiers suggested, and Prestan gave him a nod. “I’ll wait outside”, he said to Kortney, before walking out.
-
The sun was already setting when they arrived to the Nightsong. The ancient home of the Caron’s stood atop the hill, strong and proud as always, looking exactly as it had when Kortney last saw it, what now felt like ages ago. Entering the quiet courtyard, Kortney noticed the few guards that were out there eyeing her and whispering to each other, but she decided to just turn her eyes away and ignore them.
“Come, father must be waiting for us”, Prestan said softly after they had given the horses for the stableboys, and Kortney gave him a wordless nod.
Quietly Prestan, Kortney and Raina they made their way through the keep to the lord’s chambers. Prestan knocked the door lightly, before opening it and stepping in, Kortney and Raina coming right at his coattails. Trevas Caron sat behind his desk with a serious expression on his sturdy face. He looked older than Kortney remembered, but then again, she knew she had changed a lot herself since they last saw each other.
As Trevas turned his eyes to Kortney, his eyes widened. “Can it truly be”, he muttered weakly, looking like he didn’t know whether to smile or break into tears. Slowly he stood up from his chair, his eyes scanning Kortney from head to toe. “Is it truly you, my sweet daughter?” He asked with a shaky voice, and Kortney nodded timidly. Trevas let out a chuckle full of disbelief, before rushing to embrace his daughter in a hug.
His father’s arms wrapped around her, Kortney felt tears welling in her eyes. It had been so long since she had felt so safe, so happy. “I’m sorry”, she sobbed as they separated, and Trevas looked her in the eyes. “Don’t be”, he said empathically. “I feared I would never see you again, but by the gods, there you are.”
“Myke and Joran saved her from Kingsgrave”, Prestan said calmly, and then nodded towards Raina. “With the aid of Raina Serviene.”
“I am forever thankful to you, mylady”, Trevas said to Raina grabbing her hand for a shake, and Raina bowed to him. “I am honored, my lord”, she responded humbly.
“And where are Myke and Joran?” Trevas asked now, turning towards Prestan again, who let out a small sigh. “We were attacked during our escape from the Manwoody lands”, he started tensely, glancing at Kortney as he spoke. “Myke, Joran and Steffon stayed behind to buy us time to escape… I am afraid they are most likely dead.”
Trevas’ smiled faded, replaced by an expression of grief. “They were good men, loyal men”, he said after a moment of silence. “I will honor their memory for the rest of my life, for saving my daughter.” As he said this, Trevas turned towards Kortney again. “Kortney… you don’t have to tell the details, but what happened after you left? Where have you been all this time?”
“I was captured by Manwoody soldiers, and they took me to Kingsgrave”, Kortney began, gulping as the horrible memories flashed through her mind. “They recognized that I was a noble, but if anything it made them treat me worse, and King Albin didn’t do anything to stop them. In fact, he took pleasure in watching me being tortured.”
“That cursed madman”, Trevas hissed, anger oozing from his words. “Sorry, go on”, he quickly added with an apologetic tone.
“And then… Norano tried to save me”, Kortney said, closing her eyes for a couple seconds and taking in a deep breath, holding back the tears. “He failed, and they brutally murdered him in front of me. After that, they kept torturing me, playing mind games with me, until my mind was broken enough that I could convince myself that I was one of them. I spent all my time with them, drank with them, slept with them… tortured with them. And all this time the King used me as his mistress, pouring out his heart to me, demanding me to love him. Towards the end I began to resent them again, the King and his freaks, and I wanted to be free again. And then Myke came and saved me.” At the end Kortney couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, and her father closed her into another hug.
As they separated, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her into the eyes with an intense gaze. “King Albin and his cronies will not go unpunished for what they did to you, and for Myke and Joran”, he said sternly. “I will gather a great army and march it into this mad king’s lands, I will make his kingdom bleed. And perhaps in the end, I will present his head to you, my sweet daughter.”
“I would like that, father”, Kortney responded with a soft tone, before hugging her father once more. We will have our revenge.
No decision.
-
Naemon
As the sun set outside, Naemon followed silently after his father through the wide corridors of Blackmont. They walked past the King’s personal chambers and arrived to a simple wooden door at the very end of the corridor. Benedict glanced at Naemon with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, before reaching for the key in his pocket and turning to open the door.
Inside was a spacey and windowless room with four wooden pillars. Its floor was dark and smooth stone, whereas the walls were coarse and grey. Benedict lit the torches of the dark chamber one by one, illuminating the room. There was a lot to see there, but what caught Naemon’s eyes first was the large desk at the corner of the room, with dozens of vials and pots on it, some empty and others filled with liquids in different colors. Next to it was a massive bookcase, filled with old books and scrolls of parchment. Right in the middle of the room was a round table, crafted from dark wood. A map of the known world was laying on top of it, and several locations in it had been marked with a cross.
Turning to look the other way, Naemon saw several shelves filled with all kinds of curious objects, as well as a large stone altar by the very end of the room. Glancing around the shelves he spotted jars filled with some kind of dust or ash, what looked to be the horn of a unicorn, a lacquered mask with strange golden markings, a stone tablet filled with ancient runes, a black statuette of a sphynx, a ceremonial dagger with dark slim blade and golden hilt, and much more.
Finally, Naemon reached the altar at the end of the room and noticed something standing on it. It was like a candle, but made of dark glass, with sharp and jagged edges on it. Obsidian, Naemon realized as he looked at it closer.
“It is a glass candle”, Benedict stated calmly, letting out a small sigh. “Noctis brought it with him when he first arrived.”
“And what does it do?” Naemon asked strictly, giving his father a stern glare. Benedict smirked subtly, grabbing the glass candle gently with his left hand. “When it burns, it can make you see beyond mountains and seas to the far reaches of the world, or inside the dreams of other men. Sorcerers of the Freehold use them to communicate with each other when they are thousands of miles apart.”
“When does it burn?” Naemon asked with a subtle gulp, and Benedict put it back on the altar with a small sigh. “Noctis knows how to make it burn, but he does so rarely, in fear of attracting the interest of more powerful and more dangerous sorcerers of the east. I have used it myself only once, many years ago, to get a glimpse of Valyria and its legendary dragons”, Benedict explained, a wistful tone on his voice and a dreamy look in his eyes.
For a moment they both remained silent, until Naemon shook his head subtly and took a step away from the altar. “Why?” he asked bluntly, glancing around the room. “Why all this?”
Benedict took a moment to answer, a hesitant look in his eyes. “My ancestors used this room for torturing their prisoners”, he suddenly started, walking past Naemon and approaching one of the shelves. “My father ended that tradition, and instead started collecting relics and other such items here”, as he said this, Benedict took the stone tablet from the shelf and laid it on the round table. “Most of those items are no longer here, as they were worthless junk. However, this stone tablet was something more. You see, I didn’t know what these runes said, but I recognized some of them to be the very same as the ones that are engraved into my crown. So, this intriguing mystery was what brought the first so-called sorcerer here, since Maester Mortin couldn’t help me solve it. However, he happened to know a man from Oldtown who had knowledge about these kind of things, a man named Draqyno.”
“And this Draqyno solved the mystery?” Naemon asked dryly, eyeing the runes that meant nothing to him. “He did”, Benedict responded calmly. “He studied the tablet and told me it was a story about an ancient Blackmont king who used magic to become more powerful and defeat his enemies. This sparked my interest, to say the least.” As he said this Benedict turned away from the table again, eyeing the shelves and the alchemy desk at the corner. “In other words, my motivation was power. Over the next years more and more sorcerers received my invitation, and arrived to offer me their knowledge, and in return I offered them a pleasant and safe place to live. Some were mere tricksters, while others wanted to indoctrinate me to worship their gods. Nonetheless, I listened to all of them, and took to heart whatever could be used to grow my power. However, my perspective changed after your mother died. I came to realize the vanity of my earlier goals, and instead of power I begun to search for meaning and purpose.”
“And have you found the answers you looked for?” Naemon asked cynically. He couldn’t help but feel jealous and bitter that this was what had kept Benedict away from being a real father to him. The King remained silent for a moment, gazing at the stone altar with an empty look in his eyes. “On my bad days I fear there are no answers”, he finally said quietly, and Naemon could hear the deep-seated terror and vulnerability in his words.
“And on your good days?” He asked calmly, to which Benedict chuckled coldly. “I haven’t had many good days lately”, he answered grimly, turning his gaze down. Silence lingered in the room for a moment, until Naemon spoke up again. “Did you ever consider that perhaps the purpose you were seeking was under your nose the whole time?” he asked, his tone more disappointed than angry. “You had two children who had lost their mother and needed their father more than ever. Instead of helping us, being there for us, you locked yourself away here, chasing gods know what delusions.”
Benedict looked genuinely hurt by Naemon’s words, but gave him a small nod nonetheless. “Perhaps you are right”, he muttered weakly. “However, it’s too late now.”
“Aye”, Naemon muttered coldly, starting to walk towards the door. However, he stopped right before it, turning to look at Benedict again. “By the way, Ser Kegan wanted me to talk to you about the war, about how we proceed”, he said with a bored tone.
“Let me guess, he wants me to continue our alliance with the Fowler’s?” he asked dryly, and Naemon nodded. Benedict took in a deep breath, a hint of frustration in his eyes. “I sent my men to war because the Manwoody’s raided our lands and threatened us. I am prepared to defend my kingdom to the last if they attempt to invade, but I will not send our troops to fight King Garrison’s wars for him, especially against Yorick Yronwood. Whatever else that man is, he is also powerful, and not to be underestimated.”
“Fine, I’ll inform Kegan”, Naemon said with a small sigh, but Benedict shook his head now. “No, leave it to me”, he insisted decisively. “Kegan has served us loyally for long, he deserves to hear my reasoning personally.”
“Understood”, Naemon responded with a small nod, now grabbing the knob of the door. “And… good night”, he added awkwardly, and his father flashed him a subtle smile and nodded, before he walked out.
-
A couple days later Malcolm, Alester and the Upton troops arrived from Gravesend. They had left Brennin Kell in charge of the town, as well as chosen half a dozen voluntaries from the Upton troops to recruit and train a new city guard for Gravesend.
The very same morning a raven arrived from Starfall, informing that Prince Jamison was to marry Princess Isabella Fowler. “That is quite surprising”, Malcolm commented as Naemon told him about this. “I mean, I knew they had a thing for each other, but I never expected King Garrison to agree to it.”
“I’m happy for them”, Davos commented with a friendly tone, to which Alester chuckled. “Aye, I’m sure Jamison is happy as well”, he said with a devilish smirk under his bushy beard. “He’s been drooling over that girl for years, despite having a thousand other options to choose from.”
“The invitation also mentioned a tourney”, Naemon revealed calmly. “As you’d expect from Jamison”, Malcolm commented with a subtle smirk. “I won’t take part though, it’s not like I could challenge him anyway.”
“What about you, Vulture Knight?” Alester asked with a playful tone, a wide grin on his face as he looked at Naemon. “As tempting as it sounds, I think my duties will keep me here”, he answered calmly. “However, give my regards to Prince Jamison, and to King Vorian.” As he said this, Naemon noticed disappointment taking over Davos’ expression. No doubt the boy had wished to take part in the tourney and the festivities around it, but as a squire his post would be by Naemon's side. Naemon hated to disappoint Davos like this, and even considered giving him a permission to go. However, perhaps this could be a valuable lesson in duty for him.
[Give Davos permission to go] [Stay silent]
[Give Davos permission to go] The revelation of Benedict's laboratory is certainly interesting, and all those objects probably have an interesting story behind them. Davos should go, he has no reason to stop him other than to keep his company.
I wonder who is going to be the new POV for the Kingsgrave storyline, and the alliance between Albin and Yorick.
Well it looks like Kortney was able to make it home! Kortney's homecoming was definitely an emotional one and I'm glad to see that it worked out for her. It also all but confirms that Lord Caron plans on waging war against Albin which should be very interesting and since he mentioned gathering a great army, I am definitely curious to see if that means other Marcher houses will get involved or maybe even some aid from the Durrandon's? Even if it's just the Caron's, Albin will definitely be in some serious trouble I feel especially since I am guessing Yorick will probably quit supporting Albin once he hears of what happened with Kortney and if that happens, Albin is in very big trouble no doubt. If any king has a chance of dying, Albin Manwoody is probably at the top of the list but with all of this said, I am guessing this is Kortney's last part in this book so it is untelling where her book 2 storyline will take her and I'm excited to see it!
[Give Davos permission to go]
From the beginning, Davos has done an excellent job as Naemon's squire with him really being about all that Naemon could ask for out of a squire. He's well behaved and always listens to Naemon so I feel Davos already knows about his duty and with this wedding consisting of his own family, I definitely feel like this wedding along with the tourney is something that Davos shouldn't miss out on.
Also, the big reveal about what Benedict has been up to all these years was pretty intriguing and I am very excited to see hear more, great parts!
[Give Davos permission to go] No reason to make Davos miss out on the wedding and tourney, besides, he's been doing a good job as a squire and this would be the perfect reward.
[Give Davos permission to go]
Everybody made some good points, in letting him go.
[Give Davos permission to go] I don't really see reason to deny him this. I mean, a lesson in duty is all nice and stuff, but does it really have to be now? We're talking about Jamison's wedding here, even if we don't take into account that this is Davos' close family, that sounds like the stuff we should make an exception for that.
And ah, these latest parts were all pretty heavy on the feels. We had the R'hllor-GO fight, followed by Dianna's death and then these two PoV's here which gave me wholly different feels. First of all, I am so glad Kortney managed to get out of Kingsgrave safely. She was probably the last PoV in a truly critical situation in Book 1, with Larry's riders pursuing her, but I am glad she got away so safely, even if it came at the cost of Myke. But ah, the Caron family reunion was beautiful! Actually worth sacrificing Myke for, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. One thing I am really curious about though is Kortney's role in Book 2. I cannot possibly imagine you will have her at Nightsong for the entire book, but neither can I see her going with the Caron army to fight against Albin. At best, this actually means another PoV to go through all the hard stuff, while she remains safe and sound with her family. But I believe her story is not yet over, so with three books still to come, this could mean that there will be more hardships to overcome for her. One way or the other, she has been gone for such a long time. Now the healing begins and that won't be easy, given how far gone she has been. I guess it will be particularly hard once she realizes how deeply she has been into all this, once it fully sinks in what she herself had to do to survive.
Then we had Naemon's part and I must admit, I was not sure what to expect. I half expected Benedict to reveal himself to be more than just a bit nuts, attempting to, I don't know, resurrecting Valaena or some other madness, but I should finally give him the credit he deserves. He is a terrible father, but not insane. Compliments, eh? But this just made me more eager to reach a Blackmont family reunion, even if I believe it won't happen before Book 2, means Benny and Naemon will have to live without Gwen for at least another two years and they somehow have to try not to tear each other apart during this. It will be bad for them, but I believe it might be for Gwen's best if she stays with Desi for a while if this is an option, to prevent someone like Valerie from ever controlling her again. However, this part made me think that Benedict and Naemon will manage to get through this time without the one person they both actually like to keep them together. It was interesting what Benedict showed him here. I mean, I absolutely doubt it was worth neglecting his family over so terribly and nearly ruining it (or actually ruining it from the perspective of Naemon and Benedict), but I wonder what sort of power he can get here. That glass candle, couldn't it technically be used to locate Gwen and realize that she is, in fact, alive and well? At the same time, given that even Noctis is reluctant to do this, maybe it would be at best a last resort for Benedict, as we all know, there are enough evil sorcerers involved with the Blackmont family already. It is likely the only glass candle in Westeros outside the Citadel and likely the only one that ever burns (as I doubt the Maesters know how to use them or care much for it), means it might work like a signal flare for everyone paying attention and that doesn't have to be a good thing. But still, it intrigues me that this could be an option and who knows what Benedict will do to find his daughter once he realizes that Lyla isn't coming back. I must admit though, with Benedict's understandable refusal to help Garrison out any further, this marks the first time I am glad we chose to go with Aisha back in Chapter 2. I am also glad Isabella has gotten out of Skyreach in time, because if the Manwoody army attacks, absolutely none of the Fowlers will be safe, especially if Benny realizes that he has been tricked into fighting this war to begin with. Just imagine how much more messed up this situation would be if Gwen would be a Fowler by now, she'd be married into a family that should, by all means, be an enemy of her own family. At worst, this even opens the door for a Blackmont-Yronwood alliance, should the truth ever come out, as they bond over common enemies.
Maybe Kortney will meet and interact with Verro and Nesila, in book 2; since they are headed towards Nightsong anyways. I wonder if Kortney knew that Norano had a sister. This might lead to some interesting development between the two, if they end up interacting during the next book.
Indeed, Kortney is back in home, safe and sound
And it is likely that Lord Trevas will ask aid from the neighboring lords, and though they probably won't commit as much troops there will certainly be plenty willing to wage war with the Dornish. The Storm King himself probably won't get involved with such a personal conflict though. We'll see at the beginning of Book 2 how the situation has evolved.
Indeed, there has been some very emotional moments in the latest parts, fittingly so for the end of the book. And yeah, Kortney's story is not necessarily over, but she won't be in the thick of the action for a while now, having reached home. Nonetheless, a painful healing process is ahead for her, and some scars will remain, both physical and emotional.
Yeah, Benedict's business in his dark chambers isn't quite as crazy as it seems from the outside. More than anything, it has just been his way to deal with the loss of Valaena. But like you say, it wasn't at all good for his family, and he realizes that himself as well. As for the glass candle, yeah, technically it could be used to locate Gwen, but it probably wouldn't be as easy as making it burn and taking a look. Instead, it would take a lot of effort, meaning the candle would have to burn for a long time, and like you said it would be like a signal flare to the sorcerers of east, whether the glass candles of the Citadel still burn or not. And well, while you are right that the Fowler's are in quite a troubling situation without Benedict's support, we also just learned that Manwoody's themselves will have trouble with the Caron's, which should balance out the situation a bit
[Give Davos permission to go]
Voting is closed!
And Naemon will give Davos permission to go to Jamison's wedding.
Next up we'll have an Ortheg part, as well as our minor PoV from Hellgate Hall, Ulwyck Tiddle. Ulwyck's part is basically ready, whereas Ortheg's is about 50%. I might be able to post them today, but if not then tomorrow.
Hello again! I'm so sorry for taking longer than I said I would, the end of the week turned out busier than expected
Nonetheless, here are the new parts, I hope you like 'em:
Ortheg
Ortheg took in a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Tanya, who kept her training sword in a defensive stance. Then he rushed forward, striking first downward from right. Tanya deflected it, but Ortheg struck again quickly, this time with a thrust, and Tanya had to back away to dodge it. Seeing the opening, Ortheg tried to swing hard from above, but Tanya managed to parry his strike, and riposted with a quick slam on Ortheg’s ribs.
“Ah, shit”, Ortheg cursed at the pain, and Tanya let out an amused chuckle. “Not bad, you’re definitely getting better”, she complimented. “However, your strikes are still quite predictable. If your enemy knows what you’ll do next, that gives them an opportunity to plan one move ahead.”
“And how do I make them… not know?” Ortheg asked with a frustrated tone, to which Tanya smirked. “Simple, you surprise them”, she answered like it was the simplest thing in the world. “For example, if you feel like a strike for the head is the obvious choice, take the effort to aim to the legs instead. Not only will you catch your enemy off guard, but if the blow lands you might also significantly slow them down.”
“But you always say to look for openings in the enemy’s defense”, Ortheg said with a frown. “So, if I see an obvious opening in the enemy’s defense, should I go out of my way not to use the opportunity?”
“Of course not”, Tanya answered sharply. “However, be careful with what you consider as an opening. Sometimes it can be merely a trick by the enemy, to lure you into doing what they want you to do. Don’t worry about it too much though, you’ll develop an eye for that sort of thing once you have more experience.”
“Solid advice”, a calm male voice behind them said, and they both shifted their eyes to see Willem Pyke approaching. He was still in bandages from his earlier fight against Carsen, but seemed to be in a fairly good condition already. He didn’t look aggressive, but there was an unsettling darkness in his eyes, which made Ortheg tense up. “You fight pretty well for a woman”, he complimented Tanya, who raised an eyebrow for this.
“I’ve been trained from a young age”, she responded sternly, to which the Ironborn bastard nodded. “It shows”, he said with a friendly tone, a subtle smirk on his face. “And this is your brother?” He asked, looking at Ortheg.
“Half-brother”, Ortheg clarified himself, and Willem nodded to him. “So, the King’s bastard?” he asked, and Ortheg quickly shook his head. “The bastard son of the King’s late brother, Prince Andrey”, he answered.
“Was there something you wanted to talk about, ironborn?” Tanya asked sharply. Willem shook his head, but took a step closer to them nonetheless. “Just figured I should get to know the people I’m going to serve”, he said with a relaxed tone.
“In that case you should probably talk to King Yorick”, Tanya replied dryly, to which the ironborn chuckled softly. “I know enough about him already”, he claimed smoothly. “You on the other hand, I find you quite interesting.” Just as he said this, it suddenly started raining. It was just a light drizzle, but nonetheless unusual for the season.
“Huh, I was starting to wonder if it ever rains down here”, Willem said, gazing at the grey clouds above them. “Can’t say I really missed it though.”
“Summer rains in Dorne are extremely rare”, Tanya remarked with a curious tone, feeling the rain with her hands. As the rain started to slowly get heavier, the three of them made their way under the shelter of the smithy. From there they watched as the guardsmen and servants of the castle hurried to carry the sacks of grain and fruits out of the rain. Willem smirked at the sight. “These people should spend some time on the Iron Isles, perhaps they wouldn’t piss themselves at the sight of rain after that”, he jabbed.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve been through some terrifying rains in your time”, Tanya commented dryly, to which Willem chuckled softly. “You’d be surprised, mylady”, he replied calmly. “Only a man who has sailed the sea knows the true meaning of storm.”
“And do you miss it, sailing the sea?” Tanya asked with a mildly interested tone, and Willem shook his head. “Truth be told, I never much enjoyed it”, he said with a small sigh, turning his gaze down. “I’ve had a fear of drowning since I was a kid.”
“I’d say that’s a pretty rational fear”, Tanya said, to which Willem shrugged lazily. “Perhaps, but not very practical for an ironborn”, he replied. Just then, they noticed someone approaching them through the courtyard. It was Lena Wells, she was skipping through the rain, Emerson Allyrion and Yoren Jordayne coming close behind her.
“Tanya!” Lena yelled with a grin on her face as she rushed under the shelter. “What in seven hells is going on here?” She asked with a humorous tone, looking at the rain and shaking the water from her hair.
“I believe it is this thing called rain”, Willem stated with a snarky voice, and Lena sent him a cold glare. “I wasn’t talking to you, ironborn”, she hissed, while Emerson and Yoren also arrived under the shelter. “I’m just saying that it’s pretty weird, especially with how dry the summer has been so far.”
“You think it means something?” Ortheg asked with an intrigued tone, and for some reason he remembered the words of the oracle. Your road will be paved with bones and blood. “Like a sign from the gods or something”, he suggested, which made both Willem and Yoren chuckle.
“I wouldn’t go that far”, Lena replied with a smirk, and Ortheg nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, just an idea”, he mumbled.
“Perhaps you are not wrong”, Emerson spoke up with a serious tone. “After all, we all know that war is ahead. Perhaps the gods are weeping for us.”
“Your war against your sister isn’t really the rest of our concern though, is it?” Lena responded sharply, and Emerson narrowed his eyes. “Maybe not, but that is only a small part of the greater war that’s coming. Princess Nymeria has grown strong, and it is only a question of time before she will clash against King Yorick.”
“You truly think this Nymeria is powerful enough to challenge Yorick?” Willem asked with an intrigued tone, and Emerson nodded. “She has already conquered Central Dorne, and Lucifer won’t be able to hold her back for long. It will be our job to crush her.”
“And that we shall do”, Yoren said confidently. “For the bloodroyal!” he added firmly.
“For the bloodroyal”, Emerson repeated the words calmly, as did Willem Pyke. Lena and Tanya however remained silent, and Ortheg wondered how he should react.
[Repeat the words] [Remain silent]
-
The Loyal Soldier
Ulwyck sat in his sister’s chambers, watching her eat breakfast. Queen Gwyneth Dryland, he thought with some disbelief. A queen she was, though she hadn’t spent a single night with King Lucifer since their wedding night. By and large Lucifer had left Gwyneth to her own devices, bothering her only when they needed to be seen together in formal occasions. It was a kindness Ulwyck hadn’t expected from the King, and neither had Gwyneth herself.
News of Vaith surrendering to Princess Nymeria had arrived three days ago, shortly after Lewyn had left with the Qorgyle girl. Lucky bastard, Ulwyck thought grimly, knowing that in about a week the Martell’s would lay siege on Hellgate Hall. Bedwyck had tried to advice Lucifer to seek refuge from the Yronwoods or the Daynes, but the king had quickly rejected such ideas. Instead he had summoned Desmond Uller to Hellgate Hall, commanding him to muster as many troops as he could.
“You don’t have to guard me all the time, you know”, Gwyneth suddenly spoke up, and Ulwyck shifted his gaze to her. “That’s what the king assigned me to do”, he argued sternly, and his sister let out a small sigh.
“I know, but what exactly do you think could happen to me during a simple breakfast?” she asked with a slightly frustrated tone. Ulwyck crossed his arms and spoke up with a serious tone. “There could well be agents of House Martell within these walls, and if you carry the King’s child…”
“I don’t”, Gwyneth cut him off, and Ulwyck frowned. “And how can you be sure?” he asked strictly, to which his sister rolled her eyes. “During our wedding night, he didn’t… lay his seed inside me”, she explained with an awkward tone. “He passed out before he could get to it, and he hasn’t touched me since.”
“Well, be that as it may, people are still going to assume that you are with his child”, Ulwyck argued, his tone a bit more relaxed now. “And besides, is my company truly so unpleasant to you, sister?”
“Of course not, but no one wants to be around their brother the whole day”, Gwyneth responded sharply. “Or would you like Lewyn following you around all day?” she asked, and Ulwyck couldn’t help but smirk at the remark. “Good point”, he admitted with a small chuckle. However, just as he stood up the door was knocked.
“I’ll take it”, Ulwyck said and walked to the door. Opening it he saw Ser Blackheart, King Lucifer’s most trusted knight. “King Lucifer requires the Queen’s presence at the courtyard”, he stated with a stern and dutiful tone. “Desmond Uller has arrived”, he added as he saw Ulwyck’s questioning look.
“Alright, we’ll come in a minute, ser”, Ulwyck promised with a polite tone, nodding to Ser Blackheart and closing the door. As Ulwyck approached Gwyneth, he saw a concerned look in her eyes. “What is it?” he asked quietly, and she turned her gaze down with a gulp.
“You know I was supposed to marry Desmond before this arrangement with Lucifer came to be”, she said nervously, and Ulwyck nodded. “Aye, what of it?” he asked nonchalantly.
“Desmond is not one to take such an insult to his honor lightly”, Gwyneth said quietly. “I’m afraid he may be angered with the King… and with me.”
“He knows you had no say in this arrangement”, Ulwyck argued, tapping his sister lightly on the shoulder. “Besides, would Desmond really put his pride above the future of his kingdom?”
“I don’t know”, Gwyneth mumbled quietly. After a brief moment of silence Ulwyck decided to help his sister up from her seat. “Come, let’s not keep the King waiting”, he said calmly, and she nodded quietly. So they made their way out of Gwyneth’s chambers, and met with King Lucifer in the hallway by the doors of the main keep. The King was surrounded by five guards, led by Ser Blackheart in his dark heavy armor.
“My love”, Lucifer greeted Gwyneth with a hollow tone, offering his hand for her. “Your Grace”, she responded humbly, before gently grabbing his hand. Hand in hand the royal couple walked out to the courtyard, with Ulwyck, Blackheart and the rest of the guards following closely behind. Desmond Uller was already waiting for them, and his grandfather Lord Harrion Uller was there as well. There was also another man with them, someone Ulwyck didn’t recognize. He was tall and slender, pale and bald, and dressed in fine dark silks. Looks like a foreigner, Ulwyck deduced, but didn’t pay any more mind to it. Behind them stood dozens of soldiers dressed in the colors of House Uller. “You came sooner than I expected, Desmond Uller”, Lucifer said calmly.
Desmond took a couple steps closer to Lucifer, stopping about a dozen feet before him. He was a tall and muscular man, having the build of a true warrior. Many said he looked exactly like his father Harbert had looked twenty years ago, and while Ulwyck couldn’t attest to that, he had to admit that Desmond most certainly was a handsome man. His dark hair fell freely on his shoulders, and in his green eyes was a cold and stern glare. Ulwyck wasn’t surprised to see Desmond angered, certainly he had reason for it. However, he was surprised when instead of approaching to greet his king, Desmond drew his sword, and pointed it at Lucifer. Immediately Lucifer’s guards unsheathed their weapons and stepped between Desmond and the king, as did Ulwyck. However, the Uller soldiers also drew their swords and began to approach the king and his guards. Ulwyck glanced around the courtyard, but none of the Dryland soldiers there rushed to aid their king.
“Lay down your sword and end this madness now, and I will forgive you this transgression”, Lucifer spoke sternly, having now let go of Gwyneth’s hand. A cold smirk formed on Desmond’s face, and he shook his head. “Your time as king has come to its end, Lucifer”, he said with a mocking tone. “Look around you, no one is willing to defend you. Six loyal soldiers, is that all you have left? Even I didn’t expect this to be that easy.”
“So, you seek to usurp my throne, then?” Lucifer asked, and Ulwyck could spot a hint of panic in his words. However, Desmond shook his head. “I seek to cast you down from it, yes, but I will not take your throne. House Uller shall bend the knee to Princess Nymeria, and rule these lands under her protection and authority.”
“Traitor”, Lucifer hissed, clenching his fists and shaking of anger. “Traitor!” he repeated louder, but Desmond merely chuckled at his anger. The bald man now also stepped next to Desmond, eyeing Lucifer with a soft smirk on his face. “Pleasure to meet you, King Lucifer. I am Forovos Norvoshi, representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos and a backer of Princess Nymeria’s cause”, the man introduced himself with a polite and friendly tone, which was quite out of place in this tense situation. “I would like to ask you and your guards to stand down without a fight, so unnecessary casualties may be avoided.”
“Never!” Lucifer barked, backing away now. “Ser Blackheart, kill the traitors!” he commanded, and Ser Blackheart nodded with an emotionless expression on his face, proceeding to pull down the visor of his helmet. Now both Desmond and Forovos retreated behind the Uller soldiers, and the fight was unavoidable. Ulwyck felt a hand grabbing from his shoulder, and he turned to see Gwyneth. “Please brother, come with me, you don’t have to do this”, she begged, but Ulwyck shook his head.
“No, I must do my duty”, he said with a gulp, looking his sister to the eyes once more before he turned around and rushed to the fight against the Uller soldiers. Ser Blackheart had already taken down two of them, but one of Lucifer’s guards had also already fallen.
Ulwyck clashed swords with a young Uller soldier, exchanging a couple strikes before finding an opening to stab the man under his left arm. As his enemy fell down, Ulwyck turned around, seeing that only him and Ser Blackheart were still standing. And just at that moment, he felt on his chest the worst pain he had ever felt. Looking down, he saw a bolt penetrated several inches into his chest. Ulwyck felt his whole body shivering, and he was hardly able to stay up on his feet. Then another bolt landed on him, this time on the thigh of his right leg, and he collapsed to the ground. As his sight started to blur, the last thing Ulwyck Tiddle saw was King Lucifer being put to chains Desmond Uller.
No decision
[Repeat the words] Ortheg is already in good graces with his family, and while he may not like his uncle very much, he still gave him a purpose.
I feel sorry for Ulwyck, he only tried to do his duty and protect his sister, and now he's dead. Wonder what will happen with Blackheart, he always gave me a vibe of the Hound or the Mountain, but less murderous (at least for what we saw). Lucifer underestimated Nymeria, and the loyalty she could inspire.
Now that I think about it, is Desmond Harbert's son?
Yes, Desmond is Harbert's son.