Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken arms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get nervous though, as their force of hundred men could retreat very quickly if there was need for it.
Tomas dismounted his horse. He walked next to the sellsword named Nakafos Vhassyr, a man on his early thirties. Nakafos was a foreigner, from the city of Myr. He had olive skin, brown eyes with sharp look on them, long face, long black hair, and a goatee. He was wearing a black chainmail and a purple coat, and he was armed with a curved sword that had a golden hilt.
“The men will want the women.” Nakafos said smoothly, and Tomas nodded. “They can have them.” He grunted. He took no pleasure of this, but it was the way of the war. Every night he prayed the Father to judge justly those that his men had murdered that day, and every morning he prayed the Warrior to bring strength to the arms of his men for that day. Tomas served his Lord and his house, but even more importantly he served the Seven.
Tomas stepped closer to the people of the village, who were backed against the barn’s wall. There were almost twenty of them. Couple children, couple elderly, few men who hadn’t taken arms against them, and the rest were women – from teens to forties.
“Why are you doing this?” One of the women asked with shaky voice, tears in her eyes. “I am acting by the command of Lord Donovar Toland. Your liege lord, Mors Martell, is in war with him.” Tomas explained emotionlessly. He eyed the people, thinking who he would leave alive, who would be sent to Ghost Hill, and so on. Some needed to be killed – to install fear to the hearts of the enemy. Then there needed to be those who would tell on the story, to spread the fear. But it would also be wasting not to send a couple able bodied men or women to work in Ghost Hill. The men were still searching for loot in the houses, but soon they would come for the women, so Tomas had to make his decision quickly.
“You and you, here.” Tomas said with commanding tone, pointing at one young man who looked sickly, and one older man. The two men followed his order. When they were in front of him, he unsheathed his dagger, and stabbed both of them to death. The two men fell down in front of him, gurgling during their final breaths. The rest of the people looked shocked – just as planned. “You.” Tomas pointed now at a young and vigorous man. The young man gulped. “No need to fear, you will not be killed.” Tomas continued with monotone words, and with cautious steps the man walked closer.
“What’s your name young man?” Tomas asked, looking to the brown eyes of this man who was probably on his early twenties. “Dallen, m’lord.” He answered quietly. For a moment Tomas kept eyeing at the boy, pondering if he’d be any use for House Toland. “Take this one, Nakafos. We’ll send him to Ghost Hill later.” He spoke to the Myrman, who nodded to him and grabbed the young man with him. Tomas gave one more look for the villagers, and turned away from them, hoping his men would be wise enough to leave at least few of them alive.
-
Tomas had claimed the largest of the houses as his quarters for the night they would stay in the village. He was eyeing a map of the eastern coast of Dorne, hearing the screams of a young woman from the other house. Outside the house he heard the sellswords laughing and speaking loudly. It was hard to concentrate, especially since he was starting to get tired, but he needed to plan ahead. His brother’s commands hadn’t been very elaborate, so it was for him to use these men the best he could to help House Toland win this war.
Tomas closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. Then he heard the door opening behind him. He turned his head to see Ser Garibald of Sevengrace walk into the room. Garibald was a young knight, proudly sporting the sigil of his small house – an orange seven-pointed star – in his yellow tabard. The curly brown hair of the man was combed back, a thin stubble had started to take over his usually clean shaven face, and the look on his bright blue eyes was slightly tired.
“Ser Garibald.” Tomas said with calm and powerful words. “What brings you here?” Garibald gave Tomas a small bow before answering. “My Lord, a lone rider just arrived with a message.” He said, touch of nervousness in his words. “He says that he is sent by Lord Efran Dalt, and his message is for you.” Tomas looked at Garibald with a frown. “The Lord of House Dalt is Daris Dalt, and I’ve never heard of this Efran Dalt.” He said coldly, and Garibald gulped. “He is the bastard’s bastard, son of Jaxar Sand who rebelled against his half-brother Daris Dalt almost twenty years ago.” The young knight explained, and Tomas let out a sigh. “And now the bastard’s bastard wants to finish what his father started, aye? Well then, bring the man in.” Garibald nodded to Tomas and walked back to the door. Soon he returned with a pale and bearded man. This man was around the same age with Tomas, quite tall and muscular, and dressed lightly. He had a bushy black beard, a long nose that had clearly endured several hard punches, dark eyes and a red turban in his head.
“Lord Tomas Toland.” The man said, his lips forming a small smile – though his eyes didn’t smile. “I am Dono Mopera, and I’m here to deliver you a message from Efran Dalt, the rightful Lord of Lemonwood.” Tomas let out a joyless chuckle.
“And how is this bastard ‘rightful’ lord of anything?” Tomas asked with hardly any interest in his voice. The smile on Dono’s face didn’t die, and he took a couple steps closer. “Haven’t you heard the story of Jaxar Dalt?” The man asked with sly tone.
“I have heard the story of Jaxar Sand.” Tomas replied, and now it was Dono who chuckled. “And what a sad story it is.” The bearded man said. “But now Efran is back in Dorne to take his place as the Lord of Lemonwood. He has gathered men around him, and started to bring down supporters of the false lord Daris.”
“And you are here to tell me that?” Tomas asked coldly, and Dono gave him a small nod. “I’m also here to offer you an alliance.” He replied with a smile on his face. “We can both help each other. You want to bring down Martells, we want to bring down Daris. They have an alliance; we should help out each other as well.”
“And why did you come to me with this message?” Tomas asked, narrowing his eyes. “I am not the Lord of Ghost Hill, if you didn’t know.”
“I was originally making my way to Ghost Hill with this message, but I heard about your small army roaming these lands, so I decided to find you instead.” Dono explained calmly, and Tomas let out a tired sigh. “And what exactly do you want from this alliance?” He asked.
“Simple. Give troops to us, to help us make sure that Lord Daris won’t be able to help Lord Mors in his war against you.” Dono spoke like it was an obvious choice for Tomas to make, but he shook his head. “As I said, I am not the Lord of Ghost Hill.” He turned his eyes to the table as he spoke.
“But you agree that this alliance would benefit us both?” Dono asked. Tomas let out a dry chuckle and raised his eyes from the table. “Perhaps.” He said simply. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to help this bastard take over Lemonwood, but he had to admit that this alliance could be useful.
“So, if you can’t make that decision, would you come to Ghost Hill with me, to recommend this alliance to you Lord brother?” Dono looked sharply at Tomas with his dark eyes. Leaving would mean leaving the troops at the command of Nakafos Vhassyr. Nakafos was surely capable commander, but perhaps not that trustworthy. Perhaps he could send Garibald to escort Dono. All the same, Tomas still felt unsure of this whole alliance.
[Go to Ghost Hill with Dono][Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald][Tell Dono to go home]
-
P.S. I have to admit this part is a bit rushed, but there is a reason for it. I'm leaving tomorrow with my family to the cottage of our relatives. It's in a place with basically no internet (and I wouldn't really take my laptop anyway), and we won't come back until either late Saturday, or Sunday. Sooo that's why I wanted to get this part out tonight. I hope it's readable
And yeah, this was a new PoV, probably the most asshole PoV so far And the first "original" by me (=not submitted by reader). Don't worry, he isn't a very major character
But being serious now... he should not abandon his mission or send away other people who might be needed in the fight they are in right now. We may miss the alliance, but we may as well loose troops because of 1 important man difference.
Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken … morearms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get … [view original content]
Probably another new PoV for the east coast. There are gonna be a couple of these smaller PoVs taking over the eastern storyline in this chapter, but some of them will prove to be "temporary" if you know what I mean
[Tell Dono to go home]
Go home Dono, you're drunk.
But being serious now... he should not abandon his mission or send away other peopl… moree who might be needed in the fight they are in right now. We may miss the alliance, but we may as well loose troops because of 1 important man difference.
Great part! Who's next?
Probably another new PoV for the east coast. There are gonna be a couple of these smaller PoVs taking over the eastern storyline in this chapter, but some of them will prove to be "temporary" if you know what I mean
I'd hope that we could maybe send a raven back to Ghost Hill just to ensure our lord that we also support the alliance, but we can't just leave the battle right now.
Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken … morearms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get … [view original content]
Probably another new PoV for the east coast. There are gonna be a couple of these smaller PoVs taking over the eastern storyline in this chapter, but some of them will prove to be "temporary" if you know what I mean
Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken … morearms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get … [view original content]
I was a bit torn between this and telling Dono to go home. Personally, I am rooting for the Martells in this war, as they are not the ones raiding innocent villages so far. Also, Tomas seems to be a piece of work and that is another reason for me to root for the Martells. This alliance would probably benefit the Tolands. However, there is the thing that I don't trust Dono either and hope that he secretly plots against the Tolands as well, to get out of this war as the strongest party. Besides, having him allying with the Tolands will undoubtedly strengthen the alliance between the Houses Martell and Dalt, as it gives them a common enemy, so it's not all bad.
Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken … morearms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get … [view original content]
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald] I have to agree with most of the others on this one, it really is the choice that would benefit House Toland the most at this point. Also, Tomas should stay with his men so having Dono go with Ser Garibald is a good compromise.
Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken … morearms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get … [view original content]
Since Wildlingking won't be posting for a couple days, we should talk about what we think about the story so far.
I really want to know the outcome of Missy's last part. I'm also curious to where the fowler storyline will go, especially since one of my characters is in that storyline. What do you guys think?
Very nice idea! Like you, I am also interested in the continuation of Missy's latest part, that is building up into something deeply intriguing. In general, everything revolving around the Manwoody-Blackmont-Fowler war is currently my favourite thing in the story. Having two characters in Blackmont certainly helps, but with that storyline, I love how there's this awesome mixture of a worldly and morally sound side of the court with Gwendis and the contrasting darker side of the court, with Benedict and his magical pet snakes. This duality is fascinating for me. I am also loving the Fowler storyline, especially now that they seem to connect with the Blackmont storyline. Garrison is my favourite king so far, as well as one of my favourite characters in the story in general and I like how he is interacting with his family members. Another storyline I am looking forward for is Jamison's quest to secure an alliance with House Dryland, because I am curious how he is going to interact with Lucifer Dryland, considering that both have very strong personalities.
Since Wildlingking won't be posting for a couple days, we should talk about what we think about the story so far.
I really want to know the… more outcome of Missy's last part. I'm also curious to where the fowler storyline will go, especially since one of my characters is in that storyline. What do you guys think?
Tomas will send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald. Seems like a good compromise.
And yeah, sorry about this little break. I'm working on the next part, which is another new PoV to eastern storyline. I'd say it's ready tomorrow or perhaps Thursday.
This is a really cool drawing! The contrast between the drawings of Missy, Gwendis, and now Jamison is neat to see and it seems to show a difference between all of them and their individual characteristics which I find really cool. Jamison is just as imagined and I would say even better than imagined. Thanks for drawing him!
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was another hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor was a cheerful man on his mid-forties, almost always having a smile on his angular and rough face. His black and curly hair was cut quite short, and it showed its first signs of greying. Javor had been chose to lead the convoy along with Dianna and Captain Sanyra – who rode at the back of the group – and Dianna could see the old soldier was honored by this assignment.
“You seem tense.” Javor stated as he looked at Dianna. “Is everything alright?” Dianna shrugged for an answer. “If you are worried about those bandits, I can assure you they won’t attack against this many armed men.” Javor continued with carefree tone, and Dianna nodded subtly.
“There’s just something suspicious about this.” Dianna said, keeping her voice down so the Dalts in front of them wouldn’t hear. “I mean, how can the problem with some bandits be so bad that the Dalts can’t handle it themselves?” Javor stayed quiet for a moment – perhaps he had wondered about this too. “Well, bandits can be a pain in the ass, especially if they are well organized.” Javor spoke, stroking his chin.
Well organized? Dianna sighed, she was too tired to think about this now. They continued their way towards the bridge, as the burning sun slowly moved towards west.
-
When the convoy finally arrived to the bridge, they were welcomed by a grim surprise. The wooden bridge had been burned to ashes. Dianna closed her eyes in frustration as she heard muffled curses from the soldiers. Adian Dalt looked shocked, and the Dalt general’s stare was full of rage.
“Is this the work of those bandits?” Dianna finally asked with monotone words, and Adian gulped. “Yes.” The general answered sternly.
“Is there another bridge somewhere?” Captain Sanyra asked, keeping her voice calm. Javor let out a small sigh. “There is a ford where we can cross the river, almost a day’s travel to west from here.” Even this usually cheerful man’s voice was clearly a bit frustrated.
“We can’t make our camp here.” The Dalt general said. “The bandits might still be close by.” Dianna narrowed her eyes. “And we have fifty armed soldiers.” She remarked. “Didn’t you lord specifically ask us for cleaning up those bandits?”
“Right now our priority is to escort Adian safely to home.” The General replied, turning to Adian, who looked nervous as always. “We… we’ll keep moving to west.” The noble boy stated his command, and his general nodded proudly. And so they continued their riding, as the sun kept falling.
-
After riding miles and miles to west they had found a perfect place for a camp. They were on a small cliff, and there was only one direction that they could be attacked from. From here they could also see far to every direction, so they wouldn’t be surprised. After commanding her soldiers to set up the camp, Dianna sat on a small rock at the edge of the cliff, gazing the sunset in the west. Aside from the Greenblood the view was quite dull. Rocks, small bushes and trees near the river – and sand. Even the Greenblood itself felt quite underwhelming to someone who had grown up at the Rhoyne.
Dianna had managed to let go off Rhoyne long ago, but Dorne still didn’t feel like home to her. Maybe it was because of how many times they had to leave behind a place that had started to feel like home on their long journey, but Dianna just couldn’t trust that this would be the place where she would live the rest of her life. We are building a home on quicksand.
Dianna turned her head to look at Adian, who was talking with his general, gazing at the southern side of the river. As she eyed those two, Javor sat down next to her.
“Good evening.” He said with a smile. “Would you like some wine?” He asked, dangling a flask in his hand. Dianna shook her head. “I ought to keep a clear head.” She said calmly, making Javor raise an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
“There is just something wrong with this whole situation.” She said quietly. For a moment Javor stayed quiet. “I’m sorry to say this Dianna, but you are being a bit paranoid.” He said, trying to look Dianna to the eyes, but she kept her stare firmly at the sunset.
“You said yourself earlier about these bandits possibly being well organized. But why? Why would the bandits be so well organized that they’d possess a threat to this many soldiers?” Dianna shook her head. “And why are they tormenting just the Dalts? There have been no such problems in our lands lately.” Javor let out a chuckle. “You are overthinking this Dianna, just let it go.” He spoke with a gentle tone, but it still managed to annoy her.
“Well I can’t just stop thinking.” Dianna snapped, and let out a sigh. “I mean, look at that boy.” She nodded towards Adian Dalt. “He is glancing around himself like we’d be under attack any minute.” Javor gave Dianna a calm nod.
“He is a young boy who is most likely first time this far away from home.” Javor’s words were soft and understanding. “But if it really bothers you so much, why wouldn’t you go ask him yourself?” Dianna turned her gaze down. Maybe she should, but she was afraid the noble boy wouldn’t take that so well. She was just a soldier after all, it wasn’t her place to ask questions. But we need to know what is going on.
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
That guy is up to something, I suppose. His behaviour is shady and I guess there is the possibility that he has indeed arranged for an ambush, that he is secretly on the Toland's side and that he allied with this bastard's bastard. The best outcome will be that Dianna prevents an ambush, or at least is going to make things considerably harder for those who might be about to attack them. The worst outcome will be that some young brat is going to be upset at her, which I'm sure she's not going to be too bothered by.
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
Doing nothing may turn out to be a very bad decision. Dianna also seems to be a person who might intimidate the consistently nervous Adian into giving some answers, if there is anything wrong.
[Confront Adian]
That guy is up to something, I suppose. His behaviour is shady and I guess there is the possibility that he has indeed a… morerranged for an ambush, that he is secretly on the Toland's side and that he allied with this bastard's bastard. The best outcome will be that Dianna prevents an ambush, or at least is going to make things considerably harder for those who might be about to attack them. The worst outcome will be that some young brat is going to be upset at her, which I'm sure she's not going to be too bothered by.
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
I'm not sure the longevity of this Pov, she is no Nymeria so I'm not going to play it safe. But I definitely think she can't just sit on her ass this time.
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
Well, as Liquid said, there's no disadvantages of this choice. It's better to do anything, staying quiet may be pretty dangerous in the long term and we do not know where will it lead to. Anyway - great part here, I see we have few new interesting POVs, we'll see how it works, I just hope it will not add unnecessary plots, because sometimes it really worsens whole story. Too early to judge though, so I'll give it time, keep it up
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was an… moreother hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor… [view original content]
Yeah, there are pretty much PoVs atm, but I had to add couple of them to the eastern storyline, because it was practically carried by only Nymeria who is famously wielding her plotarmor (and Nealia who isn't really there yet). Overall though, these are all different perspectives to the same storyline (Tomas, Dianna, Nealia, Nymeria), and it's a storyline that I'm very much looking forward to, so I hope it'll be enjoyable.
[Confront Adian]
Well, as Liquid said, there's no disadvantages of this choice. It's better to do anything, staying quiet may be pretty d… moreangerous in the long term and we do not know where will it lead to. Anyway - great part here, I see we have few new interesting POVs, we'll see how it works, I just hope it will not add unnecessary plots, because sometimes it really worsens whole story. Too early to judge though, so I'll give it time, keep it up
Dianna won't just let this slide, she is going to confront Adian Dalt, and ask him what the hell is going on here. Obviously we might have some idea of that already, since we've heard many characters talk about the situation around House Dalt, but for Dianna's (and the other soldiers') own safety it's probably good if she can get the truth out of this noble boy.
So, was this a bit early? Eh, maybe, but this one was so clear that there is no reason to keep it open any longer - especially since the next part is almost ready! We make our return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. This one should be a pretty interesting part...
Anyway, here is the recap: Last time we saw Gwendis, she was frustrated at the situation where she was managing the war that her father started, as the gathering of the army wasn't going so well. The news of deserters arrived to the council, and Gwendis had an argument with Lyla Sand about how should that be approached. Ultimately the problem was pushed aside to be resolved later. Gwendis was also feeling a bit of regret over not sending a raven to Starfall, but when her brother returned to Blackmont she got an idea: Later that day she suggested to Naemon that he should ride to Starfall and plead the help of the Daynes. Naemon accepted the mission.
Today Gwendis ate her dinner alone. She was in her chambers, chewing the well seasoned venison and wondering how far had his brother already rode, and when would he arrive to Starfall. She was happy that Naemon had chosen her mission over Benedict’s, even if that wasn’t really a surprise – Naemon had little love for their father.
Gwendis’ stressed mind returned to the council meeting from earlier that day. She was already fed up with this war, and it had barely even begun. Complaints kept coming to court, and reports of disorder. Only one of these reports had anything to do with the enemy of the war though – by the Wide Way, on the village of Bloodhill a group of Manwoody knights had murdered a few men. “They came from the south and continued to north”, the old man had said as he explained the incident to the council. Most of the reports though were about quarrels between their own soldiers and peasants, or about troublemaking of the deserters.
The army outside their walls was slowly growing, though it was still way too small for marching to war, even if Lord Oakswood had arrived with his small forces from the western border of their kingdom. Part of Gwendis hoped that their attempts to gather an army would fail and they would have to stay out of this war. At the same time though, she understood that that would be a massive sign of weakness for King Albin.
The door was knocked. “Come in.” Gwendis said with little interest in her voice, as she expected it was just one of her handmaidens. However, as the door was opened Gwendis saw a young man in simple wool tunic and trousers.
“My Princess.” The boy started with a polite tone and bowed. “I was sent by Maester Mortin – he wishes to speak with you.” Gwendis raised an eyebrow. “Did he tell you why he wants to meet me?” Gwendis asked kindly, and the boy gave her a nod. “A raven arrived with an important message – that is all I know. He is waiting for you by the council chamber; may I escort you?” Gwendis shook her head for the servant boy’s question.
“No need, you can go. I’ll finish my meal and change my clothes before I go.” Gwendis spoke calmly, and the boy left her room with a deep bow.
-
Gwendis walked down the stairs from the tower, dressed in a simple cloak, hood over her head. She knew it had to be important if the maester had specifically called for her, so she didn’t want any interruptions. She dreaded what kind of news Mortin would have for her. Dark wings, dark words.
As Gwendis walked with quick steps through the hallway next to the throne room, she heard a woman’s voice call behind her. It was a cold and hollow voice, and it caught the Princess completely off guard.
“Princess.” The voice said, and as Gwendis turned around, she saw the priestess Aisha walking towards her, empty look on her purple eyes. Gwendis gave the priestess a small and tense nod as she arrived next to her.
“My Princess.” Aisha repeated. “I dreamt of you.” The words were quiet and full of grief, and for some reason they made Gwendis’ heart beat faster. “Wh- what do you mean?” She asked, failing to keep her voice calm.
“I saw your lonely soul, locked in a cage made of gold. I saw your tears, I heard your screams of rage.” Aisha’s eyes were full of sadness – though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or not – and as she tried to put her hand on Gwendis’ shoulder, the Princess quickly took a step back. “You dreamt this?” Gwendis words were stone cold, as was her glare. The priestess nodded calmly.
“My dreams are pure, the truth sent by the god.” Aisha explained, but Gwendis just let out a nervous chuckle. “And which god would that be?” She asked with a touch of mockery, which didn’t seem to bother Aisha. “The greatest of them all, the one that has no name.” She whispered with zealous tone. “Stay strong, my Princess. I shall pray for you.” With these words Aisha walked away from Gwendis, who was left standing there with a feeling of uneasiness.
After a moment she remembered where she was going. She closed her eyes for a second, and then continued her way towards the council chamber. I refuse to let the words of that witch confuse me, or frighten me.
In a couple of minutes Gwendis arrived to the council chamber. She saw Maester Mortin standing in front of the door, dressed in his usual brown robe and maester’s chain. The maester glanced around himself nervously, until he noticed Gwendis. The Princess walked to Mortin with a serious look on her eyes.
“Are you alright, my Princess?” The maester asked. “You seem… upset.” Gwendis shook her head. “I’m fine.” She stated firmly. “And how about you? Apparently you had something important.” The maester nodded to her words. “Yes, yes, indeed.” He muttered, and started to pull an opened raven scroll from his sleeve. Gwendis immediately spotted the sigil of House Fowler in the seal. A new ally or a new enemy?
“Are they offering an alliance?” Gwendis asked, hoping for the best. “Well, something like that.” Maester Mortin replied with a bit uncomfortable tone, and Gwendis raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean?” She asked, and the maester let out a sigh.
“It’s an offer of marriage.” He said with heavy words. “King Garrison wants to marry his daughter, Princess Isabella, to your brother.” Gwendis didn’t know how to react. This was surely a chance for a great alliance, but she wasn’t sure if Naemon would agree. And father doesn’t really like Garrison. “I will have to take this message to the council and to your father, but I wanted to inform you first.” The maester explained as Gwendis stayed quiet. “I couldn’t find Naemon, but perhaps you could talk to him about this before…”
“Naemon is not in Blackmont.” Gwendis cut the maester off. Mortin’s look was surprised, but he gave her a nod. “Oh… Well, I’m not sure if we can wait…”
“There is no need to wait.” Gwendis said and gave the maester a smile. “Take this message to the council meeting tomorrow. I think we should take this opportunity to an alliance, but I can’t make that decision alone.” Mortin once again nodded to her. “Let’s hope your father sees this the same way.” He said, and Gwendis nodded, even if she had her doubts.
-
Gwendis walked back to the tower where her chamber was, this time without interruptions. She felt sad that Naemon wasn’t here to give his own opinion about the marriage, but what he was doing instead was just as important. Perhaps this war will be over sooner than I thought.
Just as Gwendis started to feel positive enough to let a smile take over her face, she arrived to her chambers. In front of the door were waiting for her three figures that took all the positivity out of her. Lyla Sand, a random sorcerer, and King Benedict. Lyla was leaning against the door with a smirk on her face. The sorcerer was a tall and pale man with white hair and red eyes – and it was impossible to tell the age of this man. In the middle stood Benedict, a look of anger and disappointment in his eyes.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Benedict simply asked, keeping his voice down. Gwendis gulped. “I did what now?” She spoke defiantly, and Lyla let out an annoying chuckle. “Don’t act stupid little girl, we…”
“Quiet!” Benedict roared, interrupting the assassin. “I am speaking with my daughter.” Lyla nodded to her King with submissive look in her eyes. The King stepped closer to Gwendis, now looking her to the eyes. “It was you.” He stated now decisively, still keeping his voice calm. “You sent Naemon away, knowing I had commanded him to stay here.” Gwendis clenched her teeth together.
“And now what?” She asked, her voice a bit shaky but nonetheless powerful. “You are going to give me to your sorcerers and killers? Is that it?” Something changed in Benedict’s eyes – there was still anger, but now there was also grief. For a moment the King turned his eyes away from his daughter. “You love them more than you ever loved me or Naemon anyway!” Gwendis shouted, feeling tears come to her eyes. Benedict shook his head furiously.
“NO!” He shouted, breathing heavily. “I gave you power, real power. I let you do what you loved to do, and this is how you thank me? Act behind my back, dishonor me with your words! I am disappointed Gwendis… I am disappointed.” Gwendis wiped the tears out of her eyes, glancing at Lyla and the sorcerer who observed the situation in silence.
“I will find you a husband, worthy of our name.” Benedict spoke tonelessly, his eyes now turned away from his daughter. “Until then you will be stripped from your position in the council, and you will spend your days here, in your chambers.” Benedict’s voice was cold as ice again. “You leave me no choice, Gwendis. Now, go rest. I will see that you are fed and served well.” Gwendis shook her head. “You are locking me into my chambers.” She spoke with disbelief in her words, but she got no answer from her father. Instead, Lyla Sand opened the door to her chambers, making a mocking gesture for Gwendis to walk in. Benedict walked away in silence, his sorcerer following him. Gwendis had no chance but to walk inside, defeated.
Makes sense. Shoulda seen this coming. But hey maybe it's good that he can't do anything with Naemon right now. But he probably won't approve the marriage.
Gwendis
Today Gwendis ate her dinner alone. She was in her chambers, chewing the well seasoned venison and wondering how far had his brot… moreher already rode, and when would he arrive to Starfall. She was happy that Naemon had chosen her mission over Benedict’s, even if that wasn’t really a surprise – Naemon had little love for their father.
Gwendis’ stressed mind returned to the council meeting from earlier that day. She was already fed up with this war, and it had barely even begun. Complaints kept coming to court, and reports of disorder. Only one of these reports had anything to do with the enemy of the war though – by the Wide Way, on the village of Bloodhill a group of Manwoody knights had murdered a few men. “They came from the south and continued to north”, the old man had said as he explained the incident to the council. Most of the reports though were about quarrels between their own soldiers and peasants, or about troublemaking o… [view original content]
Oh, damn it I really don't know how to feel. I mean, I knew it was a terrible decision to send Naemon away, but well, I knew it and I chose correctly. At the same time, I somehow think Gwendis got lucky in a twisted way, at least considering the circumstances. I fully expected Benedict to use her royal blood for his magic if Gwendis pushes him too far, but he surprised me. It seems he has a tiny bit of a soft spot left for his children, or else he wouldn't have spared her. In fact, the suggestion even seemed to offend him, which is definitely a good thing. At the same time, this is still something very, very bad for Gwendis, no matter whom she is going to marry. I dearly hope she's going to find a way out of that situation, with the help of the Dayne army if necessary. I doubt Naemon is going to just let it happen and in case of conflict, Vorian would probably support his nephew and niece over his former brother-in-law. The only thing that was undoubtedly and wholeheartedly positive in this part was Benedict telling that bitch Lyla to shut her mouth. That, combined with his anger at Gwendis' accusation, gave me a little bit of respect for the man.
Though, this part opened two potential questions. There is this god Aisha mentioned and I immediately had to think, what kind of god has no name. The religion that usually has a monopoly on creepy, potentially amoral priestesses is the faith of the Red God, who very clearly has a name. Aside from that, Aisha doesn't wear red, if I'm not mistaken. Or much at all. There would be the Many-Faced God, whose followers don't have a name, but the god itself is always referred as the Many-Faced-God, if I'm not mistaken, and never as the Nameless God. Then there would be the Great Other, but calling him a nameless god would stretch things a bit as well in my opinion. So... some sort of bizarre cult? Also, was that genuine worry from Aisha, or was it as fake as I expect? And did she hint at Gwendis' current imprisonment, or at her possible life after marriage? Neither sounds very desirable.
Then there is the question to whom Benedict could marry her off to. Considering that he mentioned a husband worthy of the Blackmont name, I doubt it will be one of his bannermen, or any kind of bannerman. As a princess, she needs a prince. Currently, the amount of princes in Dorne is not very high. There are Isabella's brothers, though a potential Fowler alliance can already be reached through marriage between Naemon and Isabella, so I guess they are of the table. Thankfully, Albin Manwoody's son is already betrothed. Malcolm and Jamison are her first cousins and while that is not unthinkable in a society influenced by medieval Europe, Benedict made it clear that he is not very fond of House Dayne, so I guess they are less likely than others. Lucifer Dryland has no sons and unless Benedict means to marry her to the king himself, I don't see anything happen in that direction, which leaves only one possible house left. A while ago, you mentioned that Yorick Yronwood has a son in Isabella's age. Might be more than coincidence.
Gwendis
Today Gwendis ate her dinner alone. She was in her chambers, chewing the well seasoned venison and wondering how far had his brot… moreher already rode, and when would he arrive to Starfall. She was happy that Naemon had chosen her mission over Benedict’s, even if that wasn’t really a surprise – Naemon had little love for their father.
Gwendis’ stressed mind returned to the council meeting from earlier that day. She was already fed up with this war, and it had barely even begun. Complaints kept coming to court, and reports of disorder. Only one of these reports had anything to do with the enemy of the war though – by the Wide Way, on the village of Bloodhill a group of Manwoody knights had murdered a few men. “They came from the south and continued to north”, the old man had said as he explained the incident to the council. Most of the reports though were about quarrels between their own soldiers and peasants, or about troublemaking o… [view original content]
Oh, damn it I really don't know how to feel. I mean, I knew it was a terrible decision to send Naemon away, but well, I knew it and I chose correctly.
Yeah, this has been dancing on a fine line with Gwendis from the beginning, and I kinda assumed that people would vote for a "mistake" option at some point (not saying that the consequences of Naemon going to Starfall are purely negative ofc). But there was a chance to play it safe for very long, and Gwendis could've stayed in the council possibly for the whole first chapter with the right choices.
I fully expected Benedict to use her royal blood for his magic if Gwendis pushes him too far, but he surprised me. It seems he has a tiny bit of a soft spot left for his children, or else he wouldn't have spared her. In fact, the suggestion even seemed to offend him, which is definitely a good thing.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I wanted to show with this part. As shady as Benedict is, he is not a monster, or a madman like Albin. For him seeing Gwen do this is mostly a disappointment, since quite frankly she is his favorite child over Naemon - otherwise he would've married her off long ago.
There is this god Aisha mentioned and I immediately had to think, what kind of god has no name. The religion that usually has a monopoly on creepy, potentially amoral priestesses is the faith of the Red God, who very clearly has a name. Aside from that, Aisha doesn't wear red, if I'm not mistaken. Or much at all. There would be the Many-Faced God, whose followers don't have a name, but the god itself is always referred as the Many-Faced-God, if I'm not mistaken, and never as the Nameless God. Then there would be the Great Other, but calling him a nameless god would stretch things a bit as well in my opinion. So... some sort of bizarre cult?
Good question, and I'm not sure if the answer would necessarily be considered a spoiler, but eh... I think I'm not going to reveal it just yet. It's not the Many-Faced God though, I'll say that much, since the whole "no name" might easily be connected to that god. I'd say that Many-Faced god rather has hundreds of names
Also, was that genuine worry from Aisha, or was it as fake as I expect? And did she hint at Gwendis' current imprisonment, or at her possible life after marriage? Neither sounds very desirable.
You never really know with these shady priestesses what exactly are they talking about Well, I guess I can say that she referred at least to Benedict "imprisoning" Gwendis. There could've been other meanings to it too though, who knows
Then there is the question to whom Benedict could marry her off to.
Most likely Benedict doesn't really know it himself yet, since he hasn't really felt like looking into this before (partly because he has a soft spot for Gwendis, partly because he has had "better things to do"). We'll have to wait and see whom he finds...
Oh, damn it I really don't know how to feel. I mean, I knew it was a terrible decision to send Naemon away, but well, I knew it and I chose… more correctly. At the same time, I somehow think Gwendis got lucky in a twisted way, at least considering the circumstances. I fully expected Benedict to use her royal blood for his magic if Gwendis pushes him too far, but he surprised me. It seems he has a tiny bit of a soft spot left for his children, or else he wouldn't have spared her. In fact, the suggestion even seemed to offend him, which is definitely a good thing. At the same time, this is still something very, very bad for Gwendis, no matter whom she is going to marry. I dearly hope she's going to find a way out of that situation, with the help of the Dayne army if necessary. I doubt Naemon is going to just let it happen and in case of conflict, Vorian would probably support his nephew and niece over his former brother-in-law. The only thing that w… [view original content]
Awesome Like Gwendis, Naemon is just as I have imagined him. And I agree with what CM3434 has said when you've drawn Jamison, the contrast between these characters is really well-done and it shows their individual personalities. Thanks for drawing him!
It sucks to see what has happened to Gwendis but I am also relieved to see that Benedict really does seem to love his daughter and was insulted that Gwendis perceived him to be some kind of monster. I hope that things will get ironed out eventually because it does seem that Benedict has a soft spot for his daughter and if worst comes to worst, Gwendis can escape to Starfall with the Daynes if possible. I also think that Naemon going to Starfall is a good choice because I do not think Vorian would turn down Naemon if he asked for aid and at least at this point, The Kingdom of Torrentine is probably the safest kingdom to be in so the Dayne army will be at full strength and ready to go. Of course, that also depends on how big of a role the Daynes will play in helping the Drylands. Whether that is actually providing troops or if it is just financial aid.
Overall, this is yet another excellent part with some disappointing stuff with Gwendis being kicked off of the small council but also some optimism is there with Naemon going to Starfall to try and bring House Dayne's army back with him and seeing Benedict still does indeed have a heart. Plus the mystery of whether Benedict will accept the betrothal from the Fowlers. There is a lot going on in the Western part of Dorne right now and I look forward to seeing more. Great Job!
Gwendis
Today Gwendis ate her dinner alone. She was in her chambers, chewing the well seasoned venison and wondering how far had his brot… moreher already rode, and when would he arrive to Starfall. She was happy that Naemon had chosen her mission over Benedict’s, even if that wasn’t really a surprise – Naemon had little love for their father.
Gwendis’ stressed mind returned to the council meeting from earlier that day. She was already fed up with this war, and it had barely even begun. Complaints kept coming to court, and reports of disorder. Only one of these reports had anything to do with the enemy of the war though – by the Wide Way, on the village of Bloodhill a group of Manwoody knights had murdered a few men. “They came from the south and continued to north”, the old man had said as he explained the incident to the council. Most of the reports though were about quarrels between their own soldiers and peasants, or about troublemaking o… [view original content]
Wow, you captured my imagination perfectly! You really do have a hand for this, I might start begging you to draw more of my characters when you're not busy XD However, I think you've really captured Ser Myke with perfection, his beard is exactly how I imagined it and as his that hairline :P His armor looks neat as well, I'm overall really happy with this! Thanks
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Tomas
Tomas Toland sat on his horse, walking down the dusty road through the village that his men had just raided. The men who had taken arms against them lied dead on the street, and the rest of the people were gathered next to the barn. Tomas looked at them with no emotion on his green eyes. He was the younger brother of Donovar Toland the Lord of Ghost Hill, and here he was, leading a bunch of hired killers.
Tomas was on his late thirties, he had seen wars before, and he had commanded troops before. He knew that the best way to win wars was to strike fast and devastate the lands of the enemy without mercy – and that’s what his brother had sent him to do with these hired killers. Or at least most of them were hired, though there were also few voluntary knights from the vassal houses. They were still in the northern parts of the Martell lands, but they had made their way a bit deeper, a bit closer to Sandship. There was no need to get nervous though, as their force of hundred men could retreat very quickly if there was need for it.
Tomas dismounted his horse. He walked next to the sellsword named Nakafos Vhassyr, a man on his early thirties. Nakafos was a foreigner, from the city of Myr. He had olive skin, brown eyes with sharp look on them, long face, long black hair, and a goatee. He was wearing a black chainmail and a purple coat, and he was armed with a curved sword that had a golden hilt.
“The men will want the women.” Nakafos said smoothly, and Tomas nodded. “They can have them.” He grunted. He took no pleasure of this, but it was the way of the war. Every night he prayed the Father to judge justly those that his men had murdered that day, and every morning he prayed the Warrior to bring strength to the arms of his men for that day. Tomas served his Lord and his house, but even more importantly he served the Seven.
Tomas stepped closer to the people of the village, who were backed against the barn’s wall. There were almost twenty of them. Couple children, couple elderly, few men who hadn’t taken arms against them, and the rest were women – from teens to forties.
“Why are you doing this?” One of the women asked with shaky voice, tears in her eyes. “I am acting by the command of Lord Donovar Toland. Your liege lord, Mors Martell, is in war with him.” Tomas explained emotionlessly. He eyed the people, thinking who he would leave alive, who would be sent to Ghost Hill, and so on. Some needed to be killed – to install fear to the hearts of the enemy. Then there needed to be those who would tell on the story, to spread the fear. But it would also be wasting not to send a couple able bodied men or women to work in Ghost Hill. The men were still searching for loot in the houses, but soon they would come for the women, so Tomas had to make his decision quickly.
“You and you, here.” Tomas said with commanding tone, pointing at one young man who looked sickly, and one older man. The two men followed his order. When they were in front of him, he unsheathed his dagger, and stabbed both of them to death. The two men fell down in front of him, gurgling during their final breaths. The rest of the people looked shocked – just as planned. “You.” Tomas pointed now at a young and vigorous man. The young man gulped. “No need to fear, you will not be killed.” Tomas continued with monotone words, and with cautious steps the man walked closer.
“What’s your name young man?” Tomas asked, looking to the brown eyes of this man who was probably on his early twenties. “Dallen, m’lord.” He answered quietly. For a moment Tomas kept eyeing at the boy, pondering if he’d be any use for House Toland. “Take this one, Nakafos. We’ll send him to Ghost Hill later.” He spoke to the Myrman, who nodded to him and grabbed the young man with him. Tomas gave one more look for the villagers, and turned away from them, hoping his men would be wise enough to leave at least few of them alive.
-
Tomas had claimed the largest of the houses as his quarters for the night they would stay in the village. He was eyeing a map of the eastern coast of Dorne, hearing the screams of a young woman from the other house. Outside the house he heard the sellswords laughing and speaking loudly. It was hard to concentrate, especially since he was starting to get tired, but he needed to plan ahead. His brother’s commands hadn’t been very elaborate, so it was for him to use these men the best he could to help House Toland win this war.
Tomas closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. Then he heard the door opening behind him. He turned his head to see Ser Garibald of Sevengrace walk into the room. Garibald was a young knight, proudly sporting the sigil of his small house – an orange seven-pointed star – in his yellow tabard. The curly brown hair of the man was combed back, a thin stubble had started to take over his usually clean shaven face, and the look on his bright blue eyes was slightly tired.
“Ser Garibald.” Tomas said with calm and powerful words. “What brings you here?” Garibald gave Tomas a small bow before answering. “My Lord, a lone rider just arrived with a message.” He said, touch of nervousness in his words. “He says that he is sent by Lord Efran Dalt, and his message is for you.” Tomas looked at Garibald with a frown. “The Lord of House Dalt is Daris Dalt, and I’ve never heard of this Efran Dalt.” He said coldly, and Garibald gulped. “He is the bastard’s bastard, son of Jaxar Sand who rebelled against his half-brother Daris Dalt almost twenty years ago.” The young knight explained, and Tomas let out a sigh. “And now the bastard’s bastard wants to finish what his father started, aye? Well then, bring the man in.” Garibald nodded to Tomas and walked back to the door. Soon he returned with a pale and bearded man. This man was around the same age with Tomas, quite tall and muscular, and dressed lightly. He had a bushy black beard, a long nose that had clearly endured several hard punches, dark eyes and a red turban in his head.
“Lord Tomas Toland.” The man said, his lips forming a small smile – though his eyes didn’t smile. “I am Dono Mopera, and I’m here to deliver you a message from Efran Dalt, the rightful Lord of Lemonwood.” Tomas let out a joyless chuckle.
“And how is this bastard ‘rightful’ lord of anything?” Tomas asked with hardly any interest in his voice. The smile on Dono’s face didn’t die, and he took a couple steps closer. “Haven’t you heard the story of Jaxar Dalt?” The man asked with sly tone.
“I have heard the story of Jaxar Sand.” Tomas replied, and now it was Dono who chuckled. “And what a sad story it is.” The bearded man said. “But now Efran is back in Dorne to take his place as the Lord of Lemonwood. He has gathered men around him, and started to bring down supporters of the false lord Daris.”
“And you are here to tell me that?” Tomas asked coldly, and Dono gave him a small nod. “I’m also here to offer you an alliance.” He replied with a smile on his face. “We can both help each other. You want to bring down Martells, we want to bring down Daris. They have an alliance; we should help out each other as well.”
“And why did you come to me with this message?” Tomas asked, narrowing his eyes. “I am not the Lord of Ghost Hill, if you didn’t know.”
“I was originally making my way to Ghost Hill with this message, but I heard about your small army roaming these lands, so I decided to find you instead.” Dono explained calmly, and Tomas let out a tired sigh. “And what exactly do you want from this alliance?” He asked.
“Simple. Give troops to us, to help us make sure that Lord Daris won’t be able to help Lord Mors in his war against you.” Dono spoke like it was an obvious choice for Tomas to make, but he shook his head. “As I said, I am not the Lord of Ghost Hill.” He turned his eyes to the table as he spoke.
“But you agree that this alliance would benefit us both?” Dono asked. Tomas let out a dry chuckle and raised his eyes from the table. “Perhaps.” He said simply. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to help this bastard take over Lemonwood, but he had to admit that this alliance could be useful.
“So, if you can’t make that decision, would you come to Ghost Hill with me, to recommend this alliance to you Lord brother?” Dono looked sharply at Tomas with his dark eyes. Leaving would mean leaving the troops at the command of Nakafos Vhassyr. Nakafos was surely capable commander, but perhaps not that trustworthy. Perhaps he could send Garibald to escort Dono. All the same, Tomas still felt unsure of this whole alliance.
[Go to Ghost Hill with Dono] [Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald] [Tell Dono to go home]
-
P.S. I have to admit this part is a bit rushed, but there is a reason for it. I'm leaving tomorrow with my family to the cottage of our relatives. It's in a place with basically no internet (and I wouldn't really take my laptop anyway), and we won't come back until either late Saturday, or Sunday. Sooo that's why I wanted to get this part out tonight. I hope it's readable
And yeah, this was a new PoV, probably the most asshole PoV so far
And the first "original" by me (=not submitted by reader). Don't worry, he isn't a very major character 
[Tell Dono to go home]
Go home Dono, you're drunk.
But being serious now... he should not abandon his mission or send away other people who might be needed in the fight they are in right now. We may miss the alliance, but we may as well loose troops because of 1 important man difference.
Great part! Who's next?
Probably another new PoV for the east coast.
There are gonna be a couple of these smaller PoVs taking over the eastern storyline in this chapter, but some of them will prove to be "temporary" if you know what I mean 
Uh, cool :-) Can't wait to read more!
Send Dono with Garibald
I'd hope that we could maybe send a raven back to Ghost Hill just to ensure our lord that we also support the alliance, but we can't just leave the battle right now.
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald]
This alliance doesn't sound too bad, but Tomas is required here to be with the troops. Seems like sending Garibald with Dono is a good idea.
Do you mean they're gonna be brutally killed?
Can't wait then xD
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald]
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald]
I was a bit torn between this and telling Dono to go home. Personally, I am rooting for the Martells in this war, as they are not the ones raiding innocent villages so far. Also, Tomas seems to be a piece of work and that is another reason for me to root for the Martells. This alliance would probably benefit the Tolands. However, there is the thing that I don't trust Dono either and hope that he secretly plots against the Tolands as well, to get out of this war as the strongest party. Besides, having him allying with the Tolands will undoubtedly strengthen the alliance between the Houses Martell and Dalt, as it gives them a common enemy, so it's not all bad.
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald]
It seems like it is the most logical option for his situation.
[Send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald] I have to agree with most of the others on this one, it really is the choice that would benefit House Toland the most at this point. Also, Tomas should stay with his men so having Dono go with Ser Garibald is a good compromise.
Since Wildlingking won't be posting for a couple days, we should talk about what we think about the story so far.
I really want to know the outcome of Missy's last part. I'm also curious to where the fowler storyline will go, especially since one of my characters is in that storyline. What do you guys think?
Very nice idea! Like you, I am also interested in the continuation of Missy's latest part, that is building up into something deeply intriguing. In general, everything revolving around the Manwoody-Blackmont-Fowler war is currently my favourite thing in the story. Having two characters in Blackmont certainly helps, but with that storyline, I love how there's this awesome mixture of a worldly and morally sound side of the court with Gwendis and the contrasting darker side of the court, with Benedict and his magical pet snakes. This duality is fascinating for me. I am also loving the Fowler storyline, especially now that they seem to connect with the Blackmont storyline. Garrison is my favourite king so far, as well as one of my favourite characters in the story in general and I like how he is interacting with his family members. Another storyline I am looking forward for is Jamison's quest to secure an alliance with House Dryland, because I am curious how he is going to interact with Lucifer Dryland, considering that both have very strong personalities.
Voting is closed! - finally...
Tomas will send Dono to Ghost Hill with Ser Garibald. Seems like a good compromise.
And yeah, sorry about this little break. I'm working on the next part, which is another new PoV to eastern storyline. I'd say it's ready tomorrow or perhaps Thursday.
While waiting for the next part, here's a Jamison portrait that I just finished:
Finally found Jesus.
This is a really cool drawing! The contrast between the drawings of Missy, Gwendis, and now Jamison is neat to see and it seems to show a difference between all of them and their individual characteristics which I find really cool. Jamison is just as imagined and I would say even better than imagined. Thanks for drawing him!
Dianna
Dianna closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the weak wind on her face and taking a gulp of water from her flask. It was another hot day – summer had truly come. Dianna never really had problems with heat, perhaps because of her Ghiscari blood, but even she had to admit that this was bit too much. But she didn’t complain – she was serving her Princess, so there was no room for complaining.
The group of fifty men and women was getting close to the river Greenblood. After crossing the bridge they would be on Dalt lands, which made Dianna feel uneasy for some reason. She rode right behind Adian Dalt and his – or rather his uncle’s – general. Dianna didn’t trust this boy, or the Dalts in general. She had a feeling they were hiding something, and the boy was constantly nervous. Maybe it was just his natural behavior, but Dianna didn’t like it.
Next to Dianna rode Javor, an experienced soldier from Mors Martell’s guard. Javor was a cheerful man on his mid-forties, almost always having a smile on his angular and rough face. His black and curly hair was cut quite short, and it showed its first signs of greying. Javor had been chose to lead the convoy along with Dianna and Captain Sanyra – who rode at the back of the group – and Dianna could see the old soldier was honored by this assignment.
“You seem tense.” Javor stated as he looked at Dianna. “Is everything alright?” Dianna shrugged for an answer. “If you are worried about those bandits, I can assure you they won’t attack against this many armed men.” Javor continued with carefree tone, and Dianna nodded subtly.
“There’s just something suspicious about this.” Dianna said, keeping her voice down so the Dalts in front of them wouldn’t hear. “I mean, how can the problem with some bandits be so bad that the Dalts can’t handle it themselves?” Javor stayed quiet for a moment – perhaps he had wondered about this too. “Well, bandits can be a pain in the ass, especially if they are well organized.” Javor spoke, stroking his chin.
Well organized? Dianna sighed, she was too tired to think about this now. They continued their way towards the bridge, as the burning sun slowly moved towards west.
-
When the convoy finally arrived to the bridge, they were welcomed by a grim surprise. The wooden bridge had been burned to ashes. Dianna closed her eyes in frustration as she heard muffled curses from the soldiers. Adian Dalt looked shocked, and the Dalt general’s stare was full of rage.
“Is this the work of those bandits?” Dianna finally asked with monotone words, and Adian gulped. “Yes.” The general answered sternly.
“Is there another bridge somewhere?” Captain Sanyra asked, keeping her voice calm. Javor let out a small sigh. “There is a ford where we can cross the river, almost a day’s travel to west from here.” Even this usually cheerful man’s voice was clearly a bit frustrated.
“We can’t make our camp here.” The Dalt general said. “The bandits might still be close by.” Dianna narrowed her eyes. “And we have fifty armed soldiers.” She remarked. “Didn’t you lord specifically ask us for cleaning up those bandits?”
“Right now our priority is to escort Adian safely to home.” The General replied, turning to Adian, who looked nervous as always. “We… we’ll keep moving to west.” The noble boy stated his command, and his general nodded proudly. And so they continued their riding, as the sun kept falling.
-
After riding miles and miles to west they had found a perfect place for a camp. They were on a small cliff, and there was only one direction that they could be attacked from. From here they could also see far to every direction, so they wouldn’t be surprised. After commanding her soldiers to set up the camp, Dianna sat on a small rock at the edge of the cliff, gazing the sunset in the west. Aside from the Greenblood the view was quite dull. Rocks, small bushes and trees near the river – and sand. Even the Greenblood itself felt quite underwhelming to someone who had grown up at the Rhoyne.
Dianna had managed to let go off Rhoyne long ago, but Dorne still didn’t feel like home to her. Maybe it was because of how many times they had to leave behind a place that had started to feel like home on their long journey, but Dianna just couldn’t trust that this would be the place where she would live the rest of her life. We are building a home on quicksand.
Dianna turned her head to look at Adian, who was talking with his general, gazing at the southern side of the river. As she eyed those two, Javor sat down next to her.
“Good evening.” He said with a smile. “Would you like some wine?” He asked, dangling a flask in his hand. Dianna shook her head. “I ought to keep a clear head.” She said calmly, making Javor raise an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
“There is just something wrong with this whole situation.” She said quietly. For a moment Javor stayed quiet. “I’m sorry to say this Dianna, but you are being a bit paranoid.” He said, trying to look Dianna to the eyes, but she kept her stare firmly at the sunset.
“You said yourself earlier about these bandits possibly being well organized. But why? Why would the bandits be so well organized that they’d possess a threat to this many soldiers?” Dianna shook her head. “And why are they tormenting just the Dalts? There have been no such problems in our lands lately.” Javor let out a chuckle. “You are overthinking this Dianna, just let it go.” He spoke with a gentle tone, but it still managed to annoy her.
“Well I can’t just stop thinking.” Dianna snapped, and let out a sigh. “I mean, look at that boy.” She nodded towards Adian Dalt. “He is glancing around himself like we’d be under attack any minute.” Javor gave Dianna a calm nod.
“He is a young boy who is most likely first time this far away from home.” Javor’s words were soft and understanding. “But if it really bothers you so much, why wouldn’t you go ask him yourself?” Dianna turned her gaze down. Maybe she should, but she was afraid the noble boy wouldn’t take that so well. She was just a soldier after all, it wasn’t her place to ask questions. But we need to know what is going on.
[Confront Adian] [Stay quiet]
[Confront Adian]
[Confront Adian]
That guy is up to something, I suppose. His behaviour is shady and I guess there is the possibility that he has indeed arranged for an ambush, that he is secretly on the Toland's side and that he allied with this bastard's bastard. The best outcome will be that Dianna prevents an ambush, or at least is going to make things considerably harder for those who might be about to attack them. The worst outcome will be that some young brat is going to be upset at her, which I'm sure she's not going to be too bothered by.
[Confront Adian]
Doing nothing may turn out to be a very bad decision. Dianna also seems to be a person who might intimidate the consistently nervous Adian into giving some answers, if there is anything wrong.
[Confront Adian]
Great part!
Here's a Nealia portrait...
I'm not sure the longevity of this Pov, she is no Nymeria so I'm not going to play it safe. But I definitely think she can't just sit on her ass this time.
Confront Adian
[Confront Adian] I agree with the others on this one. Great part!
Wow, nice! You are getting better and better.
Now Aisha! I would like to see her drawn by your hand, having already a reference.
[Confront Adian]
I'll probably do couple more of the PoVs first, but after that sure!
[Confront Adian]
Well, as Liquid said, there's no disadvantages of this choice. It's better to do anything, staying quiet may be pretty dangerous in the long term and we do not know where will it lead to. Anyway - great part here, I see we have few new interesting POVs, we'll see how it works, I just hope it will not add unnecessary plots, because sometimes it really worsens whole story. Too early to judge though, so I'll give it time, keep it up
Yeah, there are pretty much PoVs atm, but I had to add couple of them to the eastern storyline, because it was practically carried by only Nymeria who is famously wielding her plotarmor (and Nealia who isn't really there yet). Overall though, these are all different perspectives to the same storyline (Tomas, Dianna, Nealia, Nymeria), and it's a storyline that I'm very much looking forward to, so I hope it'll be enjoyable.
Voting is closed!
Dianna won't just let this slide, she is going to confront Adian Dalt, and ask him what the hell is going on here. Obviously we might have some idea of that already, since we've heard many characters talk about the situation around House Dalt, but for Dianna's (and the other soldiers') own safety it's probably good if she can get the truth out of this noble boy.
So, was this a bit early? Eh, maybe, but this one was so clear that there is no reason to keep it open any longer - especially since the next part is almost ready! We make our return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. This one should be a pretty interesting part...
Anyway, here is the recap: Last time we saw Gwendis, she was frustrated at the situation where she was managing the war that her father started, as the gathering of the army wasn't going so well. The news of deserters arrived to the council, and Gwendis had an argument with Lyla Sand about how should that be approached. Ultimately the problem was pushed aside to be resolved later. Gwendis was also feeling a bit of regret over not sending a raven to Starfall, but when her brother returned to Blackmont she got an idea: Later that day she suggested to Naemon that he should ride to Starfall and plead the help of the Daynes. Naemon accepted the mission.
Gwendis
Today Gwendis ate her dinner alone. She was in her chambers, chewing the well seasoned venison and wondering how far had his brother already rode, and when would he arrive to Starfall. She was happy that Naemon had chosen her mission over Benedict’s, even if that wasn’t really a surprise – Naemon had little love for their father.
Gwendis’ stressed mind returned to the council meeting from earlier that day. She was already fed up with this war, and it had barely even begun. Complaints kept coming to court, and reports of disorder. Only one of these reports had anything to do with the enemy of the war though – by the Wide Way, on the village of Bloodhill a group of Manwoody knights had murdered a few men. “They came from the south and continued to north”, the old man had said as he explained the incident to the council. Most of the reports though were about quarrels between their own soldiers and peasants, or about troublemaking of the deserters.
The army outside their walls was slowly growing, though it was still way too small for marching to war, even if Lord Oakswood had arrived with his small forces from the western border of their kingdom. Part of Gwendis hoped that their attempts to gather an army would fail and they would have to stay out of this war. At the same time though, she understood that that would be a massive sign of weakness for King Albin.
The door was knocked. “Come in.” Gwendis said with little interest in her voice, as she expected it was just one of her handmaidens. However, as the door was opened Gwendis saw a young man in simple wool tunic and trousers.
“My Princess.” The boy started with a polite tone and bowed. “I was sent by Maester Mortin – he wishes to speak with you.” Gwendis raised an eyebrow. “Did he tell you why he wants to meet me?” Gwendis asked kindly, and the boy gave her a nod. “A raven arrived with an important message – that is all I know. He is waiting for you by the council chamber; may I escort you?” Gwendis shook her head for the servant boy’s question.
“No need, you can go. I’ll finish my meal and change my clothes before I go.” Gwendis spoke calmly, and the boy left her room with a deep bow.
-
Gwendis walked down the stairs from the tower, dressed in a simple cloak, hood over her head. She knew it had to be important if the maester had specifically called for her, so she didn’t want any interruptions. She dreaded what kind of news Mortin would have for her. Dark wings, dark words.
As Gwendis walked with quick steps through the hallway next to the throne room, she heard a woman’s voice call behind her. It was a cold and hollow voice, and it caught the Princess completely off guard.
“Princess.” The voice said, and as Gwendis turned around, she saw the priestess Aisha walking towards her, empty look on her purple eyes. Gwendis gave the priestess a small and tense nod as she arrived next to her.
“My Princess.” Aisha repeated. “I dreamt of you.” The words were quiet and full of grief, and for some reason they made Gwendis’ heart beat faster. “Wh- what do you mean?” She asked, failing to keep her voice calm.
“I saw your lonely soul, locked in a cage made of gold. I saw your tears, I heard your screams of rage.” Aisha’s eyes were full of sadness – though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or not – and as she tried to put her hand on Gwendis’ shoulder, the Princess quickly took a step back. “You dreamt this?” Gwendis words were stone cold, as was her glare. The priestess nodded calmly.
“My dreams are pure, the truth sent by the god.” Aisha explained, but Gwendis just let out a nervous chuckle. “And which god would that be?” She asked with a touch of mockery, which didn’t seem to bother Aisha. “The greatest of them all, the one that has no name.” She whispered with zealous tone. “Stay strong, my Princess. I shall pray for you.” With these words Aisha walked away from Gwendis, who was left standing there with a feeling of uneasiness.
After a moment she remembered where she was going. She closed her eyes for a second, and then continued her way towards the council chamber. I refuse to let the words of that witch confuse me, or frighten me.
In a couple of minutes Gwendis arrived to the council chamber. She saw Maester Mortin standing in front of the door, dressed in his usual brown robe and maester’s chain. The maester glanced around himself nervously, until he noticed Gwendis. The Princess walked to Mortin with a serious look on her eyes.
“Are you alright, my Princess?” The maester asked. “You seem… upset.” Gwendis shook her head. “I’m fine.” She stated firmly. “And how about you? Apparently you had something important.” The maester nodded to her words. “Yes, yes, indeed.” He muttered, and started to pull an opened raven scroll from his sleeve. Gwendis immediately spotted the sigil of House Fowler in the seal. A new ally or a new enemy?
“Are they offering an alliance?” Gwendis asked, hoping for the best. “Well, something like that.” Maester Mortin replied with a bit uncomfortable tone, and Gwendis raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean?” She asked, and the maester let out a sigh.
“It’s an offer of marriage.” He said with heavy words. “King Garrison wants to marry his daughter, Princess Isabella, to your brother.” Gwendis didn’t know how to react. This was surely a chance for a great alliance, but she wasn’t sure if Naemon would agree. And father doesn’t really like Garrison. “I will have to take this message to the council and to your father, but I wanted to inform you first.” The maester explained as Gwendis stayed quiet. “I couldn’t find Naemon, but perhaps you could talk to him about this before…”
“Naemon is not in Blackmont.” Gwendis cut the maester off. Mortin’s look was surprised, but he gave her a nod. “Oh… Well, I’m not sure if we can wait…”
“There is no need to wait.” Gwendis said and gave the maester a smile. “Take this message to the council meeting tomorrow. I think we should take this opportunity to an alliance, but I can’t make that decision alone.” Mortin once again nodded to her. “Let’s hope your father sees this the same way.” He said, and Gwendis nodded, even if she had her doubts.
-
Gwendis walked back to the tower where her chamber was, this time without interruptions. She felt sad that Naemon wasn’t here to give his own opinion about the marriage, but what he was doing instead was just as important. Perhaps this war will be over sooner than I thought.
Just as Gwendis started to feel positive enough to let a smile take over her face, she arrived to her chambers. In front of the door were waiting for her three figures that took all the positivity out of her. Lyla Sand, a random sorcerer, and King Benedict. Lyla was leaning against the door with a smirk on her face. The sorcerer was a tall and pale man with white hair and red eyes – and it was impossible to tell the age of this man. In the middle stood Benedict, a look of anger and disappointment in his eyes.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Benedict simply asked, keeping his voice down. Gwendis gulped. “I did what now?” She spoke defiantly, and Lyla let out an annoying chuckle. “Don’t act stupid little girl, we…”
“Quiet!” Benedict roared, interrupting the assassin. “I am speaking with my daughter.” Lyla nodded to her King with submissive look in her eyes. The King stepped closer to Gwendis, now looking her to the eyes. “It was you.” He stated now decisively, still keeping his voice calm. “You sent Naemon away, knowing I had commanded him to stay here.” Gwendis clenched her teeth together.
“And now what?” She asked, her voice a bit shaky but nonetheless powerful. “You are going to give me to your sorcerers and killers? Is that it?” Something changed in Benedict’s eyes – there was still anger, but now there was also grief. For a moment the King turned his eyes away from his daughter. “You love them more than you ever loved me or Naemon anyway!” Gwendis shouted, feeling tears come to her eyes. Benedict shook his head furiously.
“NO!” He shouted, breathing heavily. “I gave you power, real power. I let you do what you loved to do, and this is how you thank me? Act behind my back, dishonor me with your words! I am disappointed Gwendis… I am disappointed.” Gwendis wiped the tears out of her eyes, glancing at Lyla and the sorcerer who observed the situation in silence.
“I will find you a husband, worthy of our name.” Benedict spoke tonelessly, his eyes now turned away from his daughter. “Until then you will be stripped from your position in the council, and you will spend your days here, in your chambers.” Benedict’s voice was cold as ice again. “You leave me no choice, Gwendis. Now, go rest. I will see that you are fed and served well.” Gwendis shook her head. “You are locking me into my chambers.” She spoke with disbelief in her words, but she got no answer from her father. Instead, Lyla Sand opened the door to her chambers, making a mocking gesture for Gwendis to walk in. Benedict walked away in silence, his sorcerer following him. Gwendis had no chance but to walk inside, defeated.
No decision
Makes sense. Shoulda seen this coming. But hey maybe it's good that he can't do anything with Naemon right now. But he probably won't approve the marriage.
Oh, damn it
I really don't know how to feel. I mean, I knew it was a terrible decision to send Naemon away, but well, I knew it and I chose correctly. At the same time, I somehow think Gwendis got lucky in a twisted way, at least considering the circumstances. I fully expected Benedict to use her royal blood for his magic if Gwendis pushes him too far, but he surprised me. It seems he has a tiny bit of a soft spot left for his children, or else he wouldn't have spared her. In fact, the suggestion even seemed to offend him, which is definitely a good thing. At the same time, this is still something very, very bad for Gwendis, no matter whom she is going to marry. I dearly hope she's going to find a way out of that situation, with the help of the Dayne army if necessary. I doubt Naemon is going to just let it happen and in case of conflict, Vorian would probably support his nephew and niece over his former brother-in-law. The only thing that was undoubtedly and wholeheartedly positive in this part was Benedict telling that bitch Lyla to shut her mouth. That, combined with his anger at Gwendis' accusation, gave me a little bit of respect for the man.
Though, this part opened two potential questions. There is this god Aisha mentioned and I immediately had to think, what kind of god has no name. The religion that usually has a monopoly on creepy, potentially amoral priestesses is the faith of the Red God, who very clearly has a name. Aside from that, Aisha doesn't wear red, if I'm not mistaken. Or much at all. There would be the Many-Faced God, whose followers don't have a name, but the god itself is always referred as the Many-Faced-God, if I'm not mistaken, and never as the Nameless God. Then there would be the Great Other, but calling him a nameless god would stretch things a bit as well in my opinion. So... some sort of bizarre cult? Also, was that genuine worry from Aisha, or was it as fake as I expect? And did she hint at Gwendis' current imprisonment, or at her possible life after marriage? Neither sounds very desirable.
Then there is the question to whom Benedict could marry her off to. Considering that he mentioned a husband worthy of the Blackmont name, I doubt it will be one of his bannermen, or any kind of bannerman. As a princess, she needs a prince. Currently, the amount of princes in Dorne is not very high. There are Isabella's brothers, though a potential Fowler alliance can already be reached through marriage between Naemon and Isabella, so I guess they are of the table. Thankfully, Albin Manwoody's son is already betrothed. Malcolm and Jamison are her first cousins and while that is not unthinkable in a society influenced by medieval Europe, Benedict made it clear that he is not very fond of House Dayne, so I guess they are less likely than others. Lucifer Dryland has no sons and unless Benedict means to marry her to the king himself, I don't see anything happen in that direction, which leaves only one possible house left. A while ago, you mentioned that Yorick Yronwood has a son in Isabella's age. Might be more than coincidence.
Yeah, this has been dancing on a fine line with Gwendis from the beginning, and I kinda assumed that people would vote for a "mistake" option at some point (not saying that the consequences of Naemon going to Starfall are purely negative ofc). But there was a chance to play it safe for very long, and Gwendis could've stayed in the council possibly for the whole first chapter with the right choices.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I wanted to show with this part. As shady as Benedict is, he is not a monster, or a madman like Albin. For him seeing Gwen do this is mostly a disappointment, since quite frankly she is his favorite child over Naemon - otherwise he would've married her off long ago.
Good question, and I'm not sure if the answer would necessarily be considered a spoiler, but eh... I think I'm not going to reveal it just yet. It's not the Many-Faced God though, I'll say that much, since the whole "no name" might easily be connected to that god. I'd say that Many-Faced god rather has hundreds of names
You never really know with these shady priestesses what exactly are they talking about
Well, I guess I can say that she referred at least to Benedict "imprisoning" Gwendis. There could've been other meanings to it too though, who knows 
Most likely Benedict doesn't really know it himself yet, since he hasn't really felt like looking into this before (partly because he has a soft spot for Gwendis, partly because he has had "better things to do"). We'll have to wait and see whom he finds...
Aaaand here is Prince Naemon Blackmont.
Awesome
Like Gwendis, Naemon is just as I have imagined him. And I agree with what CM3434 has said when you've drawn Jamison, the contrast between these characters is really well-done and it shows their individual personalities. Thanks for drawing him!
It sucks to see what has happened to Gwendis but I am also relieved to see that Benedict really does seem to love his daughter and was insulted that Gwendis perceived him to be some kind of monster. I hope that things will get ironed out eventually because it does seem that Benedict has a soft spot for his daughter and if worst comes to worst, Gwendis can escape to Starfall with the Daynes if possible. I also think that Naemon going to Starfall is a good choice because I do not think Vorian would turn down Naemon if he asked for aid and at least at this point, The Kingdom of Torrentine is probably the safest kingdom to be in so the Dayne army will be at full strength and ready to go. Of course, that also depends on how big of a role the Daynes will play in helping the Drylands. Whether that is actually providing troops or if it is just financial aid.
Overall, this is yet another excellent part with some disappointing stuff with Gwendis being kicked off of the small council but also some optimism is there with Naemon going to Starfall to try and bring House Dayne's army back with him and seeing Benedict still does indeed have a heart. Plus the mystery of whether Benedict will accept the betrothal from the Fowlers. There is a lot going on in the Western part of Dorne right now and I look forward to seeing more. Great Job!
Ser Myke of the Marches, the old knight with a mission:
Wow, you captured my imagination perfectly! You really do have a hand for this, I might start begging you to draw more of my characters when you're not busy XD However, I think you've really captured Ser Myke with perfection, his beard is exactly how I imagined it and as his that hairline :P His armor looks neat as well, I'm overall really happy with this! Thanks