I am not sure if everyone had a chance to read this part, as I have to close the voting a bit earlier, but I am running out of time and have to leave in a few minutes, so it has to be now This part will be important in the way how Irae is going to start her relationship with Naela. Obviously, winning her trust is the prime goal, you chose for this in Irae's first part and I'd say spending time with her, just socializing and politely accepting her invitation, that could be a good way to achieve this. We will see. This whole storyline is still about to start properly, a lot of development shall happen in the parts to come.
Now, the next part will be out today. More than that, it will be out in a few minutes, after reading over it once more. It will feature PoV's from Jaron and Ysilla. And since it will be my last part before leaving to visit my grandfather for the week, potentially the only part in the next seven days if I am truly once more limited to my phone internet, I am glad to announce that it will have one and a half times the length of a normal part, to give you something to read while I'm gone. Good news are, I got the character list with me this time and importantly, I also got all the private messages I haven't had the time to answer yet with me, so if you haven't received an answer to your message yet, be assured that I am deeply sorry for keeping you waiting, but I will work on this while I am gone, so that I may finally answer once I am back and then never again let you wait for so long.
Now, I already gave a recap for Jaron, the next part will show him and Samuel continuing their search for Arryn Blackwell. Meanwhile, in Ysilla's last part, she, Theodan, Jenelyne and Allar arrived in Godsgrace, where Theodan met his family for the first time in many years. It was an emotional reunion, with his mother Belandra and brother Yandry being particularly happy, whereas his and Ysilla's father Alester was more tense, as was their sister, Ashara. After the initial reunion, Alester and Theodan left to have a talk and Ysilla chose to give them some privacy, instead opting to show Jen and Allar around the castle. The next part will happen a bit later, at the end of their little tour through Godsgrace and as said, it will be posted in a few minutes.
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn Blackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring”, he spoke in a dry tone. “I almost feel honoured”
Samuel did not smile back. “There is one thing I trust when it comes to you”, he spoke. “You know you need me more than I need you” It was blunt, but honest, the sort Jaron had come to appreciate about Samuel. He wasn't here to make friends with the sellsword, but they made a good team.
“And what do you expect from me?”, he asked, more out of curiosity. Samuel seemed to think about this for a moment, as they approached the next tavern, a small building on the far end of the docks, one wall right at the very end of it, almost touching the surface of the water. “You are in love with that girl”, he stated. “That makes you... predictable. I appreciate it. Fucking hate these shady pricks who think they have to hide their true motives. Always makes it more difficult for me”
Jaron frowned. “Thank... you? I think?”, he asked and Samuel chuckled slightly. “You're welcome”, he simply replied, as they came closer to the tavern. “This Gutten though... I am not certain what he is about. It's not love that ties him to the woman he seeks to find, not in the way you feel about Harpy. It's different and I don't know what to make of it yet”
“I'm sure you'll get the chance”, Jaron replied and Samuel sighed. “I hope it won't be too late by then”, he said and they both looked at the tavern. It was perhaps one of the shabbiest buildings Jaron had ever seen at it was glaring to see it in a city of such beauty. Perhaps it was true what John had told him, that Lys was both, a beauty and rotten at the same time. At least this part of the city had seen better days and if anything, having Samuel by his side made him feel more at ease. In Oldtown, there were alleyways, he wouldn't have entered on his own and the months he had spent there had given him a feeling for such danger. Right now, he was certain there were eyes on him, but he was just as certain they'd look away again when spotting his sword, or his companion”
The two men hadn't even reached the building yet, as the door got pushed open and a man stumbled out. Holding his head, the bruises on his face were clearly visible, as he stumbled forwards, his knees finally giving in, as stumbling turned into staggering. Jaron reacted swiftly and jumped towards the man, just in time to prevent him from falling face first into the harbour basin.
“Hey, careful!”, he yelled and the man looked at him with a blurred gaze. He was an older fellow, with reddened cheeks and a large nose, his reply being in a foreign language and even then, it was hard to make out actual words through the drunken slur. He grabbed Jaron's arm, still talking quickly in a language the knight did not understand, as he slowly regained his stance. Still, Jaron only let go of him after being certain the man wouldn't just fall right again.
“You done?”, Samuel asked, as the man started to stagger away. Jaron looked after him, before nodding. “You would have let him fall?”, he asked, to which Samuel simply nodded. “And so would you, had you heard what he said just now” Jaron frowned. “What was it?”, he asked and Samuel smirked. “He thanked you for your consideration and care, he gave you his blessing for all the coming adventures”, he lied through his teeth. “That is what you'd like to hear, huh?”
Jaron shrugged. “I've heard worse”, he spoke, as both turned to the tavern. A strong stench came out of it, a mixture of ale, sweat and worse, but it was their next stop and if the gods were merciful, it would be the last one they had to look through to find Arryn.
The taproom was larger than it seemed from the outside, yet crammed with people, mostly the sort Jaron had come to know from similar locations in Oldtown. Sellswords, thugs, sailors, perhaps the kind already involved with the darker parts of Lys. Nothing too dark, those people had their own hideouts, and yet, this building was as much a tavern as it was a gateway to the Lysene underworld. Most notably, it lacked any sort of beauty the city itself possessed, a stark contrast that caused Jaron to tense up.
The man behind the counter was stout and balding, his tanned skin sporting hints of a sunburn and the moustache covered in sweat and grease. He was about to clean a wooden mug as he spotted the two strangers approaching him. Lazily, he raised an eyebrow, directing a question at them in a foreign language.
Samuel replied in Jaron's stead and the man frowned. “Westerosi”, he spoke with a heavy accent. “Hope you the kind that pays bills” His look became more questioning, as he raised the mug and two fingers. A disgusted look flashed over Samuel's face and it was Jaron who shook his head. “We're looking for a man”, he said and the innkeeper raised an eyebrow. “Not here”, he spoke. “You go brothel, they have man”
Now, the disgust on Samuel's face turned into amusement and he left it to Jaron to press out a stuttered reply. “No”, he said firmly. “We are looking for Arryn Blackwell” As soon as he said this name, the innkeeper's demeanour changed.
“Are you here to collect his debts?”, he asked, suddenly dropping a lot of the accent, his expression serious and calculating. “You are working for Rogare, right?” Jaron and Samuel exchanged a look and just as Samuel was about to nod, Jaron shook his head, leaving the sellsword to sigh. “We brings word from his brother”, he said.
The innkeeper sighed. “There's two of them?”, he growled, as Samuel leant forwards. “You mentioned Rogare”, he said. “Is he in debt to the bank?” Grimly, the innkeeper nodded. “The Rogare bank does not like to wait”, he said. “And Arryn has strained their already thin patience. Thought you might be debt collectors, you certainly look the part”
Jaron narrowed his eyes. “Where is he?”, he asked and the innkeeper pointed at the corner. There sat a man, his head on the table he had all for himself. Though his face was buried in his arms, Jaron spotted dark hair and a skin tone that went slightly into the olive, features that he had come to recognize from Ayden.
Samuel put a hand onto Jaron's shoulder. “I got this”, he spoke, as he approached the man. Jaron glanced at the innkeeper and noticed that the man had a small smirk on his face. “Hey, perhaps...”, he yelled after the sellsword, but Samuel was already near the man. “Arryn Blackwell?”, he asked.
Instantly and without warning, the man jumped up, revealing a face not too unlike Ayden's, but with a heavy, scruffy beard, before his fist hit Samuel right in the face. To Samuel's credit, he remained standing after what looked like a heavy punch, merely stumbling back a slight bit, groaning in surprise and perhaps pain, though he mostly looked genuinely baffled that someone had gotten him like this. There was something else, which Jaron correctly deduced to be anger and he grabbed Samuel's arm before he could even reach his sword. “Samuel...”, he hissed.
Perhaps more surprised than Samuel was Arryn Blackwell himself, who blinked as he spotted the two men. “Samuel...”, he repeated, his voice deeper than Ayden's and slightly blurred from apparently just waking up. “Yeah, figures. You took that punch like a Samuel. Like a fucking champ” A grin formed on his face. “You startled me”
Samuel sighed, before clenching his fist. “Alright”, he growled. “You are Arryn Blackwell, right?” The man raised an eyebrow. “Depends on who's asking” Jaron gave him a winning smile. The truth was, he wasn't too certain how a winning smile even looked, but he hoped it was at least likeable. “Not the Rogare bank”, he told him and the man relaxed a bit. “And none you are in debt to”
“Then I am Arryn”, he confirmed. “And I don't care what you want” He leant back, his head resting against the wall, while Samuel glared at him coldly. His hand was twitching a bit and Jaron knew, he was more than willing to cut the man down right there and actively holding back at this very moment.
“This is a waste of time”, the sellsword hissed. “That man's a drunken mess. Let's get out of here” Jaron shot him a surprised look. “Since when do you give up so easily?”, he questioned, as he pushed past him, sitting down on the chair opposing Arryn. Ayden's brother opened his eyes again, raising an eyebrow. “This Samuel is a smart man”, he commented. “And you? What is your name?”
“Jaron”, Jaron told him and Arryn sighed, as he leant forwards again. “Sharon?”, he remarked. “What sort of a name is that?” Jaron was about to say something, when Arryn shot him a crooked grin. “Alright... Jaron”, he stated. “You are neither here to collect debts, nor are you here to bring me booze. And you're determined enough that not even a punch right in your friends face can scare you two off” He glanced at Samuel, before straightening his back. “Though looking like you, I doubt anything can scare you off that easily”, he admitted. “Means you earned one chance to tell me what you want”
Though Samuel was probably not angry in the way Jaron had seen with Ryder before, he clearly was all kinds of done with this man already. Jaron however was unwilling to give up on this just yet. Ayden had described his brother as a strong man, a skilled fighter and one who, if motivated properly, could contribute to their journey. He would at least give this a try.
“We're coming from your brother”, he spoke, to which a streak of curiosity appeared on Arryn's face. “Is he dead?”, he asked and Jaron shook his head. Arryn sighed. “Shame”, he spoke. Jaron narrowed his eyes. “He is getting married”, he told him. “To a beautiful woman, over in Oldtown. She is expecting his child”
“And Uncle Arryn is invited to the wedding, huh?”, Arryn asked, shooting Jaron a slightly drunken grin, of the kind that did not grow smaller when Jaron shook his head. “He said nothing about that”, he spoke. “But he told me you might be able to help me in his stead. I'm looking for a skilled fighter to fight by my side as I make my way to Slaver's Bay. Did I come to the right place?”
He thought to see a glimpse of interest in Arryn's eyes. “That is quite a journey”, he spoke. “What do you want in that foul place?” Jaron gulped. “The woman I love has been taken by a slaver. I seek to free her, even if that means cutting this slaving bastard down and all who stand in my way”, he replied grimly.
Arryn waited for a moment, before he suppressed a chuckle. “Love”, he said. “Then I'm out. Don't get me wrong, that can be a nice thing, but it's usually foolish. I don't know you, so I'd risk my life for a fool I just met” He shook his head. “Doesn't sound like a good deal to me”
Jaron sighed. “We don't have to be strangers”, he offered. “Come with us and maybe you won't consider me a fool in time. I was told I have that effect on people” Arryn's grin widened. “You sound just like one of Ayden's friends”, he admitted. “He prefers the sweet-talking types, surrounding himself with clever men like you. Me, when it comes to my friends, my taste is more raw”
“So you won't come with us?”, Jaron asked and Arryn shrugged. “Perhaps”, he said. “If Ayden sent you, then no doubt because he thinks you need my blade in what you're trying to achieve. It must be one hell of a task if he even considers sending you to Lys to talk to me” He smirked. “As I said, a raw taste”, he growled. “There might be one thing you could do so that I get to see what kind of a man you are. It stirred when I pummelled your friend right in the face”
He rose from his chair, placing both fists on the table, as Jaron carefully took a step back. “What would that be?”, he hissed, while Arryn shot him a deep look. “Ayden wants coin more than anything, to buy shiny trinkets and the like. You can always lure him with gold and a rich man will have his loyalty”, he explained. “Meanwhile, I prefer violence. Fought against the Volantene side by side with the Storm King's men. The deafening screams of dying men all around me and I... felt truly alive”
“You want a good fight”, Jaron said and Arryn gave him a nod. “I want the best fight”, he spoke. “The thrill of battle, not for gold, not for glory, not even to kill, just the sheer lust to fight. Can you give me that?” Jaron had to think about it for a moment. “What I am out to do will be dangerous. There is no fight I'll shy away from if it means freeing her”, he promised.
Arryn grinned. “That is what I want to hear”, he spoke. “Maybe you can prove yourself after all. See, don't get me wrong, I like coin, but I follow no man because he's rich. The man I shall follow must be a fighter, one who knows the thrill. Do you, Jaron?”
Jaron nodded without hesitation. “I have killed before”, he spoke and Arryn chuckled. “Bet you have”, he agreed. “But killing is secondary. The result, not the reason” Though his gaze was still that of a drunken man, his voice was firm and strong, as he straightened his back to his full height, a good head above Jaron and Samuel. “I want you to show me”
“Right... right here?”, Jaron asked, carefully placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. Now, Arryn outright laughed. It was a brief, hard sound. “No, not like this”, he growled, as he raised his fists. “No weapons but your fists. Just you and me, in what counts as a brawl in these parts. Beat me down, show me you got the spirit and I will be your man” His fists still clenched, he spread his arms, his short vest revealing the large muscles. “Fight me for the unholy fucking joy of it”
There was a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, he Jaron had to admit, everything about Arryn Blackwell screamed danger. He was a man he wanted by his side, because no doubt he'd pull his weight in any fight. “If I beat you, you'll come with me”, he stated and Arryn nodded. “We make a contract. You offer me a way off this forsaken island before the Rogare bank gets me, I take standard pay for a sellsword of my skills and I fight, oh, I shall fight for your cause like a frenzied god of slaughter”
“Standard pay”, Jaron said and looked at Samuel. “What would that be?” Samuel however rolled his eyes. “A waste of time”, he said, as he turned away from Arryn. “That man is a mess. Let's leave him” With this, he already started to walk away, though Jaron remained for a moment longer, as Arryn shot him a grin. “He has a different reason to fight. Doesn't get it”, the man spoke, looking after Samuel. “Do you?”
[Fight Arryn Blackwell][Walk away]
Ysilla
Jenelyne's look of wonder hadn't faded one bit as Ysilla had shown her and Allar around in the castle. In fact, her smile had only gotten wider and it was honestly a lovely sight to behold. From the washing rooms, where the siblings had taken a brief bath, while Ysilla had brought them a fresh set of clothes, to the kitchen, it was clear this was a day she wouldn't forget. Even something as simple as the guest rooms of Godsgrace were an experience for her.
“So, you grew up in a room like this?”, she asked, as she walked up and down between her bed and Allar's. Her brother had rested on his, quickly having picked the one closest to the window while Jen had been busy marvelling at the room itself.
Ysilla couldn't contain a smile as she looked at the other woman. “Nah, mine has been twice the size”, she boasted. “As I said, lucky bastard” Jen raised an eyebrow. “And when do I get to see your room?”, she asked in a cocky tone, the kind of bluntness that Ysilla found particularly endearing. “Depends”, she replied. “What are your plans for the evening?”
Allar sighed, slight frustration in his voice. “I'd say get a room, but I really don't want to contribute to the discussion”, he stated firmly, to which Ysilla chuckled. “Oh, don't feel left out, big guy”, she teased him, while Jen shot both a quick glare. “Actually, do feel left out”, the other woman hissed. “Feel very left out, Al”
Her brother placed his hands behind his head, giving both women a look. “You two make my head hurt”, he complained and Ysilla shot him a grin. “Yeah, I hear that one a lot”, she claimed. “Though I'm surprised you don't share Jen's excitement. First time in a castle?”
The other man nodded. “At least to stay. Though I'm not so easily thrilled. This is all beautiful, I mean, this very room is larger than the house I grew up in”, he told her. “But it's just a castle. The people in it, they are a different story entirely” Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “And what do you mean about that?”, she asked.
“Well, you're... more interesting than this castle”, he admitted and she chuckled. “So, I'm better than a pile of rock”, she chirped. “How undeniably charming you are, my tall friend” She sat down on Jen's bed, watching Allar resting on his and Jen excitedly walking up and down. “I must say, this has been quite the journey so far”
A smile flashed over Allar's face. “That it has”, he admitted. “It's been better than what Absidee told us, at least” This caused Ysilla to grin, an expression she shared with both siblings. “And what did our lovely spymistress claim about this?”, she asked.
“Oh, she wasn't nice”, Jen revealed. “Said we'd have to accompany a carefree brat and his childish sister through Dorne” Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “Childish?”, she said, placing a hand on the silken vest she was wearing. “I'd say I'm anything but a child. And Theodan is not carefree. Not entirely at least”
“He cares for you”, Allar remarked. “I can understand that. Respect it even. Your brother is a fine man” Ysilla nodded at his statement. “You are both fine men”, she complimented him. “Albeit comparing you to Theo would be a bit unfair. He is simply the best”
Jen giggled, as she sat down next to her. “You know, I wonder why he is still unmarried”, she stated and Ysilla took a sharp gasp, only half voluntary. “Excuse me?”, she asked and Jen shrugged. “Eh, what I mean is, isn't it unusual in his age and his position?”
“Not too unusual”, Ysilla was quick to say. “My brother has never been one to settle down though. There have always been plenty women in Theodan's life. The one time my father tried to force him.. well, you know the story” Jenelyne gave her a nod. “Yeah, I can put the pieces together”, she agreed. “Surely he has a type though, right?”
Ysilla rolled her eyes. “What is this going to be now?”, she asked. “You want me to show you around the castle, or do you just want to talk about Theodan?” Jen's smile widened. “When both isn't an option, how could I decline seeing more of the castle?”, she replied.
It was in this moment that someone knocked on the door. As Ysilla opened it, she spotted perhaps the only sight she didn't want to see in this moment. Her half-sister stood there, giving her an impatient look and Ysilla gulped. “Hello, Ashara”, she greeted her.
“Half-sister”, Ashara replied coldly. “I am sorry. I didn't want to interrupt your... mingling with your guards, but father has called for you. All three of you, in the Great Hall. It is time for dinner” She looked past her and at Jenelyne, standing a bit behind Ysilla, then towards Allar, who was slowly rising from his bed. “I am sorry”, she repeated. “I really hope I weren't interrupting anything”
In the past, Ysilla would have gotten angry at Ashara's passive-aggressive comment, but over the years in which Theodan hadn't been around, she had to find some sort of way to cope with it, to make her sister just be silent when she was feeling the need to remind her of her position again. Not a full Allyrion, not even her full sister.
“Oh, don't be sorry”, she replied. “You can always join us, isn't that right, Allar?” Allar was quick to catch onto what she was trying to do here and proving himself to be a true friend, he played along. “Absolutely”, he said, while Ashara narrowed her eyes. “I am not sure if we have been properly introduced, my name is Allar”
“Ashara”, Ashara replied. “But I remember your name. And this here is Jenelyne, you two are in service of Absidee of Lys and here to protect my brother and my half-sister on their journey back to Godsgrace” Ysilla raised an eyebrow, not certain how much Ashara would know. Apparently, their true purpose was still a mystery to her, because she was certain her sister wouldn't remain so calm in that case. Leaving right after returning... she knew that deep down, Ashara was hurt by this, hurt by how carelessly Theodan treated what he had, what she yearned to have.
“You've spoken to Theodan”, she stated and Ashara nodded grimly. “It is rather hard not to speak to Theodan today”, she said. “It's all about him again, is it not?” She sighed and Ysilla could see how much this was eating at her. She had no joy seeing Ashara like this and yet, she found it hard to pity her at the same time. “May I walk with you, sister mine?”, she asked and Ashara gave her a nod. “To the Great Hall, please”, she agreed.
The two started to walk, with Jen and Allar following in a respectful distance. “I... know you are not happy about Theodan returning”, Ysilla said, slightly hesitating. Ashara gave her a cold glare. “He is my brother”, she said. “Of course I am happy that he is back” She was silent after this and Ysilla interpreted this silence for her, suspecting that it meant that this happiness did not apply to her return.
“But?”, she asked and Ashara sighed. “But you have probably heard him. Or maybe he is different when he's talking to you, there must be a reason you follow his every command”, she said. “You should have heard what he just told me before he left for his room. A pretty big talk. He makes it sound as if he's travelling through all Dorne again pretty soon, doing a hero's work”
Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “Would that be so bad?”, she asked and Ashara narrowed her eyes. “Do you honestly not know this, or are you just trying to play dim? You have a proper brain, so use it!”, her sister hissed and the final part was almost a compliment, coming from her. “What do you think would be so bad about my older brother, the heir to Godsgrace, leaving to journey all across Dorne? Probably seeking a different girl in every city he passes through”
“He mentioned being a hero”, Ysilla argued and Ashara shook her head, her dark eyes almost glaring furiously, though she kept her proper demeanour. “House Allyrion doesn't need a hero”, she replied. “We need something much more important than that, we need an heir who doesn't actively undermine what our father and the lords before him have spend thousands of years to build up. Someone who knows his duties”
A part of Ysilla, the one that had actually listened when her father gave her one of his speeches, found herself almost agreeing with Ashara's logic, if it wouldn't be for the fact that it was Ashara speaking and about Theodan on top of that. “Don't you mean her duties?”, she asked.
“This is not what I said”, Ashara replied and Ysilla shrugged. “But you thought it, did you not?”, she stated coldly. “If Theodan leaves, would you be so unhappy? You were quite content with replacing him in the years he was gone” She did not add a particular memory of hers, the one that had burned itself into her mind for years. It was during the time shortly after Theodan's exile, when their father wasn't certain if he could ever return. She remembered Lady Belandra's tears. Ashara had cried as well, but the expression Ysilla would never forget was the brief smile, perhaps an involuntary one, that she had tried hard to contain on that day.
Ashara did her the courtesy of actually taking a moment of silence to reply. “Trust me that all I want is the good of House Allyrion”, she said. “And I want a responsible heir for our house. In the last years, I had to be this heir, but now Theodan is back and I will not stand in his way, if this is what you are afraid of”
Ysilla wasn't sure if she could believe her. Her sister had always been ambitious. If their roles would be reversed, if Theodan would be the secondborn and Ashara the heiress she desired to be, Ysilla had to wonder how their fates would have played out. Theodan would have remained with them for all these years. Or perhaps he would have still done something outrageous, but this time their father wouldn't have bothered with bringing him back.
“Good”, she simply stated. “And... I know you are trying. To help our house, I mean” Ashara raised an eyebrow. “Someone has to”, she said. “We are born with duties. Perhaps this is the one thing I envy about you” Though Ysilla was always a bit tensed up when talking to her only sister, this time she couldn't contain a grin. “I thought it was my charming wit and stunning good looks you're envious of, glad to finally learn the truth”
Ashara did not smile, though her annoyed sigh was a bit less convincing than usual. “Did you miss me?”, Ysilla asked in a teasing voice and now, Ashara instantly rolled her eyes. “I want to know your opinion about something”, she said and Ysilla looked up. “What is it?”, she asked in return.
“Theodan”, Ashara replied. “Of course. He is my brother, but you know him better. Seven, you probably know him better than any of us” She tilted her head, glancing at Ysilla from the side, as they entered the hallway that would lead right into the Great Hall of Godsgrace. “You have spent time with him over the last months and I... I suppose I want to know if he has changed”
Ysilla nodded without hesitating, not only because Theodan was her brother and she wanted to protect him from Ashara's anger, but because she honestly believed it. “He is no longer the same man”, she told her. “Sure, there is a bit of the old Theodan left. Don't think he's ever going to be as dutiful as you. But he has learned a lesson”
Ashara's sigh was one of relief. “This is good to hear”, she said. “Thank you, sister” Ysilla was not certain if Ashara had forgotten about the correct term, or if she genuinely, if only for a moment, was relieved enough to not care about the fact that they were half-sisters. “You're... welcome”, she replied calmly. Deep down, she knew she would regret this, once Theodan would confirm Ashara's fears. He had changed, this much was true, but he would also go and leave Godsgrace again, not on Princess Meria's orders, but with her agreement and in a way, this was worse, because it was clear, accompanying her was entirely his own free will. She barely dared to imagine how Lord Alester would react. How Ashara would react.
The Great Hall was already prepared for a dinner. From the nearby kitchen, Ysilla noticed a delightful smell, the temptation of roasted meat. Her father was sitting at the head of the table already, his chair more a throne than anything else, a remnant from the time in which the Lords of Godsgrace had kept their independence between Hellgate Hall and Yronwood. Alester was freshly groomed, his beard neatly trimmed and the hair combed. The seat to his right was free and with natural ease, Ashara walked up to it, taking place next to Belandra, who herself was looking even more radiant, with the joyful smile of a mother on her face and a seat surrounded by her children. Yandry meanwhile was trying to look as unassuming as possible, sitting next to her, almost at the bottom of the table and barely looking up as Ysilla entered.
The entire left side of the table and the bottom were free, three seats for Ysilla, Jenelyne and Allar and, as she realized, the one right at the bottom, directly opposed to Alester, reserved for Theodan, the place itself decorated with fineries worthy of the returning heir to Godsgrace. She was not certain, was it an insult or a gesture of honour? Did it mean her brother was seated at the literal bottom, or did Alester acknowledge him as an equal by placing him not by his side, but directly opposing? Knowing her father and knowing Ashara's influence on him, both were a possibility, or perhaps a mixture of both.
Theodan himself was still missing though. Alester briefly exchanged a whispered word with Ashara, before smiling at Ysilla and pointing at the seat to his left. Ysilla tensed up, a smile forming on her face, as she realized the honour he granted her with this. Not his firstborn son, not his wife would sit by his side, but his bastard daughter.
As if the moment couldn't get any more perfect, as she stood there, flanked by Jenelyne and Allar, the door behind her got opened again and she heard the familiar footsteps of her brother. “My, you all look amazing”, Theodan said, as he briefly put a hand onto her shoulder. “I've missed this”
It took him only a moment to see where he was supposed to sit and from afar, he and Alester exchanged a nod. “What did you and him talk about?”, Ysilla asked, glancing at Theodan, who shook his head. “Later”, he told her. “This gesture here fits our talk though. My actions are forgiven, not forgotten”
Ysilla smiled at him, sweetly so. “Perhaps the best you can hope for. His equal”, she tried to encourage him and Theodan grinned. “You know what would be great?”, he asked, before his expression turned more sly. “You sitting next to me. Couldn't imagine anyone I'd rather have by my side when we have this dinner... when we have the conversation that shall follow”
With this, he began to walk, keeping eye contact with his father all the while before finally sitting down, placing his elbows on the table, their smiles genuine, yet not without second thoughts. Ashara wasn't smiling at all, neither was Yandry, if for entirely different reasons. In a way, only Lady Belandra seemed truly happy in this moment.
Finally, Alester looked away from his firstborn son, apparently finished with whatever mental conversation it was between them. He turned right to Ysilla. “Well, my daughter”, he spoke and her heartbeat fastened with joy at hearing these words. “Would you and your friends like to sit down so that we can start?” Theodan said nothing, instead all he gave her was a friendly wink and Ysilla realized, in sudden horror, that she had a decision to make.
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] This will be the easiest way for Blackwell to join him, even if it is painful, maybe Jaron can win only with his fists.
[Sit next to Theodan] As close as she is with her father, it wouldn't be appropriate if she sat next to him, so Theodan is a better option, hopefully.
Is hard to tell if Ashara truly wants Theodan to be gone for good, but I think she's divided between succeeding in her ambition and trying to support her brother in becoming a better lord.
I could be completely wrong here, but didn't the choice "Follow after Alester and Theodan" win the voting last time around? Not that it makes a huge difference, but it got me really confused now xD
The Voting is closed!
Irae is going to accept Naela's invitation
I am not sure if everyone had a chance to read this part, as I have t… moreo close the voting a bit earlier, but I am running out of time and have to leave in a few minutes, so it has to be now This part will be important in the way how Irae is going to start her relationship with Naela. Obviously, winning her trust is the prime goal, you chose for this in Irae's first part and I'd say spending time with her, just socializing and politely accepting her invitation, that could be a good way to achieve this. We will see. This whole storyline is still about to start properly, a lot of development shall happen in the parts to come.
Now, the next part will be out today. More than that, it will be out in a few minutes, after reading over it once more. It will feature PoV's from Jaron and Ysilla. And since it will be my last part before leaving to visit my grandfather for the week, … [view original content]
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] Fuck it, let's just do it. It's not going to be an easy fight for Jaron, but getting another seasoned warrior to help in their cause would be worth it. Arryn certainly is an interesting character, quite different from his brother. For now he strikes me as a sort of adrenaline junkie, who has made some shitty life choices, but I'm definitely interested to learn more about him
[Sit next to Theodan] I don't really know how Lord Alester would react to this, and if he even expects Ysilla to sit next to him. However, Theodan certainly will be disappointed if Ysilla doesn't sit next to him despite his request, and he's the one we are going to be spending a lot more time with. The dynamic between Theodan and Ashara is certainly interesting, and I'm not sure yet if I trust Ashara to not chase her ambition. Can't really even blame her though, Theodan certainly hasn't been the ideal heir so far.
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
As close as she is with her father, it wouldn't be appropriate if she sat next to him, so Theodan is a better option, hopefully.
It usually would be quite inapropriate, yes, and while Ysilla isn't treated all that differently from the trueborn Allyrion children, her place at the table is typically farther away. Keep in mind though, in this case Alester outright offered her the seat, either out of respect for her effort to bring Theodan back or to teach his son a further lesson by keeping her closer. Since Ashara, Belandra and Yandry are all sitting on one side of the table, this would mean the only alternatives to Ysilla would be Jen and Allar. Likely Jen though, no way she would miss the chance
Is hard to tell if Ashara truly wants Theodan to be gone for good, but I think she's divided between succeeding in her ambition and trying to support her brother in becoming a better lord.
You are on the right track there. Ashara's feelings about Theodan are very complex and in a way, she is torn. While he was gone, she was effectively the heiress to Godsgrace, she worked hard to be worthy of these duties and in a way, she developed a liking to it, showing talent and a sense of responsibility that Theodan is lacking. As such, it must be incredibly frustrating for her to see him treating his birthright so carelessly. At the same time, she loves him by virtue of being family, which makes this whole situation only harder for her. I think it would be easier for her if Theodan would be the responsible and hard-working future lord their father wants him to be, she could probably make her peace with the situation if she knows the family is in good hands in the future, but as it is, she considers herself notably more suited for the position as heiress to House Allyrion and she probably even has a point there. There is a lot of uncertainty in this but one thing is clear for her, things cannot continue as they used to be before Theodan got sent to Essos.
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] This will be the easiest way for Blackwell to join him, even if it is painful, maybe Jaron can win only with his fis… morets.
[Sit next to Theodan] As close as she is with her father, it wouldn't be appropriate if she sat next to him, so Theodan is a better option, hopefully.
Is hard to tell if Ashara truly wants Theodan to be gone for good, but I think she's divided between succeeding in her ambition and trying to support her brother in becoming a better lord.
I... oh, come on what is even happening I start to think it is a bad idea to write these parts in one sitting late at night XD Probably takes a toll on me, because this is the second time in a month this happens after three years without such accidents. In this case, you are right and I have literally no explanation, I am just as baffled as you are, if not more. At least you are correct with both statements here, it won't make much of a difference, unlike the Samuel/Temari mix-up. Ysilla would have still eventually ended up with Jen and Allar in their room and the part would have played out in that way. A mistake, but one that can easily be corrected in her next part. Nonetheless, this should not happen and I hope it does not lessen your excitement for the part itself, because I am actually quite happy with it, besides that mistake of course
I could be completely wrong here, but didn't the choice "Follow after Alester and Theodan" win the voting last time around? Not that it makes a huge difference, but it got me really confused now xD
Arryn certainly is an interesting character, quite different from his brother. For now he strikes me as a sort of adrenaline junkie, who has made some shitty life choices, but I'm definitely interested to learn more about him
Haha, it's good that you consider Arryn to be an interesting character! He is indeed very different from Ayden, there is a reason they aren't really having much contact anymore these days. An adrenaline junkie sounds quite fitting, he legitimately loves the thrill of a fight, not even necessarily to the death, just for the joy of it. And shitty life choices? Oh, you bet he has done plenty of these, I doubt anyone can end up drunken in a shabby tavern in Lys in debt to the Rogare bank without making the occasional truly shitty choice
The dynamic between Theodan and Ashara is certainly interesting, and I'm not sure yet if I trust Ashara to not chase her ambition. Can't really even blame her though, Theodan certainly hasn't been the ideal heir so far.
Ah, I am glad you like this dynamic! The Allyrion family in general has some nice dynamics between them and I consider the one between Theodan and Ashara to be perhaps the most complex. Your suspicion is understandable and it is something Ysilla shares. The thing with Ashara is, what I'd consider to be her primary character trait isn't even ambition, but duty. If she would undermine Theodan's position, it would happen out of what she perceives as her duty for House Allyrion, to prevent harm for the family as a whole by giving them an irresponsible lord. Her current position is ambition born out of duty, she was pretty much required to step up after Theodan's exile and somewhere along the line, she realized she is better than Theodan and she likes this feeling. If Theodan would end up proving that he is a well-suited heir to House Allyrion though, she likely would end up supporting him, for as ambitious as she is, she could probably make her peace in the knowledge that she did her duty and strengthened the position of her house through her actions. Convincing her, or failing to do that with all of its consequences, that will be one of the challenges Theodan inevitably has to face in the future.
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] Fuck it, let's just do it. It's not going to be an easy fight for Jaron, but getting another seasoned warrior to hel… morep in their cause would be worth it. Arryn certainly is an interesting character, quite different from his brother. For now he strikes me as a sort of adrenaline junkie, who has made some shitty life choices, but I'm definitely interested to learn more about him
[Sit next to Theodan] I don't really know how Lord Alester would react to this, and if he even expects Ysilla to sit next to him. However, Theodan certainly will be disappointed if Ysilla doesn't sit next to him despite his request, and he's the one we are going to be spending a lot more time with. The dynamic between Theodan and Ashara is certainly interesting, and I'm not sure yet if I trust Ashara to not chase her ambition. Can't really even blame her though, Theodan certainly hasn't been the ideal heir so far.
[Fight Aryn Blackwell] Aryn seems pretty interesting and I like the way his mind seems to work. I think he'll be both an amusing and very interested character. It would've been nice if Ayden provided some kind of warning about the kind of man his brother is, though! I suppose it's also possible that he's changed since they last saw each other. I imagine he hasn't always been in the dire situation he's in now.
[Sit next to Alester] Ysilla's reaction shows what a rare honor it is for her to sit next to her father and how much it means for her. I can't just let her reject it! I really don't want her to waste this opportunity. Theodan will be fine! And if his feelings are hurt, well... BOO HOO!
I actually quite like Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla. She really doesn't seem that bad to me and I think it'll be interesting to see how their relationship may develop.
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
Aryn seems pretty interesting and I like the way his mind seems to work. I think he'll be both an amusing and very interested character. It would've been nice if Ayden provided some kind of warning about the kind of man his brother is, though! I suppose it's also possible that he's changed since they last saw each other. I imagine he hasn't always been in the dire situation he's in now.
Hehe, glad you consider Arryn interesting. I was not sure how he'd be received, given that his view on the world can be a bit unusual at times, to say the least, but from the reactions so far, it seems I got him right in this part. When it comes to a warning from Ayden, well, he technically said this about his brother in the last chapter:
“Your first stop is likely going to be Lys. While you're there, you can look out for my brother, Arryn. If I'm not mistaken, he has taken on some long-term duties over there” He reached into his pocket, revealing a simple copper ring. “Give this to him and tell him I sent you. He'll help you... probably”
“Probably?”, Jaron asked and Ayden sighed. “We haven't seen each other in years and I have definitely been the reasonable one”, he admitted. “But Arryn is a good man at heart. If I send you, he'll hear you out. A true warrior and a man I would more than trust with taking over for me”
As he handed Jaron the ring, the knight closed his hand around the small trinket. “You'd send your brother in your stead?”, he asked, to which Ayden nodded. “He's fierce and capable and unlike me, he has no family, at least not in the same way. No responsibilities, he made that very clear last time we saw each other”
These words caused Jaron to look up. “Are you sure you parted on good terms?”, he asked and Ayden sighed. “Somewhat”, he admitted. “Arryn can be difficult to deal with, but win his loyalty and you'll have a friend for life. He can help you where I can't. At least one Blackwell will be by your side through this”
It isn't much of a warning, though he did bring up that Arryn can be a bit difficult at times. Just how difficult, well, it is indeed likely that Arryn has changed since they last met each other. He was never an easy guy to get along with, but their roads have developed into two completely different directions, with Ayden meeting Taria and slowly becoming a more grounded family man, while Arryn fought in the war against Volantis, a war in which Argilac Durrandon and Aegon Targaryen fought as allies. You can bet that the lust Argilac has for battle and the sheer destruction an unleashed Balerion can cause had an effect on many who fought in this war.
Ysilla's reaction shows what a rare honor it is for her to sit next to her father and how much it means for her. I can't just let her reject it! I really don't want her to waste this opportunity. Theodan will be fine! And if his feelings are hurt, well... BOO HOO!
Aye, this is a very rare honour! While Ashara is properly recognized as his right hand here, Ysilla will still get to sit next to him if she chooses this and he picked her over his firstborn son and his own wife, despite her status as a bastard. While Ysilla isn't treated like, for example, Jon Snow in the Stark family, this is nonetheless a tremendous honour. Theodan likely doesn't even fully realize what sort of a choice he is putting her into here, acting without fully thinking things through isn't exactly something he's opposed to, to say the least It remains to be seen if this would be enough to hurt his feelings though, he's not really thin-skinned either.
I actually quite like Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla. She really doesn't seem that bad to me and I think it'll be interesting to see how their relationship may develop.
Ah, this is perhaps the one aspect of this part I was really excited for, but also a bit curious just how Ashara would appear. Probably anything from a young woman desperately wanting to prove her worth over her seemingly irresponsible older brother to a stuck-up alpha bitch who treats her own half-sister with nothing but cold contempt were the reactions I expected and I am pleased to see it mostly seems to lead to "not too bad and quite interesting" so far. Her relationship with Ysilla and Theodan will be a big part of the larger Allyrion storyline, albeit pretty soon, the inevitable revelation that both of them plan to leave Godsgrace is something she is not likely to react well to.
Also I love Ysilla's flirting and teasing!
Haha, that is a big part of Ysilla's character, this casual flirting and teasing occasionally just for the sake of it. I find it refreshing to write a character who is really having so little problems with being that way, one of the reasons I ended up picking her as the PoV over several other candidates
[Fight Aryn Blackwell] Aryn seems pretty interesting and I like the way his mind seems to work. I think he'll be both an amusing and very in… moreterested character. It would've been nice if Ayden provided some kind of warning about the kind of man his brother is, though! I suppose it's also possible that he's changed since they last saw each other. I imagine he hasn't always been in the dire situation he's in now.
[Sit next to Alester] Ysilla's reaction shows what a rare honor it is for her to sit next to her father and how much it means for her. I can't just let her reject it! I really don't want her to waste this opportunity. Theodan will be fine! And if his feelings are hurt, well... BOO HOO!
I actually quite like Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla. She really doesn't seem that bad to me and I think it'll be interesting to see how their relationship may develop.
Also I love Ysilla's flirting and teasing!
[Sit next to Alester] If the owner of the house offer you the seat next to him it is very rude choose another place to sit (and Ysilla make it clear that this is something very honourable)
RT: 1) Why are you so cruel to remember me the team combination that I wanted for this chapter at the beginning of this Jaron part? 2) I must say that Arryn look like a much more interesting guy than his brother! 3) Arryn has a debt with a bank eh? I hope that it isn't a big one because if everything go as planned and Blackwell join the team that could be a problem 4) Ysilla and her sister had in this part a talk that show how much they love each other 5) I'm curious to read what Theodan and the Lord discuss about
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] How can I say no to a little bit of action? Besides, I really want to see how much Jaron has evolved since his last real fight.
Now, I gotta say that this part was simply amazing. I really liked that this part showed more of Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla, Ashara herself was a joy to read here and it's safe to say that this part made me like her even more . Really, Ashara is just like I imagined her in every way possible and I just can't wait to see her interacting more with Theo and Ysilla, especially after she gets to know the things to come. On another note, I gotta admit that Jen's behavior ever since they arrived in Godsgrace just too adorable xD. I also like how she has no problems voicing her thoughts, hells, she even seems interested to know why Theodan hasn't found a wife yet and has no problems asking why (and going as far as to ask the type of girl he likes ). I'm so looking forward to more scenes with Jen and Theodan, I feel like they could become pretty good friends. I just love this little group, they clicked right from the get-go.
[Sit next to Theodan] There is a reason why Alester kept the seat right next to him for Ysilla, and as much as it can be seen as a reward, I feel like the real motive behind it is something else. I think he wants to show Theodan who the "real" family is. As in, those who are dutiful to their house and those who behave "properly", he wants to show Theodan that he stands right at the bottom at this very moment and it's going to take him a lot to reclaim his position. I mean, it is highly unusual for a Lord not to have his wife seated next to him and if he just wanted to reward Ysilla, there would be other ways to do it. "Forgiven but not forgotten". Ysilla should be by her brother's side, just like he was for her when he found out about her journey (and much more before that). I know, I'm making a big deal out of this, but Theodan is in a horrible position right now and it's about to get worse. He asked Ysilla to sit beside him not only to spite his father and what he's trying to do, but to give him some moral support and seems like her support is something that he truly wants right there otherwise he wouldn't have bothered asking for it. I have this weird little feeling that Theodan is about to do something really stupid, more specifically put all the "blame" for their future journey on his back in order to shield Ysilla from "punishment". Besides, it's just like Wildling said, Ysilla is going to stay by Theodan's side for a long time in the months(?) to come, so it would be nice for them to stay close to each other (even in small things like this), always. And well, if the other choice ends up winning at least Theodan will probably have Jen sitting by his side, so it won't be all that bad for him xD Regardless of all that though, I'm super excited for the next Ysilla part. I really want to know what this "announcement" of Alester's is about, but at the same time I feel like Theodan won't be all too happy once he hears it and I can't help but feel very anxious xD.
On a completely different note though, I just wanted to tell you that I saw your PM and I'll hopefully be answering it by tomorrow. Sorry for taking so long with that though, its just that college is literally taking the life out of me lately
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
Thank you, thank you Actually, there are good news, it is likely I will get a proper internet connection soon, so I might even be able to release another part on Sunday! Until then, I do hope you all have a great couple of days as well!
1) Why are you so cruel to remember me the team combination that I wanted for this chapter at the beginning of this Jaron part?
Muahahaha, oh cruelty, thine nameth isseth Liquideth! In all seriousnes though, I couldn't resist It is probably karmic that in the same part where I make such a joke, I end up making another mistake, this time with Ysilla's choice, serves me right.
2) I must say that Arryn look like a much more interesting guy than his brother!
He is definitely an interesting guy. Not sure if I'd call him more interesting than Ayden, I kinda like that guy and him being one of the most normal and well adjusted characters in the story, with legit plans for a future with his wife and child and enough common sense to get out of the dangerous storyline before shit really starts to hit the fan. Arryn though, he is quite unusual and that I appreciate very much about him.
3) Arryn has a debt with a bank eh? I hope that it isn't a big one because if everything go as planned and Blackwell join the team that could be a problem
Oh trust me, this is a problem, no matter how big the debt. The Rogare bank at this particular time is rivalling the Iron Bank of Braavos in terms of influence. Led by the Rogare family, they are a family clan of very high influence in the Free Cities, always with aspirations to expand on their power. We will learn a lot more about them in the future
4) Ysilla and her sister had in this part a talk that show how much they love each other
They love each other so much, they cannot be left alone in the same room for five minutes without verbally clawing each others eyes out. There are some notably dysfunctional family relationships in this story and the Allyrion family as a whole actually does get along, but Ysilla and Ashara, they are really not compatible in terms of personality. We have the dutiful, hard-working and ambitious Ashara, who is naturally extremely triggered by Ysilla being ever so careless and easy-going, seemingly treating things not differently from Theodan. The fact that she, as a bastard, doesn't even have responsibilities only further strains their relationship, because it can be argued that deep down, Ashara might even be a bit envious of Ysilla being capable of having such freedom, whereas she herself can't even have the one thing she is truly good at.
5) I'm curious to read what Theodan and the Lord discuss about
This is something that would have partially been revealed if I would have remembered to write about the properly chosen choice, even if the true core of the discussion would have always been between the two only. Some topics will be revealed in Ysilla's next part though, probably even more than that to make up for my mistake.
Happy holidays Liquid!
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] FIGHT!FIGHT!FIGHT!
[Sit next to Alester] If the owner of the house offer you the seat nex… moret to him it is very rude choose another place to sit (and Ysilla make it clear that this is something very honourable)
RT:
1) Why are you so cruel to remember me the team combination that I wanted for this chapter at the beginning of this Jaron part?
2) I must say that Arryn look like a much more interesting guy than his brother!
3) Arryn has a debt with a bank eh? I hope that it isn't a big one because if everything go as planned and Blackwell join the team that could be a problem
4) Ysilla and her sister had in this part a talk that show how much they love each other
5) I'm curious to read what Theodan and the Lord discuss about
Now, I gotta say that this part was simply amazing. I really liked that this part showed more of Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla, Ashara herself was a joy to read here and it's safe to say that this part made me like her even more . Really, Ashara is just like I imagined her in every way possible and I just can't wait to see her interacting more with Theo and Ysilla, especially after she gets to know the things to come.
Yes, I wanted to put some spotlight onto Ashara in this part, because I think her relationship with both, Theodan and Ysilla, is the most complex dynamic in the entire Allyrion family, beating even Theodan's strained relationship with Alester (which is going to receive more focus in the next part). Plus, I actually really got to like her while writing this part There is depth to her as a character and I cannot wait to flesh her out a bit more. Of course, Theodan and Ysilla are fairly soon going to leave for their mission, but I can also reveal, Ashara and the Allyrion family will all play a role in the other Dorne storyline that will start soon, to further flesh them out until I get the chance to show the family all together again.
On another note, I gotta admit that Jen's behavior ever since they arrived in Godsgrace just too adorable xD. I also like how she has no problems voicing her thoughts, hells, she even seems interested to know why Theodan hasn't found a wife yet and has no problems asking why (and going as far as to ask the type of girl he likes ). I'm so looking forward to more scenes with Jen and Theodan, I feel like they could become pretty good friends. I just love this little group, they clicked right from the get-go.
Aye, adorable she can be She has a lot of Ysilla, if Ysilla would have been raised in the gutter instead of a fancy castle and she is pretty much the reason these four get along so well. Instantly getting along with Ysilla means she also manages to get close to Theodan and she is dragging Allar with her, pretty much forcing him to interact with the Allyrion siblings, making him realize they aren't so bad. Jen is the heart of the group as a result, the dynamic wouldn't be there if not for her.
There is a reason why Alester kept the seat right next to him for Ysilla, and as much as it can be seen as a reward, I feel like the real motive behind it is something else. I think he wants to show Theodan who the "real" family is. As in, those who are dutiful to their house and those who behave "properly", he wants to show Theodan that he stands right at the bottom at this very moment and it's going to take him a lot to reclaim his position. I mean, it is highly unusual for a Lord not to have his wife seated next to him and if he just wanted to reward Ysilla, there would be other ways to do it. "Forgiven but not forgotten". Ysilla should be by her brother's side, just like he was for her when he found out about her journey (and much more before that). I know, I'm making a big deal out of this, but Theodan is in a horrible position right now and it's about to get worse. He asked Ysilla to sit beside him not only to spite his father and what he's trying to do, but to give him some moral support and seems like her support is something that he truly wants right there otherwise he wouldn't have bothered asking for it. I have this weird little feeling that Theodan is about to do something really stupid, more specifically put all the "blame" for their future journey on his back in order to shield Ysilla from "punishment". Besides, it's just like Wildling said, Ysilla is going to stay by Theodan's side for a long time in the months(?) to come, so it would be nice for them to stay close to each other (even in small things like this), always. And well, if the other choice ends up winning at least Theodan will probably have Jen sitting by his side, so it won't be all that bad for him xD
You bring up a good possibility here. As much as this can be a honour for Ysilla, it can also be meant as a way to remind Theodan of how he has definitely lost some trust and prestige in the family. Maybe it is a mixture of both. Ashara sitting by his right is what I believe to be the standard, but you are right, it is unusual that Belandra isn't sitting to his left, albeit she might have chosen to deliberately sit between her children on this day. As such, with Yandry definitely not being an option to sit so close to Alester, it can be argued that Theodan is supposed to be taught another lesson. Him doing something stupid is a very justified concern though. As I said above, doing rash things without fully thinking it through, that is not out of character for him, as you definitely know best In that case, he needs support and in the whole family, none is better suited for this than Ysilla. And well, you can count on Jen sitting either by Theodan's side, or by Alester's. She really likes Theodan and if Ysilla takes that seat, there is no way she would ever miss out on the chance to sit by Alester's side, probably annoy the hell out of him by getting overly excited and then brag about it for the rest of her life XD Mostly also because Allar couldn't care to get involved, so no matter what, he will take the neutral seat in the middle.
Regardless of all that though, I'm super excited for the next Ysilla part. I really want to know what this "announcement" of Alester's is about, but at the same time I feel like Theodan won't be all too happy once he hears it and I can't help but feel very anxious xD.
Trust me, I am tremendously excited as well! Of course, other parts have to happen first, but with my pace picking up again, I kinda hope it won't be too long until we get to see this family again. Might even be April, I definitely aim for this. As for Alester's announcement, I can promise, Theodan won't be thrilled. However, Alester will be even less thrilled about Theodan's announcement, so the next part might have a chance to get actually explosive.
On a completely different note though, I just wanted to tell you that I saw your PM and I'll hopefully be answering it by tomorrow. Sorry for taking so long with that though, its just that college is literally taking the life out of me lately
Ah, no problem! With me having so many super long messages to answer to and at a time where I have been hellishly busy with university and then a couple other things, it is safe to say that I more than understand how this is. Take your time, I'm always happy to read to a PM and reply to it, but I know I need some time for the latter as well.
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] How can I say no to a little bit of action? Besides, I really want to see how much Jaron has evolved since his last … morereal fight.
Now, I gotta say that this part was simply amazing. I really liked that this part showed more of Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla, Ashara herself was a joy to read here and it's safe to say that this part made me like her even more . Really, Ashara is just like I imagined her in every way possible and I just can't wait to see her interacting more with Theo and Ysilla, especially after she gets to know the things to come. On another note, I gotta admit that Jen's behavior ever since they arrived in Godsgrace just too adorable xD. I also like how she has no problems voicing her thoughts, hells, she even seems interested to know why Theodan hasn't found a wife yet and has no problems asking why (and going as far as to ask the type of girl he likes ). I'm so looking forward to more scene… [view original content]
[Sit next to Alester] Family before friends. Friends before food. Fish are friends not food.
Instantly and without warning, the man jumped up, revealing a face not too unlike Ayden's, but with a heavy, scruffy beard, before his fist hit Samuel right in the face. To Samuel's credit, he remained standing after what looked like a heavy punch, merely stumbling back a slight bit, groaning in surprise and perhaps pain, though he mostly looked genuinely baffled that someone had gotten him like this. There was something else, which Jaron correctly deduced to be anger and he grabbed Samuel's arm before he could even reach his sword. “Samuel...”, he hissed.
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn … moreBlackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring… [view original content]
[Walk away] Can’t hurt that angel.
[Sit next to Alester] Family before friends. Friends before food. Fish are friends not food.
Ins… moretantly and without warning, the man jumped up, revealing a face not too unlike Ayden's, but with a heavy, scruffy beard, before his fist hit Samuel right in the face. To Samuel's credit, he remained standing after what looked like a heavy punch, merely stumbling back a slight bit, groaning in surprise and perhaps pain, though he mostly looked genuinely baffled that someone had gotten him like this. There was something else, which Jaron correctly deduced to be anger and he grabbed Samuel's arm before he could even reach his sword. “Samuel...”, he hissed.
I like this guy already.
Family before friends. Friends before food. Fish are friends not food.
Keep in mind, both are her family here, it's either sitting next to her father or her brother. I do agree though, fish are friends, not food. Unless we're talking about salmon. Friendships end when something is that damn delicious.
I like this guy already.
I had a feeling you might Glad to see I was not mistaken with this. Expect more of Arryn along the way!
[Walk away] Can’t hurt that angel.
[Sit next to Alester] Family before friends. Friends before food. Fish are friends not food.
Ins… moretantly and without warning, the man jumped up, revealing a face not too unlike Ayden's, but with a heavy, scruffy beard, before his fist hit Samuel right in the face. To Samuel's credit, he remained standing after what looked like a heavy punch, merely stumbling back a slight bit, groaning in surprise and perhaps pain, though he mostly looked genuinely baffled that someone had gotten him like this. There was something else, which Jaron correctly deduced to be anger and he grabbed Samuel's arm before he could even reach his sword. “Samuel...”, he hissed.
I like this guy already.
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] This will be the easiest way for Blackwell to join him, even if it is painful, maybe Jaron can win only with his fis… morets.
[Sit next to Theodan] As close as she is with her father, it wouldn't be appropriate if she sat next to him, so Theodan is a better option, hopefully.
Is hard to tell if Ashara truly wants Theodan to be gone for good, but I think she's divided between succeeding in her ambition and trying to support her brother in becoming a better lord.
Leonard slurped his 28 gallon orange soda as the ghost of Lucas futilely poured into his "mouth", only to have it fall to the ground. "A shame," Lucas stated, "I really miss orange soda."
"It's definitely the best brand," said Dimitri the Wise as he ate mud, "I like to mix it with the blood of trees. Real good my friends."
In an annoying voice, answering a question no one asked, Jenna Harking blurted out aloud "No, I don't want to buy the Mullendore key chain!" The entire millennial hipster bar, the Dame of Drone, raised their heads in disgust as Jenna ran to the bathroom to cry, or puke, or something, whatever.
And now Marak sang, with a little help from easy-going Eaton, "Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV, oh how I wish Liquid did not kill me, bring me back, no questions asked! Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV......"
This... is beautiful! You deliver where I fail to and it is breathtaking. I actually hoped to get something done for today, but unfortunately, while I do have a proper internet connection this time, it remains unreliable, leaving me still stuck on my phone and the mobile internet for the most part. However, I hope to release a proper part tomorrow. On the topic of April Fools... not counting the fact that I am horrible at humour, I had an idea, involving a PoV from the character you want to see as a PoV the most. Of course I am talking about the infamous Ser Jar-Jar of Binks. Well, maybe next year I won't be on a vacation around this time, giving me a chance to actually fulfil my plans for once. Until then though, I am content with knowing that things such as this magnificent work of art exist
April Fools part?
Here is a clipping of what could be:
Leonard slurped his 28 gallon orange soda as the ghost of Lucas futilely pour… moreed into his "mouth", only to have it fall to the ground. "A shame," Lucas stated, "I really miss orange soda."
"It's definitely the best brand," said Dimitri the Wise as he ate mud, "I like to mix it with the blood of trees. Real good my friends."
In an annoying voice, answering a question no one asked, Jenna Harking blurted out aloud "No, I don't want to buy the Mullendore key chain!" The entire millennial hipster bar, the Dame of Drone, raised their heads in disgust as Jenna ran to the bathroom to cry, or puke, or something, whatever.
And now Marak sang, with a little help from easy-going Eaton, "Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV, oh how I wish Liquid did not kill me, bring me back, no questions asked! Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV......"
April Fools part?
Here is a clipping of what could be:
Leonard slurped his 28 gallon orange soda as the ghost of Lucas futilely pour… moreed into his "mouth", only to have it fall to the ground. "A shame," Lucas stated, "I really miss orange soda."
"It's definitely the best brand," said Dimitri the Wise as he ate mud, "I like to mix it with the blood of trees. Real good my friends."
In an annoying voice, answering a question no one asked, Jenna Harking blurted out aloud "No, I don't want to buy the Mullendore key chain!" The entire millennial hipster bar, the Dame of Drone, raised their heads in disgust as Jenna ran to the bathroom to cry, or puke, or something, whatever.
And now Marak sang, with a little help from easy-going Eaton, "Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV, oh how I wish Liquid did not kill me, bring me back, no questions asked! Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV......"
Well, I mean, she did not buy a Mullendore key chain, so that is actually kinda a decent thing, I guess. Takes a lot of self restraint, that is respectable. I for one would legitimately sell my firstborn child to get my hands on such a key chain.
Ah, the first choice was to be expected. Jaron shall fight Arryn and this won't be an easy task. Obviously, he is one who always had a reason to fight, be it for survival or to protect the ones he cares for. For Arryn however, the fight itself is reason enough and that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Ysilla's choice will mean that Alester won't get the questionable joy of spending the evening seated next to Jenelyne, who would have been kinda star-struck for the whole dinner. Now, Theodan shall have the honours. Ysilla's decision can be seen as a way to slightly balance the fallout that is in the making. What she and Theodan are planning to do is undoubtely going to be a bit of a shock for Alester and Ashara. Further provoking her father by declining his invitation to sit next to him could have potentially been the final drop. In any way, I really look forward for Ysilla's next part.
Now, I hope you all had a happy Easter celebration so far! As I said last time, I am currently at my grandfather's place for a whole week and I will return on Wednesday. It will be rather late, as I will take a brief detour through the Netherlands to help my father out with something. As such, the part after the one to be released today will likely be out on Thursday. My internet connection here is kinda shaky, but it seems more stable than usual today, so I hope I can release the next part today. It will have PoV's for Alys and Kersea. Last time we saw Alys, she spend the evening with the pirates of Merman's Rest, during what counts as a fancy dinner celebration. After a brief talk with Edward, she became a bit upset at him, for being, well, Edward, so she decided to head back inside and to stay there even if she was a bit worried the other pirates could find out whom she really is. Meanwhile, Kersea was busy travelling through the Reach, with her forced companion Leonard. It's this kind of dynamic where they really don't get along, but neither are they fully hating each other, which is just enough to make them stick together for the greater good. They came upon an old friend of ours, the Hammered Harp Inn, now abandoned after Ayden and the remaining tavern staff had to leave to Raylansfair due to the threat of Bear's bandits in the area. Intending to loot the building for supplies, Leonard heard voices inside and he decided to check them out. After a moment of consideration, Kersea decided to follow him through the front. And well, the part should be out some time later today.
So happy about the Ysilla choice. I knew it'd be one of those votes where I'd either be relieved or really annoyed. I'm sure you remember at least a few of the votes I was really unhappy with. Like Jaron allowing fake Butterfly's murder and Kersea not backing up Alysannne when Clayton decided to force her into a burning building. Though when it comes to this choice I was thinking in a more emotional way rather than a beneficial and pragmatic way. I saw sitting next to her father as a really beautiful and precious moment for Ysilla and that'd it'd be a huge shame for her to miss it.
The Voting is closed!
Jaron is going to fight Arryn Blackwell
Ysilla is going to sit next to Alester
Ah, the first choice was to be… more expected. Jaron shall fight Arryn and this won't be an easy task. Obviously, he is one who always had a reason to fight, be it for survival or to protect the ones he cares for. For Arryn however, the fight itself is reason enough and that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Ysilla's choice will mean that Alester won't get the questionable joy of spending the evening seated next to Jenelyne, who would have been kinda star-struck for the whole dinner. Now, Theodan shall have the honours. Ysilla's decision can be seen as a way to slightly balance the fallout that is in the making. What she and Theodan are planning to do is undoubtely going to be a bit of a shock for Alester and Ashara. Further provoking her father by declining his invitation to sit next to him could have potentially been the f… [view original content]
Hehe, I am glad you are happy with this outcome. I was curious what people would choose, because at the core this is not supposed to be easy, given it is essentially a choice between her father and her brother. As such, I am very neutral here. One thing I would have liked to write if the other choice would have won is a scene in which a way too excited Jen is just babbling at Alester, who is borderline pissed off but kinda forced to uphold a polite conversation with his guests. They really cannot be more different from each other and that makes it comedy gold in my mind XD But well, one writing advantage it will give me to have Ysilla next to Alester means a more pronounced role for him in the next part. It has been established, Ysilla's stay in Godsgrace cannot be for long, she is on a mission after all. As such, I gladly take the opportunity to squeeze the most out of the Allyrion's before Ysilla's storyline moves away from Godsgrace, because while they will play a role in the other Dorne storyline that will come up later in Book 2, it is obviously something else to have Ysilla interact with them. Ysilla/Theodan interactions meanwhile will be numerous, I doubt I'll have a problem with developing more about these two and their relationship.
So happy about the Ysilla choice. I knew it'd be one of those votes where I'd either be relieved or really annoyed. I'm sure you remember at… more least a few of the votes I was really unhappy with. Like Jaron allowing fake Butterfly's murder and Kersea not backing up Alysannne when Clayton decided to force her into a burning building. Though when it comes to this choice I was thinking in a more emotional way rather than a beneficial and pragmatic way. I saw sitting next to her father as a really beautiful and precious moment for Ysilla and that'd it'd be a huge shame for her to miss it.
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening went by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylady Alys!”, Sargasso exclaimed. “Why don’t you tell us more about your life before you met Edward?” It was a question asked with ulterior motives. Alys would by no means call herself an expert on these things, but she had acquired at least some skills in spotting such questions. Edward was asking them all the time, so it was no surprise that Sargasso did.
As such, she gave him a sweet smile, hoping it’d be innocent. “Ah, he actually saved my life when we first met”, she revealed and the pirate raised an eyebrow. Melvan chuckled. “Edward saving someone?”, he stated. “Must have been on accident. I mean, you’re alright, lassie, nothing like the kind he usually keeps with him”
Alisa came to mind, then Carvin... followed by Bear and Morgrem and the rest of these people, so Alys pressed her lips together, having to silently agree with the pirate. “I don’t know”, she admitted. “He is kind to me” Sargasso smirked, though the look in his eyes was stern. “That’s what he is always doing”, he told her. “Appearing all nice and affable, while trying to use you. You are not falling for his lies, do you?”
She shook her head. “I think I know him well enough”, she admitted. “But he is my best bet at the moment, so I think I’ll stick with him” Sargasso raised an eyebrow. “Such pragmatism”, he complimented her. “Where did you learn that?” He leant forwards. “You did not answer my question about your past”
Alys gulped, not entirely able to hide her nervousness. Had he caught up to something? “Why don’t you tell me something about you first, Captain Saan?”, she asked in return and this caused Melvan Tiren to laugh loudly. “I do like this girl!”, he exclaimed. “Might be the only good thing Anturion ever did, dragging her with him all the way”
“Out of the kindness of his heart”, Sargasso added calmly. “See, I can’t help but wonder why he would take such effort to save a random bastard girl from the North” The look in his eyes, while inquisitive, was not unkind. “If you truly don’t know why he keeps you around, maybe it would be time to stop and rethink your loyalty to him”
Of course, Sargasso didn’t know the whole truth, but Alys couldn’t deny his words were alarming. She had served a purpose for Edward’s plans, she had bled for him. That was in the past and all he was doing now... was it truly out of simple kindness? Or was her role in his scheme not over yet?
“Captain Saan”, a calm voice sounded from the open door to the left. Sargasso straightened his back, while the rest of the captains raised their mugs in silent honour of the man who entered. Aeron Blacksails was wearing a new robe, black silk with strands of silver in it and though it was still humble when compared to the flashy clothes Sargasso and Warmond were wearing, he looked more like a Lord of Valyria than a scoundrel king. “Do not press the girl, please. She is our guest”, he added, as he sat down on his seat at the head of the table.
Sargasso sighed, though he nodded at his king. “Of course, your grace”, he said and Aeron smiled thinly, as he mustered Alys carefully. “I don’t have to know more about you, mylady. A northern bastard, surely there are a thousand good reasons why you would leave your home”
Alys gave him a nod, followed by a slight smile. “It hasn’t been easy”, she said and Aeron leant back in his throne. “Of course not. We are all bastards here, in a way”, he agreed. “Then again, you at least had a family, I suppose. I grew up on my own, on the streets of Lys. Warmond here is even the last of his line”
This gained Alys’ curiosity. “No he is not”, she disagreed. “There’s Manderly’s up in White Harbour. My... lord has been friends with theirs” Sargasso chuckled at her words, while Warmond frowned. “Your ignorance is your saving grace”, he growled. “These are no true Manderly’s and certainly no kin of mine”
“What are they then?”, Alys asked boldly and the pirate sighed. “Fools who have lost their way”, he explained begrudgingly. “My line can be traced back to the Age of Heroes. In the lifetimes that followed, we built an empire, ranging from coast to coast. Wherever men set sail, they knew our name and sung praises to our might. For a time, we rivalled House Gardener in power” He shook his head. “Of course, they could never accept this and so they cast us down, forced us to be content with that pathetic harbour in the frozen wasteland up north”, he added, venom in his words. “Few remained in the south, few remembered the old ways, the customs of our house, as our glory dwindled. The world forgot about us and nowadays, when they think about the name Manderly, all they remember is Stark’s loyal dog”
Alys raised an eyebrow at this and Melvan shrugged. “He’s serious”, he assured her. “Though don’t ask me if he’s right with this. Could be, or maybe he just got one blow to the head too many” He shrugged. “Nowadays, Warmond is just a scoundrel and a liar, like the rest of us” He and the Manderly pirate exchanged a nod, though Warmond let out a small sigh. “I only know what my father told me and his father before him”, he admitted. “Though I fear it matters not, for when I’m gone, none will know about the old ways anymore”
Jadith’s frown grew stronger. “I also fear”, she admitted. “I fear that you legitimately never shut up” She rolled her eyes. “Fucking arse pirate” Aeron raised an eyebrow. “Jadith, we do have a guest here”, he reminded her, before he smiled at Alys. “I have come to believe, in this place, that our past rarely matters. It shouldn’t be what defines us” He raised a finger. “The present though, we should keep an eye on. And Sargasso brought up something of great importance. After all, have you ever stopped to wonder why Edward Anturion is still helping you out?”
As she tensed up, Aeron chuckled. “Think over that during the dinner”, he said, as he raised a small silver bell in front of him. It rang, a bright, clear sound and instantly, the large door behind him got opened. Servants entered the room, all well-dressed and well-fed, carrying large trays and Alys noticed how hungry she truly was as the delicious smell reached her nose.
“It is mostly fish”, Aeron explained. “Anything fresh is hard to get around her, safe for the spoils of the sea” He smiled as the first tray got put down in front of him. “You should try the codfish though, it is most excellent” Other servants brought trays with buttered corn, roasted bread and more fish, salmon and halibut and others Alys had never seen before. Even Jadith’s dour frown faded slightly, as a tray with tiny squids got put down in front of her.
Finally, the door to the right got opened and from the balcony came Edward Anturion, just as Aeron started to place the fish on his plate. “Ah, Captain Anturion, just in time”, the king remarked dryly as Edward smiled his charming, hollow smile, taking seat next to Alys, who was still tensed up a bit uncomfortably in his presence. In their presence, perhaps.
“I couldn’t miss the occasion”, Edward replied and Aeron chuckled. “You are right”, he admitted. “For we have more to discuss” He looked up, his smile fading and the look in his eyes becoming cold in an instant. “I received word from the brothels today. Surely you have heard it”
Edward gulped. “What Bear did...”, he began, as Alys raised an eyebrow. Aeron cut him off by slamming a fist onto the table. “Is unacceptable in my city”, he growled, his knife cutting into the codfish before him, removing a piece of soft, white flesh, which he put into his mouth. “I doubt the girl will attract many customers anymore. She is a slave, so repaying the madam is not the issue. In fact, the coin your man had with him will suffice”
“Then... apologies, but isn’t the matter settled then?”, Edward asked and Aeron narrowed his eyes. “Two of the whores are in a bit of a shock. Won’t bring in any customers for the next day, but at least they’ll recover”, he said. “But they are afraid, they fear it will happen again. This place is built on the trust people like them have towards me, that I can keep them safe, from the common fishermen that delivered this wonderful meal to the girls working with the one your beast so savagely mauled”
“As I said, I am deeply sorry, but Bear, he cannot be...”, Edward began, but Aeron cut him off again, this time not with an expression of rage, as it had died down to a calm, cold fury, but with a mere look. “Do not tell me you have no control over the man”, he hissed. “If he truly cannot be controlled, I will have him flogged, chained and then brought to the brothel he harmed. I shall deliver sharpened knives and I will leave the girls to do with him however the hell it pleases them” Though his voice got louder as he spoke, it gained no fury, it simply became more commanding. “When they are done, I will nail what is left of him onto the rocks, for the carrion eaters to finish and for every passing ship to see” He leant forwards, the knife once more picking up a piece of fish. “But this is not what you meant to say, isn’t it?”
Edward hesitated for a moment. “Bear... can be controlled”, he admitted. “I can control him. I will make sure that it will not happen again” Aeron nodded. “I absolutely hope so, Captain. Coin might be enough to restore trust this time, but should something like this ever happen again, I’m afraid I have to settle for blood”
“This won’t be necessary”, Edward assured him and once more, Aeron simply nodded. “Forgive me, Captain Anturion”, he said, his voice growing softer again. “Lately, you and your men have done an awful lot to displease me. Forgive me when I don’t just believe your word”
Alys noticed how Edward got slightly pale, the air of confidence around him wavering. On the other side of the table, Jadith grinned as she pushed one of the squids into her mouth, heavily biting down on it. “What... will be necessary to regain your trust?”, Edward asked.
“Now...”, Aeron spoke. “That is an excellent question. Have you not already asked for my help once more?” He looked around, as Sargasso Saan gave him a nod. “You have not delivered on the coin you promised, yet you brought something else to my city, something much more important” He leant forward. “You came here with an army. This savage and his cutthroats and the Second Sons. I heard your man has been recruiting”
“On my order, yes”, Edward confirmed. “Morgrem wants to bring the unit back into fighting shape and...” He paused as Aeron impatiently put a finger onto the table. “You have an army”, he repeated. “It makes you one of the most powerful captains in this city. And this makes you a valuable asset, for unlike the crews sailing for Melvan or Sargaso, I don’t care how many of yours will die” He looked at Jadith and the woman clenched her fists, gulping to swallow the squid in her mouth. “I can do this on my own”, she growled.
Aeron smiled thinly. “You might”, he admitted. “But what we are after is too valuable to risk it. I want to have certainty” He looked away from the visibly displeased Jadith and towards Edward. “We have received word from Cale Bridger”, he explained. “His contacts at court informed him about a large shipment of goods leaving Dorne for the Free Cities”
Edward’s eyes widened slightly “The Martell treasure”, he gasped and briefly, Aeron outright grinned. “At least a part of it. They are guarded, of course, but only lightly, for they value speed and secrecy to cross my sea”, he confirmed. “Two heavy warships, each outfitted with a hundred men, according to Bridger it will be more than enough to take the smaller Martell ships”
Instantly, Edward placed a hand on his heart. “If you want me for this, then it will be my pleasure to serve”, he spoke and he sounded almost convincing. “If it is necessary to regain your support, consider me your man” Briefly though, a look of concern flashed over his face, as he glanced at Alys. “Though, I must ask, what of the girl?”
“What of her?”, Alys asked sharply. “I think I can watch after myself while you’re gone. Besides, I have Carvin to look after me” Melvan chuckled at this, while Sargasso and Aeron exchanged a look. “You heard the girl”, the king spoke. “Mylady, you can remain my honoured guest while Captain Anturion is away. Of course, should you wish to accompany him while he and Jadith raid the Martell fleet, feel encouraged”
Jadith frowned, as she spat onto her table, a tiny, half-chewed piece of squid following. “A girl aboard a ship is a bad omen”, she muttered. “The little bitch sails with Anturion, but not with me!” Instead of cowering down, Alys narrowed her eyes, glaring at the ugly pirate. “The... little bitch only sails when she wants to”, she hissed in return. She looked up and at Edward, then at Sargasso and finally, the most indifferent of them all, Aeron Blacksails, as she took a deep breath, knowing she had to make a decision.
[Go with Edward and Jadith][Stay in Merman’s Rest]
Kersea
“Right behind you”, she mumbled and for once, a pleased expression formed on Leonard’s face. “Just stick with me”, he spoke, before he began moving. As he approached the building, Kersea was close behind, watching his back. Her hand was hovering on the long dagger on her belt, just like how Leonard was keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. And nervously, she looked at the surrounding forest.
As they came closer, the voice that was speaking became more clear. It was a man’s voice and he was telling something in a voice that slightly confused Kersea. It wasn’t the muffled talk of outlaws, but the boisterous talk of a man who did not fear discovery. In these parts of the road, it did not make her less nervous about the whole situation. And the pronunciation was off. While they were too far away to understand actual words, it wasn’t how people spoke to each other. It was how someone would speak at another person, as in how a storyteller would perform.
Leonard seemed to realize the same thing and his hand actually moved away from his sword. Kersea did not share his relaxed stance though, remaining tensed up and on guard, as the knight loudly knocked at the door. The voice stopped and a moment of silence passed, before another man spoke up. “Hello?”, he asked. “If you are a friend, you are free to step in”
Kersea raised an eyebrow, as Leonard glanced at her over his shoulder. Then, he shrugged and pushed the door open. “We are harmless travellers”, he announced himself. “My name is Len, this is Kathy” Once more, he glanced Kersea, who was slightly tilting her head.
“Your wife?” one of the men asked and Leonard was almost as quick to shake his head as Kersea. “My sister”, he clarified and the man chuckled. He was a tall man, plain and pale, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. “Man, you must have the worst luck”, he spoke, before he gave them a friendly smile. “But greetings. Leave your weapons where they are and you are among friends here”
There were four men in this building, which was clearly an abandoned taproom. Dusty and dark, the furniture was partially smashed, the building clearly having been looted before. She was not certain how much they’d find, especially if they had to share it with these four men.
The one that had spoken was armed, as was the man sitting on the opposite side of the small table. He was a younger and a bit on the heavy side, with a thick beard and brown hair. Several scars on his face gave him a dangerous appearance and he wasn’t saying a word. Between them sat a man in his thirties, similarly a bit overweight, but shorter than both of the armed men. His robe was a bit dusty, but clearly flashy and well decorated, his black hair oily and his moustache twirled. Finally, next to the counter, stood a young boy, with short hair and a brownish complexion.
“Greetings, Len and Kathy”, the man who had spoken first continued. “I am Drake” He glanced at the table next to his, where a shield made of heavy metal was located. “Ironshield they call me. This is my companion Elias” He glanced at the overweight and scarred man, who had a hand on the axe on the table. “Hey”, he greeted them briefly.
“And may I introduce myself?”, the other man said, as Drake and Elias both glanced at him. “Magnus Silverstone, Master of Magic” If the hint of an eastern accent was anything to go by, the name was as fake as the title. Kersea had seen men like him before though. Illusionists at best, showmen, almost always common charlatans.
Magnus glanced at the boy, who raised an eyebrow. “Really now?”, he hissed and Magnus raised an eyebrow. With surprising, yet visible frustration, he sighed. “Fine... the name is Bennett, I am Magnus’ assistant”
By now, Leonard had fully entered the room and Kersea followed, slowly removing a hand from her dagger, yet always ready to strike again. Bennett was nervous, she could clearly see it. Of course, maybe it was for the same reason she felt nervousness. Who knew whom they could trust in these days?
“A... master of magic, his assistant and two... sellswords?”, Leonard asked and Drake nodded. His smile was wide and charming, as he stood up, to pull two additional chairs closer, beckoning them to sit down. “Aye, me and Elias, we were hoping to find work in Oldtown. Stumbled upon these two on the road and we decided to make the journey together”
“Yeah”, Magnus was quick to confirm. “Bennett and I, we’ve been in Raylansfair for the fair. Our next stop will be Oldtown, so I’m glad Drake and Elias agreed to protect us. Can be one hell of a dangerous road” Leonard smirked, as he sat down between Magnus and Drake, leaving the chair between the two sellswords for Kersea. “You can say that again”, he agreed. He and Kersea exchanged a quick look and she actually had to wonder what he was about. Surely he did not mean to trust these people, but Kersea had no idea what he intended to do.
“So, where do you plan to go?”, Drake asked, as Kersea remained standing, her arms crossed. Leonard shrugged. “We have been thinking about travelling to Raylansfair. Heard they have a new lord taking over, perhaps he can use my skill with a blade” Elias notably suppressed a chuckle at these words. Drake raised an eyebrow, so his smile did not grow smaller. What had all but vanished though was Magnus’ wide, cheerful showman grin. She knew men like him and she knew, they rarely stopped grinning when around potential customers.
“The new lord of Raylansfair is a bit of a dick”, Elias brought up and Drake smiled apologetically. “Ah, you have to ignore Elias”, he said. “He had a bad day. I don’t know this new Lord of Raylansfair, but I heard he’s kind of a big shot here in the Reach” He placed a hand on his chest. “Me and Elias, we are Northerners. New to the kingdom”
“Why did you leave the North?”, Leonard asked and Drake chuckled. “Perhaps some things are better left unspoken”, he said. “It was a tremendous injustice, this much I can tell you” Elias shrugged. “Poaching”, he was quick to utter. Kersea remained tensed up though. Her gaze fell upon the boy, who was still standing in the corner, behind him the door that likely led to the kitchen. Part of her was glad she followed Leonard’s advice. Bennett would have likely noticed her and in that case, a fight would have been inevitable.
As she slowly began to walk around the taproom, unwilling to sit down between the two sellswords, she glanced at the table and from her new angle, she noticed something. There was blood, a very thin line of blood running down Elias’ leg. “You’re bleeding”, she remarked and she saw a brief, alarmed hint flashing over Leonard’s face.
Elias however merely shrugged again. “Don’t bother with things that don’t concern you”, he said. “I got it under control” Drake leant forwards, smiling at Kersea again. “My friend cut himself while chopping wood this morning”, he explained. “Say, Kathy, don’t you want to sit down?”
Quickly, she shook her head. “I prefer standing”, she said, though she noticed that the sellsword was glancing at her belt. “I... would prefer if you could sit down”, he admitted. “You’re armed, you both are and it’s making me nervous, having an armed stranger walking around the table. No offence, but I don’t know you guys”
“None taken”, Leonard assured them. “But I can promise you, we are mere travellers” Drake smiled, while Elias chuckled dryly. Magnus’ smile returned, if briefly, though his laugh was a bit fake and it ended with him coughing to clear his throat. “I would like to believe you”, Drake admitted. “But the roads are dangerous these days. A week ago, we ran into a deserter, half-crazed from hunger, trying to kill us in our sleep”
“He had damn fine boots”, Elias spoke. “They give you damn fine boots in the Reach army. Up north, we have to buy our own and we don’t even get cloaks when the snow is freezing your balls off” He shrugged again. “I’m telling you, you Southerners got it handed on a silver platter”
“Elias, please”, Drake urged him sternly. “Don’t be rude to our new friends” He smiled at Leonard, then at Kersea, who was now leaning against a table, halfway between Bennett and the sellswords. “And I hope we can be friends”, he assured them. “Where do you two come from?”
“Blackhaven”, Leonard lied through his teeth. “I learned how to fight in Durrandon’s army, but I’m not really cut for war” He smiled at Kersea and it was a strange smile of fake affection. “Kathy always ran after me when I was home. Always wanting to learn”, he explained and she frowned at his words. “I taught her all I know with the blade. I’m still the better one of course”
“Hardly”, she hissed. “I had my own teachers. In fact, I think it was me who taught Len” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t listen to him” Drake chuckled. “Siblings, eh? I got three sisters at home, I know how that is”, he explained. Elias however was not smiling. “She’s right though”, he spoke. “You shouldn’t listen to him, because he is lying”
Kersea tensed up at his words, while Leonard merely narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”, he asked, but instead of answering him, Elias glanced over his shoulder and at Kersea. “You’re a Northerner, are you not?”, he asked. “Aye, a fine northern filly. They don’t breed them that fair down here”
To her best ability, Kersea looked confused. Thankfully, acting was one of the lessons the Old Man had taught her. Silently thanking Terroma for his kindness, she shook her head. “You must be mistaken”, she stated. “I’m not from the North. Never been there, but a boy once told me I have the look”
“Yeah, the look”, Elias agreed. “You don’t look alike, you know, you and Len” He looked at Drake and the other sellsword sighed. “Alright, can we just take a deep breath real quick?”, he asked. “Maybe you were lying to us this entire time, but I don’t want this to turn ugly” As he said this, Elias’ mouth twitched, though he remained silent.
“We weren’t lying”, Leonard claimed and Drake shrugged. “It doesn’t matter”, he said. “You want to continue to Raylansfair, then that is what you should do. Me and Elias, we bring our new friends here to Oldtown and once we leave this building we don’t have to see each other ever again. No need for hostilities”
It was a reasonable request, but something wasn’t right about the situation. Kersea remained on guard, especially with how Elias was looking at her. Perhaps she was just a bit too much on the edge, but she definitely wouldn’t risk it. Wouldn’t risk her life, or Leonard’s. “Perhaps we should leave then”, she said.
Leonard sighed. “Perhaps we should”, he agreed. “We were hoping to loot some supplies though. You don’t happen to have any to spare?” Drake smiled in a friendly way, as he shook his head, absolutely apologetic. “I’m afraid not”, he spoke. “What little we found here, we used already. The rest is our own, we paid good coin for it and we won’t share”
“Sure”, Leonard said, slightly disheartened. “In that case, we’ll leave you again” He sighed, but Kersea knew he was genuine with this. It was a bit of a surprise, the fact that he was not having second thoughts with his offer. Perhaps spending so much time around Clayton had poisoned her thoughts after all, because she had half expected him to pull out a weapon by now, to fight them over their supplies. It’s what Clayton would have done, after all.
Elias put his other hand onto the axe on his table and Drake looked at him. The portly sellsword raised an eyebrow and Drake was quick to place a hand on Leonard’s shoulder. “Wait”, he spoke. “Are you truly out of supplies?” Leonard nodded at this and Drake sighed. “It’s several days until you reach Raylansfair. Could get hard, I mean, how’s the Stark saying? The winter comes”
“Winter is coming”, Elias corrected him and Drake’s smile widened. “Winter is coming”, the man repeated. “You two, you have your own reasons to be here, I guess you weren’t fully honest with us, but we’re Northerners. Where we come from, you don’t send a traveller away without making sure he can make it to the next hamlet”
Elias glanced at Bennett, who had a frown on his face. “You boy”, he growled. “Bring booze, the good one” He grinned and it was an ugly grin, revealing several missing teeth. “That’ll keep us warm”, he promised and Leonard smiled, a thin, uncertain smile, which was in no way as confident as Drake’s or the wide, clearly fake showman smile of Magnus Silverstone. “And then I’d like to invite you to share a meal with us. We can’t give you anything for the way, but with a full belly, you can make it from here to Raylansfair”, Drake told them.
“Thank you”, Leonard said and again, Kersea was surprised by his honesty. There was something about it that was almost impressive. He was a knight after all. However, she didn’t focus on Leonard and the other men on the table. Instead, she was glancing at Bennett, who briefly opened the door to the kitchen, to enter the room. He closed it quickly, but she spotted a pair of legs, belonging to a limp body lying there.
And there it was again, the concern. Kersea put a hand onto her dagger, sending out a muffled curse that caused the men on the table to tense up. “There’s a corpse in your back room”, she hissed, noticing the alarmed look in Leonard’s eyes. For a moment, it seemed he was ready to jump up, but he controlled this urge quite well.
“Was already there”, Elias growled. “Don’t know whom he is. Maybe the innkeeper” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Found him there, figured we should leave him for now, but we wanted to give him a proper burial in the morning”, he explained and spat onto the ground. “Poor fucker was still alive a day ago”
Leonard gulped, as he gave Kersea a warning look. The door behind her got opened again and as she glanced over her shoulder, she spotted Bennett coming into the taproom again. Briefly, she could take a glance at the body once more, before the door got closed by the boy. He was carrying a bottle by now, containing a dark liquid and as he passed her, she could smell a sweet, dizzying scent, the flavour of herbs accompanying it.
“This is a good one!”, Drake claimed, as Bennett put a small wooden mug in front of him, then one in front of Elias and one in front of Leonard, with Magnus not receiving any. The illusionist smiled a satisfied smile at this though, as Bennett turned around to approach Kersea, handing her one as well, though as he had turned away from the table, he quickly gave her a wink, the briefest of expressions.
She took the mug he handed her, before he turned around again and to Elias. “Give me a good amount of it”, the man growled, though he grabbed him by the forearm before he could actually pour anything into the mug. “You got my own stuff as well?” Only after Bennett gave him a nod did Elias allow him to pour something into the mug. “My stuff is pretty sweet. Make it myself. Strong as fuck, knocked a bear out once”, he muttered. “But it’s mine and I don’t share for just anyone”
Leonard had still narrowed his eyes, as Bennett moved to pour Drake some of the booze. As the boy turned to the knight, he was quick to put a hand onto his mug. “Nah, not for me”, he said. “I don’t drink when I’m hungry. Always makes me dizzy”
Drake raised an eyebrow, though he said nothing. Elias however sighed, as he took a sip from his mug. “You think it’s poisoned?”, he asked and flashed him a crooked grin, taking another sip. “We drink, because it makes you our guests”, Drake was quick to explain. “Guest right means a lot where we come from. See, I’m a bit on the fence. I want to help you out a bit, if only with a single meal, but I’d like to share it with a guest, not someone whom I have to be worried about”
“As I said, I have to pass”, Leonard spoke. “I’d like to be your guest, but more than that, I’d like to keep a clear head around you folks. Sure you understand” Bennett gulped, as he walked around the table and towards Kersea again. He raised an eyebrow as he raised the bottle. “You want one, m’lady?”, he asked.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] As much as I want to see a freaking heist, Alys will be bad luck, and my man Captain Anturion doesn't need that.
[Accept the drink] Drink, drink, drink, Kersea. It's totally okay. Nothing bad will happen.....
“What are they then?”, Alys asked boldly and the pirate sighed. “Fools who have lost their way”, he explained begrudgingly. “My line can be traced back to the Age of Heroes. In the lifetimes that followed, we built an empire, ranging from coast to coast. Wherever men set sail, they knew our name and sung praises to our might. For a time, we rivalled House Gardener in power” He shook his head. “Of course, they could never accept this and so they cast us down, forced us to be content with that pathetic harbour in the frozen wasteland up north”, he added, venom in his words. “Few remained in the south, few remembered the old ways, the customs of our house, as our glory dwindled. The world forgot about us and nowadays, when they think about the name Manderly, all they remember is Stark’s loyal dog”
Man this guy is salty. Interesting history.
I don't trust this Drake Draco, Elias, Magnus Silverstone, and Bennett crowd. While I'm sure they have not been lying much, I don't trust them. Leonard doesn't trust them. Leonard is always right. That dead person is suspicious.
Kersea raised an eyebrow, as Leonard glanced at her over his shoulder. Then, he shrugged and pushed the door open. “We are harmless travellers”, he announced himself. “My name is Len, this is Kathy” Once more, he glanced Kersea, who was slightly tilting her head.
“Your wife?” one of the men asked and Leonard was almost as quick to shake his head as Kersea. “My sister”, he clarified and the man chuckled. He was a tall man, plain and pale, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. “Man, you must have the worst luck”, he spoke, before he gave them a friendly smile. “But greetings. Leave your weapons where they are and you are among friends here”
Yes, sister, not wife. Good. Leonard does not have bad luck, except that he has to team up with KERSEA!
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
[Go with Edward and Jadith] While I know this is a bad idea, the other pirates aren't that much trustworthy, on the other hand, a heist against House Martell can be just as dangerous, but at least Anturion has kept her safe for now. And this means there's a rat on Sunspear, since only the royal family and their advisors are supposed to know of these move.
I Didn't expected Aeron to take his role as protector of his subjects so seriously, even if it's out of pragmatism. [Decline the drink] Better don't risk themselves, there's a dead man and lies can be seen.
Long time since we saw Silverstone and Bennet.
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] [Accept the drink]
One of them has to drink, or else it'll be too suspicious. And since Leonard is not drinking, it'd have to be Kersea. I'm interested to see how all this will unfold though, hopefully with some blood being spilled.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] Ah man, I'm really tempted to choose the other option, just for the sake of seeing this heist However, when I think this rationally from Alys' perspective, I think staying in Merman's Rest is the way to go. Firstly, the heist will surely be dangerous, and it's not like Alys can really contribute much to it. And secondly, staying in Merman's Rest could be a way for Alys to take some distance to Edward and perhaps find some new allies/friends, so she won't be as dependent on him anymore.
[Accept the drink] I'm really unsure what to think of these people. Idk if you've seen Tarantino's Hateful Eight, but this part reminded me of that movie Anyway, if they are serious about the guest right then it would be good for Kersea to drink. And if things go bad, well, at least Leonard has a clear head.
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
Aye, he actually has good reason to be salty. Basically, House Manderly used to be a lot more powerful, actually rivalling House Gardener in power during the Andal Invasion. They eventually lost their influence and their former glory became all but forgotten. Nowadays, Warmond is the last of his line and well, he is really bitter about this.
I don't trust this Drake Draco, Elias, Magnus Silverstone, and Bennett crowd. While I'm sure they have not been lying much, I don't trust them. Leonard doesn't trust them. Leonard is always right. That dead person is suspicious.
Hehe, I don't know why anyone would not trust them. That being said, Leonard is indeed on the fence here. Of course, we know he has trust issues. He himself knows it at this point, so he is putting some effort into trying and bettering himself on that accord, but there is something suspicious about this gathering and he cannot help himself. I suppose it will be seen in time if he is actually right here.
Yes, sister, not wife. Good. Leonard does not have bad luck, except that he has to team up with KERSEA!
Aye, Leonard always has the best of luck. That being said, I actually realized I cannot even be all that snarky about this, Leonard might have been through some severe shit, but he himself has actually been lucky at getting out of them again. Compare him to Lucas or Torvin, or when we take only living characters into account, compare him to Sadie or Rosalie or even Garthon and Leonard fares a lot better than them. It isn't just luck, but it remains to be seen how long it'll hold.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] As much as I want to see a freaking heist, Alys will be bad luck, and my man Captain Anturion doesn't need that.
… more[Accept the drink] Drink, drink, drink, Kersea. It's totally okay. Nothing bad will happen.....
“What are they then?”, Alys asked boldly and the pirate sighed. “Fools who have lost their way”, he explained begrudgingly. “My line can be traced back to the Age of Heroes. In the lifetimes that followed, we built an empire, ranging from coast to coast. Wherever men set sail, they knew our name and sung praises to our might. For a time, we rivalled House Gardener in power” He shook his head. “Of course, they could never accept this and so they cast us down, forced us to be content with that pathetic harbour in the frozen wasteland up north”, he added, venom in his words. “Few remained in the south, few remembered the old ways, the customs of our house, as our glory dwindled. The world forgot about us and… [view original content]
While I know this is a bad idea, the other pirates aren't that much trustworthy, on the other hand, a heist against House Martell can be just as dangerous, but at least Anturion has kept her safe for now. And this means there's a rat on Sunspear, since only the royal family and their advisors are supposed to know of these move.
It is actually more severe than just a rat at court feeding information to the pirates. The one who told Aeron about this has been Cage Bridger, who has been mentioned before as the leader of the Sandstorm. This means there isn't someone at Sunspear informing Aeron about treasure to plunder, but someone who leaks information to the Sandstorm and that has implications that go way beyond what Aeron is trying to achieve here.
I Didn't expected Aeron to take his role as protector of his subjects so seriously, even if it's out of pragmatism.
You said it yourself, it is pragmatism, taking to its logical extreme. Aeron's entire power is not based on any law or hereditary authority. His subjects aren't used to follow law or authority, means they actively have to be reminded what benefits they have from his rule at all times. He is truly only as strong as the people who follow him and this means he constantly has to be seen as the best guy for the position. His subjets pay tribute and in return, he has to take action when someone wrongs them.
Long time since we saw Silverstone and Bennet.
Ah, you remember them! Indeed, it has been a long time, longer than I thought. There were a couple choices in the earlier story, from Ilish's PoV, which made it harder on me to show them and a couple other people at the fair (who will instead be seen in the next chapter). However, I always had plans to bring them back in Book 2, which is what I finally managed to do now
[Go with Edward and Jadith] While I know this is a bad idea, the other pirates aren't that much trustworthy, on the other hand, a heist agai… morenst House Martell can be just as dangerous, but at least Anturion has kept her safe for now. And this means there's a rat on Sunspear, since only the royal family and their advisors are supposed to know of these move.
I Didn't expected Aeron to take his role as protector of his subjects so seriously, even if it's out of pragmatism.
[Decline the drink] Better don't risk themselves, there's a dead man and lies can be seen.
Long time since we saw Silverstone and Bennet.
One of them has to drink, or else it'll be too suspicious. And since Leonard is not drinking, it'd have to be Kersea. I'm interested to see how all this will unfold though, hopefully with some blood being spilled.
Blood? Always an option. We are at a situation were nobody can fully trust the other, even Leonard and Kersea have some issues, albeit those cannot be expected to end in bloodshed between the two anytime soon. The rest though? Always an option
By the way, not sure if you have seen it, I have sent you a PM with a small question a couple days ago. It is about some of your characters, nothing too major, but depending on your answer, I'd start building this up very soon.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest]
[Accept the drink]
One of them has to drink, or else it'll be too suspicious. And since Leonard is not drinking, i… moret'd have to be Kersea. I'm interested to see how all this will unfold though, hopefully with some blood being spilled.
Ah man, I'm really tempted to choose the other option, just for the sake of seeing this heist However, when I think this rationally from Alys' perspective, I think staying in Merman's Rest is the way to go. Firstly, the heist will surely be dangerous, and it's not like Alys can really contribute much to it. And secondly, staying in Merman's Rest could be a way for Alys to take some distance to Edward and perhaps find some new allies/friends, so she won't be as dependent on him anymore.
Ah, I expected this option to be tempting at least Staying in Merman's Rest would continue Alys' route of distancing herself a bit from Edward, but I can tease, this attack on the dornish ships would be an action-packed highlight in this chapter. Naval battles are planned in general, but most of them will take me several additional chapters to reach, even if Alys in this situation definitely wouldn't do much but be below deck. If she stays in Merman's Rest... well, don't expect friends, but allies are always an option.
I'm really unsure what to think of these people. Idk if you've seen Tarantino's Hateful Eight, but this part reminded me of that movie Anyway, if they are serious about the guest right then it would be good for Kersea to drink. And if things go bad, well, at least Leonard has a clear head.
Haha, as someone who takes great delight in the genius that is Tarantino, I can assure you I have seen that movie Fun fact, I've seen it again pretty recently and it was definitely on my mind while writing this part. I was actually rewatching a couple scenes on Youtube while I took some small breaks from writing. I guess these are the Hateful Six right now. That being said, just because this has been on my mind (mostly due to this part involving a tense scene between several characters in the same location who don't trust each other and all keep secrets from each other) doesn't mean it'll actually end with a massive bloodbath. You do remember how drinking stuff ended in the movie, eh?
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] Ah man, I'm really tempted to choose the other option, just for the sake of seeing this heist However, when I think… more this rationally from Alys' perspective, I think staying in Merman's Rest is the way to go. Firstly, the heist will surely be dangerous, and it's not like Alys can really contribute much to it. And secondly, staying in Merman's Rest could be a way for Alys to take some distance to Edward and perhaps find some new allies/friends, so she won't be as dependent on him anymore.
[Accept the drink] I'm really unsure what to think of these people. Idk if you've seen Tarantino's Hateful Eight, but this part reminded me of that movie Anyway, if they are serious about the guest right then it would be good for Kersea to drink. And if things go bad, well, at least Leonard has a clear head.
[Stay in Merman's Rest] Any choice that avoids Edward and his schemes is a good choice. Obviously I don't trust the pirates anymore than Edward but like Alys said, Carvin will be there for her. Though I'm wondering... what about Alisa, I may have missed it but is she staying or going?
[Decline the drink] Though nobody is being overly aggressive and it's possible they mean no harm, but the vibe is still a little tense and I think it best to get out of there as soon as possible.
Alys' part really got me thinking about what could happen when and if Edrick's group catches up with her. How would it go down? I genuinely don't know if she'd take her chances with Edward who's obviously using her, or if she'd choose the people who want to bring her back to the life she ran away from. If she did choose Edward I doubt Edrick and co would be in a position to force her. Edrick, Dante, Darreth and whoever else could take on Edward and his allies on thier own. Though I think what could make that encounter really interesting is Alisa. Obviously being a Karstark it'd be really interesting to see how she'd handle Dante suddenly showing up, and how would Dante react to seeing her? I think it's likely that the two never expected to see each other ever again. It's interesting to think about.
Leonard's a bit of a hypocrite, huh? The liar who hates liars.
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening … morewent by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylad… [view original content]
Though I'm wondering... what about Alisa, I may have missed it but is she staying or going?
It is likely she will be among those going with Edward. There was this choice early on in the first chapter, where Edward made Alys choose between Alisa or Carvin to be specifically her guard during the stay at Merman's Rest, with the other one being the one to keep an eye on him. Back then, Carvin won the vote, but it did not matter so far, as Alys and Edward both were mostly in the same location. If she splits from him now by staying in Merman's Rest, Carvin will stay with her, but Alisa will mostly have little choice but to go with Edward, albeit being his bodyguard, it can be argued that she will remain in the backlines with him while grunts such as Bear take the heavy part of the fighting.
Alys' part really got me thinking about what could happen when and if Edrick's group catches up with her. How would it go down? I genuinely don't know if she'd take her chances with Edward who's obviously using her, or if she'd choose the people who want to bring her back to the life she ran away from. If she did choose Edward I doubt Edrick and co would be in a position to force her. Edrick, Dante, Darreth and whoever else could take on Edward and his allies on thier own. Though I think what could make that encounter really interesting is Alisa. Obviously being a Karstark it'd be really interesting to see how she'd handle Dante suddenly showing up, and how would Dante react to seeing her? I think it's likely that the two never expected to see each other ever again. It's interesting to think about.
Ah, these are interesting thoughts you have there. I mean, Alys is not happy with her current position as Edward's guest, as she has the strong suspicion that she is little more than a glorified prisoner, still having to do something for him, something she won't like. That's her fear at least. In return, she had reason to run away from home and her dream is still to reach Dorne or the Free Cities (ironically, she is right betwen these two places, geographically), so even if Team Edrick catches up to her, it is not clear if she'd prefer them over Edward. Since Edward also has notably more men at his disposal than Edrick (with really only him, Dante and Darreth actually committed to save her at this moment), any attempt to get her out of there would have to be done in secret and such an attempt in secret can only work if Alys plays along. Alisa though, she is a bit of a wildcard in all this. She is the only one beyond Alys with connections to both sides. In fact, she is the one most likely to grasp the full picture even. She knows Alys has been supposed to marry Dante, so his arrival wouldn't even fully surprise her. Her presence with the Second Sons though, that is something Dante cannot expect. Their respective reactions would certainly be interesting, especially as Alisa is implied to have some fondness left for Dante. Dante's feelings about Alisa are not yet explored in that much detail, but I can promise that we will learn exactly how he thinks about her at some point in the future.
Leonard's a bit of a hypocrite, huh? The liar who hates liars.
Hehe, it is indeed something that costs him a lot of mental convincing to even attempt. He doesn't like this situation, but by now, he has given up a bit on his staunch refusal to lie to others. He still doesn't like being lied to and he justifies it by knowing that he at least always has a very good reason for lying, whereas others might not have it. In this particular case, it is a problem for him though, as it makes him quite a bad liar as well, with Elias definitely not buying much of what he says.
[Stay in Merman's Rest] Any choice that avoids Edward and his schemes is a good choice. Obviously I don't trust the pirates anymore than Edw… moreard but like Alys said, Carvin will be there for her. Though I'm wondering... what about Alisa, I may have missed it but is she staying or going?
[Decline the drink] Though nobody is being overly aggressive and it's possible they mean no harm, but the vibe is still a little tense and I think it best to get out of there as soon as possible.
Alys' part really got me thinking about what could happen when and if Edrick's group catches up with her. How would it go down? I genuinely don't know if she'd take her chances with Edward who's obviously using her, or if she'd choose the people who want to bring her back to the life she ran away from. If she did choose Edward I doubt Edrick and co would be in a position to force her. Edrick, Dante, Darreth and whoever else could take on Edward and his allies on t… [view original content]
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The Voting is closed!
Irae is going to accept Naela's invitation
I am not sure if everyone had a chance to read this part, as I have to close the voting a bit earlier, but I am running out of time and have to leave in a few minutes, so it has to be now
This part will be important in the way how Irae is going to start her relationship with Naela. Obviously, winning her trust is the prime goal, you chose for this in Irae's first part and I'd say spending time with her, just socializing and politely accepting her invitation, that could be a good way to achieve this. We will see. This whole storyline is still about to start properly, a lot of development shall happen in the parts to come.
Now, the next part will be out today. More than that, it will be out in a few minutes, after reading over it once more. It will feature PoV's from Jaron and Ysilla. And since it will be my last part before leaving to visit my grandfather for the week, potentially the only part in the next seven days if I am truly once more limited to my phone internet, I am glad to announce that it will have one and a half times the length of a normal part, to give you something to read while I'm gone. Good news are, I got the character list with me this time and importantly, I also got all the private messages I haven't had the time to answer yet with me, so if you haven't received an answer to your message yet, be assured that I am deeply sorry for keeping you waiting, but I will work on this while I am gone, so that I may finally answer once I am back and then never again let you wait for so long.
Now, I already gave a recap for Jaron, the next part will show him and Samuel continuing their search for Arryn Blackwell. Meanwhile, in Ysilla's last part, she, Theodan, Jenelyne and Allar arrived in Godsgrace, where Theodan met his family for the first time in many years. It was an emotional reunion, with his mother Belandra and brother Yandry being particularly happy, whereas his and Ysilla's father Alester was more tense, as was their sister, Ashara. After the initial reunion, Alester and Theodan left to have a talk and Ysilla chose to give them some privacy, instead opting to show Jen and Allar around the castle. The next part will happen a bit later, at the end of their little tour through Godsgrace and as said, it will be posted in a few minutes.
Jaron
“Perhaps you should have taken Temari”, Samuel remarked, as the two men left the second tavern they had entered in search of Arryn Blackwell. It wasn't as much that Ayden's brother was a mystery, it was more that he had good reason not to return to those places. The second innkeeper even outright demanded a pay after hearing whom they were looking for, due to debts the sellsword had left. In order to keep things from escalating, Samuel had been the one to pay.
“Huh?”, Jaron asked, raising an eyebrow at the other man. Samuel shrugged. “Well, what I mean is, I know what to think of you, what to expect”, he explained. “Whereas this John guy, he is an enigma, pretty much”
Jaron thought about this for a moment. “You don't trust him”, he stated and Samuel shook his head. “Trust is something I cannot afford”, he admitted. “I barely trust you, to be honest, but I know our goals align” Jaron had to smile at this comment. “How reassuring”, he spoke in a dry tone. “I almost feel honoured”
Samuel did not smile back. “There is one thing I trust when it comes to you”, he spoke. “You know you need me more than I need you” It was blunt, but honest, the sort Jaron had come to appreciate about Samuel. He wasn't here to make friends with the sellsword, but they made a good team.
“And what do you expect from me?”, he asked, more out of curiosity. Samuel seemed to think about this for a moment, as they approached the next tavern, a small building on the far end of the docks, one wall right at the very end of it, almost touching the surface of the water. “You are in love with that girl”, he stated. “That makes you... predictable. I appreciate it. Fucking hate these shady pricks who think they have to hide their true motives. Always makes it more difficult for me”
Jaron frowned. “Thank... you? I think?”, he asked and Samuel chuckled slightly. “You're welcome”, he simply replied, as they came closer to the tavern. “This Gutten though... I am not certain what he is about. It's not love that ties him to the woman he seeks to find, not in the way you feel about Harpy. It's different and I don't know what to make of it yet”
“I'm sure you'll get the chance”, Jaron replied and Samuel sighed. “I hope it won't be too late by then”, he said and they both looked at the tavern. It was perhaps one of the shabbiest buildings Jaron had ever seen at it was glaring to see it in a city of such beauty. Perhaps it was true what John had told him, that Lys was both, a beauty and rotten at the same time. At least this part of the city had seen better days and if anything, having Samuel by his side made him feel more at ease. In Oldtown, there were alleyways, he wouldn't have entered on his own and the months he had spent there had given him a feeling for such danger. Right now, he was certain there were eyes on him, but he was just as certain they'd look away again when spotting his sword, or his companion”
The two men hadn't even reached the building yet, as the door got pushed open and a man stumbled out. Holding his head, the bruises on his face were clearly visible, as he stumbled forwards, his knees finally giving in, as stumbling turned into staggering. Jaron reacted swiftly and jumped towards the man, just in time to prevent him from falling face first into the harbour basin.
“Hey, careful!”, he yelled and the man looked at him with a blurred gaze. He was an older fellow, with reddened cheeks and a large nose, his reply being in a foreign language and even then, it was hard to make out actual words through the drunken slur. He grabbed Jaron's arm, still talking quickly in a language the knight did not understand, as he slowly regained his stance. Still, Jaron only let go of him after being certain the man wouldn't just fall right again.
“You done?”, Samuel asked, as the man started to stagger away. Jaron looked after him, before nodding. “You would have let him fall?”, he asked, to which Samuel simply nodded. “And so would you, had you heard what he said just now” Jaron frowned. “What was it?”, he asked and Samuel smirked. “He thanked you for your consideration and care, he gave you his blessing for all the coming adventures”, he lied through his teeth. “That is what you'd like to hear, huh?”
Jaron shrugged. “I've heard worse”, he spoke, as both turned to the tavern. A strong stench came out of it, a mixture of ale, sweat and worse, but it was their next stop and if the gods were merciful, it would be the last one they had to look through to find Arryn.
The taproom was larger than it seemed from the outside, yet crammed with people, mostly the sort Jaron had come to know from similar locations in Oldtown. Sellswords, thugs, sailors, perhaps the kind already involved with the darker parts of Lys. Nothing too dark, those people had their own hideouts, and yet, this building was as much a tavern as it was a gateway to the Lysene underworld. Most notably, it lacked any sort of beauty the city itself possessed, a stark contrast that caused Jaron to tense up.
The man behind the counter was stout and balding, his tanned skin sporting hints of a sunburn and the moustache covered in sweat and grease. He was about to clean a wooden mug as he spotted the two strangers approaching him. Lazily, he raised an eyebrow, directing a question at them in a foreign language.
Samuel replied in Jaron's stead and the man frowned. “Westerosi”, he spoke with a heavy accent. “Hope you the kind that pays bills” His look became more questioning, as he raised the mug and two fingers. A disgusted look flashed over Samuel's face and it was Jaron who shook his head. “We're looking for a man”, he said and the innkeeper raised an eyebrow. “Not here”, he spoke. “You go brothel, they have man”
Now, the disgust on Samuel's face turned into amusement and he left it to Jaron to press out a stuttered reply. “No”, he said firmly. “We are looking for Arryn Blackwell” As soon as he said this name, the innkeeper's demeanour changed.
“Are you here to collect his debts?”, he asked, suddenly dropping a lot of the accent, his expression serious and calculating. “You are working for Rogare, right?” Jaron and Samuel exchanged a look and just as Samuel was about to nod, Jaron shook his head, leaving the sellsword to sigh. “We brings word from his brother”, he said.
The innkeeper sighed. “There's two of them?”, he growled, as Samuel leant forwards. “You mentioned Rogare”, he said. “Is he in debt to the bank?” Grimly, the innkeeper nodded. “The Rogare bank does not like to wait”, he said. “And Arryn has strained their already thin patience. Thought you might be debt collectors, you certainly look the part”
Jaron narrowed his eyes. “Where is he?”, he asked and the innkeeper pointed at the corner. There sat a man, his head on the table he had all for himself. Though his face was buried in his arms, Jaron spotted dark hair and a skin tone that went slightly into the olive, features that he had come to recognize from Ayden.
Samuel put a hand onto Jaron's shoulder. “I got this”, he spoke, as he approached the man. Jaron glanced at the innkeeper and noticed that the man had a small smirk on his face. “Hey, perhaps...”, he yelled after the sellsword, but Samuel was already near the man. “Arryn Blackwell?”, he asked.
Instantly and without warning, the man jumped up, revealing a face not too unlike Ayden's, but with a heavy, scruffy beard, before his fist hit Samuel right in the face. To Samuel's credit, he remained standing after what looked like a heavy punch, merely stumbling back a slight bit, groaning in surprise and perhaps pain, though he mostly looked genuinely baffled that someone had gotten him like this. There was something else, which Jaron correctly deduced to be anger and he grabbed Samuel's arm before he could even reach his sword. “Samuel...”, he hissed.
Perhaps more surprised than Samuel was Arryn Blackwell himself, who blinked as he spotted the two men. “Samuel...”, he repeated, his voice deeper than Ayden's and slightly blurred from apparently just waking up. “Yeah, figures. You took that punch like a Samuel. Like a fucking champ” A grin formed on his face. “You startled me”
Samuel sighed, before clenching his fist. “Alright”, he growled. “You are Arryn Blackwell, right?” The man raised an eyebrow. “Depends on who's asking” Jaron gave him a winning smile. The truth was, he wasn't too certain how a winning smile even looked, but he hoped it was at least likeable. “Not the Rogare bank”, he told him and the man relaxed a bit. “And none you are in debt to”
“Then I am Arryn”, he confirmed. “And I don't care what you want” He leant back, his head resting against the wall, while Samuel glared at him coldly. His hand was twitching a bit and Jaron knew, he was more than willing to cut the man down right there and actively holding back at this very moment.
“This is a waste of time”, the sellsword hissed. “That man's a drunken mess. Let's get out of here” Jaron shot him a surprised look. “Since when do you give up so easily?”, he questioned, as he pushed past him, sitting down on the chair opposing Arryn. Ayden's brother opened his eyes again, raising an eyebrow. “This Samuel is a smart man”, he commented. “And you? What is your name?”
“Jaron”, Jaron told him and Arryn sighed, as he leant forwards again. “Sharon?”, he remarked. “What sort of a name is that?” Jaron was about to say something, when Arryn shot him a crooked grin. “Alright... Jaron”, he stated. “You are neither here to collect debts, nor are you here to bring me booze. And you're determined enough that not even a punch right in your friends face can scare you two off” He glanced at Samuel, before straightening his back. “Though looking like you, I doubt anything can scare you off that easily”, he admitted. “Means you earned one chance to tell me what you want”
Though Samuel was probably not angry in the way Jaron had seen with Ryder before, he clearly was all kinds of done with this man already. Jaron however was unwilling to give up on this just yet. Ayden had described his brother as a strong man, a skilled fighter and one who, if motivated properly, could contribute to their journey. He would at least give this a try.
“We're coming from your brother”, he spoke, to which a streak of curiosity appeared on Arryn's face. “Is he dead?”, he asked and Jaron shook his head. Arryn sighed. “Shame”, he spoke. Jaron narrowed his eyes. “He is getting married”, he told him. “To a beautiful woman, over in Oldtown. She is expecting his child”
“And Uncle Arryn is invited to the wedding, huh?”, Arryn asked, shooting Jaron a slightly drunken grin, of the kind that did not grow smaller when Jaron shook his head. “He said nothing about that”, he spoke. “But he told me you might be able to help me in his stead. I'm looking for a skilled fighter to fight by my side as I make my way to Slaver's Bay. Did I come to the right place?”
He thought to see a glimpse of interest in Arryn's eyes. “That is quite a journey”, he spoke. “What do you want in that foul place?” Jaron gulped. “The woman I love has been taken by a slaver. I seek to free her, even if that means cutting this slaving bastard down and all who stand in my way”, he replied grimly.
Arryn waited for a moment, before he suppressed a chuckle. “Love”, he said. “Then I'm out. Don't get me wrong, that can be a nice thing, but it's usually foolish. I don't know you, so I'd risk my life for a fool I just met” He shook his head. “Doesn't sound like a good deal to me”
Jaron sighed. “We don't have to be strangers”, he offered. “Come with us and maybe you won't consider me a fool in time. I was told I have that effect on people” Arryn's grin widened. “You sound just like one of Ayden's friends”, he admitted. “He prefers the sweet-talking types, surrounding himself with clever men like you. Me, when it comes to my friends, my taste is more raw”
“So you won't come with us?”, Jaron asked and Arryn shrugged. “Perhaps”, he said. “If Ayden sent you, then no doubt because he thinks you need my blade in what you're trying to achieve. It must be one hell of a task if he even considers sending you to Lys to talk to me” He smirked. “As I said, a raw taste”, he growled. “There might be one thing you could do so that I get to see what kind of a man you are. It stirred when I pummelled your friend right in the face”
He rose from his chair, placing both fists on the table, as Jaron carefully took a step back. “What would that be?”, he hissed, while Arryn shot him a deep look. “Ayden wants coin more than anything, to buy shiny trinkets and the like. You can always lure him with gold and a rich man will have his loyalty”, he explained. “Meanwhile, I prefer violence. Fought against the Volantene side by side with the Storm King's men. The deafening screams of dying men all around me and I... felt truly alive”
“You want a good fight”, Jaron said and Arryn gave him a nod. “I want the best fight”, he spoke. “The thrill of battle, not for gold, not for glory, not even to kill, just the sheer lust to fight. Can you give me that?” Jaron had to think about it for a moment. “What I am out to do will be dangerous. There is no fight I'll shy away from if it means freeing her”, he promised.
Arryn grinned. “That is what I want to hear”, he spoke. “Maybe you can prove yourself after all. See, don't get me wrong, I like coin, but I follow no man because he's rich. The man I shall follow must be a fighter, one who knows the thrill. Do you, Jaron?”
Jaron nodded without hesitation. “I have killed before”, he spoke and Arryn chuckled. “Bet you have”, he agreed. “But killing is secondary. The result, not the reason” Though his gaze was still that of a drunken man, his voice was firm and strong, as he straightened his back to his full height, a good head above Jaron and Samuel. “I want you to show me”
“Right... right here?”, Jaron asked, carefully placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. Now, Arryn outright laughed. It was a brief, hard sound. “No, not like this”, he growled, as he raised his fists. “No weapons but your fists. Just you and me, in what counts as a brawl in these parts. Beat me down, show me you got the spirit and I will be your man” His fists still clenched, he spread his arms, his short vest revealing the large muscles. “Fight me for the unholy fucking joy of it”
There was a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, he Jaron had to admit, everything about Arryn Blackwell screamed danger. He was a man he wanted by his side, because no doubt he'd pull his weight in any fight. “If I beat you, you'll come with me”, he stated and Arryn nodded. “We make a contract. You offer me a way off this forsaken island before the Rogare bank gets me, I take standard pay for a sellsword of my skills and I fight, oh, I shall fight for your cause like a frenzied god of slaughter”
“Standard pay”, Jaron said and looked at Samuel. “What would that be?” Samuel however rolled his eyes. “A waste of time”, he said, as he turned away from Arryn. “That man is a mess. Let's leave him” With this, he already started to walk away, though Jaron remained for a moment longer, as Arryn shot him a grin. “He has a different reason to fight. Doesn't get it”, the man spoke, looking after Samuel. “Do you?”
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] [Walk away]
Ysilla
Jenelyne's look of wonder hadn't faded one bit as Ysilla had shown her and Allar around in the castle. In fact, her smile had only gotten wider and it was honestly a lovely sight to behold. From the washing rooms, where the siblings had taken a brief bath, while Ysilla had brought them a fresh set of clothes, to the kitchen, it was clear this was a day she wouldn't forget. Even something as simple as the guest rooms of Godsgrace were an experience for her.
“So, you grew up in a room like this?”, she asked, as she walked up and down between her bed and Allar's. Her brother had rested on his, quickly having picked the one closest to the window while Jen had been busy marvelling at the room itself.
Ysilla couldn't contain a smile as she looked at the other woman. “Nah, mine has been twice the size”, she boasted. “As I said, lucky bastard” Jen raised an eyebrow. “And when do I get to see your room?”, she asked in a cocky tone, the kind of bluntness that Ysilla found particularly endearing. “Depends”, she replied. “What are your plans for the evening?”
Allar sighed, slight frustration in his voice. “I'd say get a room, but I really don't want to contribute to the discussion”, he stated firmly, to which Ysilla chuckled. “Oh, don't feel left out, big guy”, she teased him, while Jen shot both a quick glare. “Actually, do feel left out”, the other woman hissed. “Feel very left out, Al”
Her brother placed his hands behind his head, giving both women a look. “You two make my head hurt”, he complained and Ysilla shot him a grin. “Yeah, I hear that one a lot”, she claimed. “Though I'm surprised you don't share Jen's excitement. First time in a castle?”
The other man nodded. “At least to stay. Though I'm not so easily thrilled. This is all beautiful, I mean, this very room is larger than the house I grew up in”, he told her. “But it's just a castle. The people in it, they are a different story entirely” Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “And what do you mean about that?”, she asked.
“Well, you're... more interesting than this castle”, he admitted and she chuckled. “So, I'm better than a pile of rock”, she chirped. “How undeniably charming you are, my tall friend” She sat down on Jen's bed, watching Allar resting on his and Jen excitedly walking up and down. “I must say, this has been quite the journey so far”
A smile flashed over Allar's face. “That it has”, he admitted. “It's been better than what Absidee told us, at least” This caused Ysilla to grin, an expression she shared with both siblings. “And what did our lovely spymistress claim about this?”, she asked.
“Oh, she wasn't nice”, Jen revealed. “Said we'd have to accompany a carefree brat and his childish sister through Dorne” Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “Childish?”, she said, placing a hand on the silken vest she was wearing. “I'd say I'm anything but a child. And Theodan is not carefree. Not entirely at least”
“He cares for you”, Allar remarked. “I can understand that. Respect it even. Your brother is a fine man” Ysilla nodded at his statement. “You are both fine men”, she complimented him. “Albeit comparing you to Theo would be a bit unfair. He is simply the best”
Jen giggled, as she sat down next to her. “You know, I wonder why he is still unmarried”, she stated and Ysilla took a sharp gasp, only half voluntary. “Excuse me?”, she asked and Jen shrugged. “Eh, what I mean is, isn't it unusual in his age and his position?”
“Not too unusual”, Ysilla was quick to say. “My brother has never been one to settle down though. There have always been plenty women in Theodan's life. The one time my father tried to force him.. well, you know the story” Jenelyne gave her a nod. “Yeah, I can put the pieces together”, she agreed. “Surely he has a type though, right?”
Ysilla rolled her eyes. “What is this going to be now?”, she asked. “You want me to show you around the castle, or do you just want to talk about Theodan?” Jen's smile widened. “When both isn't an option, how could I decline seeing more of the castle?”, she replied.
It was in this moment that someone knocked on the door. As Ysilla opened it, she spotted perhaps the only sight she didn't want to see in this moment. Her half-sister stood there, giving her an impatient look and Ysilla gulped. “Hello, Ashara”, she greeted her.
“Half-sister”, Ashara replied coldly. “I am sorry. I didn't want to interrupt your... mingling with your guards, but father has called for you. All three of you, in the Great Hall. It is time for dinner” She looked past her and at Jenelyne, standing a bit behind Ysilla, then towards Allar, who was slowly rising from his bed. “I am sorry”, she repeated. “I really hope I weren't interrupting anything”
In the past, Ysilla would have gotten angry at Ashara's passive-aggressive comment, but over the years in which Theodan hadn't been around, she had to find some sort of way to cope with it, to make her sister just be silent when she was feeling the need to remind her of her position again. Not a full Allyrion, not even her full sister.
“Oh, don't be sorry”, she replied. “You can always join us, isn't that right, Allar?” Allar was quick to catch onto what she was trying to do here and proving himself to be a true friend, he played along. “Absolutely”, he said, while Ashara narrowed her eyes. “I am not sure if we have been properly introduced, my name is Allar”
“Ashara”, Ashara replied. “But I remember your name. And this here is Jenelyne, you two are in service of Absidee of Lys and here to protect my brother and my half-sister on their journey back to Godsgrace” Ysilla raised an eyebrow, not certain how much Ashara would know. Apparently, their true purpose was still a mystery to her, because she was certain her sister wouldn't remain so calm in that case. Leaving right after returning... she knew that deep down, Ashara was hurt by this, hurt by how carelessly Theodan treated what he had, what she yearned to have.
“You've spoken to Theodan”, she stated and Ashara nodded grimly. “It is rather hard not to speak to Theodan today”, she said. “It's all about him again, is it not?” She sighed and Ysilla could see how much this was eating at her. She had no joy seeing Ashara like this and yet, she found it hard to pity her at the same time. “May I walk with you, sister mine?”, she asked and Ashara gave her a nod. “To the Great Hall, please”, she agreed.
The two started to walk, with Jen and Allar following in a respectful distance. “I... know you are not happy about Theodan returning”, Ysilla said, slightly hesitating. Ashara gave her a cold glare. “He is my brother”, she said. “Of course I am happy that he is back” She was silent after this and Ysilla interpreted this silence for her, suspecting that it meant that this happiness did not apply to her return.
“But?”, she asked and Ashara sighed. “But you have probably heard him. Or maybe he is different when he's talking to you, there must be a reason you follow his every command”, she said. “You should have heard what he just told me before he left for his room. A pretty big talk. He makes it sound as if he's travelling through all Dorne again pretty soon, doing a hero's work”
Ysilla raised an eyebrow. “Would that be so bad?”, she asked and Ashara narrowed her eyes. “Do you honestly not know this, or are you just trying to play dim? You have a proper brain, so use it!”, her sister hissed and the final part was almost a compliment, coming from her. “What do you think would be so bad about my older brother, the heir to Godsgrace, leaving to journey all across Dorne? Probably seeking a different girl in every city he passes through”
“He mentioned being a hero”, Ysilla argued and Ashara shook her head, her dark eyes almost glaring furiously, though she kept her proper demeanour. “House Allyrion doesn't need a hero”, she replied. “We need something much more important than that, we need an heir who doesn't actively undermine what our father and the lords before him have spend thousands of years to build up. Someone who knows his duties”
A part of Ysilla, the one that had actually listened when her father gave her one of his speeches, found herself almost agreeing with Ashara's logic, if it wouldn't be for the fact that it was Ashara speaking and about Theodan on top of that. “Don't you mean her duties?”, she asked.
“This is not what I said”, Ashara replied and Ysilla shrugged. “But you thought it, did you not?”, she stated coldly. “If Theodan leaves, would you be so unhappy? You were quite content with replacing him in the years he was gone” She did not add a particular memory of hers, the one that had burned itself into her mind for years. It was during the time shortly after Theodan's exile, when their father wasn't certain if he could ever return. She remembered Lady Belandra's tears. Ashara had cried as well, but the expression Ysilla would never forget was the brief smile, perhaps an involuntary one, that she had tried hard to contain on that day.
Ashara did her the courtesy of actually taking a moment of silence to reply. “Trust me that all I want is the good of House Allyrion”, she said. “And I want a responsible heir for our house. In the last years, I had to be this heir, but now Theodan is back and I will not stand in his way, if this is what you are afraid of”
Ysilla wasn't sure if she could believe her. Her sister had always been ambitious. If their roles would be reversed, if Theodan would be the secondborn and Ashara the heiress she desired to be, Ysilla had to wonder how their fates would have played out. Theodan would have remained with them for all these years. Or perhaps he would have still done something outrageous, but this time their father wouldn't have bothered with bringing him back.
“Good”, she simply stated. “And... I know you are trying. To help our house, I mean” Ashara raised an eyebrow. “Someone has to”, she said. “We are born with duties. Perhaps this is the one thing I envy about you” Though Ysilla was always a bit tensed up when talking to her only sister, this time she couldn't contain a grin. “I thought it was my charming wit and stunning good looks you're envious of, glad to finally learn the truth”
Ashara did not smile, though her annoyed sigh was a bit less convincing than usual. “Did you miss me?”, Ysilla asked in a teasing voice and now, Ashara instantly rolled her eyes. “I want to know your opinion about something”, she said and Ysilla looked up. “What is it?”, she asked in return.
“Theodan”, Ashara replied. “Of course. He is my brother, but you know him better. Seven, you probably know him better than any of us” She tilted her head, glancing at Ysilla from the side, as they entered the hallway that would lead right into the Great Hall of Godsgrace. “You have spent time with him over the last months and I... I suppose I want to know if he has changed”
Ysilla nodded without hesitating, not only because Theodan was her brother and she wanted to protect him from Ashara's anger, but because she honestly believed it. “He is no longer the same man”, she told her. “Sure, there is a bit of the old Theodan left. Don't think he's ever going to be as dutiful as you. But he has learned a lesson”
Ashara's sigh was one of relief. “This is good to hear”, she said. “Thank you, sister” Ysilla was not certain if Ashara had forgotten about the correct term, or if she genuinely, if only for a moment, was relieved enough to not care about the fact that they were half-sisters. “You're... welcome”, she replied calmly. Deep down, she knew she would regret this, once Theodan would confirm Ashara's fears. He had changed, this much was true, but he would also go and leave Godsgrace again, not on Princess Meria's orders, but with her agreement and in a way, this was worse, because it was clear, accompanying her was entirely his own free will. She barely dared to imagine how Lord Alester would react. How Ashara would react.
The Great Hall was already prepared for a dinner. From the nearby kitchen, Ysilla noticed a delightful smell, the temptation of roasted meat. Her father was sitting at the head of the table already, his chair more a throne than anything else, a remnant from the time in which the Lords of Godsgrace had kept their independence between Hellgate Hall and Yronwood. Alester was freshly groomed, his beard neatly trimmed and the hair combed. The seat to his right was free and with natural ease, Ashara walked up to it, taking place next to Belandra, who herself was looking even more radiant, with the joyful smile of a mother on her face and a seat surrounded by her children. Yandry meanwhile was trying to look as unassuming as possible, sitting next to her, almost at the bottom of the table and barely looking up as Ysilla entered.
The entire left side of the table and the bottom were free, three seats for Ysilla, Jenelyne and Allar and, as she realized, the one right at the bottom, directly opposed to Alester, reserved for Theodan, the place itself decorated with fineries worthy of the returning heir to Godsgrace. She was not certain, was it an insult or a gesture of honour? Did it mean her brother was seated at the literal bottom, or did Alester acknowledge him as an equal by placing him not by his side, but directly opposing? Knowing her father and knowing Ashara's influence on him, both were a possibility, or perhaps a mixture of both.
Theodan himself was still missing though. Alester briefly exchanged a whispered word with Ashara, before smiling at Ysilla and pointing at the seat to his left. Ysilla tensed up, a smile forming on her face, as she realized the honour he granted her with this. Not his firstborn son, not his wife would sit by his side, but his bastard daughter.
As if the moment couldn't get any more perfect, as she stood there, flanked by Jenelyne and Allar, the door behind her got opened again and she heard the familiar footsteps of her brother. “My, you all look amazing”, Theodan said, as he briefly put a hand onto her shoulder. “I've missed this”
It took him only a moment to see where he was supposed to sit and from afar, he and Alester exchanged a nod. “What did you and him talk about?”, Ysilla asked, glancing at Theodan, who shook his head. “Later”, he told her. “This gesture here fits our talk though. My actions are forgiven, not forgotten”
Ysilla smiled at him, sweetly so. “Perhaps the best you can hope for. His equal”, she tried to encourage him and Theodan grinned. “You know what would be great?”, he asked, before his expression turned more sly. “You sitting next to me. Couldn't imagine anyone I'd rather have by my side when we have this dinner... when we have the conversation that shall follow”
With this, he began to walk, keeping eye contact with his father all the while before finally sitting down, placing his elbows on the table, their smiles genuine, yet not without second thoughts. Ashara wasn't smiling at all, neither was Yandry, if for entirely different reasons. In a way, only Lady Belandra seemed truly happy in this moment.
Finally, Alester looked away from his firstborn son, apparently finished with whatever mental conversation it was between them. He turned right to Ysilla. “Well, my daughter”, he spoke and her heartbeat fastened with joy at hearing these words. “Would you and your friends like to sit down so that we can start?” Theodan said nothing, instead all he gave her was a friendly wink and Ysilla realized, in sudden horror, that she had a decision to make.
[Sit next to Alester] [Sit next to Theodan]
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] This will be the easiest way for Blackwell to join him, even if it is painful, maybe Jaron can win only with his fists.
[Sit next to Theodan] As close as she is with her father, it wouldn't be appropriate if she sat next to him, so Theodan is a better option, hopefully.
Is hard to tell if Ashara truly wants Theodan to be gone for good, but I think she's divided between succeeding in her ambition and trying to support her brother in becoming a better lord.
I could be completely wrong here, but didn't the choice "Follow after Alester and Theodan" win the voting last time around? Not that it makes a huge difference, but it got me really confused now xD
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] Fuck it, let's just do it. It's not going to be an easy fight for Jaron, but getting another seasoned warrior to help in their cause would be worth it. Arryn certainly is an interesting character, quite different from his brother. For now he strikes me as a sort of adrenaline junkie, who has made some shitty life choices, but I'm definitely interested to learn more about him
[Sit next to Theodan] I don't really know how Lord Alester would react to this, and if he even expects Ysilla to sit next to him. However, Theodan certainly will be disappointed if Ysilla doesn't sit next to him despite his request, and he's the one we are going to be spending a lot more time with. The dynamic between Theodan and Ashara is certainly interesting, and I'm not sure yet if I trust Ashara to not chase her ambition. Can't really even blame her though, Theodan certainly hasn't been the ideal heir so far.
It usually would be quite inapropriate, yes, and while Ysilla isn't treated all that differently from the trueborn Allyrion children, her place at the table is typically farther away. Keep in mind though, in this case Alester outright offered her the seat, either out of respect for her effort to bring Theodan back or to teach his son a further lesson by keeping her closer. Since Ashara, Belandra and Yandry are all sitting on one side of the table, this would mean the only alternatives to Ysilla would be Jen and Allar. Likely Jen though, no way she would miss the chance
You are on the right track there. Ashara's feelings about Theodan are very complex and in a way, she is torn. While he was gone, she was effectively the heiress to Godsgrace, she worked hard to be worthy of these duties and in a way, she developed a liking to it, showing talent and a sense of responsibility that Theodan is lacking. As such, it must be incredibly frustrating for her to see him treating his birthright so carelessly. At the same time, she loves him by virtue of being family, which makes this whole situation only harder for her. I think it would be easier for her if Theodan would be the responsible and hard-working future lord their father wants him to be, she could probably make her peace with the situation if she knows the family is in good hands in the future, but as it is, she considers herself notably more suited for the position as heiress to House Allyrion and she probably even has a point there. There is a lot of uncertainty in this but one thing is clear for her, things cannot continue as they used to be before Theodan got sent to Essos.
I... oh, come on what is even happening
I start to think it is a bad idea to write these parts in one sitting late at night XD Probably takes a toll on me, because this is the second time in a month this happens after three years without such accidents. In this case, you are right and I have literally no explanation, I am just as baffled as you are, if not more. At least you are correct with both statements here, it won't make much of a difference, unlike the Samuel/Temari mix-up. Ysilla would have still eventually ended up with Jen and Allar in their room and the part would have played out in that way. A mistake, but one that can easily be corrected in her next part. Nonetheless, this should not happen and I hope it does not lessen your excitement for the part itself, because I am actually quite happy with it, besides that mistake of course 
Haha, it's good that you consider Arryn to be an interesting character! He is indeed very different from Ayden, there is a reason they aren't really having much contact anymore these days. An adrenaline junkie sounds quite fitting, he legitimately loves the thrill of a fight, not even necessarily to the death, just for the joy of it. And shitty life choices? Oh, you bet he has done plenty of these, I doubt anyone can end up drunken in a shabby tavern in Lys in debt to the Rogare bank without making the occasional truly shitty choice
Ah, I am glad you like this dynamic! The Allyrion family in general has some nice dynamics between them and I consider the one between Theodan and Ashara to be perhaps the most complex. Your suspicion is understandable and it is something Ysilla shares. The thing with Ashara is, what I'd consider to be her primary character trait isn't even ambition, but duty. If she would undermine Theodan's position, it would happen out of what she perceives as her duty for House Allyrion, to prevent harm for the family as a whole by giving them an irresponsible lord. Her current position is ambition born out of duty, she was pretty much required to step up after Theodan's exile and somewhere along the line, she realized she is better than Theodan and she likes this feeling. If Theodan would end up proving that he is a well-suited heir to House Allyrion though, she likely would end up supporting him, for as ambitious as she is, she could probably make her peace in the knowledge that she did her duty and strengthened the position of her house through her actions. Convincing her, or failing to do that with all of its consequences, that will be one of the challenges Theodan inevitably has to face in the future.
[Fight Aryn Blackwell] Aryn seems pretty interesting and I like the way his mind seems to work. I think he'll be both an amusing and very interested character. It would've been nice if Ayden provided some kind of warning about the kind of man his brother is, though!
I suppose it's also possible that he's changed since they last saw each other. I imagine he hasn't always been in the dire situation he's in now.
[Sit next to Alester] Ysilla's reaction shows what a rare honor it is for her to sit next to her father and how much it means for her. I can't just let her reject it! I really don't want her to waste this opportunity. Theodan will be fine! And if his feelings are hurt, well... BOO HOO!
I actually quite like Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla. She really doesn't seem that bad to me and I think it'll be interesting to see how their relationship may develop.
Also I love Ysilla's flirting and teasing!
Hehe, glad you consider Arryn interesting. I was not sure how he'd be received, given that his view on the world can be a bit unusual at times, to say the least, but from the reactions so far, it seems I got him right in this part. When it comes to a warning from Ayden, well, he technically said this about his brother in the last chapter:
It isn't much of a warning, though he did bring up that Arryn can be a bit difficult at times. Just how difficult, well, it is indeed likely that Arryn has changed since they last met each other. He was never an easy guy to get along with, but their roads have developed into two completely different directions, with Ayden meeting Taria and slowly becoming a more grounded family man, while Arryn fought in the war against Volantis, a war in which Argilac Durrandon and Aegon Targaryen fought as allies. You can bet that the lust Argilac has for battle and the sheer destruction an unleashed Balerion can cause had an effect on many who fought in this war.
Aye, this is a very rare honour! While Ashara is properly recognized as his right hand here, Ysilla will still get to sit next to him if she chooses this and he picked her over his firstborn son and his own wife, despite her status as a bastard. While Ysilla isn't treated like, for example, Jon Snow in the Stark family, this is nonetheless a tremendous honour. Theodan likely doesn't even fully realize what sort of a choice he is putting her into here, acting without fully thinking things through isn't exactly something he's opposed to, to say the least
It remains to be seen if this would be enough to hurt his feelings though, he's not really thin-skinned either.
Ah, this is perhaps the one aspect of this part I was really excited for, but also a bit curious just how Ashara would appear. Probably anything from a young woman desperately wanting to prove her worth over her seemingly irresponsible older brother to a stuck-up alpha bitch who treats her own half-sister with nothing but cold contempt were the reactions I expected and I am pleased to see it mostly seems to lead to "not too bad and quite interesting" so far. Her relationship with Ysilla and Theodan will be a big part of the larger Allyrion storyline, albeit pretty soon, the inevitable revelation that both of them plan to leave Godsgrace is something she is not likely to react well to.
Haha, that is a big part of Ysilla's character, this casual flirting and teasing occasionally just for the sake of it. I find it refreshing to write a character who is really having so little problems with being that way, one of the reasons I ended up picking her as the PoV over several other candidates
[Walk away]
We don't need another loose cannon with Jaron and co., we already have Temari for that.
[Sit next to Alester]
We risk embarrassing our father if we choose to sit next to Theodan, besides as Ysilla herself said, this is an honor.
Happy holidays Liquid!
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] FIGHT!FIGHT!FIGHT!
[Sit next to Alester] If the owner of the house offer you the seat next to him it is very rude choose another place to sit (and Ysilla make it clear that this is something very honourable)
RT:
1) Why are you so cruel to remember me the team combination that I wanted for this chapter at the beginning of this Jaron part?
2) I must say that Arryn look like a much more interesting guy than his brother!
3) Arryn has a debt with a bank eh? I hope that it isn't a big one because if everything go as planned and Blackwell join the team that could be a problem
4) Ysilla and her sister had in this part a talk that show how much they love each other
5) I'm curious to read what Theodan and the Lord discuss about
[Fight Arryn Blackwell] How can I say no to a little bit of action? Besides, I really want to see how much Jaron has evolved since his last real fight.
Now, I gotta say that this part was simply amazing. I really liked that this part showed more of Ashara and her relationship with Ysilla, Ashara herself was a joy to read here and it's safe to say that this part made me like her even more
. Really, Ashara is just like I imagined her in every way possible and I just can't wait to see her interacting more with Theo and Ysilla, especially after she gets to know the things to come. On another note, I gotta admit that Jen's behavior ever since they arrived in Godsgrace just too adorable xD. I also like how she has no problems voicing her thoughts, hells, she even seems interested to know why Theodan hasn't found a wife yet and has no problems asking why (and going as far as to ask the type of girl he likes 
). I'm so looking forward to more scenes with Jen and Theodan, I feel like they could become pretty good friends. I just love this little group, they clicked right from the get-go.
[Sit next to Theodan] There is a reason why Alester kept the seat right next to him for Ysilla, and as much as it can be seen as a reward, I feel like the real motive behind it is something else. I think he wants to show Theodan who the "real" family is. As in, those who are dutiful to their house and those who behave "properly", he wants to show Theodan that he stands right at the bottom at this very moment and it's going to take him a lot to reclaim his position. I mean, it is highly unusual for a Lord not to have his wife seated next to him and if he just wanted to reward Ysilla, there would be other ways to do it. "Forgiven but not forgotten". Ysilla should be by her brother's side, just like he was for her when he found out about her journey (and much more before that). I know, I'm making a big deal out of this, but Theodan is in a horrible position right now and it's about to get worse. He asked Ysilla to sit beside him not only to spite his father and what he's trying to do, but to give him some moral support and seems like her support is something that he truly wants right there otherwise he wouldn't have bothered asking for it. I have this weird little feeling that Theodan is about to do something really stupid, more specifically put all the "blame" for their future journey on his back in order to shield Ysilla from "punishment". Besides, it's just like Wildling said, Ysilla is going to stay by Theodan's side for a long time in the months(?) to come, so it would be nice for them to stay close to each other (even in small things like this), always. And well, if the other choice ends up winning at least Theodan will probably have Jen sitting by his side, so it won't be all that bad for him xD Regardless of all that though, I'm super excited for the next Ysilla part. I really want to know what this "announcement" of Alester's is about, but at the same time I feel like Theodan won't be all too happy once he hears it and I can't help but feel very anxious xD.
On a completely different note though, I just wanted to tell you that I saw your PM and I'll hopefully be answering it by tomorrow. Sorry for taking so long with that though, its just that college is literally taking the life out of me lately
Thank you, thank you
Actually, there are good news, it is likely I will get a proper internet connection soon, so I might even be able to release another part on Sunday! Until then, I do hope you all have a great couple of days as well!
Muahahaha, oh cruelty, thine nameth isseth Liquideth! In all seriousnes though, I couldn't resist
It is probably karmic that in the same part where I make such a joke, I end up making another mistake, this time with Ysilla's choice, serves me right.
He is definitely an interesting guy. Not sure if I'd call him more interesting than Ayden, I kinda like that guy and him being one of the most normal and well adjusted characters in the story, with legit plans for a future with his wife and child and enough common sense to get out of the dangerous storyline before shit really starts to hit the fan. Arryn though, he is quite unusual and that I appreciate very much about him.
Oh trust me, this is a problem, no matter how big the debt. The Rogare bank at this particular time is rivalling the Iron Bank of Braavos in terms of influence. Led by the Rogare family, they are a family clan of very high influence in the Free Cities, always with aspirations to expand on their power. We will learn a lot more about them in the future
They love each other so much, they cannot be left alone in the same room for five minutes without verbally clawing each others eyes out. There are some notably dysfunctional family relationships in this story and the Allyrion family as a whole actually does get along, but Ysilla and Ashara, they are really not compatible in terms of personality. We have the dutiful, hard-working and ambitious Ashara, who is naturally extremely triggered by Ysilla being ever so careless and easy-going, seemingly treating things not differently from Theodan. The fact that she, as a bastard, doesn't even have responsibilities only further strains their relationship, because it can be argued that deep down, Ashara might even be a bit envious of Ysilla being capable of having such freedom, whereas she herself can't even have the one thing she is truly good at.
This is something that would have partially been revealed if I would have remembered to write about the properly chosen choice, even if the true core of the discussion would have always been between the two only. Some topics will be revealed in Ysilla's next part though, probably even more than that to make up for my mistake.
Yes, I wanted to put some spotlight onto Ashara in this part, because I think her relationship with both, Theodan and Ysilla, is the most complex dynamic in the entire Allyrion family, beating even Theodan's strained relationship with Alester (which is going to receive more focus in the next part). Plus, I actually really got to like her while writing this part
There is depth to her as a character and I cannot wait to flesh her out a bit more. Of course, Theodan and Ysilla are fairly soon going to leave for their mission, but I can also reveal, Ashara and the Allyrion family will all play a role in the other Dorne storyline that will start soon, to further flesh them out until I get the chance to show the family all together again.
Aye, adorable she can be
She has a lot of Ysilla, if Ysilla would have been raised in the gutter instead of a fancy castle and she is pretty much the reason these four get along so well. Instantly getting along with Ysilla means she also manages to get close to Theodan and she is dragging Allar with her, pretty much forcing him to interact with the Allyrion siblings, making him realize they aren't so bad. Jen is the heart of the group as a result, the dynamic wouldn't be there if not for her.
You bring up a good possibility here. As much as this can be a honour for Ysilla, it can also be meant as a way to remind Theodan of how he has definitely lost some trust and prestige in the family. Maybe it is a mixture of both. Ashara sitting by his right is what I believe to be the standard, but you are right, it is unusual that Belandra isn't sitting to his left, albeit she might have chosen to deliberately sit between her children on this day. As such, with Yandry definitely not being an option to sit so close to Alester, it can be argued that Theodan is supposed to be taught another lesson. Him doing something stupid is a very justified concern though. As I said above, doing rash things without fully thinking it through, that is not out of character for him, as you definitely know best
In that case, he needs support and in the whole family, none is better suited for this than Ysilla. And well, you can count on Jen sitting either by Theodan's side, or by Alester's. She really likes Theodan and if Ysilla takes that seat, there is no way she would ever miss out on the chance to sit by Alester's side, probably annoy the hell out of him by getting overly excited and then brag about it for the rest of her life XD Mostly also because Allar couldn't care to get involved, so no matter what, he will take the neutral seat in the middle.
Trust me, I am tremendously excited as well! Of course, other parts have to happen first, but with my pace picking up again, I kinda hope it won't be too long until we get to see this family again. Might even be April, I definitely aim for this. As for Alester's announcement, I can promise, Theodan won't be thrilled. However, Alester will be even less thrilled about Theodan's announcement, so the next part might have a chance to get actually explosive.
Ah, no problem! With me having so many super long messages to answer to and at a time where I have been hellishly busy with university and then a couple other things, it is safe to say that I more than understand how this is. Take your time, I'm always happy to read to a PM and reply to it, but I know I need some time for the latter as well.
[Walk away] Can’t hurt that angel.
[Sit next to Alester] Family before friends. Friends before food. Fish are friends not food.
I like this guy already.
[Walk away]
[Sit next to Alester]
That Angel wants you to hurt him.
Keep in mind, both are her family here, it's either sitting next to her father or her brother. I do agree though, fish are friends, not food. Unless we're talking about salmon. Friendships end when something is that damn delicious.
I had a feeling you might
Glad to see I was not mistaken with this. Expect more of Arryn along the way!
[Fight Arryn Blackwell]
[Sit next to Alester]
April Fools part?
Here is a clipping of what could be:
Leonard slurped his 28 gallon orange soda as the ghost of Lucas futilely poured into his "mouth", only to have it fall to the ground. "A shame," Lucas stated, "I really miss orange soda."
"It's definitely the best brand," said Dimitri the Wise as he ate mud, "I like to mix it with the blood of trees. Real good my friends."
In an annoying voice, answering a question no one asked, Jenna Harking blurted out aloud "No, I don't want to buy the Mullendore key chain!" The entire millennial hipster bar, the Dame of Drone, raised their heads in disgust as Jenna ran to the bathroom to cry, or puke, or something, whatever.
And now Marak sang, with a little help from easy-going Eaton, "Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV, oh how I wish Liquid did not kill me, bring me back, no questions asked! Wo'o to thee who is a point-OV......"
This... is beautiful! You deliver where I fail to and it is breathtaking. I actually hoped to get something done for today, but unfortunately, while I do have a proper internet connection this time, it remains unreliable, leaving me still stuck on my phone and the mobile internet for the most part. However, I hope to release a proper part tomorrow. On the topic of April Fools... not counting the fact that I am horrible at humour, I had an idea, involving a PoV from the character you want to see as a PoV the most. Of course I am talking about the infamous Ser Jar-Jar of Binks. Well, maybe next year I won't be on a vacation around this time, giving me a chance to actually fulfil my plans for once. Until then though, I am content with knowing that things such as this magnificent work of art exist
I see the Jenna bias in there! Leave Jenna alone!
Well, I mean, she did not buy a Mullendore key chain, so that is actually kinda a decent thing, I guess. Takes a lot of self restraint, that is respectable. I for one would legitimately sell my firstborn child to get my hands on such a key chain.
The Voting is closed!
Jaron is going to fight Arryn Blackwell
Ysilla is going to sit next to Alester
Ah, the first choice was to be expected. Jaron shall fight Arryn and this won't be an easy task. Obviously, he is one who always had a reason to fight, be it for survival or to protect the ones he cares for. For Arryn however, the fight itself is reason enough and that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Ysilla's choice will mean that Alester won't get the questionable joy of spending the evening seated next to Jenelyne, who would have been kinda star-struck for the whole dinner. Now, Theodan shall have the honours. Ysilla's decision can be seen as a way to slightly balance the fallout that is in the making. What she and Theodan are planning to do is undoubtely going to be a bit of a shock for Alester and Ashara. Further provoking her father by declining his invitation to sit next to him could have potentially been the final drop. In any way, I really look forward for Ysilla's next part.
Now, I hope you all had a happy Easter celebration so far! As I said last time, I am currently at my grandfather's place for a whole week and I will return on Wednesday. It will be rather late, as I will take a brief detour through the Netherlands to help my father out with something. As such, the part after the one to be released today will likely be out on Thursday. My internet connection here is kinda shaky, but it seems more stable than usual today, so I hope I can release the next part today. It will have PoV's for Alys and Kersea. Last time we saw Alys, she spend the evening with the pirates of Merman's Rest, during what counts as a fancy dinner celebration. After a brief talk with Edward, she became a bit upset at him, for being, well, Edward, so she decided to head back inside and to stay there even if she was a bit worried the other pirates could find out whom she really is. Meanwhile, Kersea was busy travelling through the Reach, with her forced companion Leonard. It's this kind of dynamic where they really don't get along, but neither are they fully hating each other, which is just enough to make them stick together for the greater good. They came upon an old friend of ours, the Hammered Harp Inn, now abandoned after Ayden and the remaining tavern staff had to leave to Raylansfair due to the threat of Bear's bandits in the area. Intending to loot the building for supplies, Leonard heard voices inside and he decided to check them out. After a moment of consideration, Kersea decided to follow him through the front. And well, the part should be out some time later today.
So happy about the Ysilla choice. I knew it'd be one of those votes where I'd either be relieved or really annoyed. I'm sure you remember at least a few of the votes I was really unhappy with. Like Jaron allowing fake Butterfly's murder and Kersea not backing up Alysannne when Clayton decided to force her into a burning building. Though when it comes to this choice I was thinking in a more emotional way rather than a beneficial and pragmatic way. I saw sitting next to her father as a really beautiful and precious moment for Ysilla and that'd it'd be a huge shame for her to miss it.
Hehe, I am glad you are happy with this outcome. I was curious what people would choose, because at the core this is not supposed to be easy, given it is essentially a choice between her father and her brother. As such, I am very neutral here. One thing I would have liked to write if the other choice would have won is a scene in which a way too excited Jen is just babbling at Alester, who is borderline pissed off but kinda forced to uphold a polite conversation with his guests. They really cannot be more different from each other and that makes it comedy gold in my mind XD But well, one writing advantage it will give me to have Ysilla next to Alester means a more pronounced role for him in the next part. It has been established, Ysilla's stay in Godsgrace cannot be for long, she is on a mission after all. As such, I gladly take the opportunity to squeeze the most out of the Allyrion's before Ysilla's storyline moves away from Godsgrace, because while they will play a role in the other Dorne storyline that will come up later in Book 2, it is obviously something else to have Ysilla interact with them. Ysilla/Theodan interactions meanwhile will be numerous, I doubt I'll have a problem with developing more about these two and their relationship.
Alys
To Alys’ surprise, she did not regret staying with the pirates. They weren’t exactly what she’d call endearing, but as the evening went by, she began to at least learn how to deal with them. Melvan Tiren was affable, in his own way, his laugh made it easy to forget what sort of a man he was, how many he had killed. Sargasso Saan enjoyed flattery and the moment Alys complimented his robe, he was all smiles to her. And Jadith... Alys quickly realized that she should not, under any circumstance, spend too much time around Jadith Linster. The woman was crabby, short-tempered and apparently filled with a particular hatred for anyone besides herself.
The other pirates were perfectly cordial though, almost to a worrying degree. Warmond Manderly even ended up offering her a cup of wine, though Alys declined. She had never been fond of drinking, but in this situation, she absolutely wanted to keep a clear head, absolutely had to.
“Mylady Alys!”, Sargasso exclaimed. “Why don’t you tell us more about your life before you met Edward?” It was a question asked with ulterior motives. Alys would by no means call herself an expert on these things, but she had acquired at least some skills in spotting such questions. Edward was asking them all the time, so it was no surprise that Sargasso did.
As such, she gave him a sweet smile, hoping it’d be innocent. “Ah, he actually saved my life when we first met”, she revealed and the pirate raised an eyebrow. Melvan chuckled. “Edward saving someone?”, he stated. “Must have been on accident. I mean, you’re alright, lassie, nothing like the kind he usually keeps with him”
Alisa came to mind, then Carvin... followed by Bear and Morgrem and the rest of these people, so Alys pressed her lips together, having to silently agree with the pirate. “I don’t know”, she admitted. “He is kind to me” Sargasso smirked, though the look in his eyes was stern. “That’s what he is always doing”, he told her. “Appearing all nice and affable, while trying to use you. You are not falling for his lies, do you?”
She shook her head. “I think I know him well enough”, she admitted. “But he is my best bet at the moment, so I think I’ll stick with him” Sargasso raised an eyebrow. “Such pragmatism”, he complimented her. “Where did you learn that?” He leant forwards. “You did not answer my question about your past”
Alys gulped, not entirely able to hide her nervousness. Had he caught up to something? “Why don’t you tell me something about you first, Captain Saan?”, she asked in return and this caused Melvan Tiren to laugh loudly. “I do like this girl!”, he exclaimed. “Might be the only good thing Anturion ever did, dragging her with him all the way”
“Out of the kindness of his heart”, Sargasso added calmly. “See, I can’t help but wonder why he would take such effort to save a random bastard girl from the North” The look in his eyes, while inquisitive, was not unkind. “If you truly don’t know why he keeps you around, maybe it would be time to stop and rethink your loyalty to him”
Of course, Sargasso didn’t know the whole truth, but Alys couldn’t deny his words were alarming. She had served a purpose for Edward’s plans, she had bled for him. That was in the past and all he was doing now... was it truly out of simple kindness? Or was her role in his scheme not over yet?
“Captain Saan”, a calm voice sounded from the open door to the left. Sargasso straightened his back, while the rest of the captains raised their mugs in silent honour of the man who entered. Aeron Blacksails was wearing a new robe, black silk with strands of silver in it and though it was still humble when compared to the flashy clothes Sargasso and Warmond were wearing, he looked more like a Lord of Valyria than a scoundrel king. “Do not press the girl, please. She is our guest”, he added, as he sat down on his seat at the head of the table.
Sargasso sighed, though he nodded at his king. “Of course, your grace”, he said and Aeron smiled thinly, as he mustered Alys carefully. “I don’t have to know more about you, mylady. A northern bastard, surely there are a thousand good reasons why you would leave your home”
Alys gave him a nod, followed by a slight smile. “It hasn’t been easy”, she said and Aeron leant back in his throne. “Of course not. We are all bastards here, in a way”, he agreed. “Then again, you at least had a family, I suppose. I grew up on my own, on the streets of Lys. Warmond here is even the last of his line”
This gained Alys’ curiosity. “No he is not”, she disagreed. “There’s Manderly’s up in White Harbour. My... lord has been friends with theirs” Sargasso chuckled at her words, while Warmond frowned. “Your ignorance is your saving grace”, he growled. “These are no true Manderly’s and certainly no kin of mine”
“What are they then?”, Alys asked boldly and the pirate sighed. “Fools who have lost their way”, he explained begrudgingly. “My line can be traced back to the Age of Heroes. In the lifetimes that followed, we built an empire, ranging from coast to coast. Wherever men set sail, they knew our name and sung praises to our might. For a time, we rivalled House Gardener in power” He shook his head. “Of course, they could never accept this and so they cast us down, forced us to be content with that pathetic harbour in the frozen wasteland up north”, he added, venom in his words. “Few remained in the south, few remembered the old ways, the customs of our house, as our glory dwindled. The world forgot about us and nowadays, when they think about the name Manderly, all they remember is Stark’s loyal dog”
Alys raised an eyebrow at this and Melvan shrugged. “He’s serious”, he assured her. “Though don’t ask me if he’s right with this. Could be, or maybe he just got one blow to the head too many” He shrugged. “Nowadays, Warmond is just a scoundrel and a liar, like the rest of us” He and the Manderly pirate exchanged a nod, though Warmond let out a small sigh. “I only know what my father told me and his father before him”, he admitted. “Though I fear it matters not, for when I’m gone, none will know about the old ways anymore”
Jadith’s frown grew stronger. “I also fear”, she admitted. “I fear that you legitimately never shut up” She rolled her eyes. “Fucking arse pirate” Aeron raised an eyebrow. “Jadith, we do have a guest here”, he reminded her, before he smiled at Alys. “I have come to believe, in this place, that our past rarely matters. It shouldn’t be what defines us” He raised a finger. “The present though, we should keep an eye on. And Sargasso brought up something of great importance. After all, have you ever stopped to wonder why Edward Anturion is still helping you out?”
As she tensed up, Aeron chuckled. “Think over that during the dinner”, he said, as he raised a small silver bell in front of him. It rang, a bright, clear sound and instantly, the large door behind him got opened. Servants entered the room, all well-dressed and well-fed, carrying large trays and Alys noticed how hungry she truly was as the delicious smell reached her nose.
“It is mostly fish”, Aeron explained. “Anything fresh is hard to get around her, safe for the spoils of the sea” He smiled as the first tray got put down in front of him. “You should try the codfish though, it is most excellent” Other servants brought trays with buttered corn, roasted bread and more fish, salmon and halibut and others Alys had never seen before. Even Jadith’s dour frown faded slightly, as a tray with tiny squids got put down in front of her.
Finally, the door to the right got opened and from the balcony came Edward Anturion, just as Aeron started to place the fish on his plate. “Ah, Captain Anturion, just in time”, the king remarked dryly as Edward smiled his charming, hollow smile, taking seat next to Alys, who was still tensed up a bit uncomfortably in his presence. In their presence, perhaps.
“I couldn’t miss the occasion”, Edward replied and Aeron chuckled. “You are right”, he admitted. “For we have more to discuss” He looked up, his smile fading and the look in his eyes becoming cold in an instant. “I received word from the brothels today. Surely you have heard it”
Edward gulped. “What Bear did...”, he began, as Alys raised an eyebrow. Aeron cut him off by slamming a fist onto the table. “Is unacceptable in my city”, he growled, his knife cutting into the codfish before him, removing a piece of soft, white flesh, which he put into his mouth. “I doubt the girl will attract many customers anymore. She is a slave, so repaying the madam is not the issue. In fact, the coin your man had with him will suffice”
“Then... apologies, but isn’t the matter settled then?”, Edward asked and Aeron narrowed his eyes. “Two of the whores are in a bit of a shock. Won’t bring in any customers for the next day, but at least they’ll recover”, he said. “But they are afraid, they fear it will happen again. This place is built on the trust people like them have towards me, that I can keep them safe, from the common fishermen that delivered this wonderful meal to the girls working with the one your beast so savagely mauled”
“As I said, I am deeply sorry, but Bear, he cannot be...”, Edward began, but Aeron cut him off again, this time not with an expression of rage, as it had died down to a calm, cold fury, but with a mere look. “Do not tell me you have no control over the man”, he hissed. “If he truly cannot be controlled, I will have him flogged, chained and then brought to the brothel he harmed. I shall deliver sharpened knives and I will leave the girls to do with him however the hell it pleases them” Though his voice got louder as he spoke, it gained no fury, it simply became more commanding. “When they are done, I will nail what is left of him onto the rocks, for the carrion eaters to finish and for every passing ship to see” He leant forwards, the knife once more picking up a piece of fish. “But this is not what you meant to say, isn’t it?”
Edward hesitated for a moment. “Bear... can be controlled”, he admitted. “I can control him. I will make sure that it will not happen again” Aeron nodded. “I absolutely hope so, Captain. Coin might be enough to restore trust this time, but should something like this ever happen again, I’m afraid I have to settle for blood”
“This won’t be necessary”, Edward assured him and once more, Aeron simply nodded. “Forgive me, Captain Anturion”, he said, his voice growing softer again. “Lately, you and your men have done an awful lot to displease me. Forgive me when I don’t just believe your word”
Alys noticed how Edward got slightly pale, the air of confidence around him wavering. On the other side of the table, Jadith grinned as she pushed one of the squids into her mouth, heavily biting down on it. “What... will be necessary to regain your trust?”, Edward asked.
“Now...”, Aeron spoke. “That is an excellent question. Have you not already asked for my help once more?” He looked around, as Sargasso Saan gave him a nod. “You have not delivered on the coin you promised, yet you brought something else to my city, something much more important” He leant forward. “You came here with an army. This savage and his cutthroats and the Second Sons. I heard your man has been recruiting”
“On my order, yes”, Edward confirmed. “Morgrem wants to bring the unit back into fighting shape and...” He paused as Aeron impatiently put a finger onto the table. “You have an army”, he repeated. “It makes you one of the most powerful captains in this city. And this makes you a valuable asset, for unlike the crews sailing for Melvan or Sargaso, I don’t care how many of yours will die” He looked at Jadith and the woman clenched her fists, gulping to swallow the squid in her mouth. “I can do this on my own”, she growled.
Aeron smiled thinly. “You might”, he admitted. “But what we are after is too valuable to risk it. I want to have certainty” He looked away from the visibly displeased Jadith and towards Edward. “We have received word from Cale Bridger”, he explained. “His contacts at court informed him about a large shipment of goods leaving Dorne for the Free Cities”
Edward’s eyes widened slightly “The Martell treasure”, he gasped and briefly, Aeron outright grinned. “At least a part of it. They are guarded, of course, but only lightly, for they value speed and secrecy to cross my sea”, he confirmed. “Two heavy warships, each outfitted with a hundred men, according to Bridger it will be more than enough to take the smaller Martell ships”
Instantly, Edward placed a hand on his heart. “If you want me for this, then it will be my pleasure to serve”, he spoke and he sounded almost convincing. “If it is necessary to regain your support, consider me your man” Briefly though, a look of concern flashed over his face, as he glanced at Alys. “Though, I must ask, what of the girl?”
“What of her?”, Alys asked sharply. “I think I can watch after myself while you’re gone. Besides, I have Carvin to look after me” Melvan chuckled at this, while Sargasso and Aeron exchanged a look. “You heard the girl”, the king spoke. “Mylady, you can remain my honoured guest while Captain Anturion is away. Of course, should you wish to accompany him while he and Jadith raid the Martell fleet, feel encouraged”
Jadith frowned, as she spat onto her table, a tiny, half-chewed piece of squid following. “A girl aboard a ship is a bad omen”, she muttered. “The little bitch sails with Anturion, but not with me!” Instead of cowering down, Alys narrowed her eyes, glaring at the ugly pirate. “The... little bitch only sails when she wants to”, she hissed in return. She looked up and at Edward, then at Sargasso and finally, the most indifferent of them all, Aeron Blacksails, as she took a deep breath, knowing she had to make a decision.
[Go with Edward and Jadith] [Stay in Merman’s Rest]
Kersea
“Right behind you”, she mumbled and for once, a pleased expression formed on Leonard’s face. “Just stick with me”, he spoke, before he began moving. As he approached the building, Kersea was close behind, watching his back. Her hand was hovering on the long dagger on her belt, just like how Leonard was keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. And nervously, she looked at the surrounding forest.
As they came closer, the voice that was speaking became more clear. It was a man’s voice and he was telling something in a voice that slightly confused Kersea. It wasn’t the muffled talk of outlaws, but the boisterous talk of a man who did not fear discovery. In these parts of the road, it did not make her less nervous about the whole situation. And the pronunciation was off. While they were too far away to understand actual words, it wasn’t how people spoke to each other. It was how someone would speak at another person, as in how a storyteller would perform.
Leonard seemed to realize the same thing and his hand actually moved away from his sword. Kersea did not share his relaxed stance though, remaining tensed up and on guard, as the knight loudly knocked at the door. The voice stopped and a moment of silence passed, before another man spoke up. “Hello?”, he asked. “If you are a friend, you are free to step in”
Kersea raised an eyebrow, as Leonard glanced at her over his shoulder. Then, he shrugged and pushed the door open. “We are harmless travellers”, he announced himself. “My name is Len, this is Kathy” Once more, he glanced Kersea, who was slightly tilting her head.
“Your wife?” one of the men asked and Leonard was almost as quick to shake his head as Kersea. “My sister”, he clarified and the man chuckled. He was a tall man, plain and pale, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. “Man, you must have the worst luck”, he spoke, before he gave them a friendly smile. “But greetings. Leave your weapons where they are and you are among friends here”
There were four men in this building, which was clearly an abandoned taproom. Dusty and dark, the furniture was partially smashed, the building clearly having been looted before. She was not certain how much they’d find, especially if they had to share it with these four men.
The one that had spoken was armed, as was the man sitting on the opposite side of the small table. He was a younger and a bit on the heavy side, with a thick beard and brown hair. Several scars on his face gave him a dangerous appearance and he wasn’t saying a word. Between them sat a man in his thirties, similarly a bit overweight, but shorter than both of the armed men. His robe was a bit dusty, but clearly flashy and well decorated, his black hair oily and his moustache twirled. Finally, next to the counter, stood a young boy, with short hair and a brownish complexion.
“Greetings, Len and Kathy”, the man who had spoken first continued. “I am Drake” He glanced at the table next to his, where a shield made of heavy metal was located. “Ironshield they call me. This is my companion Elias” He glanced at the overweight and scarred man, who had a hand on the axe on the table. “Hey”, he greeted them briefly.
“And may I introduce myself?”, the other man said, as Drake and Elias both glanced at him. “Magnus Silverstone, Master of Magic” If the hint of an eastern accent was anything to go by, the name was as fake as the title. Kersea had seen men like him before though. Illusionists at best, showmen, almost always common charlatans.
Magnus glanced at the boy, who raised an eyebrow. “Really now?”, he hissed and Magnus raised an eyebrow. With surprising, yet visible frustration, he sighed. “Fine... the name is Bennett, I am Magnus’ assistant”
By now, Leonard had fully entered the room and Kersea followed, slowly removing a hand from her dagger, yet always ready to strike again. Bennett was nervous, she could clearly see it. Of course, maybe it was for the same reason she felt nervousness. Who knew whom they could trust in these days?
“A... master of magic, his assistant and two... sellswords?”, Leonard asked and Drake nodded. His smile was wide and charming, as he stood up, to pull two additional chairs closer, beckoning them to sit down. “Aye, me and Elias, we were hoping to find work in Oldtown. Stumbled upon these two on the road and we decided to make the journey together”
“Yeah”, Magnus was quick to confirm. “Bennett and I, we’ve been in Raylansfair for the fair. Our next stop will be Oldtown, so I’m glad Drake and Elias agreed to protect us. Can be one hell of a dangerous road” Leonard smirked, as he sat down between Magnus and Drake, leaving the chair between the two sellswords for Kersea. “You can say that again”, he agreed. He and Kersea exchanged a quick look and she actually had to wonder what he was about. Surely he did not mean to trust these people, but Kersea had no idea what he intended to do.
“So, where do you plan to go?”, Drake asked, as Kersea remained standing, her arms crossed. Leonard shrugged. “We have been thinking about travelling to Raylansfair. Heard they have a new lord taking over, perhaps he can use my skill with a blade” Elias notably suppressed a chuckle at these words. Drake raised an eyebrow, so his smile did not grow smaller. What had all but vanished though was Magnus’ wide, cheerful showman grin. She knew men like him and she knew, they rarely stopped grinning when around potential customers.
“The new lord of Raylansfair is a bit of a dick”, Elias brought up and Drake smiled apologetically. “Ah, you have to ignore Elias”, he said. “He had a bad day. I don’t know this new Lord of Raylansfair, but I heard he’s kind of a big shot here in the Reach” He placed a hand on his chest. “Me and Elias, we are Northerners. New to the kingdom”
“Why did you leave the North?”, Leonard asked and Drake chuckled. “Perhaps some things are better left unspoken”, he said. “It was a tremendous injustice, this much I can tell you” Elias shrugged. “Poaching”, he was quick to utter. Kersea remained tensed up though. Her gaze fell upon the boy, who was still standing in the corner, behind him the door that likely led to the kitchen. Part of her was glad she followed Leonard’s advice. Bennett would have likely noticed her and in that case, a fight would have been inevitable.
As she slowly began to walk around the taproom, unwilling to sit down between the two sellswords, she glanced at the table and from her new angle, she noticed something. There was blood, a very thin line of blood running down Elias’ leg. “You’re bleeding”, she remarked and she saw a brief, alarmed hint flashing over Leonard’s face.
Elias however merely shrugged again. “Don’t bother with things that don’t concern you”, he said. “I got it under control” Drake leant forwards, smiling at Kersea again. “My friend cut himself while chopping wood this morning”, he explained. “Say, Kathy, don’t you want to sit down?”
Quickly, she shook her head. “I prefer standing”, she said, though she noticed that the sellsword was glancing at her belt. “I... would prefer if you could sit down”, he admitted. “You’re armed, you both are and it’s making me nervous, having an armed stranger walking around the table. No offence, but I don’t know you guys”
“None taken”, Leonard assured them. “But I can promise you, we are mere travellers” Drake smiled, while Elias chuckled dryly. Magnus’ smile returned, if briefly, though his laugh was a bit fake and it ended with him coughing to clear his throat. “I would like to believe you”, Drake admitted. “But the roads are dangerous these days. A week ago, we ran into a deserter, half-crazed from hunger, trying to kill us in our sleep”
“He had damn fine boots”, Elias spoke. “They give you damn fine boots in the Reach army. Up north, we have to buy our own and we don’t even get cloaks when the snow is freezing your balls off” He shrugged again. “I’m telling you, you Southerners got it handed on a silver platter”
“Elias, please”, Drake urged him sternly. “Don’t be rude to our new friends” He smiled at Leonard, then at Kersea, who was now leaning against a table, halfway between Bennett and the sellswords. “And I hope we can be friends”, he assured them. “Where do you two come from?”
“Blackhaven”, Leonard lied through his teeth. “I learned how to fight in Durrandon’s army, but I’m not really cut for war” He smiled at Kersea and it was a strange smile of fake affection. “Kathy always ran after me when I was home. Always wanting to learn”, he explained and she frowned at his words. “I taught her all I know with the blade. I’m still the better one of course”
“Hardly”, she hissed. “I had my own teachers. In fact, I think it was me who taught Len” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t listen to him” Drake chuckled. “Siblings, eh? I got three sisters at home, I know how that is”, he explained. Elias however was not smiling. “She’s right though”, he spoke. “You shouldn’t listen to him, because he is lying”
Kersea tensed up at his words, while Leonard merely narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”, he asked, but instead of answering him, Elias glanced over his shoulder and at Kersea. “You’re a Northerner, are you not?”, he asked. “Aye, a fine northern filly. They don’t breed them that fair down here”
To her best ability, Kersea looked confused. Thankfully, acting was one of the lessons the Old Man had taught her. Silently thanking Terroma for his kindness, she shook her head. “You must be mistaken”, she stated. “I’m not from the North. Never been there, but a boy once told me I have the look”
“Yeah, the look”, Elias agreed. “You don’t look alike, you know, you and Len” He looked at Drake and the other sellsword sighed. “Alright, can we just take a deep breath real quick?”, he asked. “Maybe you were lying to us this entire time, but I don’t want this to turn ugly” As he said this, Elias’ mouth twitched, though he remained silent.
“We weren’t lying”, Leonard claimed and Drake shrugged. “It doesn’t matter”, he said. “You want to continue to Raylansfair, then that is what you should do. Me and Elias, we bring our new friends here to Oldtown and once we leave this building we don’t have to see each other ever again. No need for hostilities”
It was a reasonable request, but something wasn’t right about the situation. Kersea remained on guard, especially with how Elias was looking at her. Perhaps she was just a bit too much on the edge, but she definitely wouldn’t risk it. Wouldn’t risk her life, or Leonard’s. “Perhaps we should leave then”, she said.
Leonard sighed. “Perhaps we should”, he agreed. “We were hoping to loot some supplies though. You don’t happen to have any to spare?” Drake smiled in a friendly way, as he shook his head, absolutely apologetic. “I’m afraid not”, he spoke. “What little we found here, we used already. The rest is our own, we paid good coin for it and we won’t share”
“Sure”, Leonard said, slightly disheartened. “In that case, we’ll leave you again” He sighed, but Kersea knew he was genuine with this. It was a bit of a surprise, the fact that he was not having second thoughts with his offer. Perhaps spending so much time around Clayton had poisoned her thoughts after all, because she had half expected him to pull out a weapon by now, to fight them over their supplies. It’s what Clayton would have done, after all.
Elias put his other hand onto the axe on his table and Drake looked at him. The portly sellsword raised an eyebrow and Drake was quick to place a hand on Leonard’s shoulder. “Wait”, he spoke. “Are you truly out of supplies?” Leonard nodded at this and Drake sighed. “It’s several days until you reach Raylansfair. Could get hard, I mean, how’s the Stark saying? The winter comes”
“Winter is coming”, Elias corrected him and Drake’s smile widened. “Winter is coming”, the man repeated. “You two, you have your own reasons to be here, I guess you weren’t fully honest with us, but we’re Northerners. Where we come from, you don’t send a traveller away without making sure he can make it to the next hamlet”
Elias glanced at Bennett, who had a frown on his face. “You boy”, he growled. “Bring booze, the good one” He grinned and it was an ugly grin, revealing several missing teeth. “That’ll keep us warm”, he promised and Leonard smiled, a thin, uncertain smile, which was in no way as confident as Drake’s or the wide, clearly fake showman smile of Magnus Silverstone. “And then I’d like to invite you to share a meal with us. We can’t give you anything for the way, but with a full belly, you can make it from here to Raylansfair”, Drake told them.
“Thank you”, Leonard said and again, Kersea was surprised by his honesty. There was something about it that was almost impressive. He was a knight after all. However, she didn’t focus on Leonard and the other men on the table. Instead, she was glancing at Bennett, who briefly opened the door to the kitchen, to enter the room. He closed it quickly, but she spotted a pair of legs, belonging to a limp body lying there.
And there it was again, the concern. Kersea put a hand onto her dagger, sending out a muffled curse that caused the men on the table to tense up. “There’s a corpse in your back room”, she hissed, noticing the alarmed look in Leonard’s eyes. For a moment, it seemed he was ready to jump up, but he controlled this urge quite well.
“Was already there”, Elias growled. “Don’t know whom he is. Maybe the innkeeper” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Found him there, figured we should leave him for now, but we wanted to give him a proper burial in the morning”, he explained and spat onto the ground. “Poor fucker was still alive a day ago”
Leonard gulped, as he gave Kersea a warning look. The door behind her got opened again and as she glanced over her shoulder, she spotted Bennett coming into the taproom again. Briefly, she could take a glance at the body once more, before the door got closed by the boy. He was carrying a bottle by now, containing a dark liquid and as he passed her, she could smell a sweet, dizzying scent, the flavour of herbs accompanying it.
“This is a good one!”, Drake claimed, as Bennett put a small wooden mug in front of him, then one in front of Elias and one in front of Leonard, with Magnus not receiving any. The illusionist smiled a satisfied smile at this though, as Bennett turned around to approach Kersea, handing her one as well, though as he had turned away from the table, he quickly gave her a wink, the briefest of expressions.
She took the mug he handed her, before he turned around again and to Elias. “Give me a good amount of it”, the man growled, though he grabbed him by the forearm before he could actually pour anything into the mug. “You got my own stuff as well?” Only after Bennett gave him a nod did Elias allow him to pour something into the mug. “My stuff is pretty sweet. Make it myself. Strong as fuck, knocked a bear out once”, he muttered. “But it’s mine and I don’t share for just anyone”
Leonard had still narrowed his eyes, as Bennett moved to pour Drake some of the booze. As the boy turned to the knight, he was quick to put a hand onto his mug. “Nah, not for me”, he said. “I don’t drink when I’m hungry. Always makes me dizzy”
Drake raised an eyebrow, though he said nothing. Elias however sighed, as he took a sip from his mug. “You think it’s poisoned?”, he asked and flashed him a crooked grin, taking another sip. “We drink, because it makes you our guests”, Drake was quick to explain. “Guest right means a lot where we come from. See, I’m a bit on the fence. I want to help you out a bit, if only with a single meal, but I’d like to share it with a guest, not someone whom I have to be worried about”
“As I said, I have to pass”, Leonard spoke. “I’d like to be your guest, but more than that, I’d like to keep a clear head around you folks. Sure you understand” Bennett gulped, as he walked around the table and towards Kersea again. He raised an eyebrow as he raised the bottle. “You want one, m’lady?”, he asked.
[Accept the drink] [Decline the drink]
[Stay in Merman’s Rest]
[Decline the drink]
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] As much as I want to see a freaking heist, Alys will be bad luck, and my man Captain Anturion doesn't need that.
[Accept the drink] Drink, drink, drink, Kersea. It's totally okay. Nothing bad will happen.....
Man this guy is salty. Interesting history.
I don't trust this Drake Draco, Elias, Magnus Silverstone, and Bennett crowd. While I'm sure they have not been lying much, I don't trust them. Leonard doesn't trust them. Leonard is always right. That dead person is suspicious.
Yes, sister, not wife. Good. Leonard does not have bad luck, except that he has to team up with KERSEA!
[Go with Edward and Jadith] While I know this is a bad idea, the other pirates aren't that much trustworthy, on the other hand, a heist against House Martell can be just as dangerous, but at least Anturion has kept her safe for now. And this means there's a rat on Sunspear, since only the royal family and their advisors are supposed to know of these move.
I Didn't expected Aeron to take his role as protector of his subjects so seriously, even if it's out of pragmatism.
[Decline the drink] Better don't risk themselves, there's a dead man and lies can be seen.
Long time since we saw Silverstone and Bennet.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest]
[Accept the drink]
One of them has to drink, or else it'll be too suspicious. And since Leonard is not drinking, it'd have to be Kersea. I'm interested to see how all this will unfold though, hopefully with some blood being spilled.
[Stay in Merman’s Rest] Ah man, I'm really tempted to choose the other option, just for the sake of seeing this heist
However, when I think this rationally from Alys' perspective, I think staying in Merman's Rest is the way to go. Firstly, the heist will surely be dangerous, and it's not like Alys can really contribute much to it. And secondly, staying in Merman's Rest could be a way for Alys to take some distance to Edward and perhaps find some new allies/friends, so she won't be as dependent on him anymore.
[Accept the drink] I'm really unsure what to think of these people. Idk if you've seen Tarantino's Hateful Eight, but this part reminded me of that movie
Anyway, if they are serious about the guest right then it would be good for Kersea to drink. And if things go bad, well, at least Leonard has a clear head.
[Stay in Merman's Rest]
[Accept the drink]
Aye, he actually has good reason to be salty. Basically, House Manderly used to be a lot more powerful, actually rivalling House Gardener in power during the Andal Invasion. They eventually lost their influence and their former glory became all but forgotten. Nowadays, Warmond is the last of his line and well, he is really bitter about this.
Hehe, I don't know why anyone would not trust them. That being said, Leonard is indeed on the fence here. Of course, we know he has trust issues. He himself knows it at this point, so he is putting some effort into trying and bettering himself on that accord, but there is something suspicious about this gathering and he cannot help himself. I suppose it will be seen in time if he is actually right here.
Aye, Leonard always has the best of luck. That being said, I actually realized I cannot even be all that snarky about this, Leonard might have been through some severe shit, but he himself has actually been lucky at getting out of them again. Compare him to Lucas or Torvin, or when we take only living characters into account, compare him to Sadie or Rosalie or even Garthon and Leonard fares a lot better than them. It isn't just luck, but it remains to be seen how long it'll hold.
It is actually more severe than just a rat at court feeding information to the pirates. The one who told Aeron about this has been Cage Bridger, who has been mentioned before as the leader of the Sandstorm. This means there isn't someone at Sunspear informing Aeron about treasure to plunder, but someone who leaks information to the Sandstorm and that has implications that go way beyond what Aeron is trying to achieve here.
You said it yourself, it is pragmatism, taking to its logical extreme. Aeron's entire power is not based on any law or hereditary authority. His subjects aren't used to follow law or authority, means they actively have to be reminded what benefits they have from his rule at all times. He is truly only as strong as the people who follow him and this means he constantly has to be seen as the best guy for the position. His subjets pay tribute and in return, he has to take action when someone wrongs them.
Ah, you remember them! Indeed, it has been a long time, longer than I thought. There were a couple choices in the earlier story, from Ilish's PoV, which made it harder on me to show them and a couple other people at the fair (who will instead be seen in the next chapter). However, I always had plans to bring them back in Book 2, which is what I finally managed to do now
Blood? Always an option. We are at a situation were nobody can fully trust the other, even Leonard and Kersea have some issues, albeit those cannot be expected to end in bloodshed between the two anytime soon. The rest though? Always an option
By the way, not sure if you have seen it, I have sent you a PM with a small question a couple days ago. It is about some of your characters, nothing too major, but depending on your answer, I'd start building this up very soon.
Ah, I expected this option to be tempting at least
Staying in Merman's Rest would continue Alys' route of distancing herself a bit from Edward, but I can tease, this attack on the dornish ships would be an action-packed highlight in this chapter. Naval battles are planned in general, but most of them will take me several additional chapters to reach, even if Alys in this situation definitely wouldn't do much but be below deck. If she stays in Merman's Rest... well, don't expect friends, but allies are always an option.
Haha, as someone who takes great delight in the genius that is Tarantino, I can assure you I have seen that movie
Fun fact, I've seen it again pretty recently and it was definitely on my mind while writing this part. I was actually rewatching a couple scenes on Youtube while I took some small breaks from writing. I guess these are the Hateful Six right now. That being said, just because this has been on my mind (mostly due to this part involving a tense scene between several characters in the same location who don't trust each other and all keep secrets from each other) doesn't mean it'll actually end with a massive bloodbath. You do remember how drinking stuff ended in the movie, eh?
[Stay in Merman's Rest] Any choice that avoids Edward and his schemes is a good choice. Obviously I don't trust the pirates anymore than Edward but like Alys said, Carvin will be there for her. Though I'm wondering... what about Alisa, I may have missed it but is she staying or going?
[Decline the drink] Though nobody is being overly aggressive and it's possible they mean no harm, but the vibe is still a little tense and I think it best to get out of there as soon as possible.
Alys' part really got me thinking about what could happen when and if Edrick's group catches up with her. How would it go down? I genuinely don't know if she'd take her chances with Edward who's obviously using her, or if she'd choose the people who want to bring her back to the life she ran away from. If she did choose Edward I doubt Edrick and co would be in a position to force her. Edrick, Dante, Darreth and whoever else could take on Edward and his allies on thier own. Though I think what could make that encounter really interesting is Alisa. Obviously being a Karstark it'd be really interesting to see how she'd handle Dante suddenly showing up, and how would Dante react to seeing her? I think it's likely that the two never expected to see each other ever again. It's interesting to think about.
Leonard's a bit of a hypocrite, huh? The liar who hates liars.
It is likely she will be among those going with Edward. There was this choice early on in the first chapter, where Edward made Alys choose between Alisa or Carvin to be specifically her guard during the stay at Merman's Rest, with the other one being the one to keep an eye on him. Back then, Carvin won the vote, but it did not matter so far, as Alys and Edward both were mostly in the same location. If she splits from him now by staying in Merman's Rest, Carvin will stay with her, but Alisa will mostly have little choice but to go with Edward, albeit being his bodyguard, it can be argued that she will remain in the backlines with him while grunts such as Bear take the heavy part of the fighting.
Ah, these are interesting thoughts you have there. I mean, Alys is not happy with her current position as Edward's guest, as she has the strong suspicion that she is little more than a glorified prisoner, still having to do something for him, something she won't like. That's her fear at least. In return, she had reason to run away from home and her dream is still to reach Dorne or the Free Cities (ironically, she is right betwen these two places, geographically), so even if Team Edrick catches up to her, it is not clear if she'd prefer them over Edward. Since Edward also has notably more men at his disposal than Edrick (with really only him, Dante and Darreth actually committed to save her at this moment), any attempt to get her out of there would have to be done in secret and such an attempt in secret can only work if Alys plays along. Alisa though, she is a bit of a wildcard in all this. She is the only one beyond Alys with connections to both sides. In fact, she is the one most likely to grasp the full picture even. She knows Alys has been supposed to marry Dante, so his arrival wouldn't even fully surprise her. Her presence with the Second Sons though, that is something Dante cannot expect. Their respective reactions would certainly be interesting, especially as Alisa is implied to have some fondness left for Dante. Dante's feelings about Alisa are not yet explored in that much detail, but I can promise that we will learn exactly how he thinks about her at some point in the future.
Hehe, it is indeed something that costs him a lot of mental convincing to even attempt. He doesn't like this situation, but by now, he has given up a bit on his staunch refusal to lie to others. He still doesn't like being lied to and he justifies it by knowing that he at least always has a very good reason for lying, whereas others might not have it. In this particular case, it is a problem for him though, as it makes him quite a bad liar as well, with Elias definitely not buying much of what he says.