1. Who has been your favorite Pov so far/whose storyline seems the most interesting to you?
I won't be different from others and say - it's too early in the story to decide. Every story had its flaws and advantages, but what's meaningful to me - all of POVs was somewhat relevant to generality of your fanfiction. If I must choose one - of course I am biased to choice Nealia, but it won't be my pick. For now, I'll choose Missy - Kingsgrave's part of story feels so uncommon and unique in comparison to other POVs. That fraught atmosphere, madness of the King and unusual bond between Missy and Albin - that makes her POV most interesting in my opinion, well, maybe because I find her parts of the story the most similar to Martin's writing.
2. And the opposite - who has so far been your least favorite/least interesting PoV?
Same thing as with first question, but I won't answer this one. I found every POV enjoyable and interesting, so there weren't any my least favourite.
Voting is closed!
A bit less voting activity this time, but it's a clear one so no reason to wait any longer. Jamison will promise to del… moreiver the terms that Lord Allar gave him. Now, this choice was promising to do something, not yet doing it, but you have good points on why you chose this - and I did expect you to choose this option, but thought that there should still be a voting about it since that's the spirit of interactive stories And obviously this was mostly just a set up part, introducing us a bit more to the political situation around Lucifer Dryland - and introducing a chunk of characters from the Dayne vassals (there are potential future PoVs among those characters).
Anyway, with this part all of our PoVs so far (ofc there will be more) have had their first two parts. So, time for mini gallup: 1. Who has been your favorite Pov so far/whose storyline seems the most interesting to you? 2. And the opposite - who has so far bee… [view original content]
Like Liquid, I was only choosing between Naemon and Jamison - Malcolm couldn't be a choice here. Ultimately I chose Blackmont - this is medieval ages, there's no marriages of love or sh*t, in the noble houses every move is to grant yourself an ally, and marriage should grant it perfectly (maybe Freys and Tullys/Starks won't approve, but it still true).
Isabella
Princess Isabella Fowler sat on a comfortable chair at the balcony of her chamber at Skyreach. She took a tiny sip of her juice … moreas she listened to her handmaiden and best friend Cassana Blackpool talk about how she had heard that King Benedict Blackmont could turn into a giant vulture that stole babies in the night. Silly story, the Princess thought but kept listening with a smile on her face. Isabella had just had her seventeenth nameday two weeks ago, and Cassana would have her fifteenth nameday in couple weeks. Cassana was happy and outgoing girl with long black hair, big green eyes, round cheeks and full lips. Isabella herself was known for her beauty, her blonde hair and delicate facial features. Together they often talked about who is the best knight in Dorne, stories they had heard, what lands would they like to see and everything else. Well, mostly it was Cassana who talked, but Isabella loved to listen to her. For four ye… [view original content]
This story is really good so far.
I'll decide to... [Suggest Jamison]
It couldn't hurt anything to just suggest him. Also, Wildlingking did you receive the pm I sent you. I'm new here and I haven't seen anything to suggest you have seen it or not.
This story is really good so far.
I'll decide to... [Suggest Jamison]
It couldn't hurt anything to just suggest him. Also, Wildlingking … moredid you receive the pm I sent you. I'm new here and I haven't seen anything to suggest you have seen it or not.
Who has been you're favorite POV? Who's story is more interesting to you?
For the first part, I'd have to go with the one and only Nymeria. And before I get into why, can I go on a tangent real quick?
I forgot what Oberyns wife's name was, but this depiction of Nymeria makes me seriously wish that Arya went to Dorne instead of Bravos. The way Nymeria holds herself in court not only reminds me of Oberyns wife, it gives me an idea of what Arya would be like in court. I mean she is learning some very Sand Snake-ish like assassin skills already, (and here's my opinion) but even the way she pretends to be no one, almost identical to how the Sand Snakes were (to a lesser degree of course because they didn't flesh Dorne out much).
But Nymeria is definitely my favorite so far. Although she will obviously win these game of thrones, she is showing the same thing that Dany shows, with less blind rage. It's like she's Arya!
But my favorite story would have to be Gwendis. I mean the whole thing going on with Benedict, and this daughter trying to take over her fathers dying dynasty, it's almost like a mirror of Cersei and the Lannisters in some far dimension. I'm much more interested in her story then most of the other povs.
Least Favorite Pov, storyline?
I'd have to say Isabella just because she just came out. I have a feeling her story will take a twist, but for now she's not as interesting as the others.
Voting is closed!
A bit less voting activity this time, but it's a clear one so no reason to wait any longer. Jamison will promise to del… moreiver the terms that Lord Allar gave him. Now, this choice was promising to do something, not yet doing it, but you have good points on why you chose this - and I did expect you to choose this option, but thought that there should still be a voting about it since that's the spirit of interactive stories And obviously this was mostly just a set up part, introducing us a bit more to the political situation around Lucifer Dryland - and introducing a chunk of characters from the Dayne vassals (there are potential future PoVs among those characters).
Anyway, with this part all of our PoVs so far (ofc there will be more) have had their first two parts. So, time for mini gallup: 1. Who has been your favorite Pov so far/whose storyline seems the most interesting to you? 2. And the opposite - who has so far bee… [view original content]
Well, I'd be happy with three more votes for Naemon ;D He is clearly the better choice from a political standpoint, as he's the heir of Blackmont. Also, House Blackmont needs the allies more, as they, like House Fowler, are already at war with House Manwoody. The Dayne's are not yet involved in this war and its not clear if they would even be willing to go that far as long as House Manwoody is not a threat to them, but the Blackmonts could definitely need some help, as seen with the smallfolk in Myke's latest part. Manwoody needs to be stopped and a strong alliance between the two houses located the closest to him is the best way of doing so.
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
I mean the story is building and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I mean think what would happen to the fowlers if they're King gave up Skyreach to the Daynes. Think about all the backlash, from so many sides. It'd be even crazier than when Robb married (forgot her name) in the show.
I just wonder what would happen if we also didn't play it safe. I mean who says that the most logical thing (from our unknown standpoint) will actually work out in the end. I mean Jamison may not even get Skyreach, but having a story where people do what they desire is usually interesting.
Well, I'd be happy with three more votes for Naemon ;D He is clearly the better choice from a political standpoint, as he's the heir of Blac… morekmont. Also, House Blackmont needs the allies more, as they, like House Fowler, are already at war with House Manwoody. The Dayne's are not yet involved in this war and its not clear if they would even be willing to go that far as long as House Manwoody is not a threat to them, but the Blackmonts could definitely need some help, as seen with the smallfolk in Myke's latest part. Manwoody needs to be stopped and a strong alliance between the two houses located the closest to him is the best way of doing so.
everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes)
Indeed, the situation seems pretty straightforward - Albin is mad and going to war against both the Fowlers and the Blackmonts. However, if you read all Gwendis, Missy, Isabella and Myke parts there are hints towards a twist that changes the premise of this war quite drastically - at least on a moral level. Well, I better not say anything more
That's fair.
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
I mean the story is bu… moreilding and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I mean think what would happen to the fowlers if they're King gave up Skyreach to the Daynes. Think about all the backlash, from so many sides. It'd be even crazier than when Robb married (forgot her name) in the show.
I just wonder what would happen if we also didn't play it safe. I mean who says that the most logical thing (from our unknown standpoint) will actually work out in the end. I mean Jamison may not even get Skyreach, but having a story where people do what they desire is usually interesting.
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
Well, they are definitely going to make things harder for the Martells in their coming conflict against the Drylands. But because of that, I'm not even sure if they can give that much help to the Fowlers. I don't think they are powerful enough to be fully involved in two wars at once and since Vorian Dayne is not a warmonger, I don't think he would be too happy about sending troops against the Manwoody's as well. If Jamison would lead the house, then they would probably try to be involved wherever they can, but Vorian has been mentioned to be happy with his kingdom the way it is.
I mean the story is building and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I guess things will go down soon enough. Once the Martells get involved in the conflict between House Manwoody and the other houses in the mountains, the whole setting is definitely going to be shaken up quite heavily. I doubt the Yronwoods will remain passive either and add them to the mix and things are probably going to end up really chaotic.
I mean think what would happen to the fowlers if they're King gave up Skyreach to the Daynes. Think about all the backlash, from so many sides. It'd be even crazier than when Robb married (forgot her name) in the show.
Sure, that would be crazy and quite interesting, I fully agree. But why would Garrison do that? He just mentioned to Isabella that he wants to bring back the times when House Fowler was among the strongest kingdoms in Dorne. If he would give away his kingdom to Jamison, a secondborn son on top, he would effectively destroy his house and ruin his legacy, so I am pretty sure that this won't happen. Also, Isabella has three older brothers, who all have a higher right to inherit the kingdom, which means I am not even sure if he can just give everything away like this.
I just wonder what would happen if we also didn't play it safe. I mean who says that the most logical thing (from our unknown standpoint) will actually work out in the end. I mean Jamison may not even get Skyreach, but having a story where people do what they desire is usually interesting.
That's true, though most people who follow their desires in these stories end up ruining everything. I want to screw neither the Fowler's nor the Blackmont's chances in this war. In fact, I'm obviously very much on the Blackmont's side here (Not Benedict of course, but Gwendis and Naemon are certainly decent people) and I think they definitely need an ally in the war. Gwendis already missed an opportunity to contact House Dayne (which I already regret), so they can't afford to miss this opportunity as well, not if they want to have a chance to win the war.
That's fair.
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
I mean the story is bu… moreilding and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I mean think what would happen to the fowlers if they're King gave up Skyreach to the Daynes. Think about all the backlash, from so many sides. It'd be even crazier than when Robb married (forgot her name) in the show.
I just wonder what would happen if we also didn't play it safe. I mean who says that the most logical thing (from our unknown standpoint) will actually work out in the end. I mean Jamison may not even get Skyreach, but having a story where people do what they desire is usually interesting.
Oh, now I have to reread these parts super carefully I hope it's not going to involve Benedict and his rumoured magic, because I'm still afraid that this would end up unhealthy for Gwendis or Naemon, which is obviously the last thing I want Though there is one other thing I noticed when I just reread Myke's latest part. The knights of House Manwoody are already attacking House Blackmont, but Garrison mentioned that Albin plans to attack him first. I wonder if that hints at something more, or if that is simply a mistake from Garrison. At the same time, I realized that Albin executed a Blackmont spy in Missy's part, though Garrison mentioned that one of his spies was executed... Hmmm, my first impulse would be that someone is trying to play these houses against each other and that the whole war is a set-up, perhaps by the Yronwoods, but perhaps I'm intepreting too much into it.
everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes)
Indeed, the situation seems pretty straightforward - Albin is mad and going … moreto war against both the Fowlers and the Blackmonts. However, if you read all Gwendis, Missy, Isabella and Myke parts there are hints towards a twist that changes the premise of this war quite drastically - at least on a moral level. Well, I better not say anything more
everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes)
Indeed, the situation seems pretty straightforward - Albin is mad and going … moreto war against both the Fowlers and the Blackmonts. However, if you read all Gwendis, Missy, Isabella and Myke parts there are hints towards a twist that changes the premise of this war quite drastically - at least on a moral level. Well, I better not say anything more
I guess I just want to stir it up a bit. And I have no control, so who's to say that @WildingKing didn't intend to have Garrison turn down Isabella if she asked about Jamison and have her end up with Naemon anyway?
I think I'd even be fine with that. It's just the idea of standing up to these so called traditions instead of keeping a character continuously doing their duty. I mean we've played it safe long enough. It's time to let Isabella have a voice.
And hey, who's to say that Vorian would even agree? Maybe this is more just about having a field of dialogue where they understand where each other stands, and they can either ally or ignore each other. This is Dorne after all, we can give them the benefit of the doubt about not being too harsh
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
Well, they are definitely going t… moreo make things harder for the Martells in their coming conflict against the Drylands. But because of that, I'm not even sure if they can give that much help to the Fowlers. I don't think they are powerful enough to be fully involved in two wars at once and since Vorian Dayne is not a warmonger, I don't think he would be too happy about sending troops against the Manwoody's as well. If Jamison would lead the house, then they would probably try to be involved wherever they can, but Vorian has been mentioned to be happy with his kingdom the way it is.
I mean the story is building and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I guess things will go down soon enough. Once the Martells get involved in the conf… [view original content]
Oh, now I have to reread these parts super carefully I hope it's not going to involve Benedict and his rumoured magic, because I'm still af… moreraid that this would end up unhealthy for Gwendis or Naemon, which is obviously the last thing I want Though there is one other thing I noticed when I just reread Myke's latest part. The knights of House Manwoody are already attacking House Blackmont, but Garrison mentioned that Albin plans to attack him first. I wonder if that hints at something more, or if that is simply a mistake from Garrison. At the same time, I realized that Albin executed a Blackmont spy in Missy's part, though Garrison mentioned that one of his spies was executed... Hmmm, my first impulse would be that someone is trying to play these houses against each other and that the whole war is a set-up, perhaps by the Yronwoods, but perhaps I'm intepreting too much into it.
Isabella
Princess Isabella Fowler sat on a comfortable chair at the balcony of her chamber at Skyreach. She took a tiny sip of her juice … moreas she listened to her handmaiden and best friend Cassana Blackpool talk about how she had heard that King Benedict Blackmont could turn into a giant vulture that stole babies in the night. Silly story, the Princess thought but kept listening with a smile on her face. Isabella had just had her seventeenth nameday two weeks ago, and Cassana would have her fifteenth nameday in couple weeks. Cassana was happy and outgoing girl with long black hair, big green eyes, round cheeks and full lips. Isabella herself was known for her beauty, her blonde hair and delicate facial features. Together they often talked about who is the best knight in Dorne, stories they had heard, what lands would they like to see and everything else. Well, mostly it was Cassana who talked, but Isabella loved to listen to her. For four ye… [view original content]
Sure, it could end up with Garrison turning Isabella down and refusing her to marry Jamison and as a smart man he absolutely should do it, but I just don't want to risk it. The Daynes don't necessarily need the alliance at this point, but if the Blackmonts loose this chance to ally with the Fowlers, they may very well end up screwed in the coming war. Manwoody is either strong or just confident enough to launch an invasion to their lands and the Blackmonts need this alliance far more than the Daynes. Under other circumstances, having a character do what they want might be nice, but this time there's more at stake. I see this as a terrible time to stop playing it safe, because there is far more at stake than Isabella's happiness. And who's to say that she will be happy with Jamison? From his own PoV, we know that he is different than she thinks.
I guess I just want to stir it up a bit. And I have no control, so who's to say that @WildingKing didn't intend to have Garrison turn down I… moresabella if she asked about Jamison and have her end up with Naemon anyway?
I think I'd even be fine with that. It's just the idea of standing up to these so called traditions instead of keeping a character continuously doing their duty. I mean we've played it safe long enough. It's time to let Isabella have a voice.
And hey, who's to say that Vorian would even agree? Maybe this is more just about having a field of dialogue where they understand where each other stands, and they can either ally or ignore each other. This is Dorne after all, we can give them the benefit of the doubt about not being too harsh
Hm, then I found something in Myke's part, in Isabella's part and in Missy's part, but I haven't found anything for Gwendis now, though at least in the opinion of her and the council of Blackmont, it is the general consensus that Albin is not strong enough to launch a full-scale invasion to their lands. I also noticed that Benedict sent his master-at-arms to the villages, so theoretically there should be Blackmont knights patrolling the streets. Now I wonder if Kegan might be on the Manwoody's side and responsible for the slaughter of the village, but that might still be a bit of a stretch. Man, now I am nervous about this war. My reread and the current choice have caused me to analyze the situation more than I probably should have.
About Ser Kegan - he and his men haven't yet had enough time to reach as far as Hunter's Well (which is at the very north edge of Blackmont's kingdom). But we'll see more of Blackmont's smallfolk in the next parts of Ser Myke.
And of course there are more than just one "twist" in the storylines around this war It's just that there is this one that is present in all of these characters' (that are involved with this war) parts.
Hm, then I found something in Myke's part, in Isabella's part and in Missy's part, but I haven't found anything for Gwendis now, though at l… moreeast in the opinion of her and the council of Blackmont, it is the general consensus that Albin is not strong enough to launch a full-scale invasion to their lands. I also noticed that Benedict sent his master-at-arms to the villages, so theoretically there should be Blackmont knights patrolling the streets. Now I wonder if Kegan might be on the Manwoody's side and responsible for the slaughter of the village, but that might still be a bit of a stretch. Man, now I am nervous about this war. My reread and the current choice have caused me to analyze the situation more than I probably should have.
Alright, another arc kicked off. This was a pretty even voting and it was nice to see votes for every option, but the winning option is that Isabella will choose Naemon. A very rational choice, and I think her father will like that. We'll see later what exactly does everyone at Blackmont think about this, whenever the proposal arrives there.
The next part will be another Nealia PoV. Not ready yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be ready either tomorrow or Tuesday. A small recap: On the last part Nealia, who had earlier joined Tryden Flowers' sellsword company (the Rose Company), arrived with her new friends to Tidmarsh - a small town right next to Hellgate Hall. The gates were closed and they were welcomed by commander of the city guard, Ulwyck Tiddle, the second son of Bedwyck Tiddle the Lord and mayor of Tidmarsh. Tryden joked around that Bedwyck tricked the lordship of the town from the King. Ulwyck was not amused, but eventually he let Tryden and his company in, after Tryden told him why they were there. The company made their way to a tavern called the Jolly Fisher. There Nealia sat down with Tryden, Broden and Illor. A young spy girl named Milah visited their table, sharing news from Hellgate Hall, mentioning that King Lucifer is growing nervous and has sent scouts and ambassadors to east. Nealia was surprised to see Tryden use spies, but he explained that if you want to "play the game" you need to have all kind of contacts, from Kings to spies. At the end of the part Tryden asked Nealia if she wants to join him and Illor on their visit to Hellgate Hall next day, or if she'd rather spend the day with Broden and the rest of the Rose Company that stays at the town. Nealia considered that it might be good to get to know other members of the company, but ultimately she decided that it's more important to be there to see what kind of deal exactly is Tryden making with Drylands.
We'll see later what exactly does everyone at Blackmont think about this, whenever the proposal arrives there.
I'm pretty sure Naemon won't be too thrilled about the idea. While it could have easily gotten worse for him, I don't think he's a friend of marriage in general. Though, like Isabella, he simply has to accept it for the good of his house. Gwendis likely won't be too thrilled either, given her own views on arranged marriage. For some biased reason, I would have considered her opinion slightly more, but ultimately, if she would have been the one to make such a choice, I would have probably chosen the rational option for her as well. The only one where I'm not sure how he'd react is Benedict. Now I have, for the first time, thought about him not being in favour of such an alliance. I mean, I see no reason why he should decline, but he's Benedict after all, perhaps the biggest wildcard in the entire story. He's a damn enigma and I have no idea if he would be in favour or against such an alliance, though I certainly hope that he's going to accept. By the way, now that the voting is closed, I wonder if you could reveal wether or not Garrison would have agreed to Isabella's suggestion to choose Jamison instead.
Voting is closed!
Alright, another arc kicked off. This was a pretty even voting and it was nice to see votes for every option, but the w… moreinning option is that Isabella will choose Naemon. A very rational choice, and I think her father will like that. We'll see later what exactly does everyone at Blackmont think about this, whenever the proposal arrives there.
The next part will be another Nealia PoV. Not ready yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be ready either tomorrow or Tuesday. A small recap: On the last part Nealia, who had earlier joined Tryden Flowers' sellsword company (the Rose Company), arrived with her new friends to Tidmarsh - a small town right next to Hellgate Hall. The gates were closed and they were welcomed by commander of the city guard, Ulwyck Tiddle, the second son of Bedwyck Tiddle the Lord and mayor of Tidmarsh. Tryden joked around that Bedwyck tricked the lordship of the town from the King. Ulwyck was not amused, but e… [view original content]
By the way, now that the voting is closed, I wonder if you could reveal wether or not Garrison would have agreed to Isabella's suggestion to choose Jamison instead.
He would have been slightly disappointed at Isabella and told her to think it through. Later they would have had another conversation where Garrison would have very thoroughly explained why either Naemon or Malcolm would be better choice in the big picture, but also sympathized with Isabella's feelings. And then there would have been another chance to make the choice, and if again you would have chose Jamison, then Garrison would have accepted it, even if it isn't the ideal option. That goes only to indicate how much of a soft spot he has for his daughter.
How Vorian would have reacted to such proposal is yet another can of worms.
We'll see later what exactly does everyone at Blackmont think about this, whenever the proposal arrives there.
I'm pretty sure Naemo… moren won't be too thrilled about the idea. While it could have easily gotten worse for him, I don't think he's a friend of marriage in general. Though, like Isabella, he simply has to accept it for the good of his house. Gwendis likely won't be too thrilled either, given her own views on arranged marriage. For some biased reason, I would have considered her opinion slightly more, but ultimately, if she would have been the one to make such a choice, I would have probably chosen the rational option for her as well. The only one where I'm not sure how he'd react is Benedict. Now I have, for the first time, thought about him not being in favour of such an alliance. I mean, I see no reason why he should decline, but he's Benedict after all, perhaps the biggest wildcard in the entire story. He's a damn enigma and … [view original content]
He would have been slightly disappointed at Isabella and told her to think it through. Later they would have had another conversation where Garrison would have very thoroughly explained why either Naemon or Malcolm would be better choice in the big picture, but also sympathized with Isabella's feelings. And then there would have been another chance to make the choice, and if again you would have chose Jamison, then Garrison would have accepted it, even if it isn't the ideal option. That goes only to indicate how much of a soft spot he has for his daughter.
I see. This is surprising for me, but I am glad that the Naemon option won, because this option might give both houses an advantage in the coming war, an advantage they can certainly need. Though, I have forgotten to mention one thing while voting: I must say, Garrison is so far my favourite king in the story. He reminds me a bit of the book version of Doran Martell in that they are both physically handicapped, but still totally badass in their own right and not without a soft spot for the ones they love. I hope to see more of him in the future, because I've been thoroughly enjoying what we've seen of him so far.
How Vorian would have reacted to such proposal is yet another can of worms.
True. Unlike Benedict, I have the feeling I got a good idea of what kind of man Vorian is in the part we saw of him, but then again, he only appeared in one part so far, so I doubt we have seen every facet of his character. While I feel he has little reason to be thrilled about such a proposal, I might be wrong.
By the way, now that the voting is closed, I wonder if you could reveal wether or not Garrison would have agreed to Isabella's suggestion to… more choose Jamison instead.
He would have been slightly disappointed at Isabella and told her to think it through. Later they would have had another conversation where Garrison would have very thoroughly explained why either Naemon or Malcolm would be better choice in the big picture, but also sympathized with Isabella's feelings. And then there would have been another chance to make the choice, and if again you would have chose Jamison, then Garrison would have accepted it, even if it isn't the ideal option. That goes only to indicate how much of a soft spot he has for his daughter.
How Vorian would have reacted to such proposal is yet another can of worms.
And even the part Vorian appeared in was a bit diluted. Like we know he doesn't want to fight this war, but we can tell that he also understands that it is inevitable and that he understands how this usually works for the houses who don't initiate the war.
I'm happy with this choice, and thank you @WildingKing because if we had the other option, it sounds like it would've played out just the way it literally would. The father says, are you sure. Isabella can try harder, but during war times we know it's not all about getting with who you want (Ahem Robb Stark, show version)
I also forget that Naemon is on the hunt right now, and that he himself is not much into the political side. I wonder how this marriage will effect both Naemon and Isabella's ambitions...
That's if we even get to see a wedding. I mean if I know the GoT war environment, marriages usually never go the way ppl plan them to go.
He would have been slightly disappointed at Isabella and told her to think it through. Later they would have had another conversation where … moreGarrison would have very thoroughly explained why either Naemon or Malcolm would be better choice in the big picture, but also sympathized with Isabella's feelings. And then there would have been another chance to make the choice, and if again you would have chose Jamison, then Garrison would have accepted it, even if it isn't the ideal option. That goes only to indicate how much of a soft spot he has for his daughter.
I see. This is surprising for me, but I am glad that the Naemon option won, because this option might give both houses an advantage in the coming war, an advantage they can certainly need. Though, I have forgotten to mention one thing while voting: I must say, Garrison is so far my favourite king in the story. He reminds me a bit of the book version of Doran Martell in that they are… [view original content]
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyone. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the summer that was the cruelest of the seasons. As she pulled on her light leather armor she could only hope it wouldn’t be too hot at Hellgate Hall. Nealia took a sip of water from her flask, tied on her black cape and walked out of her room. In the taproom she saw couple of the chairs broken, and a barmaid was mopping the floor. Broden was having a conversation with the innkeeper who looked to be quite displeased. Otherwise it was quiet, only few people were in the room. At the corner table Nealia saw the other three women of the Rose Company. One of them was a very tall and muscular woman with ebony skin, intense gaze in her deep set eyes, and her full lips formed a sober expression. She was wearing a colorful feather cape and a black leather armor made with skillful craftsmanship. Her weapons were a beautifully crafted bow and a curved sword. It was obvious that this woman was from the Summer Isles. The other two women were clearly twins, from somewhere very far east. They were both beautiful, with their pitch black hair, pale skin, and delicate facial features. They both had mismatched eyes, but whereas the other one of them had a bright smile on her face, the other one looked deadly serious. The serious one was glancing at Nealia as she walked past them, but Nealia did her best not to pay too much attention. She wished she could’ve sat down with these women, get to know to them, but she had made a promise to Tryden.
As she stepped outside Tryden and Illor waited for her, already mounted on their horses. They had also brought Nealia’s horse from the stables. The smile Tryden gave to Nealia was cold. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Nealia said lazily as she mounted her horse. “It is not me you have kept waiting – it is the King of the Brimstone that we are keeping waiting if we don’t hurry up.” Tryden spoke calmly, but Nealia could hear that he meant what he said, so she nodded in agreement. They made their way to the northern gate of the town. Ulwyck Tiddle was waiting there for them, sitting proudly on his white horse. Tryden, Illor and Nealia stopped next to him, while the gates were being opened.
“You are going to leave your men here.” Ulwyck stated with a piercing look on his eyes. “Don’t worry, boy.” Tryden replied coldly. “I’m sure your gallant soldiers can keep them in line.” With these words he galloped out of the gate, Illor following right after him. Nealia glanced at Ulwyck, seeing the rage in the young man’s eyes, and rode after her boss.
The ride to Hellgate Hall obviously wasn’t long, and in couple minutes they were at the gates of this old grey castle that looked over the Brimstone. The gates were opened and they rode to the courtyard, where Nealia could see knights and soldiers in many colors sparring or walking from one place to another. An army might not have been gathered yet, but whatever vassals King Lucifer had summoned had each brought dozens of their men with them. From the bat Nealia noticed several Uller banners, and next to one of them stood a huge bearded man that caught Nealia’s eye. He was wielding a ridiculously large double-edged axe, and stood there like a statue, head taller than most people around him.
As they walked their horses for the stable boys to take care of, a tall man dressed in a fine and ornamented black silk tunic walked to them from the middle of the soldiers. The look on the man’s green eyes was vivid. He was smiling, and his black hair and full beard were short and well groomed.
“You are Tryden Flowers, I assume.” The man said with a laid-back tone, and Tryden nodded. “And you are?” He asked, keeping his voice calm. “I am Lewyn Tiddle.” He introduced himself, still a smile on his face. “I heard you already met my younger brother… Sorry if he wasn’t very welcoming.” Tryden Flowers let out a dry chuckle. “Your brother is a serious boy.” He said with slightly mocking tone, and Lewyn let out a small laugh. “He certainly is.” The man replied with a grin, and gestured them to follow him inside.
As they walked in, Lewyn glanced at Nealia and Illor. “May I ask who are these companions of yours?” He asked, and Tryden nodded. “This is Illor, a great warrior from the Free City of Braavos.” Tryden explained. “He has been trained in several styles of combat. And this sweet…”
“I am Nealia Sand.” Nealia cut off Tryden, before he managed to introduce her. “A bastard and a sellsword.” She added bluntly, and Lewyn nodded to her with an amused smile. Tryden threw a subtle glare at Nealia, but stayed quiet. They continued their walk in silence, until they arrived to the doors of the audience chamber.
“If I may warn you, the King is quite crusty at the moment, so try not to irritate him.” Lewyn advised them before the doors, and a grin appeared on Tryden’s face. “I heard he is nervous.” He said quietly, and Lewyn nodded. “Indeed, he is quite stressed, for obvious reasons.” Lewyn gave a concerned look for all of them, before turning around and opening the door.
As the door opened, Nealia could see King Lucifer Dryland sitting at his throne that was on the high platform. He indeed looked to be very worn out – dark bags under his eyes, his hair already starting to gray, and the way he held himself spoke of frustration and stress. Right behind King Lucifer stood a massive knight in a crude black armor. The knight’s long hair and beard were also black, and the look on his dark eyes was intense and irritated as he stared at Tryden Flowers. That man could cut Tryden in two with a single swing of his sword. They walked closer, and the herald announced the titles of Lucifer Dryland for them.
“Tryden Flowers.” The King spoke as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. “Here, as summoned.” Tryden answered with his cold grin. “I imagine you feel proud of yourself.” The King said with a cynical tone. “Your reputation has brought you here after all, bargaining a contract with the King. Let me tell you the truth, Tryden Flowers – you are scum.” Tryden chuckled for the King’s words. “A scum that you need, Your Grace.” He replied with a sly tone. The King still looked at him with distaste in his eyes.
“Do I?” He finally asked, now a very small grin appearing on his face. “Perhaps I have only summoned you here to have Ser Blackheart plunge his sword into your heart, and end your days of murdering and pillaging.” The knight in black armor moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. Nealia looked at Tryden. There was no fear in the man’s eyes, but the smugness was also gone, replaced by silent anger. The smirk on Lucifer Dryland’s face got wider as Tryden stayed silent. “What is your worth to me, Reachman bastard?” He asked coldly. “Forty more men to my army, is that it?”
“I believe you know that’s not the best way to use the Rose Company.” Tryden answered, his voice heavy and sober. The King narrowed his eyes. “I do indeed.” He said finally. A moment of tense silence followed, and the King moved his eyes to Nealia. “Who is the girl?” He asked, a touch of genuine curiosity in his voice.
“She is Nealia Sand, bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne.” Tryden spoke calmly, and for a second Lucifer’s eyes widened in surprise. “Does Vorian know his bastard is in your company?” The King asked, turning his eyes back to Tryden.
“He does not.” Nealia answered strictly, making the King look at her again. “And neither does he need to know; I am a grown woman.” A grin appeared on Lucifer’s face again. “I can certainly see that.” He said and it looked as if his smile turned a bit more genuine. “So, Nealia Sand, would you say that Tryden Flowers is someone I can trust?” The King asked, leaning back against his chair. Nealia gulped, she could feel the stare of Tryden even if she didn’t look towards him, and the King obviously looked at her with great interest – certainly paying attention to every word.
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy][Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough][Say that Tryden is untrustworthy]
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough] This choice seems like a perfect medium to me. Nealia does not know Tryden well enough to say if he is completely trustworthy or not, but it is probably not a good idea to offend him this early in the story either. I also see this option as leaning more toward the truth since Tryden seems like he would keep his obligation if paid well enough especially from what he has said in the story. I will say though that in my opinion, Tryden also seems like a man who regardless of what he is paid wants to end up on the winning side like any sellsword so I could see him switching sides once it is obvious that the Drylands will lose. Ultimately though, excellent part and I am most curious to see if Nealia will stay with the Rose Company or eventually switch sides on her own!
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
I don't think we should go pissing off Tryden right now. We're not friends with anyone in Rose Company, which puts us in a bad situation if we make any fuck ups. This compromise should keep Tryden happy, and no doubt the Dryland will just perceive him as the sellsword scum he appears to be. However, he'll likely have a lower look on Naelia, though better that then gaining enemies if you ask me.
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
Let's be honest, we don't know him well enough so better not to lie or be not too honest. This choice seem to be middle ground and acceptable for describing a sellsword - he may even get more money than expected from that.
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
This is a very hard choice for me. Both, Tryden and Lucifer are not the kind of people I want to anger. Saying that Tryden is untrustworthy would certainly anger him, while saying that Tryden is trustworthy could backfire spectacularly if he later turns out to be untrustworthy. The thing is, I don't know if he is trustworthy or not, as he is still an enigma for me. Maybe he is trustworthy and loyal to his employer, but to be honest, he does not exactly give me this impression. He is a sellsword, so I am pretty sure his loyalty can be bought. In any way, this seems like a middle way, but I still see it as a risk. Theoretically, it can please the king and Tryden. However, Lucifer could also misinterpret it as a veiled threat that he should pay them enough, while Tryden could be angered by her bluntness and the implication that he is not loyal when he is unhappy with the payment. I still see it as better than outright saying that Tryden is untrustworthy, as that would probably ruin her chances with the company, but I am not sure if it is better than saying that Tryden is trustworthy. For now I'll stay with this choice, but I have to continue to think about it.
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyo… morene. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the… [view original content]
I'm sorry if you missed the voting, but this one is so clear that there isn't really a reason to keep it open any longer. Nealia will say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough. Seems like a good compromise, if you want to keep both Tryden and Lucifer happy. Well, somewhat happy at least. In the next Nealia part we'll get more into what kind of job exactly would the King have for the Rose Company.
But the next part will take us once again to the Kingsgrave. I haven't made much progress with the part yet, but it should be done within a couple days. So, here's the recap: After humiliating and killing Ser Rud the Short - Kingsguard exposed as a spy - the King Albin arrived same night to the chamber (more like a dungeon) of Missy, a young woman with tragic and mysterious past. Missy had seen the killing of Rud and knew Albin would come to her, as she had a close and twisted relationship with the King. When the King arrived Missy kept him pleased, even going as far as saying that she loves him. The King spent the night with her. At the morning Missy was woken up by one of the King's freaks, Tom the Animal. Tom talked about how Albin is planning to march to war against the Fowlers, and Missy felt slightly disappointed that the King hadn't talked about that to her. After eating a breakfast Missy wandered around the castle, ending up in the empty throne room. As she was admiring the stony throne of the Great King, Queen Sofina (Albin's second wife and mother of his every child except the heir, Prince Arvin) surprised her. They had a short and tense chat, which ended to Sofina saying that if Missy ever needed help she could come to her. After her chat with the Queen Missy made her way to the torture cells, where she and the freaks of the King often spent time. She found Larry the Kind, Matt the Mute and Ronny torturing a handmaiden of Sanya Purell, Prince Arvin's bride. Missy told them they shouldn't be torturing someone like that, but they just said that she had been mocking Ronny behind their back, and Arvin or Sanya wouldn't need to know about this. Larry offered Missy to stay and watch, but instead she decided she would go and tell about this to the Queen. And that's where we will begin our next part.
To hype up the next part, here's a Missy illustration I made today I'll probably make something like this of the other PoVs as well at some point.
I'll post the part later tonight when it's ready
”Oh sweet girl.” Queen Sofina said with a piercing look on her dark blue eyes, her lips forming a small smile. “When I said you could come to me if you need help, I certainly didn’t expect you’d come the same day.” Missy clenched her teeth in irritation, and Sofina chuckled dryly. They were in a large and gloriously furnished room where the Queen had been spending her afternoon with several ladies of the court. When Missy arrived, the Queen had dismissed them all.
“So, are you not going to help me?” Missy asked with monotone words. The Queen let out a small sigh. “Well, you have to explain this a bit more clearly before I can give you an answer to that.” She said calmly. “You say a handmaiden is being held at the torture cells – whose handmaiden?”
“Sanya Purell’s.” Missy answered, staring the Queen to the eyes. “Handmaiden of the heir’s bride.” Sofina stated with emotionless words. “You said you don’t know her name, but what did she look like?” The Queen asked, and Missy tried to remember the best she could. “Blonde hair, round face, green eyes.” Missy listed and Sofina nodded to her words. “I think I know who she is.” She stated with her calm voice. “Shana Sand, daughter of Lord Mors Littlemill. Luckily she is only a bastard, otherwise we might’ve had a problem with our vassal.”
“So what are we going to do?” Missy asked, after a moment of silence. The Queen let out a tired sigh. “That girl is a fool, but I suppose even she doesn’t deserve this.” Sofina spoke more to herself than to Missy. “We will get her out of there, and hide her away. After that we must make sure that she will not be found, not by the freaks, not by Sanya or Arvin, not by the King, and not by her family.” Missy nodded in agreement.
“Come here tomorrow evening, after the feast.” The Queen told her with a deadly serious look on her eyes. Missy gulped. “I will.” She answered. A small hint of a smile appeared on the Queen’s face, and then she walked away.
The rest of that day Missy felt restless, nervous and anxious. Why am I doing this? She sat at the corner of her dark room, cursing herself. She should have just stayed at the cells, she should have just stayed and watched. What do I care about the stupid girl? It was girls like that who looked at her like trash in the court, even if she had once been more beautiful than any of them.
With her head full of these troubling thoughts, Missy fell asleep that night. She dreamt of drowning. It was a giant skeleton pulling her down towards the bottom of the sea. But as she looked up, she saw two hands emerging from the surface. The first hand looked young and powerful, whereas the other one was old and weak – it could never save Missy. She turned towards the young and powerful hand, but when she grabbed it she realized that the hand was made of rough scales that scratched the skin from Missy’s hand. She tried to break free, but the skeleton and the scaled hand tore her apart. And then she saw the old hand, still trying to reach for her, but it was too late. And she woke up, sweating and gasping for air in her dark room, as if she had really been drowning. The dream quickly escaped her mind, only leaving behind the anxious feeling.
-
That day Missy mostly stayed in her room. She fetched something to eat and drink couple times, but her appetite disappeared after a couple of bites. She was about to act against the King’s freaks, murderous bastards, torturers. She walked around her room the whole day, sweating and waiting for the evening.
When the time finally came, Missy left her room. She wandered around the corridors, slowly making her way to the room where the Queen would be waiting for her. As she reached for the handle of the door, she noticed that her hands were shaking, but she clenched her teeth together and opened the door all the same.
In the dimly lit room she saw two figures sitting by the table. The other one was Queen Sofina, as expected, but the other one was Alaric Manwoody – brother of the King. Alaric was often referred as “the saner of the two” behind the man's back, and supposedly that was the truth. There the King’s brother sat by the table, a stern look on his face. Alaric had a long white hair and short stubble beard, and he was dressed in gold and black robes. As Missy walked closer she noticed that there was one more person in the room. From the shadows emerged a dark skinned man who was dressed in purple silk robes, a blue scarf around his neck and a purple turban covering his hair. The man had a puny black mustache and a calm look on his brown eyes. This mysterious man was called the Purple Ocelot. During her year at Kingsgrave Missy had seen the Purple Ocelot only few times – always with Alaric.
“My brother’s whore.” Alaric stated coldly, looking at Missy with disdain. “She is the one who informed me about the situation.” Queen Sofina explained calmly. “Go ahead Missy, tell Prince Alaric what exactly has happened.” Missy gulped and composed her thoughts. Then she explained all she had seen at the torture cells, and as the story went on she could see anger building in Alaric Manwoody’s eyes.
“Those idiots.” He muttered after Missy was done talking. “I will send the Purple Ocelot take care of this. He can go there before the dawn, kill whoever gets in his way and take that bastard girl away. After that we can hide her away.” Missy was not sure if she liked this idea. If the Purple Ocelot would kill whoever would be guarding the cell, the freaks might connect it to her. They would come after me. Queen Sofina shook her head.
“It would be better to do this without killing.” She said calmly. “For practical reasons. If someone is found dead, that might spark Albin’s interest, and we don’t want him mixed to this.” Alaric sighed with frustration. “I know my brother." He replied. "He doesn’t care if some freak dies – they are mere playthings to him.” Missy wondered if what Alaric said was true, but the Queen didn’t look convinced.
“So we have two plans, but there are three of us... and well, your killer. Let’s hear what is Missy’s suggestion.” The Queen said with a smirk on her face. Alaric let out a sarcastic laugh and shook his head. “You would listen to that whore’s opinion?” He asked with scorning tone, and the Queen nodded to him.
“Missy is very close to the King.” The Queen replied. “She might be more influential than either of us.” This made the King’s brother frown in anger. As the room stayed silent for a while, Missy started to get nervous, but finally Alaric just let out a small laugh full of disbelief. “Alright then.” He muttered, frustration and amusement in his words. “What is your opinion, whore?”
[Alaric's plan - killing][Sofina's plan - no killing]
Voting is closed!
I'm sorry if you missed the voting, but this one is so clear that there isn't really a reason to keep it open any longe… morer. Nealia will say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough. Seems like a good compromise, if you want to keep both Tryden and Lucifer happy. Well, somewhat happy at least. In the next Nealia part we'll get more into what kind of job exactly would the King have for the Rose Company.
But the next part will take us once again to the Kingsgrave. I haven't made much progress with the part yet, but it should be done within a couple days. So, here's the recap: After humiliating and killing Ser Rud the Short - Kingsguard exposed as a spy - the King Albin arrived same night to the chamber (more like a dungeon) of Missy, a young woman with tragic and mysterious past. Missy had seen the killing of Rud and knew Albin would come to her, as she had a close and twisted relationship with the King. When the King ar… [view original content]
Well I have to say this is another great part and that Missy's story no doubt has had the hardest choices so far. This choice in particular has had me debating on which choice would be best and honestly I still am not sure on if the choice I am making is the right one. As much as i would like to those torturers get what they deserve, I have decided though to go with [Sofina's plan - no killing]. A big part of why I have chosen this option is your drawing of her character and seeing what she has become especially with you saying that she has not always been like how she is now. I think a big part of her story is either her ascending even further toward madness or returning to a more sane state of mind. So I am thinking that choosing not to kill will be a step in the right direction in the path of gaining some of her sanity back. I could be way off the mark but it does seem to make sense at this point.
Missy
”Oh sweet girl.” Queen Sofina said with a piercing look on her dark blue eyes, her lips forming a small smile. “When I said you cou… moreld come to me if you need help, I certainly didn’t expect you’d come the same day.” Missy clenched her teeth in irritation, and Sofina chuckled dryly. They were in a large and gloriously furnished room where the Queen had been spending her afternoon with several ladies of the court. When Missy arrived, the Queen had dismissed them all.
“So, are you not going to help me?” Missy asked with monotone words. The Queen let out a small sigh. “Well, you have to explain this a bit more clearly before I can give you an answer to that.” She said calmly. “You say a handmaiden is being held at the torture cells – whose handmaiden?”
“Sanya Purell’s.” Missy answered, staring the Queen to the eyes. “Handmaiden of the heir’s bride.” Sofina stated with emotionless words. “You said you don’t know her name, but what di… [view original content]
To hype up the next part, here's a Missy illustration I made today I'll probably make something like this of the other PoVs as well at some point.
I'll post the part later tonight when it's ready
This was not an easy choice, though ultimately, aside from the fact that CM3434 is right in my opinion and Missy's mental health might be at stake with many of her choices in this particular storyline, I also think that Sofina's plan has less risks in general. There's no doubt that Albin's freaks deserve to die and I hope they will eventually get what's coming to them. However, killing them may very well draw Albin's attention. He may not care for them in particular, but he might be interested in finding out who killed his men regardless, to find out if he is in danger as well. Aside from that, while Albin perhaps won't care at all, the surviving freaks will surely care and they could draw the connection to Missy, which could end horribly for her. So, let's keep it save. No one must die for now.
By the way, this was a great part! I must say, in terms of looks I'm enjoying this Purple Ocelot guy immensely, hopefully we'll see more of him even if we decide for Sofina's plan. His name is kinda cool and he seems to have quite an interesting sense of fashion XD At the same time, the way I just had to imagine him in my head, he looked a bit weird with his fabulous purple turban, but I'm certainly liking him.
Also, Missy's dream intrigues me. I have no doubt that it was foreshadowing, given how important dreams are in the Ice and Fire books. So, I'm going to try my best and speculate. There is the skeleton in her dreams and with this, I have no doubts that it symbolizes Albin, or House Manwoody in general. After all, their sigil is a crowned skull. The hands are a bit harder to interpret though. The old hand might stand for an old character, of which there are plenty. The ones I can think of on the spot are Garrison Fowler, Myke (who is sort of old-ish if I'm not mistaken) and Alaric, though I guess they won't remain the only old characters in the story. The other hand, the one with the rough scales, is far harder though, as I don't even have the hint of a lead with it. After coming to the conclusion that the skeleton=Manwoody, I had the idea that the scales might symbolize another house's sigil, so I checked the dornish noble houses. The ones who have animals with scales on their sigils are the Houses Wyl and Toland. Of the two of them, House Wyl is located much closer to Kingsgrave. However, I ultimately think that this is assumption is a bit of a stretch, though I'll certainly keep my eyes open for a character with a reptile-theme.
Missy
”Oh sweet girl.” Queen Sofina said with a piercing look on her dark blue eyes, her lips forming a small smile. “When I said you cou… moreld come to me if you need help, I certainly didn’t expect you’d come the same day.” Missy clenched her teeth in irritation, and Sofina chuckled dryly. They were in a large and gloriously furnished room where the Queen had been spending her afternoon with several ladies of the court. When Missy arrived, the Queen had dismissed them all.
“So, are you not going to help me?” Missy asked with monotone words. The Queen let out a small sigh. “Well, you have to explain this a bit more clearly before I can give you an answer to that.” She said calmly. “You say a handmaiden is being held at the torture cells – whose handmaiden?”
“Sanya Purell’s.” Missy answered, staring the Queen to the eyes. “Handmaiden of the heir’s bride.” Sofina stated with emotionless words. “You said you don’t know her name, but what di… [view original content]
Comments
1. Who has been your favorite Pov so far/whose storyline seems the most interesting to you?
I won't be different from others and say - it's too early in the story to decide. Every story had its flaws and advantages, but what's meaningful to me - all of POVs was somewhat relevant to generality of your fanfiction. If I must choose one - of course I am biased to choice Nealia, but it won't be my pick. For now, I'll choose Missy - Kingsgrave's part of story feels so uncommon and unique in comparison to other POVs. That fraught atmosphere, madness of the King and unusual bond between Missy and Albin - that makes her POV most interesting in my opinion, well, maybe because I find her parts of the story the most similar to Martin's writing.
2. And the opposite - who has so far been your least favorite/least interesting PoV?
Same thing as with first question, but I won't answer this one. I found every POV enjoyable and interesting, so there weren't any my least favourite.
[Choose Naemon]
Like Liquid, I was only choosing between Naemon and Jamison - Malcolm couldn't be a choice here. Ultimately I chose Blackmont - this is medieval ages, there's no marriages of love or sh*t, in the noble houses every move is to grant yourself an ally, and marriage should grant it perfectly (maybe Freys and Tullys/Starks won't approve, but it still true).
This story is really good so far.
I'll decide to... [Suggest Jamison]
It couldn't hurt anything to just suggest him. Also, Wildlingking did you receive the pm I sent you. I'm new here and I haven't seen anything to suggest you have seen it or not.
I answered the pm
Who has been you're favorite POV? Who's story is more interesting to you?
For the first part, I'd have to go with the one and only Nymeria. And before I get into why, can I go on a tangent real quick?
I forgot what Oberyns wife's name was, but this depiction of Nymeria makes me seriously wish that Arya went to Dorne instead of Bravos. The way Nymeria holds herself in court not only reminds me of Oberyns wife, it gives me an idea of what Arya would be like in court. I mean she is learning some very Sand Snake-ish like assassin skills already, (and here's my opinion) but even the way she pretends to be no one, almost identical to how the Sand Snakes were (to a lesser degree of course because they didn't flesh Dorne out much).
But Nymeria is definitely my favorite so far. Although she will obviously win these game of thrones, she is showing the same thing that Dany shows, with less blind rage. It's like she's Arya!
But my favorite story would have to be Gwendis. I mean the whole thing going on with Benedict, and this daughter trying to take over her fathers dying dynasty, it's almost like a mirror of Cersei and the Lannisters in some far dimension. I'm much more interested in her story then most of the other povs.
Least Favorite Pov, storyline?
I'd have to say Isabella just because she just came out. I have a feeling her story will take a twist, but for now she's not as interesting as the others.
Cmon guys three more votes for Jamison.
Well, I'd be happy with three more votes for Naemon ;D He is clearly the better choice from a political standpoint, as he's the heir of Blackmont. Also, House Blackmont needs the allies more, as they, like House Fowler, are already at war with House Manwoody. The Dayne's are not yet involved in this war and its not clear if they would even be willing to go that far as long as House Manwoody is not a threat to them, but the Blackmonts could definitely need some help, as seen with the smallfolk in Myke's latest part. Manwoody needs to be stopped and a strong alliance between the two houses located the closest to him is the best way of doing so.
That's fair.
Whenever I see the name Dayne, I think "wildcard". I'd love to see them try to mess everything up.
I mean the story is building and everything is pretty smooth so far (as far as war goes), so i definitely want to see what a curveball would do to the whole set up.
I mean think what would happen to the fowlers if they're King gave up Skyreach to the Daynes. Think about all the backlash, from so many sides. It'd be even crazier than when Robb married (forgot her name) in the show.
I just wonder what would happen if we also didn't play it safe. I mean who says that the most logical thing (from our unknown standpoint) will actually work out in the end. I mean Jamison may not even get Skyreach, but having a story where people do what they desire is usually interesting.
Indeed, the situation seems pretty straightforward - Albin is mad and going to war against both the Fowlers and the Blackmonts. However, if you read all Gwendis, Missy, Isabella and Myke parts there are hints towards a twist that changes the premise of this war quite drastically - at least on a moral level. Well, I better not say anything more
Well, they are definitely going to make things harder for the Martells in their coming conflict against the Drylands. But because of that, I'm not even sure if they can give that much help to the Fowlers. I don't think they are powerful enough to be fully involved in two wars at once and since Vorian Dayne is not a warmonger, I don't think he would be too happy about sending troops against the Manwoody's as well. If Jamison would lead the house, then they would probably try to be involved wherever they can, but Vorian has been mentioned to be happy with his kingdom the way it is.
I guess things will go down soon enough. Once the Martells get involved in the conflict between House Manwoody and the other houses in the mountains, the whole setting is definitely going to be shaken up quite heavily. I doubt the Yronwoods will remain passive either and add them to the mix and things are probably going to end up really chaotic.
Sure, that would be crazy and quite interesting, I fully agree. But why would Garrison do that? He just mentioned to Isabella that he wants to bring back the times when House Fowler was among the strongest kingdoms in Dorne. If he would give away his kingdom to Jamison, a secondborn son on top, he would effectively destroy his house and ruin his legacy, so I am pretty sure that this won't happen. Also, Isabella has three older brothers, who all have a higher right to inherit the kingdom, which means I am not even sure if he can just give everything away like this.
That's true, though most people who follow their desires in these stories end up ruining everything. I want to screw neither the Fowler's nor the Blackmont's chances in this war. In fact, I'm obviously very much on the Blackmont's side here (Not Benedict of course, but Gwendis and Naemon are certainly decent people) and I think they definitely need an ally in the war. Gwendis already missed an opportunity to contact House Dayne (which I already regret), so they can't afford to miss this opportunity as well, not if they want to have a chance to win the war.
Oh, now I have to reread these parts super carefully
I hope it's not going to involve Benedict and his rumoured magic, because I'm still afraid that this would end up unhealthy for Gwendis or Naemon, which is obviously the last thing I want 
Though there is one other thing I noticed when I just reread Myke's latest part. The knights of House Manwoody are already attacking House Blackmont, but Garrison mentioned that Albin plans to attack him first. I wonder if that hints at something more, or if that is simply a mistake from Garrison. At the same time, I realized that Albin executed a Blackmont spy in Missy's part, though Garrison mentioned that one of his spies was executed... Hmmm, my first impulse would be that someone is trying to play these houses against each other and that the whole war is a set-up, perhaps by the Yronwoods, but perhaps I'm intepreting too much into it.
Oh I can see the subtle hints. If only I came sooner
Especially with Gwendis and Missy.
I guess I just want to stir it up a bit. And I have no control, so who's to say that @WildingKing didn't intend to have Garrison turn down Isabella if she asked about Jamison and have her end up with Naemon anyway?
I think I'd even be fine with that. It's just the idea of standing up to these so called traditions instead of keeping a character continuously doing their duty. I mean we've played it safe long enough. It's time to let Isabella have a voice.
And hey, who's to say that Vorian would even agree? Maybe this is more just about having a field of dialogue where they understand where each other stands, and they can either ally or ignore each other. This is Dorne after all, we can give them the benefit of the doubt about not being too harsh
Well I can say you've noticed some of the right hints.
[Suggest Jamison]
Sure, it could end up with Garrison turning Isabella down and refusing her to marry Jamison and as a smart man he absolutely should do it, but I just don't want to risk it. The Daynes don't necessarily need the alliance at this point, but if the Blackmonts loose this chance to ally with the Fowlers, they may very well end up screwed in the coming war. Manwoody is either strong or just confident enough to launch an invasion to their lands and the Blackmonts need this alliance far more than the Daynes. Under other circumstances, having a character do what they want might be nice, but this time there's more at stake. I see this as a terrible time to stop playing it safe, because there is far more at stake than Isabella's happiness. And who's to say that she will be happy with Jamison? From his own PoV, we know that he is different than she thinks.
Hm, then I found something in Myke's part, in Isabella's part and in Missy's part, but I haven't found anything for Gwendis now, though at least in the opinion of her and the council of Blackmont, it is the general consensus that Albin is not strong enough to launch a full-scale invasion to their lands. I also noticed that Benedict sent his master-at-arms to the villages, so theoretically there should be Blackmont knights patrolling the streets. Now I wonder if Kegan might be on the Manwoody's side and responsible for the slaughter of the village, but that might still be a bit of a stretch. Man, now I am nervous about this war. My reread and the current choice have caused me to analyze the situation more than I probably should have.
About Ser Kegan - he and his men haven't yet had enough time to reach as far as Hunter's Well (which is at the very north edge of Blackmont's kingdom). But we'll see more of Blackmont's smallfolk in the next parts of Ser Myke.
And of course there are more than just one "twist" in the storylines around this war
It's just that there is this one that is present in all of these characters' (that are involved with this war) parts.
Voting is closed!
Alright, another arc kicked off. This was a pretty even voting and it was nice to see votes for every option, but the winning option is that Isabella will choose Naemon. A very rational choice, and I think her father will like that. We'll see later what exactly does everyone at Blackmont think about this, whenever the proposal arrives there.
The next part will be another Nealia PoV. Not ready yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be ready either tomorrow or Tuesday. A small recap: On the last part Nealia, who had earlier joined Tryden Flowers' sellsword company (the Rose Company), arrived with her new friends to Tidmarsh - a small town right next to Hellgate Hall. The gates were closed and they were welcomed by commander of the city guard, Ulwyck Tiddle, the second son of Bedwyck Tiddle the Lord and mayor of Tidmarsh. Tryden joked around that Bedwyck tricked the lordship of the town from the King. Ulwyck was not amused, but eventually he let Tryden and his company in, after Tryden told him why they were there. The company made their way to a tavern called the Jolly Fisher. There Nealia sat down with Tryden, Broden and Illor. A young spy girl named Milah visited their table, sharing news from Hellgate Hall, mentioning that King Lucifer is growing nervous and has sent scouts and ambassadors to east. Nealia was surprised to see Tryden use spies, but he explained that if you want to "play the game" you need to have all kind of contacts, from Kings to spies. At the end of the part Tryden asked Nealia if she wants to join him and Illor on their visit to Hellgate Hall next day, or if she'd rather spend the day with Broden and the rest of the Rose Company that stays at the town. Nealia considered that it might be good to get to know other members of the company, but ultimately she decided that it's more important to be there to see what kind of deal exactly is Tryden making with Drylands.
I'm pretty sure Naemon won't be too thrilled about the idea. While it could have easily gotten worse for him, I don't think he's a friend of marriage in general. Though, like Isabella, he simply has to accept it for the good of his house. Gwendis likely won't be too thrilled either, given her own views on arranged marriage. For some biased reason, I would have considered her opinion slightly more, but ultimately, if she would have been the one to make such a choice, I would have probably chosen the rational option for her as well. The only one where I'm not sure how he'd react is Benedict. Now I have, for the first time, thought about him not being in favour of such an alliance. I mean, I see no reason why he should decline, but he's Benedict after all, perhaps the biggest wildcard in the entire story. He's a damn enigma and I have no idea if he would be in favour or against such an alliance, though I certainly hope that he's going to accept. By the way, now that the voting is closed, I wonder if you could reveal wether or not Garrison would have agreed to Isabella's suggestion to choose Jamison instead.
He would have been slightly disappointed at Isabella and told her to think it through. Later they would have had another conversation where Garrison would have very thoroughly explained why either Naemon or Malcolm would be better choice in the big picture, but also sympathized with Isabella's feelings. And then there would have been another chance to make the choice, and if again you would have chose Jamison, then Garrison would have accepted it, even if it isn't the ideal option. That goes only to indicate how much of a soft spot he has for his daughter.
How Vorian would have reacted to such proposal is yet another can of worms.
I see. This is surprising for me, but I am glad that the Naemon option won, because this option might give both houses an advantage in the coming war, an advantage they can certainly need. Though, I have forgotten to mention one thing while voting: I must say, Garrison is so far my favourite king in the story. He reminds me a bit of the book version of Doran Martell in that they are both physically handicapped, but still totally badass in their own right and not without a soft spot for the ones they love. I hope to see more of him in the future, because I've been thoroughly enjoying what we've seen of him so far.
True. Unlike Benedict, I have the feeling I got a good idea of what kind of man Vorian is in the part we saw of him, but then again, he only appeared in one part so far, so I doubt we have seen every facet of his character. While I feel he has little reason to be thrilled about such a proposal, I might be wrong.
And even the part Vorian appeared in was a bit diluted. Like we know he doesn't want to fight this war, but we can tell that he also understands that it is inevitable and that he understands how this usually works for the houses who don't initiate the war.
I'm happy with this choice, and thank you @WildingKing because if we had the other option, it sounds like it would've played out just the way it literally would. The father says, are you sure. Isabella can try harder, but during war times we know it's not all about getting with who you want (Ahem Robb Stark, show version)
I also forget that Naemon is on the hunt right now, and that he himself is not much into the political side. I wonder how this marriage will effect both Naemon and Isabella's ambitions...
That's if we even get to see a wedding. I mean if I know the GoT war environment, marriages usually never go the way ppl plan them to go.
Nealia
A knock on the door woke up Nealia in her small room that she had specifically chose so that she didn’t have to share it with anyone. She looked at the small window that brought light to the room, exposing all the dust that was floating in the air. Her swords, leather armor, black cape, and all the other gear leaned against the wall next to her bed. The bed itself was hard and uncomfortable, the kind that most inns had. The door was knocked again.
“What?” Nealia yelled, a bit of frustration in her voice. “It is time to go, Lady Nealia.” The baritone voice of Illor the Braavosi spoke, and Nealia yawned. “Tryden is waiting outside.” He added, and after a couple of silent seconds Nealia heard the steps of the man departing from her door.
As Nealia was dressing up she noticed how hot it was – summer had truly arrived. Soon the rivers will dry. Nealia had spent her whole life in Dorne, and she had learned that here it was often the summer that was the cruelest of the seasons. As she pulled on her light leather armor she could only hope it wouldn’t be too hot at Hellgate Hall. Nealia took a sip of water from her flask, tied on her black cape and walked out of her room. In the taproom she saw couple of the chairs broken, and a barmaid was mopping the floor. Broden was having a conversation with the innkeeper who looked to be quite displeased. Otherwise it was quiet, only few people were in the room. At the corner table Nealia saw the other three women of the Rose Company. One of them was a very tall and muscular woman with ebony skin, intense gaze in her deep set eyes, and her full lips formed a sober expression. She was wearing a colorful feather cape and a black leather armor made with skillful craftsmanship. Her weapons were a beautifully crafted bow and a curved sword. It was obvious that this woman was from the Summer Isles. The other two women were clearly twins, from somewhere very far east. They were both beautiful, with their pitch black hair, pale skin, and delicate facial features. They both had mismatched eyes, but whereas the other one of them had a bright smile on her face, the other one looked deadly serious. The serious one was glancing at Nealia as she walked past them, but Nealia did her best not to pay too much attention. She wished she could’ve sat down with these women, get to know to them, but she had made a promise to Tryden.
As she stepped outside Tryden and Illor waited for her, already mounted on their horses. They had also brought Nealia’s horse from the stables. The smile Tryden gave to Nealia was cold. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Nealia said lazily as she mounted her horse. “It is not me you have kept waiting – it is the King of the Brimstone that we are keeping waiting if we don’t hurry up.” Tryden spoke calmly, but Nealia could hear that he meant what he said, so she nodded in agreement. They made their way to the northern gate of the town. Ulwyck Tiddle was waiting there for them, sitting proudly on his white horse. Tryden, Illor and Nealia stopped next to him, while the gates were being opened.
“You are going to leave your men here.” Ulwyck stated with a piercing look on his eyes. “Don’t worry, boy.” Tryden replied coldly. “I’m sure your gallant soldiers can keep them in line.” With these words he galloped out of the gate, Illor following right after him. Nealia glanced at Ulwyck, seeing the rage in the young man’s eyes, and rode after her boss.
The ride to Hellgate Hall obviously wasn’t long, and in couple minutes they were at the gates of this old grey castle that looked over the Brimstone. The gates were opened and they rode to the courtyard, where Nealia could see knights and soldiers in many colors sparring or walking from one place to another. An army might not have been gathered yet, but whatever vassals King Lucifer had summoned had each brought dozens of their men with them. From the bat Nealia noticed several Uller banners, and next to one of them stood a huge bearded man that caught Nealia’s eye. He was wielding a ridiculously large double-edged axe, and stood there like a statue, head taller than most people around him.
As they walked their horses for the stable boys to take care of, a tall man dressed in a fine and ornamented black silk tunic walked to them from the middle of the soldiers. The look on the man’s green eyes was vivid. He was smiling, and his black hair and full beard were short and well groomed.
“You are Tryden Flowers, I assume.” The man said with a laid-back tone, and Tryden nodded. “And you are?” He asked, keeping his voice calm. “I am Lewyn Tiddle.” He introduced himself, still a smile on his face. “I heard you already met my younger brother… Sorry if he wasn’t very welcoming.” Tryden Flowers let out a dry chuckle. “Your brother is a serious boy.” He said with slightly mocking tone, and Lewyn let out a small laugh. “He certainly is.” The man replied with a grin, and gestured them to follow him inside.
As they walked in, Lewyn glanced at Nealia and Illor. “May I ask who are these companions of yours?” He asked, and Tryden nodded. “This is Illor, a great warrior from the Free City of Braavos.” Tryden explained. “He has been trained in several styles of combat. And this sweet…”
“I am Nealia Sand.” Nealia cut off Tryden, before he managed to introduce her. “A bastard and a sellsword.” She added bluntly, and Lewyn nodded to her with an amused smile. Tryden threw a subtle glare at Nealia, but stayed quiet. They continued their walk in silence, until they arrived to the doors of the audience chamber.
“If I may warn you, the King is quite crusty at the moment, so try not to irritate him.” Lewyn advised them before the doors, and a grin appeared on Tryden’s face. “I heard he is nervous.” He said quietly, and Lewyn nodded. “Indeed, he is quite stressed, for obvious reasons.” Lewyn gave a concerned look for all of them, before turning around and opening the door.
As the door opened, Nealia could see King Lucifer Dryland sitting at his throne that was on the high platform. He indeed looked to be very worn out – dark bags under his eyes, his hair already starting to gray, and the way he held himself spoke of frustration and stress. Right behind King Lucifer stood a massive knight in a crude black armor. The knight’s long hair and beard were also black, and the look on his dark eyes was intense and irritated as he stared at Tryden Flowers. That man could cut Tryden in two with a single swing of his sword. They walked closer, and the herald announced the titles of Lucifer Dryland for them.
“Tryden Flowers.” The King spoke as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. “Here, as summoned.” Tryden answered with his cold grin. “I imagine you feel proud of yourself.” The King said with a cynical tone. “Your reputation has brought you here after all, bargaining a contract with the King. Let me tell you the truth, Tryden Flowers – you are scum.” Tryden chuckled for the King’s words. “A scum that you need, Your Grace.” He replied with a sly tone. The King still looked at him with distaste in his eyes.
“Do I?” He finally asked, now a very small grin appearing on his face. “Perhaps I have only summoned you here to have Ser Blackheart plunge his sword into your heart, and end your days of murdering and pillaging.” The knight in black armor moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. Nealia looked at Tryden. There was no fear in the man’s eyes, but the smugness was also gone, replaced by silent anger. The smirk on Lucifer Dryland’s face got wider as Tryden stayed silent. “What is your worth to me, Reachman bastard?” He asked coldly. “Forty more men to my army, is that it?”
“I believe you know that’s not the best way to use the Rose Company.” Tryden answered, his voice heavy and sober. The King narrowed his eyes. “I do indeed.” He said finally. A moment of tense silence followed, and the King moved his eyes to Nealia. “Who is the girl?” He asked, a touch of genuine curiosity in his voice.
“She is Nealia Sand, bastard daughter of King Vorian Dayne.” Tryden spoke calmly, and for a second Lucifer’s eyes widened in surprise. “Does Vorian know his bastard is in your company?” The King asked, turning his eyes back to Tryden.
“He does not.” Nealia answered strictly, making the King look at her again. “And neither does he need to know; I am a grown woman.” A grin appeared on Lucifer’s face again. “I can certainly see that.” He said and it looked as if his smile turned a bit more genuine. “So, Nealia Sand, would you say that Tryden Flowers is someone I can trust?” The King asked, leaning back against his chair. Nealia gulped, she could feel the stare of Tryden even if she didn’t look towards him, and the King obviously looked at her with great interest – certainly paying attention to every word.
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy] [Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough] [Say that Tryden is untrustworthy]
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough] This choice seems like a perfect medium to me. Nealia does not know Tryden well enough to say if he is completely trustworthy or not, but it is probably not a good idea to offend him this early in the story either. I also see this option as leaning more toward the truth since Tryden seems like he would keep his obligation if paid well enough especially from what he has said in the story. I will say though that in my opinion, Tryden also seems like a man who regardless of what he is paid wants to end up on the winning side like any sellsword so I could see him switching sides once it is obvious that the Drylands will lose. Ultimately though, excellent part and I am most curious to see if Nealia will stay with the Rose Company or eventually switch sides on her own!
[Say Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough]
I don't think we should go pissing off Tryden right now. We're not friends with anyone in Rose Company, which puts us in a bad situation if we make any fuck ups. This compromise should keep Tryden happy, and no doubt the Dryland will just perceive him as the sellsword scum he appears to be. However, he'll likely have a lower look on Naelia, though better that then gaining enemies if you ask me.
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough]
Let's be honest, we don't know him well enough so better not to lie or be not too honest. This choice seem to be middle ground and acceptable for describing a sellsword - he may even get more money than expected from that.
And yes, I noticed it and I liked it a lot :-)
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough] seems good.
Edit: I'd like to disregard my vote because I misinterpreted the choices.
It's not about if I trust him or not, it's about if he is trustworthy.
I'd switch my vote to [Say that Tryden is trustworthy when he's paid right]
Although I'm still very doubtful that he is more than just a sellsword.
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough]
This is a very hard choice for me. Both, Tryden and Lucifer are not the kind of people I want to anger. Saying that Tryden is untrustworthy would certainly anger him, while saying that Tryden is trustworthy could backfire spectacularly if he later turns out to be untrustworthy. The thing is, I don't know if he is trustworthy or not, as he is still an enigma for me. Maybe he is trustworthy and loyal to his employer, but to be honest, he does not exactly give me this impression. He is a sellsword, so I am pretty sure his loyalty can be bought. In any way, this seems like a middle way, but I still see it as a risk. Theoretically, it can please the king and Tryden. However, Lucifer could also misinterpret it as a veiled threat that he should pay them enough, while Tryden could be angered by her bluntness and the implication that he is not loyal when he is unhappy with the payment. I still see it as better than outright saying that Tryden is untrustworthy, as that would probably ruin her chances with the company, but I am not sure if it is better than saying that Tryden is trustworthy. For now I'll stay with this choice, but I have to continue to think about it.
[Say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough]
Voting is closed!
I'm sorry if you missed the voting, but this one is so clear that there isn't really a reason to keep it open any longer. Nealia will say that Tryden is trustworthy when paid enough. Seems like a good compromise, if you want to keep both Tryden and Lucifer happy. Well, somewhat happy at least. In the next Nealia part we'll get more into what kind of job exactly would the King have for the Rose Company.
But the next part will take us once again to the Kingsgrave. I haven't made much progress with the part yet, but it should be done within a couple days. So, here's the recap: After humiliating and killing Ser Rud the Short - Kingsguard exposed as a spy - the King Albin arrived same night to the chamber (more like a dungeon) of Missy, a young woman with tragic and mysterious past. Missy had seen the killing of Rud and knew Albin would come to her, as she had a close and twisted relationship with the King. When the King arrived Missy kept him pleased, even going as far as saying that she loves him. The King spent the night with her. At the morning Missy was woken up by one of the King's freaks, Tom the Animal. Tom talked about how Albin is planning to march to war against the Fowlers, and Missy felt slightly disappointed that the King hadn't talked about that to her. After eating a breakfast Missy wandered around the castle, ending up in the empty throne room. As she was admiring the stony throne of the Great King, Queen Sofina (Albin's second wife and mother of his every child except the heir, Prince Arvin) surprised her. They had a short and tense chat, which ended to Sofina saying that if Missy ever needed help she could come to her. After her chat with the Queen Missy made her way to the torture cells, where she and the freaks of the King often spent time. She found Larry the Kind, Matt the Mute and Ronny torturing a handmaiden of Sanya Purell, Prince Arvin's bride. Missy told them they shouldn't be torturing someone like that, but they just said that she had been mocking Ronny behind their back, and Arvin or Sanya wouldn't need to know about this. Larry offered Missy to stay and watch, but instead she decided she would go and tell about this to the Queen. And that's where we will begin our next part.
To hype up the next part, here's a Missy illustration I made today
I'll probably make something like this of the other PoVs as well at some point.
I'll post the part later tonight when it's ready
Wow, that one is cool - so psychedelic and creepy :-o
Missy
”Oh sweet girl.” Queen Sofina said with a piercing look on her dark blue eyes, her lips forming a small smile. “When I said you could come to me if you need help, I certainly didn’t expect you’d come the same day.” Missy clenched her teeth in irritation, and Sofina chuckled dryly. They were in a large and gloriously furnished room where the Queen had been spending her afternoon with several ladies of the court. When Missy arrived, the Queen had dismissed them all.
“So, are you not going to help me?” Missy asked with monotone words. The Queen let out a small sigh. “Well, you have to explain this a bit more clearly before I can give you an answer to that.” She said calmly. “You say a handmaiden is being held at the torture cells – whose handmaiden?”
“Sanya Purell’s.” Missy answered, staring the Queen to the eyes. “Handmaiden of the heir’s bride.” Sofina stated with emotionless words. “You said you don’t know her name, but what did she look like?” The Queen asked, and Missy tried to remember the best she could. “Blonde hair, round face, green eyes.” Missy listed and Sofina nodded to her words. “I think I know who she is.” She stated with her calm voice. “Shana Sand, daughter of Lord Mors Littlemill. Luckily she is only a bastard, otherwise we might’ve had a problem with our vassal.”
“So what are we going to do?” Missy asked, after a moment of silence. The Queen let out a tired sigh. “That girl is a fool, but I suppose even she doesn’t deserve this.” Sofina spoke more to herself than to Missy. “We will get her out of there, and hide her away. After that we must make sure that she will not be found, not by the freaks, not by Sanya or Arvin, not by the King, and not by her family.” Missy nodded in agreement.
“Come here tomorrow evening, after the feast.” The Queen told her with a deadly serious look on her eyes. Missy gulped. “I will.” She answered. A small hint of a smile appeared on the Queen’s face, and then she walked away.
The rest of that day Missy felt restless, nervous and anxious. Why am I doing this? She sat at the corner of her dark room, cursing herself. She should have just stayed at the cells, she should have just stayed and watched. What do I care about the stupid girl? It was girls like that who looked at her like trash in the court, even if she had once been more beautiful than any of them.
With her head full of these troubling thoughts, Missy fell asleep that night. She dreamt of drowning. It was a giant skeleton pulling her down towards the bottom of the sea. But as she looked up, she saw two hands emerging from the surface. The first hand looked young and powerful, whereas the other one was old and weak – it could never save Missy. She turned towards the young and powerful hand, but when she grabbed it she realized that the hand was made of rough scales that scratched the skin from Missy’s hand. She tried to break free, but the skeleton and the scaled hand tore her apart. And then she saw the old hand, still trying to reach for her, but it was too late. And she woke up, sweating and gasping for air in her dark room, as if she had really been drowning. The dream quickly escaped her mind, only leaving behind the anxious feeling.
-
That day Missy mostly stayed in her room. She fetched something to eat and drink couple times, but her appetite disappeared after a couple of bites. She was about to act against the King’s freaks, murderous bastards, torturers. She walked around her room the whole day, sweating and waiting for the evening.
When the time finally came, Missy left her room. She wandered around the corridors, slowly making her way to the room where the Queen would be waiting for her. As she reached for the handle of the door, she noticed that her hands were shaking, but she clenched her teeth together and opened the door all the same.
In the dimly lit room she saw two figures sitting by the table. The other one was Queen Sofina, as expected, but the other one was Alaric Manwoody – brother of the King. Alaric was often referred as “the saner of the two” behind the man's back, and supposedly that was the truth. There the King’s brother sat by the table, a stern look on his face. Alaric had a long white hair and short stubble beard, and he was dressed in gold and black robes. As Missy walked closer she noticed that there was one more person in the room. From the shadows emerged a dark skinned man who was dressed in purple silk robes, a blue scarf around his neck and a purple turban covering his hair. The man had a puny black mustache and a calm look on his brown eyes. This mysterious man was called the Purple Ocelot. During her year at Kingsgrave Missy had seen the Purple Ocelot only few times – always with Alaric.
“My brother’s whore.” Alaric stated coldly, looking at Missy with disdain. “She is the one who informed me about the situation.” Queen Sofina explained calmly. “Go ahead Missy, tell Prince Alaric what exactly has happened.” Missy gulped and composed her thoughts. Then she explained all she had seen at the torture cells, and as the story went on she could see anger building in Alaric Manwoody’s eyes.
“Those idiots.” He muttered after Missy was done talking. “I will send the Purple Ocelot take care of this. He can go there before the dawn, kill whoever gets in his way and take that bastard girl away. After that we can hide her away.” Missy was not sure if she liked this idea. If the Purple Ocelot would kill whoever would be guarding the cell, the freaks might connect it to her. They would come after me. Queen Sofina shook her head.
“It would be better to do this without killing.” She said calmly. “For practical reasons. If someone is found dead, that might spark Albin’s interest, and we don’t want him mixed to this.” Alaric sighed with frustration. “I know my brother." He replied. "He doesn’t care if some freak dies – they are mere playthings to him.” Missy wondered if what Alaric said was true, but the Queen didn’t look convinced.
“So we have two plans, but there are three of us... and well, your killer. Let’s hear what is Missy’s suggestion.” The Queen said with a smirk on her face. Alaric let out a sarcastic laugh and shook his head. “You would listen to that whore’s opinion?” He asked with scorning tone, and the Queen nodded to him.
“Missy is very close to the King.” The Queen replied. “She might be more influential than either of us.” This made the King’s brother frown in anger. As the room stayed silent for a while, Missy started to get nervous, but finally Alaric just let out a small laugh full of disbelief. “Alright then.” He muttered, frustration and amusement in his words. “What is your opinion, whore?”
[Alaric's plan - killing] [Sofina's plan - no killing]
Dammit, hadn't participated in important voting
Well, at least my preferable option won, so I guess my vote wouldn't be decisive.
Yeah, it was 7-0-0 for the winning option so nothing lost necessarily
Well I have to say this is another great part and that Missy's story no doubt has had the hardest choices so far. This choice in particular has had me debating on which choice would be best and honestly I still am not sure on if the choice I am making is the right one. As much as i would like to those torturers get what they deserve, I have decided though to go with [Sofina's plan - no killing]. A big part of why I have chosen this option is your drawing of her character and seeing what she has become especially with you saying that she has not always been like how she is now. I think a big part of her story is either her ascending even further toward madness or returning to a more sane state of mind. So I am thinking that choosing not to kill will be a step in the right direction in the path of gaining some of her sanity back. I could be way off the mark but it does seem to make sense at this point.
Perfect.
[Sofina's plan - no killing]
This was not an easy choice, though ultimately, aside from the fact that CM3434 is right in my opinion and Missy's mental health might be at stake with many of her choices in this particular storyline, I also think that Sofina's plan has less risks in general. There's no doubt that Albin's freaks deserve to die and I hope they will eventually get what's coming to them. However, killing them may very well draw Albin's attention. He may not care for them in particular, but he might be interested in finding out who killed his men regardless, to find out if he is in danger as well. Aside from that, while Albin perhaps won't care at all, the surviving freaks will surely care and they could draw the connection to Missy, which could end horribly for her. So, let's keep it save. No one must die for now.
By the way, this was a great part! I must say, in terms of looks I'm enjoying this Purple Ocelot guy immensely, hopefully we'll see more of him even if we decide for Sofina's plan. His name is kinda cool and he seems to have quite an interesting sense of fashion XD At the same time, the way I just had to imagine him in my head, he looked a bit weird with his fabulous purple turban, but I'm certainly liking him.
Also, Missy's dream intrigues me. I have no doubt that it was foreshadowing, given how important dreams are in the Ice and Fire books. So, I'm going to try my best and speculate. There is the skeleton in her dreams and with this, I have no doubts that it symbolizes Albin, or House Manwoody in general. After all, their sigil is a crowned skull. The hands are a bit harder to interpret though. The old hand might stand for an old character, of which there are plenty. The ones I can think of on the spot are Garrison Fowler, Myke (who is sort of old-ish if I'm not mistaken) and Alaric, though I guess they won't remain the only old characters in the story. The other hand, the one with the rough scales, is far harder though, as I don't even have the hint of a lead with it. After coming to the conclusion that the skeleton=Manwoody, I had the idea that the scales might symbolize another house's sigil, so I checked the dornish noble houses. The ones who have animals with scales on their sigils are the Houses Wyl and Toland. Of the two of them, House Wyl is located much closer to Kingsgrave. However, I ultimately think that this is assumption is a bit of a stretch, though I'll certainly keep my eyes open for a character with a reptile-theme.