You know, any time a PoV dies in this chapter, I think something along the lines of "Yeah, that has to be the last one" and then you're like "Hold my beer" One of these days, I learn to just shut my mouth, because this chapter ends with way more PoV deaths than I would have ever thought. Of course, I am not sure if we can count Ulwyck a proper PoV, but given that we already lost Myke, Dalia and Dianna, I include him as well. At this point, I simply refuse to be surprised if one of the remaining PoV's bites it as well. While I have to admit, it seems kinda unlikely at this point, I have been so damn off before
However, I theorized that something like this would happen. Not exactly Ulwyck's death, but the fact that the Uller's end up turning on Lucifer and end up being the ones to bring him down, to ensure that they will remain powerful in Nymeria's Dorne. And well, with that they definitely won a place among their key allies. I wonder what hand Forovos had in all this. Though we know he is loyal to Nym, he remains a bit of an enigma still and his full role in the events that led to House Uller's betrayal can only be guessed at this point. No matter what, I think he is Nymeria's most powerful, most dangerous and most unpredictable ally and in a way, it makes him someone she should not fully rely upon. It is because he seems to show up everywhere, doing his own stuff and probably without consulting Nymeria first that I could see him capable of harming her cause as well, especially should their goals ever not fully align.
But yeah, we see the end of Lucifer's reign and what an end it is. Ulwyck is dead and while we don't see it, I don't doubt Blackheart suffered the same fate, he doesn't strike me as one to back down. If he survives though, wounded and imprisoned, I could see him becoming a danger to Nymeria in the future. There is still this conspiracy growing and a knight out to avenge his defeated king could be an asset for them. Might be better for everyone if he doesn't die, but he hasn't been featured much so far and unless he is actually a bland character whom you can't do more with, I could see him reappearing with a larger role in Book 2. Then there is Gwyneth and while she is not pregnant yet and never struck me as one to have such ambitions, the rest of her family could see things differently. House Tiddle lost a lot here, not only Ulwyck, but also the man they put their entire faith in with Lucifer. If Gwyneth shows up pregnant though, she, or her father, could always claim that it is Lucifer's child, giving her a claim and making her a potential obstacle. Though Lucifer is defeated, I doubt we have seen the last of Gwyneth or the other members of House Tiddle.
But yeah, that's my two cents for Ulwyck's part. Ortheg meanwhile, his part was also quite nice. I really kinda like Willem, especially in this part. In general, I look forward for Ortheg in Book 2, seems he and Emerson will have connected storylines dealing with the possible war against Esperence's side of the Allyrion family, which also sounds like it could be the first time Yronwood and Martell forces will clash.
[Remain silent]
I am not so sure here. I would like for Ortheg to be more than just some drone blindly following Yorick. While his uncle has been very generous towards him, given his nature as a bastard, I don't want his loyalty to be unquestionable. It's not only because I believe that authority should always be questioned, but Yorick in particular isn't a man I would want to be completely loyal to and by just repeating praises in his name without the man himself around to hear them, that sounds like the wrong way to go here. Maybe by remaining silent Ortheg keeps some of the doubt, opening up a way for him to not share Yorick's ultimate defeat.
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]
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]
I was not expecting Lucifer Dryland's reign to end so suddenly. I kind of expected some sort of final battle between both sides. What a way for one of the major Dornish kingdoms to fall, from a traitor from within.
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]
With Lena and Tanya not repeating the words, I am guessing that those words are something that men serving House Yronwood commonly say in certain situations and something he might have to get used to saying so I suppose he better start now Man poor Ortheg, he clearly has so much to learn and I am intrigued to see how much he changes in book 2!
With Ulwyck's part, we officially see Nymeria conquer the Kingdom of Brimstone even know she probably doesn't know it yet With the chances of House Martell actually being able to besiege Hellgate Hall and conquer it being pretty slim, I figured something had to happen to secure Nymeria's victory whether that be another battle outside those walls somewhere or a betrayal from the inside and it seems that is indeed what has happened! With Desmond, I was really intrigued to see how he would enter the story and he made a huge impact! Him along with his grandfather were the ones to agree to betray Lucifer which changes things forever. With there being so few guards there willing to help Lucifer, I am very curious to learn about why that was and I am especially curious to see if that means that this treachery by House Uller will go completely unopposed. We also have another Forovos Norvoshi appearance! Man he just does whatever he wants it seems with him being the defining factory in taking down both kings for Nymeria so far and while he has been very helpful for her so far, I can't help but wonder if him acting on his own accord will affect Nymeria at some point moving forward. Overall though, it does look like House Dryland is finished with the only supporters he has left being Ser Blackheart who will probably die off screen himself and House Tiddle which looks to be a very small house that is basically no threat and with Lewyn leaving when he did, it looks like he knew it was a lost cause as well. Poor Gwyneth though, she is definitely going to be in a rough spot though with her technically being the last Dryland which isn't good for her and while she might be allowed to marry someone else and give up her name, I won't be too optimistic about that until I see it.
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]
And Ortheg will repeat the words. Obviously not the most important choice ever, and I mostly included it because there is kind of going to be a lack of choices in these last parts, so I tried to at least give you something to vote on That said, it does work as some character building for Ortheg going towards Book 2.
Next up will be Jamison's last part in Book 1, showing us the long-awaited tourney and wedding! I've made a lot of progress on the part today, and I'm confident I'll get it done during tomorrow.
Clad in his armor Jamison stepped out of his pavilion, feeling the soft southern wind on his face as he gazed at the white towers of Starfall. The tiltyard for the tourney had been set up on the western shore of Torrentine, right next to the stony bridge. As the sun drew closer to the mountains in the west, the final joust of the tourney was ahead, and Jamison would ride against Ser Soren Ashford. To get to here, Jamison had unhorsed his uncle Garret in four tilts, Arthur Dayne in two, and finally Aron of Southpoint in five. Soren on the other hand had defeated both Rickar Nightfall and Alester Upton in a single tilt, and Phillip Dayne in three.
Davos Dayne quickly approached Jamison, handing him his helmet. “Thank you, Davos”, Jamison said calmly, and the boy gave him a dutiful nod before hurrying to fetch his shield and mount. Jamison had never much cared for having a squire, but he had to admit that Davos did his job well. Lucky Naemon, Jamison thought with a subtle smirk as Davos walked the brown mare to Jamison. She was an excellent mount, obedient and tireless, which allowed Jamison to put all his concentration to unhorsing his opponents.
After mounting the horse, Jamison rode into the tiltyard, and was received with applauds and cheers by the audience. There was of course all the nobility of Torrentine that had been invited to the wedding, but the people of the close by villages had also come to see the tourney.
Ser Soren was already standing in front of the King’s elevated jousting pavilion. Jamison rode quickly next to him and turned to face his father. Vorian’s seat was in the on the middle of the wooden platform. On his left sat Malcolm and Garret, and on his right Queen Arenna, Isabella, Taenera and Madilyn. Jamison and Soren both bowed to the King, and he in turn gave them an approving nod, after which they made their ways to the opposing ends of the tiltyard, where their squires handed them their shields and lances.
Waiting for the horn to announce the beginning of the joust, Jamison pulled down the visor of his helmet, and took in a deep breath. He had been here countless times before, but this time felt more important than any that had come before. I can’t lose in my own wedding tourney, I must win.
Jamison gazed at Ser Soren and his silver armor, white shield and blue cape, remembering how easily he had knocked his earlier opponents off their horses. He is accurate with his lance, Jamison reminded himself, raising his shield. And then the horn was blown.
Both Jamison and Soren immediately rushed into a charge against each other, dust raising from the ground as the horses raced forward. At the first tilt Jamison decided to concentrate on defense, holding his shield high and seeing where Soren would attempt to strike. As expected, the Ashford knight struck hard with no mercy, and while Jamison managed to deflect the lance with his shield, it still made him slightly reel back on his saddle. Meanwhile his own lance merely scratched the edge of Ser Soren’s shield.
The audience gasped as Jamison struggled to keep his balance. He muttered a curse under his breath as he reached the end of the fence and turned to face Soren in the second tilt. I have to be more aggressive this time, Jamison thought, nervous anger boiling inside him as he charged forward.
The two knights met in the middle again, and this time Jamison tried to aim under Soren’s shield. However, Soren moved his shield down with great precision, and with a loud crack Jamison’s lance shattered against it. Meanwhile Soren’s lance bumped against Jamison’s left pauldron, but the contact was so light it didn’t shake his balance.
Turning for the third tilt, Jamison dropped to the ground what was left of his broken lance. He felt his heart beating wildly, and a rush of excitement ran through him as Davos brought him a new lance. I love this feeling, Jamison thought, grinning as he charged towards Ser Soren again. Once again they clashed in the middle, but both were able to deflect the other’s lance. Same happened with the fourth and fifth tilt, and on the sixth they both broke their lances.
Jamison was breathing heavily under his visor as Davos once again brought him a new lance, while Soren’s squire did the same on the other side. Jamison glanced towards the king’s pavilion, seeing Isabella grasping tightly onto the arms of her chair, a concerned look in her eyes. Jamison turned his gaze forward again, glaring at Ser Soren with determination. “Come on!” the prince roared, charging to the seventh tilt against the Ashford knight.
At the last second before the clash, Jamison quickly raised the tip of his lance to surprise Soren. While his lance slipped over Soren’s shield and hit him right on the visor of the helmet, Soren’s lance slipped under Jamison’s shield, dashing against the side of his cuirass and breaking upon impact.
Jamison felt his balance faltering on the saddle, and for a split second he thought he was going to fall. However, he managed to hang on for long enough to bring his horse to a halt. As he found his composure again, Jamison noticed the audience cheering and applauding. He turned around, and saw Ser Soren laying on his back on the ground, his squire helping him up. I did it, Jamison realized, and a wide grin formed on his face.
Jamison removed his helmet, and just then Davos ran to him. He took the helmet and placed a crown of white roses on Jamison’s lance. Jamison galloped around the whole tiltyard, showing the crown of roses to the whole the audience, before finally arriving in front of the king’s pavilion. He looked Isabella to the eyes, seeing the sweet and sincere smile on her face, and presented the crown of roses to her. “I name Princess Isabella of Skyreach the queen of love and beauty!” Jamison declared loudly, and the crowd erupted to cheers again. With shaky hands Isabella took the crown and placed it on her head, looking more beautiful than ever before.
-
The great hall of Starfall was filled with laughter and singing, as the court celebrated the end of the tourney and Jamison’s victory. Unlike in the wedding feast that would come tomorrow, Jamison and Isabella sat at separate tables, as did all men and women. By now the men’s table was getting quite drunk, and Jamison was no exception. He had Alester and Rickar to thank for that, as they kept pouring him more and more wine as fast as he could finish the last goblet. At the other end of the table King Vorian was singing together with Prince Garret, Lord Gerris and Lord Timeon of Southpoint, while Lord Gerold Nightfall was already too drunk to realize what was happening around him.
“I thought the fucker got you at the first tilt, like he did with me and Alester!” Rickar said with a wide grin, gulping down another cup of wine. “Ah, you should know me better, friend. After all, how could I ever do as badly as you?” Jamison responded with a sly smirk on his face, which made Alester burst into drunken laughter.
“What are you laughing about, Upton?” Rickar asked with a slightly annoyed tone. “It’s not like you did any better than me in the joust.”
“Piss off, Rickar! At least I didn’t wail like a bitch when the Reachman knocked me off my horse”, Alester mocked, unable to contain his laughter as he spoke. “It fucking hurt like hell!” Rickar barked, and now they all burst into laughter.
Then, Ser Soren suddenly approached them. “Prince Jamison”, he greeted as he arrived next to them, bowing slightly. Jamison gave him a nod, a subtle smirk on his face. “I just wanted to come congratulate you once more, before I head to bed”, the Reachman said, his tone tense but polite. “You ride well, better than any man I’ve faced on the tilt before.”
“You offered quite a challenge yourself, Ser Soren”, Jamison responded calmly to the compliment, and with a nod Ser Soren extended his hand for shaking. Jamison grabbed it without hesitation, and after they had shaken hands, Soren wordlessly made his way out of the hall.
“Did you see the look on his eyes? He wanted to smack you in the face!” Rickar claimed with a humorous tone. He and Alester laughed again, while Jamison merely snorted at the remark. In the past he would’ve joined his friends in mocking Ser Soren, but perhaps he had done some maturing lately, because now he didn’t feel like doing that at all. He had respect for Ser Soren and his skills, and he knew very well that the joust could’ve just as easily ended the other way around.
“Come on, you need some more wine!” Alester yelled, filling all their cups again. And so the celebrations continued for a few more hours.
-
Jamison felt his head aching slightly as he walked under the warm morning sun, making his way towards the gardens of Starfall. The court was having breakfast there, and Jamison and Isabella were to receive their wedding gifts.
Jamison was the last to arrive to the table, and he noticed his mother giving him a reproachful glare. “Ah, it seems the prince has finally made his way out of the bed”, Vorian said with a relaxed tone, a calm and soft expression on his face.
“My excuses, Your Grace, lords and ladies, I needed a good sleep after last night”, Jamison explained with a smirk on his face, to which the guests at the garden let out restrained laughs, before getting back to enjoying their breakfasts.
After a moment of calm and peaceful chatting, the guests began to present their gifts. First to do so was Lord Timeon of Southpoint, who gave Jamison a dark leather belt, studded with amethysts. “Myrish work, my prince”, the chubby lord said as he handed the belt to Jamison with a bow. “Thank you, mylord”, Jamison responded politely. After this Lord Timeon gave Princess Isabella a silver necklace, which also had a small amethyst decorating it. “This comes from Myr as well, my princess”, he said, as Isabella put the necklace around her neck.
Next came Lord Gerold Nightfall, who gave Jamison a fine dagger crafted by the lord’s own blacksmith, and to Isabella he gave a silver goblet decorated with sapphires, which he claimed to have been part of the spoils that King Samwell the Starfire brought back from Oldtown thousands of years ago. Jamison doubted the truth of that, but didn’t speak up. Then came Lord Gerris Dayne of High Hermitage. To Jamison he gave a book about the history of the Valyrian Freehold, and to Isabella he gave plenty of lavish silks from Lys, which she could later have made into a dress of her own liking.
A few more lesser vassals brought their modest gifts, until King Vorian himself spoke up. “I thank you all for your generous gifts to my son and his lovely bride, they are much appreciated”, he said calmly, before giving one of his servants a small nod. “Now, it is time for me to present my gifts for Prince Jamison and Princess Isabella”, he continued, and soon the servants arrived with the gifts. One of them was carrying a thin and elegant silver tiara, while the other had a slightly curved longsword in his hands. Jamison raised from his seat to receive his new sword. It had been done with the same measurements as the Darkness, but this one had a far more decorated hilt, with a gilded cross-guard and pommel. It’s darkened blade was just slightly lighter in tone than that of the Darkness had been.
Jamison took a steady grip from the hilt, and moved the blade around carefully. “It is brilliant”, he said with a grin, turning to look at Vorian. “Thank you, father.”
“You’re welcome”, Vorian replied softly, taking in a deep breath. “I assume you will come up with a name for it as well?” He asked, and Jamison nodded immediately. “Aye, I shall call it the Dusk”, he declared.
-
A few hours after the breakfast, it was finally time for the wedding ceremony. Jamison stood by the altar of Starfall’s small sept, the purple cloak of House Dayne on his hands, old Septon Narmen standing next to him. The altar was at the middle of the sept, surrounded by seven pillars, one for each god, and right now between every pillar stood dozens of guests. Only the aisle between the pillars of the Father and the Mother was left empty, because that was where Princess Isabella would soon be escorted by her brother Desmor.
Jamison let out a sigh as the sept waited in silence. As little as he had ever cared for gods or the faith, this moment made him feel nervous. Then the doors finally opened, and Isabella walked in, Desmor holding her arm. She was beautiful as always, her golden hair tied to a loose braid and a shy smile on her face. She was dressed in a simple but beautiful white dress, and on top of it was a blue-and-white cloak of House Fowler. On her head was her new silver tiara, and the amethyst necklace around her neck. All Jamison could do was stand silently in awe, and look into the beautiful blue eyes of her bride as she approached the altar.
Isabella stopped about five feet away from the altar, and Desmor removed the Fowler cloak. Jamison stepped closer to Isabella now, unable to subdue his smile, an expression that Isabella happily reciprocated. “You may now cloak the bride”, the septon announced calmly, and so Jamison did. The colors of House Dayne quite suited Isabella, just as Jamison had expected. They stepped next to the altar, holding each other’s hands, as the Septon spoke a prayer. “You may speak your vows now”, he then said with a friendly tone.
“Father, Smith, Warrior”, Jamison and Isabella spoke in unison. “Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers, and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.” Jamison pulled Isabella gently closer, looking her to they eyes. “With this kiss I pledge my love, and take you as my wife”, Jamison spoke softly, and embraced Isabella in a kiss they would both remember for the rest of their lives.
I definitely enjoyed this part without a doubt and I have plenty to say about it so I guess I'll get to it
First off, I'll talk about the joust between Jamison and Soren which I was very hyped for ever since I realized it was a possibility and it did not disappoint! As I was reading it, it really was a wild ride because they were matching up to one another pretty evenly and I could not have said for certain who would win but I was definitely glad to see Jamison pull out the victory and make what was already a great experience for him even better. Admittedly I wasn't feeling too confident after hearing how Soren had dominated his competition up to that point and even in the first tilt where he made Jamison lose his balance a bit and I was thinking this might be an experience that Jamison would want to forget but Jamison adjusted and pulled it out which was nice to see!
Another big thing I noticed in this part was how much Jamison has seemed to mature especially compared to how he was at the beginning of the story while still staying true to who he is. It really is awesome and when I made Jamison, I definitely intended him to be a character who could be on either the good or bad side pretty easily depending on where you wanted him and he definitely seems to be on his best behavior here and it even seemed genuine especially when he chose not to rub his victory in Sorens face which is definitely something he normally has no problem doing I am sure the situation at hand with his wedding and Isabella being there with him is a huge factor but it also seemed that experience in Vaith has led to him maturing a bit as well and really it is fun to see all of these different facets to his character since he is quite complex and while time will tell if Jamison's other side comes out, I can definitely say you have his character down without a doubt!
Jamison raised from his seat to receive his new sword. It had been done with the same measurements as the Darkness, but this one had a far more decorated hilt, with a gilded cross-guard and pommel. It’s darkened blade was just slightly lighter in tone than that of the Darkness had been.
Jamison took a steady grip from the hilt, and moved the blade around carefully. “It is brilliant”, he said with a grin, turning to look at Vorian. “Thank you, father.”
“You’re welcome”, Vorian replied softly, taking in a deep breath. “I assume you will come up with a name for it as well?” He asked, and Jamison nodded immediately. “Aye, I shall call it the Dusk”, he declared.
This little section here got me hyped up very quickly since I immediately realized that Jamison's new sword is named after Chapter 3 in book 2 which got me hyped immensely but also very nervous at the same time
I feel like this means that Jamison will play a huge role in Book 2 with Chapter 3 being named after him in a way with him potentially being one of if not the last obstacle for Nymeria to overcome to secure the Kingdom of Torrentine under her rule which is awesome but at the same time this could also be where he ends up dying or something along those lines which is definitely worrying since it is hard for me to imagine that he will accept House Dayne's defeat lying down with him wanting to make the Kingdom grow not lower themselves to serving another ruler but of course that point is a long way away and not something to worry about right now but I still probably will
As for the wedding, this definitely was a very sweet moment for Jamison and Isabella and a nice contrast to all the war and death that's going on elsewhere. I honestly never would have thought that they would actually get to marry one another with myself figuring that losing Isabella would be something else for Jamison to be bitter about but I have been pleasantly surprised and I am glad we have got to see the story unfold how we have! Now since I haven't gotten to ask any what if or random questions in a bit, I guess I'll ask a couple now My main one being that after the Isabella and Naemon proposal didn't pan out, was Isabella and Jamison getting married a choice that was likely to succeed or did we just do a really good job on our choices to make it happen? Also, has Jamison getting Dusk been planned since you made the chapter name or was this a result of correct choices as well? And the last question is just a general one about if marrying Isabella didn't work out for Jamison, how would Book one have ended for him? Anyway though, this really was an awesome end to Jamison's book one and I am excited to see where the story goes moving forward as well!
Jamison
Clad in his armor Jamison stepped out of his pavilion, feeling the soft southern wind on his face as he gazed at the white towers… more of Starfall. The tiltyard for the tourney had been set up on the western shore of Torrentine, right next to the stony bridge. As the sun drew closer to the mountains in the west, the final joust of the tourney was ahead, and Jamison would ride against Ser Soren Ashford. To get to here, Jamison had unhorsed his uncle Garret in four tilts, Arthur Dayne in two, and finally Aron of Southpoint in five. Soren on the other hand had defeated both Rickar Nightfall and Alester Upton in a single tilt, and Phillip Dayne in three.
Davos Dayne quickly approached Jamison, handing him his helmet. “Thank you, Davos”, Jamison said calmly, and the boy gave him a dutiful nod before hurrying to fetch his shield and mount. Jamison had never much cared for having a squire, but he had to admit that Davos did his job well. Lu… [view original content]
At last, they got their marriage I couldn't be more happy for both, this is sweet! Truly, this part put a spotlight on the best traits Jamison has, namely his ambition, his determination and most importantly, his absolute love for Isabella. The tourney was already great, a perfect way to start this part. Jamison fighting against Soren really showed just how good he is as a knight, but I spot some notable character development there as well in the respectful way he treated his defeated opponent. I don't know, it's not something I could have seen the Jamison from Chapter 1 doing. I suppose Isabella already has a very positive influence on him. It's probably a two-way road, with him in turn also influencing Isabella in a good way. There is a lot they can learn from each other now that they are married, with Jamison's strength of character and Isabella's gentle nature making quite a good combination. Maybe next time we see them, Jamison will have mellowed down a bit, while Isabella has become more determined and comfortable taking charge in some situations. Perhaps I expect a bit too much from Jamison there, but they always say that marriage changes a man XD I also see Jamison has received a cool new sword. Dusk, a fitting title for his own weapon and surely one that'll play an important role in the future. CM3434 just reminded me, it is named after the final chapter of Book 2 and I doubt this is all a coincidence. In general, the Dusk title could relate to the fall of the Kingdom of Torrentine, associate with sort of a Dawn theme, but I would be heavily surprised if Jamison won't have a significant role in it.
There is only one thing I am concerned about. They have their happy ending here, but this is not the ending in general. Things will continue, there are three books still to come and it is the same concern I brought up with Kortney and Gwen. They are in a good place for now, but I guess more is to come and in case of Jamison and Isabella, I can even guess that the war against House Martell will be this next big thing. That being said, first there is the two-year timeskip and they deserve all the happiness in the world during it. Who knows, I could legitimately see theim as parents by the next time we see them. Ah, I couldn't have thought of a better way to end this first book for Jamison and Isabella! While the war will no doubt place some major stress on them, I have faith in them and in our choices to get them safely through this
Jamison
Clad in his armor Jamison stepped out of his pavilion, feeling the soft southern wind on his face as he gazed at the white towers… more of Starfall. The tiltyard for the tourney had been set up on the western shore of Torrentine, right next to the stony bridge. As the sun drew closer to the mountains in the west, the final joust of the tourney was ahead, and Jamison would ride against Ser Soren Ashford. To get to here, Jamison had unhorsed his uncle Garret in four tilts, Arthur Dayne in two, and finally Aron of Southpoint in five. Soren on the other hand had defeated both Rickar Nightfall and Alester Upton in a single tilt, and Phillip Dayne in three.
Davos Dayne quickly approached Jamison, handing him his helmet. “Thank you, Davos”, Jamison said calmly, and the boy gave him a dutiful nod before hurrying to fetch his shield and mount. Jamison had never much cared for having a squire, but he had to admit that Davos did his job well. Lu… [view original content]
First off, I'll talk about the joust between Jamison and Soren which I was very hyped for ever since I realized it was a possibility and it did not disappoint! As I was reading it, it really was a wild ride because they were matching up to one another pretty evenly and I could not have said for certain who would win but I was definitely glad to see Jamison pull out the victory and make what was already a great experience for him even better. Admittedly I wasn't feeling too confident after hearing how Soren had dominated his competition up to that point and even in the first tilt where he made Jamison lose his balance a bit and I was thinking this might be an experience that Jamison would want to forget but Jamison adjusted and pulled it out which was nice to see!
Yeah, I really enjoyed writing some jousting action for once, especially between these two who are widely seen as the best knights in the whole region. And it was definitely my intention to make it feel like Jamison could've very well lost against Ser Soren, because that was actually an outcome I considered for the very last moment of writing this part. However, in the end I thought having Jamison win here would also give me an opportunity to show some growth in him as he handled his victory quite gracefully. And in general it just fit the upbeat mood of this part to have Jamison win
Another big thing I noticed in this part was how much Jamison has seemed to mature especially compared to how he was at the beginning of the story while still staying true to who he is. It really is awesome and when I made Jamison, I definitely intended him to be a character who could be on either the good or bad side pretty easily depending on where you wanted him and he definitely seems to be on his best behavior here and it even seemed genuine especially when he chose not to rub his victory in Sorens face which is definitely something he normally has no problem doing I am sure the situation at hand with his wedding and Isabella being there with him is a huge factor but it also seemed that experience in Vaith has led to him maturing a bit as well and really it is fun to see all of these different facets to his character since he is quite complex and while time will tell if Jamison's other side comes out, I can definitely say you have his character down without a doubt!
Indeed, like I mentioned my intention was to show some growth in Jamison and how he handled this victory. That said, he definitely still has his edgy side as well, but this being one of the happiest days of his whole life certainly put him in a happy and relaxed mood. I guess you could say there was no reason for him to act douchey or arrogant here, because he was the center of everyone's attention anyway. We'll see in Book 2 how two years of married life has changed him, if at all
This little section here got me hyped up very quickly since I immediately realized that Jamison's new sword is named after Chapter 3 in book 2 which got me hyped immensely but also very nervous at the same time I feel like this means that Jamison will play a huge role in Book 2 with Chapter 3 being named after him in a way with him potentially being one of if not the last obstacle for Nymeria to overcome to secure the Kingdom of Torrentine under her rule which is awesome but at the same time this could also be where he ends up dying or something along those lines which is definitely worrying since it is hard for me to imagine that he will accept House Dayne's defeat lying down with him wanting to make the Kingdom grow not lower themselves to serving another ruler but of course that point is a long way away and not something to worry about right now but I still probably will
Hehe, yeah, I came up with the idea shortly after his earlier sword was shattered in Vaith. Meaning of course that the idea for the chapter title came before the idea for the sword's name. Still, there could definitely be a connection there, though Jamison's name for the sword is quite obviously a juxtaposition for the family sword Dawn, whereas the chapter 'the Dusk' is more likely to be a reference to the state of the Kingdom of Torrentine.
As for the wedding, this definitely was a very sweet moment for Jamison and Isabella and a nice contrast to all the war and death that's going on elsewhere. I honestly never would have thought that they would actually get to marry one another with myself figuring that losing Isabella would be something else for Jamison to be bitter about but I have been pleasantly surprised and I am glad we have got to see the story unfold how we have! Now since I haven't gotten to ask any what if or random questions in a bit, I guess I'll ask a couple now My main one being that after the Isabella and Naemon proposal didn't pan out, was Isabella and Jamison getting married a choice that was likely to succeed or did we just do a really good job on our choices to make it happen? Also, has Jamison getting Dusk been planned since you made the chapter name or was this a result of correct choices as well? And the last question is just a general one about if marrying Isabella didn't work out for Jamison, how would Book one have ended for him? Anyway though, this really was an awesome end to Jamison's book one and I am excited to see where the story goes moving forward as well!
Indeed, a bit of happiness amidst all the chaos was actually surprisingly refreshing as a writing experience And yeah, things definitely could've gone much less smoothly, with perhaps the most painful outcome having been Isabella marrying Malcolm. Yikes, that would've been a much less of a happy ending for Jamison's Book 1 storyline. Then there was also the chance for Isabella to go with her aunt Obara, which would've led to her marrying the Yronwood prince instead. And lastly, you could've chose to keep Isabella in Skyreach for now, which would've at least postponed this wedding. So, this wasn't the only possible outcome, but I'd say it always had pretty good chances to happen. To the second question I already answered above, but to repeat, the idea for the sword came after the idea for the chapter title. And as for Jamison's alternative endings, well, he would've still been given the lordship of Clearhaven, and he would've had a choice to ask Vorian to send proposal to Garrison. The most miserable ending for him (in quite a stark contrast to what we got here) would've been his face being burned and mutilated in Vaith, and then him returning to Starfall to learn that Isabella was going to marry his brother. Safe to say that would've sent him down some dark and bitter character development. So, all in all, you did pretty well with the choices when it comes to Jamison and Isabella
I definitely enjoyed this part without a doubt and I have plenty to say about it so I guess I'll get to it
First off, I'll talk about th… moree joust between Jamison and Soren which I was very hyped for ever since I realized it was a possibility and it did not disappoint! As I was reading it, it really was a wild ride because they were matching up to one another pretty evenly and I could not have said for certain who would win but I was definitely glad to see Jamison pull out the victory and make what was already a great experience for him even better. Admittedly I wasn't feeling too confident after hearing how Soren had dominated his competition up to that point and even in the first tilt where he made Jamison lose his balance a bit and I was thinking this might be an experience that Jamison would want to forget but Jamison adjusted and pulled it out which was nice to see!
Another big thing I noticed in this part was how much Jamison has se… [view original content]
At last, they got their marriage I couldn't be more happy for both, this is sweet! Truly, this part put a spotlight on the best traits Jamison has, namely his ambition, his determination and most importantly, his absolute love for Isabella. The tourney was already great, a perfect way to start this part. Jamison fighting against Soren really showed just how good he is as a knight, but I spot some notable character development there as well in the respectful way he treated his defeated opponent. I don't know, it's not something I could have seen the Jamison from Chapter 1 doing. I suppose Isabella already has a very positive influence on him. It's probably a two-way road, with him in turn also influencing Isabella in a good way. There is a lot they can learn from each other now that they are married, with Jamison's strength of character and Isabella's gentle nature making quite a good combination. Maybe next time we see them, Jamison will have mellowed down a bit, while Isabella has become more determined and comfortable taking charge in some situations. Perhaps I expect a bit too much from Jamison there, but they always say that marriage changes a man XD I also see Jamison has received a cool new sword. Dusk, a fitting title for his own weapon and surely one that'll play an important role in the future. CM3434 just reminded me, it is named after the final chapter of Book 2 and I doubt this is all a coincidence. In general, the Dusk title could relate to the fall of the Kingdom of Torrentine, associate with sort of a Dawn theme, but I would be heavily surprised if Jamison won't have a significant role in it.
Yeah, this part was definitely Jamison at his best behavior. Like I kinda mentioned in my reply to CM3434, Jamison really has every reason to be contended here: he is victorious at the tourney, everyone is paying attention to him, and most importantly he is going to marry the girl he has loved for years. Jamison can occasionally be a dickhead for sure, but I feel like he can also be reasonable when things go his way. Contrast this to the kind of ending where he would've got roasted and disfigured by Desi in Vaith, and came back to Starfall to learn that Isabella was going to marry Malcolm. You can bet he wouldn't have acted quite so graciously in that scenario And it'll definitely be interesting to explore in Book 2 how the married life has changed Jamison, but I can guarantee he won't lose all of his edginess, even if he will inevitably keep maturing as a character.
There is only one thing I am concerned about. They have their happy ending here, but this is not the ending in general. Things will continue, there are three books still to come and it is the same concern I brought up with Kortney and Gwen. They are in a good place for now, but I guess more is to come and in case of Jamison and Isabella, I can even guess that the war against House Martell will be this next big thing. That being said, first there is the two-year timeskip and they deserve all the happiness in the world during it. Who knows, I could legitimately see theim as parents by the next time we see them. Ah, I couldn't have thought of a better way to end this first book for Jamison and Isabella! While the war will no doubt place some major stress on them, I have faith in them and in our choices to get them safely through this
Indeed, this is a happy moment for sure, but not the ending. A war is inevitably ahead, and it's a safe bet that Jamison will play a big role in it. After all, he is the warrior out of Vorian's two sons. As for Jamison and Isabella being parents by the time we next see them, yeah, that is indeed quite likely. A loving couple in a medieval setting would most likely begin to make their own family pretty quickly after the wedding. We'll see
At last, they got their marriage I couldn't be more happy for both, this is sweet! Truly, this part put a spotlight on the best traits Jami… moreson has, namely his ambition, his determination and most importantly, his absolute love for Isabella. The tourney was already great, a perfect way to start this part. Jamison fighting against Soren really showed just how good he is as a knight, but I spot some notable character development there as well in the respectful way he treated his defeated opponent. I don't know, it's not something I could have seen the Jamison from Chapter 1 doing. I suppose Isabella already has a very positive influence on him. It's probably a two-way road, with him in turn also influencing Isabella in a good way. There is a lot they can learn from each other now that they are married, with Jamison's strength of character and Isabella's gentle nature making quite a good combination. Maybe next time we see them, Jamison will hav… [view original content]
Yeah, this part was definitely Jamison at his best behavior. Like I kinda mentioned in my reply to CM3434, Jamison really has every reason to be contended here: he is victorious at the tourney, everyone is paying attention to him, and most importantly he is going to marry the girl he has loved for years. Jamison can occasionally be a dickhead for sure, but I feel like he can also be reasonable when things go his way. Contrast this to the kind of ending where he would've got roasted and disfigured by Desi in Vaith, and came back to Starfall to learn that Isabella was going to marry Malcolm. You can bet he wouldn't have acted quite so graciously in that scenario And it'll definitely be interesting to explore in Book 2 how the married life has changed Jamison, but I can guarantee he won't lose all of his edginess, even if he will inevitably keep maturing as a character.
Phew, I realized Jamison is among the characters we really dodged a bullet with, perhaps even the one who could have gotten a bad ending the easiest so far (not counting Kortney's 50/50 chance to kill herself and Albin that one time), with several major factors playing into this, about Isabella not marrying Malcolm, Isabella not leaving with Obara and Dalia taking Kris with her (I think this was the choice). Interestingly, he is also the only one who had no real control over his fate, when compared to Gwen or Kortney and others who had to pick the right choices by themselves to get their happy Book 1 ending. Shows how the choices occasionally tend to affect more than just the PoV that makes them, especially in case of Jamison. I guess if we would have picked the wrong options here, he could have ended up even as something akin to a villain, at least a bit of an antagonist from a certain viewpoint, if the bitterness about his disfigurement and Isabella marrying his brother would have consumed him. People turned evil for less, after all. Now however, I am positive we kept him in this somewhat anti-heroic but still overall good route.
Indeed, this is a happy moment for sure, but not the ending. A war is inevitably ahead, and it's a safe bet that Jamison will play a big role in it. After all, he is the warrior out of Vorian's two sons. As for Jamison and Isabella being parents by the time we next see them, yeah, that is indeed quite likely. A loving couple in a medieval setting would most likely begin to make their own family pretty quickly after the wedding. We'll see
Hehe, Jamison as a father, I am not sure if I should be excited or horrified at the thought XD Really curious how these two are going to end up, but now I really expect at least one child already by the time we next see them, or perhaps their first child will be born over the course of the next book I have to admit though, I am worried for the coming war. We might have picked the right choice for Isabella to keep her away from the front lines, but with Jamison being the warrior, I really see no way for him to stay out of the actual combat, so I hope he'll get through this just fine.
At last, they got their marriage I couldn't be more happy for both, this is sweet! Truly, this part put a spotlight on the best traits Jami… moreson has, namely his ambition, his determination and most importantly, his absolute love for Isabella. The tourney was already great, a perfect way to start this part. Jamison fighting against Soren really showed just how good he is as a knight, but I spot some notable character development there as well in the respectful way he treated his defeated opponent. I don't know, it's not something I could have seen the Jamison from Chapter 1 doing. I suppose Isabella already has a very positive influence on him. It's probably a two-way road, with him in turn also influencing Isabella in a good way. There is a lot they can learn from each other now that they are married, with Jamison's strength of character and Isabella's gentle nature making quite a good combination. Maybe next time we see them, Jamison will hav… [view original content]
Hello again! So, no voting to close this time, but I thought I should give a little update anyhow. I've been working on a Kris PoV and a Nymeria PoV, and they should be done in a couple days.
Last time we saw Kris was the confrontation between the servants of R'hllor and the Great Other, which ended in Aisha, Mordekhai and Valerie being defeated, with the cost of Dalia's life. In the very end of the part Kris decided to give Aisha a quick death, after she convinced Desirea to spare Gwendis' life. As for Nymeria, in her latest part she arrived to Vaith, where she was warmly welcomed by Lady Myra Xho Vaith. She planned to give Hellgate Hall to the Ullers once Lucifer would be dethroned, and as we know, Desmond Uller has now took imprisoning Lucifer to his own hands. Nymeria's part will be about her arriving to Hellgate Hall.
As said, these parts should be done in a couple of days
Oh, Kris! I don't know why, but for some reason it did not occur to me that he might have another part in this book after reading his last part. That was actually something I felt slight regret for, because it meant with the choice to grant Aisha a quick death, that she would have likely died off screen without a PoV to show it and that would have been a shame. After all, Gwen is most likely going to be busy having this talk with Desi. This however changes things and it is great I really have no idea why I failed to see such a simple solution, given that Aisha is literally going to be executed by a PoV character. Ah, I really look forward for this, as I do with all things in that storyline
Hello again! So, no voting to close this time, but I thought I should give a little update anyhow. I've been working on a Kris PoV and a Nym… moreeria PoV, and they should be done in a couple days.
Last time we saw Kris was the confrontation between the servants of R'hllor and the Great Other, which ended in Aisha, Mordekhai and Valerie being defeated, with the cost of Dalia's life. In the very end of the part Kris decided to give Aisha a quick death, after she convinced Desirea to spare Gwendis' life. As for Nymeria, in her latest part she arrived to Vaith, where she was warmly welcomed by Lady Myra Xho Vaith. She planned to give Hellgate Hall to the Ullers once Lucifer would be dethroned, and as we know, Desmond Uller has now took imprisoning Lucifer to his own hands. Nymeria's part will be about her arriving to Hellgate Hall.
As said, these parts should be done in a couple of days
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempted to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain died down by the morning, and the dead burned in a glorious pyre that would burn away their sins and send their souls to R’hllor. Only Valerie’s corpse was missing, as it had been swallowed by the sea. Good, her soul can forever be cursed by her sins, and her body can rot under the waves, Kris thought, angered by all the suffering and death Valerie had caused.
As the flames danced and cracked, slowly obliterating the corpses, Kris turned his eyes to Desirea. She had spoken a short prayer when she ignited the pyre, but since then she had been quiet, and now tears were welling up in her eyes. With all the power and wisdom she carried herself with it was easy to forget that Desirea was still a child. And now she had lost her mother, a mother who had only recently learned to love and care for her after years of absence. Kris would’ve offered her a home in Vaith, but he already knew her answer. She was fully devoted to R’hllor and would surely return to serve him in the red temple of Volantis.
Shifting his gaze to the left, Kris saw a stern and unsatisfied expression on her mother’s face. She had wanted a more severe punishment for the servants of Great Other, and while Kris could understand her, he didn’t agree. It was more important to see that justice was served than to punish and seek revenge. As the bodies turned to ashes and the flames died out, they all took a moment to rest. Soon they began their journey towards east.
-
In a few days they arrived in the Tor and made their way to the small port by the castle’s feet. Kris spoke with all the captains of the ships docked there, until finally finding a Pentoshi merchant headed to Tyrosh. Kris paid him well to give Desi, Gwendis and Belan one of the cabins in his cog. From Tyrosh they would surely find several vessels sailing to Volantis.
When the cog was about to leave they gathered to the docks to give their farewells. “Kris, Minesa, Hondo, you have all served the Lord of Light well, and I thank you for that”, Desi spoke calmly. As she finished, she glanced at Gwendis, who was now conscious but still somehow absent, shaken and unable to speak a word.
“Will she be alright?” Kris asked curiously, and Desi nodded. “Yes, I believe so”, she answered with a small sigh. “Being under Valerie’s magic has took its toll, but on the ship she’ll be able to rest properly, and I can concentrate on bringing her back to the world of the living.”
“Just make sure she doesn’t murder you in your sleep”, Minesa said cynically, a cold and distrustful glare in her eyes as she looked at Gwendis. “She won’t”, Desirea assured confidently. “It seems clear to me that she was under the influence of the Great Other against her own will, just like your son used to be. And just like Kris, Gwendis can be brought back to the light of R’hllor.”
Kris turned his gaze to Belan now, who still looked a bit weakened from his injury. “And what about you Belan, do you think you’ll be fine?” He asked, and the boy nodded wordlessly. “You know, I would gladly give you a home at Vaith”, Kris offered, even if he could guess Belan’s response.
“No”, he answered strictly. “My duty is to R’hllor, and to Desirea. I will stay by her side. It is what my father would have wanted.”
“I understand”, Kris replied with a respectful tone, before turning towards Desirea again. “Desi… I am terribly sorry for your loss”, he said carefully, seeing the young priestess immediately turn her gaze down. “Dalia was a good woman, and a great warrior. I’m sure by now R’hllor has received her soul, and she watches you proudly from beyond. You’ve done well, Desirea.”
Desi nodded to his words with a gulp, taking in a deep breath before speaking up. “Farewell, Lord Kris”, she said quietly. “Perhaps we shall meet again in this life, but if not, may R’hllor watch over you and your family from now on.”
Kris gave her one more nod, before the young priestess made her way into the ship, escorting Princess Gwendis by hand, while Belan followed closely after them.
“I’ll wait for you by the horses”, Minesa said with a small sigh, walking away from the docks, while Kris and Hondo remained to watch the cog set sail. “Well, this has been quite an adventure”, Hondo said with a subtle smirk, and Kris nodded. “Aye”, he responded sternly. “And I’m glad it’s over.”
“Are you going back to Vaith now?” Hondo asked, and Kris nodded. “My duties await me there”, he said calmly. “Duties I have neglected for far too long. And how about you, my friend? Will you seek out your family now?”
Hondo stayed quiet for a moment, a pondering look on his eyes as he gazed at the distancing sails of the Pentoshi cog. “If any of them are still alive, I would like to see them again, see what has come of them”, he finally spoke, taking in a deep breath. “However, I will come with you to Vaith for now, and see what the situation is. The last thing I want is to be on the opposing side of a war with you.”
“You prioritize your loyalty to me over your family and your people?” Kris asked with a surprised tone, to which Hondo chuckled softly. “The truth is that I would still be a slave if it wasn’t for you”, he replied sharply. “As for my family… it is questionable if any of them are even alive. And while I commend Nymeria for saving so many of our people and finding a new home for them, I never pledged my loyalty to her, only to Garin.”
“So be it then”, Kris responded with an amenable tone. “However, I do not want you to neglect your family and people because of me forever. Whenever peace is found between my house and the Martells, you shall seek out if any of your family is with Nymeria. Agreed?”
“Agreed”, Hondo answered with a small chuckle. So they made their way out of the port of Tor, and began their ride towards Vaith.
No decision.
-
Nymeria
The journey across the desert from Vaith to Hellgate Hall had been a rough one, but Nymeria knew it was necessary to push this offence now, or they would lose their advantage. Her armies made their camp between Hellgate Hall and the small town of Tidmarsh.
While the troops set up the tents and barricades of the camp, Nymeria, Mors and Valor gazed at Hellgate Hall. It was clearly a very old castle, some of its towers and walls starting to crumble. “Looks like the Drylands have neglected the maintenance of their fort recently”, Valor stated calmly.
“Their wealth has dwindled over the centuries”, Mors spoke, a subtle smirk on his face. “Not much is left of the glory and prestige that King Lucifer’s ancestors had. Just this crumbling castle, and a crown of gold that the Drylands have worn for at least two millennia.”
“It is time the people of Brimstone get a stronger ruler”, Nymeria said confidently, and Mors nodded in agreement. Just then, they noticed someone riding towards the camp from Hellgate Hall, carrying a white banner. As the rider got closer, Nymeria recognized him. “Forovos Norvoshi”, she said, her tone both surprised and slightly annoyed. The Braavosi had once again taken the freedom to act without Nymeria’s knowledge or consent, it seemed.
Quickly Forovos arrived to them and bowed deeply for Nymeria and Mors. “Your Grace, I see that the Fallen Dragons have joined their forces with yours”, he said with a polite tone, and Nymeria gave him a stern nod. “I am also under the impression that you have the heir of Lord Harrion Uller in your captivity, is that right?”
“Yes”, Nymeria answered strictly. “Now, could you explain what in the world are you doing here, Forovos?” she asked. To this Forovos smirked in a carefree manner. “While you took care of Godsgrace and Vaith, I decided to speed up things a little here in Brimstone. You see, it turns out Lucifer’s grip on his vassals wasn’t quite as strong as expected. It didn’t take much for me to convince Lord Harrion and his grandson Desmond to turn against their king. In fact, we have Lucifer in chains and locked into his own chambers right now. All you need to do is release Harbert, and they will give you Lucifer, as well as bend the knee for you.”
After Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, gazing at Forovos with narrowed eyes, Mors decided to speak up. “If this is true, we are of course happy to comply”, the prince said calmly. “However, we must be sure this isn’t some kind of trap by King Lucifer”, he added, to which Forovos simply chuckled. “Haven’t I done enough to warrant you trust by now?” He asked with a sigh. “I guarantee there is no trap, but if you want to play it safe, I can arrange a meeting between you and the Ullers halfway between Hellgate Hall and this camp.”
“Understood, Your Grace”, Forovos replied with a dutiful nod, before making his way back towards the castle.
-
About an hour later, a pavilion had been set up on the road a few hundred yards away from the gates of Hellgate Hall. Nymeria and Mors sat on their small wooden chairs, surrounded by the royal guards, as well as Jinora Ling, Valor Veltaris and General Varyn. They were approached by Forovos, Lord Uller and a dozen of his guards, as well as several people in chains.
First Forovos and Lord Uller brought forward a middle-aged man, his hands in shackles. His black hair was greying, there were dark bags under his dark eyes, and his face showing signs of aging. “I bring you Lucifer Dryland”, Forovos announced as he pushed the man in front of Nymeria and Mors. Nymeria gave a small signal to Varyn, who then proceeded to bring Harbert Uller to his father, free of chains.
“I thank you, Your Grace”, Harrion Uller said with a humble tone, bowing as he spoke. “And I thank you”, Nymeria responded with a friendly smile. “You have made my work here significantly easier than I expected.” Having said that, Nymeria turned her eyes back to King Lucifer. “I am not going to bend my knee to you”, he hissed defiantly. “I’ll rather die.”
“You won’t die, Lucifer”, Nymeria responded calmly. “Not by my hand anyway. I will send you to serve the Night’s Watch, and thus give you a chance to find a new purpose for your life.”
Lucifer bridled at her words, shaking his head slightly. “Ah, you wish to punish me more, for daring to resist you”, he grumbled bitterly. “You can’t just kill me, no, you want me to suffer and freeze at the Wall.”
“Quite the contrary”, Nymeria responded strictly. “I recognize that you only did your duty by resisting my conquest, and I want to honor that by sparing your life. However, since I can never trust you to serve me loyally, I will trust that you have it in you to serve the realms of men as the Night’s Watch vows to do.” A moment of silence followed, and there was a pensive look on Lucifer’s eyes. Perhaps he was even grateful for Nymeria’s mercy, it was hard to tell, but he remained silent nonetheless.
“General Varyn, take him away”, Nymeria finally commanded, and the general obeyed. Forovos and Harrion walked out of the tent, and after a moment Forovos returned with a young girl who was also in chains. “Who is this?” Nymeria asked immediately, an emphatic and slightly concerned tone on her voice. “She is King Lucifer’s young bride, Gwyneth Tiddle”, Forovos explained calmly, and the girl gulped with a terrified expression on her face. “There is a chance that the girl carried King Lucifer’s child, though she denies it herself. Desmond Uller has expressed his wish to take her to Hellholt, and later marry her if she indeed isn’t pregnant.”
Nymeria looked the girl to the eyes and gestured for her to step closer. Nervously the girl did so, and Nymeria softly grabbed her hand. “Are you sure that you aren’t with King Lucifer’s child?” She asked gently, and the girl nodded. “Yes, Your Grace, the King never laid his seed inside me, you have to believe me”, she said, sobbing as she spoke, and Nymeria nodded in a calming manner.
“I believe her”, she declared loudly enough that everyone in the pavilion heard. “Now, free her of these chains. As for Desmond Uller’s wishes, that is up to Lady Gwyneth herself. She is a free woman and decides herself whom she wants to marry.”
And so Gwyneth Tiddle’s chains were removed, and she was escorted out of the pavilion. However, next was brought in her father, Lord Bedwyck Tiddle. “He remained King Lucifer’s most trusted advisor to the very end”, Forovos explained as he brought the man forward. Lord Bedwyck was heavily tanned, with dark grey hair and bushy beard.
“Your Grace, I was merely a humble servant of King Lucifer, only doing what was expected of me”, he explained, immediately falling on his knee. “But you have opened my eyes, Your Grace, you have shown me the weakness of King Lucifer. If you let me live, I will serve you most loyally, Your Grace.”
“You are Lord of Tidmarsh, right?” Nymeria asked calmly, and Bedwyck nodded with haste. “Yes, Your Grace”, he said with a subtle gulp. Nymeria looked at Mors, who then spoke up. “The lordship of Hellgate Hall will be given to Lord Uller. I assume you have no problem with that?” He asked, and Bedwyck shook his head.
“No, Your Grace. I will be happy with keeping the lordship of my small town, that is all I ask”, he spoke with a nervous and humble tone, still on his knee.
“Fine, you are pardoned. From this day you will be a vassal of the Principality of Dorne”, Nymeria said with an unenthusiastic tone, gesturing for Forovos to unchain the lord and take him away.
Forovos escorted the Tiddle lord out of the tent, and soon returned with another shackled man. This one was clearly a warrior, tall and broad-shouldered. He had a long black hair and beard, and in his dark eyes was a stern glare. “This one calls himself Ser Blackheart”, Forovos said with a relaxed tone. “He took down several of the Lord Uller’s men before finally yielding. A great warrior, and loyal to the end.”
“Ser Blackheart, huh?” Nymeria spoke with an intrigued tone. “I assume that isn’t your real name”, she continued with a questioning look in her eyes, and the man shook his head. “I was born Lothar Hill, bastard son of the Lord of Lannisport”, he explained with a sigh.
“Kingdom of the Rock”, Prince Mors was quick to clarify as Nymeria glanced at him. “What has brought you so far from your home?”
“Circumstances that I’d rather not discuss about”, he answered sternly, and Mors gave him an understanding nod. “And these circumstances led you to choosing a new name for yourself?” He asked, and Lothar nodded.
“You were very loyal to King Lucifer, staying by his side even when his own vassals turned against him”, Nymeria stated calmly, her eyes studying the man from head to toes. “Why?”
“A man’s gotta have principles”, Lothar answered strictly. “If every man would forget their oaths as soon as they become inconvenient, oaths would cease to have any meaning.”
“Very true”, Nymeria agreed with an affable tone. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up again. “I am going to send your king to the Wall, to serve the Night’s Watch for the rest of his life. I hear they quite appreciate men who take their oaths seriously up there. Then again, so do I. So, Ser Lothar, what would you say if I offered you an opportunity to pledge your sword to me, and serve me with the same loyalty you served King Lucifer?”
The knight seemed quite surprised by this, unable to find words for a moment. “I am at your mercy, Your Grace”, he finally said, gulping subtly as he spoke. “If you choose to give me this opportunity, I will serve you until the day I die.”
Now Forovos hastily stepped right next to Nymeria. “Your Grace, the Uller’s might take offense to you keeping him around, which is why I must advice you to send him to the Wall with Lucifer”, he whispered, and Nymeria gave him a small nod, before turning her eyes back to Ser Lothar Hill. She had made up her mind.
Grrr, Valerie's body is indeed missing... I don't buy her death, I don't buy it at all. Remember folks, you heard it here first! But Aisha's death was so satisfying Good riddance! Of course, burning her would have been better, but this was still good and I am glad we gave her absolutely no chance. The fact that she was afraid in the end proves to me that she hoped for Kris to decide and burn her, giving her a couple additional hours to come up with an escape plan. We didn't, she realized it and that's when she showed this delightful fear. May R'hllor take a massive dump on her soul!
Gwen is clearly shaken though. Those fucking Great Other nutjobs probably came very close to actually destroy her, but I have faith in Desi, who in turn seems absolutely certain Gwen can be brought back. For now though, I don't blame her for being that way, even after days. Who knows what happened in these days she has been under Valerie's control. Even just the experience of not being in control of her body must have been traumatizing and there are the implications of where her consciousness has been throughout this ordeal. Guess it was like several days of sleep paralysis. We know even someone as strong as Jamison needed some time to recover, albeit in his case it is not clear how much of it was because of the wound he received while under Valerie's control. A mind rape in the truest sense of the word and likely exactly as horrifying as it sounds like. It's good she is conscious again, but this will leave a mark and I assume fully recovering will take a long time, perhaps even months. After that however, I believe Gwen will come out of this stronger than before. You know, dedicated, to make sure she won't be taken control of ever again, be it in the literal way with what Valerie did, or in a metaphorical way, with how Benedict for example tried to control her life by marrying her off to someone she did not want to marry. She has always had this dream of taking charge of her own life, but this episode might finally give her the push she needs to act out on it. First however, recovery. Who knows how long this alone will take. Second, I would very much appreciate if she takes not only all the time she needs to fully regain what Valerie almost robbed her off here, her wit, her intelligence, her confidence, but if she also takes steps to learn how to never fall prey to this again. This however might mean having to go with Desi and to Volantis. I had this theory before and I most likely still am in favour of it, but it just now occurred to me that while I have theorized that Gwendis could end up with Desi for quite some time now, even during the timeskip perhaps, I have never thought about where they would stay. Volantis is quite some distance away from Dorne, but maybe some distance will be what Gwen needs to learn, to grow or else she might end up in the same situation again when she returns to Blackmont. When she returns, it has to be as someone not just having these dreams of taking control, but as someone practically capable of, in terms of personality and skills. And since I am certain she will return to Dorne in Book 2, maybe even having a chance to meet up with characters such as Nym, who could be an inspiration of sorts, I am actually not opposed to her spending some time in Volantis
Speaking of, onwards to Nym's part! I actually really liked seeing these different characters brought to face judgement. I'll get to Blackheart below, but first of all, Bedwyck. That man... that man is pathetic. I don't buy a word he says, but at the same time, I believe he is terrified of Nymeria. Surely he has plenty issues with her rule and with being made a vassal to House Uller, but I believe he is a coward at heart. I would actually be surprised if he ends up being a thorn in her side, he really did not give me the impression of being some scheming, vengeful mastermind, but merely a guy like Pycelle, who is quite content with not fighting back as long as he can remain in a comfortably powerful position. Gwyneth is truly one to pity though. Perhaps the best thing about her situation is that nobody who might have an interest in doing so was in a position to claim that she is pregnant with Lucifer's child. But she remains in no control of her own life. Now it seems likely she will be Desmond's new wife, as I really doubt she will have much of a choice there. And to say the least, Desmond gives me some bad vibes. Probably will force her into the marriage, being the son of her father's liege lord after all. The Tiddle's as a whole just cannot decline such an offer, given they lost almost as much as Lucifer himself just did.
Now, Lucifer, oh Lucifer. Can I say I almost developed respect for him here? That was before I remembered what a jerk he actually is. In terms of being sheerly unpleasant, he even outshines Albin, who becomes only worse because he is a monstrous madman. Lucifer however has always given me the impression of being the greater jerk. Kind of like a bully at school, there's worse people than those guys, but few manage to be less sympathetic. He got what he deserved in the end. While you said before you might be willing to bend the canon a bit when it comes to the fate of some kings (which, I presume, means that some of them can potentially even die, such as Albin in that one Kortney choice), I was always feeling confident with guessing that Lucifer is the most likely to get his canonical fate. He is the first king after all and the one where the exile is the most karmic punishment. There might even be kings who will see it as less of a punishment, as Vorian for example might be glad he gets a chance to serve the realms of men instead of dying, but Lucifer? At least at this point, I bet he sees it as a punishment. Oh man, I suddenly had this thought, at the very end of the story we got the new recruit Yorick Yronwood on the Wall, with Lucifer being this Alliser Thorne expy, all bitter and crabby, that would be a gloriously deserved fate for such a deeply unpleasant man. But as I said, I almost developed some respect for his refusal to bend the knee. He does not deserve death, Nymeria decided perfectly right here. Now, for the last person that was judged over here, first I gotta vote.
[Pardon Ser Lothar]
Now, wait, wait, Ser Blackheart has a backstory? A real name? A personality? What is this sorcery and why did I always consider him to be merely some loyal redshirt drone in Lucifer's entourage? He and Hondo should open a group for overlooked characters who actually have more depth than I thought at first I actually liked him in this part and my view on him as a character has changed. Sure, the Uller's might take offense to his presence, but I actually believe that he can be a valuable asset to Nym now. He gave me an honest impression here and I would like to give him a chance to serve Nymeria. Besides, if we give people such as Bedwyck a second chance, shouldn't the same apply to all of Lucifer's followers?
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempte… mored to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain d… [view original content]
Seems like Gwendis is going to take a lot of time to recover, and Kris has no idea he's now a vassal of House Martell. I still feel rather sad Dalia is the only POV character we have seen dying so far without her well, POV. Desirea is the last Dryland, and she doesn't know or care at all, maybe one day she can be reunited with her father.
[Pardon Ser Lothar] House Dryland is finished, and he technically only did his duty. Nymeria is forgiving, and she needs every strong warrior that's willing to fight for her during her confrontation with House Dayne. The revelation that he's a bastard from the Westerlands make him a more interesting character in the future.
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempte… mored to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain d… [view original content]
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempte… mored to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain d… [view original content]
Grrr, Valerie's body is indeed missing... I don't buy her death, I don't buy it at all. Remember folks, you heard it here first! But Aisha's death was so satisfying Good riddance! Of course, burning her would have been better, but this was still good and I am glad we gave her absolutely no chance. The fact that she was afraid in the end proves to me that she hoped for Kris to decide and burn her, giving her a couple additional hours to come up with an escape plan. We didn't, she realized it and that's when she showed this delightful fear. May R'hllor take a massive dump on her soul!
Indeed, Valerie's body is missing. Not exactly a surprise considering that she jumped off a cliff into a storming sea. If she is indeed dead, her body will have either washed ashore somewhere miles away, or its at the bottom of the Sea of Dorne. And well, as painful as it is I must reveal that Aisha would not have managed to escape, whether she had it in mind or not, so you did miss out on making her suffer more That said, she is dead and gone now anyway, no need to worry about that.
Gwen is clearly shaken though. Those fucking Great Other nutjobs probably came very close to actually destroy her, but I have faith in Desi, who in turn seems absolutely certain Gwen can be brought back. For now though, I don't blame her for being that way, even after days. Who knows what happened in these days she has been under Valerie's control. Even just the experience of not being in control of her body must have been traumatizing and there are the implications of where her consciousness has been throughout this ordeal. Guess it was like several days of sleep paralysis. We know even someone as strong as Jamison needed some time to recover, albeit in his case it is not clear how much of it was because of the wound he received while under Valerie's control. A mind rape in the truest sense of the word and likely exactly as horrifying as it sounds like. It's good she is conscious again, but this will leave a mark and I assume fully recovering will take a long time, perhaps even months. After that however, I believe Gwen will come out of this stronger than before. You know, dedicated, to make sure she won't be taken control of ever again, be it in the literal way with what Valerie did, or in a metaphorical way, with how Benedict for example tried to control her life by marrying her off to someone she did not want to marry. She has always had this dream of taking charge of her own life, but this episode might finally give her the push she needs to act out on it. First however, recovery. Who knows how long this alone will take. Second, I would very much appreciate if she takes not only all the time she needs to fully regain what Valerie almost robbed her off here, her wit, her intelligence, her confidence, but if she also takes steps to learn how to never fall prey to this again. This however might mean having to go with Desi and to Volantis. I had this theory before and I most likely still am in favour of it, but it just now occurred to me that while I have theorized that Gwendis could end up with Desi for quite some time now, even during the timeskip perhaps, I have never thought about where they would stay. Volantis is quite some distance away from Dorne, but maybe some distance will be what Gwen needs to learn, to grow or else she might end up in the same situation again when she returns to Blackmont. When she returns, it has to be as someone not just having these dreams of taking control, but as someone practically capable of, in terms of personality and skills. And since I am certain she will return to Dorne in Book 2, maybe even having a chance to meet up with characters such as Nym, who could be an inspiration of sorts, I am actually not opposed to her spending some time in Volantis
Yeah, being under Valerie's magic was extremely traumatizing experience for Gwen, much worse than anything Aisha ever did to her. It's going to haunt her for some time, and she really needs Desirea's help to get over it. More about that in her last Book 1 part though All that said, Gwendis is in no way broken beyond repair, and by Book 2 we'll see much of her old confidence back. She'll be a somewhat changed as a character, but at core still the same Gwendis from the start of the story And yeah, going to Volantis made the most sense for me at this point. It's a safe place for Desi to heal Gwen, as no Great Other worshiper is bold enough to come close to the Temple of the Lord of Light. It also puts some distance between Gwen and Dorne, but she will definitely return in time. Anyway, as said, all of this will be discussed more in Gwendis' next part.
Speaking of, onwards to Nym's part! I actually really liked seeing these different characters brought to face judgement. I'll get to Blackheart below, but first of all, Bedwyck. That man... that man is pathetic. I don't buy a word he says, but at the same time, I believe he is terrified of Nymeria. Surely he has plenty issues with her rule and with being made a vassal to House Uller, but I believe he is a coward at heart. I would actually be surprised if he ends up being a thorn in her side, he really did not give me the impression of being some scheming, vengeful mastermind, but merely a guy like Pycelle, who is quite content with not fighting back as long as he can remain in a comfortably powerful position. Gwyneth is truly one to pity though. Perhaps the best thing about her situation is that nobody who might have an interest in doing so was in a position to claim that she is pregnant with Lucifer's child. But she remains in no control of her own life. Now it seems likely she will be Desmond's new wife, as I really doubt she will have much of a choice there. And to say the least, Desmond gives me some bad vibes. Probably will force her into the marriage, being the son of her father's liege lord after all. The Tiddle's as a whole just cannot decline such an offer, given they lost almost as much as Lucifer himself just did.
Hehe, Bedwyck did quite a good job at climbing the ladder, becoming one of Lucifer's closest advisers and marrying his daughter to him, all for Nymeria to pull the rug from under him He certainly ain't too proud to beg and suck up though. I'd say from the Tiddle's Lewyn is the only one who is doing well right now, potentially marrying the Qorgyle heiress. Gwyneth though, yeah, considering her father is in a very tight place now and Desmond has expressed interest in her, it seems pretty much give that she'll end up marrying the future Uller lord. Desmond ain't no angel, but he's not the worst possible person for Gwyneth to end up with.
Now, Lucifer, oh Lucifer. Can I say I almost developed respect for him here? That was before I remembered what a jerk he actually is. In terms of being sheerly unpleasant, he even outshines Albin, who becomes only worse because he is a monstrous madman. Lucifer however has always given me the impression of being the greater jerk. Kind of like a bully at school, there's worse people than those guys, but few manage to be less sympathetic. He got what he deserved in the end. While you said before you might be willing to bend the canon a bit when it comes to the fate of some kings (which, I presume, means that some of them can potentially even die, such as Albin in that one Kortney choice), I was always feeling confident with guessing that Lucifer is the most likely to get his canonical fate. He is the first king after all and the one where the exile is the most karmic punishment. There might even be kings who will see it as less of a punishment, as Vorian for example might be glad he gets a chance to serve the realms of men instead of dying, but Lucifer? At least at this point, I bet he sees it as a punishment. Oh man, I suddenly had this thought, at the very end of the story we got the new recruit Yorick Yronwood on the Wall, with Lucifer being this Alliser Thorne expy, all bitter and crabby, that would be a gloriously deserved fate for such a deeply unpleasant man. But as I said, I almost developed some respect for his refusal to bend the knee. He does not deserve death, Nymeria decided perfectly right here. Now, for the last person that was judged over here, first I gotta vote.
Well, in the end Lucifer is just a bit of an unpleasant person, but I'd say he does deserve some respect. He's not a ruthless tyrant or a bloodthirsty madman, just a bitter man who has to witness his family's dynasty come to an end. And yeah, I will probably keep giving you some chances to change the fates of the kings, in the vein of that Kortney choice earlier, but in Lucifer's case I saw no point to change the canon. And yeah, Lucifer definitely sees going to the Wall as a punishment. Perhaps he might have some mixed feelings about this "mercy", but for the most part they are negative. And oh yes, we'll be seeing some glimpses of Lucifer's life after this in the future
Now, wait, wait, Ser Blackheart has a backstory? A real name? A personality? What is this sorcery and why did I always consider him to be merely some loyal redshirt drone in Lucifer's entourage? He and Hondo should open a group for overlooked characters who actually have more depth than I thought at first I actually liked him in this part and my view on him as a character has changed. Sure, the Uller's might take offense to his presence, but I actually believe that he can be a valuable asset to Nym now. He gave me an honest impression here and I would like to give him a chance to serve Nymeria. Besides, if we give people such as Bedwyck a second chance, shouldn't the same apply to all of Lucifer's followers?
Aye, Ser Blackheart does indeed have a backstory and personality Under Lucifer he was basically just a silent guard, but in this moment he is pretty much forced to open up at least a bit. And he most definitely will be a valuable asset for Nym if she indeed decides to keep him around
Grrr, Valerie's body is indeed missing... I don't buy her death, I don't buy it at all. Remember folks, you heard it here first! But Aisha's… more death was so satisfying Good riddance! Of course, burning her would have been better, but this was still good and I am glad we gave her absolutely no chance. The fact that she was afraid in the end proves to me that she hoped for Kris to decide and burn her, giving her a couple additional hours to come up with an escape plan. We didn't, she realized it and that's when she showed this delightful fear. May R'hllor take a massive dump on her soul!
Gwen is clearly shaken though. Those fucking Great Other nutjobs probably came very close to actually destroy her, but I have faith in Desi, who in turn seems absolutely certain Gwen can be brought back. For now though, I don't blame her for being that way, even after days. Who knows what happened in these days she has been under Valerie's control. Even just t… [view original content]
Most of my thoughts as far as Kris' part goes has been discussed but I do have to say I am especially intrigued to see Kris' reaction when he goes back to Faith and House Dryland has been defeated. I am also especially intrigued to see if Desi will play a role in the story moving forward and I am also excited to see Gwendis' role moving forward as well and how her time in Volantis will change her!
With Nymeria's first war of conquest finished, it looks like are almost to the end of Book one! I figured Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would be the book one ending but with that part happening here, I am at a loss for what the finale will be about How many parts are left in book one anyhow? I feel like with all if these big events happening, it has to be close! As for the Nymeria choice, I like everyone else am surprised about Ser Blackheart's backstory and surprising character development! With that said, I think I'll vote for her to [Send Ser Lothar to the Wall] I don't see this choice winning but I still think I'll pick it largely because it does seem like a sound political choice to appease her new found allies in House Uller. While he himself was only being loyal to his king, he also killed Uller men and while I don't see them turning on her at this point, it wouldn't hurt to do this as a sign of goodwill. With that said, pardoning him is also a good choice as well and It will probably lead to seeing more of him which should be interesting as well!
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempte… mored to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain d… [view original content]
Most of my thoughts as far as Kris' part goes has been discussed but I do have to say I am especially intrigued to see Kris' reaction when he goes back to Faith and House Dryland has been defeated. I am also especially intrigued to see if Desi will play a role in the story moving forward and I am also excited to see Gwendis' role moving forward as well and how her time in Volantis will change her!
Ah, I'm afraid we won't be seeing this first-hand, since this was Kris' last part in Book 1. However, I can reveal that he will accept Nymeria's rule over Vaith without resistance. We'll catch up with him in Book 2 though, and surely learn more about his thoughts on this new order of things As for Gwen, we'll see her once more before Book 1 is over, but I am just as excited to show the change in her after the time skip.
With Nymeria's first war of conquest finished, it looks like are almost to the end of Book one! I figured Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would be the book one ending but with that part happening here, I am at a loss for what the finale will be about How many parts are left in book one anyhow? I feel like with all if these big events happening, it has to be close!
Yes, we are very close to the end indeed In fact, I'd say Book 1 will be finished within a week, because there are only two more parts planned for this chapter. And then there is the epilogue of course, but that will be just one part
Most of my thoughts as far as Kris' part goes has been discussed but I do have to say I am especially intrigued to see Kris' reaction when h… moree goes back to Faith and House Dryland has been defeated. I am also especially intrigued to see if Desi will play a role in the story moving forward and I am also excited to see Gwendis' role moving forward as well and how her time in Volantis will change her!
With Nymeria's first war of conquest finished, it looks like are almost to the end of Book one! I figured Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would be the book one ending but with that part happening here, I am at a loss for what the finale will be about How many parts are left in book one anyhow? I feel like with all if these big events happening, it has to be close! As for the Nymeria choice, I like everyone else am surprised about Ser Blackheart's backstory and surprising character development! With that said, I think I'll vote for her to [Se… [view original content]
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempte… mored to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain d… [view original content]
And Nymeria will pardon Ser Lothar, who shall from now on serve the Principality of Dorne.
And next up, we will have the last two parts of Chapter 3! Finally The PoVs are Valor and Gwendis, and I've made good progress on them during the last few days. Considering these last two parts with Nymeria and Kris, I assume no need for recaps are needed for where Valor and Gwendis are Anyway, I am in a bit of a crunch with my uni work atm, but I should still be able to get these parts done and posted during the weekend.
Oh yes, the final parts of the chapter! As much as I loved this one (hands down my favourite chapter so far), I think my Book 2 hype is greater than all previous hypes combined, so this is great. And it seem the very final part will be Gwen's, that comes, once again, as a complete surprise to me. I would have been willing to bet that Nymeria would have gotten the final one, but I am definitely not complaining But yeah, I think it is needless to say, I am super excited for that one!
Voting is closed!
And Nymeria will pardon Ser Lothar, who shall from now on serve the Principality of Dorne.
And next up, we will have… more the last two parts of Chapter 3! Finally The PoVs are Valor and Gwendis, and I've made good progress on them during the last few days. Considering these last two parts with Nymeria and Kris, I assume no need for recaps are needed for where Valor and Gwendis are Anyway, I am in a bit of a crunch with my uni work atm, but I should still be able to get these parts done and posted during the weekend.
Valor stood on the gallery of Hellgate Hall’s great hall, watching as Nymeria sat on Lucifer’s throne and the Ullers ceremonially pledged their loyalty to her and House Martell. Earlier that day one of Nymeria’s Rhoynar warriors had arrived from the southern parts of Brimstone. She had reported that an ironborn crew had raided there, until the remnants of the Wild Suns led by Khazor the Sarnori had driven them away. This had led to Nymeria assigning the Fallen Dragons to march down the Brimstone and make sure any and all invaders were dealt with, so the people of Brimstone could be brought under the protection of the Principality of Dorne. However, that was a mission for tomorrow. Today even Valor and his men could rest and enjoy the victory.
Glancing at his left, Valor noticed General Varyn approaching him. The old man had his usual stern and humorless expression on, but there was no hostility in his eyes. “Commander Valor”, he greeted him with an official tone. “General Varyn”, Valor responded accordingly. “I am sure it gladdens you to see her reach this victory”, he quickly continued, nodding towards Nymeria.
“It gladdens me that this victory could be reached with relatively low sacrifices, yes”, Varyn responded dryly. “However, I also fear this might embolden her to more reckless endeavors in the future.”
“Such as?” Valor asked curiously, and the general let out a sigh. “You used to march under the commands of the dragonlords”, he stated sharply. “I am sure you of all people can imagine the horrors that emboldened conquerors can lead their people into.”
“You fear this war will end up devouring her?” Valor asked quietly, and though Varyn did not speak, he could see the answer in his eyes. He was deeply concerned, which was something Valor had not expected from Nymeria’s top officer. “For now she is victorious, which I am thankful for”, Varyn finally spoke up again, a pondering look in his eyes as he gazed at Nymeria. “However, unlike you and me, she hasn’t experienced a true defeat in the battlefield. This makes her overconfident, arrogant even. She has built a new home for the Rhoynar here, and for that she has my respect. I only hope she doesn’t end up destroying what she has created.”
“And what would you have her do in this situation?” Valor asked smoothly, looking the general to the eyes. “Before she even thinks about continuing her conquest further to the west, she should establish a stable hold on the lands she holds now, ensure the loyalty of her current vassals, as well as expand the principality’s trade with other kingdoms of Westeros”, Varyn responded without missing a beat. “To build a castle, one must make sure its foundation is solid. Same goes for kingdoms.”
“That’s reasonable”, Valor admitted calmly. “Perhaps you should voice these concerns to Nymeria in the next council meeting.”
“Oh, I intend to”, Varyn said sharply, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Valor. “And I would appreciate if you backed me in voicing these concerns.” Valor raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by this request, but then he realized it was the reason Varyn had come to discuss with him in the first place. “Will do”, he finally said nonchalantly, and with a stern nod the Rhoynar general turned and walked away.
As Varyn walked away from Valor, Bridget Gargalen approached him. “Bridget”, he greeted her with a slightly surprised tone, and she smiled. “Just wanted to come and see you, now that I’m officially not a prisoner any longer”, she said. Valor looked Bridget in the eyes, finding himself unable to read from her expression what she was thinking.
“I want you to know that I’m truly sorry you had to be a prisoner in the first place”, he apologized sincerely, to which Bridget just smiled sweetly. “Don’t be, it hasn’t been all bad”, she said quietly. “For example, it has given me an opportunity to get to know you, strange warrior of a foreign land.”
Valor chuckled softly at Bridget’s words. “The pleasure has been all mine, mylady”, he replied with a relaxed tone. After this they were both quiet for a few seconds, until Bridget spoke up again. “They say that Valyria is the greatest city in the whole world. You’re the only person I know to have seen it personally… is it true?” she asked with an intrigued tone.
“I suppose it would depend on how you define greatness”, he responded with a raised eyebrow. “It is a grand city for sure, and beautiful too, in a sort of threatening manner. Just imagine dozens of tall black towers, each decorated with large gargoyles and statues of dragons, and hundreds of actual dragons flying on the smoky sky above them. That said, I wasn’t actually raised in the capital myself, and have only visited it a handful of times. My family comes from the city of Draconys, which is a port city at the western coast of the Valyrian Peninsula.”
“It’s a smaller city?” Bridget asked, and with a subtle smirk Valor nodded. “Yes, but still a dozen times the size of Salt Shore”, he clarified, and for a brief moment Bridget’s eyes widened in wonderment. “The nobility of Draconys is deeply involved with the politics of Volantis, my father included, which is what eventually led me to making a military career in the Volantene army. And that in turn led me to the war against the Rhoynar”, Valor concluded with a sigh, turning his gaze down.
“Do you ever miss it, your home?” Bridget asked softly. Valor gulped, considering his words for a moment. “I’d lie if I said I never miss it”, he admitted calmly. “However, I’ve come to grips with it by now, accepting that I no longer have a home.”
“Perhaps you could find a new one, just as the Rhoynar have”, Bridget suggested with an encouraging tone, and Valor reciprocated her smile. “Perhaps someday”, he agreed softly.
They turned to watch and listen as Nymeria held a speech to the court of Hellgate Hall, promising her protection and provision for these lands, as well as praising the strength and unity of the Principality of Dorne, which was received by applauds.
“So, what happens next?” Bridget asked from Valor, gulping subtly as she looked at him. “Where will you go?”
“My contract with Nymeria continues for now”, Valor responded tensely, knowing it wasn’t exactly what Bridget had asked about. He took in a deep breath and continued. “For now I’ve been tasked with restoring the order in the lower Brimstone, but what comes after that I am unsure of. However, as you know, my ships are still docked at your harbor.”
“So, you will come to Salt Shore after your mission here is done?” Bridget asked shyly, and Valor nodded. “I will”, he promised, and now Bridget stepped closer to him and gently grabbed his hand. With a tender look in her eyes, she put her lips against his. It was a brief kiss, over as soon as it started, but like an oasis at the heart of a desert it filled Valor with peaceful joy, if only for a moment.
“I’ll be waiting for you”, Bridget chirped, and walked away. I’ll see you there, Valor thought with a smile on his face.
No decision.
-
Gwendis
The world was dark. A relentless storm raged around Gwendis, and in the pitch-black sky above her only the glowing blue eyes could be seen. As the eyes stared down at her with judgement, the wind carried into her ears the twisted laughter of Valerie. Suddenly the wind turned into flames, which rapidly grew higher and higher, consuming Gwendis within them. And the laughter died down. As the flames began to eat away her skin and she screamed in pain, the blue eyes watched her suffering in silence.
Gwendis woke up with a gasp, cold sweat running down her forehead. It took a moment for her to remember that she was in the cabin of the ship that Desirea had took her into. She felt weak, too weak to even get up from the bunk or utter a single word.
“Are you alright?” She heard the voice of Belan asking, and slowly she turned her gaze to see the young boy sitting on a chair by the cabin’s door, a concerned expression on his face. “I… I’m…” Gwendis stuttered, before breaking into tears and turning away from Belan in shame.
“Just stay calm, I… I’ll fetch Desi”, the boy spoke nervously, which was followed by the sound of the door being opened and closed again. About a minute later the door was opened again, and now in walked Desirea. The young girl was dressed in her red robes as always, and on her face was a calm and soft expression as she sat down next to Gwendis’ bunk.
“Princess Gwendis, is something troubling you?” She asked gently. Gwendis took in a few breaths to calm down and collect her thoughts, before finally speaking up. “It’s the nightmares, they aren’t going away”, she muttered weakly, and Desirea nodded in an empathic manner. “The blue eyes?” she asked softly, and Gwendis nodded.
“You’ve been in a bad place lately, surrounded by terrible people”, Desirea started calmly. “These people worship darkness and death, the eternal enemies of life and everything in it that we hold dear. Their twisted magic has left you weak and scarred, but it’s not too late to bring you back to the light.”
“Wh-what happens next?” Gwendis asked with a gulp. Desirea took a pause and gently grabbed Gwendis’ hand, before answering her question. “Right now, all you need to do is rest and regain your strength. Then, I will teach you how to get rid of these nightmares, and in time completely abolish this connection that you have to the Great Other.”
“Do you know why I have it?” Gwendis asked with a gulp, and after hesitating a moment Desirea shook her head. “These things can be hard to understand for even the most experienced priests”, she said with a sigh. “However, it might be related to your surroundings, the people around you. Some people also tend to be more… prone to these kinds of things. It is not necessarily a bad thing mind you, you just had a bad luck with being at the disposal of these Great Other worshipers.”
“Is… is it something I can get rid of?” Gwendis asked quietly.
“The nightmares, the visions of the Great Other, all that you can learn to reject. However, this connection will always be a part of you”, Desirea explained with a serious but gentle tone. “One option for you would be to use it to serve the light, to learn the ways of R’hllor.”
“You’d have me become a red priestess?” Gwendis asked with an unenthusiastic tone, but Desirea quickly shook her head in response. “That is not necessary, my princess”, she replied with a small smile. “You can serve the Lord of Light without becoming a priestess. And when you’ve learned enough, you can safely return to your home.”
“Home”, Gwendis repeated quietly, and memories of Blackmont flashed through her mind. She thought about Naemon and Benedict, and how they probably thought she was dead. “I need to go home”, she said with a gulp, an alarmed look in her eyes. The young priestess took in a deep breath, clearly considering her words carefully. “You are not my prisoner, so if you wish to go home, I will arrange a ship for you once we reach Tyrosh. However, I urge you to consider this carefully. If you go back now, the nightmares won’t go away, they will keep haunting you and pulling you towards darkness. So I must humbly ask you to stay with me for now, and let me help you.”
A silence lingered in the room for a moment, as Gwendis considered her choice. Her heart broke at the thought of her brother and father having to deal with her absence, but she knew that Desirea was speaking the truth. She needed her help, and she couldn’t go back to Blackmont before she was fully healed from the sickness that Aisha and Valerie had brought upon her. “I’ll stay with you”, she said quietly, and Desirea smiled softly.
“Don’t worry, my princess, you will see your family again”, she assured, stroking Gwendis’ shoulder gently. Then the door of the cabin was opened again by Belan. “Lady Desirea, Princess Gwendis, we’re almost at Tyrosh”, he informed with a subtle smirk on his face. “The port is already at the horizon.” With these words the boy rushed out of the room again.
“Come Gwendis, I think you should get some fresh air”, Desirea suggested with a relaxed tone, offering her hand for the princess. Gwendis hesitated for a moment, wondering if she even had the strength to get up from the bunk. However, with a gulp she grasped Desirea’s hand, and a smile the priestess pulled her up from the bunk with a smile on her face. Hand in hand they made their way out of the dusty cabin. Walking the short and narrow corridor towards the stairway at the end of it, Gwendis had to squint her eyes at the sun shining in. The wooden stairs creaked under their feet as they climbed up to the ship’s deck.
Gwendis took in a deep breath as they approached the railing, her eyes widening in wonder of the sight ahead. She had read about the Free Cities, but descriptions in books did little justice to the reality. The harbor was filled all kinds of ships from Ibbenese whalers to Tyroshi war galleys and Summer Islander swan ships. Overlooking all of them on the cliffs next to the harbor was the tallest tower Gwendis had ever seen – a round and white lighthouse, which had to be at least seven-hundred feet tall. Behind the high walls that protected the city, several smaller towers could be seen, as well as dozens of temples and mansions, each more beautiful than any building Gwendis had seen before.
“This is Tyrosh?” she asked quietly, simply stun by the grandeur of it. “Indeed”, Desirea responded, clearly a bit amused by Gwendis’ reaction. “Just wait until you see Volantis”, she quipped, and for the first time in a long time, Gwendis smiled freely. It was in this moment that she realized she could truly leave behind the horrors of yesterday and find something new. A fresh start, she thought with a feeling of relief going through her, as the soft wind played with her hair.
Ah, wonderful! At first, I think it is for the best to show my reaction to some particular paragraphs before sharing some thoughts on this part as a whole
“Oh, I intend to”, Varyn said sharply, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Valor. “And I would appreciate if you backed me in voicing these concerns.” Valor raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by this request, but then he realized it was the reason Varyn had come to discuss with him in the first place. “Will do”, he finally said nonchalantly, and with a stern nod the Rhoynar general turned and walked away.
Once more, Varyn's thoughts on Nymeria are an absolute joy to read. He is probably unique among her followers that he follows solely out of duty, not out of the desire to climb in ranks or out of particular fondness or to further some mysterious agenda (looking at you, Forovos). And I just downright loved the interaction between him and Valor here. Seems like ever so slowly, they start to appreciate each other and I wonder how their relationship will have developed in Book 2.
“So, you will come to Salt Shore after your mission here is done?” Bridget asked shyly, and Valor nodded. “I will”, he promised, and now Bridget stepped closer to him and gently grabbed his hand. With a tender look in her eyes, she put her lips against his. It was a brief kiss, over as soon as it started, but like an oasis at the heart of a desert it filled with Valor with peaceful joy, if only for a moment.
throws a bottle of wine at the two
I hereby christen thee, the good ship Brilor! Sail on, noble ship, sail!
Seriously though, I might have chuckled a little at how adorable this was. A little only. Then I punched a kitten to officially restore my manliness. Seriously though, this is an adorable way to end Valor's storyline. It actually occured to me, as Valyrian nobility, a romance between him and Bridget isn't even doomed to fail due to their different standings in life. Though unusual, Valor could actually be seen as a suitable match, given that foreign nobles are rare, but not unfitting spouses for the lords and ladies of Westeros.
The world was dark. A relentless storm raged around Gwendis, and in the pitch-black sky above her only the glowing blue eyes could be seen. As the eyes stared down at her with judgement, the wind carried into her ears the twisted laughter of Valerie. Suddenly the wind turned into flames, which rapidly grew higher and higher, consuming Gwendis within them. And the laughter died down. As the flames began to eat away her skin and she screamed in pain, the blue eyes watched her suffering in silence.
Agh, get out of her head, you freaky lich bitch! Possibly, I mean. This could as much be just a still lingering effect of Valerie's mind control and the entity previously known as the GO Bro being unwilling to let go of her. But it could also be Valerie still clinging onto whatever little life there still is left inside her, trying to still dominate her victim. If she cannot win, she can at least try to cause pain and this is definitely what is happening here, regardless of wether or not she survived. It is interesting that Gwen seems to experience the final moments of Valerie here, first the overly confident laughter, then the flames and screams. I suppose that this particular event, being under Valerie's mind control while the witch herself suffered extreme agony, was what amplified the already traumatizing effects of the spell. Wouldn't be too surprised if, in a way, Gwendis actually felt it every bit as intense as Valerie.
“Don’t worry, my princess, you will see your family again”, she assured, stroking Gwendis’ shoulder gently.
Damn straight she will! Now, I know Desi is not infallible, but I have trust in her. She seems absolutely convinced that Gwen will see her family again and so am I. She survived this much, she mustn't be stopped by some creepy nightmares. That being said, I do not think a reunion will happen right away in Book 2. The healing process itself, or at least most of it, will likely happen off screen during the timeskip, it is perfect for this. Even after this, I suppose more is to come. Her road back to Blackmont will lead through all Dorne and I highly expect that she will do somethin in the areas already controlled by Nymeria.
“This is Tyrosh?” she asked quietly, simply stun by the grandeur of it. “Indeed”, Desirea responded, clearly a bit amused by Gwendis’ reaction. “Just wait until you see Volantis”, she quipped, and for the first time in a long time, Gwendis smiled freely. It was in this moment that she realized she could truly leave behind the horrors of yesterday and find something new. A fresh start, she thought with a feeling of relief going through her, as the soft wind played with her hair.
There you go, that is one hell of a way to end the chapter! Gwendis has been through some serious shit, I believe out of the entire still living cast, only Kortney went through worse. But this... does put a smile on my face Really though, this is beautiful. More than anything, it proved that no, she is not lost. It will be a hard two years of recovery, away from the people she needs most and whom need her most, but at least in her case, I know she will get through this time. Naemon and Benedict, they are the ones I feel pity for here, because she has the mercy of knowing they are fine. In two years, they will likely consider her dead or worse. That being said, I am so damn eager to see them reunite once more, as I cannot even imagine the feels it will bring up.
But yeah, safe to say this was an amazing way to finish the final chapter of Book 1! It has been a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the entire chapter (and book, while we're at it, but I think book critique should wait until the epilogue is over), but this was a part that legitimately ended on a happy note, from Valor and Varyn becoming bro's, to Valor and Bridget taking their relationship to the next level, to Gwendis first actual expression of genuine, unburdened joy in... I don't know. Have we actually seen her truly light-hearted and joyful before? Her scenes with Trentan, while holding some degree of happiness, were still overshadowed by the looming threat that was Aisha and Valerie. Her scenes in the early Blackmont storyline always had the somewhat depressing element of her knowing that whatever power she has build up for herself there is, at best, temporary. But this here is really the first time she seems hopeful. I imagine that smile as the first smile that is both genuine and light-hearted she made in quite some time. Warms my heart, truly. Ah, this will be a piece of work though. She is in good hands for now, but this won't be her final fate, wasting away in some temple in Volantis. She was always destined for greatness, even Aisha, for all her flaws, saw this. And I do suppose her Book 2 storyline will see her start on that road. With a bit of luck, Desi will be by her side, but even then, I do suppose Book 2 will also hold some new allies, friends and enemies for her. I do not know what will be in store for her, but I know, without any doubt, that I am excited.
Now, if you don't mind, I have two questions about possible alternatives to Gwendis' storyline, now that her storyline for Book 1 is officially over. First of all, how would all this have ended if she would have turned into the dark priestess Aisha wanted her to be? You mentioned it would have been one way to survive the confrontation between Team R'hllor and Team Awful, but what then? I doubt she would have ended up on a ship bound to Volantis, but obviously there has to be some sort of event that would have seen her preparing for the time skip. Also, what sort of effect would this have had on her on a personal level?
Furthermore, the Skyreach route. I know I have often expressed regret, mixed with some hesitant and rather odd relief at us not picking the Skyreach route for her. I know, under certain circumstances, she could have become friends with Isabella, likely genuinely come to love Desmor and also made herself a valuable asset to Garrison, but could you elaborate in more detail about the possible outcomes Book 1 could have held for her if we would have picked Skyreach? In a way, I guess it wouldn't have been as drastically different as the Good Gwen and Evil Gwen routes from the R'hllor/Great Other storyline are, but still, I think differences are possible and I am curious just to know in general what could have been
Valor
Valor stood on the gallery of Hellgate Hall’s great hall, watching as Nymeria sat on Lucifer’s throne and the Ullers ceremonially p… moreledged their loyalty to her and House Martell. Earlier that day one of Nymeria’s Rhoynar warriors had arrived from the southern parts of Brimstone. She had reported that an ironborn crew had raided there, until the remnants of the Wild Suns led by Khazor the Sarnori had driven them away. This had led to Nymeria assigning the Fallen Dragons to march down the Brimstone and make sure any and all invaders were dealt with, so the people of Brimstone could be brought under the protection of the Principality of Dorne. However, that was a mission for tomorrow. Today even Valor and his men could rest and enjoy the victory.
Glancing at his left, Valor noticed General Varyn approaching him. The old man had his usual stern and humorless expression on, but there was no hostility in his eyes. “Commander Valor”, he g… [view original content]
Valor
Valor stood on the gallery of Hellgate Hall’s great hall, watching as Nymeria sat on Lucifer’s throne and the Ullers ceremonially p… moreledged their loyalty to her and House Martell. Earlier that day one of Nymeria’s Rhoynar warriors had arrived from the southern parts of Brimstone. She had reported that an ironborn crew had raided there, until the remnants of the Wild Suns led by Khazor the Sarnori had driven them away. This had led to Nymeria assigning the Fallen Dragons to march down the Brimstone and make sure any and all invaders were dealt with, so the people of Brimstone could be brought under the protection of the Principality of Dorne. However, that was a mission for tomorrow. Today even Valor and his men could rest and enjoy the victory.
Glancing at his left, Valor noticed General Varyn approaching him. The old man had his usual stern and humorless expression on, but there was no hostility in his eyes. “Commander Valor”, he g… [view original content]
Once more, Varyn's thoughts on Nymeria are an absolute joy to read. He is probably unique among her followers that he follows solely out of duty, not out of the desire to climb in ranks or out of particular fondness or to further some mysterious agenda (looking at you, Forovos). And I just downright loved the interaction between him and Valor here. Seems like ever so slowly, they start to appreciate each other and I wonder how their relationship will have developed in Book 2.
Yeah, I haven't had a proper chance to bring up Varyn's concerns regarding Nymeria and her war in a while, so I figured this was the perfect time for that Book 2 will definitely continue to explore the dynamic between Varyn and Nym, and perhaps also the one between Varyn and Valor.
throws a bottle of wine at the two
I hereby christen thee, the good ship Brilor! Sail on, noble ship, sail!
Seriously though, I might have chuckled a little at how adorable this was. A little only. Then I punched a kitten to officially restore my manliness. Seriously though, this is an adorable way to end Valor's storyline. It actually occured to me, as Valyrian nobility, a romance between him and Bridget isn't even doomed to fail due to their different standings in life. Though unusual, Valor could actually be seen as a suitable match, given that foreign nobles are rare, but not unfitting spouses for the lords and ladies of Westeros.
Hehe, yeah, it would've been quite cruel of me to end Book 1 without giving any closure to this ship And you're absolutely right, a romance between Valor and Bridget wouldn't be looked down upon at all, especially with Lord Jorvian dead and gone. If anything, it would be the Valyrians scoffing at one of their own marrying a Westerosi lady. Obviously that doesn't matter now either, since Valor isn't really in favor of the Valyrians anyway.
Agh, get out of her head, you freaky lich bitch! Possibly, I mean. This could as much be just a still lingering effect of Valerie's mind control and the entity previously known as the GO Bro being unwilling to let go of her. But it could also be Valerie still clinging onto whatever little life there still is left inside her, trying to still dominate her victim. If she cannot win, she can at least try to cause pain and this is definitely what is happening here, regardless of wether or not she survived. It is interesting that Gwen seems to experience the final moments of Valerie here, first the overly confident laughter, then the flames and screams. I suppose that this particular event, being under Valerie's mind control while the witch herself suffered extreme agony, was what amplified the already traumatizing effects of the spell. Wouldn't be too surprised if, in a way, Gwendis actually felt it every bit as intense as Valerie.
Mm, this could indeed be a hint towards Valerie's possible survival, or perhaps it's indeed just Gwendis living through Valerie's last moments in her nightmares. Who knows, we might learn more going towards Book 2
There you go, that is one hell of a way to end the chapter! Gwendis has been through some serious shit, I believe out of the entire still living cast, only Kortney went through worse. But this... does put a smile on my face Really though, this is beautiful. More than anything, it proved that no, she is not lost. It will be a hard two years of recovery, away from the people she needs most and whom need her most, but at least in her case, I know she will get through this time. Naemon and Benedict, they are the ones I feel pity for here, because she has the mercy of knowing they are fine. In two years, they will likely consider her dead or worse. That being said, I am so damn eager to see them reunite once more, as I cannot even imagine the feels it will bring up.
Ah, I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed it I've planned to end Chapter 3 with this kind of moment ever since it came clear Gwen would make it through the confrontation. The intention was indeed to show that despite the terrible things she had to go through, Gwen is not completely broken and could well grow to be stronger as a person than she ever was before. But yeah, on the downside of things is of course Benny and Naemon having to live with the thought that they have lost Gwendis forever
Now, if you don't mind, I have two questions about possible alternatives to Gwendis' storyline, now that her storyline for Book 1 is officially over. First of all, how would all this have ended if she would have turned into the dark priestess Aisha wanted her to be? You mentioned it would have been one way to survive the confrontation between Team R'hllor and Team Awful, but what then? I doubt she would have ended up on a ship bound to Volantis, but obviously there has to be some sort of event that would have seen her preparing for the time skip. Also, what sort of effect would this have had on her on a personal level?
Alright, so let's start with the Dark Gwen path. It's been a while since I've actively made any plans for this scenario (though not quite as long as it has been for the Skyreach path), but the basic premise is that she would've stuck with Aisha and Valerie (Mordekhai would've still died in the confrontation), now being basically the most powerful of the trio. They would've won the confrontation but it would've weakened them, which is why they would've gone to hiding in the Red Mountains, in case more servants of R'hllor would be sent after them. And the Gwendis in this scenario would obviously have been widely different from what we have now, consumed by her dark powers. However, there would have still been chance for a redemption, which is what her Book 2 storyline would've then been about, though I really don't have any details regarding that planned out.
Furthermore, the Skyreach route. I know I have often expressed regret, mixed with some hesitant and rather odd relief at us not picking the Skyreach route for her. I know, under certain circumstances, she could have become friends with Isabella, likely genuinely come to love Desmor and also made herself a valuable asset to Garrison, but could you elaborate in more detail about the possible outcomes Book 1 could have held for her if we would have picked Skyreach? In a way, I guess it wouldn't have been as drastically different as the Good Gwen and Evil Gwen routes from the R'hllor/Great Other storyline are, but still, I think differences are possible and I am curious just to know in general what could have been
Now, this is even harder to answer, because I think I have straight up forgotten about some of the plans I had for this route, due to not having to think about it in like, what? Has it been over a year? I'm pretty sure it has But let's just say that she could've rose to a pretty prominent role in Skyreach's council. And as we know the Fowlers will be stuck in two conflicts in Book 2, so Gwendis' role obviously would have been to help King Garrison with this.
Ah, wonderful! At first, I think it is for the best to show my reaction to some particular paragraphs before sharing some thoughts on this p… moreart as a whole
“Oh, I intend to”, Varyn said sharply, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Valor. “And I would appreciate if you backed me in voicing these concerns.” Valor raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by this request, but then he realized it was the reason Varyn had come to discuss with him in the first place. “Will do”, he finally said nonchalantly, and with a stern nod the Rhoynar general turned and walked away.
Once more, Varyn's thoughts on Nymeria are an absolute joy to read. He is probably unique among her followers that he follows solely out of duty, not out of the desire to climb in ranks or out of particular fondness or to further some mysterious agenda (looking at you, Forovos). And I just downright loved the interaction between him and Valor here. Seems like ever so slowl… [view original content]
Yeah, I haven't had a proper chance to bring up Varyn's concerns regarding Nymeria and her war in a while, so I figured this was the perfect time for that Book 2 will definitely continue to explore the dynamic between Varyn and Nym, and perhaps also the one between Varyn and Valor.
What I find interesting is, I kinda feel like Varyn's opinion on Nym has already improved a bit. Perhaps her victory against House Dryland against all initial odds has helped convincing him that her dream might not even be entirely impossible. I doubt he'll ever feel as strongly for her as he felt for Garin, but I do hope that in the end, he comes to appreciate her as a worthy successor. The more victories she actually gets, the more likely I consider this.
Hehe, yeah, it would've been quite cruel of me to end Book 1 without giving any closure to this ship And you're absolutely right, a romance between Valor and Bridget wouldn't be looked down upon at all, especially with Lord Jorvian dead and gone. If anything, it would be the Valyrians scoffing at one of their own marrying a Westerosi lady. Obviously that doesn't matter now either, since Valor isn't really in favor of the Valyrians anyway.
Gotta admit, I did not think you would do it I actually didn't even think Valor would have received another part in this chapter, the one before his already felt like an ending to his Chapter 3 storyline. That being said, it has now become so much better. I thought him and Bridget would have had this attraction unresolved until his possible return to Salt Shore in Book 2. Now it seems he might actually get to spend some time with her during the time skip. Who knows, maybe this can turn into more than a fling in Book 2. He is nobility, she is nobility, he is a high-ranking officer in Nymeria's army and actually as a Valyrian almost above her in terms of social standing, so that could be kind of a perfect match.
Ah, I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed it I've planned to end Chapter 3 with this kind of moment ever since it came clear Gwen would make it through the confrontation. The intention was indeed to show that despite the terrible things she had to go through, Gwen is not completely broken and could well grow to be stronger as a person than she ever was before. But yeah, on the downside of things is of course Benny and Naemon having to live with the thought that they have lost Gwendis forever
Hehe, it was the best ending for the chapter I could have hoped for and entirely unexpected, even after she managed to get through the confrontation alive. I was really certain it would end with Nymeria, but here you go and surprise me by giving her only an actually small role in the background of Valor's part. And well, it was definitely great to see her getting this sort of development. No matter what, her time in Volantis is likely to turn her into a person more suited to deal with the issues she has to face in the future. While never a pushover and always strong-willed, I am curious how Benny and Naemon will react to this new Gwendis. Speaking of Benny, I actually am really curious if he grows desperate enough to find out the fate of his daughter that he just uses that glass candle. Given that Gwen is alive and well in Volantis, he might get his answer, but at the price of drawing some trouble to Blackmont in the form of the sort of sorcerer he really doesn't want to attract.
Alright, so let's start with the Dark Gwen path. It's been a while since I've actively made any plans for this scenario (though not quite as long as it has been for the Skyreach path), but the basic premise is that she would've stuck with Aisha and Valerie (Mordekhai would've still died in the confrontation), now being basically the most powerful of the trio. They would've won the confrontation but it would've weakened them, which is why they would've gone to hiding in the Red Mountains, in case more servants of R'hllor would be sent after them. And the Gwendis in this scenario would obviously have been widely different from what we have now, consumed by her dark powers. However, there would have still been chance for a redemption, which is what her Book 2 storyline would've then been about, though I really don't have any details regarding that planned out.
Redemption in that case is surprising, but actually would have been intriguing. That being said, I stand by it, she would have basically been a villain in that case and the type of villain who rarely get their happy ending, so I imagine even if she would have survived here, it is the route that will make her ultimate survival the hardest to achieve. Though I do have further questions here. First of all, what about Desi and Kris? Would they both have died in the Dark Gwen path? And I gotta ask, the one route that would have seen her death in this confrontation, how would she have died? Would she have been executed by Kris, or died during the confrontation itself?
Now, this is even harder to answer, because I think I have straight up forgotten about some of the plans I had for this route, due to not having to think about it in like, what? Has it been over a year? I'm pretty sure it has But let's just say that she could've rose to a pretty prominent role in Skyreach's council. And as we know the Fowlers will be stuck in two conflicts in Book 2, so Gwendis' role obviously would have been to help King Garrison with this.
Yeah, more than a year. One and half even, I think, since we decided to choose Aisha over Skyreach. A choice I have often regretted, but I am actually quite happy with the way it turned out here. I am intrigued by Skyreach, the fact that Gwen could have had an actual family there, probably eventually having children of her own with Desmor (which will now, at best, take additional years until she can think of starting a family of her own and obviously not with Desmor) and becoming a part of House Fowler. However, I have to admit that this does not sound as intriguing as the possibilities she now has in Book 2 or the general thrill that was the Book 1 storyline we chose for her. And stuck between two wars as an important adviser of Garrison, I kinda see that as terribly dangerous. As we know, House Manwoody has Zereth and Nymeria has Forovos and the moment Gwen becomes any sort of threat to their respective wars with House Fowler, I'd imagine she would have been in the severe danger of becoming a target. Now, while Forovos can be a proper bastard, I doubt he has any reason to target her in Book 2.
Once more, Varyn's thoughts on Nymeria are an absolute joy to read. He is probably unique among her followers that he follows solely out of … moreduty, not out of the desire to climb in ranks or out of particular fondness or to further some mysterious agenda (looking at you, Forovos). And I just downright loved the interaction between him and Valor here. Seems like ever so slowly, they start to appreciate each other and I wonder how their relationship will have developed in Book 2.
Yeah, I haven't had a proper chance to bring up Varyn's concerns regarding Nymeria and her war in a while, so I figured this was the perfect time for that Book 2 will definitely continue to explore the dynamic between Varyn and Nym, and perhaps also the one between Varyn and Valor.
throws a bottle of wine at the two
I hereby christen thee, the good ship Brilor! Sail on, noble ship, sail!
Seriously though, I might have chuckled a little at how ado… [view original content]
And here we are, Chapter 3 is finished and with it, the end of the first book is almost upon us as well! I'll keep my thoughts here somewhat brief saving most of my thoughts for once the epilogue is complete. I am really surprised to see how this book ended on such a high note with Valor getting a happy ending to this book and of course Gwendis' part which was something special as well.
With there not being much left for me to add in regards to Valor's part, I am curious about the Rhoynar woman who reported about what happened primarily wondering if it was Lysera? I was hoping Dianna's sacrifice wasn't for nothing and it seems that it might not have been! Like the others, I enjoyed Valor and Varyn's talk and really enjoy their dynamic in general because they are so different but also very much the same and I feel like these two are going to be vital assets for Nymeria's success moving forward!
Now for Gwendis' part, there isn't much for me to add but I do have to applaud your choice of her being the last PoV in the main part of the story with my first guess being that Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would end the book but I definitely enjoy this ending! In my mind at least, this book obviously has Nymeria's War at the forefront but it also has other characters that really aren't involved with it directly at this point encountering problems of their own as well and Gwendis along with Kortney clearly had the roughest paths to travel so seeing one of them close the book with optimism for the future really is an awesome way to end it
Now for the epilogue, after looking at the title, I am pretty intrigued to see what it is going to consist with my primary guess being that it will be from the PoV of a Septon or Septa but I am probably way wrong there I am especially curious about if it will be the first sign of Nymeria's war expanding west or if it will be something else entirely. Anyway, one part left in book one left so safe to say I am definitely looking forward to this
Valor
Valor stood on the gallery of Hellgate Hall’s great hall, watching as Nymeria sat on Lucifer’s throne and the Ullers ceremonially p… moreledged their loyalty to her and House Martell. Earlier that day one of Nymeria’s Rhoynar warriors had arrived from the southern parts of Brimstone. She had reported that an ironborn crew had raided there, until the remnants of the Wild Suns led by Khazor the Sarnori had driven them away. This had led to Nymeria assigning the Fallen Dragons to march down the Brimstone and make sure any and all invaders were dealt with, so the people of Brimstone could be brought under the protection of the Principality of Dorne. However, that was a mission for tomorrow. Today even Valor and his men could rest and enjoy the victory.
Glancing at his left, Valor noticed General Varyn approaching him. The old man had his usual stern and humorless expression on, but there was no hostility in his eyes. “Commander Valor”, he g… [view original content]
Redemption in that case is surprising, but actually would have been intriguing. That being said, I stand by it, she would have basically been a villain in that case and the type of villain who rarely get their happy ending, so I imagine even if she would have survived here, it is the route that will make her ultimate survival the hardest to achieve. Though I do have further questions here. First of all, what about Desi and Kris? Would they both have died in the Dark Gwen path? And I gotta ask, the one route that would have seen her death in this confrontation, how would she have died? Would she have been executed by Kris, or died during the confrontation itself?
Yeah, I don't really have any plans for how exactly that storyline would've panned out, but safe to say it wouldn't have exactly been a happy story. Regarding your first question, I probably would've found a way for Kris to survive, but Desi definitely would have died. And to your second question, Gwen would have died after the confrontation, executed by Kris. That said, she would have probably also been a bit more active in the confrontation itself.
Yeah, I haven't had a proper chance to bring up Varyn's concerns regarding Nymeria and her war in a while, so I figured this was the perfect… more time for that Book 2 will definitely continue to explore the dynamic between Varyn and Nym, and perhaps also the one between Varyn and Valor.
What I find interesting is, I kinda feel like Varyn's opinion on Nym has already improved a bit. Perhaps her victory against House Dryland against all initial odds has helped convincing him that her dream might not even be entirely impossible. I doubt he'll ever feel as strongly for her as he felt for Garin, but I do hope that in the end, he comes to appreciate her as a worthy successor. The more victories she actually gets, the more likely I consider this.
Hehe, yeah, it would've been quite cruel of me to end Book 1 without giving any closure to this ship And you're absolutely right, a romance between Valor and Bridget wouldn't be looked down upon … [view original content]
With there not being much left for me to add in regards to Valor's part, I am curious about the Rhoynar woman who reported about what happened primarily wondering if it was Lysera? I was hoping Dianna's sacrifice wasn't for nothing and it seems that it might not have been! Like the others, I enjoyed Valor and Varyn's talk and really enjoy their dynamic in general because they are so different but also very much the same and I feel like these two are going to be vital assets for Nymeria's success moving forward!
Yeah, it was indeed Lysera, I just felt like there was no reason for Valor to know her name Lysera will also have a role in Book 2, so Dianna's sacrifice definitely wasn't in vain. And I'm glad you enjoyed the conversation between Valor and Varyn They are a really interesting pair, since both of them being excellent commanders sort of gives them a mutual respect towards each other, but at the same time there is a quite understandable antipathy from Varyn towards Valor. That said, he is definitely someone who prioritizes duty above any such feelings, and he has started to develop some trust towards Valor lately as well. And yeah, both of them will definitely be vital in Nymeria's war efforts going forward.
Now for Gwendis' part, there isn't much for me to add but I do have to applaud your choice of her being the last PoV in the main part of the story with my first guess being that Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would end the book but I definitely enjoy this ending! In my mind at least, this book obviously has Nymeria's War at the forefront but it also has other characters that really aren't involved with it directly at this point encountering problems of their own as well and Gwendis along with Kortney clearly had the roughest paths to travel so seeing one of them close the book with optimism for the future really is an awesome way to end it
Yeah, I'd say Book 1 was definitely more fragmented in terms of its storylines, whereas the rest will be a bit more tightly centered around the main conflict. And Gwendis had one of my personal favorite storylines in this book, so it felt right ending Chapter 3 with her PoV
Now for the epilogue, after looking at the title, I am pretty intrigued to see what it is going to consist with my primary guess being that it will be from the PoV of a Septon or Septa but I am probably way wrong there I am especially curious about if it will be the first sign of Nymeria's war expanding west or if it will be something else entirely. Anyway, one part left in book one left so safe to say I am definitely looking forward to this
Well, you don't have to wait for long, the epilogue is almost ready by now I can reveal though that the PoV will be a character we already know from the story, and it will show a fairly important moment.
And here we are, Chapter 3 is finished and with it, the end of the first book is almost upon us as well! I'll keep my thoughts here somewhat… more brief saving most of my thoughts for once the epilogue is complete. I am really surprised to see how this book ended on such a high note with Valor getting a happy ending to this book and of course Gwendis' part which was something special as well.
With there not being much left for me to add in regards to Valor's part, I am curious about the Rhoynar woman who reported about what happened primarily wondering if it was Lysera? I was hoping Dianna's sacrifice wasn't for nothing and it seems that it might not have been! Like the others, I enjoyed Valor and Varyn's talk and really enjoy their dynamic in general because they are so different but also very much the same and I feel like these two are going to be vital assets for Nymeria's success moving forward!
Now for Gwendis' part, there isn't much for… [view original content]
Alright, since there is no voting going on and I've already got the epilogue done, I thought why not just post it already And btw, I haven't forgot about the questions, they will come after the epilogue, and this time they will be about Book 1 as a whole. But anyway, here's the epilogue:
-
Epilogue: The Mother's Smile
Mors
It had been little over a year since the Kingdom of Brimstone submitted to the rule of the Principality of Dorne. About six months ago Mors had left Sandship on a task of escorting hundreds of Rhoynar settlers to the Brimstone, and especially to the town of Brimstone Well, now renamed as Nymerwell. Back then Nymeria’s pregnancy had still been in a pretty early state, but a fortnight ago raven had flown to Nymerwell, informing Mors that the Princess had given birth to a girl. That very same day Mors had began his journey back to Sandship.
Now finally he saw his home again, the ancient dun fort of Sandship, and the blue waters around it. Next to the fort the construction of the palace was ongoing, the main hall being about halfway done. The builders had settled on small mudbrick houses built west of the construction site, in shadow of the rising palace.
Prince Mors, flanked by the royal guards Ser Boran Sargen and Ser Lothar Hill, rode past the construction site of the palace, and in from the gates of Sandship. After dismounting his horse and taking it to the stables, Mors was approached by General Varyn.
“Welcome back, Your Grace”, Varyn spoke with a dutiful tone, bowing to the prince, who nodded calmly in response. “I came as quickly as I could”, he responded, taking in a deep breath. “Is the child in good health?”
“Yes, she is”, Varyn responded, a rare smile on his face. “I believe she just woke from her nap a moment ago, and is now being fed by the Princess. Let me take you to them”, he offered calmly, and with enthusiastic nod Mors followed after the general.
They made their way to the royal chambers, which were guarded by Commander Farrah and Nesea. “Prince Mors, welcome back”, the commander spoke softly, a subtle smile on her face as she bowed to him. “Nymeria has been waiting for your return”, she added as she turned to open the door.
Gulping nervously, Mors stepped in, his heart racing. He walked to the window of the room, by which Nymeria was sitting on a settee, a small baby girl on her arms. My daughter, Mors thought, overwhelmed by feelings and unable to find words.
“Welcome back, my love”, Nymeria spoke quietly, a gentle expression on her face. She looked a bit tired, but still beautiful, and radiating of motherly affection for the baby on her arms. The girl let out a weak little bawl as Mors sat down next to Nymeria.
”Have you decided on a name yet?” Mors asked, unable to subdue his grin as he looked into the bright eyes of the infant girl. “I have”, Nymeria answered softly. “Of course, I haven’t told anyone else yet, as I wanted you to be the first to hear it.”
“Well, what is it?” Mors asked excitedly, turning to look at his wife. Nymeria smiled to him, and it was a sweet and loving smile, the kind she didn’t show to the rest of the world. “Sarella”, she answered, and Mors could hear the pure affection in the way she pronounced the name.
“It’s a beautiful name”, Mors said with a satisfied smile. As he turned his eyes to the baby again, the little girl let out a sudden noise resembling a laughter, to which both Nymeria and Mors reacted with a warm chuckle. “Is there a story behind the name?” he then asked, and she nodded.
“It comes from a tale my mother used to tell me when I was a child”, Nymeria revealed, and for a moment there was a hint of yearning in her voice. She gulped subtly, before continuing. “In the story Sarella was a child of the river, birthed by Mother Rhoyne herself. She came down the current as a newborn baby, carried by turtles, the servants of Mother Rhoyne. An old farmer and his wife took her as their own, since they had no children of their own, and raised her with love. Mother Rhoyne recognized their love and gave them plentiful harvests year after year. Soon there was a village around the farm, and by the time the farmers died of old age, that village had grown into a thriving small town.”
“And what happened then?” Mors asked with an intrigued tone. Nymeria flashed her a smirk, and continued the story. “The people of the town grew greedy and drove Sarella out, in order to steal the wealth of her adoptive parents. Mother Rhoyne was of course infuriated by this, and for the next four years the harvest grew smaller and smaller, and the river kept flooding out of season and ruining the crops, eventually leading to famine in the town. Seeing this, Sarella felt pity for the people and traveled upriver to find Mother Rhoyne. On an island in the Upper Rhoyne she confronted the goddess of the river and pleaded her to forgive the people that had banished her, and save them from the famine.”
“And did the goddess agree?” Mors asked with a raised eyebrow, to which Nymeria nodded. “Stories of Sarella’s heroic deed spread quickly throughout the land, and when she finally returned to her home, she was welcomed as a hero and made the first Princess of Ny Sar.”
“Ah, so our child is the descendent of a goddess”, Mors deduced with a small chuckle, and Nymeria reciprocated it. “Well, according to the legends anyway”, she said calmly. “In the story Sarella went on to make Ny Sar a great trading post, and protected it against invaders from north, east and west. It is unclear if this Sarella truly existed, and how much of the stories about her are true, but the point is that she built a great home for her people and protected it against any and all threats. Seems like a fitting name for our heir, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it is”, Mors admitted quietly, as the baby let out another little bawl. The prince looked the girl into the eyes again, feeling tears of happiness coming to his eyes as she smiled to him. “We will leave Princess Sarella a great legacy to protect, I swear that on my life.”
Alright, since there is no voting going on and I've already got the epilogue done, I thought why not just post it already And btw, I haven'… moret forgot about the questions, they will come after the epilogue, and this time they will be about Book 1 as a whole. But anyway, here's the epilogue:
-
Epilogue: The Mother's Smile
Mors
It had been little over a year since the Kingdom of Brimstone submitted to the rule of the Principality of Dorne. About six months ago Mors had left Sandship on a task of escorting hundreds of Rhoynar settlers to the Brimstone, and especially to the town of Brimstone Well, now renamed as Nymerwell. Back then Nymeria’s pregnancy had still been in a pretty early state, but a fortnight ago raven had flown to Nymerwell, informing Mors that the Princess had given birth to a girl. That very same day Mors had began his journey back to Sandship.
Now finally he saw his home again, the ancient dun fort of Sandship, an… [view original content]
Ah, this is probably the most fitting epilogue possible. Ever since I saw the title, Nymeria giving birth to her first child became my most likely guess for what the epilogue will be about and well, I suppose anything else really wouldn't have made much sense The part was great and the best way to end Book 1 and it is particularly nice seeing this from Mors' PoV. He has, understandably, always been in Nym's shadow so far, which I suppose is the downside of being married to the main character, but I always liked him, so it is great that he gets some spotlight here. And we also get our first flash forward a year after Lucifer's defeat. Oh man, this is just the very first glimpse and I am already so excited to see where everyone's going to be after the timeskip. For now though, I look forward for the questions and Book 2 and everything inbetween. Book 1 has been one hell of an epic story already and I have the feeling, compared to some stuff down the line it was merely the build up, which is a crazy thought
Alright, since there is no voting going on and I've already got the epilogue done, I thought why not just post it already And btw, I haven'… moret forgot about the questions, they will come after the epilogue, and this time they will be about Book 1 as a whole. But anyway, here's the epilogue:
-
Epilogue: The Mother's Smile
Mors
It had been little over a year since the Kingdom of Brimstone submitted to the rule of the Principality of Dorne. About six months ago Mors had left Sandship on a task of escorting hundreds of Rhoynar settlers to the Brimstone, and especially to the town of Brimstone Well, now renamed as Nymerwell. Back then Nymeria’s pregnancy had still been in a pretty early state, but a fortnight ago raven had flown to Nymerwell, informing Mors that the Princess had given birth to a girl. That very same day Mors had began his journey back to Sandship.
Now finally he saw his home again, the ancient dun fort of Sandship, an… [view original content]
I know it sounds a bit silly but I thought it was fitting for the occasion. Or, quoting Winston Churchill "This is not the end, this isn't even the beginning of the end. It's only the end of the beginning"
Thank you! I'm really looking forward to starting Book 2 myself, but there will also be something little extra coming before that. More about that when I post the questions
Yeah, it's a very important event in the lives of Nymeria and Mors, so I decided to show it instead of just telling at the beginning of Book 2 that it had happened during the time skip Also, Mors will be a regular PoV from now on, which is something I'm quite excited about myself. He has been very much in Nymeria's shadow throughout Book 1, but Book 2 will flesh him out a lot. And yeah, in many ways Book 1 has merely set the stage for the most important parts of the story and the war. Can't wait to begin reintroducing the characters and storylines after the timeskip
Ah, this is probably the most fitting epilogue possible. Ever since I saw the title, Nymeria giving birth to her first child became my most … morelikely guess for what the epilogue will be about and well, I suppose anything else really wouldn't have made much sense The part was great and the best way to end Book 1 and it is particularly nice seeing this from Mors' PoV. He has, understandably, always been in Nym's shadow so far, which I suppose is the downside of being married to the main character, but I always liked him, so it is great that he gets some spotlight here. And we also get our first flash forward a year after Lucifer's defeat. Oh man, this is just the very first glimpse and I am already so excited to see where everyone's going to be after the timeskip. For now though, I look forward for the questions and Book 2 and everything inbetween. Book 1 has been one hell of an epic story already and I have the feeling, compared to some stuff down the line it was merely the build up, which is a crazy thought
Oh yes, both of those quotes fit the occasion quite well. There are plenty of wars to come in the story, and this is indeed only the end of the beginning
I Wish you luck on the wars to come.
I know it sounds a bit silly but I thought it was fitting for the occasion. Or, quoting Winston Churchill "This is not the end, this isn't even the beginning of the end. It's only the end of the beginning"
Comments
You know, any time a PoV dies in this chapter, I think something along the lines of "Yeah, that has to be the last one" and then you're like "Hold my beer"
One of these days, I learn to just shut my mouth, because this chapter ends with way more PoV deaths than I would have ever thought. Of course, I am not sure if we can count Ulwyck a proper PoV, but given that we already lost Myke, Dalia and Dianna, I include him as well. At this point, I simply refuse to be surprised if one of the remaining PoV's bites it as well. While I have to admit, it seems kinda unlikely at this point, I have been so damn off before 
However, I theorized that something like this would happen. Not exactly Ulwyck's death, but the fact that the Uller's end up turning on Lucifer and end up being the ones to bring him down, to ensure that they will remain powerful in Nymeria's Dorne. And well, with that they definitely won a place among their key allies. I wonder what hand Forovos had in all this. Though we know he is loyal to Nym, he remains a bit of an enigma still and his full role in the events that led to House Uller's betrayal can only be guessed at this point. No matter what, I think he is Nymeria's most powerful, most dangerous and most unpredictable ally and in a way, it makes him someone she should not fully rely upon. It is because he seems to show up everywhere, doing his own stuff and probably without consulting Nymeria first that I could see him capable of harming her cause as well, especially should their goals ever not fully align.
But yeah, we see the end of Lucifer's reign and what an end it is. Ulwyck is dead and while we don't see it, I don't doubt Blackheart suffered the same fate, he doesn't strike me as one to back down. If he survives though, wounded and imprisoned, I could see him becoming a danger to Nymeria in the future. There is still this conspiracy growing and a knight out to avenge his defeated king could be an asset for them. Might be better for everyone if he doesn't die, but he hasn't been featured much so far and unless he is actually a bland character whom you can't do more with, I could see him reappearing with a larger role in Book 2. Then there is Gwyneth and while she is not pregnant yet and never struck me as one to have such ambitions, the rest of her family could see things differently. House Tiddle lost a lot here, not only Ulwyck, but also the man they put their entire faith in with Lucifer. If Gwyneth shows up pregnant though, she, or her father, could always claim that it is Lucifer's child, giving her a claim and making her a potential obstacle. Though Lucifer is defeated, I doubt we have seen the last of Gwyneth or the other members of House Tiddle.
But yeah, that's my two cents for Ulwyck's part. Ortheg meanwhile, his part was also quite nice. I really kinda like Willem, especially in this part. In general, I look forward for Ortheg in Book 2, seems he and Emerson will have connected storylines dealing with the possible war against Esperence's side of the Allyrion family, which also sounds like it could be the first time Yronwood and Martell forces will clash.
[Remain silent]
I am not so sure here. I would like for Ortheg to be more than just some drone blindly following Yorick. While his uncle has been very generous towards him, given his nature as a bastard, I don't want his loyalty to be unquestionable. It's not only because I believe that authority should always be questioned, but Yorick in particular isn't a man I would want to be completely loyal to and by just repeating praises in his name without the man himself around to hear them, that sounds like the wrong way to go here. Maybe by remaining silent Ortheg keeps some of the doubt, opening up a way for him to not share Yorick's ultimate defeat.
[Repeat the words]
[Repeat the words]
I was not expecting Lucifer Dryland's reign to end so suddenly. I kind of expected some sort of final battle between both sides. What a way for one of the major Dornish kingdoms to fall, from a traitor from within.
[Repeat the words]
[Repeat the words]
Man poor Ortheg, he clearly has so much to learn and I am intrigued to see how much he changes in book 2!
With Lena and Tanya not repeating the words, I am guessing that those words are something that men serving House Yronwood commonly say in certain situations and something he might have to get used to saying so I suppose he better start now
With Ulwyck's part, we officially see Nymeria conquer the Kingdom of Brimstone even know she probably doesn't know it yet
With the chances of House Martell actually being able to besiege Hellgate Hall and conquer it being pretty slim, I figured something had to happen to secure Nymeria's victory whether that be another battle outside those walls somewhere or a betrayal from the inside and it seems that is indeed what has happened! With Desmond, I was really intrigued to see how he would enter the story and he made a huge impact! Him along with his grandfather were the ones to agree to betray Lucifer which changes things forever. With there being so few guards there willing to help Lucifer, I am very curious to learn about why that was and I am especially curious to see if that means that this treachery by House Uller will go completely unopposed. We also have another Forovos Norvoshi appearance! Man he just does whatever he wants it seems with him being the defining factory in taking down both kings for Nymeria so far and while he has been very helpful for her so far, I can't help but wonder if him acting on his own accord will affect Nymeria at some point moving forward. Overall though, it does look like House Dryland is finished with the only supporters he has left being Ser Blackheart who will probably die off screen himself and House Tiddle which looks to be a very small house that is basically no threat and with Lewyn leaving when he did, it looks like he knew it was a lost cause as well. Poor Gwyneth though, she is definitely going to be in a rough spot though with her technically being the last Dryland which isn't good for her and while she might be allowed to marry someone else and give up her name, I won't be too optimistic about that until I see it.
Voting is closed!
And Ortheg will repeat the words. Obviously not the most important choice ever, and I mostly included it because there is kind of going to be a lack of choices in these last parts, so I tried to at least give you something to vote on
That said, it does work as some character building for Ortheg going towards Book 2.
Next up will be Jamison's last part in Book 1, showing us the long-awaited tourney and wedding! I've made a lot of progress on the part today, and I'm confident I'll get it done during tomorrow.
Jamison
Clad in his armor Jamison stepped out of his pavilion, feeling the soft southern wind on his face as he gazed at the white towers of Starfall. The tiltyard for the tourney had been set up on the western shore of Torrentine, right next to the stony bridge. As the sun drew closer to the mountains in the west, the final joust of the tourney was ahead, and Jamison would ride against Ser Soren Ashford. To get to here, Jamison had unhorsed his uncle Garret in four tilts, Arthur Dayne in two, and finally Aron of Southpoint in five. Soren on the other hand had defeated both Rickar Nightfall and Alester Upton in a single tilt, and Phillip Dayne in three.
Davos Dayne quickly approached Jamison, handing him his helmet. “Thank you, Davos”, Jamison said calmly, and the boy gave him a dutiful nod before hurrying to fetch his shield and mount. Jamison had never much cared for having a squire, but he had to admit that Davos did his job well. Lucky Naemon, Jamison thought with a subtle smirk as Davos walked the brown mare to Jamison. She was an excellent mount, obedient and tireless, which allowed Jamison to put all his concentration to unhorsing his opponents.
After mounting the horse, Jamison rode into the tiltyard, and was received with applauds and cheers by the audience. There was of course all the nobility of Torrentine that had been invited to the wedding, but the people of the close by villages had also come to see the tourney.
Ser Soren was already standing in front of the King’s elevated jousting pavilion. Jamison rode quickly next to him and turned to face his father. Vorian’s seat was in the on the middle of the wooden platform. On his left sat Malcolm and Garret, and on his right Queen Arenna, Isabella, Taenera and Madilyn. Jamison and Soren both bowed to the King, and he in turn gave them an approving nod, after which they made their ways to the opposing ends of the tiltyard, where their squires handed them their shields and lances.
Waiting for the horn to announce the beginning of the joust, Jamison pulled down the visor of his helmet, and took in a deep breath. He had been here countless times before, but this time felt more important than any that had come before. I can’t lose in my own wedding tourney, I must win.
Jamison gazed at Ser Soren and his silver armor, white shield and blue cape, remembering how easily he had knocked his earlier opponents off their horses. He is accurate with his lance, Jamison reminded himself, raising his shield. And then the horn was blown.
Both Jamison and Soren immediately rushed into a charge against each other, dust raising from the ground as the horses raced forward. At the first tilt Jamison decided to concentrate on defense, holding his shield high and seeing where Soren would attempt to strike. As expected, the Ashford knight struck hard with no mercy, and while Jamison managed to deflect the lance with his shield, it still made him slightly reel back on his saddle. Meanwhile his own lance merely scratched the edge of Ser Soren’s shield.
The audience gasped as Jamison struggled to keep his balance. He muttered a curse under his breath as he reached the end of the fence and turned to face Soren in the second tilt. I have to be more aggressive this time, Jamison thought, nervous anger boiling inside him as he charged forward.
The two knights met in the middle again, and this time Jamison tried to aim under Soren’s shield. However, Soren moved his shield down with great precision, and with a loud crack Jamison’s lance shattered against it. Meanwhile Soren’s lance bumped against Jamison’s left pauldron, but the contact was so light it didn’t shake his balance.
Turning for the third tilt, Jamison dropped to the ground what was left of his broken lance. He felt his heart beating wildly, and a rush of excitement ran through him as Davos brought him a new lance. I love this feeling, Jamison thought, grinning as he charged towards Ser Soren again. Once again they clashed in the middle, but both were able to deflect the other’s lance. Same happened with the fourth and fifth tilt, and on the sixth they both broke their lances.
Jamison was breathing heavily under his visor as Davos once again brought him a new lance, while Soren’s squire did the same on the other side. Jamison glanced towards the king’s pavilion, seeing Isabella grasping tightly onto the arms of her chair, a concerned look in her eyes. Jamison turned his gaze forward again, glaring at Ser Soren with determination. “Come on!” the prince roared, charging to the seventh tilt against the Ashford knight.
At the last second before the clash, Jamison quickly raised the tip of his lance to surprise Soren. While his lance slipped over Soren’s shield and hit him right on the visor of the helmet, Soren’s lance slipped under Jamison’s shield, dashing against the side of his cuirass and breaking upon impact.
Jamison felt his balance faltering on the saddle, and for a split second he thought he was going to fall. However, he managed to hang on for long enough to bring his horse to a halt. As he found his composure again, Jamison noticed the audience cheering and applauding. He turned around, and saw Ser Soren laying on his back on the ground, his squire helping him up. I did it, Jamison realized, and a wide grin formed on his face.
Jamison removed his helmet, and just then Davos ran to him. He took the helmet and placed a crown of white roses on Jamison’s lance. Jamison galloped around the whole tiltyard, showing the crown of roses to the whole the audience, before finally arriving in front of the king’s pavilion. He looked Isabella to the eyes, seeing the sweet and sincere smile on her face, and presented the crown of roses to her. “I name Princess Isabella of Skyreach the queen of love and beauty!” Jamison declared loudly, and the crowd erupted to cheers again. With shaky hands Isabella took the crown and placed it on her head, looking more beautiful than ever before.
-
The great hall of Starfall was filled with laughter and singing, as the court celebrated the end of the tourney and Jamison’s victory. Unlike in the wedding feast that would come tomorrow, Jamison and Isabella sat at separate tables, as did all men and women. By now the men’s table was getting quite drunk, and Jamison was no exception. He had Alester and Rickar to thank for that, as they kept pouring him more and more wine as fast as he could finish the last goblet. At the other end of the table King Vorian was singing together with Prince Garret, Lord Gerris and Lord Timeon of Southpoint, while Lord Gerold Nightfall was already too drunk to realize what was happening around him.
“I thought the fucker got you at the first tilt, like he did with me and Alester!” Rickar said with a wide grin, gulping down another cup of wine. “Ah, you should know me better, friend. After all, how could I ever do as badly as you?” Jamison responded with a sly smirk on his face, which made Alester burst into drunken laughter.
“What are you laughing about, Upton?” Rickar asked with a slightly annoyed tone. “It’s not like you did any better than me in the joust.”
“Piss off, Rickar! At least I didn’t wail like a bitch when the Reachman knocked me off my horse”, Alester mocked, unable to contain his laughter as he spoke. “It fucking hurt like hell!” Rickar barked, and now they all burst into laughter.
Then, Ser Soren suddenly approached them. “Prince Jamison”, he greeted as he arrived next to them, bowing slightly. Jamison gave him a nod, a subtle smirk on his face. “I just wanted to come congratulate you once more, before I head to bed”, the Reachman said, his tone tense but polite. “You ride well, better than any man I’ve faced on the tilt before.”
“You offered quite a challenge yourself, Ser Soren”, Jamison responded calmly to the compliment, and with a nod Ser Soren extended his hand for shaking. Jamison grabbed it without hesitation, and after they had shaken hands, Soren wordlessly made his way out of the hall.
“Did you see the look on his eyes? He wanted to smack you in the face!” Rickar claimed with a humorous tone. He and Alester laughed again, while Jamison merely snorted at the remark. In the past he would’ve joined his friends in mocking Ser Soren, but perhaps he had done some maturing lately, because now he didn’t feel like doing that at all. He had respect for Ser Soren and his skills, and he knew very well that the joust could’ve just as easily ended the other way around.
“Come on, you need some more wine!” Alester yelled, filling all their cups again. And so the celebrations continued for a few more hours.
-
Jamison felt his head aching slightly as he walked under the warm morning sun, making his way towards the gardens of Starfall. The court was having breakfast there, and Jamison and Isabella were to receive their wedding gifts.
Jamison was the last to arrive to the table, and he noticed his mother giving him a reproachful glare. “Ah, it seems the prince has finally made his way out of the bed”, Vorian said with a relaxed tone, a calm and soft expression on his face.
“My excuses, Your Grace, lords and ladies, I needed a good sleep after last night”, Jamison explained with a smirk on his face, to which the guests at the garden let out restrained laughs, before getting back to enjoying their breakfasts.
After a moment of calm and peaceful chatting, the guests began to present their gifts. First to do so was Lord Timeon of Southpoint, who gave Jamison a dark leather belt, studded with amethysts. “Myrish work, my prince”, the chubby lord said as he handed the belt to Jamison with a bow. “Thank you, mylord”, Jamison responded politely. After this Lord Timeon gave Princess Isabella a silver necklace, which also had a small amethyst decorating it. “This comes from Myr as well, my princess”, he said, as Isabella put the necklace around her neck.
Next came Lord Gerold Nightfall, who gave Jamison a fine dagger crafted by the lord’s own blacksmith, and to Isabella he gave a silver goblet decorated with sapphires, which he claimed to have been part of the spoils that King Samwell the Starfire brought back from Oldtown thousands of years ago. Jamison doubted the truth of that, but didn’t speak up. Then came Lord Gerris Dayne of High Hermitage. To Jamison he gave a book about the history of the Valyrian Freehold, and to Isabella he gave plenty of lavish silks from Lys, which she could later have made into a dress of her own liking.
A few more lesser vassals brought their modest gifts, until King Vorian himself spoke up. “I thank you all for your generous gifts to my son and his lovely bride, they are much appreciated”, he said calmly, before giving one of his servants a small nod. “Now, it is time for me to present my gifts for Prince Jamison and Princess Isabella”, he continued, and soon the servants arrived with the gifts. One of them was carrying a thin and elegant silver tiara, while the other had a slightly curved longsword in his hands. Jamison raised from his seat to receive his new sword. It had been done with the same measurements as the Darkness, but this one had a far more decorated hilt, with a gilded cross-guard and pommel. It’s darkened blade was just slightly lighter in tone than that of the Darkness had been.
Jamison took a steady grip from the hilt, and moved the blade around carefully. “It is brilliant”, he said with a grin, turning to look at Vorian. “Thank you, father.”
“You’re welcome”, Vorian replied softly, taking in a deep breath. “I assume you will come up with a name for it as well?” He asked, and Jamison nodded immediately. “Aye, I shall call it the Dusk”, he declared.
-
A few hours after the breakfast, it was finally time for the wedding ceremony. Jamison stood by the altar of Starfall’s small sept, the purple cloak of House Dayne on his hands, old Septon Narmen standing next to him. The altar was at the middle of the sept, surrounded by seven pillars, one for each god, and right now between every pillar stood dozens of guests. Only the aisle between the pillars of the Father and the Mother was left empty, because that was where Princess Isabella would soon be escorted by her brother Desmor.
Jamison let out a sigh as the sept waited in silence. As little as he had ever cared for gods or the faith, this moment made him feel nervous. Then the doors finally opened, and Isabella walked in, Desmor holding her arm. She was beautiful as always, her golden hair tied to a loose braid and a shy smile on her face. She was dressed in a simple but beautiful white dress, and on top of it was a blue-and-white cloak of House Fowler. On her head was her new silver tiara, and the amethyst necklace around her neck. All Jamison could do was stand silently in awe, and look into the beautiful blue eyes of her bride as she approached the altar.
Isabella stopped about five feet away from the altar, and Desmor removed the Fowler cloak. Jamison stepped closer to Isabella now, unable to subdue his smile, an expression that Isabella happily reciprocated. “You may now cloak the bride”, the septon announced calmly, and so Jamison did. The colors of House Dayne quite suited Isabella, just as Jamison had expected. They stepped next to the altar, holding each other’s hands, as the Septon spoke a prayer. “You may speak your vows now”, he then said with a friendly tone.
“Father, Smith, Warrior”, Jamison and Isabella spoke in unison. “Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers, and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days.” Jamison pulled Isabella gently closer, looking her to they eyes. “With this kiss I pledge my love, and take you as my wife”, Jamison spoke softly, and embraced Isabella in a kiss they would both remember for the rest of their lives.
No decision.
Aahh, it was a nice chapter. And luckily for them, the war with House Martell is still far away for now.
I definitely enjoyed this part without a doubt and I have plenty to say about it so I guess I'll get to it
First off, I'll talk about the joust between Jamison and Soren which I was very hyped for ever since I realized it was a possibility and it did not disappoint! As I was reading it, it really was a wild ride because they were matching up to one another pretty evenly and I could not have said for certain who would win but I was definitely glad to see Jamison pull out the victory and make what was already a great experience for him even better. Admittedly I wasn't feeling too confident after hearing how Soren had dominated his competition up to that point and even in the first tilt where he made Jamison lose his balance a bit and I was thinking this might be an experience that Jamison would want to forget but Jamison adjusted and pulled it out which was nice to see!
Another big thing I noticed in this part was how much Jamison has seemed to mature especially compared to how he was at the beginning of the story while still staying true to who he is. It really is awesome and when I made Jamison, I definitely intended him to be a character who could be on either the good or bad side pretty easily depending on where you wanted him and he definitely seems to be on his best behavior here and it even seemed genuine especially when he chose not to rub his victory in Sorens face which is definitely something he normally has no problem doing
I am sure the situation at hand with his wedding and Isabella being there with him is a huge factor but it also seemed that experience in Vaith has led to him maturing a bit as well and really it is fun to see all of these different facets to his character since he is quite complex and while time will tell if Jamison's other side comes out, I can definitely say you have his character down without a doubt!
This little section here got me hyped up very quickly since I immediately realized that Jamison's new sword is named after Chapter 3 in book 2 which got me hyped immensely but also very nervous at the same time
I feel like this means that Jamison will play a huge role in Book 2 with Chapter 3 being named after him in a way with him potentially being one of if not the last obstacle for Nymeria to overcome to secure the Kingdom of Torrentine under her rule which is awesome but at the same time this could also be where he ends up dying or something along those lines which is definitely worrying since it is hard for me to imagine that he will accept House Dayne's defeat lying down with him wanting to make the Kingdom grow not lower themselves to serving another ruler but of course that point is a long way away and not something to worry about right now but I still probably will
As for the wedding, this definitely was a very sweet moment for Jamison and Isabella and a nice contrast to all the war and death that's going on elsewhere. I honestly never would have thought that they would actually get to marry one another with myself figuring that losing Isabella would be something else for Jamison to be bitter about but I have been pleasantly surprised and I am glad we have got to see the story unfold how we have! Now since I haven't gotten to ask any what if or random questions in a bit, I guess I'll ask a couple now
My main one being that after the Isabella and Naemon proposal didn't pan out, was Isabella and Jamison getting married a choice that was likely to succeed or did we just do a really good job on our choices to make it happen? Also, has Jamison getting Dusk been planned since you made the chapter name or was this a result of correct choices as well? And the last question is just a general one about if marrying Isabella didn't work out for Jamison, how would Book one have ended for him? Anyway though, this really was an awesome end to Jamison's book one and I am excited to see where the story goes moving forward as well!
At last, they got their marriage
I couldn't be more happy for both, this is sweet! Truly, this part put a spotlight on the best traits Jamison has, namely his ambition, his determination and most importantly, his absolute love for Isabella. The tourney was already great, a perfect way to start this part. Jamison fighting against Soren really showed just how good he is as a knight, but I spot some notable character development there as well in the respectful way he treated his defeated opponent. I don't know, it's not something I could have seen the Jamison from Chapter 1 doing. I suppose Isabella already has a very positive influence on him. It's probably a two-way road, with him in turn also influencing Isabella in a good way. There is a lot they can learn from each other now that they are married, with Jamison's strength of character and Isabella's gentle nature making quite a good combination. Maybe next time we see them, Jamison will have mellowed down a bit, while Isabella has become more determined and comfortable taking charge in some situations. Perhaps I expect a bit too much from Jamison there, but they always say that marriage changes a man XD I also see Jamison has received a cool new sword. Dusk, a fitting title for his own weapon and surely one that'll play an important role in the future. CM3434 just reminded me, it is named after the final chapter of Book 2 and I doubt this is all a coincidence. In general, the Dusk title could relate to the fall of the Kingdom of Torrentine, associate with sort of a Dawn theme, but I would be heavily surprised if Jamison won't have a significant role in it.
There is only one thing I am concerned about. They have their happy ending here, but this is not the ending in general. Things will continue, there are three books still to come and it is the same concern I brought up with Kortney and Gwen. They are in a good place for now, but I guess more is to come and in case of Jamison and Isabella, I can even guess that the war against House Martell will be this next big thing. That being said, first there is the two-year timeskip and they deserve all the happiness in the world during it. Who knows, I could legitimately see theim as parents by the next time we see them. Ah, I couldn't have thought of a better way to end this first book for Jamison and Isabella! While the war will no doubt place some major stress on them, I have faith in them and in our choices to get them safely through this
Yeah, I really enjoyed writing some jousting action for once, especially between these two who are widely seen as the best knights in the whole region. And it was definitely my intention to make it feel like Jamison could've very well lost against Ser Soren, because that was actually an outcome I considered for the very last moment of writing this part. However, in the end I thought having Jamison win here would also give me an opportunity to show some growth in him as he handled his victory quite gracefully. And in general it just fit the upbeat mood of this part to have Jamison win
Indeed, like I mentioned my intention was to show some growth in Jamison and how he handled this victory. That said, he definitely still has his edgy side as well, but this being one of the happiest days of his whole life certainly put him in a happy and relaxed mood. I guess you could say there was no reason for him to act douchey or arrogant here, because he was the center of everyone's attention anyway. We'll see in Book 2 how two years of married life has changed him, if at all
Hehe, yeah, I came up with the idea shortly after his earlier sword was shattered in Vaith. Meaning of course that the idea for the chapter title came before the idea for the sword's name. Still, there could definitely be a connection there, though Jamison's name for the sword is quite obviously a juxtaposition for the family sword Dawn, whereas the chapter 'the Dusk' is more likely to be a reference to the state of the Kingdom of Torrentine.
Indeed, a bit of happiness amidst all the chaos was actually surprisingly refreshing as a writing experience
And yeah, things definitely could've gone much less smoothly, with perhaps the most painful outcome having been Isabella marrying Malcolm. Yikes, that would've been a much less of a happy ending for Jamison's Book 1 storyline. Then there was also the chance for Isabella to go with her aunt Obara, which would've led to her marrying the Yronwood prince instead. And lastly, you could've chose to keep Isabella in Skyreach for now, which would've at least postponed this wedding. So, this wasn't the only possible outcome, but I'd say it always had pretty good chances to happen. To the second question I already answered above, but to repeat, the idea for the sword came after the idea for the chapter title. And as for Jamison's alternative endings, well, he would've still been given the lordship of Clearhaven, and he would've had a choice to ask Vorian to send proposal to Garrison. The most miserable ending for him (in quite a stark contrast to what we got here) would've been his face being burned and mutilated in Vaith, and then him returning to Starfall to learn that Isabella was going to marry his brother. Safe to say that would've sent him down some dark and bitter character development. So, all in all, you did pretty well with the choices when it comes to Jamison and Isabella 
Yeah, this part was definitely Jamison at his best behavior. Like I kinda mentioned in my reply to CM3434, Jamison really has every reason to be contended here: he is victorious at the tourney, everyone is paying attention to him, and most importantly he is going to marry the girl he has loved for years. Jamison can occasionally be a dickhead for sure, but I feel like he can also be reasonable when things go his way. Contrast this to the kind of ending where he would've got roasted and disfigured by Desi in Vaith, and came back to Starfall to learn that Isabella was going to marry Malcolm. You can bet he wouldn't have acted quite so graciously in that scenario
And it'll definitely be interesting to explore in Book 2 how the married life has changed Jamison, but I can guarantee he won't lose all of his edginess, even if he will inevitably keep maturing as a character.
Indeed, this is a happy moment for sure, but not the ending. A war is inevitably ahead, and it's a safe bet that Jamison will play a big role in it. After all, he is the warrior out of Vorian's two sons. As for Jamison and Isabella being parents by the time we next see them, yeah, that is indeed quite likely. A loving couple in a medieval setting would most likely begin to make their own family pretty quickly after the wedding. We'll see
Phew, I realized Jamison is among the characters we really dodged a bullet with, perhaps even the one who could have gotten a bad ending the easiest so far (not counting Kortney's 50/50 chance to kill herself and Albin that one time), with several major factors playing into this, about Isabella not marrying Malcolm, Isabella not leaving with Obara and Dalia taking Kris with her (I think this was the choice). Interestingly, he is also the only one who had no real control over his fate, when compared to Gwen or Kortney and others who had to pick the right choices by themselves to get their happy Book 1 ending. Shows how the choices occasionally tend to affect more than just the PoV that makes them, especially in case of Jamison. I guess if we would have picked the wrong options here, he could have ended up even as something akin to a villain, at least a bit of an antagonist from a certain viewpoint, if the bitterness about his disfigurement and Isabella marrying his brother would have consumed him. People turned evil for less, after all. Now however, I am positive we kept him in this somewhat anti-heroic but still overall good route.
Hehe, Jamison as a father, I am not sure if I should be excited or horrified at the thought XD Really curious how these two are going to end up, but now I really expect at least one child already by the time we next see them, or perhaps their first child will be born over the course of the next book
I have to admit though, I am worried for the coming war. We might have picked the right choice for Isabella to keep her away from the front lines, but with Jamison being the warrior, I really see no way for him to stay out of the actual combat, so I hope he'll get through this just fine.
Hello again! So, no voting to close this time, but I thought I should give a little update anyhow. I've been working on a Kris PoV and a Nymeria PoV, and they should be done in a couple days.
Last time we saw Kris was the confrontation between the servants of R'hllor and the Great Other, which ended in Aisha, Mordekhai and Valerie being defeated, with the cost of Dalia's life. In the very end of the part Kris decided to give Aisha a quick death, after she convinced Desirea to spare Gwendis' life. As for Nymeria, in her latest part she arrived to Vaith, where she was warmly welcomed by Lady Myra Xho Vaith. She planned to give Hellgate Hall to the Ullers once Lucifer would be dethroned, and as we know, Desmond Uller has now took imprisoning Lucifer to his own hands. Nymeria's part will be about her arriving to Hellgate Hall.
As said, these parts should be done in a couple of days
Oh, Kris! I don't know why, but for some reason it did not occur to me that he might have another part in this book after reading his last part. That was actually something I felt slight regret for, because it meant with the choice to grant Aisha a quick death, that she would have likely died off screen without a PoV to show it and that would have been a shame. After all, Gwen is most likely going to be busy having this talk with Desi. This however changes things and it is great
I really have no idea why I failed to see such a simple solution, given that Aisha is literally going to be executed by a PoV character. Ah, I really look forward for this, as I do with all things in that storyline 
Kris
Kris took a step closer to Aisha, keeping his sword between them. “Do it”, Aisha said, looking him to the eyes. She clearly attempted to come off as brave at the face of death, but Kris could spot the fear in her eyes. For someone who worshipped the god of death, the dark priestess seemed quite troubled when confronted by her own demise.
“May R’hllor judge your soul fairly”, Kris said with a quiet and emotionless voice, and plunged the End of Night through the priestess heart. At first Aisha’s eyes widened in pain and shock, but after that something else took over them, something peaceful. Can a sinner find peace in death? Kris asked himself as he pulled out his sword and watched Aisha’s dead body collapsing to the ground.
After this, Kris built a funeral pyre from the branches of the dead tree together with Hondo and Minesa, while Desirea took care of Belan’s wound and kept an eye on the unconscious Princess Gwendis. The rain died down by the morning, and the dead burned in a glorious pyre that would burn away their sins and send their souls to R’hllor. Only Valerie’s corpse was missing, as it had been swallowed by the sea. Good, her soul can forever be cursed by her sins, and her body can rot under the waves, Kris thought, angered by all the suffering and death Valerie had caused.
As the flames danced and cracked, slowly obliterating the corpses, Kris turned his eyes to Desirea. She had spoken a short prayer when she ignited the pyre, but since then she had been quiet, and now tears were welling up in her eyes. With all the power and wisdom she carried herself with it was easy to forget that Desirea was still a child. And now she had lost her mother, a mother who had only recently learned to love and care for her after years of absence. Kris would’ve offered her a home in Vaith, but he already knew her answer. She was fully devoted to R’hllor and would surely return to serve him in the red temple of Volantis.
Shifting his gaze to the left, Kris saw a stern and unsatisfied expression on her mother’s face. She had wanted a more severe punishment for the servants of Great Other, and while Kris could understand her, he didn’t agree. It was more important to see that justice was served than to punish and seek revenge. As the bodies turned to ashes and the flames died out, they all took a moment to rest. Soon they began their journey towards east.
-
In a few days they arrived in the Tor and made their way to the small port by the castle’s feet. Kris spoke with all the captains of the ships docked there, until finally finding a Pentoshi merchant headed to Tyrosh. Kris paid him well to give Desi, Gwendis and Belan one of the cabins in his cog. From Tyrosh they would surely find several vessels sailing to Volantis.
When the cog was about to leave they gathered to the docks to give their farewells. “Kris, Minesa, Hondo, you have all served the Lord of Light well, and I thank you for that”, Desi spoke calmly. As she finished, she glanced at Gwendis, who was now conscious but still somehow absent, shaken and unable to speak a word.
“Will she be alright?” Kris asked curiously, and Desi nodded. “Yes, I believe so”, she answered with a small sigh. “Being under Valerie’s magic has took its toll, but on the ship she’ll be able to rest properly, and I can concentrate on bringing her back to the world of the living.”
“Just make sure she doesn’t murder you in your sleep”, Minesa said cynically, a cold and distrustful glare in her eyes as she looked at Gwendis. “She won’t”, Desirea assured confidently. “It seems clear to me that she was under the influence of the Great Other against her own will, just like your son used to be. And just like Kris, Gwendis can be brought back to the light of R’hllor.”
Kris turned his gaze to Belan now, who still looked a bit weakened from his injury. “And what about you Belan, do you think you’ll be fine?” He asked, and the boy nodded wordlessly. “You know, I would gladly give you a home at Vaith”, Kris offered, even if he could guess Belan’s response.
“No”, he answered strictly. “My duty is to R’hllor, and to Desirea. I will stay by her side. It is what my father would have wanted.”
“I understand”, Kris replied with a respectful tone, before turning towards Desirea again. “Desi… I am terribly sorry for your loss”, he said carefully, seeing the young priestess immediately turn her gaze down. “Dalia was a good woman, and a great warrior. I’m sure by now R’hllor has received her soul, and she watches you proudly from beyond. You’ve done well, Desirea.”
Desi nodded to his words with a gulp, taking in a deep breath before speaking up. “Farewell, Lord Kris”, she said quietly. “Perhaps we shall meet again in this life, but if not, may R’hllor watch over you and your family from now on.”
Kris gave her one more nod, before the young priestess made her way into the ship, escorting Princess Gwendis by hand, while Belan followed closely after them.
“I’ll wait for you by the horses”, Minesa said with a small sigh, walking away from the docks, while Kris and Hondo remained to watch the cog set sail. “Well, this has been quite an adventure”, Hondo said with a subtle smirk, and Kris nodded. “Aye”, he responded sternly. “And I’m glad it’s over.”
“Are you going back to Vaith now?” Hondo asked, and Kris nodded. “My duties await me there”, he said calmly. “Duties I have neglected for far too long. And how about you, my friend? Will you seek out your family now?”
Hondo stayed quiet for a moment, a pondering look on his eyes as he gazed at the distancing sails of the Pentoshi cog. “If any of them are still alive, I would like to see them again, see what has come of them”, he finally spoke, taking in a deep breath. “However, I will come with you to Vaith for now, and see what the situation is. The last thing I want is to be on the opposing side of a war with you.”
“You prioritize your loyalty to me over your family and your people?” Kris asked with a surprised tone, to which Hondo chuckled softly. “The truth is that I would still be a slave if it wasn’t for you”, he replied sharply. “As for my family… it is questionable if any of them are even alive. And while I commend Nymeria for saving so many of our people and finding a new home for them, I never pledged my loyalty to her, only to Garin.”
“So be it then”, Kris responded with an amenable tone. “However, I do not want you to neglect your family and people because of me forever. Whenever peace is found between my house and the Martells, you shall seek out if any of your family is with Nymeria. Agreed?”
“Agreed”, Hondo answered with a small chuckle. So they made their way out of the port of Tor, and began their ride towards Vaith.
No decision.
-
Nymeria
The journey across the desert from Vaith to Hellgate Hall had been a rough one, but Nymeria knew it was necessary to push this offence now, or they would lose their advantage. Her armies made their camp between Hellgate Hall and the small town of Tidmarsh.
While the troops set up the tents and barricades of the camp, Nymeria, Mors and Valor gazed at Hellgate Hall. It was clearly a very old castle, some of its towers and walls starting to crumble. “Looks like the Drylands have neglected the maintenance of their fort recently”, Valor stated calmly.
“Their wealth has dwindled over the centuries”, Mors spoke, a subtle smirk on his face. “Not much is left of the glory and prestige that King Lucifer’s ancestors had. Just this crumbling castle, and a crown of gold that the Drylands have worn for at least two millennia.”
“It is time the people of Brimstone get a stronger ruler”, Nymeria said confidently, and Mors nodded in agreement. Just then, they noticed someone riding towards the camp from Hellgate Hall, carrying a white banner. As the rider got closer, Nymeria recognized him. “Forovos Norvoshi”, she said, her tone both surprised and slightly annoyed. The Braavosi had once again taken the freedom to act without Nymeria’s knowledge or consent, it seemed.
Quickly Forovos arrived to them and bowed deeply for Nymeria and Mors. “Your Grace, I see that the Fallen Dragons have joined their forces with yours”, he said with a polite tone, and Nymeria gave him a stern nod. “I am also under the impression that you have the heir of Lord Harrion Uller in your captivity, is that right?”
“Yes”, Nymeria answered strictly. “Now, could you explain what in the world are you doing here, Forovos?” she asked. To this Forovos smirked in a carefree manner. “While you took care of Godsgrace and Vaith, I decided to speed up things a little here in Brimstone. You see, it turns out Lucifer’s grip on his vassals wasn’t quite as strong as expected. It didn’t take much for me to convince Lord Harrion and his grandson Desmond to turn against their king. In fact, we have Lucifer in chains and locked into his own chambers right now. All you need to do is release Harbert, and they will give you Lucifer, as well as bend the knee for you.”
After Nymeria stayed quiet for a moment, gazing at Forovos with narrowed eyes, Mors decided to speak up. “If this is true, we are of course happy to comply”, the prince said calmly. “However, we must be sure this isn’t some kind of trap by King Lucifer”, he added, to which Forovos simply chuckled. “Haven’t I done enough to warrant you trust by now?” He asked with a sigh. “I guarantee there is no trap, but if you want to play it safe, I can arrange a meeting between you and the Ullers halfway between Hellgate Hall and this camp.”
“Sounds good”, Nymeria responded decidedly. “We’ll bring Harbert, you bring Lucifer.”
“Understood, Your Grace”, Forovos replied with a dutiful nod, before making his way back towards the castle.
-
About an hour later, a pavilion had been set up on the road a few hundred yards away from the gates of Hellgate Hall. Nymeria and Mors sat on their small wooden chairs, surrounded by the royal guards, as well as Jinora Ling, Valor Veltaris and General Varyn. They were approached by Forovos, Lord Uller and a dozen of his guards, as well as several people in chains.
First Forovos and Lord Uller brought forward a middle-aged man, his hands in shackles. His black hair was greying, there were dark bags under his dark eyes, and his face showing signs of aging. “I bring you Lucifer Dryland”, Forovos announced as he pushed the man in front of Nymeria and Mors. Nymeria gave a small signal to Varyn, who then proceeded to bring Harbert Uller to his father, free of chains.
“I thank you, Your Grace”, Harrion Uller said with a humble tone, bowing as he spoke. “And I thank you”, Nymeria responded with a friendly smile. “You have made my work here significantly easier than I expected.” Having said that, Nymeria turned her eyes back to King Lucifer. “I am not going to bend my knee to you”, he hissed defiantly. “I’ll rather die.”
“You won’t die, Lucifer”, Nymeria responded calmly. “Not by my hand anyway. I will send you to serve the Night’s Watch, and thus give you a chance to find a new purpose for your life.”
Lucifer bridled at her words, shaking his head slightly. “Ah, you wish to punish me more, for daring to resist you”, he grumbled bitterly. “You can’t just kill me, no, you want me to suffer and freeze at the Wall.”
“Quite the contrary”, Nymeria responded strictly. “I recognize that you only did your duty by resisting my conquest, and I want to honor that by sparing your life. However, since I can never trust you to serve me loyally, I will trust that you have it in you to serve the realms of men as the Night’s Watch vows to do.” A moment of silence followed, and there was a pensive look on Lucifer’s eyes. Perhaps he was even grateful for Nymeria’s mercy, it was hard to tell, but he remained silent nonetheless.
“General Varyn, take him away”, Nymeria finally commanded, and the general obeyed. Forovos and Harrion walked out of the tent, and after a moment Forovos returned with a young girl who was also in chains. “Who is this?” Nymeria asked immediately, an emphatic and slightly concerned tone on her voice. “She is King Lucifer’s young bride, Gwyneth Tiddle”, Forovos explained calmly, and the girl gulped with a terrified expression on her face. “There is a chance that the girl carried King Lucifer’s child, though she denies it herself. Desmond Uller has expressed his wish to take her to Hellholt, and later marry her if she indeed isn’t pregnant.”
Nymeria looked the girl to the eyes and gestured for her to step closer. Nervously the girl did so, and Nymeria softly grabbed her hand. “Are you sure that you aren’t with King Lucifer’s child?” She asked gently, and the girl nodded. “Yes, Your Grace, the King never laid his seed inside me, you have to believe me”, she said, sobbing as she spoke, and Nymeria nodded in a calming manner.
“I believe her”, she declared loudly enough that everyone in the pavilion heard. “Now, free her of these chains. As for Desmond Uller’s wishes, that is up to Lady Gwyneth herself. She is a free woman and decides herself whom she wants to marry.”
And so Gwyneth Tiddle’s chains were removed, and she was escorted out of the pavilion. However, next was brought in her father, Lord Bedwyck Tiddle. “He remained King Lucifer’s most trusted advisor to the very end”, Forovos explained as he brought the man forward. Lord Bedwyck was heavily tanned, with dark grey hair and bushy beard.
“Your Grace, I was merely a humble servant of King Lucifer, only doing what was expected of me”, he explained, immediately falling on his knee. “But you have opened my eyes, Your Grace, you have shown me the weakness of King Lucifer. If you let me live, I will serve you most loyally, Your Grace.”
“You are Lord of Tidmarsh, right?” Nymeria asked calmly, and Bedwyck nodded with haste. “Yes, Your Grace”, he said with a subtle gulp. Nymeria looked at Mors, who then spoke up. “The lordship of Hellgate Hall will be given to Lord Uller. I assume you have no problem with that?” He asked, and Bedwyck shook his head.
“No, Your Grace. I will be happy with keeping the lordship of my small town, that is all I ask”, he spoke with a nervous and humble tone, still on his knee.
“Fine, you are pardoned. From this day you will be a vassal of the Principality of Dorne”, Nymeria said with an unenthusiastic tone, gesturing for Forovos to unchain the lord and take him away.
Forovos escorted the Tiddle lord out of the tent, and soon returned with another shackled man. This one was clearly a warrior, tall and broad-shouldered. He had a long black hair and beard, and in his dark eyes was a stern glare. “This one calls himself Ser Blackheart”, Forovos said with a relaxed tone. “He took down several of the Lord Uller’s men before finally yielding. A great warrior, and loyal to the end.”
“Ser Blackheart, huh?” Nymeria spoke with an intrigued tone. “I assume that isn’t your real name”, she continued with a questioning look in her eyes, and the man shook his head. “I was born Lothar Hill, bastard son of the Lord of Lannisport”, he explained with a sigh.
“Kingdom of the Rock”, Prince Mors was quick to clarify as Nymeria glanced at him. “What has brought you so far from your home?”
“Circumstances that I’d rather not discuss about”, he answered sternly, and Mors gave him an understanding nod. “And these circumstances led you to choosing a new name for yourself?” He asked, and Lothar nodded.
“You were very loyal to King Lucifer, staying by his side even when his own vassals turned against him”, Nymeria stated calmly, her eyes studying the man from head to toes. “Why?”
“A man’s gotta have principles”, Lothar answered strictly. “If every man would forget their oaths as soon as they become inconvenient, oaths would cease to have any meaning.”
“Very true”, Nymeria agreed with an affable tone. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke up again. “I am going to send your king to the Wall, to serve the Night’s Watch for the rest of his life. I hear they quite appreciate men who take their oaths seriously up there. Then again, so do I. So, Ser Lothar, what would you say if I offered you an opportunity to pledge your sword to me, and serve me with the same loyalty you served King Lucifer?”
The knight seemed quite surprised by this, unable to find words for a moment. “I am at your mercy, Your Grace”, he finally said, gulping subtly as he spoke. “If you choose to give me this opportunity, I will serve you until the day I die.”
Now Forovos hastily stepped right next to Nymeria. “Your Grace, the Uller’s might take offense to you keeping him around, which is why I must advice you to send him to the Wall with Lucifer”, he whispered, and Nymeria gave him a small nod, before turning her eyes back to Ser Lothar Hill. She had made up her mind.
[Pardon Ser Lothar] [Send Ser Lothar to the Wall]
Grrr, Valerie's body is indeed missing... I don't buy her death, I don't buy it at all. Remember folks, you heard it here first! But Aisha's death was so satisfying
Good riddance! Of course, burning her would have been better, but this was still good and I am glad we gave her absolutely no chance. The fact that she was afraid in the end proves to me that she hoped for Kris to decide and burn her, giving her a couple additional hours to come up with an escape plan. We didn't, she realized it and that's when she showed this delightful fear. May R'hllor take a massive dump on her soul!
Gwen is clearly shaken though. Those fucking Great Other nutjobs probably came very close to actually destroy her, but I have faith in Desi, who in turn seems absolutely certain Gwen can be brought back. For now though, I don't blame her for being that way, even after days. Who knows what happened in these days she has been under Valerie's control. Even just the experience of not being in control of her body must have been traumatizing and there are the implications of where her consciousness has been throughout this ordeal. Guess it was like several days of sleep paralysis. We know even someone as strong as Jamison needed some time to recover, albeit in his case it is not clear how much of it was because of the wound he received while under Valerie's control. A mind rape in the truest sense of the word and likely exactly as horrifying as it sounds like. It's good she is conscious again, but this will leave a mark and I assume fully recovering will take a long time, perhaps even months. After that however, I believe Gwen will come out of this stronger than before. You know, dedicated, to make sure she won't be taken control of ever again, be it in the literal way with what Valerie did, or in a metaphorical way, with how Benedict for example tried to control her life by marrying her off to someone she did not want to marry. She has always had this dream of taking charge of her own life, but this episode might finally give her the push she needs to act out on it. First however, recovery. Who knows how long this alone will take. Second, I would very much appreciate if she takes not only all the time she needs to fully regain what Valerie almost robbed her off here, her wit, her intelligence, her confidence, but if she also takes steps to learn how to never fall prey to this again. This however might mean having to go with Desi and to Volantis. I had this theory before and I most likely still am in favour of it, but it just now occurred to me that while I have theorized that Gwendis could end up with Desi for quite some time now, even during the timeskip perhaps, I have never thought about where they would stay. Volantis is quite some distance away from Dorne, but maybe some distance will be what Gwen needs to learn, to grow or else she might end up in the same situation again when she returns to Blackmont. When she returns, it has to be as someone not just having these dreams of taking control, but as someone practically capable of, in terms of personality and skills. And since I am certain she will return to Dorne in Book 2, maybe even having a chance to meet up with characters such as Nym, who could be an inspiration of sorts, I am actually not opposed to her spending some time in Volantis
Speaking of, onwards to Nym's part! I actually really liked seeing these different characters brought to face judgement. I'll get to Blackheart below, but first of all, Bedwyck. That man... that man is pathetic. I don't buy a word he says, but at the same time, I believe he is terrified of Nymeria. Surely he has plenty issues with her rule and with being made a vassal to House Uller, but I believe he is a coward at heart. I would actually be surprised if he ends up being a thorn in her side, he really did not give me the impression of being some scheming, vengeful mastermind, but merely a guy like Pycelle, who is quite content with not fighting back as long as he can remain in a comfortably powerful position. Gwyneth is truly one to pity though. Perhaps the best thing about her situation is that nobody who might have an interest in doing so was in a position to claim that she is pregnant with Lucifer's child. But she remains in no control of her own life. Now it seems likely she will be Desmond's new wife, as I really doubt she will have much of a choice there. And to say the least, Desmond gives me some bad vibes. Probably will force her into the marriage, being the son of her father's liege lord after all. The Tiddle's as a whole just cannot decline such an offer, given they lost almost as much as Lucifer himself just did.
Now, Lucifer, oh Lucifer. Can I say I almost developed respect for him here? That was before I remembered what a jerk he actually is. In terms of being sheerly unpleasant, he even outshines Albin, who becomes only worse because he is a monstrous madman. Lucifer however has always given me the impression of being the greater jerk. Kind of like a bully at school, there's worse people than those guys, but few manage to be less sympathetic. He got what he deserved in the end. While you said before you might be willing to bend the canon a bit when it comes to the fate of some kings (which, I presume, means that some of them can potentially even die, such as Albin in that one Kortney choice), I was always feeling confident with guessing that Lucifer is the most likely to get his canonical fate. He is the first king after all and the one where the exile is the most karmic punishment. There might even be kings who will see it as less of a punishment, as Vorian for example might be glad he gets a chance to serve the realms of men instead of dying, but Lucifer? At least at this point, I bet he sees it as a punishment. Oh man, I suddenly had this thought, at the very end of the story we got the new recruit Yorick Yronwood on the Wall, with Lucifer being this Alliser Thorne expy, all bitter and crabby, that would be a gloriously deserved fate for such a deeply unpleasant man. But as I said, I almost developed some respect for his refusal to bend the knee. He does not deserve death, Nymeria decided perfectly right here. Now, for the last person that was judged over here, first I gotta vote.
[Pardon Ser Lothar]
Now, wait, wait, Ser Blackheart has a backstory? A real name? A personality? What is this sorcery and why did I always consider him to be merely some loyal redshirt drone in Lucifer's entourage? He and Hondo should open a group for overlooked characters who actually have more depth than I thought at first
I actually liked him in this part and my view on him as a character has changed. Sure, the Uller's might take offense to his presence, but I actually believe that he can be a valuable asset to Nym now. He gave me an honest impression here and I would like to give him a chance to serve Nymeria. Besides, if we give people such as Bedwyck a second chance, shouldn't the same apply to all of Lucifer's followers?
Seems like Gwendis is going to take a lot of time to recover, and Kris has no idea he's now a vassal of House Martell. I still feel rather sad Dalia is the only POV character we have seen dying so far without her well, POV. Desirea is the last Dryland, and she doesn't know or care at all, maybe one day she can be reunited with her father.
[Pardon Ser Lothar] House Dryland is finished, and he technically only did his duty. Nymeria is forgiving, and she needs every strong warrior that's willing to fight for her during her confrontation with House Dayne. The revelation that he's a bastard from the Westerlands make him a more interesting character in the future.
[Pardon Ser Lothar]
Indeed, Valerie's body is missing. Not exactly a surprise considering that she jumped off a cliff into a storming sea. If she is indeed dead, her body will have either washed ashore somewhere miles away, or its at the bottom of the Sea of Dorne. And well, as painful as it is I must reveal that Aisha would not have managed to escape, whether she had it in mind or not, so you did miss out on making her suffer more
That said, she is dead and gone now anyway, no need to worry about that.
Yeah, being under Valerie's magic was extremely traumatizing experience for Gwen, much worse than anything Aisha ever did to her. It's going to haunt her for some time, and she really needs Desirea's help to get over it. More about that in her last Book 1 part though
All that said, Gwendis is in no way broken beyond repair, and by Book 2 we'll see much of her old confidence back. She'll be a somewhat changed as a character, but at core still the same Gwendis from the start of the story 
And yeah, going to Volantis made the most sense for me at this point. It's a safe place for Desi to heal Gwen, as no Great Other worshiper is bold enough to come close to the Temple of the Lord of Light. It also puts some distance between Gwen and Dorne, but she will definitely return in time. Anyway, as said, all of this will be discussed more in Gwendis' next part.
Hehe, Bedwyck did quite a good job at climbing the ladder, becoming one of Lucifer's closest advisers and marrying his daughter to him, all for Nymeria to pull the rug from under him
He certainly ain't too proud to beg and suck up though. I'd say from the Tiddle's Lewyn is the only one who is doing well right now, potentially marrying the Qorgyle heiress. Gwyneth though, yeah, considering her father is in a very tight place now and Desmond has expressed interest in her, it seems pretty much give that she'll end up marrying the future Uller lord. Desmond ain't no angel, but he's not the worst possible person for Gwyneth to end up with.
Well, in the end Lucifer is just a bit of an unpleasant person, but I'd say he does deserve some respect. He's not a ruthless tyrant or a bloodthirsty madman, just a bitter man who has to witness his family's dynasty come to an end. And yeah, I will probably keep giving you some chances to change the fates of the kings, in the vein of that Kortney choice earlier, but in Lucifer's case I saw no point to change the canon. And yeah, Lucifer definitely sees going to the Wall as a punishment. Perhaps he might have some mixed feelings about this "mercy", but for the most part they are negative. And oh yes, we'll be seeing some glimpses of Lucifer's life after this in the future
Aye, Ser Blackheart does indeed have a backstory and personality
Under Lucifer he was basically just a silent guard, but in this moment he is pretty much forced to open up at least a bit. And he most definitely will be a valuable asset for Nym if she indeed decides to keep him around 
Most of my thoughts as far as Kris' part goes has been discussed but I do have to say I am especially intrigued to see Kris' reaction when he goes back to Faith and House Dryland has been defeated. I am also especially intrigued to see if Desi will play a role in the story moving forward and I am also excited to see Gwendis' role moving forward as well and how her time in Volantis will change her!
With Nymeria's first war of conquest finished, it looks like are almost to the end of Book one! I figured Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would be the book one ending but with that part happening here, I am at a loss for what the finale will be about
How many parts are left in book one anyhow? I feel like with all if these big events happening, it has to be close! As for the Nymeria choice, I like everyone else am surprised about Ser Blackheart's backstory and surprising character development! With that said, I think I'll vote for her to [Send Ser Lothar to the Wall] I don't see this choice winning but I still think I'll pick it largely because it does seem like a sound political choice to appease her new found allies in House Uller. While he himself was only being loyal to his king, he also killed Uller men and while I don't see them turning on her at this point, it wouldn't hurt to do this as a sign of goodwill. With that said, pardoning him is also a good choice as well and It will probably lead to seeing more of him which should be interesting as well!
Ah, I'm afraid we won't be seeing this first-hand, since this was Kris' last part in Book 1. However, I can reveal that he will accept Nymeria's rule over Vaith without resistance. We'll catch up with him in Book 2 though, and surely learn more about his thoughts on this new order of things
As for Gwen, we'll see her once more before Book 1 is over, but I am just as excited to show the change in her after the time skip.
Yes, we are very close to the end indeed
In fact, I'd say Book 1 will be finished within a week, because there are only two more parts planned for this chapter. And then there is the epilogue of course, but that will be just one part 
[Send Ser Lothar to the Wall]
Voting is closed!
And Nymeria will pardon Ser Lothar, who shall from now on serve the Principality of Dorne.
And next up, we will have the last two parts of Chapter 3! Finally
The PoVs are Valor and Gwendis, and I've made good progress on them during the last few days. Considering these last two parts with Nymeria and Kris, I assume no need for recaps are needed for where Valor and Gwendis are 
Anyway, I am in a bit of a crunch with my uni work atm, but I should still be able to get these parts done and posted during the weekend.
Oh yes, the final parts of the chapter! As much as I loved this one (hands down my favourite chapter so far), I think my Book 2 hype is greater than all previous hypes combined, so this is great. And it seem the very final part will be Gwen's, that comes, once again, as a complete surprise to me. I would have been willing to bet that Nymeria would have gotten the final one, but I am definitely not complaining
But yeah, I think it is needless to say, I am super excited for that one!
Valor
Valor stood on the gallery of Hellgate Hall’s great hall, watching as Nymeria sat on Lucifer’s throne and the Ullers ceremonially pledged their loyalty to her and House Martell. Earlier that day one of Nymeria’s Rhoynar warriors had arrived from the southern parts of Brimstone. She had reported that an ironborn crew had raided there, until the remnants of the Wild Suns led by Khazor the Sarnori had driven them away. This had led to Nymeria assigning the Fallen Dragons to march down the Brimstone and make sure any and all invaders were dealt with, so the people of Brimstone could be brought under the protection of the Principality of Dorne. However, that was a mission for tomorrow. Today even Valor and his men could rest and enjoy the victory.
Glancing at his left, Valor noticed General Varyn approaching him. The old man had his usual stern and humorless expression on, but there was no hostility in his eyes. “Commander Valor”, he greeted him with an official tone. “General Varyn”, Valor responded accordingly. “I am sure it gladdens you to see her reach this victory”, he quickly continued, nodding towards Nymeria.
“It gladdens me that this victory could be reached with relatively low sacrifices, yes”, Varyn responded dryly. “However, I also fear this might embolden her to more reckless endeavors in the future.”
“Such as?” Valor asked curiously, and the general let out a sigh. “You used to march under the commands of the dragonlords”, he stated sharply. “I am sure you of all people can imagine the horrors that emboldened conquerors can lead their people into.”
“You fear this war will end up devouring her?” Valor asked quietly, and though Varyn did not speak, he could see the answer in his eyes. He was deeply concerned, which was something Valor had not expected from Nymeria’s top officer. “For now she is victorious, which I am thankful for”, Varyn finally spoke up again, a pondering look in his eyes as he gazed at Nymeria. “However, unlike you and me, she hasn’t experienced a true defeat in the battlefield. This makes her overconfident, arrogant even. She has built a new home for the Rhoynar here, and for that she has my respect. I only hope she doesn’t end up destroying what she has created.”
“And what would you have her do in this situation?” Valor asked smoothly, looking the general to the eyes. “Before she even thinks about continuing her conquest further to the west, she should establish a stable hold on the lands she holds now, ensure the loyalty of her current vassals, as well as expand the principality’s trade with other kingdoms of Westeros”, Varyn responded without missing a beat. “To build a castle, one must make sure its foundation is solid. Same goes for kingdoms.”
“That’s reasonable”, Valor admitted calmly. “Perhaps you should voice these concerns to Nymeria in the next council meeting.”
“Oh, I intend to”, Varyn said sharply, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Valor. “And I would appreciate if you backed me in voicing these concerns.” Valor raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by this request, but then he realized it was the reason Varyn had come to discuss with him in the first place. “Will do”, he finally said nonchalantly, and with a stern nod the Rhoynar general turned and walked away.
As Varyn walked away from Valor, Bridget Gargalen approached him. “Bridget”, he greeted her with a slightly surprised tone, and she smiled. “Just wanted to come and see you, now that I’m officially not a prisoner any longer”, she said. Valor looked Bridget in the eyes, finding himself unable to read from her expression what she was thinking.
“I want you to know that I’m truly sorry you had to be a prisoner in the first place”, he apologized sincerely, to which Bridget just smiled sweetly. “Don’t be, it hasn’t been all bad”, she said quietly. “For example, it has given me an opportunity to get to know you, strange warrior of a foreign land.”
Valor chuckled softly at Bridget’s words. “The pleasure has been all mine, mylady”, he replied with a relaxed tone. After this they were both quiet for a few seconds, until Bridget spoke up again. “They say that Valyria is the greatest city in the whole world. You’re the only person I know to have seen it personally… is it true?” she asked with an intrigued tone.
“I suppose it would depend on how you define greatness”, he responded with a raised eyebrow. “It is a grand city for sure, and beautiful too, in a sort of threatening manner. Just imagine dozens of tall black towers, each decorated with large gargoyles and statues of dragons, and hundreds of actual dragons flying on the smoky sky above them. That said, I wasn’t actually raised in the capital myself, and have only visited it a handful of times. My family comes from the city of Draconys, which is a port city at the western coast of the Valyrian Peninsula.”
“It’s a smaller city?” Bridget asked, and with a subtle smirk Valor nodded. “Yes, but still a dozen times the size of Salt Shore”, he clarified, and for a brief moment Bridget’s eyes widened in wonderment. “The nobility of Draconys is deeply involved with the politics of Volantis, my father included, which is what eventually led me to making a military career in the Volantene army. And that in turn led me to the war against the Rhoynar”, Valor concluded with a sigh, turning his gaze down.
“Do you ever miss it, your home?” Bridget asked softly. Valor gulped, considering his words for a moment. “I’d lie if I said I never miss it”, he admitted calmly. “However, I’ve come to grips with it by now, accepting that I no longer have a home.”
“Perhaps you could find a new one, just as the Rhoynar have”, Bridget suggested with an encouraging tone, and Valor reciprocated her smile. “Perhaps someday”, he agreed softly.
They turned to watch and listen as Nymeria held a speech to the court of Hellgate Hall, promising her protection and provision for these lands, as well as praising the strength and unity of the Principality of Dorne, which was received by applauds.
“So, what happens next?” Bridget asked from Valor, gulping subtly as she looked at him. “Where will you go?”
“My contract with Nymeria continues for now”, Valor responded tensely, knowing it wasn’t exactly what Bridget had asked about. He took in a deep breath and continued. “For now I’ve been tasked with restoring the order in the lower Brimstone, but what comes after that I am unsure of. However, as you know, my ships are still docked at your harbor.”
“So, you will come to Salt Shore after your mission here is done?” Bridget asked shyly, and Valor nodded. “I will”, he promised, and now Bridget stepped closer to him and gently grabbed his hand. With a tender look in her eyes, she put her lips against his. It was a brief kiss, over as soon as it started, but like an oasis at the heart of a desert it filled Valor with peaceful joy, if only for a moment.
“I’ll be waiting for you”, Bridget chirped, and walked away. I’ll see you there, Valor thought with a smile on his face.
No decision.
-
Gwendis
The world was dark. A relentless storm raged around Gwendis, and in the pitch-black sky above her only the glowing blue eyes could be seen. As the eyes stared down at her with judgement, the wind carried into her ears the twisted laughter of Valerie. Suddenly the wind turned into flames, which rapidly grew higher and higher, consuming Gwendis within them. And the laughter died down. As the flames began to eat away her skin and she screamed in pain, the blue eyes watched her suffering in silence.
Gwendis woke up with a gasp, cold sweat running down her forehead. It took a moment for her to remember that she was in the cabin of the ship that Desirea had took her into. She felt weak, too weak to even get up from the bunk or utter a single word.
“Are you alright?” She heard the voice of Belan asking, and slowly she turned her gaze to see the young boy sitting on a chair by the cabin’s door, a concerned expression on his face. “I… I’m…” Gwendis stuttered, before breaking into tears and turning away from Belan in shame.
“Just stay calm, I… I’ll fetch Desi”, the boy spoke nervously, which was followed by the sound of the door being opened and closed again. About a minute later the door was opened again, and now in walked Desirea. The young girl was dressed in her red robes as always, and on her face was a calm and soft expression as she sat down next to Gwendis’ bunk.
“Princess Gwendis, is something troubling you?” She asked gently. Gwendis took in a few breaths to calm down and collect her thoughts, before finally speaking up. “It’s the nightmares, they aren’t going away”, she muttered weakly, and Desirea nodded in an empathic manner. “The blue eyes?” she asked softly, and Gwendis nodded.
“You’ve been in a bad place lately, surrounded by terrible people”, Desirea started calmly. “These people worship darkness and death, the eternal enemies of life and everything in it that we hold dear. Their twisted magic has left you weak and scarred, but it’s not too late to bring you back to the light.”
“Wh-what happens next?” Gwendis asked with a gulp. Desirea took a pause and gently grabbed Gwendis’ hand, before answering her question. “Right now, all you need to do is rest and regain your strength. Then, I will teach you how to get rid of these nightmares, and in time completely abolish this connection that you have to the Great Other.”
“Do you know why I have it?” Gwendis asked with a gulp, and after hesitating a moment Desirea shook her head. “These things can be hard to understand for even the most experienced priests”, she said with a sigh. “However, it might be related to your surroundings, the people around you. Some people also tend to be more… prone to these kinds of things. It is not necessarily a bad thing mind you, you just had a bad luck with being at the disposal of these Great Other worshipers.”
“Is… is it something I can get rid of?” Gwendis asked quietly.
“The nightmares, the visions of the Great Other, all that you can learn to reject. However, this connection will always be a part of you”, Desirea explained with a serious but gentle tone. “One option for you would be to use it to serve the light, to learn the ways of R’hllor.”
“You’d have me become a red priestess?” Gwendis asked with an unenthusiastic tone, but Desirea quickly shook her head in response. “That is not necessary, my princess”, she replied with a small smile. “You can serve the Lord of Light without becoming a priestess. And when you’ve learned enough, you can safely return to your home.”
“Home”, Gwendis repeated quietly, and memories of Blackmont flashed through her mind. She thought about Naemon and Benedict, and how they probably thought she was dead. “I need to go home”, she said with a gulp, an alarmed look in her eyes. The young priestess took in a deep breath, clearly considering her words carefully. “You are not my prisoner, so if you wish to go home, I will arrange a ship for you once we reach Tyrosh. However, I urge you to consider this carefully. If you go back now, the nightmares won’t go away, they will keep haunting you and pulling you towards darkness. So I must humbly ask you to stay with me for now, and let me help you.”
A silence lingered in the room for a moment, as Gwendis considered her choice. Her heart broke at the thought of her brother and father having to deal with her absence, but she knew that Desirea was speaking the truth. She needed her help, and she couldn’t go back to Blackmont before she was fully healed from the sickness that Aisha and Valerie had brought upon her. “I’ll stay with you”, she said quietly, and Desirea smiled softly.
“Don’t worry, my princess, you will see your family again”, she assured, stroking Gwendis’ shoulder gently. Then the door of the cabin was opened again by Belan. “Lady Desirea, Princess Gwendis, we’re almost at Tyrosh”, he informed with a subtle smirk on his face. “The port is already at the horizon.” With these words the boy rushed out of the room again.
“Come Gwendis, I think you should get some fresh air”, Desirea suggested with a relaxed tone, offering her hand for the princess. Gwendis hesitated for a moment, wondering if she even had the strength to get up from the bunk. However, with a gulp she grasped Desirea’s hand, and a smile the priestess pulled her up from the bunk with a smile on her face. Hand in hand they made their way out of the dusty cabin. Walking the short and narrow corridor towards the stairway at the end of it, Gwendis had to squint her eyes at the sun shining in. The wooden stairs creaked under their feet as they climbed up to the ship’s deck.
Gwendis took in a deep breath as they approached the railing, her eyes widening in wonder of the sight ahead. She had read about the Free Cities, but descriptions in books did little justice to the reality. The harbor was filled all kinds of ships from Ibbenese whalers to Tyroshi war galleys and Summer Islander swan ships. Overlooking all of them on the cliffs next to the harbor was the tallest tower Gwendis had ever seen – a round and white lighthouse, which had to be at least seven-hundred feet tall. Behind the high walls that protected the city, several smaller towers could be seen, as well as dozens of temples and mansions, each more beautiful than any building Gwendis had seen before.
“This is Tyrosh?” she asked quietly, simply stun by the grandeur of it. “Indeed”, Desirea responded, clearly a bit amused by Gwendis’ reaction. “Just wait until you see Volantis”, she quipped, and for the first time in a long time, Gwendis smiled freely. It was in this moment that she realized she could truly leave behind the horrors of yesterday and find something new. A fresh start, she thought with a feeling of relief going through her, as the soft wind played with her hair.
The End of Chapter 3.
-
Ah, wonderful! At first, I think it is for the best to show my reaction to some particular paragraphs before sharing some thoughts on this part as a whole
Once more, Varyn's thoughts on Nymeria are an absolute joy to read. He is probably unique among her followers that he follows solely out of duty, not out of the desire to climb in ranks or out of particular fondness or to further some mysterious agenda (looking at you, Forovos). And I just downright loved the interaction between him and Valor here. Seems like ever so slowly, they start to appreciate each other and I wonder how their relationship will have developed in Book 2.
throws a bottle of wine at the two
I hereby christen thee, the good ship Brilor! Sail on, noble ship, sail!
Seriously though, I might have chuckled a little at how adorable this was. A little only. Then I punched a kitten to officially restore my manliness. Seriously though, this is an adorable way to end Valor's storyline. It actually occured to me, as Valyrian nobility, a romance between him and Bridget isn't even doomed to fail due to their different standings in life. Though unusual, Valor could actually be seen as a suitable match, given that foreign nobles are rare, but not unfitting spouses for the lords and ladies of Westeros.
Agh, get out of her head, you freaky lich bitch! Possibly, I mean. This could as much be just a still lingering effect of Valerie's mind control and the entity previously known as the GO Bro being unwilling to let go of her. But it could also be Valerie still clinging onto whatever little life there still is left inside her, trying to still dominate her victim. If she cannot win, she can at least try to cause pain and this is definitely what is happening here, regardless of wether or not she survived. It is interesting that Gwen seems to experience the final moments of Valerie here, first the overly confident laughter, then the flames and screams. I suppose that this particular event, being under Valerie's mind control while the witch herself suffered extreme agony, was what amplified the already traumatizing effects of the spell. Wouldn't be too surprised if, in a way, Gwendis actually felt it every bit as intense as Valerie.
Damn straight she will! Now, I know Desi is not infallible, but I have trust in her. She seems absolutely convinced that Gwen will see her family again and so am I. She survived this much, she mustn't be stopped by some creepy nightmares. That being said, I do not think a reunion will happen right away in Book 2. The healing process itself, or at least most of it, will likely happen off screen during the timeskip, it is perfect for this. Even after this, I suppose more is to come. Her road back to Blackmont will lead through all Dorne and I highly expect that she will do somethin in the areas already controlled by Nymeria.
There you go, that is one hell of a way to end the chapter! Gwendis has been through some serious shit, I believe out of the entire still living cast, only Kortney went through worse. But this... does put a smile on my face
Really though, this is beautiful. More than anything, it proved that no, she is not lost. It will be a hard two years of recovery, away from the people she needs most and whom need her most, but at least in her case, I know she will get through this time. Naemon and Benedict, they are the ones I feel pity for here, because she has the mercy of knowing they are fine. In two years, they will likely consider her dead or worse. That being said, I am so damn eager to see them reunite once more, as I cannot even imagine the feels it will bring up.
But yeah, safe to say this was an amazing way to finish the final chapter of Book 1! It has been a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the entire chapter (and book, while we're at it, but I think book critique should wait until the epilogue is over), but this was a part that legitimately ended on a happy note, from Valor and Varyn becoming bro's, to Valor and Bridget taking their relationship to the next level, to Gwendis first actual expression of genuine, unburdened joy in... I don't know. Have we actually seen her truly light-hearted and joyful before? Her scenes with Trentan, while holding some degree of happiness, were still overshadowed by the looming threat that was Aisha and Valerie. Her scenes in the early Blackmont storyline always had the somewhat depressing element of her knowing that whatever power she has build up for herself there is, at best, temporary. But this here is really the first time she seems hopeful. I imagine that smile as the first smile that is both genuine and light-hearted she made in quite some time. Warms my heart, truly. Ah, this will be a piece of work though. She is in good hands for now, but this won't be her final fate, wasting away in some temple in Volantis. She was always destined for greatness, even Aisha, for all her flaws, saw this. And I do suppose her Book 2 storyline will see her start on that road. With a bit of luck, Desi will be by her side, but even then, I do suppose Book 2 will also hold some new allies, friends and enemies for her. I do not know what will be in store for her, but I know, without any doubt, that I am excited.
Now, if you don't mind, I have two questions about possible alternatives to Gwendis' storyline, now that her storyline for Book 1 is officially over. First of all, how would all this have ended if she would have turned into the dark priestess Aisha wanted her to be? You mentioned it would have been one way to survive the confrontation between Team R'hllor and Team Awful, but what then? I doubt she would have ended up on a ship bound to Volantis, but obviously there has to be some sort of event that would have seen her preparing for the time skip. Also, what sort of effect would this have had on her on a personal level?
Furthermore, the Skyreach route. I know I have often expressed regret, mixed with some hesitant and rather odd relief at us not picking the Skyreach route for her. I know, under certain circumstances, she could have become friends with Isabella, likely genuinely come to love Desmor and also made herself a valuable asset to Garrison, but could you elaborate in more detail about the possible outcomes Book 1 could have held for her if we would have picked Skyreach? In a way, I guess it wouldn't have been as drastically different as the Good Gwen and Evil Gwen routes from the R'hllor/Great Other storyline are, but still, I think differences are possible and I am curious just to know in general what could have been
So it ends the first book, wonder which character will have the honor of being the POV for the epilogue.
Yeah, I haven't had a proper chance to bring up Varyn's concerns regarding Nymeria and her war in a while, so I figured this was the perfect time for that
Book 2 will definitely continue to explore the dynamic between Varyn and Nym, and perhaps also the one between Varyn and Valor.
Hehe, yeah, it would've been quite cruel of me to end Book 1 without giving any closure to this ship
And you're absolutely right, a romance between Valor and Bridget wouldn't be looked down upon at all, especially with Lord Jorvian dead and gone. If anything, it would be the Valyrians scoffing at one of their own marrying a Westerosi lady. Obviously that doesn't matter now either, since Valor isn't really in favor of the Valyrians anyway.
Mm, this could indeed be a hint towards Valerie's possible survival, or perhaps it's indeed just Gwendis living through Valerie's last moments in her nightmares. Who knows, we might learn more going towards Book 2
Ah, I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed it
I've planned to end Chapter 3 with this kind of moment ever since it came clear Gwen would make it through the confrontation. The intention was indeed to show that despite the terrible things she had to go through, Gwen is not completely broken and could well grow to be stronger as a person than she ever was before. But yeah, on the downside of things is of course Benny and Naemon having to live with the thought that they have lost Gwendis forever 
Alright, so let's start with the Dark Gwen path. It's been a while since I've actively made any plans for this scenario (though not quite as long as it has been for the Skyreach path), but the basic premise is that she would've stuck with Aisha and Valerie (Mordekhai would've still died in the confrontation), now being basically the most powerful of the trio. They would've won the confrontation but it would've weakened them, which is why they would've gone to hiding in the Red Mountains, in case more servants of R'hllor would be sent after them. And the Gwendis in this scenario would obviously have been widely different from what we have now, consumed by her dark powers. However, there would have still been chance for a redemption, which is what her Book 2 storyline would've then been about, though I really don't have any details regarding that planned out.
Now, this is even harder to answer, because I think I have straight up forgotten about some of the plans I had for this route, due to not having to think about it in like, what? Has it been over a year? I'm pretty sure it has
But let's just say that she could've rose to a pretty prominent role in Skyreach's council. And as we know the Fowlers will be stuck in two conflicts in Book 2, so Gwendis' role obviously would have been to help King Garrison with this.
What I find interesting is, I kinda feel like Varyn's opinion on Nym has already improved a bit. Perhaps her victory against House Dryland against all initial odds has helped convincing him that her dream might not even be entirely impossible. I doubt he'll ever feel as strongly for her as he felt for Garin, but I do hope that in the end, he comes to appreciate her as a worthy successor. The more victories she actually gets, the more likely I consider this.
Gotta admit, I did not think you would do it
I actually didn't even think Valor would have received another part in this chapter, the one before his already felt like an ending to his Chapter 3 storyline. That being said, it has now become so much better. I thought him and Bridget would have had this attraction unresolved until his possible return to Salt Shore in Book 2. Now it seems he might actually get to spend some time with her during the time skip. Who knows, maybe this can turn into more than a fling in Book 2. He is nobility, she is nobility, he is a high-ranking officer in Nymeria's army and actually as a Valyrian almost above her in terms of social standing, so that could be kind of a perfect match.
Hehe, it was the best ending for the chapter I could have hoped for and entirely unexpected, even after she managed to get through the confrontation alive. I was really certain it would end with Nymeria, but here you go and surprise me by giving her only an actually small role in the background of Valor's part. And well, it was definitely great to see her getting this sort of development. No matter what, her time in Volantis is likely to turn her into a person more suited to deal with the issues she has to face in the future. While never a pushover and always strong-willed, I am curious how Benny and Naemon will react to this new Gwendis. Speaking of Benny, I actually am really curious if he grows desperate enough to find out the fate of his daughter that he just uses that glass candle. Given that Gwen is alive and well in Volantis, he might get his answer, but at the price of drawing some trouble to Blackmont in the form of the sort of sorcerer he really doesn't want to attract.
Redemption in that case is surprising, but actually would have been intriguing. That being said, I stand by it, she would have basically been a villain in that case and the type of villain who rarely get their happy ending, so I imagine even if she would have survived here, it is the route that will make her ultimate survival the hardest to achieve. Though I do have further questions here. First of all, what about Desi and Kris? Would they both have died in the Dark Gwen path? And I gotta ask, the one route that would have seen her death in this confrontation, how would she have died? Would she have been executed by Kris, or died during the confrontation itself?
Yeah, more than a year. One and half even, I think, since we decided to choose Aisha over Skyreach. A choice I have often regretted, but I am actually quite happy with the way it turned out here. I am intrigued by Skyreach, the fact that Gwen could have had an actual family there, probably eventually having children of her own with Desmor (which will now, at best, take additional years until she can think of starting a family of her own and obviously not with Desmor) and becoming a part of House Fowler. However, I have to admit that this does not sound as intriguing as the possibilities she now has in Book 2 or the general thrill that was the Book 1 storyline we chose for her. And stuck between two wars as an important adviser of Garrison, I kinda see that as terribly dangerous. As we know, House Manwoody has Zereth and Nymeria has Forovos and the moment Gwen becomes any sort of threat to their respective wars with House Fowler, I'd imagine she would have been in the severe danger of becoming a target. Now, while Forovos can be a proper bastard, I doubt he has any reason to target her in Book 2.
And here we are, Chapter 3 is finished and with it, the end of the first book is almost upon us as well! I'll keep my thoughts here somewhat brief saving most of my thoughts for once the epilogue is complete. I am really surprised to see how this book ended on such a high note with Valor getting a happy ending to this book and of course Gwendis' part which was something special as well.
With there not being much left for me to add in regards to Valor's part, I am curious about the Rhoynar woman who reported about what happened primarily wondering if it was Lysera? I was hoping Dianna's sacrifice wasn't for nothing and it seems that it might not have been! Like the others, I enjoyed Valor and Varyn's talk and really enjoy their dynamic in general because they are so different but also very much the same and I feel like these two are going to be vital assets for Nymeria's success moving forward!
Now for Gwendis' part, there isn't much for me to add but I do have to applaud your choice of her being the last PoV in the main part of the story with my first guess being that Nymeria sending Lucifer to the wall would end the book but I definitely enjoy this ending! In my mind at least, this book obviously has Nymeria's War at the forefront but it also has other characters that really aren't involved with it directly at this point encountering problems of their own as well and Gwendis along with Kortney clearly had the roughest paths to travel so seeing one of them close the book with optimism for the future really is an awesome way to end it
Now for the epilogue, after looking at the title, I am pretty intrigued to see what it is going to consist with my primary guess being that it will be from the PoV of a Septon or Septa but I am probably way wrong there
I am especially curious about if it will be the first sign of Nymeria's war expanding west or if it will be something else entirely. Anyway, one part left in book one left so safe to say I am definitely looking forward to this 
Yeah, I don't really have any plans for how exactly that storyline would've panned out, but safe to say it wouldn't have exactly been a happy story. Regarding your first question, I probably would've found a way for Kris to survive, but Desi definitely would have died. And to your second question, Gwen would have died after the confrontation, executed by Kris. That said, she would have probably also been a bit more active in the confrontation itself.
Yeah, it was indeed Lysera, I just felt like there was no reason for Valor to know her name
Lysera will also have a role in Book 2, so Dianna's sacrifice definitely wasn't in vain. And I'm glad you enjoyed the conversation between Valor and Varyn 
They are a really interesting pair, since both of them being excellent commanders sort of gives them a mutual respect towards each other, but at the same time there is a quite understandable antipathy from Varyn towards Valor. That said, he is definitely someone who prioritizes duty above any such feelings, and he has started to develop some trust towards Valor lately as well. And yeah, both of them will definitely be vital in Nymeria's war efforts going forward.
Yeah, I'd say Book 1 was definitely more fragmented in terms of its storylines, whereas the rest will be a bit more tightly centered around the main conflict. And Gwendis had one of my personal favorite storylines in this book, so it felt right ending Chapter 3 with her PoV
Well, you don't have to wait for long, the epilogue is almost ready by now
I can reveal though that the PoV will be a character we already know from the story, and it will show a fairly important moment.
Alright, since there is no voting going on and I've already got the epilogue done, I thought why not just post it already
And btw, I haven't forgot about the questions, they will come after the epilogue, and this time they will be about Book 1 as a whole. But anyway, here's the epilogue:
-
Epilogue: The Mother's Smile
Mors
It had been little over a year since the Kingdom of Brimstone submitted to the rule of the Principality of Dorne. About six months ago Mors had left Sandship on a task of escorting hundreds of Rhoynar settlers to the Brimstone, and especially to the town of Brimstone Well, now renamed as Nymerwell. Back then Nymeria’s pregnancy had still been in a pretty early state, but a fortnight ago raven had flown to Nymerwell, informing Mors that the Princess had given birth to a girl. That very same day Mors had began his journey back to Sandship.
Now finally he saw his home again, the ancient dun fort of Sandship, and the blue waters around it. Next to the fort the construction of the palace was ongoing, the main hall being about halfway done. The builders had settled on small mudbrick houses built west of the construction site, in shadow of the rising palace.
Prince Mors, flanked by the royal guards Ser Boran Sargen and Ser Lothar Hill, rode past the construction site of the palace, and in from the gates of Sandship. After dismounting his horse and taking it to the stables, Mors was approached by General Varyn.
“Welcome back, Your Grace”, Varyn spoke with a dutiful tone, bowing to the prince, who nodded calmly in response. “I came as quickly as I could”, he responded, taking in a deep breath. “Is the child in good health?”
“Yes, she is”, Varyn responded, a rare smile on his face. “I believe she just woke from her nap a moment ago, and is now being fed by the Princess. Let me take you to them”, he offered calmly, and with enthusiastic nod Mors followed after the general.
They made their way to the royal chambers, which were guarded by Commander Farrah and Nesea. “Prince Mors, welcome back”, the commander spoke softly, a subtle smile on her face as she bowed to him. “Nymeria has been waiting for your return”, she added as she turned to open the door.
Gulping nervously, Mors stepped in, his heart racing. He walked to the window of the room, by which Nymeria was sitting on a settee, a small baby girl on her arms. My daughter, Mors thought, overwhelmed by feelings and unable to find words.
“Welcome back, my love”, Nymeria spoke quietly, a gentle expression on her face. She looked a bit tired, but still beautiful, and radiating of motherly affection for the baby on her arms. The girl let out a weak little bawl as Mors sat down next to Nymeria.
”Have you decided on a name yet?” Mors asked, unable to subdue his grin as he looked into the bright eyes of the infant girl. “I have”, Nymeria answered softly. “Of course, I haven’t told anyone else yet, as I wanted you to be the first to hear it.”
“Well, what is it?” Mors asked excitedly, turning to look at his wife. Nymeria smiled to him, and it was a sweet and loving smile, the kind she didn’t show to the rest of the world. “Sarella”, she answered, and Mors could hear the pure affection in the way she pronounced the name.
“It’s a beautiful name”, Mors said with a satisfied smile. As he turned his eyes to the baby again, the little girl let out a sudden noise resembling a laughter, to which both Nymeria and Mors reacted with a warm chuckle. “Is there a story behind the name?” he then asked, and she nodded.
“It comes from a tale my mother used to tell me when I was a child”, Nymeria revealed, and for a moment there was a hint of yearning in her voice. She gulped subtly, before continuing. “In the story Sarella was a child of the river, birthed by Mother Rhoyne herself. She came down the current as a newborn baby, carried by turtles, the servants of Mother Rhoyne. An old farmer and his wife took her as their own, since they had no children of their own, and raised her with love. Mother Rhoyne recognized their love and gave them plentiful harvests year after year. Soon there was a village around the farm, and by the time the farmers died of old age, that village had grown into a thriving small town.”
“And what happened then?” Mors asked with an intrigued tone. Nymeria flashed her a smirk, and continued the story. “The people of the town grew greedy and drove Sarella out, in order to steal the wealth of her adoptive parents. Mother Rhoyne was of course infuriated by this, and for the next four years the harvest grew smaller and smaller, and the river kept flooding out of season and ruining the crops, eventually leading to famine in the town. Seeing this, Sarella felt pity for the people and traveled upriver to find Mother Rhoyne. On an island in the Upper Rhoyne she confronted the goddess of the river and pleaded her to forgive the people that had banished her, and save them from the famine.”
“And did the goddess agree?” Mors asked with a raised eyebrow, to which Nymeria nodded. “Stories of Sarella’s heroic deed spread quickly throughout the land, and when she finally returned to her home, she was welcomed as a hero and made the first Princess of Ny Sar.”
“Ah, so our child is the descendent of a goddess”, Mors deduced with a small chuckle, and Nymeria reciprocated it. “Well, according to the legends anyway”, she said calmly. “In the story Sarella went on to make Ny Sar a great trading post, and protected it against invaders from north, east and west. It is unclear if this Sarella truly existed, and how much of the stories about her are true, but the point is that she built a great home for her people and protected it against any and all threats. Seems like a fitting name for our heir, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it is”, Mors admitted quietly, as the baby let out another little bawl. The prince looked the girl into the eyes again, feeling tears of happiness coming to his eyes as she smiled to him. “We will leave Princess Sarella a great legacy to protect, I swear that on my life.”
End of Book 1.
Congrats on finishing the first book! I've really enjoyed your story so far. It's been quite the journey. Can't wait for when you start the next book.
Ah, this is probably the most fitting epilogue possible. Ever since I saw the title, Nymeria giving birth to her first child became my most likely guess for what the epilogue will be about and well, I suppose anything else really wouldn't have made much sense
The part was great and the best way to end Book 1 and it is particularly nice seeing this from Mors' PoV. He has, understandably, always been in Nym's shadow so far, which I suppose is the downside of being married to the main character, but I always liked him, so it is great that he gets some spotlight here. And we also get our first flash forward a year after Lucifer's defeat. Oh man, this is just the very first glimpse and I am already so excited to see where everyone's going to be after the timeskip. For now though, I look forward for the questions and Book 2 and everything inbetween. Book 1 has been one hell of an epic story already and I have the feeling, compared to some stuff down the line it was merely the build up, which is a crazy thought 
I Wish you luck on the wars to come.
I know it sounds a bit silly but I thought it was fitting for the occasion. Or, quoting Winston Churchill "This is not the end, this isn't even the beginning of the end. It's only the end of the beginning"
Thank you! I'm really looking forward to starting Book 2 myself, but there will also be something little extra coming before that. More about that when I post the questions
Yeah, it's a very important event in the lives of Nymeria and Mors, so I decided to show it instead of just telling at the beginning of Book 2 that it had happened during the time skip
Also, Mors will be a regular PoV from now on, which is something I'm quite excited about myself. He has been very much in Nymeria's shadow throughout Book 1, but Book 2 will flesh him out a lot. And yeah, in many ways Book 1 has merely set the stage for the most important parts of the story and the war. Can't wait to begin reintroducing the characters and storylines after the timeskip 
Oh yes, both of those quotes fit the occasion quite well. There are plenty of wars to come in the story, and this is indeed only the end of the beginning