A rational and level headed person wouldn't be bothered of postponing the meeting by one day, but Lucifer might take it as an offence just to make the negotiaton harder for Jamison But yeah, perhaps going to the negotiation tired from the road isn't any better.
[To the chambers] Jamison should no doubt be well rested and as prepared as possible for the meeting with King Lucifer. I don't see why King… more Lucifer would get too upset that they postponed the meeting til the next day since Jamison and his men had traveled pretty far and he had to know that they were very tired. If King Lucifer does get mad, then he will no doubt be super difficult to negotiate with anyway. Great Part and I am really excited to see where Jamison's story goes from here!
A rational and level headed person wouldn't be bothered of postponing the meeting by one day, but Lucifer might take it as an offence just t… moreo make the negotiaton harder for Jamison But yeah, perhaps going to the negotiation tired from the road isn't any better.
A rational and level headed person wouldn't be bothered of postponing the meeting by one day, but Lucifer might take it as an offence just t… moreo make the negotiaton harder for Jamison But yeah, perhaps going to the negotiation tired from the road isn't any better.
House Drinkwater Motto: Water is Life
Background Music (Dynasty Theme: Water is Life)
House Dryland Motto: Children of the Sun
Background Music (Dynasty Theme: Children of the Sun)
Wylie the Healer Motto: Let me do my job and don't pester me about mottos
Background Music (Character Theme, Rhoynar Invasion Era: A drop of water in the desert, a flood which devours)
If you have a motto and/or coat of arms for your dynasty, tell me. I will make an image for it and pick a theme music if you want as well.
Jamison
Jamison Dayne’s convoy had ridden two days through the desert after leaving Sandstone. Ser Laroy Ladybright kept on his grim but … moredutiful expression even in the most exhausting moments of the burning hot days. The commander of the guard, Arthur Wythmail, and Ser Aron of the Southpoint didn’t complain either, but they were even more quiet company than usually. Ser Rolan Nightfall kept muttering and cursing, and his squire and nephew Lyreon Nightfall complained every few hours. Whiny boy. Ser Aron’s squire, Aidin Dayne, was too shy to complain, but it was easy to see that he wasn’t feeling well. Laroy’s squire, Darnis of the Southpoint, looked to be feeling well and kept on a calm face. He is a tough one.
The soldiers of course had their complaints, but their complaints were beneath Jamison. The convoy also had two new members from Sandstone – a septon named Anthor, and the Qorgyle guard named Korb Fyste. Those two had joined the g… [view original content]
Jamison
Jamison Dayne’s convoy had ridden two days through the desert after leaving Sandstone. Ser Laroy Ladybright kept on his grim but … moredutiful expression even in the most exhausting moments of the burning hot days. The commander of the guard, Arthur Wythmail, and Ser Aron of the Southpoint didn’t complain either, but they were even more quiet company than usually. Ser Rolan Nightfall kept muttering and cursing, and his squire and nephew Lyreon Nightfall complained every few hours. Whiny boy. Ser Aron’s squire, Aidin Dayne, was too shy to complain, but it was easy to see that he wasn’t feeling well. Laroy’s squire, Darnis of the Southpoint, looked to be feeling well and kept on a calm face. He is a tough one.
The soldiers of course had their complaints, but their complaints were beneath Jamison. The convoy also had two new members from Sandstone – a septon named Anthor, and the Qorgyle guard named Korb Fyste. Those two had joined the g… [view original content]
I don't know about this one. It might be one of the hardest choices in the story so far, because I don't want for Jamison to anger the king. The thing is, he's tired and certainly not the most diplomatic and evenly-tempered person even when he's well-rested. The same applies to Lucifer. I don't know if Jamison going to anger the king if he lets him wait, or if he is going to anger the king if he says something careless while tired. In the end though, I think it is never a good thing to confront someone like Lucifer Dryland while not fully rested. That makes it far easier for Jamison to just snap at him, which I think would result in an instant end to the negotiations.
Jamison
Jamison Dayne’s convoy had ridden two days through the desert after leaving Sandstone. Ser Laroy Ladybright kept on his grim but … moredutiful expression even in the most exhausting moments of the burning hot days. The commander of the guard, Arthur Wythmail, and Ser Aron of the Southpoint didn’t complain either, but they were even more quiet company than usually. Ser Rolan Nightfall kept muttering and cursing, and his squire and nephew Lyreon Nightfall complained every few hours. Whiny boy. Ser Aron’s squire, Aidin Dayne, was too shy to complain, but it was easy to see that he wasn’t feeling well. Laroy’s squire, Darnis of the Southpoint, looked to be feeling well and kept on a calm face. He is a tough one.
The soldiers of course had their complaints, but their complaints were beneath Jamison. The convoy also had two new members from Sandstone – a septon named Anthor, and the Qorgyle guard named Korb Fyste. Those two had joined the g… [view original content]
Jamison
Jamison Dayne’s convoy had ridden two days through the desert after leaving Sandstone. Ser Laroy Ladybright kept on his grim but … moredutiful expression even in the most exhausting moments of the burning hot days. The commander of the guard, Arthur Wythmail, and Ser Aron of the Southpoint didn’t complain either, but they were even more quiet company than usually. Ser Rolan Nightfall kept muttering and cursing, and his squire and nephew Lyreon Nightfall complained every few hours. Whiny boy. Ser Aron’s squire, Aidin Dayne, was too shy to complain, but it was easy to see that he wasn’t feeling well. Laroy’s squire, Darnis of the Southpoint, looked to be feeling well and kept on a calm face. He is a tough one.
The soldiers of course had their complaints, but their complaints were beneath Jamison. The convoy also had two new members from Sandstone – a septon named Anthor, and the Qorgyle guard named Korb Fyste. Those two had joined the g… [view original content]
Jamison
Jamison Dayne’s convoy had ridden two days through the desert after leaving Sandstone. Ser Laroy Ladybright kept on his grim but … moredutiful expression even in the most exhausting moments of the burning hot days. The commander of the guard, Arthur Wythmail, and Ser Aron of the Southpoint didn’t complain either, but they were even more quiet company than usually. Ser Rolan Nightfall kept muttering and cursing, and his squire and nephew Lyreon Nightfall complained every few hours. Whiny boy. Ser Aron’s squire, Aidin Dayne, was too shy to complain, but it was easy to see that he wasn’t feeling well. Laroy’s squire, Darnis of the Southpoint, looked to be feeling well and kept on a calm face. He is a tough one.
The soldiers of course had their complaints, but their complaints were beneath Jamison. The convoy also had two new members from Sandstone – a septon named Anthor, and the Qorgyle guard named Korb Fyste. Those two had joined the g… [view original content]
I'm not closing the voting yet, but I have another part ready. This is a bit smaller part than usually, so I think it's best to just get it quickly out of the way. It's a Tomas Toland PoV, and here is the recap: In his first part we saw Tomas, younger brother of Lord Donovar Toland, was on the move with a small force of hired killers on the Martell lands, causing devastation among the smallfolk. Later a man named Dono Mopera arrived to him, saying he was representing Lord Efran Dalt, aka the Bastard's Bastard aka the Bandit Lord. Dono said that Efran wanted to make an alliance with Lord Toland to overpower the Martells, and Tomas sent him to Ghost Hill with the young knight named Garibald.
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser Garibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made their camp on. The sellswords had grown more and more undisciplined, and Tomas knew they would have to turn back towards Ghost Hill soon.
“Lord Tomas.” Nakafos Vhassyr’s voice called behind Tomas. He turned to face this Myrman with sharp brown eyes. “Or is it a prince now?” Nakafos asked dryly, and the only answer Tomas gave him was a frown.
“What do you want?” He asked with strong words, and Nakafos let out a small sigh. “My job is to inform you about the wishes of my men, right?” The foreigner asked with quiet and smooth voice, and Tomas narrowed his eyes.
“Right now they are my men.” He answered sternly, and Nakafos shrugged. “I guess so, though their loyalty is towards me, not you.” He said, stroking his goatee. “But back to the topic, my men are saying that riding to the coast will be too big of a risk, they want to turn back towards Ghost Hill.”
“And why do they think this way?” Tomas asked with monotone words, and Nakafos raised his eyebrow. “We all get tired, don’t we?” He spoke with casual tone. “And we have caused a lot of devastation on these lands, word of it must have reached the Martells by now. Riding to the coast may lead us to being surrounded by a bigger force.” Tomas looked at the foreign sellsword, pondering the situation. Nakafos had a point, but Tomas knew his brother wouldn’t be satisfied with what they had done so far.
“I’ll decide on the morning.” Tomas said sternly, and turned away from Nakafos.
-
In the morning Tomas woke up to the sound of horns. It took him a while to realize he wasn’t dreaming anymore. He scrambled out of his tent, to see what was going on.
“Lord Tomas!” Nakafos came to him. “A scout just arrived, a force of at least hundred men are heading towards us from the east! Spears and Suns!” Tomas turned his eyes towards the east, but the sun dazzled his eyes.
“Get your men on horses.” He muttered to Nakafos. “We need to move towards north if we wish to survive this battle.” Nakafos narrowed his eyes. “So you mean to face them on the field? Not escape?” Tomas shook his head for the sellsword’s question. “No. We can’t turn our backs to them.” He said, and started to walk towards his horse.
Soon the force rode towards north in disarray, Tomas and Nakafos leading them. Tomas could already see the enemy in the horizon when he glanced towards east, their banners waving in the wind, the sound of their horns chiming in the air.
“FORM UP!” Tomas shouted. “FORM UP!” Nakafos repeated him. The sellswords started to get in array, though there was little time, and the enemy moved closer. The sun still dazzled them from the side, and it would be an advantage for the Martells, but there was no time.
“CHARGE!” Tomas screamed, pointing towards the enemy with his sword. The hastily formed line heard the call and started to gallop towards the enemy. The sun made it harder to estimate the distance to the Martell forces, but what Tomas did saw was the massive cloud of dust they were bringing with them.
Tomas heard the warriors screaming around him, and soon he started to hear the battle cries of the enemies as well. “Sandship!” He heard someone shout. “Nymeria!” Could also be heard.
Tomas saw the enemy, there were only couple seconds left before they would clash. He took in a breath, and another. Warrior bring me strength, he prayed, and then he raised his shield and swung his sword, as the forces clashed against each other. Tomas knew he hit someone, but after that he saw nothing. The world was filled with sand and dust, screams of pain echoed in the air. All Tomas could see was horses riding past him from left and right, and he couldn’t tell who was the enemy and who was the friend. Someone charged straight towards him, so he swung his sword again, and the man fell off from his horse.
Tomas knew he would have to get out of this dust, so he kept riding forward. He could see light. That’s where I must go, towards it, towards it. Soon he could breathe again, soon he could see again. Just when Tomas thought he was about to reach the light, something hit him in the back of his head, and the world turned black.
Tomas
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser G… morearibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made… [view original content]
Tomas
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser G… morearibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made… [view original content]
The sigil looks cool (and the music is nice), but I have to make a correction: in this era the Toland coat of arms is actually a ghost. Dragon biting its tail was changed during the War of Conquest, if I'm not mistaken
The sigil looks cool (and the music is nice), but I have to make a correction: in this era the Toland coat of arms is actually a ghost. Dragon biting its tail was changed during the War of Conquest, if I'm not mistaken
Wow, Ser Yandry's attack worked far better than expected. I mean, I knew it would work well, but that was an overwhelming victory. Anyways, I enjoyed his part immensely and really like this storyline in general, though I got to admit I don't really like Tomas personally and I wouldn't be too sad if he dies. Still, I don't think he is dead yet and I believe he still has a role to play in the future of the war in the east, or else his death would have probably been less ambigous. Looking forward for future parts in the east, things are getting really heated there
Tomas
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser G… morearibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made… [view original content]
I can not say I was expecting this! It looks like we made the right choice on how to fight the Tolands, I figured the odds were good it would go well but I did not expect it to go that well. However, it certainly did not end well for Tomas but who knows maybe he just got knocked out. The action is picking up fast on the eastern coast and it is going to be very interesting to see where it goes from here!
Tomas
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser G… morearibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made… [view original content]
And Jamison will go to the chambers, to rest one night before his negotiations with King Lucifer Dryland. Safe to say, I'm looking forward to writing those negotiations
But next, we are going to return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. I think the last part is pretty fresh on everyone's mind, but a small recap: Earlier Gwendis got locked in her chambers for acting behind her father's back and sending Naemon away without his approval. Now she tried to keep herself together, her only company being the handmaidens who visited her. Soon however, the King's cousin Braddock Blackmont from the council decided to pay the Princess a visit. Benedict had told him not to talk about the council matters with Gwendis, but he did slip that he now has the position Gwendis used to have, and that Lord Blackadder had arrived with his army. Braddock didn't have any news of Naemon though, and he seemed hesistant to tell anything more. They were interrupted by Lyla who demanded that the visit had lasted long enough. Braddock left, and after a couple mocking comments, so did Lyla. Later at night Gwendis had a more surprising guest. The Dark Priestess, Aisha, had sneaked into her room. She talked about Gwendis being in her dreams again, and how that was a sign from her god. Gwendis dismissed her, saying she wasn't interested, but Aisha insisted that Gwendis would have to trust her. As Gwendis questioned how could she trust her, the priestess went on to explain that she didn't want to make her drink poisons or give her blood, she only wanted her to give her trust and grab her hand - and that's how she would show her god to Gwendis. You voted for Gwendis to grab the hand.
The part will most likely be ready tomorrow, but we might get another H&L part before that
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will go to the chambers, to rest one night before his negotiations with King Lucifer Dryland. Safe to say, … moreI'm looking forward to writing those negotiations
But next, we are going to return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. I think the last part is pretty fresh on everyone's mind, but a small recap: Earlier Gwendis got locked in her chambers for acting behind her father's back and sending Naemon away without his approval. Now she tried to keep herself together, her only company being the handmaidens who visited her. Soon however, the King's cousin Braddock Blackmont from the council decided to pay the Princess a visit. Benedict had told him not to talk about the council matters with Gwendis, but he did slip that he now has the position Gwendis used to have, and that Lord Blackadder had arrived with his army. Braddock didn't have any news of Naemon though, and he seemed hesistant to tell anything more. … [view original content]
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had found a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving presence, and she accepted the faith He had chosen for Armaro. Now she was left all by herself, now she was chosen by the God to be the replacement of her teacher. And now she stood behind the door, fulfilling the quest that had been given to Armaro.
While opened, the big wooden door screeched slowly, filling the hall with unpleasant noise. Aisha stood between two massive wings, well-hidden under her black-reddish cloak. She observed her surroundings and faces, which were staring at her dark figure with interest.
“Is it the great Armaro who finally decided to honor our thresholds?” The deep voice echoed through the throne room, making Aisha to fix her sight at the man who had spoken. He was in his late forties, pale with long, very dark brown hair. He seemed to be tall and skinny by the position he was sitting on the throne. His eyes were looking tired, but still curious with the blue shade within them. A joyless smile was visible on his clean shaven face. “Come on then, I don’t have the whole night!” He rushed her. “Ah, so this is the Benedict in his full form… the King who wants to play with the Gods”, Aisha thought.
Aisha smiled gently, knowing that no one could see her face nor body through this thick material. She could hear the whispers surrounding her, coming from the King’s advisors and guards. She could see interest, fear, and anticipation in their eyes. She could feel the weaknesses and strengths of them. Her feet moved forward, advancing towards the throne. She walked slowly, feeling the tension hanging in the air. She slowly raised her hands and grabbed the cloak firmly, pulling it down with a swift move. “Finally, it started to become quite warm in here”, she thought, raising her head high and giving everyone around the confident and strong gaze. She could hear the barely muffled voices now, commenting on this unexpected event. She felt hungry eyes on her, as well as terrified ones.
“King Benedict” She said out loud, which caused all the chats around to disappear in one second. Her voice was calm but grave in same. “I am answering your summoning.”
Aisha could see the surprise on the King’s face. She could see his eyes travelling from top of her head down to her feet. Her skimpy robes seemed to be quite controversial in this moment, but she did not really care at all. It was too warm within these walls for her, like almost everywhere. She did not feel ashamed of her body either, even while it was showing random scars she possessed from her past. With slow motion, she brushed her long hair behind her ear, not taking an eye out of the King.
Benedict cleared his throat – she could see that he was feeling unstable for a moment, but he was trying to regain his composure in front of his court.
“I expected a priest, not a whore.” He spoke, trying to sound powerful. Aisha could hear the underlying weakness in those words, while the others did not. Her face was cold like a stone, not giving him satisfaction of breaking down and asking for mercy, which was what he clearly expected – surrender. She chuckled unsmiling, which delivered a gooseflesh to the listeners.
“Armaro is dead.” She said shortly, seeing a flash of shock on the King’s face, and the faces of his advisors. Another muffled wave of whispers filled in the hall. Benedict raised his hand, covering his eyes for a moment.
“You needed an advisor – here I am. Accept the service or refuse the one, true God.” She continued with same toneless voice as before, accenting the last two words slightly louder, making them sound much stronger and convincing.
She felt the power flowing within her and she knew then, by just looking at him, that he wouldn’t refuse – he would bend his knee to her God. One, true god.
Aisha is definitely one of the most mysterious characters of the story, but I think this H&L part offers a nice little peek to her mind, without giving away too much Great job!
Nymeria's War Histories & Lore
Aisha – The Arrival to Blackmont
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had f… moreound a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving p… [view original content]
Aisha is definitely one of the most mysterious characters of the story, but I think this H&L part offers a nice little peek to her mind, without giving away too much Great job!
You can now copy-paste finished shields into scenes of a House I already made one for, as in case of Lucifer Dryland.
Will make the Blackmont version next.
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will go to the chambers, to rest one night before his negotiations with King Lucifer Dryland. Safe to say, … moreI'm looking forward to writing those negotiations
But next, we are going to return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. I think the last part is pretty fresh on everyone's mind, but a small recap: Earlier Gwendis got locked in her chambers for acting behind her father's back and sending Naemon away without his approval. Now she tried to keep herself together, her only company being the handmaidens who visited her. Soon however, the King's cousin Braddock Blackmont from the council decided to pay the Princess a visit. Benedict had told him not to talk about the council matters with Gwendis, but he did slip that he now has the position Gwendis used to have, and that Lord Blackadder had arrived with his army. Braddock didn't have any news of Naemon though, and he seemed hesistant to tell anything more. … [view original content]
You can now copy-paste finished shields into scenes of a House I already made one for, as in case of Lucifer Dryland.
Will make the Blackmont version next.
This is the first H&L part where I feel like I know more, but at the same time even less about the character than before, which I believe is perfect for Aisha. Like Wildling said, it gave us an idea how she thinks, without really giving away anything. I still have the feeling that something is seriously not right with her, but it might not be what I thought it was. Whatever it is, she totally creeps me out and I'm cautiously awaiting the next part. Well done H&L part, really well done!
Nymeria's War Histories & Lore
Aisha – The Arrival to Blackmont
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had f… moreound a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving p… [view original content]
Well it is safe to say that this was an awesome H&L! As Wildling & Liquid said, it gives insight to her without giving too much away. Aisha is quite a mysterious character so I loved that we were able to get some insight into her mind from her PoV. Great job!
Nymeria's War Histories & Lore
Aisha – The Arrival to Blackmont
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had f… moreound a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving p… [view original content]
I am glad that you all enjoyed it - the idea of writing was quite spontaneous and it seems that it was good challenge after all. The whole point was to show a bit of character from the moment she appeared at Blackmont, not revealing too much in same and it seems that I succeeded.
Nymeria's War Histories & Lore
Aisha – The Arrival to Blackmont
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had f… moreound a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving p… [view original content]
Gwendis looked into the eyes of the priestess, and there was something… magical about them. They shimmered in the darkness, making Gwendis’ heart beat wildly. She didn’t know if it was trust or madness, but she moved her hand towards the hand of Aisha – and she grabbed it.
It felt like a horse kicking her in the chest, as the Princess was pulled into the darkness. The black void was spinning around her, and she couldn’t feel the ground under her. I’m falling, Gwendis realized as she saw the world beneath her. She looked down and she saw her father, surrounded by snakes. Gwendis turned her eyes towards south and she saw her brother, shaking hands with the silver-haired king. She looked to east and saw a broken girl strangled by a skeleton. Further in the east she saw a dark knight bowing to a black sun, and as she looked even further she saw the bright sun of the east battling against the storm.
Darkness took over again, and now Gwendis felt the ground under her feet. A curtain of mist and shadows prevented her from seeing more than few steps ahead. A ghost flew by her, blood draining from its mouth. Gwendis kept walking forward, and she heard a call of a hawk echoing in the air. She followed the call, until she arrived to a large hall, its ceiling so high that Gwendis couldn’t see it. In the middle of the hall stood six giants made of stone. They all reached for the skies, and all of them came crumbling down, one by one. Gwendis walked through the rubble, dust floating in the air. She could see shadows among the ruins left behind by the giants. Some of them were crying, others tried to rebuild, and some of them reached for their swords. Then Gwendis saw a warrior walking towards her, light shining behind it. The warrior raised its sword, and struck it down to Gwendis. And the world was dark again.
In the darkness Gwendis heard a screeching noise that sent shivers down her spine. Then she heard it again, and again, until she realized they were words, spoken in an unhuman language. And in the darkness she saw blue eyes, staring at her. The eyes grew bigger, or Gwendis herself shrank, it was impossible to tell. The screeching words turned louder, and Gwendis tried to cover her ears and shut her eyes.
Then she woke up, lying in the floor of her chambers, and Aisha was still holding her hand. Gwendis pulled her hand away from the priestess as quickly as she could, and gave her a glare. “Those eyes… What was it? What did I see?” The Princess asked with shaky words, and the look on Aisha’s eyes was uncharacteristically uncertain.
“Some call him the Great Other, but his true name is hidden from us.” The Dark Priestess spoke with quiet words. Gwendis shook her head, still in a shock. “This is your god?” She asked with disbelief in her words. “He seems more like a devil to me.” Aisha didn’t answer, and for a moment the room was filled with silence.
“What about everything else that I saw? What did all that mean?” Gwendis asked, her voice a bit calmer now. “I… I will need time to interpret it.” Aisha answered with hollow tone. Gwendis looked at the priestess, both of them in loss of words. Then the door was opened – it was Lyla.
“What in seven hells?” The assassin looked with bafflement at Gwendis and Aisha, who both still sat on the floor. “Who gave you permission to come here, Aisha?” Lyla asked with strict words, and Aisha stood up. She walked closer to Lyla with smooth steps. “No need to worry about it, Lyla.” Aisha said with her emotionless voice. “I was just here to tell the Princess why it is important to follow orders.”
Lyla frowned, but let the priestess walk past her. At the door Aisha gave one more worried glance at Gwendis, before walking away.
“What are you trying, princess?” Lyla asked with threatening tone, and Gwendis let out a sigh. “Nothing.” She answered sternly, but Lyla didn’t look convinced. “Leave me alone now, please.” Gwendis spoke with commanding tone, but with a swift move the assassin pulled a small dagger from her belt, taking couple steps closer to Gwendis.
“Do you feel like you are in charge here, princess?” Lyla asked quietly, a small smirk appearing on her face. Gwendis took in a couple breaths to calm herself. “I understand.” She said with emotionless words. “For some reason, perhaps jealousy, you want to make me suffer as much as possible…”
“Suffer?” Lyla cut off Gwendis, letting out a dry chuckle and twiddling the dagger in her hand. “You know nothing about suffering, princess, so don’t even talk about it.” With these harsh words Lyla put her dagger away and turned her back for Gwendis, walking out of the room.
-
After eating her breakfast Gwendis stood on her balcony, observing the view while her mind was going through what she had seen last night. The blue eyes in the darkness had come to her dreams, and she couldn’t get them out of her head.
Gwendis sighed, trying to think of something else. Her mind traveled to Naemon. She had seen him in the vision, shaking hands with Vorian. I suppose that’s a good sign, she thought, but it didn’t cheer her up much. Gwendis wondered when would the army start to march towards Kingsgrave, and whether the council had actually done anything to solve the situation in their own lands.
Why do I even care, Gwendis thought with frustration, it’s not my war. She turned around to walk back inside, when she heard something. Another uninvited guest? Gwendis walked with silent steps back inside. She glanced around the room, and then she saw where the noise had come from. A young man stood by the chest where Gwendis kept her jewelry, and clearly some of them had already found their way to the bag of this young man.
Gwendis cleared her throat, which made the young thief drop his bag and turn towards Gwendis. He muttered something that Gwendis couldn’t make clear of. “What are you doing?” Gwendis asked with cold tone. The young man had a curly brown hair, his eyes were light green, and he was tanned. He was quite thinly built, and wearing sleeveless black vest and light brown baggy trousers, paired with dark brown boots. From the boy’s face Gwendis could tell he was probably younger than Naemon.
Gwendis saw the boy glancing towards the door, so she took a couple quick steps to block his way. “Stay right there, thief. And explain.” The thief let out a sigh. “I need to make a living somehow…” He mumbled, but Gwendis shook her head.
“A living? Those would make you a fortune.” She nodded towards the jewels as she spoke. A small smirk appeared on the thief’s face. “I guess so.” He said with a dreamy tone.
“I suppose you are one of the servants, though I don’t remember ever seeing you.” Gwendis eyed the young man, trying to remember if she knew him from somewhere. “What’s your name?” She asked with commanding tone. “Trentan, my Princess.” The boy answered. “And… I just begun to work here couple days ago.”
“Well if my father hears of this you will work no longer, neither will you steal anymore – he would take your life for this.” Gwendis could see Trentan gulping, and she took couple steps closer. “Perhaps we can find some kind of agreement though.” Gwendis flashed a smile for the boy, who gave her a nervous grin.
“What do you mean?” He asked quietly. Gwendis picked the bag of the thief from the ground, seeing five pieces of jewelry there. Somehow this boy had managed to slip into her room without anyone noticing – and almost out too. “I think you could be helpful to me.” Gwendis said calmly. “Perhaps you could bring someone to me, I’m in need of a conversation.” Trentan nodded to the Princess’ words.
“Sure, who will I bring?” He asked with a touch of relief in his words. Gwendis had always had her two trusted men in the council – Braddock and Maester Mortin. She had already seen Braddock, and it was clear he was quite hesitant of telling anything, especially since he had been put in charge of the council by Benedict. But I know I can make him slip something. Maester Mortin had never been the bravest of men, but at least Gwendis knew he wasn’t influenced by the King. He is an objective man if anything.
“Princess?” Trentan’s voice was nervous, and Gwendis turned her eyes to him again. I’ve made my decision.
[Send him to Maester Mortin][Send him to Braddock][Send him to both]
Comments
A rational and level headed person wouldn't be bothered of postponing the meeting by one day, but Lucifer might take it as an offence just to make the negotiaton harder for Jamison
But yeah, perhaps going to the negotiation tired from the road isn't any better.
Good point, it is safe to say this meeting is going to be interesting!
On the other hand, mistakes could be made in negotiating tired, from a weaker position in either case
Exactly, both choices have their risks
House Drinkwater
Motto: Water is Life
Background Music (Dynasty Theme: Water is Life)
House Dryland
Motto: Children of the Sun
Background Music (Dynasty Theme: Children of the Sun)
Wylie the Healer
Motto: Let me do my job and don't pester me about mottos
Background Music (Character Theme, Rhoynar Invasion Era: A drop of water in the desert, a flood which devours)
If you have a motto and/or coat of arms for your dynasty, tell me. I will make an image for it and pick a theme music if you want as well.
[To the Chambers]
I think this will give Jamison a chance to cool down both physically and mentally. He might be able to negotiate better after having a good rest.
[To the king]
This probably won't win but I don't want to piss Lucifer off. And it'd be hilarious to see Jamison talking while tired.
Also, yay for Lewyn!
[To the chambers]
I don't know about this one. It might be one of the hardest choices in the story so far, because I don't want for Jamison to anger the king. The thing is, he's tired and certainly not the most diplomatic and evenly-tempered person even when he's well-rested. The same applies to Lucifer. I don't know if Jamison going to anger the king if he lets him wait, or if he is going to anger the king if he says something careless while tired. In the end though, I think it is never a good thing to confront someone like Lucifer Dryland while not fully rested. That makes it far easier for Jamison to just snap at him, which I think would result in an instant end to the negotiations.
[To the King]
[To the chambers]
I'm not closing the voting yet, but I have another part ready. This is a bit smaller part than usually, so I think it's best to just get it quickly out of the way. It's a Tomas Toland PoV, and here is the recap: In his first part we saw Tomas, younger brother of Lord Donovar Toland, was on the move with a small force of hired killers on the Martell lands, causing devastation among the smallfolk. Later a man named Dono Mopera arrived to him, saying he was representing Lord Efran Dalt, aka the Bastard's Bastard aka the Bandit Lord. Dono said that Efran wanted to make an alliance with Lord Toland to overpower the Martells, and Tomas sent him to Ghost Hill with the young knight named Garibald.
And now I'll post the part.
Tomas
The force of hired killers and few knights had moved with haste towards the coast without looking back. Tomas Toland had sent Ser Garibald to Ghost Hill with this Dono Mopera who claimed to represent the bastard’s bastard, and they had taken the young lad named Dallen with them. On the next day a rider from Ghost Hill had arrived to the camp of Tomas and his warriors. The news that the rider brought had been simple: the older brother of Tomas, Donovar Toland, had named himself a king, and the ancient crown of the Kings of Ghost Hills had been set on his head.
Tomas’ feelings on this news was conflicted. He had always been proud of the Tolands having a history of being kings, but the reason they and the Santagars had put down their crowns two centuries ago had been the Yronwoods overpowering them – and the Yronwoods certainly weren’t weaker now than they were then.
Tomas sighed, looking around himself on the valley they had made their camp on. The sellswords had grown more and more undisciplined, and Tomas knew they would have to turn back towards Ghost Hill soon.
“Lord Tomas.” Nakafos Vhassyr’s voice called behind Tomas. He turned to face this Myrman with sharp brown eyes. “Or is it a prince now?” Nakafos asked dryly, and the only answer Tomas gave him was a frown.
“What do you want?” He asked with strong words, and Nakafos let out a small sigh. “My job is to inform you about the wishes of my men, right?” The foreigner asked with quiet and smooth voice, and Tomas narrowed his eyes.
“Right now they are my men.” He answered sternly, and Nakafos shrugged. “I guess so, though their loyalty is towards me, not you.” He said, stroking his goatee. “But back to the topic, my men are saying that riding to the coast will be too big of a risk, they want to turn back towards Ghost Hill.”
“And why do they think this way?” Tomas asked with monotone words, and Nakafos raised his eyebrow. “We all get tired, don’t we?” He spoke with casual tone. “And we have caused a lot of devastation on these lands, word of it must have reached the Martells by now. Riding to the coast may lead us to being surrounded by a bigger force.” Tomas looked at the foreign sellsword, pondering the situation. Nakafos had a point, but Tomas knew his brother wouldn’t be satisfied with what they had done so far.
“I’ll decide on the morning.” Tomas said sternly, and turned away from Nakafos.
-
In the morning Tomas woke up to the sound of horns. It took him a while to realize he wasn’t dreaming anymore. He scrambled out of his tent, to see what was going on.
“Lord Tomas!” Nakafos came to him. “A scout just arrived, a force of at least hundred men are heading towards us from the east! Spears and Suns!” Tomas turned his eyes towards the east, but the sun dazzled his eyes.
“Get your men on horses.” He muttered to Nakafos. “We need to move towards north if we wish to survive this battle.” Nakafos narrowed his eyes. “So you mean to face them on the field? Not escape?” Tomas shook his head for the sellsword’s question. “No. We can’t turn our backs to them.” He said, and started to walk towards his horse.
Soon the force rode towards north in disarray, Tomas and Nakafos leading them. Tomas could already see the enemy in the horizon when he glanced towards east, their banners waving in the wind, the sound of their horns chiming in the air.
“FORM UP!” Tomas shouted. “FORM UP!” Nakafos repeated him. The sellswords started to get in array, though there was little time, and the enemy moved closer. The sun still dazzled them from the side, and it would be an advantage for the Martells, but there was no time.
“CHARGE!” Tomas screamed, pointing towards the enemy with his sword. The hastily formed line heard the call and started to gallop towards the enemy. The sun made it harder to estimate the distance to the Martell forces, but what Tomas did saw was the massive cloud of dust they were bringing with them.
Tomas heard the warriors screaming around him, and soon he started to hear the battle cries of the enemies as well. “Sandship!” He heard someone shout. “Nymeria!” Could also be heard.
Tomas saw the enemy, there were only couple seconds left before they would clash. He took in a breath, and another. Warrior bring me strength, he prayed, and then he raised his shield and swung his sword, as the forces clashed against each other. Tomas knew he hit someone, but after that he saw nothing. The world was filled with sand and dust, screams of pain echoed in the air. All Tomas could see was horses riding past him from left and right, and he couldn’t tell who was the enemy and who was the friend. Someone charged straight towards him, so he swung his sword again, and the man fell off from his horse.
Tomas knew he would have to get out of this dust, so he kept riding forward. He could see light. That’s where I must go, towards it, towards it. Soon he could breathe again, soon he could see again. Just when Tomas thought he was about to reach the light, something hit him in the back of his head, and the world turned black.
No decision
Holy crap, Tomas is dead! Or unconcious, but I'm guessing dead.
I'm guessing he would survive if we went with Elfran personally.
This was so well done! Congrats.
House Toland
Motto: One is the all, Eternal
Background Music: King of Ghost Hill
The sigil looks cool (and the music is nice), but I have to make a correction: in this era the Toland coat of arms is actually a ghost. Dragon biting its tail was changed during the War of Conquest, if I'm not mistaken
new CoA: crowned golden ghost on black
Cool!
CoA changed
Wow, Ser Yandry's attack worked far better than expected. I mean, I knew it would work well, but that was an overwhelming victory. Anyways, I enjoyed his part immensely and really like this storyline in general, though I got to admit I don't really like Tomas personally and I wouldn't be too sad if he dies. Still, I don't think he is dead yet and I believe he still has a role to play in the future of the war in the east, or else his death would have probably been less ambigous. Looking forward for future parts in the east, things are getting really heated there
wow double post bug
Still WIP map
It's great! I always had a hard time picturing what would the ghost actually look like on the sigil, but that looks really nice.
To be honest it gave me a headache too, then I remembered to browse pirate flags for inspiration
I can not say I was expecting this! It looks like we made the right choice on how to fight the Tolands, I figured the odds were good it would go well but I did not expect it to go that well. However, it certainly did not end well for Tomas but who knows maybe he just got knocked out. The action is picking up fast on the eastern coast and it is going to be very interesting to see where it goes from here!
Voting is closed!
And Jamison will go to the chambers, to rest one night before his negotiations with King Lucifer Dryland. Safe to say, I'm looking forward to writing those negotiations
But next, we are going to return to Blackmont, and Gwendis' storyline. I think the last part is pretty fresh on everyone's mind, but a small recap: Earlier Gwendis got locked in her chambers for acting behind her father's back and sending Naemon away without his approval. Now she tried to keep herself together, her only company being the handmaidens who visited her. Soon however, the King's cousin Braddock Blackmont from the council decided to pay the Princess a visit. Benedict had told him not to talk about the council matters with Gwendis, but he did slip that he now has the position Gwendis used to have, and that Lord Blackadder had arrived with his army. Braddock didn't have any news of Naemon though, and he seemed hesistant to tell anything more. They were interrupted by Lyla who demanded that the visit had lasted long enough. Braddock left, and after a couple mocking comments, so did Lyla. Later at night Gwendis had a more surprising guest. The Dark Priestess, Aisha, had sneaked into her room. She talked about Gwendis being in her dreams again, and how that was a sign from her god. Gwendis dismissed her, saying she wasn't interested, but Aisha insisted that Gwendis would have to trust her. As Gwendis questioned how could she trust her, the priestess went on to explain that she didn't want to make her drink poisons or give her blood, she only wanted her to give her trust and grab her hand - and that's how she would show her god to Gwendis. You voted for Gwendis to grab the hand.
The part will most likely be ready tomorrow, but we might get another H&L part before that
Ooh, another H&L. Interesting.
Nymeria's War Histories & Lore
Aisha – The Arrival to Blackmont
With the last given breath of her dear teacher Armaro, Aisha had found a letter under his already stiff, pale hand. There had been a broken seal of House Blackmont on it, which had awakened the curiosity in Aisha. Staring at the wooden door in front of her, Aisha remembered how she had gently grabbed the paper, feeling its finest quality under her fingertips. With her purple eyes she had devoured line after line, realizing that it was a summoning from King Benedict of Blackmont. Excitement had ran across her spine, forcing her to look again on the corpse of her dead friend. God had taken him away too early and unexpectedly – Aisha had felt angered that he did not take the sickness out of him, the most faithful of his servants. Her anger had not lasted long though – it was the decision from the Greatest Gods of them all – the God who embraced her filthy and undeserving presence, and she accepted the faith He had chosen for Armaro. Now she was left all by herself, now she was chosen by the God to be the replacement of her teacher. And now she stood behind the door, fulfilling the quest that had been given to Armaro.
While opened, the big wooden door screeched slowly, filling the hall with unpleasant noise. Aisha stood between two massive wings, well-hidden under her black-reddish cloak. She observed her surroundings and faces, which were staring at her dark figure with interest.
“Is it the great Armaro who finally decided to honor our thresholds?” The deep voice echoed through the throne room, making Aisha to fix her sight at the man who had spoken. He was in his late forties, pale with long, very dark brown hair. He seemed to be tall and skinny by the position he was sitting on the throne. His eyes were looking tired, but still curious with the blue shade within them. A joyless smile was visible on his clean shaven face. “Come on then, I don’t have the whole night!” He rushed her. “Ah, so this is the Benedict in his full form… the King who wants to play with the Gods”, Aisha thought.
Aisha smiled gently, knowing that no one could see her face nor body through this thick material. She could hear the whispers surrounding her, coming from the King’s advisors and guards. She could see interest, fear, and anticipation in their eyes. She could feel the weaknesses and strengths of them. Her feet moved forward, advancing towards the throne. She walked slowly, feeling the tension hanging in the air. She slowly raised her hands and grabbed the cloak firmly, pulling it down with a swift move. “Finally, it started to become quite warm in here”, she thought, raising her head high and giving everyone around the confident and strong gaze. She could hear the barely muffled voices now, commenting on this unexpected event. She felt hungry eyes on her, as well as terrified ones.
“King Benedict” She said out loud, which caused all the chats around to disappear in one second. Her voice was calm but grave in same. “I am answering your summoning.”
Aisha could see the surprise on the King’s face. She could see his eyes travelling from top of her head down to her feet. Her skimpy robes seemed to be quite controversial in this moment, but she did not really care at all. It was too warm within these walls for her, like almost everywhere. She did not feel ashamed of her body either, even while it was showing random scars she possessed from her past. With slow motion, she brushed her long hair behind her ear, not taking an eye out of the King.
Benedict cleared his throat – she could see that he was feeling unstable for a moment, but he was trying to regain his composure in front of his court.
“I expected a priest, not a whore.” He spoke, trying to sound powerful. Aisha could hear the underlying weakness in those words, while the others did not. Her face was cold like a stone, not giving him satisfaction of breaking down and asking for mercy, which was what he clearly expected – surrender. She chuckled unsmiling, which delivered a gooseflesh to the listeners.
“Armaro is dead.” She said shortly, seeing a flash of shock on the King’s face, and the faces of his advisors. Another muffled wave of whispers filled in the hall. Benedict raised his hand, covering his eyes for a moment.
“You needed an advisor – here I am. Accept the service or refuse the one, true God.” She continued with same toneless voice as before, accenting the last two words slightly louder, making them sound much stronger and convincing.
She felt the power flowing within her and she knew then, by just looking at him, that he wouldn’t refuse – he would bend his knee to her God. One, true god.
Aisha is definitely one of the most mysterious characters of the story, but I think this H&L part offers a nice little peek to her mind, without giving away too much
Great job!
And I thank you for reviewing and correcting the text! :-)
To be honest I am not sure what I have read, is she secretly a Priestess of Darkness, the opposite of R'hllor?
We'll see...
You can now copy-paste finished shields into scenes of a House I already made one for, as in case of Lucifer Dryland.
Will make the Blackmont version next.
I think I could put the shields to the OP actually
perhaps
I experimented with the idea of shields as seats on map but except on the largest map it does have problems with visibility
It may work better if the shields are lined up above a map with smaller shields on it, for easy identification
This is the first H&L part where I feel like I know more, but at the same time even less about the character than before, which I believe is perfect for Aisha. Like Wildling said, it gave us an idea how she thinks, without really giving away anything. I still have the feeling that something is seriously not right with her, but it might not be what I thought it was. Whatever it is, she totally creeps me out and I'm cautiously awaiting the next part. Well done H&L part, really well done!
Well it is safe to say that this was an awesome H&L! As Wildling & Liquid said, it gives insight to her without giving too much away. Aisha is quite a mysterious character so I loved that we were able to get some insight into her mind from her PoV. Great job!
So, now that Toland is king, is it possible to make characters at his court? ^^
I am glad that you all enjoyed it - the idea of writing was quite spontaneous and it seems that it was good challenge after all. The whole point was to show a bit of character from the moment she appeared at Blackmont, not revealing too much in same and it seems that I succeeded.
Sure, go ahead
Gwendis
Gwendis looked into the eyes of the priestess, and there was something… magical about them. They shimmered in the darkness, making Gwendis’ heart beat wildly. She didn’t know if it was trust or madness, but she moved her hand towards the hand of Aisha – and she grabbed it.
It felt like a horse kicking her in the chest, as the Princess was pulled into the darkness. The black void was spinning around her, and she couldn’t feel the ground under her. I’m falling, Gwendis realized as she saw the world beneath her. She looked down and she saw her father, surrounded by snakes. Gwendis turned her eyes towards south and she saw her brother, shaking hands with the silver-haired king. She looked to east and saw a broken girl strangled by a skeleton. Further in the east she saw a dark knight bowing to a black sun, and as she looked even further she saw the bright sun of the east battling against the storm.
Darkness took over again, and now Gwendis felt the ground under her feet. A curtain of mist and shadows prevented her from seeing more than few steps ahead. A ghost flew by her, blood draining from its mouth. Gwendis kept walking forward, and she heard a call of a hawk echoing in the air. She followed the call, until she arrived to a large hall, its ceiling so high that Gwendis couldn’t see it. In the middle of the hall stood six giants made of stone. They all reached for the skies, and all of them came crumbling down, one by one. Gwendis walked through the rubble, dust floating in the air. She could see shadows among the ruins left behind by the giants. Some of them were crying, others tried to rebuild, and some of them reached for their swords. Then Gwendis saw a warrior walking towards her, light shining behind it. The warrior raised its sword, and struck it down to Gwendis. And the world was dark again.
In the darkness Gwendis heard a screeching noise that sent shivers down her spine. Then she heard it again, and again, until she realized they were words, spoken in an unhuman language. And in the darkness she saw blue eyes, staring at her. The eyes grew bigger, or Gwendis herself shrank, it was impossible to tell. The screeching words turned louder, and Gwendis tried to cover her ears and shut her eyes.
Then she woke up, lying in the floor of her chambers, and Aisha was still holding her hand. Gwendis pulled her hand away from the priestess as quickly as she could, and gave her a glare. “Those eyes… What was it? What did I see?” The Princess asked with shaky words, and the look on Aisha’s eyes was uncharacteristically uncertain.
“Some call him the Great Other, but his true name is hidden from us.” The Dark Priestess spoke with quiet words. Gwendis shook her head, still in a shock. “This is your god?” She asked with disbelief in her words. “He seems more like a devil to me.” Aisha didn’t answer, and for a moment the room was filled with silence.
“What about everything else that I saw? What did all that mean?” Gwendis asked, her voice a bit calmer now. “I… I will need time to interpret it.” Aisha answered with hollow tone. Gwendis looked at the priestess, both of them in loss of words. Then the door was opened – it was Lyla.
“What in seven hells?” The assassin looked with bafflement at Gwendis and Aisha, who both still sat on the floor. “Who gave you permission to come here, Aisha?” Lyla asked with strict words, and Aisha stood up. She walked closer to Lyla with smooth steps. “No need to worry about it, Lyla.” Aisha said with her emotionless voice. “I was just here to tell the Princess why it is important to follow orders.”
Lyla frowned, but let the priestess walk past her. At the door Aisha gave one more worried glance at Gwendis, before walking away.
“What are you trying, princess?” Lyla asked with threatening tone, and Gwendis let out a sigh. “Nothing.” She answered sternly, but Lyla didn’t look convinced. “Leave me alone now, please.” Gwendis spoke with commanding tone, but with a swift move the assassin pulled a small dagger from her belt, taking couple steps closer to Gwendis.
“Do you feel like you are in charge here, princess?” Lyla asked quietly, a small smirk appearing on her face. Gwendis took in a couple breaths to calm herself. “I understand.” She said with emotionless words. “For some reason, perhaps jealousy, you want to make me suffer as much as possible…”
“Suffer?” Lyla cut off Gwendis, letting out a dry chuckle and twiddling the dagger in her hand. “You know nothing about suffering, princess, so don’t even talk about it.” With these harsh words Lyla put her dagger away and turned her back for Gwendis, walking out of the room.
-
After eating her breakfast Gwendis stood on her balcony, observing the view while her mind was going through what she had seen last night. The blue eyes in the darkness had come to her dreams, and she couldn’t get them out of her head.
Gwendis sighed, trying to think of something else. Her mind traveled to Naemon. She had seen him in the vision, shaking hands with Vorian. I suppose that’s a good sign, she thought, but it didn’t cheer her up much. Gwendis wondered when would the army start to march towards Kingsgrave, and whether the council had actually done anything to solve the situation in their own lands.
Why do I even care, Gwendis thought with frustration, it’s not my war. She turned around to walk back inside, when she heard something. Another uninvited guest? Gwendis walked with silent steps back inside. She glanced around the room, and then she saw where the noise had come from. A young man stood by the chest where Gwendis kept her jewelry, and clearly some of them had already found their way to the bag of this young man.
Gwendis cleared her throat, which made the young thief drop his bag and turn towards Gwendis. He muttered something that Gwendis couldn’t make clear of. “What are you doing?” Gwendis asked with cold tone. The young man had a curly brown hair, his eyes were light green, and he was tanned. He was quite thinly built, and wearing sleeveless black vest and light brown baggy trousers, paired with dark brown boots. From the boy’s face Gwendis could tell he was probably younger than Naemon.
Gwendis saw the boy glancing towards the door, so she took a couple quick steps to block his way. “Stay right there, thief. And explain.” The thief let out a sigh. “I need to make a living somehow…” He mumbled, but Gwendis shook her head.
“A living? Those would make you a fortune.” She nodded towards the jewels as she spoke. A small smirk appeared on the thief’s face. “I guess so.” He said with a dreamy tone.
“I suppose you are one of the servants, though I don’t remember ever seeing you.” Gwendis eyed the young man, trying to remember if she knew him from somewhere. “What’s your name?” She asked with commanding tone. “Trentan, my Princess.” The boy answered. “And… I just begun to work here couple days ago.”
“Well if my father hears of this you will work no longer, neither will you steal anymore – he would take your life for this.” Gwendis could see Trentan gulping, and she took couple steps closer. “Perhaps we can find some kind of agreement though.” Gwendis flashed a smile for the boy, who gave her a nervous grin.
“What do you mean?” He asked quietly. Gwendis picked the bag of the thief from the ground, seeing five pieces of jewelry there. Somehow this boy had managed to slip into her room without anyone noticing – and almost out too. “I think you could be helpful to me.” Gwendis said calmly. “Perhaps you could bring someone to me, I’m in need of a conversation.” Trentan nodded to the Princess’ words.
“Sure, who will I bring?” He asked with a touch of relief in his words. Gwendis had always had her two trusted men in the council – Braddock and Maester Mortin. She had already seen Braddock, and it was clear he was quite hesitant of telling anything, especially since he had been put in charge of the council by Benedict. But I know I can make him slip something. Maester Mortin had never been the bravest of men, but at least Gwendis knew he wasn’t influenced by the King. He is an objective man if anything.
“Princess?” Trentan’s voice was nervous, and Gwendis turned her eyes to him again. I’ve made my decision.
[Send him to Maester Mortin] [Send him to Braddock] [Send him to both]
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PS. btw, I changed the title of the third chapter